Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic

I would never come back to this clinic again. The doctor I saw is incompetent, the receptionist is not helpful, and they are expensive. Long story short, my dog was sick so we visited Dr. Wu twice. Dr. Wu did an extensive list of tests (which of course cost $$$) and was not able to identify the root cause. I got the feeling that Dr. Wu is really NOT good when she needed to search online about a disease that can potentially cause my dog's symptom.What really threw me off is when I realized the doctors here DO NOT CARE about my dog's well being at all. After my dog's x-ray, I got a voice mail saying they found something concerning. The voice mail sounded very scary so I called back 3 times in the next two days trying to speak to the doctor and understand what's wrong, while my dog was still lethargic. Finally, Dr. Wu called back and again she did a very poor job explaining what they found and what might have caused it. After some research online by myself, I wanted to speak with Dr.Wu again but couldn't get hold of her. The receptionist said she'll make sure I get a call back from the doctor and that's the last time I heard from them.Ironically, I received a postcard from the office a few days later with signatures from everybody wishing my dog a quick recovery. How can my dog recover if his doctor didn't care and dropped communication? Read Less

Both our dogs go here. Located in the business center of island. The staff is well trained. Doctors truly care about the animals. We have our parents drive all the way from West Seattle to use this vet instead. Read Less

I'm writing this review because I'm extremely frustrated with the office staff.  I'm very happy with Dr. Crocker and the other doctors associated with Mercer Island Vet. Clinic.  I have informed the office staff 6/8 weeks ago that I was going on a 21 day cruise thru the Panama Canal.  The cruise takes in six countries and requires me to have a Health Certificate signed, stamped & sealed from my vet for each country.  The office staff has done very little to help and tells me to search on Google for an International Pet Specialist.  I did talked to two of them and both advised me that my vet needs to complete all 6 health certificates, that's what they are certified to do with the US Department of Agriculture.  Today when I talked to Gretchen about our Appointment on the 28th of this month she said she didn't know how long it would take her to get the paperwork done, possibly the next business day.  She said that the charge would be $150 for each certificate.   She said the doctor quoted this charge.  """"WOW""".  It's a one page 8. 1/2 by eleven to fill out for each country.  Gretchen stated they really don't like to handle these types of issues.  Why are doctors bothering to get certified with the USDOA?  Last year I spent around $8000 for teeth surgery for my little dog I would think they would want to retain good customers.I needed to look elsewhere for this service and retained the vet I use to go to in Bellevue.  Bellevue Animal Hospital.  They are writing the 6 health certificates for me on the 28th at half the cost of Mercer Island Vet. Clinic and I will walk out the door with them that day.  The other issue is my dogs rabies certificate was singed with a black stamp and the USDOA requires it to be signed in blue, not stamped.  I had to get that redone.The office staff need some customer service training or hire a staff that can deal with your customers.  Clean house. Read Less

We originally took Rosie to a vet closer to where we lived, but we wanted to find a vet that spent a little more time with us. We decided to take Rosie here and we are extremely happy with the care the doctors and the staff have provided us. Dr. Wu did our initial visit and she spent lots of time answering any questions or concerns with had with our puppy. She gave us really good tips involving not only the health of Rosie but also behavioral development. Since that first visit, we have decided to make this vet our vet. I thought Rosie would be scared to come back after she got spayed but we took her for a visit after she got spayed and she was still excited to go back in! The staff are also amazing! They are all super nice from the front desk staff to the techs. I love going to a doctor's office where the front desk doesn't have bad attitudes. They are also all very knowledgeable about pets. I rarely write Yelp reviews but I've been so happy with this vet clinic. I definitely recommend people bring their pets here! Read Less

