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| - We've been taking our dog here for a few years. Thankfully, we've only ever had to come here for routine visits and a couple of non-serious issues (knock on wood), so I can't really comment on their skill at diagnosing or treating complicated diseases. But for routine care, they've been adequate. Our dog has seen both Dr. Cangin and Dr. Fisher. I think both have a great bedside manner and are really good at explaining dog health issues to ensure that you have all of the relevant information. Also, their main receptionist Pat is one of the warmest and kindest people you will ever meet. She is such an asset to their veterinary practice. Unfortunately, the few other younger ladies who also work the front desk aren't so pleasant. So keep your fingers crossed that Pat answers the phone when you call!
The main reason I'm only giving them 3 stars is because they are very expensive. I know that they're in Shadyside and they have a "green" building and that all of that stuff equates to higher prices. But I'm just not sure that they are necessarily worth the extra money. I also don't like the fact that every year during our routine annual visit, they usually give me the hard sell for doing a Lyme's test for my dog, even though we live in a non-wooded area and he's on flea and tick meds year-round. Maybe it *is* technically best practice (even if he's very low risk), but they sort of make me feel like a terrible dog mom if I say no, so I usually agree to it (and of course he never ends up having it). I don't like that kind of pressure.
Also, I recently took my dog in because he was having back issues. We saw Dr. Cangin, and she couldn't really tell me for sure what was wrong with him during that visit, so she had me book another visit with Dr. Fisher, who is better at musculo-skeletal things. It was kind of annoying to have to come in (and pay) twice for the same issue, and I never really got a definitive answer from either doctor. As it turns out, I ended up later figuring out the issue on my own (it was his skin causing the pain -- sensitivity to his flea meds -- not a muscular issue, which was the doctors' guess).
Overall, they get the job done (at least for routine or minor care), but just know that you'll probably end up paying more than you need to.
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