Royal Oak Animal Hospital

I've had nothing but great experiences from this veterinary clinic. Admittedly, I haven't been there in years. Only because I've moved about an hour away. I've come to appreciate them more due to recent events. I recently got a new puppy and have been trying hard to make a vet appointment locally. However, none of the places around me will even see the puppy (a Goldendoodle). They just keep telling me they're not taking new patients. It made me realize how good I had it at Royal Oak Animal Hospital.nnOne quick story I can share about them is this; I had a black lab and he was awesome. When he was about 5 years old he developed a severe ear infection. The vet I was seeing at the time said the dog's ear canals were too thin and that water was getting stuck in them causing the infection. He wanted to do a surgery costing thousands of dollars. This just didn't seem right to me because my dog was never in water. So I visited Royal Oak Animal Hospital for a 2nd opinion. They immediately diagnosed him with allergies and sent him in for testing. Sure enough, my buddy was allergic to a lot of foods. I was told I had to change his diet based on the test results. Once I changed his diet, the infection cleared right up and it never returned. I owe Royal Oak Animal Hospital a huge debt of gratitude. They saved me from subjecting my dog to a painful, costly, and unnecessary surgery. After15 years, when it was time to say goodbye to my friend, they were very kind and graceful throughout the heartbreaking event. For that, I am forever grateful. And if I keep having trouble finding a new vet locally, I might have to take my new puppy for the hour long drive back there. At least I know these folks care about me and my dog.

Great vets but you will go insane trying to call them. They seldom answer their telephone or return voicemail. I have called 5 times yesterday during their stated hours, no answer. Left message. It is now 43 minutes into the next day. No call. I know it is less than an hour but I have waited 2 or 3 days in the past. If I didn’t need prescription food, I wouldn’t deal with them. If I don’t get a call back today I’m switching vets. This is the 3rd or 4th time they dont answer and I need this food.

Dr Jan and the entire staff are amazing. The knowledge they bring to each situation and the dedication to the care of each animal is amazing. I found Dr Jan and the practice 5 years ago when I was losing my love Baxter to a serious neurological disorder, She was one of only vet that was able to diagnosis the issue and help get Baxter in to MI State. She helped me give him hospice care for the rest of his life and ensured we had a meaningful goodbye. The practice made a donation to MI State in his honor. I was so touched by her love and concern for all of us. We immediately switched all our animals to her care and have added our new family members as they have come into our lives. Last week Dr Jan was hard at work with the staff late at night on a Friday making sure our cat Sadie has his meds and our Corgi was sorted for allergies. The dedication is beyond words. Thank you all for what you do and have done.

If you’re reading these one star reviews and thinking, “These people are overreacting because they care about their pet.” Or “This is an anomaly in other wise great service”. That’s exactly what I thought.nnI could go into detail about their obvious focus of monetary incentives over actual medical needs or their complete lack of professionalism but you don’t want to read an essay.nnAll I will say is this: If you see your pet as a family member, do not go here. I’ve never written a google review in my whole life. After my experience today, there was no chance that I didn’t.

During visits, the vet did seem great with my dog. However, after finding him positive with parasites, a couple rounds of treatment were needed. After calling multiple times to get the second treatment, they said it was unnecessary. A couple months later, he still tested positive and at reception, they tried to tell me again a second round was unnecessary even as they handed me the medication that said on the packet that a second round was needed. My still growing puppy had roundworms for months unnecessarily.nSo veterinarian appts have been great but not much knowledge or organization on treatments needing follow up.