When my otherwise healthy 9-year-old male tabby suddenly developed a urinary tract infection, I took him to one of my local veterinarians. My cat ended up contracting a nasty double-infection, staying... Read More
When my otherwise healthy 9-year-old male tabby suddenly developed a urinary tract infection, I took him to one of my local veterinarians. My cat ended up contracting a nasty double-infection, staying at the local vet for 21 days, with repeated catheter insertion and extraction until his urethra ended up scarred permanently. He is such a laid-back, lovable cat, and it was horrifying to see how much pain he was experiencing. I kick myself for not asking for a referral to a specialist sooner, but I finally did.
Best Friends in Billings is 4.5 hours away from where I live, but I'm willing to do anything for my little boy. We made the trek the day after Christmas 2017 right as a major snowstorm was arriving in Billings. My only regret was that I didn't learn about Best Friends three weeks sooner, as my cat would have been treated weeks earlier rather than having to suffer in pain. He might have even been able to avoid surgery.
The doctors at Best Friends recognized that I'm a "pet parent" and not merely a pet owner, and treated me accordingly; Dr. Smith referred to my cat as "your kid" and "the kid" when he called to walk me through the post-surgery debriefing. As one of the hospital's owners, Dr. Smith went the extra mile and I enjoyed visiting with him the following day in person, too. Dr. Galvin was the one who checked us in, and she made sure my little boy got bathed after his initial exam, X-ray, blood draw, and bacteria culture, as the 4.5 hour drive with an open catheter meant that he was a miserable mess. Dr. Erickson was patient with me even as I was "one of those people" who continuously demanded updates on my cat's treatment, even though she was busy tending to other patients and it was the holiday season. Dr. Mansur was the veterinarian on staff overnight and called me at the hotel a couple of times to let me know when my cat wasn't eating and would need to be force-fed. She insisted that I could call anytime, day or night, and I did. Dr. Miller was the vet who checked us out finally when the Interstate cleared on New Year's Day, going over the post-care instructions in detail.
As "high touch" as I was, I never got the impression that I was viewed by the staff as anything less than a strong advocate for my helpless little boy. Compared to how some places treat one's cat as something just a little above cattle, I don't take such sentiments for granted.
The rest of the staff was also fantastic, especially the receptionist Angie who offered to take my cat's blankets home to wash them as she knew I was staying at a hotel. She recommended places to eat, and was so friendly even though I kept bugging them each of the 5 days that "my kid" stayed there during his surgery and recovery. One of the Veterinary Technicians, Anja, nearly brought me to tears when I saw how carefully she handled my little boy, ensuring he was comfortable and talking soothingly in her pleasant eastern European accent so he wouldn't be frightened. She offered him five different types of food when he continued to refuse eating, and insisted on sending me home with samples of prescription diet.
With his stay at the hospital extended due to the end-of-2017 blizzard, I had plenty of opportunity to chat with other "pet parents" in the lobby. Each of them spoke highly of Best Friends.
This has been way too long of a review, I realize, so I'll just wrap this up by saying: if you are a pet parent--and not merely a pet owner--you owe it to your fuzzy child to seek out only the best providers. Best Friends Animal Hospital in Billings is staffed with just such people. Read Less