Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Shannon and staff are stellar. We tried several vets in the greater Denver area when we moved here six years ago. CKVC is by far the best. They have been caring for our two chocolate labs for several years now and helping us make informed decisions about different treatment options for our geriatric dogs. At one wellness exam, Dr. Shannon noticed that one of our dogs had developed an emergent heart condition, referred us to a cardiologist, and likely saved his life. I highly recommend CKVC and was surprised by less positive reviews. I don't usually post reviews, but feel it is important for others to know what a great clinic this is. Very professional, affordable/competitive pricing, compassionate care Read Less

Dr. Shannon and her staff have cared for all of our dogs over the past 10 years.  Dr. Shannon, now Dr. Laura, and the staff are professional, very knowledgeable, efficient, friendly, and show genuine interest in the full-scope of our dogs health and well-being.  We've had to have some very difficult talks about end-of-life care over the years and have appreciated how Dr. Shannon handled each and every one of those talks.  CKVC doctors and staff have gone above and beyond, and we are thankful!Cheryl S. Read Less

Dr. Shannon and staff are amazing. They work with our schedules to get us in quickly and have so much compassion for their patients. We have a geriatric dog who needs special meds and care. We can always count on our friends at Dr. Shannon's office to help us navigate this new territory. I trust this clinic with our sweet Mojo and any other pet we may have in the future. Read Less

The team at Cherry Knolls is amazing. Been in SE Denver for a year now and Brutus (our 6 year old English Bully) is in good hands. Dr. Shannon just corrected his entropion. Terry has been amazing with followups, appointment reminders and explaining and helping me with billing. Everyone here has been amazing and I would highly recommend them. Read Less

Found My Vet and Love the Amazing Staff! I was referred here by a client of mine that lives in my neighborhood and Im so glad I finally went. My first visit was for our Great Dane and German Shepard/ Lab mix. Both dogs were showered with affection and treated so well. I was giving a print out of all my options for services needing to be done and also recommended services. I choose which ones I wanted and which ones I thought were not needed with no rudeness or attitude. They even were able to get information from our old Vet and saved me the cost of blood work (which on a great dane is a lot). I was also offered a discount card that has more than paid for itself. Since my first visit I have been back multiple times for a new kitten and our older dogs discomfort, she was 14. I told them that I had a budget and didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for an older dog and they assured me they would keep that in mind. The last time I visited I had both our older dog and our new kitten. The kitten was just a booster and the older dog was for blood work to make sure the pain medicine, that was helping her be more mobile, and to make sure it wasn't hurting her more than helping. Unfortunately, she had a tumor that had ruptured unbeknown to me and she ended up passing away. The staff acted with the upmost respect and quality care. I couldn't get her to get out of the car, so one of the vet techs came out and carried her in. They laid a comforter down to lay her on. Once Dr. Shannon came in, she asked me a few questions, of course by this point I was in tears and terribly sad. She stopped breathing and they immediate performed CPR, and all sorts of other tactics to see if she could be saved. Sadly, it was her time. I've read some of these other reviews and feel that if you could see the look and determination in all the staffs eye as they physically exhausted themselves and cried along with me, you would want them to take care of your fur babies too. THANK YOU CHERRY KNOLLS VETERINARY CLINIC FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND CARE, MY TWO KIDS, HUSBAND, AND I ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YOU DID THAT DAY. Thank you for the thank you card and the follow up call I received. I am a customer for life. Read Less

Bottom line: Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic is exceptional!! While we have worked primarily with Dr. Lauria, all of the doctors and staff are outstanding. We have taken our two dogs to the clinic. The first had a number tumors that, while not life threatening, required monitoring. Dr. Lauria diagrammed each and every one in order to ensure a comprehensive approach. When the time came that we needed to put the dog down, the staff treated this painful decision and procedure with the utmost in compassion. We subsequently decided to adopt a puppy from an area rescue that, unknown to us, had been adopted out with Parvo. The story is quite long but Dr. Lauria, hearing of our situation, volunteered to do all she could for the puppy. Thankfully the puppy survived and it is entirely due to the care that he received at Cherry Knolls. I cannot speak highly enough of this clinic. I understand that every animal and situation is unique and that past successes are not guarentees for the future but I will take each and every animal member of our family to Cherry Knolls without exception or reservation. Read Less

I absolutely love Cherry Knolls vet clinic. Everyone is super nice, caring and always goes above and beyond. I simply love Dr. Lauria (we see her the most) but Dr. Shannon is also fantastic. They always take wonderful care of my precious boy Romeo. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Read Less

