Cat & Dog Hospital of Columbia

Reviews 5

A

A Private User

Theyve provided fantastic care to our aging rotten shepherd. We can always count on getting a quick appointment, and the doctors are very sharp with regard to diagnostics and very skilled with regard to treatment. Jack underwent surgery there, and he came through fine. We got several updates directly from the vet. Their prices are quite reasonable, but mainly we appreciate their combination of competence and compassion. Staff are always upbeat and helpful. I was surprised by some of the negative reviews-- weve been here many times and have never had to wait more than 15 or 20 minutes. I also wonder whether, in a few of these cases, another vet has "found" vague conditions that may be expensive to manage. I do believe that some vets are so-inclined (an eg. would be the Banfield clinics at various PetSmart locations, as another reviewer mentions; indeed, they aim to charge for EVERYTHING!). These vets here at Cat & Dog, however, are inclined to tell you what they see and recommend a reasonable (given your pets age/overall condition, etc.) course of treatment at a fair price. When big Jack went for surgery (spleen removal), we were very worried that he was too old (9 at the time but a 120# dog) for such invasive surgery. Dr. McPartland assured us he would be fine, though, and he was. That has given us at least one additional year with our beloved pal (who has retained an excellent, active quality of life)-- and hed already survived a gastric torsion event (Dr. McPartland was aware of this and found a blockage in Jacks stomach while removing the spleen; that almost certainly also helped his overall health condition and it made her think that maybe the stapling down of the stomach after a torsion event could make the stomach less effective at digesting-- that seemed like a smart insight to me and implies a real engagement with craft).

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EM

Emily Rose

I took my male cat here about a year ago to be neutered and want to say I paid roughly ~$150 for the procedure. Everything went great, he didnt seem to be in much pain afterwards and he healed quickly, which is everything I could ask for. Because my last experience was so positive I will be taking my female kitty here as well to be spayed. I think I was quoted ~$220 for the procedure and because of her age they said bloodwork was optional but would be an extra $72 if I wanted it (which I will get for peace of mind). Ill update my review after her procedure but I feel like she is going to be in good hands! Update; Got my female kitty spayed yesterday and I cant believe how well she is doing after surgery-she doesnt seem to be in any pain whatsoever! The clinic was awesome as usual. They went out of there way to email me while I was at work to let me know everything went well, even though its more convenient for them to be able to call (I cant have my phone on me during the day though, which is why them emailing me was so nice). I had to drop her off while I was on my way into work and was in uniform-when I picked her up that evening and got my bill I saw they had applied a substantial military discount. I didnt even have to ask, they were kind enough to just throw it on there! Thats when you know youve found a good place. Overall it was a great experience and I am pleased to say both of my kitties are doing well. I will definitely be bringing them back here if I ever need a vet in the future. Thanks to the awesome employees there!

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A

A Private User

Im shocked at all the positive ratings for this vet office. First of all, when you enter the vet office it reeks of urine which tells me that they are not doing a great job keeping the place clean. Yes, there is going to be a smell but other vets I have been to always smelled like a doctors office in which they clean down each room and hallway. Second, the receptionist (as of last year and hopefully she is gone) was one of the rudest people both in person and on the phone. Third, we have two aging cats and the receptionist was an obvious dog lover, spewing gooey comments to dogs and their owners right after treating my cats and I like third class citizens. Fourth, we have a cat that needs medication on a daily basis. We would call to refill our prescription but would get a months dose here, a half months dose there....there was no rhyme or reason as to the varying amounts of pills we were getting. To ensure that we keep a steady supply of meds, we wanted to go through an online vet pharmacy. They were speedier, didnt require me to battle the traffic in that area to get it, and they were cheaper. We had the hardest time trying to get Cat & Dog to fax a script for the medication to the online pharmacy. The vets were not bad, but the way the office and reception area are being managed is the reason why Im giving this one star. Also, if you have a dog you may be treated more nicely. A vet office should have competent, professional, and courteous people on BOTH the medical and office sides of the business. This one did not.

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A

A Private User

I brought both my cats in for separate issues; I lost one and almost lost the other. One cat swallowed a string and they operated and sent her home. We went for a follow up and they saw nothing. But because of the operation she had fluid from her intestines leaking into her abdomen. The next day I had to take her into the emergency vet where she did not make it. When the vet called to wish condolences they cared so little they didn’t even get the sex of my animal correct and kept calling her a he. My other cat I brought in for a simple issue with his mouth and they almost killed him, another vet clinic saved his life. The vet had no clue what the issue was so just prescribed some medicine without letting me know there was a possible side effect that could affect the kidneys. In 5 days he deteriorated and was peeing on himself. When I brought him in to find out what the issue was they again had no clue. Then I had to convince the vet to take blood. If I hadnt I dont think my cat would be alive today. He had acute kidney failure which showed up on the blood work. I took him to a vet in Bowie and they saved his life. They also let me know it was the medicine that caused the kidney failure. Finally, the place smells like cat urine all the time which makes me wonder how clean they are keeping the place. If you love your animal please take them somewhere else where they know what they are doing.

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A

A Private User

I have taken my pets there since I was a teen in the 80s (I think it was when they first opened). Fair prices and loving, professional care kept me going there after I grew up and started my own family and moved to Bethesda. However, when a chain vet opened 1 block away with the lure of cheap prices & convenient proximity, I gave it a try. Sadly, they upsold services saying they were needed, and the prices ended up being significantly more. Then, as my dog aged and got sick, they misdiagnosed him & he received subpar care with an HMO-like touch. As a result, my dog is now in pain and truly ill and my gut instinct is screaming that they are missing the mark. I will never go back to the chain vet and am taking my dog back to Cat and Dog Hosp in one hour. I do this knowing that whatever they tell me will be correct. I do this knowing that they will weigh experience with compassion, with a thought toward my economic situation. I do this knowing that I wont have to wait for 2-3 hours with a moaning dog and two children. I do this knowing that whatever tests they recommend will be necessary and not a money-maker (& costs will be kept to a minimum when it is good care). I do this with trust. The lesson I learned is that trust & good care outweighs convenience or cost.

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