Orchard Lake Animal Hospital

We take all of our critters there (Cats, Dogs, Guinea Pigs - just not the horse but they always ask how he is doing!). My Sister-in-Law and Mother-in-Law also take their fur babies there. The entire staff from Drs, Techs and Front desk are patient, compassionate and SO Knowledgeable. Would not go ANYWHERE else and recommend them to anyone who is looking for the BEST care for their Fur Families! Read Less

We have been coming to the OLAH for about 4 years now since getting our little Bauer & Easton. Dr. Brown has been the most thorough, tentative, knowledgable doctor that we have ever been to. Although our boys don't always enjoy their planned(scheduled without them knowing) activities, they always come in to a staff that knows them by name and where they feel comfortable. We have since expanded our family by adding a little kitten into the mix, and OLAH has been amazing helping us with her health and keeping her in line with a healthy lifestyle! HIGHLY RECOMMEND :) Read Less

We had never been here, and on the recommendation of my son who has, the Day after Christmas we brought our Morkie, Weego in, he had been at the emergency vet Christmas Eve to Christmas night and was in bad shape with pancreatitis and aspiration pneumonia. The staff here is wonderful, Dr. Novkov was patient with us informing us on what was going on with him. She was sympathetic to our tears & decision and assured us we were making the right decision for him to cross the rainbow bridge. They even sent us a sympathy card on our loss....remember this was he only time we had been here. When we are ready we will rescue another furbaby and will definitely be back. We can’t thank them enough for their patience, kindness and compassion & what they did for us that day. Read Less

The staff are awesome, and Dr. Brown is talented and compassionate. The stayed well past closing to comfort my family while we euthanized our beloved Golden Retriever. They find a way to fit you in when you have a sick pet. Best vet I've ever had! Read Less

We have been bringing our cats to Orchard Lake Animal Hospital for over 25 years. Dr. Oswald is always thorough without being alarmist. She always follows up and calls with test results in a timely manner and sends her findings in writing as well. The staff is helpful and friendly and everyone does their best to make my pets as comfortable as possible. Read Less

We have been going here for over 17 years now. Our ESS was 16 1/2 years when he went to puppy dog heaven thanks to the excellent care of the doctors. We now have a new puppy and we would not trust any other place. The doctors take their time with you. If you ever have a problem or concern, be sure to let them know, they want to hear from you and make sure you are happy. Looking forward to the new facility! Read Less

We love love it here! We have a 10 month old puppy and they are so sweet to him. It's an older facility but clean and they are building a new one behind it. Staff very nice. The only Thing is they are a little pricier than other vets but I guess worth it if they are good:) Read Less

The veterinarians and staff are the best. The care that they give is excellent. I have been going here over 15 years now and wouldn't go anywhere else. They diagnosed stage 2 cancer in my dog, which another place thought was nothing. They have gone out of there way to help me numerous times, even though my dog is very difficult to handle. I highly recommend them. Read Less

Disappointed in their attempts to charge unnecessarily. My dog had an annual health screening from another facility. Orchard Lake Animal hospital claims they can not dispense medicine unless my dog gets her annual screening from their clinic, so they are claiming my dog needs two annual screenings . I plan on contacting the state about this issue. Read Less

I cannot speak highly enough of the excellent care my dog Mei Mei received for 10 years from the vets and staff at the Orchard Lake Animal Hospital until she passed away at the age of 17. The staff is always efficient, friendly and as accommodating as possible. Dr. Brown and Dr. Middleton provided outstanding care and I attribute Mei Mei's longevity directly to them and their medical skills. I greatly appreciated their advice, compassion and patience with my many questions and concerns, especially near the end. I highly recommend Orchard Lake Animal Hospital for their excellent care and service. Read Less

I took my puppy here for the first time this week. She didn't need anything but shots but I felt very uncomfortable with the staff taking care of her. They didn't seem very compassionate or enthusiastic as I thought they might be. By the end of our visit I had to shell out a little over $200. Wasn't exactly anticipating that. And then they mentioned that getting my dog spayed would cost $4-$600. That is two or three times more than what I was quoted anywhere else.  I am not sure if I will be returning. Read Less

WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! I agree with another reviewer here. My cat had issues with her eye and I decided to try this place because the place I go to was all booked up for weeks. I was scared it needed immediate attention and they charged me for so many tests they did without asking for my approval and then hardly helped. I just didn't think it was worth all of that money... I guess everything is a huge business now, even the safety of an animal. Read Less

I guess this is somewhat of a mixed review. My usual positive experience with OLAH has recently begun to dissipate somewhat and I am considering other options for a veterinarian.My family has taken our dog to OLAH for years now. I recently adopted two new puppies and immediately started taking them to OLAH. I love going there. It's just a great establishment with caring and knowledgeable staff. We currently see Dr. Ottolini and she is wonderful.My only real complaint is that OLAH is a little pricey compared to other vets in the area. I usually never leave without a hefty bill.Now for the bad experience that has begun to change my view of OLAH...I recently took one of my puppies for a visit to OLAH when he was having diarrhea. We had to see Dr. Middleton because Dr. Ottolini was unavailable. He took an x-ray of my puppy to see if he digested something bad and sure enough there was something in his belly. Dr. Middleton asked me if he could take a second x-ray because he thought he could get a better angle on what was inside my puppy's belly. I agreed. He took the second x-ray and began explaining the image to me, but what he was really saying was that he turned out to be wrong and the second x-ray did absolutely nothing to help see the object better. Then he took my puppy and gave him to one of the nurses to get an anti-diarrheal injection. He came back only to tell me that they accidentally vaccinated my puppy with the wrong medicine. Of course, I was furious. I made sure Dr. Middleton understood my frustration and left the room. Upon checking out, I found that I was charged for that second unhelpful x-ray. I immediately became irritated. Dr. Middleton essentially persuaded me to take a second x-ray because, as I understood it, it was in my dog's best interest. He mentioned nothing about an additional cost. And to find out that I'm now being charged for that second x-ray... it's extremely frustrating to say the least. To top it off, and to add insult to injury, they removed the "consultation fee" for the "inconvenience" of accidentally vaccinating my puppy with the wrong medicine. And, of course, I still managed to leave with a very large bill. Dr. Ottolini has truly been wonderful and I cannot say anything but positive things about her and the nurses at OLAH. But I have to say that, all in all, I am certainly considering other options for a veterinarian at this point. If I'm going to pay top dollar for a vet, I shouldn't be having an experience like the one above where I question whether a doctor has my pet's best interests in mind or if his focus is really on lining his pocketbook.My advice to anyone reading this would be that OLAH is wonderful if you go to the right doctor. However, they are pricey. Nonetheless, I cannot say I don't recommend them because I have loved going there up until my recent unfortunate experience. I know there are still a lot of happy customers who go to OLAH and absolutely love it. I wish I was still one of those people but unfortunately circumstances have changed for me. It's always best to make our own experiences so I would not say that OLAH should be avoided. I would just recommend that you be mindful of which vet your  dogs are seeing and certainly ask about prices in advance. Read Less

We have taken our dogs to Dr Oswald for 3 years now, and she is the best vet we have ever had.  Over our moves from the east side, to Royal Oak, and now Farmington Hills, we have tried several vets, and Dr Oswald is one of the kindest, most sincere and competent vets we have worked with.  Our precious pomeranian (RIP) had a heart murmur and congestive heart failure, and Dr. Oswald helped us through that process as much as she could, and referred us to Oakland Veterinary Referral Service when more advanced cardiac intervention was needed.  She always kept in close contact with our pet's cardiologist and followed up with us, much like a human PCP would do.  Over the years we have had to have a few hard conversations  (when our pom's health was failing, when our new pup's aggression is an issue and needed correction), and Dr Oswald always is clear with her recommendations, is spot-on with her diagnosis, and puts us at ease with her delivery.  She spends the time to explain things, show images and results, and really is just excellent.In recent visits, we have also seen Dr. Middleton.  We like Dr. Middleton as well, and he is clearly a wealth of information and knowledge.  We will see him if Dr. Oswald is unavailable, or if his schedule is more available with our work schedules.  OLAH has great hours (I can get appts at 6 pm and Saturdays) and is well worth our drive from southern Farmington Hills. Read Less

