VCA Bloomington Animal Hospital

They treated Jamie Kate the way I want to be treated at the end, They .were dynamite! Caring, respectful and appropriate.

We had been going to VCA Bloomington Animal Hospital since 1996 when we moved here from Fort Dodge, IA.  Then it was called Bloomington Veterinary.  We went to the clinic through 3 dogs and 2 cats.  They used to have experienced Vets that stayed for years and you could go in a recognize front staff and the doctors.  Since they have been taken over by VCA they over the years have increasingly gone down hill.  All the old staff are gone.  It is more like a swinging door for young vets to come in and learn and then leave.  It seems no one stays long.
We have been thinking about changing vets for awhile because of this and the lack of caring or customer service there.  We gave them one last chance when our cat got sick and was loosing weight.  They ran blood work and a young vet who just started there called me on the phone and said our cat had Chronic Kidney failure and didn't know how long he had.  They talked us into 3 days of bringing him in and they kept him all day giving him fluids.  We changed food that was more healthy and nothing changed with his kidney numbers so we thought all was good.
A few weeks ago he stopped eating and was throwing him up so we took him to Apple Valley Emergency Room at the Animal Hospital.  They ran various test and couldn't find what was wrong but put him on meds to help with the nausea and not eating.  They suggested we have an x-ray and a ultrasound.  This was a Sunday.  On Monday  made an appointment with a new vet to get the tests.
Believe it not - the young vet from VCA Bloomington called because she got a copy of the paperwork.  I was surprised because she had told us she would call every couple months and check on our cat and never did.  But now she asked if we want to bring him in their for the tests.  I said he was doing fine just to get her off the phone.  I felt like she was only called to get us to come there for the tests and make money for VCA Bloomigton.
After the tests at the new clinic we were told that he didn't really have Chronic Kidney Failure.  His numbers were borderline but never changed.  It was more like pre-kidney failure.  But we did find out the weight loss was attributed to Cancer.  Lymphoma to be exact.  He is almost 15 so we are opting out of Chemo or surgery but are giving him meds to keep him comfortable for the next few months.
I don't know if it would have made any difference if we would have got the right diagnosis from the vet at VCA Bloomington but it doesn't make me feel any better and I will NOT be taking any more pets to this clinic and would NEVER recommend them to anyone else.  This was a great clinic that just went down hill with customer service, vet techs, doctors, etc.   It seems like all they care about it the money.

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They ere very thorough and explained everything very well. It was a great experience.

The visit went very well. Our family has used this veterinary clinic for over 40 years. The veterinarians and staff are great to work with and will go out of their way to explain treatment recommendations and procedures.  I raise and show cats and they are very willing to work with me on getting my cats in quickly when necessary and they take phone calls and respond back to me promptly.  I highly recommend this clinic.

Fine

When I went to pick up my cat, the staff went over what they felt was a concern regarding my cat not liking the drying system, and his reaction to it and how they addressed this issue.  But they did a beautiful job and I could tell that he is enjoying his new cut (I know that I am) because he is a lot more active.VCA Bloomington Animal Ho

I have used them for about 25 years. I like the people and how they treat our animals. They are really good.

They're fantastic.  The doctors that took care of my cat were phenomenal.  I would highly recommend them.

It went fine. They were very competent at check in. They had quick turn around time for the service.

The tests showed our cat didn't have diabetes, so they gave him an antibiotic shot.  We decided against the cancer test at this time.

They were up front regarding pricing including needed lab tests and the pre op physical. I did not have to wait long for my appointments and both the vet tech and the vet were warm friendly and professional. I am somewhat handicapped and have mobility issues, and despite a cold rain they carried my cat to my car after my visits.

Went fine.  Lab tech made an error on urine test, reported it as negative when it hadn't been run at all.  Delayed treatment of bladder infection.

I got to the vet on time, but they were swamped (the receptionist said that late April early May is a very busy time), and we ended up waiting about 20 or so minutes after filling out the forms. The doctor was very friendly and had good communication skills, explaining exactly what he was doing. He showed me how to clip the dog's nails and told me about potential issues for the future. (The dog had some plague on his teeth and a very small cyst on his eyelid).

