Dixie Trail is an outstanding animal clinic. I've been going here with my rabbits for almost two years and I've never had a bad experience. The techs are always friendly, legitimately care about my animals (some of them know me by name now, which is nice) and are knowledgeable, and the vets are great to work with. Doctor Brown is my personal favorite, but I've also seen Doctor McKinnish and she's been very helpful as well (she was great with one of my rabbit's ocular issues). I've had two rabbits spayed here, and a tooth root abscess removed from the third and all came through their surgeries successfully. Our latest rescue has just been scheduled for her spay, and I am confident that they will do an excellent job. It can be hard to find a vet that's knowledgeable about rabbits, especially if they're as reasonably priced as Dixie Trail, but they've yet to disappoint me! TLDR; I'm super picky about vet clinics, but I love this one. Read Less

HORRIBLE experience. I do not recommend Dr. Brown to anyone. She didn't even greet our pup to make him more comfortable. She put us down multiple times. She bashed our doggy parenting choices of food we feed our dog, saying she could report us. We had done a lot of research and spoke to other vets before deciding to feed a part raw diet. On top of that, she was extremely rude to the kind vet tech. I think if it wasn't for her, we would have had an enjoyable experience. Everyone else we encountered was very pleasant. However, I do not feel comfortable leaving my dog in her care. Read Less

Thank you Dr. Brown and Dr. McKinnish for all the care and compassion you have shown to our fur babies over the years. You and your staff are top notch--whether its annual exams, acupuncture, or more serious issues--you guys rock! (However, we aren't entirely sold on Cookie just yet...) Read Less

Thank you, Dr Brown, for taking excellent care of all my furry friends - from my dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. You are an excellent vet and surgeon and have been since I worked for you in the 90s. I highly recommend you and your clinic. Read Less

This past weekend I brought my 100% healthy 4yr old Yorkie for a routine teeth cleaning and he passed away under their care. DO NOT use this clinic for anything other than check-ups, anything further than that please spend the extra money and bring your pet somewhere else. I asked what was done to revive my dog and they said only chest compressions, they were monitoring his pulse via hand! The doctor was extremely defensive and asked me to split the cost of a autopsy report which is only 50$ in addition the doctor said they will not provide me a copy of the report only a phone call with the results ! I am appalled and can't believe I trusted this mom and pop chop shop with my animal, please don't make the same mistake. Read Less

Turbo Dog was a patient at Dixie Trail Animal Clinic for 4 years until we moved out of Raleigh. I always felt like the staff cared about Turbo and I was always pleased with the quality and value of the veterinary services. If we had not moved we would still be visiting Dixie Trail Animal Clinic. Read Less

A bit of an odd experience. I chose this vet because it's so close to my current apartment. Upon entry I was kindly greeted by one of the vet techs. The ladies up front were extremely nice and helpful. The vet nurse or tech that brought me and my cat back was very nice and professional as well. It wasn't until the doctor or head vet came in that things began to get strange. She did not introduce herself, instead she explained that I was standing where she normally stands ( i.e. I should move ). I explained that my cat had been a victim of fleas this summer and she asked "what do I want to do about it?" I asked for her recommendation, considering the fact that she is the expert. She explained that she could get one good flea preventative but it would be 2 days. I asked what can she do today, so she gave me a generic flea preventative. I explained that she was an indoor cat and she quickly explained that the fleas were in my house and that the measures I have been taking ( from advice from my old vet ) will not get them out without any other advice on how to remove them. So....I hope maybe she was just having a bad day. Everyone else was great. It's sad that the person you expect to be the most professional turns out to be the least. Read Less

When I tell u what they did u won't bring a snail to them!!! She brought in a cat that she had found as a stray. She talked to vet, cat was much younger than she has thought and was possibly pregnant. The vet said because cats she, size, weight and health that if she were pregnant would be dangerous pregnancy. The kittens most likely wouldn't survive and that her cat could possibly die in birth. They decided together to start with shots, distemper etc.. The shot could make the kitten miscarry, wait a week then spay. It was a very difficult decision. A week later she drops of cat. 1 1/2 hours later gets a angry call from a different vet at the office "Did you know your cats pregnant, how could you do this!?" My niece rushes to vet where shes yelled at that she was evil & was so wrong. That vet didn't read notes from other vet. When my niece brought the cat home, the cat had incision! They didn't tell her they started procedure then sewed her back up! Both niece and cat traumatized! Read Less