We've been going to see Dr. Shannon and Dr. Lauria for twelve years, ever since we got our first pet, a puppy. Since then we've added three cats to the mix, and we couldn't be happier with Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic. With four animals, two of whom are now seniors, they've seen a lot of us. Every visit they have been friendly, courteous, and efficient. Their prices have never seemed unreasonable, and the smoosh card has been a lifesaver now that our dog has gotten so old. Best of all, our dog loves them. We've struggled with groomers, especially since he has arthritis, but they understand how sensitive he is and always treat him accordingly. We can bring him in without any worries that they will be harsh with him, and since he loves it there so much, it's always easy to get him in the car. I would recommend Cherry Knolls to anyone in a heartbeat. Read Less

I would highly recommend Cherry Knolls to anyone. I tool my cat to them beginning in February after he was diagnosed with kidney disease and they were great in every way. Everyone there is great, they took the time to answer all my questions and showed me how to do at home procedures. Every time I needed an appointment I was able to get one right away, I was able to go in a get new IV bags, needles, tubing, etc. quickly, even without prior notification. Unfortunately my cat's health declined rapidly and I had to euthanize him recently. Before I did I made a courtesy call to them so any future appointments could be cancelled. I honestly did not give them a second thought after that and was quite surprised to receive a hand written condolence card. For me that cemented who I will use as a vet from here on out. I plan on adopting a cat in the next month or two and will definitely go to Cherry Knoll for all its care.Read Less

We have been going to this clinic for years and in the last six months the staff have become rude, complacent, and careless with my pet's health. On my last visit, filled with questions, i asked the nurse who was originally examining my dog. She diverted me politely to the vet who would be in shortly. The vet who came in, spoke briskly with me, stabbed my puppy three separate times before she decided to change the needle size, was unapproachable with questions and gave my puppy the wrong medication to be taken at home. The vet was with me for under 10 minutes, such a short time that I never even got her name. I spent more time with the nurse who was also the one who found the error in the medication and fixed it. If this visit was not enough of a deterrent, when I received a call from the office the next day asking if my puppy had been having any side effects from the meds she was given, I was thoroughly surprised that there could be more information that the vet had never told me. All in all, this used to be a great practice but they now seem uninterested in their patients and giving quality care especially at the prices they quote. I will not be returning.Read Less

Wonderful! Cherry Knolls has been wonderful to us, at a very very reasonable price! My black lab had a very bad cut on his leg that was fixed by the emergency vet, and we took him to Cherry Knolls for the follow up care. Dr. Shannon and all of the vet techs were so knowledgeable, handled my dog so well, and just sweet and wonderful to work with. Very easy to schedule appointments. Overall I'm so happy we found them. Read Less

I love Dr.Shannon and her team! Dr. Shannon rescues just about anything and everything as far as animals go. She is one of the most compassionate veterinarians we have had the pleasure of going to. We have had to say goodbye to several of our pets which is very tough but Dr. Shannon and her technicians made the best of those experiences. Thank you! Read Less

We would like to thank Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic and its staff for taking care of our pets through the years. They really went out of their way to take care of one of our dogs when everybody had given up on him. They not only really love the animals you bring in but they also show a lot of compassion for the owners. Read Less

Dr. Shannon and her team have taken care of our all of our dogs and our most recent love, Zoe. We cannot express more how attentive, caring, loving, talented, knowledgable and professional they all are, let alone just plain real and cool people. It's almost like they're a part of our family, we feel so comfortable with them. Zoe just had her second ACL surgery, performed by, Dr. Kerry Hart (sp?), and their follow-up was second to none. I highly recommend Cherry Knolls to anyone who wants a team to care for their furrbaby as if it were their own. ;-) Read Less

We are new clients at this clinic. We've lived in the neighborhood for several years and have always made the long trek back to our old vet. We decided to try the CKVC and couldn't be happier. They took wonderful care of our cat, let us know candidly, kindly, and professionally that her teeth needed work badly. It was expensive, but completely in line with any other clinic we've ever been to. The work was scheduled quickly, they were attentive to all of our needs and questions and it couldn't have gone better. We have a VERY happy cat now that her bad teeth aren't bothering her any more. She hasn't been this loving and cuddly for years. Read Less

I called to make a last minute appointment to get annual vaccinations for my dog, Kenny. They were able to see me 20 minutes later. The service was impressive; I really appreciated the way they treated and took care of Kenny. I will definitely be coming back! Read Less

