Cottonwood Falls Animal Clinic
Nelson, British Columbia
Reviews
C
12 Sep 2022
REPORT
In 28 years of living with animals, I have never experienced worse care at a vet.
I’ll preface this by saying that my dog is city-shy. She has never been problematic with any adult, child, dog, or ca...
In 28 years of living with animals, I have never experienced worse care at a vet.
I’ll preface this by saying that my dog is city-shy. She has never been problematic with any adult, child, dog, or cat.
Today my dog reacted to Dr. Hart’s rushed and frankly unobservant advances and nipped the air next to her hand as a signal that she did not like what the Dr. was doing. I agree that this behaviour is unacceptable, but this occurred after my dog was showing many textbook signs of stress response (tail between the legs, whale eyes, cowering, flight attempts, ears back, trembling) while Dr. Hart continued to pet and hold her in areas she was clearly not comfortable with. I was truly appalled that the vet didn’t (or maybe just outright couldn’t) read my dogs body language and act accordingly.
After disciplining my dog, muzzling her and apologizing for her attempted nip, the Dr. continued on a long rant about how she is “a very bad and dangerous dog”. I listened and agreed with certain suggestions she made, but at a certain point felt the dialogue was long-winded, patronizing, and frankly, void of any mutual accountability for her role in my dogs discomfort. After explaining that my dog does not like to be touched on her behind, and that she had been signalling this clearly before she attempted to nip and create a boundary, Dr. Hart lost her composure.
Any attempts I made to engage in a constructive process, like explaining that she doesn’t like to be touched in certain areas and needed some time to adjust to a stranger handling her so rushedly, or outlining that she is very city and vet-shy and needed gentle and calm engagement (something I explained when the Dr. walked in), were rebuffed as “excuses”, saying that “SHE is not the type to get bitten” and literally yelling that she has “been a vet for 32 years and do(es) not need my constructive feedback.”
This part was even more appalling, because I agree that people can be very knowledgable and well-practiced, but I truly believe there is always room to learn and grow.
This experience was particularly disappointing, because this was my second and last attempt at having a good experience at this clinic. About 1 year ago when my dog was a puppy, she ate a poisonous plant. I called Cottonwood after-hours and requested emergency care. I was told I’d receive a call back promptly. After waiting 30 mins I called again, and was told that I’d be called right away. Over 2 hours later I received a call telling me that it was too late to induce vomiting and that i needed to get her to a vet ASAP.
At this point I rushed her to the Animal Hospital and was greeted with exceptional care. They were very confused why this potentially fatal situation was put on the back-burner, and we were all glad when my dog made a full recovery.
I returned to Cottonwood and Dr. Hart because I believe that everyone makes mistakes and we shouldn’t hold people to their worst moments. Sadly, it's now clear that Dr. Hart’s clinics previous “worse moment” was in reality a truthful reflection of their capabilities to provide adequate care.
The cherry on top of this last visit was when the time came to pay, I was charged $152 for a physical exam that my dog never received. I was in the room the entire time and there was not anything done apart from listening to her heartbeat for about 5 seconds. Absolutely criminal to charge so much for a service not even performed in full.
The overall vibe of this clinic, is stressful, rushed and void of any compassion for animal or owner alike. They have repeatedly shown me that they will do the bare minimum, while charging the highest price for services they may not have even provided.
I encourage anyone reading reviews to also read the other low ratings here. There are similar tales that show this was not a one-off scenario.
I truly believe that (and have witnessed) Selkirk Vet and the Nelson Animal Hospital do a far superior job. Do yourself a favour and take your pets there instead.
Ingrid Harris
19 Jul 2018
REPORT
Dr. Hart and her wonderful staff are second to none. They are caring, professional animal lovers who do their best to help your pet and inform you. All of our experiences there have been awesome. W...
Dr. Hart and her wonderful staff are second to none. They are caring, professional animal lovers who do their best to help your pet and inform you. All of our experiences there have been awesome. We highly recommend Cottonwood Falls Animal Clinic
🙂
Dana Magree
20 Mar 2018
REPORT
Dr. Hart and her team are amazing! For 10 years she has cared for my cocker spaniel Dudley. She is very knowledgeable and so caring every visit!
