Village Gate Animal Hospital & Pet Resort

Reviews 3

A

A Private User

IF YOU LIKE EXPENSIVE, DEAD PETS... TAKE THEM TO VILLAGE GATE! Had to BEG these people to care for my cat over the course of a year. Noticed there was something “off” about him about 7 years old, brought him to VGAH for routine exam & told me he was fine, didn’t listen to any of my concerns, but happy to charge me for nothing. Few months later, got a kitten, reluctantly decided to have both cats declawed. VGAH assured me older cat would be fine & wasn’t too old. Of course, they also made a killing updating shots before the procedure. Kitten’s declawing went fine, but the older cat’s paws were gushing blood 15 mins after he was picked up. VGAH told me that “Yeah, he was bleeding when we handed over the carrier, but should stop within the hour, didn’t we tell you that?” VGAH seemed bothered I was calling them back so soon, it was Friday evening they didn’t care about the welfare of my cat as much as leaving for the weekend. They already had my $$ right? Proceeded to tell me that some bleeding was normal & that I should wrap paws in gauze & bring him back Monday if problem persisted. REALLY? I got off the phone after 2 minutes of getting nowhere with them, & went into the bathroom to care for my cat [didn’t I just pay them to do this?] Matter of minutes, his paws bled so much my bathroom looked like a crime scene. Upon 2nd inspection they said “Oh yeah, this is really bad, we need to keep him overnight!” DUH! Ironically, they called Sat to keep him a yet a 3rd day. 2 more times I brought him back, VGAH charged me to tell me he was fine & that he was probably still adjusting to the new cat [6 months later?], or sad because I had been out of town. I think I know my cat. Eventually, he stopped eating & pooping, eyes looked funny, definitely in bad shape. VGAH put him on antibiotics, which I had to force-feed via dropper to this already miserable cat. 2-3 weeks of this & nothing was working. Told them something terrible happening to him, they continued the useless antibiotic. Last day I took him to VGAH [again, had to BEG] “Dr has him on antibiotics few more days, call back Monday.” NO!! Insisted cat was suffering & wasn’t gonna watch him 3 more days. Girl on the phone was SIGHING when she said “Okay... bring him in.” VGAH had a way of making me feel like hypochondriac, when I had no more time & money for more visits. At 3:45, get rushed call, Dr saying “For the heck of it, repeated the physical exam I did last week & found some bunching in intestines” WHAT? For the heck of it!? She meant to say she DIDN’T do it the week prior & was covering her a**. This cat hadn’t eaten or digested anything in 3 weeks & they are JUST NOW feeling his intestines? Needed emergency ultrasound to determine cause of bunching, was either a tumor or had eaten a string that was pulling intestines together, & that I had to get him to the ultrasound location by 4:30. Rush in to pick up my cat, crying, as I have just found out [after WEEKS of useless antibiotics & visits] my cat will either be dying an/or need 2k in surgery to remove a string, & the girl at the VGAH desk announces “That will be $120!” WOW. No “Hello” or “We are sorry”, just “GIVE US OUR MONEY & LEAVE IT’S FRIDAY” Just this once... maybe just bill me? Left work early to run all over town with dying cat after A WHOLE YEAR of trying to tell VGAH my cat is unwell, to then find out from the very kind & patient people at MedVet that my cat’s intestines have been taken over by a very large cancer tumor & it is spreading to all of his other vital organs. Out of curiosity, I asked the woman if she could tell how long the tumor has been growing just by looking at the ultrasound, & she says “At least a year.” Best part? Vet I hired to put cat down was horrified that VGAH allowed declawing in his condition & was surprised cat even survived it. Last memory I have of my amazing cat is driving him all over town, crying, while this lady YELLS "That will be 120!!" Thanks VGAH. Super classy!

DA

Darrell Kemp

Our dog was bit by another dog immediately upon walking into daycare: My fiancé and I have been taking our dogs to Village Gate Animal Hospital since 2008. We were satisfied with our experiences, explaining our surprise when our happy, friendly dog was unprovokingly bit upon entering daycare. Subsequent to veterinary treatment of the bite, we were told the cost for our dog’s treatment was our responsibility, not the responsibility of the attacking dog’s owner(s) or a cost absorbed by the office. Additionally, we had to seek additional treatment from a different vet office and learned our dog was receiving too high of a dose of medications for his weight, which is dangerous to his liver and kidneys. Eventually Village Gate reduced the medical costs but we still incurred charges for multiple medications and a follow up visit at a new vet for additional treatment. Village Gate assured us the aggressive dog could not return to daycare but their holistic approach to the situation seems shortsighted, unsatisfactory and not with the customer or pet’s best interest in mind. One would reasonably think that the owner of a dog that is clearly responsible for a bite would be assessed the medical costs associated with that bite. Additionally, one would think an aggressive dog (or even one with aggressive tendencies) would not be accepted into daycare. We understand that animals can be unpredictable but that is the risk a business takes on when offering day care services. In the end, as the owners of a mild-mannered dog who had a long-term relationship with the vet office, it is disheartening that (1) our dog was exposed to, then attacked by an over-aggressive dog and (2) we incurred the medical costs. I know they followed office policy; unfortunately the office policy did not include proper customer service or general decency. Hopefully office policy changes in the future to include more-stringent behavior screening and a proper human to dog ratio for thorough supervision. Either way, we won’t be sticking around to find out; we are happy new clients at another vet in the area.

SA

Sara McKinniss

I am a first-time dog owner, and I have had a hard time finding a vet who was attentive, affordable and conservative in their treatment approaches in the Central Ohio area. Prior to meeting Dr. Birkhead, I was driving out of town for regular veterinary care. However, it became inconvenient when same day sick visits arose, especially with a dog who is prone to allergies. After doing some research and asking some breed-specific owners, I learned that Village Gate Animal Hospital did rescue work with my specific breed of dog, which immediately increased my confidence. I was able to schedule a same day appointment to get established with the clinic. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a friendly veterinary assistant at the front desk. She explained what paperwork I needed prior to my arrival and the RVT promptly escorted my dog and I to a room. The RVT reviewed my dogs history, took careful notes, was friendly and courteous. Soon after, Dr. Birkhead came into greet us and I could clearly see what extensive experience she had with my dogs breed. This was the first vet I have visited that got down on the floor with him to put him at ease. We chatted about his health status, nutritional concerns, an ongoing allergy issue and what her treatment approach would be. From the beginning to the end of my visit, I felt like my dogs needs were put first, her assessments were reasonable and fair, her treatment plan was right for my dog, coupled with her knowledge of the breed, has made me confident in her ability to treat my pet. I felt that we had an experience, not just a vet visit, and that is what made Village Gate feel right.