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| - Note that my rating is based on them as a feline vet. I don't have dogs and can't rate them on that basis. They are obviously 99% a dog facility and it appears most people here have dogs and that the vet's people are primarily "dog" people.
Stress can add days to an ill animal's recovery and a lobby full of barking dogs is indeed stressful. Cats are sensitive animals, they are exceptionally attuned to their surroundings. When they are ill or injured, their sensitivities are doubled.
When entering a dog vet a cat must deal with the added stress of the potential threat of dogs just a mere feet away. Even dogs who have previously been in the waiting room leave a lingering scent which will stress a cat waiting to see the vet.
This is the fourth local vet I have tried in the past year. While I was researching the place there was something very unnerving gnawing at me about a relatively new vet and her two assistants being able to afford a multi-million dollar 10,000 square foot facility on two acres. The logistics just didn't add up.
Their web site is clearly dedicated almost 100% to dogs and I hesitated to even call them, but when I did they assured me they were proficient at treating cats. When we arrived the loud reception area was overrun by unleased dogs, large barking dogs humping each other. Not at all what an ailing kitty wants to see or hear. The staff seemed caring, toward the dogs, but offered no private area away from the snooping and barking dogs for a cat to wait for treatment. They actually seemed oblivious to the terror any pet, dog/cat/otherwise, would feel when callous owners let their dogs nose a cat's portable kennel like it was a dog dish. The acoustics in the lobby are atrocious, hard tile floors and hard walls magnify the dog barks to something painful to the human ear, let alone the sensitive ears of a cat.
Although we had an appointment, the vet was 30 minutes late (of course giving preference to a dog emergency) and when they finally took us in, the room was so desperately in need of even the minimum amount of sound conditioning it actually hurt my own ears to talk. Doesn't the owner realize that $50 in sound reduction treatment would give both pets and owners a tremendously better experience? And do they have to SLAM the door every time they enter or leave?
The technician was only quasi animal friendly. His actions seemed very robotic, like he was bored with the whole ritual of dealing with animals.
Dr. Robbins came in after the initial vitals were taken. She seems to be an animal lover but it came across immediately that dogs were her thing. She has a bad habit of talking before we had a chance to answer her. I got the impression that she was very rushed and eager to see her dog patients. During the meeting she ranged from caring to "this will cost you big bucks". It is so hard NOT to put two and two together and see how they can afford a multi-million dollar luxury facility, when most vets have a tiny 3 room office in a rented building.
Deer Creek could be a decent place, and I think if you are a dog owner it may suit your needs, but they have some serious work to do before they can call themselves an "animal hospital". Among those are:
1. Work on your sensitivity and understanding of a cat's needs
2. Put some money into acoustics, tenderness and love is a major need of an ailing pet
3. If you are a dog facility, state that clearly in your advertising, and recognize that even sick dogs don't appreciate 14 dogs barking in your ear while you are trying to get medical care.
4. You have a large staff. If YOU are going to be late for an appointment, get a staff member with your patient on time and escort them to a private area where the vitals can be taken ... don't just ignore them.
5. If you can't be all things to all pets, DON'T BE. There are plenty of vets who state clearly that they are cats only. If cats are a minor part of your business, just have the guts to say "we are dogs only"
The return visit wasn't as bad. We learned the trick of immediately taking the sensitive cat to a little play area off the lobby that is quieter than the front desk area. Unfortunately, while waiting for our meds to be mixed, there was a dog right outside the door that was howling as if in excruciating pain. No one seemed to pay attention. Not only did this scare the little ailing kitty but the sound of the dog in the completely non-soundproofed exam room was painful to my own ears.
Recommendation to Deer Creek Animal Hospital is first, make up your mind if you are a dog vet or an animal vet, and second, spend a few bucks on sound conditioning ... animals of every species will appreciate it and so will their humans. Note: they do NOT take CareCredit.
PS - While writing this review I found a site that help search for feline-only vets in your area. It is www.catvets.com.
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