Im surprised by all the negative reviews here. I have been taking my dog here since i got her about 5 years ago. While i have never been in for surgery, only exams and shots, I have never felt their prices were absolutely ludicrous, perhaps higher than other places if you want to drive across the bridge, but for convenience and good service I feel it is worth it. Real Estate on Mercer Island is high, cost of goods often reflects that. The vets seem knowledgable and I have always been treated with respect here. I have had a couple great experiences with the front desk staff where i felt they went out of their way to try and be helpful and sympathetic with my problems. And beyond the usual "do you want to buy dog food or flea/heart worm medication from us?" I have never felt they were pressuring me to buy things that I didn't need. Read Less

I don't have enough good things to say about Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Corker, Dr. Mulvaney and the rest of the team. I began taking my pets to them back in 2009 and have been a loyal customer ever since. I'm honestly shocked by the other reviews that rate them other than excellent.While they are certainly not a "budget vet," I have found their prices to be competitive in the market and worth it due to the excellent care, communication and customer service that they provide. Their recent switch to electronic health records has enhanced the customer service experience further.I always feel comfortable and confident with the diagnosis and information I receive from the MIVC team. I think what gives me the most peace of mind is the fact that I believe they genuinely care about my animals. They are always asking about them, remembering details about them and treating them so well when we are in the office.I recommend MIVC to my friends and family and will continue to do so in the future. Read Less

It's OK. The main reason why we started taking our two puppies here was that it was across the street from where we used to live in Mercer Island. It was convenient at the time, but I agree with other reviewers who described it as expensive.Staff members and doctors who have seen our pooches have all been very pleasant to deal with, though. They have all been attentive and really good with following up either via telephone or email or both. They double-billed us for something in error one time, and they took care of the problem right away.I'm not sure how I feel about continuing to take them there just yet. I might shop around for a lower-cost vet clinic that will give the dogs the same level of care and attention. Read Less

I am honestly shocked at the lower reviews.  Every time I have interacted with, been to, needed help from, etc they have been professional, courteous and responsive.I mean we may have a few snooty people on this island but if your expectation is Gene Juarez, when you are taking your dog to the vet then maybe you should move to Beverly Hills.  I'm sure they have that there.Thinking they might be more expensive than other places, I called around when we were getting our dog neutered.  The prices at MI Vet were competitive.  They do NOT take advantage of the zip code.  Do your research.  They gave me options and helped me combine surgeries that were needed in order to get a better deal from insurance (because anesthesia only needed to be done once, but one procedure was covered, one wasn't)...But most important of all is that they care about animals.  The vets and techs there are always asking me more questions than I even thought to be prepared to answer.  We (the happy customers) need to fix this 2.5 average rating.  It's truly undeserved. Read Less

Two stars only because this is the only weekend and dog vet option on Mercer Island, but VERY expensive (they take advantage of the zip code) and could use some serious customer service training.  We switched our cat their mid-2014 when he had gotten in a cat fight.  He was in rough shape, so $1500 later we walked out with a surgically repaired cat. Cat got in another fight, but this time it wasn't bugging him that much.  Tech looked at it, vet came in with an estimate for another $1000 to $1100.  Again, needs surgery and no other option was offered until we questioned why they needed to do surgery on a less than 24 hour old cut/wound that wasn't even bothering him.  They ended up giving him antibiotics, cleaning him up and he's fine.  Out the door about $200.But that's not all...At the same time we took our new puppy in for shots.  They took him in the back room for shots (no owners allowed back there) and he began to cry in pain for mare time than I had heard an animal cry since my dog was hit by a car as a kid.  Very unnerving.  Vet (who was with us and our cat) checked on the pup and explained that pup was fine, some shots just feel like a bee sting.  Nothing about what to look out for (e.g. allergic reaction).  Off we went.  Later in the afternoon, our pup couldn't even get up off the floor, when we went to pick her up she screeched in pain.  Off to the vet we went.  Into the back room the pup went, again, owners not allowed.  We listened in the waiting room as she screeched in pain more.  We asked if we could be with her to comfort her and were informed "we don't allow owners in the procedure room".  Not a good experience.  When we looked at the bill later (for the shots) we had also been charged for a prepaid procedure that we will do in the future.  What the heck?  You think someone would of told us we were prepaying for pet care not to mention that I can never remember prepaying for pet care in my life.Weird experience, won't be back. Read Less

