Dr. Kent/Ackerman (whatever his name is) is one of the most obnoxious and egotistical people I've ever met. We took our cat in because he'd been throwing up. After waiting for 45 minutes, the assistant looked at him. She was very kind and helpful. Another 45 minutes later, the vet came in and talked to us about random stuff (mostly how amazing he was) for ten minutes. Finally, he examined our cat. He diagnosed a thyroid problem and took blood and urine samples. It took him four or five tries of sticking a needle into our cat's neck before he finally took the blood. After, he said "isn't that cool?" He also tried to convince us that cats should be given laxatives twice a day, every day, no matter what. He told us our cat had a heart murmur and then said it was just the stethoscope. We waited another 15 minutes to pay and leave. Despite their insistence on it being an emergency, it took them four days to call back with the results. Everything was fine. Overall, it was an awful experience and I feel bad subjecting our cat to such a rude person. Based on the other reviews, we should never have taken him there and we actually got off lucky. We will be filing a complaint with the veterinary board in the hopes that he can be disciplined. Read Less

Negligence at its finest. DO NOT go here. Dr. Kunt only cares about money and NOT YOUR PET. He does not look after your pets interest, only his own. One time while at the clinic I heard him tell his staff to charge a disabled elderly lady an extra $40 because she 'asks too many questions'. Despicable. I've reported him to the OVC. I encourage others that have experienced similar violations to do the same. Investigation is pending .Dr. Kunt Hackerman will get what he deserves! Read Less

This clinic doesn't even deserve one star. Dr. Kent is the most egotistical, and conceited "vet" in the industry, and is purely driven by money. Animal welfare and general care is non-existent here, and the client/former employee reviews are telling enough. I took my kitten here for a spay and Dr. Kent called me MID SURGERY to ask me if I wanted an add on treatment. Let that sink in. The vet left the room, to call me and try and upsell me on a "laser treatment", for a 2mm incision on my kitten. I got him off the phone, vehemently refused his rip off add on, and demanded he return back to his job. Ensuring my cat is safe and healthy, not trying to make sales. When I got to the clinic that afternoon to pick her up, lo and behold, Dr. Kent had the nerve to try and CHARGE ME FOR THE LASER TREATMENT. Not only did he add on a service after being explicitly told not to, he PERFORMED A TREATMENT ON MY PET THAT I DECLINED. He was long gone by the time I picked her up, and the poor receptionist was left to deal with Dr. Kent's unprofessionalism and thievery. The charge was obviously removed and we would never set foot here again. The vet even had the audacity to tell me that I was lucky my pet was visiting him. In what business practice is it common to tell your client that they're actually fortunate enough to be paying you? Read Less

Worked here for a day and a half (could not stand a minute longer), have NEVER experienced anything like it. Dr. Ackerman to put it bluntly, is: a sexist, egotistical, sociopath. Treats his staff like dirt, shaming and humiliating in front of anyone in the waiting room. Overcharging clients wherever he can, I literally heard him say "well I don't like that woman, charge her an extra $30". He didn't tell a woman whose cat had cancer the possible treatment options (he put the cat down), saying "look at her, she couldn't afford it." APPALLING. Read Less

I have been bringing my Jack Russell Ari to Dr Kent for a few years now. Dr Kent has shown me very effective behaviour training for my energetic dog. A couple years back he performed surgery on Ari’s ear and the results were amazing. Recently Ari cane down with saver acute pancreatitis. Dr Kent literally saved his life. Dr Kent has been amazing throughout the whole process. He has patiently explained all of the treatments and procedures, while answering any and all questions and concerns I have. Dr Kent has also found many ways to discount my visits, saving me a lot of money off of already very expensive treatments and prescriptions. Thanks Dr Kent Read Less

Vet is incredibly rude to the other staff member, and ridicules her in front of clients, expecting them to agree and engage. He is ALWAYS late. He was truly great to my cat but every experience there has left me extremely uncomfortable. Read Less

We've been seeing Dr. Ackerman for both our pups for many years and find his knowledge and interactions with the animals to be excellent. He's very reassuring and obviously cares very deeply for all animals. I know that both my boys are and have been in very good hands in his care. We just had our latest pup neutered a couple days ago by Dr. Ackerman and his stitches are neat and invisible and the wounds tiny and practically healed. Pup didn't even need the cone of shame or pain meds Read Less

We love Dr Hall, who is relatively new to the clinic. She's wonderful with our dog and knows her stuff. Pleasant experience for person and canine alike. Dr Hall is usually there Tuesdays n Thursdays, which, if I'm to be honest, is the only time I'll be booking. These stars are really for her, and for the awesome assistant working there now, whose name I promise to catch next time. Read Less