I  write this with the hopes that no one ever has to go through the same experience that I had with my dog. and that they find a vet that will consider the pet  with more compassion and care than Dr. Middleton did with mine.I needed to find a new vet for my dog, Cheli, who was like one of my children and very dear to my entire family.  I went to Orchard Lake Animal Hospital because my dog had health issue and needed his shots and to be evaluated and treated for a severe ear infection and what we later found was that he also had a urinary tract infection.  My dog was older and had a heart murmur which had gotten worse and he had many skin tags and fatty tumors as his breed is prone to them and would have been 16 this December had he lived that long.  I guess you can tell, I loved my dog very much and was fully prepared that his time was coming and I was prepared for the fact that I would need to put him down in the not too distant future.I  told the vet that  I  needed a vet that would tell me the truth when it was time to put the down the dog, especially so  Cheli would not suffer since he was so old and that I was not prepared to try to prolong his life because I wanted him with me.  I wanted someone to tell me the humane thing to do when it was his time and that it was important to me to do the right thing for my pet.My first bill was just under $500 with his shots and several tests to have him evaluated and meds for his infection and told  to bring him back in 2 weeks.  Heart murmur was worse and needed to find out what his problem was and on antibiotics for ear infection and urinary tract infection and would get back to me.  I also mentioned that I could not board the dog that he was traumatized the one and only time he was boarded over night  and would not survive another stay, I had asked for a tranquilizer so he could travel in car to go to Chicago since he hated traveling.Dr. Middleton  prescribed a tranquilizer for my dog based on his weight, possibly not correct dosage since he was almost comatose with half a pill and could not move to even go to the bathroom.   Cheli's breathing had become more labored and his cough was more pronounced which I had told the vet upon the first meeting, possibly due to tumors pressing on lungs and causing more labored heart function?I followed the doctor's instruction on medication and his ear infection had improved along with the urinary tract infection but the dog seemed to be getting worse with his cough and breathing and I had my husband take him back to the vet because we had to go back to Chicago and take the dog, another $180.Dr. Middleton suggested that we bring the dog back after trying a new med for the dog's heart to possibly make his heart function better and he could do more tests to evaluate the dog yet again.  DO YOU SEE WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS!  The doctor sold my husband a bill of goods about the dog and NEVER TOLD US THE TRUTH THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HUMANE TO PUT THE DOG DOWN.MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS NOT TO HAVE MY DOG SUFFER!!!!!!!!!!!!  Unfortunately my dog did suffer, not only having to be medicated and barely breathing but also suffering and unable to sit, eat, sleep and barely able to breathe and catch his breath.  We went out of town on Friday and by Saturday night I had to medicate the dog because he could not sit, lay down or breath and paced back and forth and to watch this was devastating!Sunday morning came and I had been up all  night watching the dog and in tears and realizing that the dog was in terrible distress.  We saw the pleading look of the dog wanting to be put out of his misery with his imploring look of let me go.I spent several hours contacting vets that could come to the hotel to put Cheli down and it was heart wrenching knowing that I was going to have to come home without my beloved pet.  We adopted Cheli almost 9 years earlier from Illinois Cocker Rescue along with another cocker that was blind that no one would ever adopt, but we did and Cheli was adopted that day too.I loved my dog, I had never considered him anything other than a family member and ended taking him back to the vet office that performed surgery on his leg when he injured his leg chasing a rabbit in our back yard when we lived in Illinois.  I can tell you that I spent more in medical bills for my dogs than I did on my children over the years because they were like my children and I loved them dearly.I WANTED A VET WHO WOULD CONSIDER MY PET FIRST AND NOT THE MONEY FOR THE MANY TESTS THAT HE SUGGESTED, SOMEONE WHO WOULD PUT MY PET FIRST AND NOT HIS POCKET!I would suggest that  Dr. Middleton might consider another profession or at least be honest when dealing with the owner's of pets to put the patient first and not the all mighty dollar.  Coincidentally, I just received a note of condolence from Dr Middleton after the vets in Illinois notified him that Cheli was put down.  Now that takes nerve! Read Less

