Our two-year-old shepherd mix had some nasty symptoms which appeared on a Friday and had worsened significantly by Sunday morning. Other nearby vets not being open on Sunday, and Care getting great re... Read More
Our two-year-old shepherd mix had some nasty symptoms which appeared on a Friday and had worsened significantly by Sunday morning. Other nearby vets not being open on Sunday, and Care getting great reviews here and on Google, we took our dog to Care. The entrances/waiting areas for dogs and cats are separate--an example of the clinic's thoughtfulness. Without an appointment and with abbreviated check-in, we were in an exam room within 15 minutes.
Vet Tech Mary behaved like a doctor: professional, calm, knowledgeable, empathetic, and able to answer our questions easily and confidently. Dr. Mitchell, as well, and the two treated our very timid, recently rescued dog with patience and caring through the unpleasantness of temperature check, heartrate check, palpations, and then intravenous hydration. A stool sample disproved possible causes of the symptoms; Dr. Mitchell prescribed an anti-nausea med and an antibiotic and (unprompted) asked for updates.
Tapeworms--lots of them, and mature--had been thriving in our dog's gut, but no sign of them was apparent until the next day. I called Care and asked to speak to Dr. Mitchell. Without question or trying to answer mine, Dani (front office) put the doctor on the phone. She (Mitchell) listened carefully, and immediately prescribed a de-wormer. When I reached the clinic, I had other questions; I waited a few minutes, and the doctor came out of surgery and directly to me with answers. (She was pretty excited about the--disgusting--tapeworm samples I brought, and, in the fashion of a true scientist who loves her job, went to show them off to her colleagues.)
With the medication, signs of the tapeworm infestation disappeared over the next few days, and in that time Care accepted our dog's previous vet record via email. We had an overall very good experience: open on Sunday, express check-in, genuine caring from staff, the doctor being available via phone and in person, the follow-up card they mailed--CVH did go above and beyond. I wavered between 4- and 5-star ratings, given that the doctor didn't detect the root cause of the symptoms, which were unquestionable the next day. I landed on 5, given that our dog's case was very rare: a heavy infestation with none of the usual symptoms unique to her condition. Going forward, both of our dogs will be Care clients. Read Less