I highly recommend Cottonwood Falls!
Leslie
17 Nov 2017
REPORT
I bring my cat here and wouldn't trust anyone else to treat her. Dr. Hart cares so much about each animal that comes in, she treats my little girl as if she was her own. My kitty had a serious injury ...
I bring my cat here and wouldn't trust anyone else to treat her. Dr. Hart cares so much about each animal that comes in, she treats my little girl as if she was her own. My kitty had a serious injury a few years back and Dr. Hart was able to treat her right away without a lot of diagnostic testing which might not have been the case at another vet. The time and effort that was put into her recovery was amazing and I am so thankful for the staff there. You're all amazing!!
Eileen Middleton
27 Oct 2017
REPORT
My dog was limping on her back leg for awhile. Another vet told me I would need a very costly surgery. After talking to a friend she told me Dr. Hart might be able to help Abby without surgery. She di...
My dog was limping on her back leg for awhile. Another vet told me I would need a very costly surgery. After talking to a friend she told me Dr. Hart might be able to help Abby without surgery. She diagnosed Abby right away. She said that Abby had a kneecap that was dislocating and then she told me that some laser and a nutritional supplement could cure her. After 2 laser treatments Abby was no longer limping! It was like a miracle. I am so happy she was didn't have to have that surgery. I would recommend this clinic highly!
Kyran Cunningham
27 Oct 2017
REPORT
My dog Archie is a 13 year old Schnauzer and he started seizing out of nowhere. I brought him to the clinic and after a round of diagnostics Doctor Hart was able to give me a diagnosis within an hour:...
My dog Archie is a 13 year old Schnauzer and he started seizing out of nowhere. I brought him to the clinic and after a round of diagnostics Doctor Hart was able to give me a diagnosis within an hour: Archie has a rare disease that affects his ability to digest fat. We got him on a new diet and a great medicine regime; they researched and had ordered a special food for him within a day. Archie is now doing better than he has in years; he's pretty much a puppy again. I cannot truly express how grateful I am to have my dog back in great health.
Susan H
27 Jul 2017
REPORT
Traveling from out of town needed to have an insulin curve done for my 14 year old dog. Was told the cost over the phone which included a full exam by the vet as the dog was new to the practice. It m...
Traveling from out of town needed to have an insulin curve done for my 14 year old dog. Was told the cost over the phone which included a full exam by the vet as the dog was new to the practice. It maked sense to me. When I dropped the dog the vet was not in for the day. Went to pick her up at the end of the day, I was expecting the vet to be there to go over the results. She had left for the day and left instruction with the receptionist so I was unable to ask her any questions with the results she found. Did not met the vet nor was I in the room when the full exam was done. Anytime I have an exam done by a new vet I have been in the room. Don't even know if the exam was done. The cost was over $100 more then expected over double the amount of blood sugar test where done than by my regular vet. Been a new client to the practice I was expecting the vet would want to met me ,as I travel to nelson regularly, would consider use her as vet when in town plus recommend the practice to locals. Guess not. Very disappointed.
Ryan Dupuis
30 Aug 2016
REPORT
My new puppy has received great care. Staff are great and happy to answer and questions.
Jessica Henderson
20 Jan 2016
REPORT
What a wonderful clinic! I brought my dog in for a limp in her front leg that had been seen before by a few vets but never fixed. Dr. Hart was amazing! she was able to get x-rays done right away, get ...
What a wonderful clinic! I brought my dog in for a limp in her front leg that had been seen before by a few vets but never fixed. Dr. Hart was amazing! she was able to get x-rays done right away, get a diagnosis and start treating my dog all in one appointment! The rest of the staff were all very welcoming and kind and my dog actually enjoyed being there, they fed her lots of treats and she was very happy and relaxed the whole time. Within a few days of giving the medicine she was prescribed her limp was gone. I'm so pleased with this clinic, will definitely be making them my regular vet.
chrystal ki
22 Apr 2014
REPORT
I brought my cat in, who had just suffered from an eye injury. When I dropped him off, I informed the secretary, Karen, he was scared, had never been in a carrier let alone a vehicle before and this w...
