Category: | Animal Hospital |
Address: | 3327 Forest Dr, Columbia, SC 29204, USA |
Phone: | +1 803-738-1515 |
Site: | elamanimalhospital.com |
Rating: | 4.6 |
Working: | 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7:30AM–12PM Closed |
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Anon Dowson
Unfortunately our two most recent experiences --one urgent & another routine -- went very badly. We brought one of our cats in because hed stopped eating. The blood-work they performed was incomplete and the expensive procedures they kept us there over an hour discussing would not have helped him. We took our pet to another vet the very next morning, even though Elam had wanted to schedule euthanasia given our refusal to accept their suggested care, & he is now purrrrfectly fine; it also cost us much less than the care program recommended by Elam. (If youre ever uncomfortable, seek out a 2nd opinion, always.) We decided that was due inexperience/bad luck. *However, a recent routine visit underscored many concerns. Expense. Cleanliness. Rudeness. The vet assistants are very nice, but the vets Ive talked to there have been argumentative & just plain rude. **None of the current staff is familiar to us.** The exam rooms are dirty. There is no "chill-out"/feliway room, though there are dogs barking, and people talking loudly. Other vets have these, so that when you & your pet must wait 40 minutes hearing all this traffic (Elams facilities are small), theyre a lot calmer than theyd otherwise be. When I mentioned that, because they feature feliway in every room, they insisted it would do no good after the fact. That has not been my experience elsewhere. Finally, the care: both cats were so upset one bit through his tongue, both messed their carriers and there was excessive hair loss. Both were hyperventilating while the vet kept me in the exam room talking to me about how we should have sedated them. Elam wants $60 per cat to sedate, which is much more expensive than ANY other vets weve been to; $120 for 2 cats was outrageous, as was their handling. I had listened to both screaming while they were examined in the back, and had wanted to take them elsewhere, but my grandfather wanted this over asap. Id helped him during prior trips, bringing both cats to Elam for their yearly shots. These cats had been difficult before but Elam had handled that well. There was never screaming like Id heard this time. One cat has not come out of hiding since bringing her home, and given the bad professional advice I received just prior to this terrible experience, I have to strongly suggest you take your cats anywhere else. Maybe they are better with dogs, but between the expense and their... approach to things, I cannot recommend them for cats at all.
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Edward King
They act like they care so much about your pets but they are really just trying to drag out every consultation for as much money as possible. They barely have time to field your questions or concerns. My experience is they treated me like a second rate customer and talk down to me for whatever reason. They keep asking me to get the same tests done that where already completed and came back negative in the past for the same issue. I brought my dog for an ear infection and they sent me home with $200 worth of additional products and had me make a follow up "check up" for 2 weeks to see if the infection was cured and acted like it was because the Dr. was actually concerned and wanted to know if they prescribed the right treatment. Well the treatment did not fully work so they sent me home with another $100 worth of treatments and charged me $70 for the visit! They tried to get me to make another "Follow up" in a week! I said forget and am seriously considering going through the effort of switching Vets. Oh, I am also a Nurse at Palmetto Health, who receives a 10% discount on all services. They knew that and I realized they have not been providing me with the discount.. . . . . . The Techs are good people though.. . . . .The owners are extremely Penny rich and Pound Foolish
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Karen Mcclendon
I took my dog there for 3-4 years and never was content on how they spoke with me or treated my dog. The techs were always friendly but the veterinarians made me feel like a case number. They were quick with their assessments and half of it was "done" in the back. Every time they took my dog back there I could hear her yelping and they would muzzle her to clip nails. She came back to me as if she had been in a tussle. They would not let me stay with her even after me saying she would do better if I did. They made me feel like a so-so dog owner. Mostly due to how they spoke to me about her. Also, they never found what was causing her chronic skin issues; They said it was fleas, not so. I figured it out after researching myself (needed salmon based food!) This was never recommended nor did they ever ask what she was eating in regards to this issue. In summary, I was a frustrated dog owner that needed guidance and didnt feel like I nor my dog matter enough to them to research and try things from least invasive to most invasive. I have moved to another animal hospital and after one visit I felt hopeful and EVERTHING was done in front of me without a muzzle! I never write reviews but felt this needed to be known.
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Ethan Fogus
Dr. Draper and the staff at Elam Animal Clinic are consummate professionals. We’ve been taking our pup there for the last three years and have no complaints. I feel a high level of customer satisfaction at every visit. The staff can field a wide variety of questions and has a diverse knowledge that provides helpful and concrete answers to my questions about my dog’s health and well being. With every visit I’m impressed with Elam Animal Clinic. Even when they fail to live up to expectations—one time we brought our dog for a grooming and when we came back it hadn’t been groomed. I informed the business manager and she not only gave us a full refund, but made sure that we had a new grooming done for free. Awesome service. Your pet is an important member of your family and you can trust Elam Animal Hospital with it. -Ethan and Lucy--woof woof.
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Kinsey Cameron
DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS HERE! I recently brought my cat in for a routine check-up as well as a concern about a small spot on his skin. During this visit I was asked to spend close to $300 dollars, which is absolutely ridiculous. After seeing this vet I was told that my cat needed to receive a steroid shot, which I agreed to, but I have since found out that this shot is not recommended for cats. I have sought out other vets since this day and found that this steroid shot is likely to cause diabetes in cats, hence the fact that its not recommend. I am now seeking help from a different vet in the area because I will never take my cat back to this place. I am not one to write reviews, but I feel as though no person or animal should have to go through what we have gone through. Protect your pets and dont send them here!!!!!
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Brittney B.
They saved my Pomeranian life! I had been taken Chloe ( My Pomeranian) to Bayfield for two years and they had been giving her a clean bill of health at every visit despite the concerns I had about her health. A friend of mine recommended I try Elam after Bayfield sent Chloe home saying she was fine even though she was having seizure like symptoms. After one check up the doctor found three infected teeth that needed to be removed and two hernias serious enough to need surgery. Chloes seizures symptoms were actually her reaction to all the pain she was in. They are some of the best vets I have ever met. They are through, explain everything, try not to break your pockets and most importantly you can tell they love animals. I highly recommend especially if you have a small breed dog.