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| - My first visit was today. I took in two 10 year old cats, one with breathing issues and the other with diabetes/FIV. My longtime vet retired and I have been trying to find the "right" replacement for a while. I have 7 cats... finding the right vet is critical to me!
I called on Thursday to get an appointment, and was able to get one two days later, on Saturday. Five stars!
I was greeted by two receptionists who were happy, prompt and friendly. They clearly loved animals, and their jobs. The paperwork to complete was very brief. Five stars!
I went on a Saturday mid-morning. The waiting area was small but clean. While there was a wait before I was put in a room, it was not too long. Five stars!
After getting into a room, I saw two vet techs almost immediately. I believe one was newer as the other occasionally provided tips to her. They both handled my two cats gently, talking to them and me. They took temperatures with an ear thermometer. This is a huge bonus if your pets are anything like mine and think their gibbly bits are sacrosanct. Five stars!
Next I met Dr. Elizabeth Marsh. Her father is the other vet here, I learned, and when they are gone, they usually have the same stand-in vet for consistency. I like consistency. Upon seeing me, she had already read my cats' vet records. We discussed the histories and present issues for both cats at length. I will detail the more complex cat, the diabetic, below.
I explained that one cat (breathing issues) was a longtime pet, while the other was a feral I had trapped after his eyelid was ripped open in a fight. I intended to get him patched up and release him when healed. After a series of expensive events, I discovered most teeth were missing or had to be pulled, he has FIV, he is over 10 years old and in poor shape, he had a growth on his nads, and he is diabetic. I didn't have the heart to put this poor old cat back out, so I dealt with it all then bought insulin, syringes, a meter, test strips, alcohol... Began medicating him. Then he went hypo and had to go to emergency. After a while he stopped being a nasty feral and became a docile, sweet cat. Managing his diabetes early on was the cause of much stress, but I've since researched it extensively. As a result, we have slowly adjusted diet, testing and insulin and we have a routine.
He is hard to regulate, finicky about eating, immunocompromised... a challenge. His prior vet made me feel uncomfortable in electing to treat a second hypo at home instead of hospitalization, referred me to a specialist early, and made me feel a bit bad for not taking him to the specialist. I spend a lot on my pets and the strays, but this is already a few thousand dollar hot old mess of a street cat and I will be managing him myself, mostly at home.
Dr. Marsh was the opposite. My initial impression of her was, wow, she is really young, I wonder how experienced she is... I was again pleasantly surprised. Her manner with both cats was excellent. She was supportive of my home management and testing, then provided tips/advice. She didn't make me feel bad for not wanting to see a specialist or treat me like I would be incapable; she was 110% willing to try to manage this with me. She was articulate, honest, kind, knowledgeable, realistic and very familiar with diabetes. Actually, she seemed more knowledgeable about diabetes than the other three vets my cat has seen. She made excellent recommendations, some I expected and a few I hadn't thought of. She let me interrogate her (I've researched this a lot and had many questions), without acting inconvenienced. Everything she explained made perfect sense. She asked many questions and spent A LOT of time learning about me and both cats during this initial visit - seriously, not the usual 5 to 15 minutes if you're lucky. I was beyond impressed. Five times five stars!
Checkout was quick. The meds, new foods to try, and a probiotic were neatly stacked and waiting for me when I went to pay. The price was very reasonable... Vets are not cheap but fees here were on the low end of what I've seen elsewhere. It was worth every penny, and then some. They take cash, check, credit card (but not CareCredit). The receptionists were again wonderful. Five stars!
I think I've finally found my new vet! Every aspect of my visit was excellent. I would strongly recommend AllPets and Dr. Elizabeth Marsh... I would recommend her even more strongly if you are seeking care for a diabetic pet. Feline diabetes is difficult to manage and necessitates partnership with a special vet who understands it thoroughly. This lovely vet is exactly what I have been looking for!
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