I admit that I lucked into finding this place. I'm a first-time dog owner (though experienced with cats), and I jumped right in by adopting an 8-week-old puppy. I chose Northwest because Dr. Whereat ... Read More
I admit that I lucked into finding this place. I'm a first-time dog owner (though experienced with cats), and I jumped right in by adopting an 8-week-old puppy. I chose Northwest because Dr. Whereat is the closest PSVMA member vet, and they honored the certificate for a free exam that was given to me by the Humane Society. It was a great choice! Perhaps the best recommendation I can give is that my puppy absolutely loves Northwest. The receptionists, techs, and Dr. Whereat all work hard to make sure that he has a fun time on every visit, doing the minimum number of procedures and bribing him with toys, food, and attention. Even though our first visit was for shots and a check-up including rectal thermometer (and we've been back for the second round since), my now four-month-old puppy pulls towards that building whenever we walk through the neighborhood (we're still working on polite on-leash behavior), and spends his visits wagging his tail in joy.From a more human perspective, I also appreciate that Northwest charges reasonable fees, and doesn't make up the difference by pushing me to buy flea treatment or pet food directly from them. Dr. Whereat does a good job explaining what she thinks is minimally necessary, and provides the information I need to make a decision on the above-and-beyond treatments (e.g. heartworm preventative, since heartworm is not a problem in Seattle but can be found in some of the places I travel) myself. Also, Northwest is great about follow-up calls and quick question drop-ins (e.g. requests for records or to weigh the puppy or even for advice on flea meds), and everyone respects the limits I set as part of training (no one rewards my puppy for jumping, no matter how cute he is). Dr. Whereat is efficient enough to seem brusque on first meeting, but she was more approachable on the second, and she also seems knowledgeable and, again, the puppy loves her! I hope not to spend too much time at the vet, but it's nice to know I have a good one when I need her. Read Less