Brookeside Veterinary Hospital

Reviews 8

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Travis Radina

I was very dissatisfied with my visit to Brookeside and will never return with my cats. Dr. Rozyczko made the experience incredibly uncomfortable. I visited Brookeside after moving back to Ann Arbor to obtain the same annual vaccinations that my cats have been getting for six years. Rozyczko immediately questioned the judgement of my past veterinarians for not providing several optional vaccinations sarcastically saying, "well, everyone has opinions." After I refused many of the vaccinations, insisting that the cats simply receive what I came for, he made me sign a handwritten note in his file, which said I was refusing a vaccine against his recommendation, at potential risk to public health. Rozyczko then strongly insisted that I leave the room during the vaccination process. No other veterinarian has ever made this request in my years of pet ownership. His phrasing made it very uncomfortable and it would have seemed very confrontational to refuse. In the days to follow, one of my cats reacted pretty violently to the vaccinations, vomiting repeatedly (which has never happened before) and developing an intense sinus issue from an intranasal vaccination that Rozyczko strongly recommended. Both issues required me to seek out another veterinarian for treatment, who was deeply concerned about the intranasal vaccination, which he deemed unnecessary. My cat needed over a week of medication in order to overcome the sinus issues. Additionally, Brookeside charged me an additional fee because I asked Rozyczko to look at a lump on my other cats stomach while there. Rozyczko examined the spot for about 30 seconds and simply instructed me to keep an eye on it. That cost an additional $22, I still dont know anything about the lump, and will be taking this cat to another vet as well.

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Holly Hung

Dr. Rozyczko aka "Cat Dude" was very attentive to my concerns about anesthetic use on my older cat for a basic dental cleaning and check up, but has a regrettable examination room demeanor. Pros: Dr. Rozyczko is meticulous, thorough, and accomplished. Before making an appointment, I asked him about toxicity of an uncommon house plant. He took the time to look up recommendations from a reference book rather than generally assume it to be unsafe. He went above and beyond by following up with me the day after treatment. Furthermore, his training pedigree (pun intended) is from US News best ranked Vet program in the country (Cornell). Cons: Interactions with Dr. Rozyczko felt sales-oriented and fear mongering. The medical examination involved very little/no handling of at the cat (no looking in the eyes or ears with scopes or running hands down the body to check organs). This examine was $22 more than the basic exam. What did I just pay for? I asked why an indoor cat would need parasite preventative for heartworm. His reply was to ask if I have ever seen a mosquito in the house (they carry heartworm) and tell me that the parasite causes a horrible painful death in cats (Oye!). How about instead letting me know that the incidence of heartworm is moderate to high in Michigan and that the treatment is effective, safe, and relatively cheap?

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Athena Peyser-Gutierrez

My parents and now my wife and I have been taking our animals to Brookeside since I was a child. I stayed with them because of the way they treat both the people and the animals. Everyone in front and in back seems to actually care about my dog and remember his health things and his personality. Hes had some weird digestive issues since he was a pup and brookside has been dedicated to helping us figure them out. When I lived in California I took him to highly rated vets out there and no one could help him; he seemed to be slipping away. Brookside spent a lot of energy and time figuring it out with us when we came back and hes now 10 and acting like a puppy again. Id say to ask questions about alternatives if something is pricey, as vet exams and medicines tend to be, because brookeside is always open to tailoring treatment to you and your animals needs. I would also recommend the normal supplement pancreatin to anyone whose dog has chronic pancreatitis and the solid gold holistic brand of dog food that has around 4% fat, but thats just in case someone reads this who is as desperate as I was to find something that would help my dog when the hills i/d only did so much. Im not a vet though :)

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A Private User

I would have given 3 1/2 or four stars before my recent experience at Brookeside; now its a solid "5." When my cat had to be cared for in his recent final illness, both vets showed incredible compassion and skill. They gave me my options, costs, and prognoses straight up. They didnt push me to do every test or procedure on an old, sick little guy, but they did let me know that they would do as much as I felt he should have. And, they gave me the facts I needed to make the best decisions for him. Drs. Smaltz and Rozyczko proved excellent vets. Rozyczko in particular seems to love cats, and Smaltz was always gentle and honest about what to expect. Its not a fancy practice--as close to "country" as Ann Arbor gets, but the people there do good medicine and care deeply about the animals they see.

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Anne Vandermade

We boarded our young dog here for a week and the staff there is great! They covered all of the details regarding the care of our pup and were very accommodating. Contrary to the other reviews I found Dr. Rozyczko to be very compassionate, and thorough when discussing the care of our fur baby. We spoke to several other staff members as well, and each one seemed like a genuine animal lover. The country setting is definitely a plus, and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a quality boarder that gives your pet one on one time.

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Linda Etter

I have been taking my cats to Brookeside for almost 8 years, and I am always very impressed with the care given to each cat no matter what the situation. The doctors are sincerely interested in getting to know my cats, and show their love of felines in all interactions. I brought in a very sick stray cat two years ago, and Dr. R was able to bring him back to health from deaths door. Details of treatment are always given very clearly and options are presented fairly. I recommend Brookeside to my friends in the north part of Ann Arbor.

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Sarah Byers

I started coming here when I moved to the Northside of Ann Arbor years ago. Dr. Smaltz became our Vet for Prince, my Doberman, who lived to be 12 1/2. Then for Jurgen, my Yorkshire Terrier, who died in December at 17 years old. He was happy and healthy until the day he died. Now my new rescue Yorkie, Stuart is a patient of Dr. Smaltz. We have also had a rescue cat and feral cats treated there. Everyone is good and all seem to love animals and they all have animals of their own. Even horses!

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Steve Bush

These guys are amazing. Our dog has had 2 illnesses in the past year including one that required a procedure. On both occasions, the docs followed up and seemed to sincerely care about the animals under their care. Veterinary care isnt cheap, but they were willing to work with me to determine which tests and treatments were critical and which could be reserved for a later time. I am so happy to have found them. Thank you so much for your help Brookside!

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