I thought I was meeting a vet for the first time who was honest but in the end Kent the vet is no different then every vet I have visited. Talks like a used car sales man. I explained I am on a budget basically eating kraft dinner to afford the vet visits and all I asked for was a 3rd vaccination but somehow I got screwed with paying for a stool sample. He never once explained pricing or anything outside of the basic scare tactics (get this or your puppy will suffer blah blah blah). To make it worse he spent 20 minutes telling me about how awesome of a dog trainer he is and that I should go and visit his website. He was clear however he was a vet that can be trusted and backed this up with a free bag of dog food (so in a sense my hidden stool sample purchase paid for this food). What really grinded my gears was when he would ask me questions and then talk over me as I tried to answer them. At one point he walked out when I was mid sentence. After 3 vet visits (all different vets) I have been convinced that my friends were right and I should have listened; don't trust the vet's advice. Sad reality but it is what it is. My advice for anybody reading this is to just go visit the humane society and get the real advice - not advice based on false promises, slight of hand with a touch of sales. Read Less

I absolutely loved meeting the team at King West Vets! I have a ferret and it's been very difficult finding an exotics vet in the city with my current one being away. Dr. Ackerman was so knowledgable. He was very attentive and caring, and knew how to make my normally very squirmy ferret Harley calm throughout the visit. Ferret people --I highly recommend. I really appreciated his honesty and refreshing candour as well. I will be bringing Harley here from now on. Thanks Doc and team! Read Less

I was a client here but switched last April to one of the many ones on Queen st (just as close to me). When I first started 6 years ago, service was GREAT. doc took care of you and your pet... as the years went on service went down price went up ??? last year was the last straw.. 1.5 hour wait for my appointment, only spent 10 minutes with me and tried to charge me for extra services not required. Receptionist gave me some dirty looks for my dog jumping on the counter when others got him excited ... SERIOUSLY!! you work at a VET! New vet (not at king west)= great service. friendly. (a bit late but 10 minutes better than 1.5hours). didn't try to push extra stuff to buy onto me. If King west reverts to the way it used to be it would be good. Only giving 2 stars because the first couple years were good. later not so much. Read Less

Just wanted to pick up some hypo allergenic dog food from here because my usual vet (Queen West) was out and was told I'd have prepay to order it. I have bought this food from King West before when it was in stock. I placed an order but then found another clinic that had the food in stock. I called back within 5 minutes and spoke to a man who told me it was no problem the order hadn't been put in yet and cancelled it. Then a receptionist called me back an hour later to say that I have to pay a restocking fee because the food would go to waste since no one at their clinic orders it. I told her I had bought the same food off the shelf from them two weeks prior plus cancelled this order over an hour ago. She denied it and said "theres no way you bought food from us before". She then made a huge fuss when I refused to pay for a restocking fee and said "fine I'll see if the supplier will cancel it although we might have to pay for the extra cost and you're making this really difficult for everyone". Then called back in 15 and refunded my bag like she was doing me a huge favour. I've had many friends give me bad reviews about King west, but just this simple interaction was enough for me. Read Less

I just wanted to take a minute to thank the very special staff at King West Vets. While out of the country, my cat Oscar suffered from a urethra blockage and went down hill very fast. My brother (who was taking care of Oscar) rushed him into King West Vets. From that point forward, Oscar received superior care and was nursed back to health in a matter of a week. Oscar is going great now thanks to Dr. A and his staff.Read Less

6 years ago my male cat, Cha Cha, had a urinary tract infection. I made an appointment at King West Vets (I was new to the neighbourhood and this was the closest to my house) and was presented with a Gold package by a Dr. Julie, I believe, for a battery of tests that from the best of my memory was in the vicinity of $1500 dollars. I declined it and was then presented with a lower package and then another yet lower. I declined them as well and asked to just give Cha Cha a uRead Less

I've been going here for a few years and always felt as though I was being hosed. Dr Kent Akerman has an arrogance to him that doesn't serve him well.  Every time I go to this clinic I'm charged with a bunch of test I really don't think are necessary. I always feel like I'm being sold on something and they make you feel like an idiot if you ask a few questions about what they're selling you. I recently booked a procedure an asked for a quote before we go ahead. Two weeks went by and no one called. So a week before the procedure I called and his price was insane!  At that point I had had enough. Time I pull my dog out of there and quit giving this greedy vet any more of my hard earned money. Go elsewhere please. Read Less

