VCA Murphy Road Animal Hospital

Reviews 4

A

A Private User

My dogs were clients of Murphy Road Animal Clinic for a couple of years when I rescued my cat. I found my cat outside of my office and he was obviously in very poor health. I thought he was so sick that I was taking him to be put down. While at Murphy Road, they determined that my cats leg was broken in four places and he had bites on him that had gotten infected and was causing him to be so sick. He had nothing terminally wrong with him. They told me that his leg needed to be amputated because of the infection. I asked how much that would cost and they said $1,200. I asked if we could try to treat the infection with antibiotics and possibly save his leg. I reminded them that this wasnt my cat, that I just found him about an hour before. So, they suggested I have him put down. I didnt really think having him put to sleep was an option since he wasnt terminally ill. I asked if they could give him antibiotics to try and treat the infection. They said we could try that and it would cost $200+ and we still might have to amputate his leg. I asked them if they could get him cleaned up and comfortable and said I would take him home and keep him overnight and talk to my husband about it. The next morning, I opted to take him to a different office, Richland Animal Clinic, to get a second opinion. The vet saw the cat and said we might not be able to save his leg, but first we would treat him with antibiotics. If the infection went away, we could put a cast on his leg and save his leg. I asked how much the antibiotics would cost and she said $20. I asked how much it would cost to amputate his leg in the event that we couldnt cure the infection. She said about $200. We were able to treat Leftys infection, he wore a cast for a while, the vet at Richland A saved his leg and he gets around just fine. Now that Ive been to other veterinary offices, I know that Murphy Road is expensive compared to other offices. It also seemed like they opted for the most expensive course of treatment rather than what was in the best interest of my pet.

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Maria Johnson

The vets here are great, at least my experience has been positive, with both my dogs. BUT ... they are so very overpriced. They seem to charge about three times as much as other vets, and lets face it, the service they give isnt all that different. Sometimes the vets also seem to underestimate how much something is going to cost, and I feel like Im constantly being pressured to bring my dogs in more often than necessary (post cards and emails arent enough - they also text me more often than Id like), and they must make a fair amount by upselling their clients. It just gets old after a while. When telling me that my dog needs a behaviorist (yes, thats the same thing as a pet psychiatrist), I was told it would be $300.00. Thats AFTER they had me pay over $300 in blood tests, to which they wanted to add another $200 test. Oh, wait - that $300 for the behaviorist? No, it was really going to be $450, just for the first consult. Really, all I wanted was to find some medication for my over-anxious older dog. She was born with a strong prey instinct, its part of her breed, and we know we have to manage that. But no, no medication UNLESS I pay a minimum of $750, and THEN we can maybe talk about that. So frustrating - Ive talked with my dogs boarder and trainer, and I feel like I understand the problem because shes my pet and has lived with us for over a decade. I guess I feel a bit used at this point, but Im just going to cut my losses and move on to another vet that wont try to milk us dry. Bottom line, great vet care, but not a very affordable price. If you think your pet is so super special that they need to be in the care of one of the priciest vet practices in town, then youve found the place to fulfill your needs. But if you love your pets but also have to pay your rent or mortgage, find someone else.

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TO

Toria B

We moved from a veterinary hospital close to our house because the doctor and staff, while technically competent, were not friendly and caring toward our pet, who we eventually lost late last year. We adopted a kitten from Nashville Cat Rescue who had been left in a dumpster and received a recommendation to Murphy Road. We had him and our other adopted kitten examined and taken care of for their first routine visit a couple months ago. Everyone from the reception to the technicians and doctors were all great! Really worth the extra few minutes drive for us. When we ended up with these four newborn kittens last week, we had no idea what to do and receiving a variety of recommendations from a lot of folks (some suggestions were ridiculous). We knew the babies, separated from their mother, would die within hours and finally decided to just go to our new vet. We literally walked in the door with a box of kittens. Instead of being met with a group of people protecting their own interests and telling us they could not help - we had immediate assistance from caring professionals. We were given several syringes, milk and even a crate that had been donated. A technician took time to tell us how to feed the kittens and gave us what we needed. Other agencies and people eventually came to our assistance and a special lady took responsibility for bottle-feeding the babies. One of them is still alive today. We value the attitude of the staff at Murphy Road, both for the way they have treated our pets and for the way they helped us when we walked in the door unannounced with a box of kittens. It really shows the true nature of a group and we look forward to staying with them and recommending them to our friends.

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SH

Sharon Capehart

Murphy Roads Dr. Bear completely resolved an ear mite/infection issue that had plagued my pup on and off and which other vets could not seem to eradicate for a fee of $306. However, she seemed completely insensitive to the fear my pup feels and displays at physical nearness of strangers. My dog has clearly been abused in the past and is terrified of strangers, although my presence provides her some comfort. Although Dr. Bear herself stated that she felt Glory acted fearful like a lab test animal, she was still aggressive and seemed impatient with her, at one point grabbing her face and putting it close to hers and saying "Glory youre not going to win." I remember thinking that my dog who hasnt bitten anyone might actually bite her, having been left no other recourse. Im not sure, but I think had that happened Glory would have indeed won. Fortunately there was no biting, but I felt so sad for my poor, sweet dog who needed soothing words and slow, tender movement to be her best. The vet tech (young, black, medium height with a pretty name that I cant remember) seemed very intuitive to my unspoken concerns and was extra sensitive to me and Glory. She was great. Also, she front desk staff has over several occasions been attentive, friendly, and helpful. However, they are very busy and I too have witnessed and been a part of records getting lost or mixed in with other records, so be aware this may happen. Ill continue to participate with Murphy Road, however, I dont wish for my "special needs" pup to see Dr. Bear again. If your pet is the happy-go-lucky type, she seems to have plenty of medical knowledge to offer.

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