Olympia Veterinary Cancer Center

Reviews 6

RE

Rebecca Johnson

It’s very unfortunate that Dr. Parshley is the only vet oncologist in Olympia – our experience with her was abysmal. It is definitely worth the time to travel to Tacoma or Seattle for additional opinions and treatment plans. Our primary vet referred us to Dr. Parshley after diagnosing our French bulldog, Mango, with an aggressive cancerous tumour. And our initial meeting with her was good – she seemed attentive, thoughtful and took the time to explain what we might expect in the coming months. She gave us some verbal thoughts on potential treatment plans and assured my husband and I that she would send us a written treatment plan within 48 hours. We were very worried about our dog and wanted to act as quickly as possible to get her the treatment she needed. After nearly two weeks of emails and phone calls to get the promised plan from Dr. Parshley (during which time, we put ourselves in the queue to see other vets), she let us know that she thought our dog would need much more extensive imaging, chemotherapy and surgery - which her surgery partner was the only person in the state qualified to perform. In fact, she didn’t seem to remember details of her original examination, forgot that she’d reviewed extensive imaging and seemed confused when we read back to her notes taken during the original meeting. After getting this preliminary report, we consulted two other vets, who strongly encouraged us to get more opinions based both on her recommended treatment and Dr. Parshley’s reputation within the veterinary community. We ended up taking Mango to a different oncologist and surgeon who were straightforward and honest with us – while surgery might make us feel better, it would be nearly impossible to remove 100% of the tumor and it would keep growing. Likewise with chemotherapy, the discomfort of the treatment needed to be weighed against the very short time it was likely to prolong Mango’s life. We ended up making the difficult decision to not treat her cancer aggressively and instead make her life as comfortable and stress free as possible. That was 8 months ago and I am happy to report that Mango is doing well! We talked with a number of our friends who have encountered Dr. Parshley over the last several years. And to a person, their experience matched ours – she was disorganized, not straightforward and overall seemed more interested in recommending the most expensive possible treatment rather than helping people weigh a number of different factors in making important decisions about important animal members of their family. We’ve asked our vet to stop referring patients to Dr. Parshley and highly recommend seeking a second or third opinion from other veterinary experts.

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LS

Ls Lee

The veterinarians and staff are caring professionals. Dr. Parshley went to one of the best vet schools in the country, the same as our vet in Hawaii. It was reassuring to us to see that, and the vet care that she and her staff provide has reassured us even more. They obviously love animals here, and the focus is on the quality of life for the pet. I dont like the long waits when I have a specific appointment time, but I overlook it because I understand that the vets time was needed by another pet and family. I understand the attire (cited by another reviewer) because I know that pets --and maybe their owners!-- sometimes get extremely stressed and terrified as soon as they see a vet in scrubs or long white coat. I also know that working with very sick or injured animals is going to mean a lot of pee, puke, and poop; the clothing you wear in the morning may not last through the day. Its just not a priority for me personally, Id rather my dogs vet be able to treat her cancer. There is street parking (free after 5pm) and a few spaces behind the building. The facilities are clean and modern, but it feels warm and comforting. The consultation rooms are thoughtfully designed, well-suited for families getting difficult news and complicated information. I appreciated that the vet and professional staff take complex diagnosis and treatment information and break it down to options and key decision points. They understand that expense is an issue, and provide info when cheaper sources are available for the cancer med refills. Bottom line is that our dogs care has been excellent, and she loves it here.

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CA

Caring Bear

I dont even have enough words for how amazing Dr Lisa Parshley and staff are! They took such care of our sweet boy, Lucky. They tried so hard to help him in any way they could. He unfortunately, wasnt able to keep up the fight. They made him as comfortable as possible.They let us have as much time with him as we needed and we were able to hold him and tell him how much we loved him and what a good boy he was as he slowly went to doggy heaven. During all this, I could see the empathy and compassion in Dr Lisa Parshley eyes and actions she showed towards Lucky and my Family. We also received a surprise in the mail from the Doctor and staff. It was a stone engraved with Luckys name on it. How incredibly thoughtful. I am having a hard time not tearing up while writing this. I am just blown away by the over all love, kindness and compassion Dr. Lisa Parshley and staff showed us. I will always be forever grateful that Lucky was able to leave in such a wonderful environment.

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JR

Jr M

I see a lot of bad reviews regarding reception staff, and I agree. Yes, she is nice. But, no she can not function at a basic level needed to perform the job title. Having a nice smile does not translate a competent worker. I can say this because Ive been here when other girls are doing her job with little issues, especially on Fridays when its most busy. Yes, come here for the doctors and treatment staff. They are all caring people, legitimately. But, set your expectations low for Cherokee. I will explain: As others have said, she is not up front all the time during rush areas. And when she is, she is stoicly silent or on her cell phone. This is NOT fabricated. She dresses unprofessional. Its really laughable. She has screwed up basic financial transactions by hundreds of dollars, I have been witness to this. Clearly they have high standards for treatment staff (wonderful!), and low standards for the receptionist. Oh well. Cant win them all.

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SU

SusanJohnson Ovc

Dr. Autumn Dutelle the new oncology vet is amazing. She is compassionate and professional. My vet had wanted to do surgery immediately. I almost went that route but decided to get OVCCs opinion. Dr. Dutelle found through her examination that Chloes cancer had spread to her lymph node. We opted for chemo which shrunk the tumor and her lymph node but unfortunately did not stabilize it. Surgery was required and they were fortunate enough to get clear margins. This tumor was classified as a grade 3. The worst it can be. If we had not done chemo before surgery the outcome may not have been as good. We are hopeful our dear goldendoodle Chloe will have a long life ahead of her as she is only 5. Highly recommend Dr. Dutelle.

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LI

Lisa B

I have to say the treatment staff is so wonderful and caring. Ive never had any issues getting in, even for an emergency the same day. I will say that getting past the reception desk is sometimes difficult. Cheroke is not helpful, and sometimes (most of the time) absent minded. If I call and she answers, I will ask to speak to just about anyone else(and I recommend you all do the same). I do not trust her to relay my messages, and this has been proven in the past. Matt is wonderful and caring technician! And Ive actually been able to meet both doctors, both of whom are fantastic individuals. I sure miss that blonde receptionist that uses to work there. Ill update to 5 stars once the front desk girl gets her act together.

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