My first visit experience - This place is excellent. The reception staff is absolutely understanding and accommodating. Yesterday morning, I made an appointment for my cat who had eaten a bunch of p... Read More
My first visit experience - This place is excellent. The reception staff is absolutely understanding and accommodating. Yesterday morning, I made an appointment for my cat who had eaten a bunch of packing tape and had vomited a couple times and started dry heaving. By the time I got home from work, he seemed like he was doing much, much better so I called and talked with the staff about calling off the visit. We ended up cancelling - with no penalties to me. Well, I ended up calling back today because my boy was not doing so great once again and had not eaten anything (which is rare, he's kind of a pig). Without hesitation, they scheduled me a visit this evening at 8:30. I mentioned I would like to get in sooner if possible and to call me with any cancellations. I received a call about an hour after that and was able to bring him in right away!
As far as my experience with the Dr...I feel extremely fortunate to have met Dr. Ellwood - especially as a cat owner. She really knows cats, has 4 of her own, and without hesitation she got to the point and stressed the need for x-rays out of what I perceived to be, her honest, personal concern for my cat. She even sent them to a radiologist for further examination to rule out whether surgery was necessary or not at this point. Within 30 minutes, the radiologist had called back and Dr. Ellwood delivered me very good news - but made sure to stress the chance that he still may need surgery if things don't get better and thoroughly explained to me all of my options. She fed him a can of food, free of charge, and we decided to order a subcutaneous fluid delivery. While the tech was performing this 10-minute procedure, Dr. Ellwood stopped back into the room 3 MORE TIMES to see how things were going with my cat and to make sure he and I were doing well. She was extremely thorough with post-visit instructions and even requested that I call back tomorrow to let her know how he is feeling. This type of care is hard to find.
I am not the type of person to stress about how much things are going to cost, especially when it comes to my pet's well being. A THOROUGH and honest diagnosis is worth sacrificing some of my hard-earned cash, and a proper analysis will end up saving money in the long run anyway. That being said, by no means did I find the services at VCA Rock Creek to be over-priced. I'm so glad a family member of mine, who lived in this area decades ago, recommended this place to me. Thanks again VCA Rock Creek! Read Less