I do not have enough words to describe the terrible and I do mean terrible experience I have had here. It is disorganized and they are downright negligent. They also had the audacity to pretty much lecture me about MY pet before even consulting with the vet that had previously seen her at the same location. Honestly they are lucky I am not going to sue for the ringer they put my cat and I through. Read Less

The staff at Dixie Trails has taken great care of our many pets over the years, from bunnies, to dogs. They've been helpful and always gone out of their way to accommodate us, with appointments to prescription refills. Dr. Brown and Dr. McKinnish have been super, from handling the routine visits to the difficult ones...very caring and compassionate. We would recommend them to any one looking for a veterinarian for a family pet. Read Less

I chose Dixie Trail to have my rabbit neutered, as they were one of the only clinics in the area that accepts SPCA spay/neuter vouchers for rabbits.Before the neuter, I took my rabbit for a pre-neuter exam (which they said is the same as an annual wellness visit). The technician and the veterinarian were nice and seemed knowledgeable about rabbits, but all they did was ask questions about his diet, weigh him, and look at his front teeth (he wasn't cooperating, so they said they would look at his back teeth while he was under anesthesia for the neuter). This cost $50. They did not take his temperature, listen to his heartbeat, trim his nails, offer to do a blood test, or anything like that. The clinic is an older building, and their facilities and equipment (at least from what I saw) seemed antiquated and not exactly state-of-the-art.The neuter itself was fine, except that they used staples to close the incision (even though they claimed to normally use dissolving stitches), which I meant I had to return a week later (no extra cost) to have the staples removed. The technician who spoke to me after the surgery told me when to administer the pain meds, but she didn't offer me any information on wound care or how long the rabbit needed to rest before he could resume normal activity. She seemed somewhat annoyed when I started asking about that stuff, and she acted like none of it really mattered. I do some rabbit volunteer work, and the organization I work for uses Avian & Exotic to have their rabbits neutered, and I know that A & E puts post-surgery care instructions on the release papers without the client having to ask for it.  Dixie Trail's staff seems to be a little inconsistent as well. They accept cat spay/neuter vouchers for rabbits, and the first person I asked said that I would need to purchase a male cat voucher for a male rabbit neuter. When I double-checked, the second person I spoke to said I would need a female cat voucher (more expensive than a male cat) for a male rabbit. The third person I asked said to use a male cat voucher.  The male cat voucher ended up being correct for a male rabbit.  The overall cost of the neuter (including the cost of the voucher) was $165, whereas it would have been $300 without the voucher. Avian & Exotic gave me a quote for $290, but they don't accept vouchers, which is why I ended up going with Dixie Trail.In summary, I think Dixie Trail is a decent option for a reduced-cost rabbit neuter, but I don't think I would use them for wellness visits or health problem diagnosis, as their screening methods seemed less than thorough and their equipment and facilities looked a bit outdated. Read Less

One of the best exotic vets in this area! I highly recommend; they truly cared about my rabbit and they were very welcoming and kind. They're also very time-efficient and they got right to the point of the problem. Read Less

This was a complete nightmare! After a month of downhill sickness with my beloved pet and family member, I made the tough decision to euthanize him. Oscar had been there for bloat several times and each time staff and the vet were not personal or caring... I had to wait for extreme periods of time before getting helped. The reason I came back was because they were suppose to specialize in small animal care. It was hard to find a clinic for my Guinea pig Oscar. The day I decided to have him put down they gave me a specific time to be there. I arrived at the exact time and they made me wait 1.5 hrs with my suffering pet before getting to us!!! They said they were backed up. After the procedure was done I was told he was put down in a gas chamber!! I was heartbroken and completely disturbed. I feel so guilty for taking my Oscar to this hell clinic! Read Less

Although they had a full afternoon of appointments, they had no problem allowing me to bring in my very sick puppy for an emergency visit. It is clear they have a passion for animals, as well as remembered my Lucy and her health records. They took the time at the end of the day to give me a care package to get her better plus very helpful tips for different preventative care techniques. I highly recommend this practice to any pet owner!Read Less

