Companion Veterinary Hospital

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It went well. My only complaint was that unneeded services were strongly suggested. Services were expensive end mildly invasive. This turned me off. This is just my biased opinion. I am wary because we were taken advantage of by another Vet in the past.

I went in for a new puppy wellness and vaccine visit. Vet Tech was friendly and we were shown to a room immediately upon arrival. Dr. Gandara was prompt and spent at least an hour talking me through the examination, pet care and giving me wonderful tips on training techniques (he is a dog trainer). He showed me what to do and explained how dogs think so we are more successful working together. I really appreciated the extra time he gave me. He was clearly excited about sharing his knowledge with us. Dr. Gandara told me to call if I had any training questions and also suggested I enroll in puppy classes.
A few hours after the visit, however, the puppy had an allergic reaction. I phoned the vet and they said he was reacting to the vaccines (this happens 1 in 1000 dogs). They asked me to bring him in if I had time (I appreciated their concern for my schedule). When I brought him in, I was immediately show into a room and his condition assessed. He was given shots to counteract his reaction. We were monitored closely by the vet and vet techs to be sure he was doing well. Puppy is fine, no issues. I was not charged for this visit.
The staff at Companion Veterinary Hospital has exceeded my expectations.

Holly (7 1/2 year old rescue dog) consistently lathargic and seemingly out of sorts. Did not play and slept most of time. Also mean towards other canine in household. Also she has been losing fur and has a large bald spot on tail and on chest. This has been going on for 2 years. We took her to our regular vet who we had been seeing for a number of years (old doctor has retired but new doctor has bought out practice)We were told it was her age, use different shampoo, and bald spot is due to sitting on her tail constantly. She was seen by two vets in this animal hospital over a 2 year period of time but only test given was for possible Cushing's Decease.
We were advised by wife's hair stylist (she has canine with same problem) to take canine to Companion Veterinary Hospital in Blaine, MN,We took Holly to Companion and she was immediately diagnosed with thyroid problem by Dr. Carlos Gandara. He said the test for Cusing's deceased was unnecessary. She was put on thyroid medication immediately and we now have a new dog. she plays, runs, curiosity is back, more loving and even chases our other canine when the mood strikes her.When our other canine (Bud) is ready for his yearly physical in October/2012 we intend to introduce him to Dr. Carlos Gandara and his loving staff at Companion Veterinary Hospital..

The clinic staff got Liesl into an exam room right away and it was not long before Dr. Gandara came in. He examined Liesl thoroughly and gently, talking to her in a calming manner. He spoke at length about what could be causing the vomiting and suggested the heartburn prevention medication mentioned above. He also instructed us to put hot packs on the cyst and gave us written instructions for that. All of the clinic staff and Dr. Gandara treated Liesl affectionately as they always do.

A few days later when the results of the tissue sample came back as negative for cancer, Dr. Gandara called and told us to keep an eye on the cyst to be sure it was not growing, give Liesl the heartborn medication twice a day, continue the hot packs for awhile, and not to resume the incontinence medications that she had been taking. He had suggested discontinuing that when my wife thought it might be causing the vomiting, but he now wants to see if she can get by without it and not have the incontinence problems.

It has been almost three weeks since Liesl began taking the heartburn medication, and she has not vomited since then. So it appears that Dr. Gandara correctly diagnosed and treated that problem since she had been vomiting regularly once or twice a week.

Dr. Gandara demonstrates a lot of love and concern for Liesl and always explains medical issues thoroughly and checks to be sure we understand him. We feel fortunate to have a compassionate vet like him (and his caring staff) for Liesl's care and feel that his prices, even without the 10% discount, are fair.

We had a Saturday morning appointment and someone took Liesl back for the procedure immediately after we walked in the door. They brought her back within 10 to 15 minutes and prepared the bill right away. Their normal price for this service is $23.00, but they give us a 10% discount because Liesl is a seeing-eye dog.

We feel fortunate to have this place for veterinary services. They love Liesl and treat her gently and respectfully. Even though Liesl has had some uncomfortable procedures there, she always seems enthused to get inside when we arrive.

Great! Dr. Carlos is thorough and kind. His staff is too. They make follow-up calls (Dr. Carlos himself too) to make sure your pets issues have resolved. Dr. Carlos definately loves animals and his care shows this, as well as his concern for keeping your expenses down without sacrificing quality care.

They have a unique ability to communicate with animals and put them at ease and also actually communicate with their human owners. I will use them again in the future.

My wife made the appointment the same day, and Companion Vet's staff took Liesl into the exam room as soon as we arrived -- probably a few minutes ahead of her scheduled appointment. All of the staff at this clinic always treat Liesl gently. The doctor who did the exam, a substitute due to the regular doctor's vacation, was kind and thorough with Liesl, recommending in a non-pressuring way that Liesl should probably have the scale on her teeth removed, a procedure that we are considering for a later date. The technician who drew Liesl's blood, explained the billing and dental work estimate, and checked us out was helpful and accommodating even though the process is a little more difficult because of the report that needs to be sent to the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization. Also, my wife belongs to an organization that provides her flea and tick prevention at no charge as long as the vet orders it. The technician was patient regarding that and assured my wife that they would take care of ordering that and the Cosequin that is also available at no charge through this same membership. Companion Vet also gives us a 10% discount because Liesl is a guide dog. Liesl is my wife's fourth guide dog, and we feel like she gets the best care we have seen at this clinic.

They were kind, supportive, and professional.

Liesl was in and out in no time. The staff at Companion Vet show a true love of animals and always are gentle with Liesl. She seems to like to go there even though they are usually sticking her or probing her in some way.

What I like most about Dr. Gandara besides the fact that he knows what he is talking about is how much time he spends with the animals. He never rushes out to another animal (unless it is an emergency) he is very gentle with them and he shows great compassion for the pets. I recently had an 18 year old cat who Dr. G had helped last year, die and the staff sent me a wonderful card. I used to live closer to Companion, and moved farther away and thought I would switch to another vet, went on Angie's List and everyone was so much more expensive and I thought Dr. G knows my animals and I feel he cares about them so I now drive 35 minutes to see him.

Job 1: Although this is a first report on Dr. Wall's Pet Hospital, we have been taking our guide dog there for over a year. It just occurred to me that this was a provider type that Angie's list is interested in. Everyone on Dr. Wall's staff is always friendly and helpful. They offer us a 20% discount since Liesl is a guide dog. Job 2: Dr. Wall's staff are always friendly and kind to my wife's guide dog Liesl. Even though we have found their rates to be lower than other vets we have seen, on top of that, they also give us an additional 20% discount on all services and medications because Liesl is a working dog. We only rate them an ''A'' because there is no higher rating. I know my wife has no intention of bringing her dog to any other vet.