I'm giving Kimball Animal Hospital a 3 instead of 5 because although their service is good, I feel that they are super overpriced. I got a purebred puppy in September of 2015, with the intention of br... Read More
I'm giving Kimball Animal Hospital a 3 instead of 5 because although their service is good, I feel that they are super overpriced. I got a purebred puppy in September of 2015, with the intention of breeding him. We started going to Kimball for his shots and wellness checks. The visits seemed expensive, but as a new pet owner I didn't question things because I wanted the best service for our pup. I spoke to a family member about their vet visits and they were shocked by how much we were paying when we compared prices. I also got a little perturbed by the fact that any time I had to take our puppy in, the staff would print me off a quote to get him neutered. I understand the importance of prevention, especially when there are so many animals that are homeless, in shelters and even abused; I definitely didn't want to add to the problem. However, I felt like I wasn't listened to when I said that I wanted to wait; I felt like the vet staff thought that they knew what was best for me, even though I said every time that I wasn't sure yet. I got a little fed up, so we started going to a different vet. We were with them for over a year and saved money even though we were making an hour drive to and from the new place. Unfortunately, it did eventually become a hassle to make the trip since work schedules changed, which brought us back to Kimball. Again, we were happy with the service and even added a new kitten to our family, which we took to Kimball as well. This is where things go down hill - the last visit we made there, we paid over $600 for a general office visit for both the cat and dog, their flea and tick preventatives (a few months worth), and an update on shots for the dog. I was told I had to bring our cat in because she was due for distemper, but when we got there, they realized that she was up to date on everything, they just hadn't read her paperwork from the previous vet. They still made me pay for her visit, even though all they did was stick a thermometer up her butt to check her temperature before realizing that she really didn't need anything more. They also pushed me to get influenza vaccinations and said how big of a deal the flu was for our dog. We obviously want to take the best care of our animals, so we said yes. Come to find out, none of the other vets we've talked to have encouraged the 2 influenza vaccinations, in fact most of them don't give the vaccinations at all in their offices because dog influenza is so uncommon that it's unnecessary. It's usually only given if there have been severe cases in the area or a dog knowingly comes into contact with another dog who has it, which we have yet to hear of or experience. Honestly, if I had all the money in the world, I would LOVE coming here. We've seen both vets, and they're great with our dog and cat. I just can't get over the charges; and I certainly can't get over the fact that we're never offered any type of discount or deal. Most pet owners will give an arm and a leg to take care of their fur babies; personally, I think that is completely taken advantage of here. So in short - the service is good, but plan to do things their way, and pay some steep prices. If you do decide to try them out, I'd ask up front about all the charges so you can mentally prepare. Read Less