I brought my cat in, who had just suffered from an eye injury. When I dropped him off, I informed the secretary, Karen, he was scared, had never been in a carrier let alone a vehicle before and this was his first visit to a vet. 5.5hrs later I receive a phone call from them saying they can't help my animal because he's "wild, he's feral, he's destroyed the clinic, you need to come and get him and take him home or to another vet." You can imagine my disappointment, my dissatisfaction. It got better when I arrived, Karen looked crazy, like she had never dealt with an animal in her life, especially an outdoor oriented one. Annie was the only one I will praise, and I'm sorry my kitty bit her, she seemed like she was the only one who had it together. The main vet was nowhere in sight! Theresa did not say one word to me about anything that had previously occurred! I couldn't believe the unprofessionalism. Concluding this review, my kitty was well provided and cared for with NELSON ANIMAL HOSPITAL and I HIGHLY recommend you take your furry friends here! Lovely staff, professional, and know what their doing! No worries to be had. Very caring, they even check up on you and your animal!
Jesse Gibb
15 Apr 2014
REPORT
We took our cat there, due to him being off his food and water for a few days. The vet gave us a treatment option that was affordable and didn't involve drastic measures (ie: surgery, like another cli...
We took our cat there, due to him being off his food and water for a few days. The vet gave us a treatment option that was affordable and didn't involve drastic measures (ie: surgery, like another clinic seemed inclined towards), and our cat is now back to his normal healthy self. Also noteworthy is the friendly and professional staff who really care about your animals; and the multiple phone calls providing further advice. I would highly recommend this clinic.
Book an Appointment
Online booking unavailable
Please call
(250) 352-7466
Business Hours
Monday
Mon
08:00AM-17:00PM
Tuesday
Tue
08:00AM-17:00PM
Wednesday
Wed
08:00AM-17:00PM
Thursday
Thu
08:00AM-17:00PM
Friday
Fri
08:00AM-17:00PM
Is this your business?
CLAIM IT HEREIncorrect information? Let us know
Cottonwood Falls Animal Clinic
Nelson, British Columbia
Business Hours
Monday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Tuesday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Wednesday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Thursday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Friday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Reviews
C
12 Sep 2022
In 28 years of living with animals, I have never experienced worse care at a vet.
I’ll preface this by saying that my dog is city-shy. She has never been problematic with any adult, child, dog, or ca...
In 28 years of living with animals, I have never experienced worse care at a vet.
I’ll preface this by saying that my dog is city-shy. She has never been problematic with any adult, child, dog, or cat.
Today my dog reacted to Dr. Hart’s rushed and frankly unobservant advances and nipped the air next to her hand as a signal that she did not like what the Dr. was doing. I agree that this behaviour is unacceptable, but this occurred after my dog was showing many textbook signs of stress response (tail between the legs, whale eyes, cowering, flight attempts, ears back, trembling) while Dr. Hart continued to pet and hold her in areas she was clearly not comfortable with. I was truly appalled that the vet didn’t (or maybe just outright couldn’t) read my dogs body language and act accordingly.
After disciplining my dog, muzzling her and apologizing for her attempted nip, the Dr. continued on a long rant about how she is “a very bad and dangerous dog”. I listened and agreed with certain suggestions she made, but at a certain point felt the dialogue was long-winded, patronizing, and frankly, void of any mutual accountability for her role in my dogs discomfort. After explaining that my dog does not like to be touched on her behind, and that she had been signalling this clearly before she attempted to nip and create a boundary, Dr. Hart lost her composure.
Any attempts I made to engage in a constructive process, like explaining that she doesn’t like to be touched in certain areas and needed some time to adjust to a stranger handling her so rushedly, or outlining that she is very city and vet-shy and needed gentle and calm engagement (something I explained when the Dr. walked in), were rebuffed as “excuses”, saying that “SHE is not the type to get bitten” and literally yelling that she has “been a vet for 32 years and do(es) not need my constructive feedback.”
