Bowman Animal Hospital and Cat Clinic

I've been a client at Bowman for over four years. My husband and I initially started going to Bowman for a few reasons: 1) we own exotic pets; 2) they have evening and weekend hours; 3) they were easily accessible from my work. Since we started going because of our ferret, we had the great fortune of being teamed up with Emily Hunt as our doctor. I really can't say enough good things about Dr. Hunt. She's great to work with, has compassion, and otherwise, makes us feel at ease whenever we come to her with a sick animal. Unfortunately, Dr. Hunt isn't enough to save this review from turning a bit negative.\r \r First, I must say that all the other reviewers who comment on the high prices at Bowman are spot on. The place is definitely expensive, and it seems like the prices have climbed the longer I've been a client there. I've actually been taking my dogs and cats to Vetco for vaccinations the last two years because it is so much cheaper. It's not only the prices that are off-putting...it's the fact that the clinic is constantly trying to upsell services. ""You're cat is overweight; buy our expensive prescription cat food (that he will hate)."" ""You're dog is sick, and while we can't pinpoint what is causing the digestive upset, we feel he would benefit from an extra $300 worth of IV fluids."" ""If you love your cat, you'll opt to get these cold laser treatments for his UTI."" Ok, so I'm paraphrasing some of the conversations I've had, but these are actual events where whomever I dealt with at the clinic attempted to guilt me into buying extra services/products or else I didn't love my pet enough.\r \r We began to sour on Bowman as our vet the summer of 2013. Our cat had been showing difficulty with elimination, and I feared he might have a UTI. We took him to Bowman and saw Dr. Hunt. She examined him, expressed some urine and prescribed some antibiotics. She warned us to come back if we felt like he was blocking. After a couple of days of not seeing any kind of progress in his litter box, we took him back. Unfortunately, Dr. Hunt wasn't available to see him, but we did get in to see Dr. Bowman. I felt sure it would be a great experience...after all, it's her practice. I could not have been more incorrect. It was not a great experience. Dr. Bowman examined our cat, expressed some urine, and immediately deemed him to need expensive cold laser treatment for his problem. She tried to sell us six sessions, which would have put us out about $600 (this is in addition to the $300 we had already spent on the cat when we brought him in previously to see Dr. Hunt). We of course hesitated, which made her rudely remark, ""How much does your cat mean to you?"" I wanted to spit back at her ""Obviously enough that I spent $300 at your practice just two days ago,"" but I'm not one to get into a fight. We settled on three treatments, but I felt like we bought them out of guilt rather than necessity. When we were at the clinic just a few days earlier, Dr. Hunt made no mention of these laser treatments as a way of helping our cat. So, I was annoyed that Dr. Bowman didn't bother to stand behind the diagnosis and treatment plan of one of her own doctors.\r \r Since that incident, I've only gone in for one other emergency visit, which again left me reeling from the upsell. I won't go into the details of that here. But the icing on this crap cake I've been swallowing from this overpriced clinic happened today. I called to get an appointment to update my two dogs' bordatella vaccine. I was told they would have to come in for an annual exam and heartworm testing before they would give the vaccine. Keep it! I can get their bordatella from plenty of other places. And the next time they get their annual exam and heartworm test, it will NOT be at Bowman Animal Hospital. more

We have been taking our 2 dogs, Murphy and Remmington, to Bowman Animal Clinic for the past 5 years or so. Our experiences there with Dr. Shanna have been nothing but phenomenal. She has always taken extra time and effort to explain costs, weigh in on decisions and to explain all of the results and plan. We often feel like we are her only patients. What patience she has with us… The staff also has always been respectful of our dogs and treated them with nothing but kindness- from the receptionists to the tech and of course Dr. Shanna. My husband and I felt obliged to write a review however based on more recent events. Murph, our Greater Swiss Mt Dog, became suddenly critically ill while our family (my husband, myself and our 2 children) we out of town, actually internationally. Our pet sitter made an urgent appt (which they accommodated) and they delivered life-saving critical care to stabilize him and recommended that he be transferred to the NC state vet hospital. While Murphy was hospitalized, our vetinarian (Dr. Shanna) made daily/regular phone calls to the vet school, spoke with the attending there. This was after she helped guide us with difficult decisions early in the course of events. As we were far from home and didn’t have the privilege of seeing Murphy through this ourselves. She spent time late in the evening on her cell advising us with love and patience. I cannot begin to express what that meant to us. We feel blessed to entrust our precious dogs in the hands of Dr. Shanna and the staff at Bowman. We recommend them all in the highest regard to all of our friends and family. more