I have been going here for the past 4 years ever since I got my cat,  each time the vets are friendly and attentive.  The receptionist is always very nice & I like that they keep me updated on when I need to get her shots/ check-ups.  I am moving across several states and the vet recently has worked with me to find a calming solution for my cat during the trip,  she was very knowledgeable and considerate of my cats needs.  Hoping I can find another vet as good as Dixie Trail! Read Less

I have used this vet for over 8 years, but the service has consistently declined to the point that I had to leave for another vet and much happier.Three instances in particular stand out: (i)  They prescribed a medication for my cat, and it bought it from them the first time for over $100.  When it came to refill, I checked out some other pharmacies and found the price was about 25% less elsewhere, but they refused to send the prescription to the pharmacy.  Gouging costumers for medication and not letting them purchase elsewhere when they find it cheaper does not make good customer services; their reasoning that they told me:  "we make money off the medication." (ii) my cat had a leg infection, requiring only simple antibiotics; however, they missed it and required sedation and mri before they found the simple issue.  Their failure probably cost me about $500.  (iii) my cat had a bad eye infection over a holiday.  I brought him in first thing on Monday.  They were not available to see him until 12:00, which was fine, but they made it seem like I was an inconvenience.  "You did not call", "Well, we cannot help you now", etc.  I am a professional and did not respond in kind, but took the 12:00 appointment  and then immediately looked for another vet.  The other vet agreed to see my cat in 15 minutes and got the eye drops he needed without drama.After these three incidents, I decided to move all of our patronage to the new vet and am not going back. Read Less

Dr. Brown, Kay, Alison and everyone else are all absolutely amazing! I have seriously asked Dr. Brown if she could be my person physician, she is that smart and that awesome. Over the years she has worked veterinary "magic" with my 9 rabbits and awesome care of 3 dogs...each pet with its own special story. From the beginning of our pets lives all the way to the end of our pets lives, we drive all the way across town to keep them in the loving care of everyone at Dixie Trail. Read Less

I heard about Dixie Trail from a friend that it was a great local vet with very personable  staff that wasn't in it just for the money as some other places I tried. I gave them a try and have been going there for several years. They are good on reminding me if my dog is up for a shot to keep it current. Feel like I get great care for a reasonable price. Convenient too! Read Less

It's been several years since I've been to Dixie Trail, so apologies in advance for not remembering the staff members' names.  My experience with them has stuck with me through the years, though, so I felt the need to share.  I was in my mid-teens at the time, which may or may not have contributed to the way I was treated at Dixie Trail.This was the vet we took the family dog to regularly.  The vet techs were cheery and clearly loved animals and their jobs.  No complaints there.The problem came when I got a cat.  He was 8 weeks old when we brought him home, and Dixie Trail continued to be our regular vet for the next 2 years.  One night he became very, very ill, so we rushed him to a 24-hour emergency vet.  His red blood cell count was dangerously low and he needed an immediate transfusion.  We left him overnight, then brought him to Dixie Trail the next day.  They couldn't diagnose him either, so they took a bone marrow sample for testing, which they said would take three days to process.  We brought him home.Over the next three days, he became increasingly ill.  The transfusion didn't work and his red blood cell count dropped again.  When I returned to Dixie Trail Animal Clinic on the third day, the vet (an older woman) told me in a very objective manner that they had failed to extract the right type of bone marrow needed for the diagnostic test.  They would have to do it all over again, and we would have to wait another three days for those results.I knew he wouldn't last another three days without proper medical attention.  I was devastated as any loving pet parent would be, and I became emotional.  The vet retained her cold, uncaring attitude, and even seemed somewhat annoyed with me.  She had just told me that my two-years-young cat was about to die for an unknown reason because of someone's medical incompetence, and she had the gall to act like it was just as routine as a teeth cleaning.I had to take a few minutes to collect myself and officially make the decision to put him down.  He was my cat, so it was my decision to either euthanize him or to wait it out--a heart-wrenching choice for any person to make, much less a kid.  The only reason this place gets any stars from me at all is because of select outstanding vet techs.  After a couple minutes, one of vet techs came and sat next to me.  I don't remember her name, she was thin with brown hair cut into sort of a mullet...she was always the best every time we came in.  She reassured me that I was making the best decision for him to be put down, since he was suffering so much.  Twelve years later, I still appreciate her kindness and understanding, and I am still disgusted by the other staff member's total lack of empathy.  It's called "bedside manner," lady!  After all, if they had gotten it right the first time, my cat might still be alive today. Read Less