This part was even more appalling, because I agree that people can be very knowledgable and well-practiced, but I truly believe there is always room to learn and grow.
This experience was particularly disappointing, because this was my second and last attempt at having a good experience at this clinic. About 1 year ago when my dog was a puppy, she ate a poisonous plant. I called Cottonwood after-hours and requested emergency care. I was told I’d receive a call back promptly. After waiting 30 mins I called again, and was told that I’d be called right away. Over 2 hours later I received a call telling me that it was too late to induce vomiting and that i needed to get her to a vet ASAP.
At this point I rushed her to the Animal Hospital and was greeted with exceptional care. They were very confused why this potentially fatal situation was put on the back-burner, and we were all glad when my dog made a full recovery.
I returned to Cottonwood and Dr. Hart because I believe that everyone makes mistakes and we shouldn’t hold people to their worst moments. Sadly, it's now clear that Dr. Hart’s clinics previous “worse moment” was in reality a truthful reflection of their capabilities to provide adequate care.
The cherry on top of this last visit was when the time came to pay, I was charged $152 for a physical exam that my dog never received. I was in the room the entire time and there was not anything done apart from listening to her heartbeat for about 5 seconds. Absolutely criminal to charge so much for a service not even performed in full.
The overall vibe of this clinic, is stressful, rushed and void of any compassion for animal or owner alike. They have repeatedly shown me that they will do the bare minimum, while charging the highest price for services they may not have even provided.
I encourage anyone reading reviews to also read the other low ratings here. There are similar tales that show this was not a one-off scenario.
I truly believe that (and have witnessed) Selkirk Vet and the Nelson Animal Hospital do a far superior job. Do yourself a favour and take your pets there instead.
Ingrid Harris
19 Jul 2018
Dr. Hart and her wonderful staff are second to none. They are caring, professional animal lovers who do their best to help your pet and inform you. All of our experiences there have been awesome. W...
Dr. Hart and her wonderful staff are second to none. They are caring, professional animal lovers who do their best to help your pet and inform you. All of our experiences there have been awesome. We highly recommend Cottonwood Falls Animal Clinic
🙂
Dana Magree
20 Mar 2018
Dr. Hart and her team are amazing! For 10 years she has cared for my cocker spaniel Dudley. She is very knowledgeable and so caring every visit!
I highly recommend Cottonwood Falls!
Leslie
17 Nov 2017
I bring my cat here and wouldn't trust anyone else to treat her. Dr. Hart cares so much about each animal that comes in, she treats my little girl as if she was her own. My kitty had a serious injury ...
I bring my cat here and wouldn't trust anyone else to treat her. Dr. Hart cares so much about each animal that comes in, she treats my little girl as if she was her own. My kitty had a serious injury a few years back and Dr. Hart was able to treat her right away without a lot of diagnostic testing which might not have been the case at another vet. The time and effort that was put into her recovery was amazing and I am so thankful for the staff there. You're all amazing!!
Eileen Middleton
27 Oct 2017
My dog was limping on her back leg for awhile. Another vet told me I would need a very costly surgery. After talking to a friend she told me Dr. Hart might be able to help Abby without surgery. She di...
My dog was limping on her back leg for awhile. Another vet told me I would need a very costly surgery. After talking to a friend she told me Dr. Hart might be able to help Abby without surgery. She diagnosed Abby right away. She said that Abby had a kneecap that was dislocating and then she told me that some laser and a nutritional supplement could cure her. After 2 laser treatments Abby was no longer limping! It was like a miracle. I am so happy she was didn't have to have that surgery. I would recommend this clinic highly!
Kyran Cunningham
27 Oct 2017
My dog Archie is a 13 year old Schnauzer and he started seizing out of nowhere. I brought him to the clinic and after a round of diagnostics Doctor Hart was able to give me a diagnosis within an hour:...