Base on my own experiences with the staff from Bowman i say: They are the best. They are professional. I have to say that Dr. Shana is been working WITH ME, she's never left me along when I needed her the most, she is very professional, caring and she is always available even after hours and her days off. more

Most Caring Vets in Raleigh – bar none.\r \r I have lived in the Raleigh area for over 6 years now and have also been to about 6 different vets. I now know that I have found the practice that I will always go to for my entire stay here and it is Bowman Animal Hospital. My girlfriend and I share 3 dogs in total and they have been to Bowman for everything from routine care to dental extractions, all the way up to TPLO knee surgery. All of the veterinarians we have met with have been fantastic. Dr. Shana Silverstein has been the primary vet to handle my German Shepherd’s knee surgery. My first comment about Dr. Shana in relation to the knee surgery is that she never, for one moment, made me feel like I was being pushed into something – which is the exact reason that I left my last vet. Dr. Shana worked with me to try many other options before going ahead with the knee surgery. (This was more of a situation that could have other methods attempted and not as urgent as some surgeries definitely require.) Not feeling pushed was definitely something that made me feel much more comfortable with the vet and my decisions.\r \r Aside from having the most caring vets Bowman has some other perks that set them far apart from any other practice that I have been to. They have fantastic office hours, not just weekdays 9 to 5, but later hours during the week and weekends too. Weekends are great times to be able to come in for visits and not have to take off from work or rush around during a busy weekday. They have an extremely knowledgeable staff at the front desk and the manager, Brian Tramm, has always been fantastic. They have an online pet portal where you can enter and track all of your pet’s information as well as order medications and supplies at a discounted rate. Another staff member, Christine – is an expert in the pet insurance aspect of things. She will submit all the required paperwork to your pet insurance carrier and knows enough about that part to help you maximize your benefits. That is an extremely nice perk. They also have boarding which is fantastic to be able to bring your pet to the same place they get their medical care. They have all the records they would ever need already and if anything ever happened while you were away your own personal vet could be there to assist.\r \r There are many vets in our area to choose from. I know that choosing a vet is an important decision in people’s lives. I’d like to suggest that everyone look into Bowman Animal Hospital – go into the office, have a look around, meet some of the folks at the front desk and a vet or two. It will not take you very long to see why Bowman is head and shoulders above everyone else. \r more

If they want to euthanize your pet you know that's not the answer, get a second opinion. They insisted that my cat had rabies, said it was the worst case they ever saw and put her down immediately. They had to have an autopsy done by the state because of the risk which came back as negative. My cat had an ear infection...They murdered her without a second thought. I never received an apology or anything. They also charged me $300... Never, never take your sick animal here. more

Several years ago, my precious Onyx was diabetic. I'd worked with a vet and was giving him insulin but after several months, my husband was not able to give him the shots (and I travel). I approached the vet to discuss options and as we were talking, she turned her back and walked away. Needless to say, I left and never will go back. Asked a friend for a recommendation for a holistic vet and he recommended Dr. Bowman. She saw Onyx and I explained the situation with my husband's hands. Dr. B. changed his diet and in six weeks, he was off insulin and just great. He has since passed to Kitty Heaven because of a huge lymphoma in his chest. Four years later, and with five cats, I've worked with several vets at Bowman and they are all wonderful. I prefer the holistic approach and there are several doctors on staff who use both the Western and the Eastern. Bowman is pricey, but these five are my children - and I've found Dr. Bowman will instruct the tech to just charge me for something less costly. I greatly appreciate that. I've often had to wait, but know that when the vet gets to me, I'm going to get the same attention and care that any pet gets at the hospital. When there's an emergency, I remember that if it was my baby in for emergency care, I'd want the attention they're giving that distressed pet. I just make sure I'm not crowded for time when I set the appointment - my kids are a high priority to me and isn't that what it really boils down to? Our priorities? I've seen pet parents come in while talking on their cell (which is incredibly rude to the staff) and basically just hand the animal over. And the staff has been absolutely courteous (more than the parent deserves). They could ask the person to hold or call them back. The techs are amazing, too. Many times when I'm in for an exam, one or two of the other techs will pop in to see my babies and just love on them. These folks truly love the animals. The hours are amazing - I don't know of any other vet who has Sunday hours. Best of all...they're five minutes from my house. Would I recommend Bowman Animal Hospital - you bet! As I said, a bit pricey but more than made up for by the standard of care, the loving attitude and kindness from the entire staff. more

