Jefferson Animal Clinic

I’ve taken my 2 year old English Bulldog, Lola to the Jefferson Animal Clinic a few times. It has mostly been for her yearly checkups and vaccines. I have no complaints when it comes to a routine office visit, except I think they’re a little pricey and their office could use a good cleaning. \r \r A few months ago, our dog injured her back leg while playing in the snow. We decided to give her a few months to see if it would heal on its own. We limited her activity, and after 3 months she seemed to be doing very well. We could barely detect a slight limp. We brought her in to Jefferson Animal Clinic for a separate issue, and I mentioned the leg injury to the vet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same vet in all the times I’ve brought my dog in, so I can’t recall the vet's name. She felt my dog’s leg and said that as long as it continued to improve, it would probably be fine and I could start introducing small amounts of exercise. A few minutes later, another vet came in and said he wanted to take a look at the leg. He felt around the leg, and immediately decided that she had a torn ligament and needed surgery. And on top of that, he said she should really get the more expensive of the two surgeries they offer for this type of injury. They estimated the cost for the TPLO surgery at over $3,000 and possibly more if there were any complications. They wanted to schedule the surgery immediately, but I told them I wanted to think about it. It really bothered me that one vet would say she was on the mend and would probably be fine, and another vet at the same establishment would push a $3,000 surgery on us. \r \r I left the office visit feeling like I was being taken advantage of. If a surgery was truly what my dog needed for a good quality of life, I would pay the money, but I just didn’t get the feeling that they were giving me the advice that was in the best interest of my dog. I decided to get a second opinion and took Lola to a bulldog specialist in Greenwood Village, CO. Not only was he very knowledgeable in the unique health issues that the breed faces, but he examined my dog’s leg and determined that she was healing quite nicely considering it had only been 3 months since her injury occurred. He told me that only 50% of dogs with this type of injury benefit from the surgery. He said that most dogs take a good 6 months to heal on their own from this injury. He said he would only recommend this surgery if my dog was not using her leg. Although he’s a vet who specializes in bulldogs, we paid less for our office visit than we normally do at Jefferson Animal Clinic. You’d think a specialist would charge more. \r \r We’re very happy with our new vet. I feel that Jefferson Animal Clinic was very quick to push an expensive surgery on me that may not have been in the best interest of my dog. I realize that this is merely my opinion and different vets can sometimes have different recommendations on treatment plans for animals. I don't think they are the worst animal clinic around, but I think there are better ones out there. \r Cons: Overpriced more

Our 11 year old male retriever seemed fine. A general but slight downward trend seemed easy to credit to his age. However, following the extraction of two broken teeth upon the recommendation of Dr Russ, he has grown a couple of years younger. In the month since the operation, he is far more active, happy and exuberant. His coat is shinier and he sheds less. He even seems to have fewer problems with gas.I understand that infected or unhealthy teeth can "leak" toxins into the system, causing a wide variety of problems. After this experience, I am a believer. Thanks to Dr Russ for recommending and performing the operation.Have your dogs' teeth checked, and take action if it is warranted. more

I took my dog there initially because he had kidney disease, my regular vet wasn't there and Jefferson was down the street from me. They hospitalized him and they did a great job!\r \r Ok, so after that I took my cat in because she wasn't eating very well and the vet says blood work automatically. Fine, then the bloodwork shows nothing is wrong and he doesn't provide any options.. SO I took her to my normal vet and they ran a test and found a parasite in her system that was causing the problem. \r \r In the meantime, one of my dogs had a stroke and had to rush her to emergency. She recovered but her balance was poor. I thought I would give these guys another chance. I take her in and this guy throws cottom balls at her in the dark! She flinched every time he threw these things at her. I couldn't believe it and the invoice just said "routine exam". I paid the $42 for the cotton ball throwing lesson and took her to my vet who diagnosed her with Megaesophagus. There is no cure and she died at more

I took my cat Tiger in to see them on a Saturday. It was close to noon and almost closing time. I didn't know if they would see me or not but I was told to have a seat and the doctor would see me when they were available. The people there helped Tiger and went the extra mile to see that he was taken care of before I took him home. I cannot say enough kind things about this clinic. A special thanks goes out to Dr. Colleen for her kind and generous efforts to do what she could to help me out. Dr Russ and Dr. Renee have a great clinic and I highly recommend this clinic to anyone who cares about their pets. Thanks Dr Russ and Dr Renee. more

This day was horrid, our poor little cat was so sick, urinating on himself, howling in agony. And to the rescue comes Dr. May, she helps our poor lad with kindness and tenderness. It only took a little less than half an hour to get him seen, tested, and diagnosed with meds on the way. They were kind and friendly and loved our little boy as much as we do. He was very comfortable with the doctor and staff, was very relaxed despite his agony. I would recommend them to anyone who needs someone who will care for their extended family members. Besides that they were understanding to our money issues and worked with us. He was cared for, treated, medicated and given a weeks worth of a special diet to help his illness all for under 130.00. Best prices with a vet we have seen in this country. Best vets and techs we have met in this country. Go see for yourself. They will be there to help you with your much loved pets. more