Avoid this vet clinic! I am a new puppy owner and found this clinic on the list given to me by the Dumb Friends League, and chose Cherry Knolls because it was close to home. The only good things I can say about this place is that the receptionists have always been kind and courteous (calling the day prior to my appointment to remind me) and the staff give treats to my pup to make sure it's a positive experience for him.  However, it has always been a negative experience for ME!! For starters: the vet techs have never introduced themselves, their position, or what they were going to do, and the first vet I saw also did not introduce herself. On my first appointment with my 3 month pup, NOTHING was explained to me as far as what to expect with a new pup, what vaccinations he needed and when he needed them, and what things to avoid to keep him healthy and happy. I had to ask a million questions to get clear answers!!! When I explained that this was my first puppy, the vet tech acted shocked and then finally started telling me what vaccinations he needed, but I had to press for more information about each of them and when to get them. She seemed annoyed that she had to explain all this to me. AND, when she heard commotion out in the lobby she shushed us both and put her ear to the door to hear the drama going on. Poor customer service!!! The FINAL STRAW was today: I went in for his last set of puppy vaccinations and made mention to the vet tech that "no, I don't remember who I saw last time because no one here has introduced themselves," and also that I was told on his last visit that his adult teeth were all grown in (yet, I've been finding lost teeth all over my house since then, and have been told by the puppy trainer that NO those are not his adult teeth yet). She left the room and I could hear her whispering with people about what I had just said. A few minutes later she returned with the vet who quickly approached me with a loud voice saying "I'M SORRY (in sarcastic/condescending tone), did I not introduced myself to you last time!?". I basically felt cornered and attacked and she got defensive about what I said. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! And unprofessional!!!! Then, when paying my bill on the way out, I was charged for an exam when my appointment was only for the vaccination. I was not informed that he was receiving an exam that day (does checking his teeth and heart rate count??!)  and I certainly did not make an appointment for anything more than the vaccination. Read Less

I'm never going to another vet again! They try everything to save you from costly tests, and are great at dealing with a lot of questions from an overprotective "parent." When my cat started having (what we now know to be) asthma attacks, Meghan squeezed me in 15 minutes before closing with only 30 minutes notice! They also assuaged my fears about it being life-threatening by looking at videos I uploaded to Youtube, saving me a visit. They were going to do an EKG but didn't need to once my cat had an episode...some less respectable vets would say they didn't notice and charge me for an unnecessary test. Bottom line, they bend over backwards to work with customers and I'm a fan for life. Read Less

Do not take your pets here. They are out for profit only and will not follow proper procedures that are in the best interest for your pet (only the best procedures that will maximize profit). Our Golden retriever had a lump on his neck and mouth. Rather than taking X-Rays and diagnosing the problem at the beginning, they said the best thing to do is surgery. Well.. they cut him open to remove the lump and discovered that it could not be removed. Then they did X-rays and discovered he had several other lumps and stage four cancer. Painful surgery for our dog, $2,000 from us, that had they diagnosed him correctly were not needed. Read Less

I couldn't rate no stars, had to give 1. I will forever feel guilty for trusting these people with my cat, who had what appeared to be a scratch on his eye. The vet, Meghan Shannon came in and cleary said she had no idea what was wrong with my cat. I should have ran away then. She left for about 15 mins, then came in 2 other staff members with some instruments. One of the women started to push on my poor cat's eyeball with 1 of the instruments, the other woman asked, ""don't you want to numb the eye first?"" the other woman said ""oh yeah!"" and giggled like it was no big deal. They had many suggestions of many cat diseases and problems my cat could have and suggested many expensive tests. I refused after the horrifiying treatment my cat was already given. I asked for my bill, which was over $200.00. $200.00 for doing nothing but torturing my cat! If you care about your animal, go somewhere else! Read Less

