Animal Hospital Of River Oaks

I don't know what that other reviewer is talking about. I'm not a yelper, but I feel like I need to correct the record here because Dr. Gold is an excellent veterinarian and I have been in a situation similar to Alex with him where his behaviour could not have been more different than what she describes. Lorie has been looking after our two cats since we got them and has been kind and gentle and professional in all of our dealings with him. His staff are excellent and, while it sometimes means a wait for scheduled appointments, the clinic will almost always squeeze you in that day if you're having an emergency. When we adopted a cat "Ernie" for my mother, we took him in for a quick check-up to make sure everything was okay and to check on some sores on his feet. Ernie doesn't like having his nails done, and as a new cat in a strange place this was particularly distressing. Despite Ernie's protests, Dr. Gold dragged out the mitts and gave them to me to hold the little guy while he tried to examine the foot. He got tagged at least once, but didn't complain and saw us out with his normal good cheer. I would hate for someone to read that other review and decide not to go. The rates are very reasonable, the staff are very friendly and go out of their way to help the regulars. We have always been very satisfied at River oaks. Read Less

*my daughter's experience at this clinic  "A highly distressing and ultimately surreal experience. I'd like to specify this review is about Dr. Lorie Gold (the clinic's owner) and that the rest of the staff seemed like normal empathetic people. I went in to give my cat a peaceful end. Initially Lorie Gold came off as kind and accommodating. He walked me through the process, sedated her, and was getting ready to do the euthanization. As he grasped her paw to shave it she released her claws. They snagged him. His reaction to this seemed dramatic. He looked super annoyed and upset. He grabbed some nail clippers and I immediately said "we tried to clip her nails a few weeks ago and she freaked out." He ignored me and proceeded to try and clip them. I said again "she's going to freak out." He continued. My cat, although sedated, mustered up some feeble strength and nipped him. He took a huge step back, looked at me and said "MY LIFE IS NOW IN DANGER. I have to report this to the government so they can do a rabies investigation. It's likely you'll be fined. They'll be calling you." I'm serious. I'm not being hyperbolic. He actually said this. Things to keep in mind:1. he read my cat's emergency clinic report from a week back when her problems were initially checked out. Quite sure they would have noticed rabies. 2. he knew that my cat hasn't been outside since last summer and that even then she stays on a raised deck3. he knew that my cat freaks out if her nails are touched. why not do the injection elsewhere? he stated this was an option during my briefing of the procedure. nope, he kept grabbing her paw and persisting even after she reacted.4. I've been bitten by a wild animal in Halton. I went to the hospital to get a rabies check and they laughed at me and sent me home saying there's no rabies in this area.5. I've volunteered for years at the human society and have had cats give birth in my home, had cats scratch me and bite me (quite severely at times) and rabies wasn't ever a concern or even mentioned. 6. If you're a seasoned vet who is this concerned about rabies, why not WEAR GLOVES?I understand there are laws in place to protect people, but there is also a thing called common sense. Fine do a report, but maybe wait till after the procedure to lecture me about it? Or again, prevent this from happening by LISTENING to your client and/or wearing gloves. It gets worse. He grabbed her paw AGAIN to shave it for the needle.  My cat gasped, her head smashed on the table, limp. She stopped breathing completely (this was obvious because her lungs had water around them and her breathing was incredibly heavy). She looked completely dead, like he shocked and scared her into passing out. I start balling my eyes out because this is NOT a peaceful death. He says her heart is still beating and euthanizes her with my consent. I ran out the room, I paid, and I just wanted to get out of there. He followed me and kept lecturing me about this investigation and how serious it is. I'm also told that I am not able to take her body home AND her body will now be mutilated due to the autopsy they have to preform. I go home and he calls to offer me a free cremation and an apology. He said something like "the important thing is she's not suffering anymore." Sure, except she died scared, shocked, and angry because a seasoned vet refused to listen to my warning, refused to wear gloves, and didn't think of trying a different spot for the injection. Lorie Gold was thorough and attentive only when it came to his own "safety." My cat died in distress and her body had to be mutilated and kept at the clinic for a week due to his complete disregard of my instructions and lack of ability to observe the world around him and react accordingly. One last thing. No one from the investigation called me. I guess they didn't take his concern seriously either." Read Less

I think I just decided to walk into this hospital, ever since I moved to Oakville. Mainly because how building looks like.It's nice small, white, very classic looking building surrounded by big trees. Staff members are very friendly, my cat is seeing Dr.Mac and she's great. They discovered thyroid issue, and helped my cat on that with medication. Read Less