After the checkup, he took the dog in the back to get his shots. I wanted to go with the dog, but the vet said that they prefer not to do it that way. I'm not sure whether this is normal or not, but dog ownership is new to me.

Overall, it took quite a bit longer than I had thought, but I felt my dog was in good hands with a good doctor.

They are confident. They listen. I wasn’t pushed for procedures. I was advised what my options were. I wasn’t made feel guilty when I didn’t exercise all of them. They gave me their opinion. My cat is doing fine. They advised me of conditions that I wasn’t aware of. They solved the problems that my cat was having. It was a good experience. I would use them in the future.

They did a good job and I will use their services in future.

They have a variety of veterinary staff. They always are agreeable to scheduling and appointments. They provide fairly fast service. They do have other kenneling and some long term stay with a small run in the back of the facility. They also send out reminders about what your dog might need and when. They provide a printout and keep that on file on line.

We use Dr. Bobbi Soule. She's great with dogs. She came highly recommended & we look forward to using her for years to come.

It is really close to where I live. They are all very friendly and they seem to know what they are doing. I think the prices are reasonable. They seem to be about average. They don't try to get me to do unnecessary things.

They were so friendly from the moment I walked in. It made a difference to me because I was bringing a pet in and wanted to know they were caring. They were during the exam as well. They weren't pushy with treatments they recommended for the cats, they gave me the option.

They do an excellent job taking the time earning trust with my rescue dog. They always do an excellent job and are patient with my dog. One of the vets always calls me back if I have a question the receptionist cannot answer. Dr. Soule is an great veterinarian! They have a new vet there, too. Our dog was acting really weird, I called them and was told our regular vet wouldn?t be back for a few days. They said the new vet was available, Dr Michelle Guzik, and could see me in the morning. I took my dog in and she was very gentle to my dog and seemed that the stomach had been extended. She wanted to give stomach x-rays. She took her back to take them and got her to eat and drink a little bit. She found a rash on her stomach, but said not to put ointment on it because she licks a lot, but to use baby wipes. I used the baby wipes. They called the next morning to see how my dog was doing and the vet had told the office that they check in on my dog. A couple days later Dr. Guzik called herself to check on the dog. We have used this vet hospital many times but this had never happened. She told me we should get the dog?s teeth cleaned. She did everything she could to make sure our dog was taken care of. I trust her and will definitely be going to her again.

Boarding goes well, but they have no Sunday discharge hours, which is a pain. I have had good experiences with most vets, but there is one that I do not like to use (been there forever) because she lacks the interpersonal and communication skills I require in a vet; I think she's better with cats than dogs. The front desk has gotten really poor in the last 5-6 years; I only continue to go because of Dr. Evans and the other really good vets and the hours are good; the boarding staff are good to my dogs, but dealing with hassles when you drop off for boarding and have to go into an exam room OR when you have to re-invent a dog's full history when your appt is for an annual heartworm test are unnecessary hoops they are asking the humans to jump through for little value once the exam happens. Front desk has made inaccurate notations about boarding and appt dates numerous times. They are inattentive when you come in and not welcoming.

They do excellent care of dogs. They are open long hours, and on Sat., they have quick response to emergency call in (dog with a kidney infection). Nicole, the puppy class teacher, is wonderful and $70 for 5 weeks that you learn a lot in. They also do 1-1 training with older dogs on specific issues. The boarding facilities are clean and dogs are well cared for (lots of exercise and special attention with a ''report card'' when you pick them up). There is a groomer and dental hygenist on-site.

Staff is constantly changing, and we saw a different vet at each appointment. Had a few instances where we felt we needed to drag information out of the doctor about a condition, and even then were not given information in ''laymans terms''. Very frustrating and traumatic when you are trying to get information about a sudden onset of cancer in your pet. We've since changed to another vet clinic.