Went initially on Saturday when my regular vet's office was closed. I never went back to my old vet. Dr. Goodwin has taken care of my two dogs now for about three years. She is amazing. My oldest dog was feeling his age, and she has gotten him much more active. (Admittedly, we were part of the problem feeding table scraps). She convinced us to change his diet, gave him some meds for his arthritis, and now he acts several years younger. Our younger dog is doing great with routine care. more

I'll give one star only because that's the lowest rating possible... more

Being new to the area, I visited about 9 vets before choosing Bowman based on vet reputation and pricing. The care was ok; the pricing was not. Everytime I went I found that there were 'additional' prices for every little thing looked at on my cat (nails, exam, tooth exam, blood pressure, etc.). more

hello my name is jamie smith and i just started to bring my siberian husky named rocky to this vet i love the staff to death and DR.SMITH is awsome and a loving careing person. she will do what ever it takes to make your pet healthy. and for the person who said its pricie its really not because the service that this vet provides is well worth the money. i dont think i will ever changE vets again. i will recomend this vet to people in the future. more

Tried for grooming and maybe it was just busy,short staffed? but they kept my dog for way too long and the haircut wasn't even better than Petco or Petsmart and those two places just give me bad vibes. I just(yesterday!) started using a place off Westgate road in Raleigh and was very pleased so I'm not impossible to make happy. more

The experience you have here all depends on what vet you get...I think they are all excellent, technically but a few have a lot to learn about bedside manner. Their prices are way above what every other practice in the area charges. I won't be going back to Bowman unless it is an emergency and no one else is open. They use a technique similar to auto repair shops in that they search for as many problems as possible to make the bill as high as possible. I have taken all of my pets there for emergencies (because they are open 7 days a week) and then I take them back to their regular vets for followup care because I don't want to pay the absurd rates Bowman charges when I can get the same care elsewhere and without the ""catty"" remarks. more

About a year ago I took my dog there for a cut where a flap of skin was hanging loose. The staff was very friendly and caring and the Doctor was very nice and thorough. Since the injury didn't appear to be very serious and he wasn't even bleeding I was thinking $100.00-$150.00 tops. I was given a bill for $600.00 dollars. I was completely in shock. They said that they had to take X-rays to make sure there was nothing in the cut. Which made no sense to me because the cut was a flap of loose skin hanging down. They also told me when I brought him back they would like to do another X-ray because some times with swelling the X-ray misses something sometimes. When I asked if it would be another charge they said yes. I told them I would take my chances on that one. Clearly at that point it seemed to me they were taking advantage of distraught patients with their dogs health at stake. A year later my dog had the same exact injury on his other side. I took him to Magnolia A.H. on Capitol. Same procedure, no X-rays suggested. Same exact medication,$155.00 dollars with the same excellent care and staff. They even diagnosed the anxiety my dog was having in the evenings that was causing him to injure himself. With medication he is back to his old self. Pros: Top notch care Cons: Out of sight prices more

After all of the stress of moving our house and three dogs from TN to Raleigh, I wanted to get my little ones checked out. Stress isn't good for dogs, much less people and I wanted to give myself peace of mind they were adapting well. The staff at the Bowman Animal Hospital were very gracious with us and took time with each of my little ones. They pronounced them happy and healthy, which was a huge relief to me. It was nice to discover such a caring facility as soon as we got here. more

I am happy to say I highly recommend Bowman Animal Hospital to anyone with four-legged family members! Every doctor is caring and conscientious. They tailor each treatment plan to what is best for you and your pet. We never felt pressured to go overboard on expensive tests and treatments -- the folks at Bowman are considerate of each family's financial capabilities. They also keep your pet's quality of life in the forefront of the treatment plan. \r \r I can't say enough good things about them and thank them from the bottom of my heart for all they have done for each of our pets over the years!!! more