We were rather new to the area and took our 9 year old large breed dog initially to Dixie Trail Animal Hospital for a check up. I wasn't really happy with them asking us to pick up a 100 lbs dog to put her on a small slick table and the expensive bill.I took her there again because didn't know why she was limping and felt like she at least had a record there. Before xrays were taken we were told a prognosis after she was barely touched and either to; put her down  (mouth hanging open) or fork over $7,000(+ follow up) to do a total knee replacement (mouth on the floor). When we said we couldn't afford that they told us that "dogs are expensive and we should have save for such events" we were outraged and heartbroken . We left with tears, expensive medications and not much hope.Knowing that the state's premier vet school was near by we seeked out other options and were referred to Creedmoor Animal Hospital by a close friend who is a horse and cow vet. See my amazing review for them. Read Less

I'm so happy I found Dixie Trail! They are friendly and pleasant to deal with. No long wait for an appointment. They seem to truly care about the health and well being of my little dog. I would highly recommend them. Read Less

I do not understand what the other reviewers did not see. Yes, the office is small, and perhaps not as modern as other vet offices, but it is clean. Also, Dr Brown and the other vets, vet techs, as well as receptionist are all caring people that know my pets by name (I have 4 parrots and a rescue toy poodle). When I first moved to the area, I brought my birds to NC State, but when they closed their Avian clinic, Dr Brown was recommended. Veterinary care is expensive that is true, but I have not found Dixie Trail to be out of the normal curve. For me the most important aspect is whether or not my pet is getting the best care along with warmth and kindness -- and they do at Dixie Trail. Read Less

I brought my ferret to the clinic, we always received a warm greeting! The staff always treated my ferret as he was one of their own and helped us through difficult decisions. Scheduling appointments was easy and flexible. We highly recommend this clinic for your pets needs!Read Less

I have to agree with the previous review. I used to love this clinic, but in the last few years I was very unsatisfied with the attention my cat received. The doctor did not seem interested and I felt like I was bothering her when I took my cat in for persistent congestion. I do know that this doctor misdiagnosed a friend's cat one year -- then changed her mind about the diagnosis the next year without apologizing or acknowledging that she had misdiagnosed the cat. This cat was in pain for that whole year. My friend did not want to complain, but I lost all confidence in them at that point. It's a shame -- this used to be a wonderful clinic. A friend recommend another clinic and I'm giving them a try. Read Less

I too, took my cats here because it was so close to my home. Mistake. I really gave Dr. Brown a chance. I don't feel she was interested in figuring out why my young cat was sick. In fact, I was the one, flailing at straws and reading on the internet, who figured out why my cat's infected ears would not heal (allergies). All she and her helper did was traumatize the cat and give me a $100 bill. When my other cat developed an issue months later I was about to go out of town and wanted to get her in immediately- I gave her another try. She again, listened to me give a list of suggestions, did nothing to help my cat and showed no interest in finding the problem, and gave me a $100 bill. I'm sorry to have to write such a harsh review, but she can't be trusted and does not deserve your business. Read Less

This vet was a strange experience. I took my rabbits there to be fixed. I was told 3 times that my apt. was at a certain time, and then I was confronted that I was there ""reeeeeeeeaaallly early"", which wasn't true. The place is kind of a hole in the wall, but I normally am not one to judge a book by its cover. Dr. Brown and the other doctor were both very, very nice and seemed to know what they were doing. The receptionists and all of the helpers seemed to be very nice, other than this one woman that ruined my entire experience there. My rabbits are both very sweet, but feisty as rabbits normally are, but this woman seriously acted like they were evil monsters. Maybe if she knew how to hold a rabbit properly, they would't scratch her, because I hold my rabbits all of the time, and they never ever scratch me. Maybe this woman was having a bad day (which we all have and that is understandable) but she made me feel like crap the whole time I was there, like I was doing something wrong. Kind of ridiculous. If they got rid of that woman, I would definitely bring my rabbits back! But until then, I don't recommend this place to ANYONE and definitely will not be going there again, as they were very traumatized by her actions. Read Less