They were amazing. My cat needed surgery due to a massive infection in his leg. They were honest efficient and very helpful and speedy.even better that when a surprisingly expensive surgery came that they allowed us to pay in two payments. My cat is doing much much better now and we are very pleased. Read Less

We took our elderly cat here on a weekend after our regular vet had not succeeded in fully aspirating a facial abscess she developed.  Dr. Crocker was more aggressive and drained the abscess thoroughly.  He spent a long time explaining treatment options to us.  Another cat needed drainage of an infected scratch, and again, Dr. Crocker took great care in detailing the rationale for the tests and the procedures.  He's obviously well trained.  My husband and I are highly impressed by his expertise and bedside manner.  I think the cost was appropriate to the high level of care.  Our animals are part of our family, and we are willing to make the needed financial commitment to their health. Read Less

This vet was able to get me a same day appointment for my dog who has a mass.  The Dr. was very kind and walked me through my options.  Test results came back in 24 hours, very impressive, and I got a call that evening with the results.  The staff and physician are kind and compassionate.  Next steps will be to determine what course of action to take.  Also, initial consultation and exam was the cheapest on the Island so great prices, great service thus far. Read Less

I'm very disappointed with this clinic. Our dog has been a regular patient for years - and she's typically been treated well. However, when we really needed to see a vet, when my dog was injured, they told us they were not available to see her for several days. It seems rather strange (and frustrating) that my dog's doctor could not make time to see her. They did offer to have us drop off our dog in case they had a few minutes to see her during the day. However, they would charge an 'extra fee' for for drop off service, they wouldn't guaranteed if or when the vet would see her, and our dog would likely be waiting all day. Seriously?! Not good at all. Instead, we contacted another well-regarded vet who was caring, understanding, and offered to see her the same day - even though we're not patients. It turns out that my dog's foot was badly infected, and waiting for Mercer Island Vet would have resulted in harm. The other vet clinic said that it always makes sense to leave a little extra room in the schedule for same day emergencies/ problems with patients ("like pediatricians") - which is something I assumed any reasonable vet should offer. I don't understand why Mercer Island Vet does not. Maybe Mercer Island vet doesn't have a large enough staff, but it certainly fell short of providing care and service to their patients when they need them. Read Less

I have always had great service with Mercer Island Vet Clinic.  I appreciate that they always seem to take the time to answer all my questions, and I never feel rushed.  The exam fee seems reasonable to me.  They have helped with various issues with our dog over the years and she's doing great at 12 years of age.   It does seem that very thorough workups are recommended at times if our dog has a health issue, but with further questioning and discussion, I feel informed enough to decide how much to pursue.  That approach helps contain the costs.  So, I am happy with MI Vet Clinic and will continue to go there. Read Less

I really like this vet... they love my dog, remember what he needs and are always so excited to see him. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the price of getting him neutered, but other than that their prices seem reasonable and the staff is very friendly. I have never had any problems. Read Less

Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic gets a firm "average" from me. When we moved, I was aware that my dog needed an update of his vaccinations right away. So, I looked for a vet nearby. The closest vet to us is a "holistic" vet that rang bells for using nonscientific methods of treatment. Not for us. MI Vet Clinic was the next closest.I transferred our pets' records from our vet in our previous city with little trouble. The office staff was very nice. When I realized I had run out of wormer for the dogs, I stopped by early one morning before catching my bus. The staff saw me waiting and let me in prior to office hours and got me the  needed wormer. It was a different brand than we'd been using and it was more expensive. When we ran out again, I called the office, but they could not get us more without a clinic visit for a heartworm test. It does seem they constantly want us to come in for visits for everything. It gets a little old and spendy. I did ask on this call about side-effects of the new wormer. This earned me a call back from the vet later in the day. I did not request the call back, which actually led to a somewhat awkward phone conversation. I appreciate that they were trying to stay on top of things, but as I don't want to keep my dogs on the only wormer the clinic offered and there were just too many hoops to jump through to get in, we took an alternative path (using a vet in Bellevue) to meet our needs.While I haven't been unhappy with the care my dog received there, the cost is high. The cost of our vet in Omaha was also high, so maybe I was inured to it. My husband, however, would rather go to a lower priced vet in Bellevue. Overall, the care is fine, the price is high. It's really just an average situation. Not stellar, not awful. Read Less