How dismaying to see a vindictive review submitted during a time when someone is unmistakably in the throes of emotional stress and ? as a result of that condition ? not thinking coherently. It is sadly evident that the author of ?AWFUL experience with euthanasia service? was lashing out spitefully in an attempt to discredit a warm, loving, compassionate veterinarian staff. The scathing review by Meghan (?nutmeg14?) ? who took her cat for a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic ? is clearly a diatribe written in an extremely emotional and agitated frame of mind; a mindset that can be aptly described as being fraught with prideful defensiveness. Based on my personal observations and interactions with Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic (CKVC), my view regarding the caliber of the medical professionals and office personnel at the clinic is vastly and diametrically different from the disparaging picture painted by nutmeg14. My experience with CKVC has been nothing but extraordinarily positive. The clinic?s doctors and vet technicians are ardently devoted to providing the best and highest quality of care for the innocent and helpless creatures for whose well-being they are responsible ? a level of care that goes above and beyond the scope of medical services to include emotional nurturance of the animals as well as a scrupulous commitment to striving for optimal quality of life for the animals. Dr. Shannon and her staff are deeply dedicated to the welfare of the animals that come into their care, going out of their way to rescue, save, and help a wide array of animals, frequently donating their services at no charge and spending exorbitant amounts of money out of their own pockets to nurse their patients back to health. The clinic?s staff members are a tremendously beneficent team of altruistic advocates for the animal kingdom ? a world comprised of a populace of creatures who have no voice of their own with which they can speak for themselves. I can imagine all too well ? and can empathize with ? many aspects of the emotional turmoil that nutmeg14 was (and undoubtedly still is) feeling. I say this speaking as someone who has faced the excruciating process of having to make the decision leading to euthanasia of a beloved pet, and then following through to the conclusion of that process. I have gone through the experience more than once, and it truly is a soul-crushing ordeal. Nonetheless, nutmeg14?s vituperative upbraiding of Dr. Shannon and her team is utterly unjustified. From the content of nutmeg14?s review, it is obvious that she had firmly made up her mind ? prior to taking her cat to a veterinarian ? that the only course of action she would accept was euthanasia, regardless of whatever evaluation the medical personnel might make. When the professional staff informed her that the cat was not suffering and could probably be treated and continue living a good quality of life, nutmeg14 refused to accept the possibility, apparently because it was outside of her preconceived plan of action. She emphasized that she couldn?t afford any treatment for the cat, which is certainly understandable, particularly with the current economic hardship that so many of us are enduring. It?s not so understandable, though, that when presented with the option of letting someone else care for the cat rather than ending his life, she was outraged, apparently because of some sort of possessive attitude to the effect that if she couldn?t take care of the cat herself, she wasn?t willing to accept the idea of anyone else taking care of the cat. I consider Dr. Shannon and her team to be the best kind of caregivers for animals ? caring, kind, loving, and compassionate people who look after the interests and welfare of the animals. I wish all veterinary clinics could be so wonderfully and superbly exemplary. This review is abridged and truncated due to the limit on length.Read Less

As far as vet capabilities, I would rate Cherry Knolls Vet Clinic high.  BUT, they totally misled me and double charged me for exams/vaccinations.  So, I recommend avoiding them!  Explanation follows:  I went to a different vet with my previous dog.  But, I got a new puppy and thought I'd give another vet a try.  I found a coupon in a mailer for FREE distemper combo & rabies vaccines with paid examination.  I told them my puppy wasn't due for these vaccines until the following month.  They said, "No problem. Bring him in and we'll do the exam now and then you can just bring him back for the FREE vaccines next month.  So, I paid $45 for the exam.  I brought the puppy back in a month and showed them the coupon and the vet tech again said, "No problem.  This will cover your vaccines for today so you won't be charged."  Then, they gave my puppy the vaccinations and proceed to present me with a bill for $102.51.  They refused to honor the previous word to me.  They said they would never tell anyone to come back for the free vaccines.  They also said the coupon wasn't good for puppy vaccines!  But, they said the coupon was fine and valid in November AND THEY TOLD ME TODAY THAT IT WAS VALID BEFORE THE PUPPY RECEIVED THE SHOTS!!!  And, if it wasn't bad enough that they didn't honor their coupon or their word... THEY CHARGED ME FOR ANOTHER EXAM TODAY!!!!So, they lost my business!  I will never go there again. Read Less

Well, I don't have a pet, I've never been in a veterinarian office, and I've never met Dr. Shannon, but I'm a huge fan! I read the ""awful euthanasia"" post, and while I don't wish to diminish the pain of the pet owner, NICE JOB DR. SHANNON! You clearly care about animals, and I applaud you! If ever I meet someone in need of vet care, I will tell them your name. Read Less

