NorthStar VETS

Reviews 4

LI

Lindsey Billings

Im sorry to report such a low rating, but I feel quite upset about the situation which transpired yesterday evening at NorthStart Vet. We took our yellow lab, Buddy, at 6PM for an emergency visit after our vet (Dr. Mary Moon) couldnt see us. Buddy was having trouble urinating and vomiting. Although I understand we walked in as an emergency, Buddy was not even seen until 8PM. The vet, albeit a very nice lady, said it sounded like bladder/kidney stones and gave him an x-ray. After waiting another hour and a half, she came out to say that the scan came out clear and he probably just had a urinary tract infection and that we should put him on antibiotics and monitor him. At 4AM we woke up to Buddy laying on his blanket that was covered in blood. We called NorthStart and the attending doctor told us to "give it a few days." We took him out at 8AM to try and go to the bathroom where he squatted for several minutes trying to urinate with no luck, then started profusely bleeding. We rushed him to Dr. Moons office where they took an X-ray and IMMEDIATELY found 2 large kidney stones that were blocking his urethra passage. They pumped out 1 gallon of toxic blood and urine from his bladder and immediately prepped him for surgery. He is still at the vet waiting for the extreme infection in his bladder to subside and for the swelling to go down before they can even operate. If it were not for the fact that my mother took the morning off to check-in on him, he may not have made it until the end of the day. Yes, NorthStar is a BEAUTIFUL facility, but COME ON. We waited hours for a mis-diagnosis. Why was our vet able to quickly identify the stones while NorthStar wasnt? Why did they brush us off this morning and tell us to wait it out? If we had followed their directions, our dog would be dead. Im so thankful for Dr. Moons team for their quick work in getting our boy back to good. NorthStar, nope, not so much, super fing p!ssed. Other reviewers also talked about issues with billing, I dont have any comment on that, we were told up front how much each procedure would cost before we agreed. One thing: they do NOT disclose the fee for emergency visit/consultation. That was grossly miscalculated on my part, so make sure you factor that in. Proceed with CAUTION! Actually, avoid all together.

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Linda

I think who you get at this practice really determines the experience you have. Im glad NorthStar is there. A 24/7 full service facility is a valuable resource however I nor my pets have had the best experience and the same services at other 24/7 full service facilities costs less. I have had positive experiences with the Avian and Exotics specialist Dr. Doolen to treat my rabbit but I have had my dog there twice and neither time has me wanting to return. After learning my dog had elevated ALT and Bile Acids during a routine exam at our regular Veterinarians office we were advised to get an Ultrasound of the liver to look for shunting and/or disease. I called and made an appointment at NorthStar Vets. To my dismay the report came back noting nothing abnormal yet we were urged to do an exploratory surgery and liver biopsy to find out more. The quote for surgery was a few thousand dollars. At this time my dog seemed perfectly healthy other than what his lab work yielded. I felt it was in my and my dogs best interest to seek a second opinion and we did. My first concern with NorthStar (and shame on me for not knowing better) was that the Ultrasound was performed by a regular doctor, not a Radiologist and thus I felt the inconclusive findings. My second concern was a Urinalysis test was done without my consent or knowledge. If the test was needed to yield more information I would have had no problem consenting but I wasnt even asked and the doctor used a catheter to obtain the urine when I simply could have taken the dog outside "for a walk" and collected urine then. There was no reason to use a catheter. My dog is a male and was irritated for several days after. Upon obtaining another Ultrasound from a doctor who was a Radiologist (at another facility) it was concluded my dog has a small intra-hepatic shunt and exploratory surgery was not needed and we are treating with supplements successfully. Another time I had to bring my dog in for a Corneal Abrasion. I was happy that the doctor thoroughly examined his eyes for disease and glaucoma (I was asked prior) and also took all his vital signs but the medicine prescribed was irritating and I had to follow up with our regular Veterinarian for another prescription.

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Marta Rodrigues

With me and my little Oliver, it has been a great experience. I have a Ferret who is now 4 years old. Ferrets are affectionate, loving, playful and rarely just lie around. One night in December, Oliver was lethargic, weak and would disappear under the couch, he wasnt eating and I became concerned. I called our primary vet and tried to make an appointment for the following day. However at 11 pm that night, I noticed Oliver just laying in the middle of the floor sleeping, out in the open... he NEVER does this. I picked him up hoping he would try to leap out of my arms as he usually does and no he just laid there in my arms, nearly lifeless, my heart dropped, I knew immediately something was wrong, I needed to get him to the vet ASAP. I did my research and found that Northstar was only 20 minutes from me. I waited a while for him to be seen, but once he was, they did everything they could to figure it out. He had to stay overnight for observation and to revive him back to the Oliver I knew. They were so nice, I was able to stay with him as long as I needed to say goodnight to him. It was the most upsetting time for me. Oliver was my first Pet and I never understood what a pet parent endures, until that point. Oliver came home the next day, with a Diagnosis, medication and a plethora of knowledge from the Vet and Tech about his condition and the steps we needed to take moving forward. The follow-up appointments have been just as wonderful, always knowledgeable, kind and compassionate. I feel secure in knowing that Oliver is in such good hands with Dr. Doolen and the Tech Steve. The estimate was on point, I even ended up paying less. The pet insurance I have VPI, was the most upsetting part of this whole experience. The Bill was a little high, and that was truly the only thing I can complain about, if there is a complain to be given. However, Dr. Doolen has been more than impressive with his assistance with our Pet Insurance and trying to get us our reimbursement. Overall, Great Front Desk, Great VMD, Great Techs and Great Facility. Truthfully, wonderful people. I would highly recommend Northstar.

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A Private User

I totally agree with the last reviewer - we had an AMAZING experience at North Star. We brought our cat in through emergency at 2am in the morning, and the staff couldnt have been more helpful and supportive. Our cat had to stay at North Star for 5 days and during that time he was seen by the emergency vet, a cardiologist, and finally an internal medicine specialist, each of whom I spoke to at least once a day on the phone. The vets kept me up to date completely on the tests they were running and possible diagnoses. I broke down and was crying (embarrasing) on the phone once or twice and the vet was totally supportive and didnt make me feel like an idiot. While our cat was at the hospital, we visited him each day - the tech brought him in to a private exam room, gave us an update on his condition and then left him with us for 30 minutes. This was an incredible time that we got to spend with our cat without any restriction. When he was discharged from the hospital, I couldnt believe how reasonable the charge was - all vets are expensive but I thought that North Stars prices were in no way inflated. Also, they take Care Credit, which allowed us to pay the bill over 3 months with no interest charges. Unfortunately our cat only hung on for a few weeks after that (he was diagnosed with FIP, which is fatal), but when we took him back to North Star to put him down, they were SO kind and supportive. The grief support coach spoke with us and all of the staff were so respectful and caring. A few days later, we received a card with handwritten notes from the vets who treated our cat expressing their condolences. If you want a caring, supportive, clean, top-of-the-line medical facility for your pet, you should choose North Star!

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