My dog Archie is a 13 year old Schnauzer and he started seizing out of nowhere. I brought him to the clinic and after a round of diagnostics Doctor Hart was able to give me a diagnosis within an hour: Archie has a rare disease that affects his ability to digest fat. We got him on a new diet and a great medicine regime; they researched and had ordered a special food for him within a day. Archie is now doing better than he has in years; he's pretty much a puppy again. I cannot truly express how grateful I am to have my dog back in great health.
Susan H
27 Jul 2017
Traveling from out of town needed to have an insulin curve done for my 14 year old dog. Was told the cost over the phone which included a full exam by the vet as the dog was new to the practice. It m...
Traveling from out of town needed to have an insulin curve done for my 14 year old dog. Was told the cost over the phone which included a full exam by the vet as the dog was new to the practice. It maked sense to me. When I dropped the dog the vet was not in for the day. Went to pick her up at the end of the day, I was expecting the vet to be there to go over the results. She had left for the day and left instruction with the receptionist so I was unable to ask her any questions with the results she found. Did not met the vet nor was I in the room when the full exam was done. Anytime I have an exam done by a new vet I have been in the room. Don't even know if the exam was done. The cost was over $100 more then expected over double the amount of blood sugar test where done than by my regular vet. Been a new client to the practice I was expecting the vet would want to met me ,as I travel to nelson regularly, would consider use her as vet when in town plus recommend the practice to locals. Guess not. Very disappointed.
Ryan Dupuis
30 Aug 2016
My new puppy has received great care. Staff are great and happy to answer and questions.
Jessica Henderson
20 Jan 2016
What a wonderful clinic! I brought my dog in for a limp in her front leg that had been seen before by a few vets but never fixed. Dr. Hart was amazing! she was able to get x-rays done right away, get ...
What a wonderful clinic! I brought my dog in for a limp in her front leg that had been seen before by a few vets but never fixed. Dr. Hart was amazing! she was able to get x-rays done right away, get a diagnosis and start treating my dog all in one appointment! The rest of the staff were all very welcoming and kind and my dog actually enjoyed being there, they fed her lots of treats and she was very happy and relaxed the whole time. Within a few days of giving the medicine she was prescribed her limp was gone. I'm so pleased with this clinic, will definitely be making them my regular vet.
chrystal ki
22 Apr 2014
I brought my cat in, who had just suffered from an eye injury. When I dropped him off, I informed the secretary, Karen, he was scared, had never been in a carrier let alone a vehicle before and this w...
I brought my cat in, who had just suffered from an eye injury. When I dropped him off, I informed the secretary, Karen, he was scared, had never been in a carrier let alone a vehicle before and this was his first visit to a vet. 5.5hrs later I receive a phone call from them saying they can't help my animal because he's "wild, he's feral, he's destroyed the clinic, you need to come and get him and take him home or to another vet." You can imagine my disappointment, my dissatisfaction. It got better when I arrived, Karen looked crazy, like she had never dealt with an animal in her life, especially an outdoor oriented one. Annie was the only one I will praise, and I'm sorry my kitty bit her, she seemed like she was the only one who had it together. The main vet was nowhere in sight! Theresa did not say one word to me about anything that had previously occurred! I couldn't believe the unprofessionalism. Concluding this review, my kitty was well provided and cared for with NELSON ANIMAL HOSPITAL and I HIGHLY recommend you take your furry friends here! Lovely staff, professional, and know what their doing! No worries to be had. Very caring, they even check up on you and your animal!
Jesse Gibb
15 Apr 2014
We took our cat there, due to him being off his food and water for a few days. The vet gave us a treatment option that was affordable and didn't involve drastic measures (ie: surgery, like another cli...
We took our cat there, due to him being off his food and water for a few days. The vet gave us a treatment option that was affordable and didn't involve drastic measures (ie: surgery, like another clinic seemed inclined towards), and our cat is now back to his normal healthy self. Also noteworthy is the friendly and professional staff who really care about your animals; and the multiple phone calls providing further advice. I would highly recommend this clinic.
Map
Is this your business?
CLAIM IT HEREIncorrect information? Let us know