North Wake Animal Hospital

I have been a long time client of Dr. Darch and was very sad to learn that he is no longer with the clinic. The town has lost a wonderful vet! His years of unwavering service at all hours of day or night will not be forgotten. He was so practical, reliable and caring for my animals and for many many animals within the greater Wake Forest community. He will be sorely missed. more

Dr. Darch knows what he is doing!! He has performed several surgeries for me over the years on several animals, including the removal of an eye due to glaucoma, removal of a toe due to bone infection, spay, ear crop, and cyst removal. Each and every one of those surgeries was done well and healed properly. They were also done at real world prices that were affordable especially in an emergency situation. Just recently Dr. Darch corrected a broken leg for me on the spot (same day) and charged me 450% less than what VSH wanted to charge me!! This practice does not require an appointment and is open on Saturday's. The staff is very friendly and have gone out of their way many time for me. I highly recommend Dr. Darch to anyone seeking knowledge and experience at a fair price VS. overly plush waiting areas and overly padded final bills!! more

I have the greatest respect for this practice. I have been taking pets for vet care from Lee for 20+ years. Thanks for your continuing service to this community! more

best doctor in wake forest!!! dr. darch goes beyond the call and duty of a vet. the staff is also wonderful, would recommend him to anyone . dr.darch looked after my dog ""chyna"" for 13 yrs. and i would like to say thanks! we had to put chyna down on 10/2/11, and dr darch sent a sympathy card to us now how many vets would do that ? none, only the vets that really cares about animals like he does more

We were referred to Dr. Darch by a very good friend and the compassion and care he provided to us and our pet is tremendous. I would recommend him to anyone who really cares for their companions. more

I can't thank North Wake Animal Hospital and Dr. Darch enough for all that he's done for me and my animals over the past 12 years. I've taken care of my animals over the years, from foster, my own and strays and he's helped me tremendously. I help out with the local animal shelters and I'm with a couple of animal associations and so I'm always taking in animals. It can become a lot sometimes especially when I get them and they have no history about them. When that happens all I have to do is call Dr. Darch and a lot of the time they animals that I take in were previous patients of his. He never has a problem pulling their medical records for me and helping me any way he can. I can go on and on about how wonderful he is because he is. He's a very giving veterinarian that has the biggest heart. Anyone one moving into the area that needs an animal hospital to go to go to North Wake Animal Hospital. Trust me you will not be disappointed. -S.B. more

I have been going to this vet for years. Dr. Darch has great prices, and he is very smart. He also has hired some pretty good vets in the past few years who have also never let us down. As for the last posting I just read, he may not be the cheapest, but still very affordable. I personally would chose a doctor based on experience and pay for that service, but I guess some people only care about money. And there have been a few times in the past years I had to use him after hours. I guess you get what you pay for, and he delivers way more than I have ever paid. Thank you for your service. more

I waited a month to write this to be sure that I was no longer upset over the situation that caused us to leave. I have never been treated worse by any service individual as I was here. We have taken our cats and dogs to Dr. Darch for years. He may not be the most personable vet but we were always pleased with him and his care of our animals. We decided to change though due to some of his new staff members and their lack of customer care. We had to head out of town unexpectedly and our 4 dogs were due for their rabies while we would be gone. I quickly took them in for just their rabies,since we were leaving the next day. Finances were tight because we had to buy airline tickets unexpectedly so we just did the rabies, not full visits for them. I was told that was fine over the phone. When we got home we only had 2 of the 4 tags and papers in our bag. I went back in that next morning and told them the situation. The girl at the front became very defensive, stating loudly that this was my fault not hers. I then asked for duplicates and told her They may have fallen out when I got out of my car. (I thought this would make her less defensive) She became more upset and told me, ""you have no idea how much work you are making for me"" and coldly added, ""and you only brought them in for rabies shots"" Her tone was very critical. She continued to chastise me as if she thought I was an irresponsible pet owner. She made rude comments on the number of animals that we have. (4 dogs and 3 cats - we live on 13 acres) She made a lot of rude and judgmental comments in regard to the number of animals we used to have but no longer do. ""You can't believe the number of cards I had to pull from your file. (8) She did not stop to see that they were puppies that we had in for their shots and had sold. She commented loudly at how many animals we ""had gone through"" The other customers in the lobby were just staring at her with their mouths open. I was in tears and asked for Dr. Darch. He came gave me duplicates in less that 3 minutes. I don't know if she was having a bad day but her actions were totally unacceptable. We have voted with our feet and have switched vets. Ironically, we have been going to Dr. Darch for so long because his prices were always so low. Now that we have switched, we realized that he is not the lowest. Our cats monthly allergy shots are 20 dollars less at the other local vet we are now with. more

My animals have been under the care of Dr. Lee Darch dating back to 1984. He started caring for my horses in 1984, and for all my dogs as well spanning over the past 27 years. His knowledge and dedication to all animals is the best I have ever experienced through my lifetime. His dedication to hold clinic Monday - Saturday is relentless, and every time I have had an emergency either at night or on a Sunday, Dr. Darch has ALWAYS met me at the clinic to care for my pet. When I had horses and there were incidence of quarantine periods due to infections where my horses were not allowed to come out of their stalls unless accompanied by a vet in NC, Dr. Darch went every single day to my stable to walk my horses and give the antibiotic daily injections needed over a 2-week period. This is type of dedication and commitment is not find elsewhere. He only focuses on small animals now, and I will ALWAYS keep my pets under his care. Thank you Lee. I don't know what I will do if you ever retire. more