I have been going to OLAH for years. Literally since I was about ten years old. I grew up down the street from this office. I've been primarily seeing Dr. Oswald, and she is one of the best people and Vets I've ever known. *Sidenote story - when I was in 7th grade, our school setup a "shadow day" project for all the kids to spend a day with someone in the profession that they were interested in. Dr. Oswald kindly let me spend the day with her because I had an interest in being a veterinarian. She allowed me to sit in on patient visits, some minor surgeries and told me all about the industry. I ultimately did not become a vet, regrettably, but I've always remembered her kindness. My family has used OLAH for various cats, and mostly for my late chocolate lab, Madchen. I got Madchen as a puppy when I was 13, and Dr. Oswald was her vet until the end of her life. Madchen dealt with a few tumors, hip-dysplasia and ultimately lymphoma, and Dr. Oswald was always there to offer the best care and advice. When it was Madchen's time to go, it was unfortunately on Dr. Oswald's day off, but I spoke with her on the phone and she coached me through saying goodbye to my old friend. After Madchen's passing, I framed a picture of her and gave it to Dr. Oswald - it's actually hanging on the wall at her home. She talks about it when I see her. This was a few years ago. My husband and I live in Ferndale now, and when we adopted our new dog, Dewey, we begrudgingly decided to take him to a local vet. When that vet was unable to help us with some skin ailments (which ultimately turned out to be scabies and a food allergy), I took Dewey to OLAH and Dr. Oswald diagnosed his issues right away. We now make the drive to West Bloomfield from Ferndale just for her.There is honestly no better Vet's office in the area. They're accomodating for appointments, understanding, caring and competent. Dr. Oswald remembers so much about my life and my family's life that it's like we're old friends everytime I go in. I really can't say enough about her and the rest of the staff. Read Less

Amen to everything Parisa K. said about Orchard Lake Animal Hospital in general, and Dr Mary Oswald in particular.  They are the most caring and competent vets in the area.  We've had three dogs and three cats over the years, and we wouldn't have entrusted them to anyone else. Read Less

My family and I have been trusting our pets to the vets at Orchard Lake Animal Hospital forever.  I first remember going there when I was about eight years old, when we got Buff, our Bullmastiff.   I don't remember much about the visit, except how nice our veterinarian was, and how I wanted to be a vet just like her when I grew up.  Over the years, I frequented OLAH many times with Buff, often seeing the same Dr. Mary Oswald, though sometimes we would be seen by Dr. Pintar or Dr. Mayhew.   All three are very, very good people.  They are always kind and welcoming, informative and reassuring.  When I was at U of M, I adopted a cat, Donovan.  Because I was living in Ann Arbor most of the year, I took Donovan to a local vet a few times.  I'm sure the vet was good, but I remember thinking after the second or third time, I just wanted to go to OLAH from now on, even if it meant making the 45 minute drive.  There is just something about the doctors and the staff that is comforting.   I believe Dr. Pintar has recently retired, and they have added two other vets I have yet to formally meet, but I know that I would be comfortable with any of the doctors there treating my pets.This last January, I purchased a little Maltepoo puppy (Emmeline) when I was living in Houston for the semester.  For the first four months I had her, I frequented the West Alabama Animal Clinic often for vaccines and whatnot.  I really enjoyed the staff and doctors there (I HIGHLY recommend this place for anyone in the Houston area), but it just wasn't the same.  The week I got back to Michigan, I made an appointment and had Dr. Oswald see Emmeline, even though it was unnecessary.  It had been a few years since I had seen her specifically, yet she was the same kind and caring person (and thorough doctor).  We began speaking about Buff, my family and the like.It's just something else there.  I cannot describe it.  I would trust these doctors with my own life.  Not only are they excellent veterinarians, but they are good people.  In a day when customer service is not always up to par, it's amazing to find people who not only do their job well, but also make sure that they cater to your needs and are considerate of your thoughts and feelings.  And it's amazing how, in spite of the fact that they have patients coming in and out all the time, they make everyone feel like a welcomed friend.Even though I have grown up since the first time we took Buff into OLAH, and even though I am now almost done with law school, I still get this feeling every time I'm there that I want to be just like Dr. Oswald when I grow up. Read Less