response to awful euthanasia In response to reviewers' bad experience at Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic, all we can say is that we are sorry that this owner's first experience at a veterinary clinic in 8 years was not a good one. We saw a cat purring and rubbing on us, and exploring the room with normal cat curiosity. Physical exam including auscultation of heart and lungs, and abdominal palpation did not reveal any abnormalities. the only reason we were given that the cat needed to be euthanized was that the family watched him vomit every day at least once for the past few months. SInce they never had him examined by a veterinarian, we had no information to go on that could explain why he was doing this and if it was treatable. they did not want to know what costs would be involved. If we were only interested in getting their money, why would we offer to take care of the cat out of our own pockets if we found something treatable, and extend his life as long as it did not involve any suffering on his part? We explained to the owners prior to the visit that the Dr. would perform an examination of the pet to determine if euthanasia was the best option. We are never interested in taking people's money to cause further suffering for their pets. We just have to be comfortable that we are doing the right thing for their beloved pet, since animals cannot speak for themselves. We realize that not everyone is going to happy with the philosophy of this practice, but we are here to serve the best interests of the animals, and unfortunately some people are not going to agree with this. Read Less

I'm not sure about the previous reviewer's experience, but I had to put down my cat last year after he suffered from a rare brain disorder. Dr. Meghan Shannon was our vet and had been there during the whole period of our cat getting sicker and sicker I can understand that treatment is costly for animals. Especially in this economy, we could not afford to keep spending for care when our cat was sick and treatment results were uncertain. But I believe that Dr. Shannon and her staff did everything they could to help us and show amazing sensitivity during his euthanasia. Dr. Shannon offered to keep our cat and try some treatment or let him pass away naturally - I know she did this for her extreme love of animals. I didn't feel judged - I just felt she was exploring all options and wanted to go with what we were most comfortable with. They even let me stay in the room while he passed away and sent us a beautiful card after our loss. Treatment is expensive and I don't believe this office is trying to ""nickel and dime"" anyone. I think the previous review came out of a very emotional time for that family. But I have nothing but glowing reviews for this staff. Read Less

As anyone who has had to put an animal down knows, making the decision to euthanize is difficult and painful. After our 18-year-old cat rapidly starting going downhill, we decided that as we could not afford to pay expensive vet bills, the kindest thing to do would be to euthanize. So we called around and Cherry Knolls Veterinary Clinic was recommended. We called them and they explained the costs as well as the procedure, stating that the vet would take a ""quick look"" at him and then he would be painlessly and quickly put down in our arms (this is why we chose this vet over animal shelters, where you cannot hold or be with your pet during its final moments). Upon arriving for our appointment, the vet tech took about 5 minutes to weigh him, look at his eyes, feel him, and listen to a description of his symptoms, then pronounced he's ""seen worse"" and that he felt our cat's problem might be treatable. We explained that we simply could not afford the diagnosis and treatment process and would prefer to go through with the decision we'd already made. He reluctantly agreed and called in the vet, Meghan Shannon. She spent less than 5 minutes feeling him and listening to us, then after a bit of hemming and hawing said that she didn't feel comfortable putting him down. We again explained the financial side of things, and she persisted, saying, ""Would you like me to at least give you an idea of how much it might cost to diagnose and treat him?"" We refused, repeating that we simply couldn't afford it (specifying that this was due largely to the owner's cancer-related medical expenses) and that we had come in expecting to pay for and receive a service. We calmly but firmly pointed out that we had NOT been told over the phone or upon arrival that obtaining the service would be contingent upon the vet's examination. At one point she had the nerve to say that if we couldn't afford treatment and didn't want him, ""would you give him to me?"" NO! Outrageous! We prepared to leave, asked how much we owed them (for a total of less than 10 minutes of examination, which only included weighing and feeling), and were staggered when she said $45! Overall, it was clear to me that these people only care about milking us for all we were worth while getting on a high horse and making us feel like cruel animal abusers for wanting to put our elderly cat out of his misery! We paid the bill, left with tears streaming down our faces, received a perfunctory ""I apologize"" from the receptionist, and a completely sarcastic ""Have a nice day!"" from the vet tech. THE BOTTOM LINE: Don't even THINK about putting your dearly loved pet in Dr. Shannon's hands for his/her last moments of life. It's even WORSE THAN A WASTE of money--it's downright painful. We spent $45 to be judged and even scorned. I can perfectly understand that vets strive to keep their patients alive and always prefer treatment, when possible, to euthanasia. FINE. But at minimum these people should have clearly stated at the time we called to make the appointment and to request details about the procedure that the DVM would only perform it if she felt comfortable doing so and that we would be charged for an exam if she didn't. This was absolutely NOT what we were told, even when we showed up for the appointment. DO NOT put your pet or yourself through the torment of trusting these people to do a honest job. Read Less