Category: | Veterinary Care |
Address: | 212 Government Ave, Niceville, FL 32578, USA |
Phone: | +1 850-729-3335 |
Site: | emergencyvetclinicofniceville.com |
Rating: | 3.2 |
AN
Anthony
I apologize for the length of this review, but if you plan on taking your pet here please take the time to read. Do not take your pet here unless they are extremely sick or dying AND it is outside the normal hours of your vet or any vet for that matter. First off, it is $80 just to walk into the door and sign in. That is typically twice the amount of my average vet visit in whole. We took our baby Pitbull puppy there one night she puked up a worm. They took care of her, and gave her medicine, one shot, and a hydration pack. The total cost came to about $215.00. As shocked as i was on the total cost, they OFFERED me a service to pay half now, half later. I accepted. I left them my cell phone number and my credit card information which i used to pay with that night, and was immediately withdrawn from my account. 5-6 weeks go by and i get a notice in the mail from the medical credit bureau down here saying i owed half of the vet costs, plus an additional 40% of that which came to about $155. I called the vet outraged, asking why I never received a phone call, anything. They claimed my phone number was invalid, which is ridiculous seeing how i have had the same number for 10+ years and never had an issue. They said they only tried ONCE and it re-routed to an 850 number. Dont you think if it doesnt work on a landline to maybe try a cell phone or something else to ensure the 401 area code is being used? Not only was their lack of trying to get ahold of me poor, but they also claimed my credit card (the SAME one i used that night) was denied when they tried to use it. (my balance in that account never goes below $1000). I called on a saturday and asked to speak to a manager, he called her and told me she was "out of town". Finally i get her on the phone on Monday, her name was Margaret, only to find she would be even more unhelpful than the man i spoke to on the phone prior to her. She was a bit rude, and didnt seem to care AT ALL about the situation. She advised me she was going to call the credit bureau and try to drop the account and she would call me back. I never got a call back from her that day. I called back a few hours later and they said she left for the day. Tuesday, I call the credit bureau, and they tell me no-one ever called on this account. I said i wanted to dispute it and they advised me not to because if it isnt paid by Feb 5th, it would be reported to my credit company. Outraged, I payed it today. Its not the money I was concerned about, its the plain principal of it all The lack of customer support was less than poor and I dont recommend ANYONE to ever do the pay half now, half later. She also told me its "not something their supposed to do" but they do it to help people out. Well, quite frankly if you OFFER a service to someone, it should be a service which actually helps, not one that causes more inconvenience and more money for that person. I am an active duty military member and usually get quite good services from businesses in this area; this one definitely NOT being one of them. Thank you for reading.
DA
Daniel Ingram
It feels unfair to rate and review this clinic harshly since my visit was on a busy Easter Sunday afternoon, but they are an emergency clinic for days like these, so they need to be held accountable. To jump ahead, the absolute worst part of our experience was the way they handled our little dog when giving shots. Our dog had been bit on the nose and the punctures had clotted, but the 2 nurses immediately put a muzzle on our dog which reactivated her bleeding. As my dog started to freak out, the nurses did not seem to have much training on how to hold a squirming animal because my dog slammed her head into the exam table twice before the nurse could get a firm grip. You could hear her head knock into the table loudly and then feel the awkward guilt in the room, although no apology was given. My dog was now bleeding, scared, beaten, clawing and soiling herself. I finally walked up and touched her to calm her down while they gave her the shots. I didnt say anything at that moment in an effort to stay calm for my dogs sake. Inside, I was raging mad. This was completely unprofessional and unacceptable. I dont care if they are an emergency clinic working on holidays; if they cant handle the job, then they shouldnt open their doors. The clinic seemed to have enough staff members moving around, but we waited at least 2 hours before getting into a exam room. One of the couples sitting with us said they had been there 4 hours waiting on blood test results. Again, I know its unfair to judge them on timing due to the holiday, but there has got to be a better system. For example, the last restaurant we went to asked for our phone number so they could text us when our table was available. Genius. On the plus side, the doctor was nice and seemed knowledgeable. The staff was very nice. We learned that they had to put to sleep several animals in the past couple days, so Im sure everyone was tired.
KO
Korall Ticer
I can not say enough good things about this clinic. I was so pleased with the treatment and experience that my pet received here. You do have to understand that this is an "emergency clinic" and therefore the prices are likely to be different and/or more expensive than your normal veterinary clinic. That being said, I do not at all feel that the staff was "out to get my money" as someone else stated, quite the opposite actually. There was a significantly more expensive (about a $1,300 dollar difference)surgical route, that the doctor could have easily told me was the better option, if they were seeking more money. Instead he advised me that the cheaper and less invasive procedure would likely be effective. After everything was over, they also gave me a refund of close to a $100 for pain medicine that my pet didnt end up taking. Once again, they could have easily said..."oh yes, we gave him that" but didnt. They answered all the questions (and there were many!) that I had and explained anything that I didnt understand. They let me visit with him in their back room for hours, not once making me feel as if I was in the way, and checking up on my pet frequently while I was there. My baby boy is part of my family and it is so hard to find somewhere that understands the love that you can have for an animal, but this place absolutely does. They even encouraged me to call throughout his two day stay there and check up on him, which was such a comfort...considering I would have done it anyway (total worried mama!) but would have felt like I was pestering them had they not absolutely reassured me it was okay. My sweet baby is recovering nicely, and I am so so grateful for this clinic and the wonderful staff there. Thank you all so much!
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Kays Brooks
Took a rescue that I had had less than 24 hours for acute respiratory distress after major surgery and massive systemic insult due to adverse environmental exposure before his rescue. As a human medical ER nurse Im familiar with most of the treatments for this type of problem but not a tiny little 5 lb 14 year old dog. So happy with intake, treatment, follow-up, updates, discharge instructions, and just "we"re invested in the health of your dog" that I felt completely comfortable having to leave the baby up there for nearly 24 hours. Yep, it will cost. The highest level of emergency intervention does. In the world of human medicine over the years Ive found that money cant fix everything like it can in the retail world. So when they give me my estimate along with the effort they will be putting forth in my pets care I will move Heaven and Earth to pay it, cross my fingers and just HOPE. Thank God for an ER for animals after hours in a small town like ours here in the Panhandle. Thank God for the receptionist who brings her own dog to work because hes a puppy at 6 months and cant go 8-12 hours without a potty break. Thank god for the vet tech who buys 20 lbs of dog food for the homeless man on the side of the road who cant feed his dogs and then when she delivers the food ends up taking the smallest of his dogs because he tells her, sobbing, he cant keep her warm enough, (she was a Chinese Crested hairless). Thank God for a vet whos been at this for ages but still has the heart to thank you for adopting and caring for the train wreck you have entrusted to their care. I am grateful and when I write the check I am thankful.