Des Moines Veterinary Hospital

Reviews 7

AU

Aubrey Lange

Doctor Jim Onorati of the Des Moines Veternarian Hospital has been so outstanding that I cant imagine taking my rabbits anywhere else. When my pets needed a spay and neuter, I ran through the rabbit-vet questionnaire with him, and he passed with flying colors. Hes been doing spays/neuters for years and never lost a rabbit, he stressed the importance of giving them regular meals before and after surgery, and uses only isoflurane as an anesthetic. Most of all, he really impressed me with his post-surgery care. Its customary for the hospital to keep rabbits overnight after surgery, so they can carefully monitor their eating and pooping to ensure GI stasis does not occur. And, if your rabbit is not quite up to 100%, they will keep them extra nights at no extra charge, until they are sure that the rabbit is not at risk for any GI issues. Even though they are not open for appointments in the evenings, they keep a night staff to care for the animals all night long. And finally, Doctor Onorati is all around a very compassionate, patient vet who is attentive to the needs of the animal and the concerns of his human clients. He was always more than willing to answer any questions I had, and he loves my bunnies! I will say that some of their receptionist staff are not very knowledgable about rabbits, but thats okay because they not the one doing the exams. Just direct all your questions to Doctor Onorati, and youll be in good hands.

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A Private User

Im not happy. Probably because my best friend, Sam, is dead. I took my cat here because he was in obvious distress. It was late in the afternoon and they were closing soon. The vet recommended that I leave Sam there for the night. She said, "You dont want him messing up on your carpet". Of course, that was not a concern of mine. By morning he was dead of diabetes - a treatable disease. I should have went with my better judgement and taken him home with me. At least he would have felt safe and secure. He probably went downhill as much to do with fright of a strange environment as the disease itself. I have a lot of guilt for leaving him there. As far as I can tell they did nothing for him at all while they had him. I checked around on the internet. From what I learned, I would have been as likely to diagnose the diabetes as the vet. And, I might have gotten him treated for it sooner - probably just wishful thinking. Ill never take another pet to the vet before doing some research myself. This is the second time that Ive taken a beloved friend to a vet only to have him die shortly afterward. They did send me a nice condolence letter. I suppose that an outrageous bill will be soon to follow. Tim

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Kellie Desmarais

I just want to say the Dr. James onorati is one of the best vets I have ever taken my pet too. He is a DVM and specializes in exotic pets mostly birds I believe as he is an avian Doctor. They are hard to come by especially in the Pacific Northwest region. I took my Quaker parrot whom Ive had for 16 years here today. She had had a seizure and was flying all over the place and acting scared. He advised me after I brought her in that her mass lump on her chest was more than likely fatty liver deposits Which isnt the worst thing in the world. My little birdy needed a diet change and blood work which Im waiting on til Thursday. Knowledgable doctors and staff. Nice receptionists. Right off pacific highway close to all freeways Comfortable waiting room Accepts cash checks cards debit and credit They also sell medicine right there for dogs cats and birds. Exam fee 41$ everything altogether for my bird was 170$ so it didnt break the bank. Reasonable cost for a beloved pet. I will be back for sure with other pets

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GbrentF

We had the worst experience of our lives here. They killed our perfectly healthy, 21-month-old chow and gave no explanation as to what happened. He was not getting surgery, only having his ears checked and x-rays. We never signed an authorization for anesthesia. They never called to say anything was wrong. We thought we were picking him up and when we got there, he was comatose. There was absolutely no communication from Dr. Onorati at all, to let us know what was going on. They manhandled him and forced him. They also gave him an anesthetic before getting the blood work back. We will not be celebrating the holidays due to the severe negligence and incompetence of this vet. Instead of taking our boy hiking and pampering him every day, we are going to a pet loss support group every week. Our hearts are crushed and we miss our baby beyond words. We will never forgive ourselves for taking him here. Want to let others know so they dont have the same nightmare experience we did.

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Jenny Shaw

I am a HUGE fan of both Dr. Onorati and Dr. Conger. They recently renovated their office and it is much larger and nicer. They are awesome about fitting your fur-friend in at the last minute if you have an emergency. You might have to wait a bit in the office to get examined, but theyll get you in. The prices are very reasonable. My Cavalier had to have surgery on his kneecaps. The surgical vet told me both hind legs needed to be done at a cost of $2500 per leg. Dr. Onorati examined my dog and said only one knee needed to be done and it would cost $800. They dont push unnecessary tests or procedures and if you have an elderly sick pet, they work with you to determine the best, most comfortable course of action for your pet, not whatever is the most expensive way to extend their life. I cant recommend Dr. Onorati and Dr. Conger highly enough. They are fantastic!

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A Private User

I take all my parrots to Dr. Onorati. He is extremely caring, I always feel my pets are getting the best care possible from someone who genuinely loves animals. His staff is also courteous and knowledgeable. I did see someone mention that Dr. Onoratis the only avian vet in King County, there is one other vet, Dr. Tracy Bennett in North Seattle. She is also wonderful and extremely knowledgable on avian issues, shes just too far away for me (I live in Tacoma). I would have given five stars, the only reason I gave four is that the parking at the vet clinic is small and its hard to find a place to park. The waiting room is also very tiny and always packed. But these small annoyances do not keep me away since the quality of care is so good.

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Patricia Murray

My sister and her family just moved here six months ago. They were excited to have a vet so close by. We came in on a Saturday morning as an emergency. They turned us away. I never have heard of a vet, when you have a true emergency, turning a patient away. Let alone one that is called a hospital. They have three dogs. Theyve lost some business from us. We had to go to another animal hospital 6 miles away. As an FYI, this dog was diagnosed with a back issue. But this hospital didnt even ask what the problem was, even when I said we were here as an emergency. Its extremely disappointing and scary for the client when you need help asap!

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