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| - First off, the campus and facility is beautiful. Gorgeous. Spotless. The front desk staff are exceedingly friendly and welcoming. There are dog biscuits and snacks for the pet-parents at the front counter. There is well-kept grass out front, and you can see caretakers coming out with dogs to let them relieve themselves and sniff around. You will be impressed and amazed when you first walk in.
However, the service leaves a lot to be desired. First of all, it's EXPENSIVE. We took our newly adopted dog in for an annual check up. Since she's new to the family and we wanted to catch any existing conditions, we decided to opt in for the wellness exam. Including a six-month heartworm medication, we spent just a little under $500.
It turns out that our dog has valley fever. We scheduled an appointment three months later for a basic vaccination and another cocci exam. For just those two things, we earned a bill of just over $300.
What really upsets me, however, is the apathetic attitude that we got from our vet. During our first appointment, she gave us a six-month supply of Heartgard for about $50. We did some research and discovered that Heartgard has several generic versions that are much cheaper on 1-800-Petmeds. When we returned for the second appointment, instead of purchasing Heartgard from the vet, we asked for a prescription so we could save some money on our dog's heartworm medication. Not only did the vet offer to match 1-800-Petmeds' price for Heartgard to get us to buy through them, but she also refused to give us the prescription for a reputable generic version. If she's willing to match (~$40 in savings per year), then why did she only tell us this after we requested a perscription for the generic brand? I understand that this is a business, but I feel very price-gouged. This is not the type of service I expect from a concerned and compassionate vet.
We took our dog to another vet for her next cocci exam -- we figured that any other clinic would be less expensive, and we would likely receive better service. The difference was night and day. Not only were the prices far more reasonable, but our new vet showed us that he genuinely cares about the well-being of our dog -- he took the time to answer questions and address our concerns. We had always felt rushed at the Animal Medical and Surgical Center, like the vet just wanted to get in and get out, that we were just a number to be fulfilled. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if maybe they just booked appointments back to back for her, so it may not be her fault entirely. Either way, we felt that at this new vet, the service we received was far more personal and engaging. This new vet was also able to make a recommendation for our dog's heartworm medication, and explain the differences in brands and prices. We ended up purchasing a year's supply from him for $55 (Remember, we paid almost that much for only six months with Animal Medical and Surgical Center).
The value for the price is just not there. If we spend $300+ per visit, I expect SUPERB service, and that's just not what I received. I spent half that price at our second vet, and I thought the service was far better. Don't be fooled by the beautiful aesthetics and presentation because that excellence may not be what you receive in service -- at the very least, that was my experience. Just because something is more expensive does not necessarily mean it is better.
Bottom line: All those pretty things I mentioned in the first paragraph result in a ton of overhead costs, and who's paying for that? You. And for me, personally, the complimentary orange juice and copper statues of dogs simply aren't worth twice what I would pay at other vets, especially for similar (or in my case, inferior) services.
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