Because of my experience, I felt compelled to create an account and add my review.  It's a long review but I believe I should outline the entire account to be fair.  In summary though, I believe this vet should be avoided at all costs.Details:I called a few days in advance to make an appointment for 6:30pm to get my dog's annual shots.  The lady on the other end asked me for my previous vet so they could have that vet fax them my dogs records.  Sounds good so far.I walk in and there are 2 people behind the reception desk.  I tell the one who wasn't on the phone that I have an appointment for 6:30.  She ignored me and the lady on the phone waved me over to the waiting area indicating I should wait.Ok, no big deal.  I was a few mins early so I waited.  But, when she got off the phone, she did not address me.  She started chatting with her coworker.  While it was work related, I though it was weird she couldn't tell me to wait a bit longer because she had something she had to deal with first.  Then when she was finished, she still ignored me!  I get up and reiterate that I have an appointment at 6:30.  By this time it is already 6:45.  I tell her I'm a new patient and ask her if there are any forms I can fill out while I wait.  She tells me to continue to wait.  Finally 10 more minutes pass and she calls me over.  She asks me for my dog's medical records.  I'm thinking, you said you were going to get them.  No big deal, I cam prepared and brought them with me.  She then fills out the information (which I probably could have filled out while I was waiting).  After that was done... more waiting.  The vet (Dr. Ackerman) is finally ready to see us.  It's now 7:15.  The vet takes us into the room and I  tell him we are here for his annual shots and I also mention that my dog has been licking his paws a lot recently.  Not sure if it was OCD behavior or allergy.  Here's where I start getting really annoyed.  The vet doesn't listen to what I have to say.  He spent 20 minutes telling me how my dog could be happier if I was more alpha.  He tried to demonstrate how he put his hand on my dog to calm him down because he was nervous.  I said, he shaking.  I don't think he is clam.  He says it's because the table is cold.  I'm thinking really?  My dog loves the snow, I'm pretty sure the table isn't as cold as playing in snow.Then after 20 mins of selling himself as the best (and possibly only) behaviorist in Toronto and mentioning his youtube videos about 10 times, he finally talks about the the licking.  He said we need to get him on allergy pills.  What bothered me is that he never asked about my dog.  How bad was the licking?  Any changes in diet? Any changes in environment?  We are now 30 mins into the appointment and he asks me if there is anything else I need from him today.  I'm like, I came here for shots!  Oh right.  Shots.  He proceeded to call the vet tech to help with the shots and it was done in about 10 mins.Time to go pay and see what the damage is.  Not too bad.  In line with other vets (I've been to 4 of them in the area).  While I'm paying the receptionist grabs the allergy pills.  She makes a comment that I might notice my dog drink more water.  I ask why.  The allergy pills the vet prescribed had STEROIDS.  I told her I don't want it as I want to do some research before giving this to my dog.  She looked at me like I was stupid and yelled to the vet "he doesn't want the pills".  The vet yells back "Tell them it is very inexpensive".  Could not believe what I was hearing. I left the vet after over 2 hours.  At my last vet, I was in and out in about 30 mins for shots.I go home and research allergy medication and steroids.  Everywhere online says that this is a LAST RESORT only used when the dogs quality of life is threatened.  The vet never asked ANY questions about how bad the allergy was.  He never even confirmed if it was an allergy!  He immediately prescribes STEROIDS?  There are antihistamines without steroids.  Why did he not prescribe those first?  The side effects of the steroids was more than just "drinking more", it can cause aggressive behavior (roid rage) and other personality changes.  I consider this negligence!  The vet should have told me what was in the allergy medication and what side effects there were.  DO NOT go to this vet if you value your pet. Read Less

Can I level with you? Pet owners like myself can get a little crazy about the creatures they live with. And if they look sick or get hurt, we freak out. Vets are in a position to profit from this. Agreed? Good.The vets at King West are eminently competent. Let's get that out of the way. Most of my experiences have been with Dr. Julian and they've been 100% positive. I can't say the same for the clinic's owner. He's quite pleased with himself and that's fine. I'm not sure that I needed that to be communicated to me quite so clearly or frequently.Dr. Ackerman took the trouble to give me some good advice on dominance postures with my dog. Very useful stuff. However, he didn't mention that he'd be adding a "behavioral consult" to my bill. Blargh.At this point, I've found these guys to be a little too willing to perform testing and prescribe antibiotics. I appreciate that it improves their bottom line but I'd like people to be a little bit more respectful of my own. Read Less