This is the most horrific clinic I've ever visited. This run down ?joint? reeks of a disgusting stench. The staff is very rude and unprofessional. They try to rip you off!! BEWARE? I will never go back there AGAIN. Read Less

I have been bringing my rabbits to Dixie Trail for over ten years. I only lived in Raleigh briefly, but I continue to take my pets to them since my move to Durham years ago. I am an attorney working and living in Durham and have had several pets (and vets) over the years. Dixie Trail, by far, has the best command of veterinary medicine I've seen and a genuine concern for what is best for your pet. They have always taken my opinion into account along the way, too, and helped me to learn how to care for my pets at home when the need arose. I really have no complaints other than that they can't be here in Durham. I'm not sure why other reviews have been so skewed other than that those pet owners must not be willing to do what is best for the health of their pets or want to spend money when it's needed. Dixie Trail's prices have always been reasonable in my opinion, and they discount for regulars when they can. If you want a veterinarian because you want the best vet care for your pets you can find, you want Dixie Trail. In addition to knowing how to care for cats and dogs, they are also very learned in caring for exotic pets. I have been really impressed over the years with their insightfulness into caring for my bunnies. Dr. Brown has been our most regular vet and she knows everything, but all of the vet's there are smart and compassionate. This is not a chain vet office. It is a vet created and run like what I think we all want out of a vet office for our pets. Thank you Dr. Brown and staff of Dixie Trail for taking care of my little family members over the years. Y'all are the best! Read Less

I rarely write reviews, except for extreme cases. Well this is one of them. They are by far the worst vet ever. I had been going there for years, but for some reason during the past 3 or so years, things have changed. They are nice if things go their way, only when you buy their outrageously expensive products and meds, but if you ask for anything else, they are shady as all get out. They REFUSE to write prescriptions so you HAVE TO BUY THEIR OVERPRICED STUFF. What a rip off. I MADE THEM WRITE me a prescrption, but they intentionally screwed up the prescriptions TWICE in a lame-o attempt to foil me from getting them from anywhere else. Unbelievable. Read the other reviews here. There are A TON of one star reviews with HORRIBLE stories from this place, but somehow they get an average of four stars. I'm guessing they are reading the bad reviews and adding some good ones for themselves to bring up the score. As shady as they are with me, there is no telling!!!! Read Less

I cannot beleive how well my girlfriend and I were taken care of when we brought in our poor female rabbit! The circumstances weren't completely in our favor but our lovely rabbit should be much more happier and healthier soon. Everyone at the clinic was very friendly and Dr. Virginia Brown was very helpful and informative. They were also very considerate when it came to paying the bill. In the future I will only be taking my animals here! If only more vets were more interested in taking care of the animals rather than trying to get rich! Read Less

If I could I would give Dixie Trail a zero I would. I've been a ferret owner for many years and also have a back ground in animal science so I know more than the average but not as much as a vet. My husband and I noticed the signs of insulinoma in one of our ferrets and after we've had other ferrets in the past who have had insulinoma and adrenal disease we have personally seen that meds and surgery aren't a cure and isn't always the best, so we called to schedule to have our beloved pet euthanized. My husband went to the apt as I had to work. Shortly after the apt time my husband calls me and says that Dr. Brown refused to euthanize my ferret and persuaded him to give the ferret up to him. When I heard this news I went over and reclaimed my ferret. Dr. Brown just doesn't get it....it's not that we want to be rid of our precious pet! It's that we care so much about her we don't want her to go through what we watched the others deal with. Dr. Brown want to treat her and then adopted her out. For what? So that in two years she can go through the exact same misery? Deep down I feel that Dixie Trails just wants to make money. Vet should educate pet parents not make the decisions for them. Read Less

