Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center

I was pleased with Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center's care until my dog was diagnosed with diabetes. He was diagnosed on 9/3/18 in the wee hours of the AM by their emergency service. The on call MD determined his blood sugar, discussed the importance of consistent feedings & insulin administration. She checked his eyes & diagnosed him with diabetic cataracts. She performed ocular pressure tests & determined it was not glaucoma. She instructed us to follow up in 10 days for his first glucose curve & a lab workup to check the effects diabetes has had on his other organs. His first glucose curve was scheduled for 9/13/18. I then began reading up on diabetic cataracts & found articles discussing cataract extraction. I contacted Brodhead later that first week & asked if there were any pre-op interventions we should be doing to manage his condition until he could have a surgical consult. I was told via the receptionist, after being on hold, that she had asked the vet and there was no medicine to be given & that he was not a surgical candidate because of his diabetes. On my own, I contacted UW Madison & was able to make an appointment for consult, unfortunately they would not be able to see him until October. While speaking with UW, I was told that my dog should be on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drop to reduce the risk of inflammation. This was the first time someone educated me that eye inflammation is very serious and if untreated can result in blindness due to the development of glaucoma. She instructed me to contact my vet for a prescription & said to tell my vet to call UW with questions. It took the better part of a day to finally speak directly with a vet concerning my request. At the close of the day, I was told that basically the vet was too busy to bother consulting UW. His exact phrase was that he 'didn't have over thirty minutes to sit on hold with UW'. Undeterred, I strongly advocated for my dog and he was ultimately prescribed eye drops. On 9/12/18, I came home from work to find my dog stooling blood & unable to open his right eye. We took him up to UW for an emergency appointment. After seeing ophthalmology, we were told he had severe inflammation in both eyes, the right pupil was pinpoint & nonreactive, & they began preparing us for the fact his right could easily develop glaucoma which would result in him loosing the eye. We were prescribed an intensive regime of an eye ointment and eye drops. In addition the emergency vet diagnosed colitis & a cyst in his right hind limb, which they aspirated & sent to pathology. On 9/13/18 we went to Brodhead for his first glucose curve. I updated the tech about the events from the day prior. I also took a stool sample since he was still having bloody diarrhea, to rule out parasites. Finally I asked that they follow up on his pathology report. Let me make clear - my dog was brought in at 8 am & stayed until 4:30 pm. When I picked him up, a tech informed me I needed to increase his insulin dose. I asked for his glucose readings, she didn't have them. I told the tech I wanted a copy of the tests, which another tech later handed to me with no explanation of the results. I was also given a probiotic with no discussion of his stool results. When I questioned the path report, I was told that they were 'too busy' to contact UW & I could follow up on my own. No labs were run to assess his other organs' function. At no time did I see a vet. If my complaint was merely 1 issue I could chalk it up to lack of time, new staff or whatever excuse was put forth. However, this was a string of missteps & indifference. It was at this point that I decided to remove our pets from Brodhead's care, or lack thereof. On 9/19/18 my dog had his first recheck at UW. While his eyes are still incredibly inflamed, the right pupil now reacts. So we continue an intensive regime of eye drops and follow up in a few weeks. He is considered legally blind. He is not a surgical candidate due to the severity of the inflammatory response from the cataract formation. Do I know if better collaboration & communication could have preserved some of my dog's eye function? Of course not. Would better communication & empathy have made a hard time a little less stressful? Absolutely. Their website totes "known for our compassion and progressiveness, we go beyond just providing services . . . Our emphasis on you and your companion's needs, makes BVMC more than just a nice place to bring your pet". This organization lived up to that motto during uneventful annual well checks. However, when I needed a vet most, they were nothing short of awful. Read Less

The female tech that works Wednesdays and Fridays(sorry I forgot her name, but she had blonde hair) is a wonderful, caring, human being that was a pleasure to work with. She was very personable and sincere in her desire to help others. A+ Read Less

I love the care my animals receive here. The doctors are great the techs are fantastic. The customer service is wonderful. I've been taking my animals here for years even as a child my family brought their animals here and I will continue to. Read Less

We have been taking our animals here for almost a decade now. They have always taken great care of our furry friends! Our cats and dogs get great treatment. They recommend things but are never pushy trying to sell things. They have always taken time to answer questions we have had. They have vets on-call and they are always helpful. They specialists for different animals here too. Always recommend this place to friends and family! I cannot say enough good things about this place and the staff that work there! Read Less

The staff in the front area are always friendly and caring. It is nice when you walk in and they call you by name. Drs. Heise and Dalgran are competent, caring and friendly. The vet techs are great. I have been a customer for about 16 years and appreciate all of the good care provided to my cats and dogs over the years. Read Less

Love this place they take awesome care of your pets don't matter if its a cow to a dog or cat or even a skunk they do it all and CARE about them to they also have cremation service right there your pet will not be sent out to a place where most have to and then u ? if u got your pet back or just mixed ashes of all the pets done that day !!! WONDERFUL STAFF !!!!! Read Less

Best vet in the area. They treat all of our farm animals. Our horse has laminitis and she has always been treated with love by the staff. We know her time with us is limited, but we have discussed this with the vet and he has given us excellent advise. Would highly recommend to anyone new in the area or anyone who is looking to switch vets. They are so accommodating. I cannot say enough good things about them to give them justice. A good vet is hard to find these days, especially one who cares more about the animals health than collecting money before they provide treatment. Read Less

The Brodhead Vet has the most compassionate, caring, and qualified people that I have ever seen. They take care of not only your pet, but they comfort you also. They give professional and excellent care in a loving and warm environment. They are the only ones I would and will ever trust my animals with. Read Less

Brodhead vet is the best in the business. I have used several vets in the past and this is by far the most compassionate, kind, caring staff available. I absolutely trust Dr. Emily Dahlgren with my pets lives! She is just the best! I thank them for getting me through some very difficult journey's. Would never go anywhere else. Read Less

I have 2 dogs a Siberian Husky and a Samoyed they will both be three yrs old. I have been taking them to Brodhead Vet. since they were puppies. The people there treat them as if they were their dogs. They are excellent with both of them they are knowledgeable, kind, caring and explain everything so I can understand. They answer all my questions. My dogs are like my children and I would not trust them to anyone else than Brodhead Vet. Medical Center. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who loves their animals. Read Less

I must say BVMC has amazing staff! Dr J Mertens came out to see my sick older mare, Splash. He was very attentive to her needs and honest in his opinion. He was understanding in my expectations/limitations in treating my mare. He even called several days "just to check up on Splash" WOW!! You definitely stand out as exceptional and caring. My mare is back to normal. You certainly have a new client here!!! Thank you Dr Mertens. Read Less

We have gone to this vet clinic for over 10 years and have never been disappointed. They are friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and very cautious when treating for any health related issue. Even our pets get overly excited when they come here (probably for the treats). The kennels are clean and our dogs have never come home nervous. There is peace of mind knowing they are in good & capable hands when we are away. They even sent a handwritten, heartfelt card when our oldest dog died. While it was tough to read,  it was nice knowing we weren't alone while grieving. I highly recommend taking pets here if you care about quality pet health. Read Less

This is a working animal vet that also provides very professional, reasonably priced, and compassionate service for pets.  I've been taking my two hunting dogs, plus my cat, here for nearly 6 years.  In my 30+ years of owning animals and seeing many vets in different states I've lived in, the Vets and staff here are by far, the best.  They don't try to push unnecessary services and are very sensitive to owner concerns for animal wellness.  The facilities are very clean and well kept.  The reception area is large, spacious, and comfortable.  The exam rooms are what you would expect from a high quality professional operation. Read Less