Gateway Animal Clinic

Reviews 4

TW

twizted sk8ter

My animals have been going to Dr. Brian and Dr. Bob since they were located at the ALP. This month my 14 year old baby had a stroke and couldnt move, For the first time in going to Gateway I had a bad experience. We got there at 8:45 am I thought they opened at 9. There were two woman behind the desk, one woman stated they were very short handled this day as they only had two doctors in and one was doing surgeries. She stated as soon as the other doctor came in they would take care of us. While sitting there waiting our baby would cry out and even had an accident inside the blanket he was in. Finally one woman went into the back and came out after a few minutes and stated the other doctor was in the office now. At this time a man came in with a dog. The one woman behind the desk new him and by the conversation quit well. He stated he had just flew into Cleveland with the dog at 1:00 am that morning and was bringing the dog in for a checkup and shots. By this time its almost 10:00 am. The next thing I know the man with the dog is being called into the back. When I went up to the counter and asked how much longer the doctor would be the woman was curt and said soon. I asked with an emergency why was this man who came in after us being taken care of first? She replied he had an appointment. I stated really my dog is dying and thats not important to you. Finally the other woman went into the back and stated they were getting the room ready for my baby. Soon after they called us as we were walking into the back the woman stated we should be glad they were taking care of us and if it was such an emergency we should have went to the emergency hospital. I told her I guess she was right. This woman was so rude, uncaring and showed none of the compassion I have always seen and felt at Gateway. Never received a condolence card as in the past. The doctor who but our baby to sleep was saying how sorry he was for her actions and for our loss. I hope now that someone else bought it that it doesnt lose the qualities it had in the past and is now only about the money. So sad to even write this but needed to vent by experience. :(

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JE

Jessica Jalowiec

I initially decided to take my bulldog, Lucy in to Gateway on Saturday for a couple rotting teeth that I thought would need pulled, but then ended up more concerned with the fact that she had been vomiting for a couple days. Ive been coming to Gateway for a couple years now for my basic needs and have always received excellent care, but this time warranted a review. Upon first seeing Lucy, Dr. Liz was concerned. She asked if my dog was normally this depressed and if she could have gotten into anything. She recommended an x-ray and upon further review, it looked like Lucy had a foreign object in her intestine. Dr. Liz let me know my options (go get an ultrasound at an emergency clinic for a second opinion or an exploratory surgery at Gateway), and explained the risks and potential cost for each one. I opted for the surgery, we left Lucy in the caring hands of Dr. Liz and Co., and we drove home. I received a call within a couple hours letting me know the surgery was complete, and had gone well despite the situation being more sever than anticipated (it turns out the area of her bowels surrounding the foreign object was pretty much dead and had to be removed). She told me the potential complications as a result of the surgery, and said Lucy was resting and we should come in on Sunday, which we did - to find her resting comfortably and also to find that while they had her under anesthesia, they went ahead and pulled the two teeth I had initially decided to take her in for - saving me not only another trip to the vet, but also saving an 8 year old english bulldog from needing to be anesthetized a second time. Im more than happy with my most recent experience here and I was actually shocked when I received the bill - I was expecting it to be almost twice as much. Im thankful to Dr. Liz and the whole staff at Gateway for their care of my baby girl.

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AN

Angela L.

The staff is caring, pleasant, and efficient, in spite of the fact that its a walk-in clinic and usually has a room full of waiting people and animals. The people dont always have 100% control of their dogs (long leashes, weak commands), and the dogs, who are in an intensely stimulating environment, are not necessarily 100% calm and non-fearful-aggressive. (Fortunately, the waiting room is quite large, so if youre sitting near a potential situation, you can relocate to another bench.) The one thing Ive noticed after bringing my dog there for more than a year is that the veterinarians dont make good notes unless you ask. This could be a problem if you are tracking something like a lump that has initially been diagnosed as a non-issue. Good luck if you want to see what the vet said the initial size of the lump was. Request detailed notes at the beginning of the exam, and theres a good chance the vet will comply, though I have still discovered omissions after the fact when the visit was for multiple concerns. (Yes, I ask for a copy of the notes.) They have helped my dog with some things, and they performed a major eye surgery on my friends dog to 100% success. The fees are less than other clinics (but not what I would call inexpensive), so if you dont mind a long wait at high-volume times (like after work on a Monday), then you can use the time to sit quietly with your companion animal and have a meaningful bonding experience and save some $$ in the process.

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RA

Rachel Friedman

As a professional pet and service dog trainer on east side of Cleveland but serving Northeast Ohio and beyond, and living and working with a wide variety of dogs and cats in my care -- some my own, some training or rescue projects that stay for a bit -- I have worked with a lot of veterinarians and veterinary practices over the years. I have been meaning to use Gateway for years -- partly due to my frustration with different aspects of different practices closer to home I have used -- and partly because of the reputation in the community of the care and compassion showed by the medical staff at Gateway. I finally had my opportunity when a rescue kitten I had opted to keep as my own needed her immunizations and ultimately, a spay surgery. I tried to go during what I anticipated MIGHT be a slow time -- you never know in a place that helps keep costs down by being a drop in clinic -- and I ended up waiting about an hour for her first appointment. Neither the kitten nor I stressed too much about it my kitten was relaxed and friendly during her medical assessment and shots. Our return trip for spay surgery and boosters went very well -- drop off was easy and smooth, front office staff were friendly and helpful, and pick up was trouble free. Cat has made a smooth and wonderful recovery and is as loving and maniacal as ever. I will be returning to Gateway again when needed! Hopefully, not soon!

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