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| - First Regional would not be my first choice for emergency or regular animal care. They're not entirely horrible, but I've experienced so much better at other offices.
The front desk staff seem to hate their jobs while the vet techs and the vets are reasonably friendly. If you're in for an appointment, they tend to run considerably behind schedule. On the up side, they have a nice saltwater tank you can stare at during your long waits.
I was rather put off when I took an ill cat in for an appointment and the vet's first suggestion was to put her down. No bloodwork, no exam, just a few broad symptoms, and she's already hopping on the express train to Euthenasiatown. Her explanation was that it could end up being expensive to treat the cat. (It ended up under $200, and said kitty is now very happily living with me. OH GOD SO EXPENSIVE, WHY DID I LET YOU LIVE?) That one left me rather aghast.
And part of the treatment was a product their office just so happened to sell. Turned out I could have bought it at Petsmart for considerably less money.
It's also worth noting First Regional has a _very_ limited capacity for "exotics" (which is, in their definition, anything that's not a cat or dog). If you need emergency care in the East Valley, it's pretty much VCA ARECA or bust for animals like ferrets and birds. First Regional will not see ferrets at all, and other critters are a crapshoot.
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