Although I'm not a vet I would say they care about your pet and provide appropriate care.  However, I would certainly get a another quote before having them do any procedure.  I had a quote for teeth cleaning and a small mass removal.  Their quote was $1099 - 1300 and a vet in Bellevue did all of the above for $355.  I received several quotes with all three vets within $50 so I felt comfortable that all three were providing the right standard of care.  Do your homework..... Read Less

I have always had a dog (or dogs) over the past several decades and have used a number of vets as we've moved around the country.  This office (there are a couple of vets) was the least impressive of any vet I've ever used.  In addition to being underwhelming, they are also the most expensive vet I've ever used.   Our experience was consistent with the experience of other posters with regard to the vet pushing extras at additional cost. Read Less

I've waited years to write this review.  Finally I'm GIVING UP on Mercer Island Vet Clinic.  I should have switched to another vet years ago.  In fact, in the past when the chips were down and I needed a vet fast, I always ended up having to go somewhere else.  Too bad Mercy Vet on Mercer Island has a long waiting list.  They have a great reputation.  The only other place on Mercer Island is Island Cats, so if you have a dog and want to remain local, you're kind of stuck with MI Vet Clinic.  The vets themselves seem okay, although one of them misdiagnosed a disorder with one of my dogs years ago.  The vet wanted to do a great big expensive neurological work up when all that was really needed was a change in the dog's food!  But I really find the office staff absolutely infuriating.  They give you the hard sell on all sorts of things like pet insurance.  I had to firmly tell them to STOP.  I'm not interested.  The other day, I brought in a stool sample to be analyzed because my dog contracted worms and was treated by them.  I wanted to be sure the treatment had worked.  When I called for the results, the girl said "No news is good news!".  That's a bunch of BS.  I wanted the results!  She put me on hold and came back and after hemming and hawing she hinted that the results were negative.  I said that I would stop by the office for printed results and she gave me a hard time about it.  I began to doubt that she ever DID the analysis so I had it repeated at a pet hospital that day.  Sure enough, the dog still had worms.When I brought a new puppy in for second shots, I realized that I forgot my wallet in the car and was heading back out the door with pup when the office girl said, "I'll hold your dog for you".  I thought that was friendly so I let her hold the leash while I ran out to the nearby car.  When I returned, the puppy was gone and was yelping in a back room.  My puppy didn't make a sound when she got her first shots because I was in the room with her keeping her entertained while the vet gave the shot.  There was no problem, no stress, no yelping.  But this Dodo staffer decides to take the pup and bring her into a scary back room for a shot without me to keep her calm and happy.  How stupid can you get!  Hell, I'll give my own shots (except for rabies) if that's the way they are going to it!Nah, I'm giving up on Mercer Island Vet Clinic.  I'd rather drive a longer distance and have better people working for me and my animals. Read Less

I'd had my kitten for less than 24 hours when I rushed her here to be treated for an upper respiratory infection she caught in the shelter. They did a good job in getting her stabilized, but I'm really dissatisfied with the care she got overall - they made some mistakes around disclosing side effects of her course of treatment and really freaked me out a couple of times about her prognosis.That comes as no surprise, since this clinic has a reputation on the Island for playing on pet owners' emotions to get more money out of them for unnecessary tests and procedures. Read Less