The vets are probably okay if you are willing and financially able to afford their medications, which are about 4x the price of online pet medications resources. Watch out though, if you find you have just spent $500 with them on a pet, and need to buy some expensive medication. I was told by one vet there she would authorize the medication my pet needed online, then when I ordered the medication she refused to do so because the head Vet (Dr. Brown) would not allow it. The exact same pill they sold for $4 a pill was .99 online. Then I was told I had to return and pick up the prescription, very inconveniently I explained, since I lived far away, had to work from 7am-7pm every day, and could not get in for another week. Dixie Trail refused to treat our pet further due to the fact we wanted to obtain more affordable medications online. Frantic, I called another vet friend of mine (who had not seen my pet) to see what I could do. She explained this was not unusual, but also not at all helpful in my situation and she was ""very disappointed in this kind of behavior"". She recommended another specialist. When we called the second exotic pet specialist, they initially agreed to authorize the medication, but after contacting ""Doctor Brown"", they too refused to do so, and said they would only provide the medication compounded from their own supply . We were basically blacklisted by Dixie Trail. Finally, when I was able to find someone else to pick the required prescription up from Dixie Trail, they only wrote it out for 14 days when they knew it would take much longer for the medicine to work, and that the order required 30 tablet minimum. Petmeds agreed to provide the 14 day supply, but we had to wait to get it through the mail. After two days without the medication my pet went from improving to taking a severe decline for the worst and I had to find another more understanding vet to euthanize him. Very sad and very angry about the lousy treatment I got from Dixie Trail!!! Read Less

I use this site to check out vendors, hairstylists and other key businesses in the RTP but have never posted before now. Please know if you are taking extra care to research your choice in vet care that my experience with this vet has been awful. The care is poor and the price is high. I can't stress enough how unprofessional and slipshod this office is. Take your pet somewhere else, please. A pet deserves adequate treatment and they will not get it here (though you will pay as if they did). Just entering this office will prove my point; it is awful--smelly, unattractive, ancient, fur everywhere. In this case you can judge a book by its cover. The wait is awful; the supplies are always out; the vets are frazzled; the staff doesn't have the first clue. Read Less

When the ""cat o my heart"" was dying I was new to the area and had to choose a vet off city search and chose one convenient to my home and was so lucky to find these folks at Dixie Trail Animal Clinic. They are caring and helpful and very very professional. Not having been there before, the decision to euthenize my beloved companion pet was agonizing, but they made it as easy as possible, giving me the informaiton I needed and time to decide. I felt at home even though they did not know me. Good folks. Read Less

I have used several vets for my box turtles. I spent hundreds of dollars on the care of two western ornates that were fostered to me. The previous vet office was rude, expensive and they didn't work (Creedmoor), Dr. Brown took one look at ""my girls"" and said ""It is probably a Vit. A definiciency."" It was and they all lived happily ever after. They see me easily (no long waits for appointments) and the staff obviously loves animals. I recommend these folks highly. I only give 4 stars because I would like the waiting room to be a little more clean, but we are talking animals here ! Read Less

Dr. Brown and Dr. McKinnish have cared for my animals, and our rescue's animals (Raleigh Rodent Rescue) for years. They're compassionate and thorough. They've done tumor removals on our various rodents, both cancerous and benign. They've spayed and neutered rabbits for us, performed surgery on a pig from the shelter with an enormous bite abscess. They are always reliable, caring, and generous with their time and attention. They work just as hard with the tiniest animal as they do for dogs and cats. Read Less

As a vet veteran, (I have a house full of animals, 13 parrots, dogs cats and fish so I have tried many vets in the area including the vet school), I have to say that Dr Brown at Dixie Trail Animal Clinic is fabulous. While extremely knowledgeable, she is down to earth and doesn't mind explaining everything she does as she treats the animals. And it is obvious that she loves what she does. Every animal is treated like it is her own. Several clinics I have been to are very stuffy and uptight, with the doctors and staff making me feel almost ignorant. Not so here. Dr Brown and her staff are so friendly I feel like I am visiting family. And the clinic is always neat and very pretty inside. Best of all.... SHE SEES BIRDS! Not many vets in the area treat avians, and some that do have made me and my birds uncomfortable with the way they are handled. My birds actually seem to love going here, they step right up for Dr Brown and the technicians, who oooh and ahhhhh over them. I can't say enough about this place....in case you have not figured it out already...I recommend them highly!:) Read Less