Salem Veterinary Emergency Clinic

Reviews 5

SC

Scott Sutherland

The front desk help was kind and sympathetic when I called, when we arrived, and before we left. Let me clear and upfront about that. Our cat, Kermit, had his rear leg (below the joint) hanging by a bit of skin and tendon when we found him lying in our driveway. He was clearly in pain, but otherwise undamaged. We rushed him to Salem, the only place open on a Saturday night, distraught--his foot was swollen and had no feeling. It was clear, we thought, wed be coming home with a three-legged cat. However, they wanted $2800 for the surgery/visit. Thats a mortgage+ for us, and we just couldnt afford it. The alternative was to wait it out until Monday morning, hope for no infection, watch him suffer between pain meds and hope for the best. Ultimately, we ended up having our cat euthanized because we couldnt afford the outrageous prices. $2800 to remove a leg that was practically gone already. I understand--surgery, cauterizing, etc. But, to have the vet tell us that we could get it done for maybe $1000 if he survived infection/pain for another day and a half or we could have him euthanized. So matter of factly, she offered this up as if not having $2800 sitting around with nothing better to do was unfathomable to her. The vets and vet assistants were robotic and unfeeling. We made the decision to kill our cat because we could not pay close to $3000 for an amputation that was 2/3 of the way complete before we walked in the door. DO NOT go here unless you are A) ridiculously wealthy or B) prepared to leave with a euthanized pet and a family that is struggling with the guilt of not being rich enough to save their family friend due to the unrealistic price gouging that coerced them into making an emotional decision that they will never, ever forget.

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CR

Crystleen

I agree with Walt Scheiderichs review. We came in because our dog had instantly went from happy dog to lethargic and acting like she had a stroke. We went in and automatically the vet had her blinders on and assumed it was from marijuana. She said she gets dogs every night with the same case. We know for a fact it was not marijuana. But the vet insisted. We had the marijuana test done just to prove it was not it, of course it was inconclusive. She wanted to make her throw up so we did that. Found nothing. But she still insisted it was marijuana. I understand they may get a lot of dogs coming in that may have ingested marijuana. But the vet needs to take her blinders off, seriously. We kept telling her that was not it. It was something else. The vet said she could not think of anything else it could be or do any other tests to find out. She just kept repeating herself about Marijuana and the cost of keeping our dog there. It was almost to the point of, is this vet ok in the head, is she smoking marijuana? The bill came to $160 which was fine. But they wanted to have our dog stay the night for observation of course, for over $600. Really? An overnight stay for what they thought was marijuana? That was a joke. No thank you. This vet seemed to be about the money, rather than really getting down to the cause of the problem. Sorry, not every dog that comes in has the same diagnosis. Get your head out of your butt and do your job. Long story short... Come to find out our dog has Vestibular Disease. Conclusion: EXTREMELY Poor Vet knowlege / Con Artists

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DA

David Chipps

OWNER HAS A GREAT NICHE BUSINESS ON TRACK After reading a lot of negative reviews about this business from Yelp, I was deterred from coming in when my dog was sick a year back at 3AM. When he came down with full pancreatitis and he needed to stay overnight somewhere I had two choices, go to Salem Veterinary Emergency Clinic or drive all the way to Clackamas. I decided to risk the reviews. Salem Veterinary Emergency Clinic took care of my pug and didn’t charge me for the diabetic medication, since they usually offer pain meds for free and he didn’t need those. I spoke directly with the owner who is hands on these days. I chalk the negative reviews up to three possibilities: 1. This is a niche business, there are no competitors close by. This is a great thing, with out this business you would have to drive to Clackamas. But, it can leave a customer feeling entrapped from the get go. Not the businesses fault. 2. The owner had life distractions and could not be hands on. The manager left in charge was not adequate and the employees at the time were not connected to the business in a way a good manager or owner would be. That has all been taken care of. 3. A bit of Portland Envy. Some local Salem businesses receive flack from locals from the get go, because no matter how hard they try. They can’t compete with Portland on some levels. Lets face it the resources aren’t in Salem yet. If the people in Salem drive to Portland every time they need something, they never will be.

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A

A Private User

My cat had been feeling sick for a few days, not eating or drinking and acting lethargic. I had hoped he would get better on his own, but after a few days when I came home from work that night he looked like he wasnt going to make it through the night. I was very scared and just kept hugging him. I called my vet but they were closed. I called the emergency clinic and they said to come on in. I had never been there before and didnt know what to expect. They were very nice and explained what was going on with my kitty and gave me options. He probably had a kitty flu and was extremely dehydrated. He was running a fever as well. I chose the option of getting water shots to hydrate him and give him energy. They did it quickly and kept me informed throughout the process. They were very reasonable on cost, especially being an emergency clinic and it was late at night. They were the same cost or less than my regular vet. Rocky immediately had renewed energy and was completely better within days. The emergency clinic called a couple days later to make sure he had recovered. They really seemed to care and took that extra step to take care of my pet. I feel like they saved the life of my kitty.

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an nami

Salem Veterinary ER Clinic, Market Street, Salem, OR: It’s been a month and 1.2 since I first became acquainted with your services. No one wants to be introduced to your services; but when it’s necessary, you are beyond welcome! My cat, Benjamin Button, would not be alive today if it were not for your interceptive care. As you remember, Ben was attacked by a white terrier (dog) and presented with a dangling leg and severely savaged abdomen by the same dog. He came in “in shock” and barely hanging on to life. You provided him with life-saving interventions until I could transfer him to an Intensive Care Unit that provided the aggressive care he needed for his injuries. I just want to let you know I am so grateful for you interventions, your care, your compassion and you’re follow-up. My Ben would NOT be here were it not for your life-saving care of him that first god-awful night. Ben lies safely, securely, peacefully at my feet on my bed tonight because YOU preserved his life that night, April 7th, 2014. I gratefully, so gratefully, acknowledge you life-saving interventions that night. Thank you, Elizabeth Whalon

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