This 5-star review is very VERY hard to earn when it comes to my cats. In my 18 years as a cat owner I have never been pleased with my veterinarian until I came here to Gilbert Veterinary Hospital.
My primary vet is Dr. Foster and I cannot say enough amazing things about this woman. She is one of the most caring individuals I have ever met and she goes above and beyond what is typically required. My three kitties have been seeing her for about four years now and as I get ready to move I can honestly say that leaving Dr. Foster will be one of the hardest things about leaving Arizona.
Two years ago Dr. Foster diagnosed my (then 16 yr old kitty) with intestinal lymphoma. I was floored and so scared about the possibility of losing my first ever pet and childhood best friend. Dr. Foster's concern was unparallelled and her efforts in providing me with all the information and help I needed to make decisions was the only good thing about this time. I had paid for expensive testing (ultrasound and aspiration biopsy at a place they recommended) to uncover the reason for her weight loss, so I could not afford the pricey consultation with a veterinary oncologist. Dr. Foster wanted to ensure she was giving me the best recommendations despite her limited knowledge in feline oncology so without me asking, she called one of her oncology friends and read the lab report to her by phone! She also read up on multiple chemotherapy options before giving me my options. We chose a high dose Prednisolone hoping it would give her a little more time and make her more comfortable, well two years later she is still comfortable and enjoying her life.
Now I want to make it clear that even if my little one had only made it to Dr. Foster's 2-6 month prognosis I would give the same rating on her Veterinary care. It is not within her power whether the cancer progresses slowly or quickly, that was just our luck and the will of a higher power. But Dr. Foster's efforts, her kindness, and how she goes above and beyond for her patients and their owners is what is important here.
Some additional examples of why i LOVE this place:
- Dr. Foster is very honest, she will tell me when she thinks I should spend money on testing/ vaccines and when it isn't necessary or when it wont make a big difference in my pet's health. She get's that I want the best possible care for my pet but that I'm also on a student budget and my resources are not unlimited
- Phone calls! She will return any phone call! I've had her call me back at 7pm because she hadn't left the office yet until she was done returning all phone calls. She will give me advice over the phone and doesn't just "insist" on seeing my cats for every little thing. Also- she calls on her own every couple months to check on my kitty with cancer and inquire about her symptoms and health =)
-Dr. Foster also does animal community service and even travels to Africa to spay and neuter!
- I have also seen Dr. Dudley on a couple of occasions and she is awesome as well. She was very attentive to my pets and treated one of my other kitties that is insanely aggressive at the vet. Dr. Dudley was not at ALL intimidated and got the exam done despite my cat's attempt to destroy all of us for bringing her there haha.
-Staff at the front and vet assistants have ALWAYS been top notch.
-Price- yes a little pricey here, but i think its fair. Honestly I wouldn't go anywhere else even for cheaper rates. Some things are just worth paying for.
I highly recommend giving this place a try. I have recommended it to several of my friends. One friend's kitty had fatty liver disease and had a very poor prognosis upon visiting Dr. Foster and the surgery saved her life. My other friend brings his two cats here and loves the basic care he's received.