Clairmont Animal Hospital

Reviews 4

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Andrea Sneed

*Long story of 3 separate occasions, so for the TL:DR population, Clairmont Animal Hospital and staff are GREAT!!! The quality trumps the price. This place is well worth it, because no one said owning and caring for ones pets would be cheap* I have had the unfortunate pleasure of having to come to Clairmont Animal Hospital for 3 events in less than a year for one cat. First with Dr. Hiro, then Dr. Desai, and now with Dr. Smith. This establishment and staff have always gone above and beyond and I cant thank or praise them enough for their professionalism, dedication to their jobs and clients, and most of all their compassion. I was sent to them initially by my vet for what I thought was an emergency issue, but turned out to be indigestion. Thank you, Dr. Hiro. Not more than a week later or so later, I had to turn around for a true emergency. My cat already was exhibiting signs of an upper respiratory infection, which I was going to address, but she went out and didnt come back for 24 hours. When she did return, she had fluid coming from her ear, head tilted, and couldnt walk straight. I thought she had been hit by a car, so I immediately took her to an emergency vet clinic. Was told it was an inner ear issue and if she didnt improve within the next 3 days to bring her back. (Cost $500) Her condition was in rapid decline when I brought her home that same night, so I called my vet the next day who suggested I take her to Clairmont because I couldnt be seen by them until Monday. I met Dr. Desai that day. She was very calm, told me truths, but always insisted on a good outcome with a trying spirit. All throughout my visit I was expecting to hear "we can always put her down," something Ive been told twice before with my other cats , and was expecting to hear again, but she never came close to insisting that option, even though I could see in her face that she knew that there was a negative possibility, but she kept telling me "were going to try." My cat ended up having a 3 day stay in the hospital, and Dr. Desai even came in on her off day to check on her progress. She made a miraculous recovery, it even astounded the staff. The hospital stay + aftercare (less than $500). Recently we had to return for a fractured femur. I was sent to St. Francis (another AMAZING group of people) who took x-rays and gave me options for surgery ($4k-$7k) or amputation ($1,500-$4k) with 2 other establishments, but I ended up back with Clairmont. I settled on the cheaper option of amputation, but felt terrible because it was a fracture, not a break. Dr. Desai and Dr. Smith both called me and spoke with me about the situation and both expressed that they felt that the leg could be saved. I was devastated because besides the fact that surgery is beyond expensive, each establishment wanted their money upfront. Family and friends told me to put my cat down, but if theres a will, theres a way, and Dr. Smith and his staff worked with me to make the surgery possible. Now I have a very happy, titanium limbed cat, thanks to Dr. Smith and his amazing colleagues and staff. =^.^=

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A Private User

I highly recommend Clairmont Animal Hospital and specifically, Dr. Hiro Iwamoto. Dr. Hiro (thats what we call him) is extremely caring, recommends reasonable tests, keeping finances in mind, and gives your pet amazing care. The Technicians at Clairmont are also very well trained and knowledgeable, as well as personable and compassionate. Finally, Clairmont is open 7 days a week, and the Drs. and Staff do not leave at night until they have done all they need to do for your pet. I have been there many times with my big dog, Beau, my cats and a few foster pets. Dr. Hiro always tells me my options and makes confident recommendations for care. I NEVER leave wondering about anything; all of my questions and concerns are answered immediately. Most recently, Beau got an intestinal obstruction that required surgery. Dr. Hiro jumped through hoops to get the ultrasound done and the surgery scheduled right away - basically saved my dogs life. He also made sure that EVERYONE at the clinic knew about Beaus situation, so if we called or they saw Beau, they would know exactly what was going on. When I would call the front desk, the staff member would say, "Oh, Beau? Yes, let me get Dr. Hiro right way." or "Dr. Hiros out today, but Dr. Desai knows about Beaus situation and can help you right away." Unfortunately Beau had a few complications, so Dr. Hiro recommended us onto a specialist, which was absolutely the right call. However, by no means did this mean Dr. Hiro had handed off our case. He called me and the specialist throughout the weekend (he was not even on duty) to check up on Beau and make sure he was getting the care he needed. I am happy to report that Beau is healing nicely thanks to the great care and attention of Dr. Hiro and Clairmont Animal Hospital.

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E Morgan

I want to give my eternal thanks and gratitude to the staff at Clairmont Animal Hospital for the amazing care they gave my precious Chloe. A most special thanks to Dr. Jiro, Joyce and the amazing Dr. Smith! We adopted Chloe about 5 years ago and unbeknownst to us she had a major underlying condition that we were completely unaware had existed. Chloe became ill and her stomach appeared to be bloated so I called the office and was told to bring Chloe in right away. Emily talked to us about what was going on with her and took Chloe back to see Dr. Jiro. Everything appeared to check out fine but just as a precaution since she was bloated they decided to do a x-ray. That is when it was discovered that ALL of little Chloes organs with the exception of her stomach and kidneys were in her chest cavity. She had a diaphragmatic hernia and all of these organs had slipped through the hole and gone to her chest cavity. Dr. Jiro talked to us and explained that immediate surgery would be necessary. Dr. Smith then came and talked to us about what needed to be done and made room in his very busy schedule to take Chloe the next day and do her surgery. Chloe pulled through the surgery and spent Memorial Day weekend at St. Francis so she could be watched 24 hours a day. Dr. Smith called to check on her every day and even called me as well. Joyce even called to check on Chloe after they returned to the office after Memorial Day! Chloe went back yesterday for her follow up and everyone is just simply amazed at how well she has recovered. This surgery was nothing short of a miracle and a life saver for our precious baby! I can not give high enough praises for this wonderful staff. Thank you Dr. Smith! You are Chloes hero!

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Amy Simon

My cat, age 13, has been a client of the Clairmont Animal Hospital for many years. She has a documented history of trauma reactions to visits to the vet. She has been on medication prescribed by the vet for severe arthritis, which limits her ability to jump. It has been documented in her file that she strongly resists attempts to sedate her prior to vet visits and struggles to free herself when held. This was known and discussed at the beginning of each visit. During this year’s annual visit of 3/18/15, the cat exhibited the usual reactions, but was not sufficiently restrained by the doctor’s assistant and she jumped off the table and fractured her pelvis. (X rays were taken to verify the reason for the dragging of the foot and crying that followed the jump). The cat’s movements are seriously hampered. We are now carrying the cat in a closed box up and down the stairs. She is unable to use a litter box, although the pain appears to be subsiding. Initially after we brought the cat home, we heard from the vet during the first week apologetic and concerned. The vet requested a follow-up video to determine any extent of nerve damage, which we sent. We have not received any followup call from the vet or even a representative of the Clairmont Animal Hospital. Obviously we will no longer be entrusting our pets to the care of Clairmont Animal Hospital, nor will we recommend this organization to anyone who has a pet with special needs.

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