Brookfield Veterinary Hospital

Reviews 3

RE

REDDIRTGIRL 68

Wow - I am beyond amazed at my experience with this clinic. I was looking for a second opinion on a thyroid issue with my dog and possibly a new vet and called and went in for an appointment. I am not one to spare any expense with my dog but I do recognize frivolous charges as well. The doctor did blood tests to check his thyroid and then proceeded to try to sell me a set of shampoos from France...? My dog has no issue with his skin/fur. To talk about thyroid for 3 minutes and shampoo from France for 10 minutes...I dont understand. With the appointment and blood tests, it was over $200. They also gave me medication for his thyroid. A week later, my dog was drinking an excessive amount of water, having to go outside and pee several times a night, threw up, was extremely hot and panting and this was only after starting the medication from Brookfield. I googled these symptoms and they were all symptoms of too much thyroid medication. I called in and told the front desk that I would like to see a different vet at the clinic - I wasnt appreciative of the shampoo upsell from the first vet I saw and just needed someone to take care of my dogs thyroid issue. I called yesterday morning at 7am to try to get in, they said they were full. I asked if they could get him in on Saturday, they said they were full. So, I brought my dog in for an appointment, blood tests - an upcharge for a urine analysis kit that was not done (even though I paid for this it was not done, I was sent home with a kit to do it myself), and medicine that made him sick and they wont take care of him? They told me yesterday to bring him to the ER?? He was in no way in an ER state, I told them that the dosage of the medication does not seem right and he was not having these symptoms until he started the medicine they gave him. I also told them that I spent all the original money with them and to have to now go to the ER is really not fair since he is not in an emergency state. So, in the best interest of my dog, I took him to the ER. They had to do this all over again, not knowing his history, they advised xrays, blood work and urinalysis, to which I agreed. It was $800. If Brookfield cared about their patients, I could have saved a lot of money by seeing my dog since they had his history and just readjusted his medication. This was their fault and now they wont treat him....? To my absolute disbelief, after several days of mail on my counter, I finally went through it. There was a letter from the owner of the clinic, Howard Robinson, stating that I obviously didnt trust them as a vet and they can no longer see my dog. I wouldnt buy the shampoo and requested another vet at the clinic and they wont see him? I didnt appreciate the vets lack of attention to why I brought him in and the infomercial on shampoo from France - I have every right as a client to request a different vet. Also, the vet told me that I can come in any time and get his medicine, I go in and they tell me they need 24 hours. So, I saw them one time - I guess my spending several hundred dollars in the clinic is an interview for them to see if I will accept bogus upsell charges. Id say that it is. And actually the owner is right, I dont trust them - after my experience, no reasonable person would.

CH

CHRIS STRASSNER

We have been taking our dogs to Brookfield for the past 10 years. After moving to WA we had tried a couple of different veterinarians on the East Side, but never picked up the "this is the vet for us" vibe. We went to Brookfield and after a few visits we decided this was the one. Since there is so much to talk about and I dont want to put any readers to sleep by writing a novel, I will cover some points briefly. Staff: Doctors: Drs. Howard and Marie have a great facility. We primarily see Dr. Marie as she has known our dogs since they were puppies. We have seen other doctors at the practice and have always been very satisfied with the outcome of the visit and subsequent treatment if needed. Nurses and Reception: Top notch! You and your pet are greeted upon entry, weight check, then escorted to the exam room by the reception staff. Upon checkout the pet insurance claim forms are available for signature and the receipt is able to be sent electronically -- very convenient. Very easy to schedule appointments and the reminder calls and follow up e-mails demonstrates great customer service. Once in the exam room, the nurse comes in greeting you again and making it a point to greet and pet the dog(s). Very professional, answer any questions you may have which they can answer, otherwise make notes to ask the doctor. Hospital: I have noticed great strides in the ability of Brookfield to become an even better hospital once they moved from the old location near the area of Redmond Way and Leary Way (you long time clients know the little plaza with the small space they had) to the new stand alone facility still on Redmond Way. It seems they are able to fulfill the vision they intended for the business. Our Vet: I think our loyalty to Brookfield was solidified when our oldest dog (since passed) was diagnosed with cancer and amputation of one of the front legs was required to provide any quality of life. Dr. Howard was going to perform the surgery and after an initial consult with us and facing multiple rounds of follow up questions, we went ahead with it. The care while he was at the hospital and follow up phone calls and visits were excellent. I still remember after we placed him in the back of the car for the ride home, Dr. Marie came out to give him acupuncture to make him comfortable for the ride home and alleviate the anxiety caused by the anesthesia and procedure itself. Cost: Briefly, as I have seen in other posts concerning costs. I have conducted researched and spoken with the doctors and it comes down to the cost of doing business. The cost of office visits and tests are comparable with other veterinarians. Yes, at times the visit can be expensive, but you will find that where ever you go. I find the staff at Brookfield are very thorough and suggest tests that can be conducted, that does not mean you have to conduct every one. Since your pet cannot tell you or the doctor what they are feeling, it is at times to err on the side of caution. It is up to you to say Yes or No. Check into Pet Insurance, it can make financial sense depending on your situation. Hope any readers found this review helpful.

LA

Laura Brodniak

Another great trip to Brookfield Veterinary Hospital -- one of many over the years. It might seem funny to comment that I had a great time at a vet clinic, especially when my cat was returning for a post-surgery appointment, but that was the case today! My pets have been seen by Dr. Howard and Dr. Marie since way before they even had their own clinic. Previously they worked for someone else (less than a mile from my Kirkland home), but I was so impressed with their care that I followed them to their first location in Redmond and their next (current) location there too. I probably drive by ... 25? ... vet clinics on my way, so clearly I have other, more convenient options. And I think I have probably been their client for 25+ years. So do I think they are great? You bet I do! I have found each time I have been to the clinic that I am offered options and choices for my pets care and diagnostic work. Are some of these options pricey? Yes - because good care (whether for people or animals) is expensive. If your only barometer for how positive your experience was is how little you paid for it, you should find the K-Mart of vet clinics to go to, because nothing else is going to make you happy. Personally, I appreciate being given choices. My family can then make the decision to have work and test done, or not, depending on our priorities. For the people who think that vets make too much money, charge too much, are just in it for the $, etc., and that they dont have a deep level of compassion about your pets, let me tell you two stories, one about Dr. Howard and the other about Dr. Marie. Back when Dr. Howard was at the "other" vet clinic he operated on my Shetland Sheepdog to remove some fatty tumors. First surgery ... great. A few years later, the tumors were back and we took him in for surgery again. This time, we werent so lucky. Dr. Howard called me in the middle of surgery and said Cinder couldnt be saved. I rushed to the clinic, where Dr. Howard was keeping Cinder under anesthesia so I could say goodbye. I will never, and I mean NEVER, forget the tears running down his face as he stood there with me. Dr. Marie is equally lovely and kind. I have had many cats over the years, and we have been lucky enough to have Dr. Marie euthanize them at home for us. She is firm and kind as she helps them on, but she has tears in her eyes right along with us. I know this has been an incredibly long post, but I felt it was important to share my thoughts. If you are anywhere on the eastside (or hey - even in Seattle), I encourage you to consider Brookfield Veterinary Clinic for your pets care!