We have been going there for about a year now because they were recommended to us. On our last visit the bill took us by surprise, so we thought we would look around. We called about four other places and three would have beat their prices for the same dental visit. The people are okay though, not the best, but not the worst. more

I have very high praise about the professionalism, compassion, positive energy and competency that Jefferson Animal Clinic exudes. My dog has had knee surgeries and cancer surgery; in all cases, Dr. Russ was explicit in his discussions of the problems, options, costs, and prognosis. No pressure, just clearly alot of caring from him and the entire staff. My dog has absolutely no anxiety when visiting the vet....and with his background (abuse, constantly caged, then given over to the Dumb Friends League where I found him...) he should have been nervous....but everyone there put us both at ease and now he LOVES to go! I absolutely recommend this Clinic for you and your critters! more

I have had nothing but the best experiences with Dr Russ and staff at Jefferson Animal Clinic. My dog has had a rough year and if it weren't for Dr Russ it wouldn't have gone as well as it has. If he isn't sure what is going on he consults with other professionals and specialists. No doctor knows everything and I admire the fact that they are willing to say they "don't know" but will check with other doctors who may have more experience with a disease. They have all been very kind and compassionate and I could not ask for anything more. more

Jefferson Animal Clinic is the best !! I would not entrust my animals to anyone else. The doctors are intelligent, compassionate, and truly care about the animals. The staff could not be more helpful or friendly. I highly recommend them. more

Like most pet owners, we consider our dogs to be family members and we want only the best care for them at all stages of life. That is why we have been bringing them to Jefferson Animal Clinic for over 10 years. Dr Russ and his colleagues are very dedicated, knowledgeable and compassionate professionals. We wouldn?t trust the health of our babies to anyone else. M.F. more

We have taken our two dogs to see Dr. Russ and Staff for the past three years. We have had only positive experiences at Jefferson Animal Clinic, and we recommend their services to our friends and their furry families. Dr. Russ is a caring and knowledgeable veterinarian and has always made an effort to work with us in deciding the best course of action and the best treatments for our pets. Thank you! more

I took my 3 dogs and 3 cats to Jefferson Animal Clinic and I love the attitude and atmosphere of the staff was excellent! My dog needed to have surgery and it was life saving! They did everything possible to keep her safe and healthy. She had the best care and is now doing very well in her older age. The cost is very reasonable and worth every penny! I have tried many other animal clinics in the past and all of them were either cold and heartless or so expensive I would need to sell my soul to pay for the services. I love Jefferson Animal Clinic and all the doctors I have seen. I truly believe my animals receive loving tender care from all the staff! I only wish Human doctors/hospitals were so kind and caring. more

Dr. Russell misdiagnosed and performed unnecessary surgery on our 8 year old dog last summer. He urged us to make a quick decision about removing a suspicious lump using one faulty sample as a justification to operate. He lied to me about performing a secondary sample that I had requested be done before the operation started. Complications arose after the surgery - loose stitches which fell out caused a gaping hole in his chest, lack of proper wound dressing, and inflamation/fluid build up occurred. We had to return to Dr. Russell's clinic 6 times to address each complication. Because of this misdiagnosis, our dog suffered. He was restricted from normal outdoor activity and had to wear a compression bandage for three weeks. We were burdened with the multiple trips to the clinic for follow up visits as well as financially burdened with the $700 vet bill that ensued. Recently I submitted a complaint to the Colorado Veterinary Board and await final results. I will not bring my animals bac more

My wife and I took our 1 1/2 year old kitten in three weeks ago to this vet as she wasn't eating. Dr. R stands back with his hands crossed and tells us 'I don't know what's going on here'. \r \r He wanted to run blood work, xrays, ultrasound etc. at an estimated cost of $800. My wife and I decided we needed to get a second opinion.\r \r We paid the exam fee and took her to the Arvada Veterinary Clinic on Wadsworth. Dr. Houchens found the problem right away. Our kitten had an abscess on her paw. Total cost for the antibotics and exam was $70.\r \r I don't recommend going to a vet that tells you 'I don't know' unless you want to pay to educate them. That's what they go to veterinary school for! PROS: None CONS: Don't pay to educate them more

Jefferson Animal Clinic is the place to go with your beloved pet. Dr. Russ is a wonderful, kind, compassionate veterinarian. He makes the animals feel comfortable and liked, he will get down on the floor and talk and play with your pet. My doggie loved Dr. Russ and never did mind going to see him. Today, it is really hard to find a trusted doctor for your animal babies, but Jefferson Animal Clinic is a great place. They take the time to explain to you what is happening and why. Not only does Dr. Russ make his patients feel comfortable, he makes mom and dad comfortable too. more