Animal Hospital of North Asheville - Veterinarians

Reviews 3

CI

Cindy Dennis

I own a Dog Boarding business in Pisgah Forest, and I have a trusted Vet in my local town of Brevard. However, they do not offer Laparoscopic Spays, as AHNA does. So, I decided to bring my pup to AHNA (long drive!) to get it done. This was my first experience with AHNA. I had heard and read good things about them, and in doing my research regarding my puppys spay, I found out more. I am SO glad that I did! This spay procedure is safer and results in you getting to pick up your dog much quicker, if you desire, and the recovery time is easier and shorter. I knew all of that was promised, and that is what happened. What I was surprised by was the incredibly kind Staff and the way they do things there. Every person I encountered was kind, patient, and supportive. They were very loving towards my little dog, and towards me. They were professional and organized. They let me help hold her during her initial exam and blood draw, which was great because she is tiny but very wiggly at first. I always worry that someone will hurt a tiny dog restraining her. Big dogs are so much easier to restrain when you need to, without fear of hurting them. The tiny ones are tricky. Well, I neednt have worried anyway I am sure, but I did not have to worry, because they let me be there. They were in good contact with me via email and messages prior to her scheduled surgery date. On the day that her spay happened, they called me right afterwards to let me know how she was doing, and they let me come and hold her in the Recovery Room until it was time for her to go Home. This was awesome!!! It was great for me and for my dog. After surgery, they are not happy campers, and it meant a lot to be able to be there to soothe her. However, had I been at work, she would have been ok until I picked her up after work. While I was in the recovery room, for over an hour, there was almost always someone IN the room, when they had to leave they were always back quickly, and other people came in periodically to check on the dogs, too. So, she would have been fine. On the way to and from the recovery room, I got to peek into other areas of the Hospital. I could see the staff giving good, loving care to the animals there. I also know a lot about dog crating and facility cleanliness and safety, given my occupation, and everything was super clean, organized, and safe. I was tremendously impressed, and I am hard to impress. The hospital also recently invested around $80,000 in better equipment for doing Ultrasounds. I think that if anything serious ever happened with any of my dogs and AHNA was open (meaning I did not have to go to an after-hours Emergency Vet), I would head straight to AHNA. They seem equipped to deal with anything that may happen. Also I would like to point out that I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes (maybe 5 at most) to be seen for my appointments. It is conveniently located and has plenty of parking. They send email reminders when shots are coming due, well ahead of time, which is a great service that I wish all Vets offered. I constantly encounter dogs trying to board with me who are past due on their vaccines/fecal exams, and the Owners have no idea because they dont keep up with the dates, but also because their Vets do not even send reminders to them that things are coming due! AHNA also sends out very informative newsletters, I suggest you sign up for their email list!

TO

tom marino

Dr. Thompsons response is not accurate. I simply asked why a B-12 shot cost so much and he went off on me, belittling and berating me. I was polite and considerate. He was rude and arrogant, and thats the Gods truth. Here are a few reasons why I would never recommend the North Asheville Animal Hospital. 1. I called the North Asheville Animal Hospital at eight in the morning because my dog, who is twelve years old, hadnt eaten in two days, this was day number three, and he could barely walk. They said they would get back to me. I waited and waited and called again at one in the afternoon. I was told they would get back to me. They finally got back to me at 5:30. I was worried sick the entire day and when I did bring him in, I had to carry him as he was unable to walk. 2. After that visit, I had to bring my dog back three times because he was getting worse. This went on for a period of three weeks. Finally, I thought he was dying so I went to the Upstate Veterinary Specialists, who came up with a solid diagnosis and a thorough plan. Now he is doing better although he has multiple serious illnesses. 3. Another time when I questioned the price of a procedure, the owner asked if I questioned buying clothing thats marked up 200-300%. Then he suggested I go try another vet and he made it clear that he was a busy man and to stop wasting his time with my question. He belittled and berated me. I was shocked by his behavior. I was physically shaking after our conversation. Arent you allowed to ask a sincere question? 4. Its almost impossible to get the same vet on consecutive visits unless you call weeks in advance. When my dog was very sick, I saw three different vets in three weeks and received three different diagnosis. One diagnosis was for pancreatitis, which he has, but they didnt ask about his diet or inform me that I should put him on a strict low fat diet which was negligent and could have further jeopardized my dogs health. They gave me zero advice on what to do about the diagnosis. They just gave me drugs. I went home and did my own research so Id know how to help my dog. The vets are rushed. Its a fast paced environment which is impersonal. I changed to the Redwood Animal Hospital and what a difference. The vet spent time with my dog, petted and talked to my him, cleaned his eyes which had mucus and were red due to his illness, gave me eye drops and a added another pain killer, and I just went in for a B-12 shot. He was an old fashioned country vet who really cared, not someone caught in a bureaucratic corporate environment. In my experience, the North Asheville Animal Hospital is the worst clinic Ive gone to in over forty years of pet ownership. If you want to pay a lot of money for a fancy building and be belittled and berated for asking a sincere question, then I recommend them, but start saving your money because youll need it. Its marked up like clothing. The owner said it himself.

JE

Jean Gard

By far the best animal hospital in the Asheville area. And no more expensive - despite the fact that they are totally equipped with the latest technology to care for your pets. For example, I dreaded having my cats teeth cleaned. I feared the expense and doubted the reason why I should do it. After all, other cats Ive had over the years havent had dental care and they seemed to do just fine. Well years ago, in fact, up until recently, vets were cleaning pets teeth with no X-ray equipment, no dedicated vet who specialized in dental work and really were just guessing at whether or not the cats gums and teeth were sound - and that the pet was not experiencing pain from decay and gum disease. And that is STILL the case at every other veterinary practice in this area. Only AHNA has advanced digital x-ray technology, a vet dedicated to dental practice and a facility that is so much better equipped, better staffed and better managed. When one of my cats, who had seemed kind of "grim" for a few years, had her teeth cleaned, the X-rays showed a lot of decayed teeth, plus advanced gum disease. After the cleaning, I received a comprehensive report, including X-ray pictures showing the "before" and "after". My cat is a different cat after the cleaning. I feel guilty that I didnt have this done for her years earlier. That is just ONE example. Ive brought all my pets there and in every case, the AHNA owner and staff have gone above and beyond my expectations: they have treated my animals with compassion and the kind of expertise one cannot find in any other practice in this area. I am a huge fan.