A great vet working with a wonderful staff will make sure that you and your pet are treated well. Looking for the best. Look no more. more

I can't say enough about Dr Alley and the staff at Bowman Animal Hospital. Our Gentle Jacob has Epilepsy, and we can't imagine going through this difficult disease without the support that we get from them. Dr Alley is amazing and we knew from the first moment that we met her that we were in the right hands. She goes above and beyond ANY vet that we've ever dealt with, and she cares so much. I've recommended her to other Epi dog owners, and they feel the same. Dr Alley and her staff are one of a kind! Pros: Dr Alley Is The Best more

I have taken my dog to see Dr. Julie Merriman about 5 times now for various issues over the past year. Dr. Merriman is always very friendly and informative and caring. It is obvious she loves animals and just wants them to be healthy and happy and loved. The staff has also been great, especially Kim, Laura Jean and Chris (Kris?). Pros: Caring vet, staff remembers my doggie's name, great hours more

We use Bowman for both vet services and grooming. Our small dog is always well taken care of and the staff is on top of things. I have young children, so they always help me with the dog when I have the children along on visits. more

I was lucky enough to find Bowman after a couple bad experiences elsewhere. My oldest cat was sick when I found Bowman, after I had had the other bad experiences with two other vets. The other two vets blew me off when I described my cat's symptoms, and wanted me to wait over a week for an appointment. I called Bowman and was able to get an appointment the same day. After an extensive physical, in house bloodwork, and X rays, Dr. Hunt determined my cat had liver problems and was dehydrated, and stayed with us for almost three hours to make sure my cat was feeling better after some pain medicine and IV fluids. She also scheduled an ultrasound, which showed a mass in my cat's liver. Dr. Hunt then had her office schedule an appointment with a specialty vet to have the necessary surgery to remove the mass. She kept in close communication with both me and the specialty vet during the whole process of scheduling a consult and surgery, and during the surgery and post-op care. Had she not been as through, or had I not insisted that I be taken seriously, my cat's condition would've gotten much worse, and I'm convinced I could have lost her. A month later, we lost our other cat at 3 1/2 years, who died suddenly from an undetected heart defect. Even though he died instantly, Bowman had us bring him in. They took him in the back and made him look more natural so that we wouldn't be as upset. They took him and us in even though it was almost closing time. They explained our options to us, and arranged for his cremation and necropsy. Some people may say this was ""unnecessary"", but that necropsy was worth its weight in gold, as it revealed the heart defect we weren't aware of. Had we not had it done, my husband and I would still be blaming ourselves for his death. I can't even begin to fully express how comforting the staff and doctors were in both situations; they even sent a sympathy card when our younger cat died. At the next appointment I went to with our older cat, even staff who hadn't been on duty when our cat died expressed their sympathy for our loss. Since then, we've gotten two more cats who have proven to need a lot of care, as they are shelter cats and didn't receive proper care or immunizations prior to living with us. Time and again, Bowman and Dr. Hunt have been there for us, helping us diagnose and treat the many illnesses that our two adoptees have developed. In response to some other posters: I haven't done extensive research, but I believe Bowman's prices are about on par with other high quality vets in the area. Like so many things in life, you get what you pay for. One of the other vets I tried was cheaper, but quality of care was very poor and they weren't as thorough in examining my pets as Bowman's is. Even if it's a little higher than average, I think the level of care they provide is well worth the extra cost. I also do not think they pressure you into having unnecessary tests/procedures done. My experience has been that they give you the options and the pros and cons of each, then let you decide. I've also never had to wait more than 15 minutes or so for a scheduled appointment; their hours are EXTREMELY convenient, as they're open 7 days a week. I have found them to be very accommodating with your schedule. They do offer beverages while you wait, but I don't believe it's a ploy to distract you from a long wait time; they're just being courteous. I've been offered a drink after waiting only a few minutes for an appointment. In summary, it has been a very rough year for us with our pets; I can't imagine what we would've done without Bowman to smooth the way. The doctors and staff have always gone above and beyond to make sure that they do all they can in those rough times. I know that our pets are getting the best care, and that our needs as pet owners are being met. Pros: Friendly doctors and staff; clean office; great office hours Cons: Price more