The doctor Ackerman is the biggest scammer there is. He basically told me that my dog was going to die in a week. He took 20 -X-rays on the exact same spot and charged me for every single one. Opened up my dog to find nothing, did a biopsy and told me that my dog was terminally ill only to come back a few weeks later to say that the tests were wrong. ARE YOU PEOPLE HEARING THIS? He preyed on us at a time when we were at out weakest with our first pet. He was 1 year old at the time. Please don't go to this place. I can even remember going in to tell them that my dog was getting better and the staff actually replied by saying "oh it's because he doesn't know that he's sick, his days are numbered"...there's parkdale animal hospital, ask for any doctor. They care. King west ruined our Christmas last year. Drained our bank accounts and didn't help our pet one bit. By the way, this is only the tip of the iceberg. A lot more to my story than this. Good luck and if you decide to go there after reading this review, peace be with you Read Less

When I got my new kitten a few months ago I started pricing out a few vets in the city. Despite the reviews below, they were the most reasonable priced and seemed to be the most knowledgeable. I have now gone to this clinic twice and both times I was greeted with incredibly friendly personalities who truly love the job they are doing.Granted, I have had to wait almost an hour both times I've gone which isn't ideal, but the wait is worth it. Dr Kent takes the time to really exam your pet. He looked up some solutions for me when he didn't know the immediate answer and he offered advice that he really didn't need to given I was there for a simple vaccine. I can forgive the delays in this clinic because when he is in the room with you, he is really taking care of you and your pet. When you are cashing out, they even take the time to explain everything on your invoice. This clinic is definitely worth being your family vet. Read Less

Pros: - Vet is extremely kind and clearly knows his stuff (I think it's Dr. Ackerman? as noted in other reviews).- He won't rush through the exam, takes his time and gets to know your pet and you.- Convenient location for West-enders as it's on the King streetcar line.- There's a cat at reception that is friendly - *but be forewarned if you have a dog that doesn't like cats. Cons:- Apparently it's one of the pricier vets in Toronto and they will charge you a fee for transfer of records.- Long wait time (probably because the Vet takes his time with each client! So it could be a pro)- Parking is around the corner and metered - sort of a pain.- It might be a fluke, but I never received a reminder for a check-up for my cats, which I think is unusual.Overall, if you have a healthy pet and you're looking for a nice vet then try here. Otherwise, I think if you had significant concerns about  your pet's health then it would be advisable to go somewhere else with speedier turnover. Read Less

The best part of the visit was watching my kitty wake up after being under local anesthetic.  For a good laugh, I highly recommend drugging your cat to no end.  Not only is it hilarious but it also adds a healthy dose of cute overload. --**See Footnote**I have no complaints about King West Veterinary Clinic unless maybe I had  been pressed for time.  But I'm fairly laid back with a whole lot of nothing to do at the moment, so it suited me just fine.During our first visit, kitty made a bit of a fuss and went from cute and cuddly mogwai to absolutely possessed gremlin within a matter of seconds.  Dr. Ackerman handled it beautifully and calmly.  Sure, he's probably used to spontaneous bi-polar disorder kitties, but really, she could have done some serious damage to his face.  Picture if you can the image of a flying squirrel, only it's not a flying squirrel.  It's actually a gigantic cat (she's fat, yo!)  that looks as though it has been flung straight from a slingshot.  And as this projectile heads straight for you with its ears laid flat and a glint of crazy in its eyes, a disturbing howl erupts from somewhere deep within and you find your face inches from ten razor sharp fully extended claws... Ya, Dr. Ackerman handled that shit really well.Anyways, it wasn't the best of days for kitty and some routine tests were required.  Dependent on those results further testing could be required, so I left my kitty behind as my guilt and I marched out the door. Long story short, things turned out just fine.  Due to the situation Dr. Ackerman could have conducted some additional tests, however, he felt that due to kitty's age and overall good health it wasn't absolutely necessary and I ended up saving almost $300.  I appreciated that he looked beyond the finance (he is after all running a business) and cared enough not to put kitty through unnecessary procedures.I returned to the clinic again this week so that kitty could have a thorough plaque removal (it was absolutely necessary - - apparently there's a reason why they make plaque control pet food and I should have focused more on that than weight control pet food -- but I told you she was FAT, yo!). Another long story short, kitty was very well taken care of, Dr. Ackerman survived another mauling, and I went home paying less than I expected.I am very happy to have found this clinic.  Not only have they been honest and professional, but I feel that I can leave kitty behind without worry.--**Footnote: No kitties were harmed in the making of this review. Read Less