We have been going to Dr Darch for more then 10 years. Dr. Darch has seen 2 dogs and 5 cats at different times. Awesome Vet! Very professional but laid back and very knowledgeable! more

If there was a no star rating, this is what I would provide for this so called vet. Recently, I bought in my dog for excessive thirst, and they diagnosed her as having diabetes. They ran a panel of blood on her as well. They kept her for three days to regulate her sugar and during that time I did some reading on canine diabetes. When I went to pick her up, I was given Purina prescription food (mostly contained Corn Meal and Wheat Gluten), and when I suggested a different type of food, or what she should have, as I was prepared to cook for her, Dr. Darch's reply was... ""Oh, you are one of those people"". He provided instructions to giving the needle, by jabbing my dog numerous times in the side with the same needle, and said ""See it doesn't hurt"". Once a day to give insulin was the directions, and it doesn't matter whether she eats before or after. He will see her in a week. If you know anything about canine diabeties, it is 2x a day, and it most certainly matters when give them insulin, it should be after they eat, to be sure they have food in them, otherwise, you could have a sick dog on your hands, even death.\r \r When I left, I immediately made arrangements to see another vet, and took her to Bowman. They immediately took a blood test, and after taking a glucose test in the afternoon (after her one shot in the am with 10 units), saw that her glucose was low. I was given instructions that I should give shots 2x(split the dose) a day, break her food portions to 3x a day. Ensure that she eats first.... all the things that I read about. Next day, I was told to take her off of the insulin, when the blood work came back... as she may not diabetic, and saw that she had high liver functions (which her panel of blood showed high liver functions from Dr. Darchas well) . In fact, I had to give Karo Syrup, as she was becoming very lethargic, a sympton of being hypoglocemic (not much glucose). This can lead to death.\r \r After days (4 days) of not being on insulin, her glucose is normal. It does not appear that she is diabetic at all. We are now dealing with the issue that more than likely is the cause, and that is the high liver functions, but I feel that she is in good hands.\r \r .I could go on and on, but if you care about your pets, and they are one of the family, please do not take them here. The front desk is rude, the technicians are as well. I was told to get up in the front and pay, and you and your crazy dog can go home. \r \r Dr Darch did call the next morning, and spoke with my husband. Stated that he knew I was upset, but he had over 20 years of experience, and I should not be questioning him. I'm so glad that I did, because I would have lost my dog.\r more

Im not sure where you folks with complaints took your pets before - perhaps it was New York fashion butique or Beverly Hills spa. But, Ive been going there for the past 12 years with numerous animals and not once have i had anything close to a complaint. \r Of course Im there to get in and out, not chit chat about the weather either, if you are one of those chatty types, well chat somewhere else - other folks are waiting.\r Its a great 'no appointment required' system, never had to wait more than a few minutes, vets have always been good, Ive never had a bad experiance and their prices are unbeatable.\r if you want a pedi with your spay go someplace else - if you dont want to spend a bunch or schedule your life around a vet appointment then I definately recommend North Wake Animal hospital. more

I have been taking my 2 dogs and 2 cats to North Wake for about 5 years. They have never been rude, never mispelled anything, never been condescending or anything like that. Dr. Darch has never rushed me, never ignored my questions, he has ALWAYS been extremely kind and caring. In November, my oldest dog Belle had to be put down there, they were very nice and sent cards and everything. My mother got Belle cremated and didn't necesarily expect a fancy box or anything to take her home in....They gave us a beautiful darkwood box and a velvet bag to put the box in and it came with a poem and when I went to pick her up, the staff was so nice and very caring. When I read the bad reviews on here it breaks my heart because i KNOW that these people are kind and caring. more

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I used Dr. Darch when I lived in Raleigh, but now I live in Efland NC, over 50 miles from there and I still bring my 3 dogs to him! Wonderful Vet and one that won't make you take a second Mortgage out on your house to help your pet. Please bring cash or your checkbook because they do charge for using your credit card, but thats fine. Old school Vet equals quality care in my book!!!! more

Having moved from WV we found all services in Wake Forest to be double. I was really worried when it came to picking out a vet because we have 3 dogs and 2 cats and they have been seeing the same vet in WV for 11 years. So, picking a vet was going to be hard. \r I met a Vet who works in research and he referred me to Dr. Darch. He and his wife have several animals and they all go to Dr. Darch.\r The first time we met Dr. Darch we had been up most of the night with our youngest Maltese. Dr. Darch was very thorough with Lilly. THis happened a second time and we were able to get her to Dr. Darch while she was still in discomfort. By the time we got her home and she took the first dose of medicine, she was back to normal. I forgot to mention, he gave me the antibiotic and a can of wet food for her and I don't think he charged me extra for that. :)\r We just took Lilly in to get her teeth cleaned the first time. Dr. Darch said she may have a cough because of the trach. Well, she was fine until 3:30 in the morning. She was barking like a seal. I called the office at 8:30 and Dr. Darch came to the phone and assured me that it was the cough he was telling me about yesterday. He did not make me feel stupid. I just didn't expect it to be so severe. Well, it wasn't 30 minutes later and he called back to say that if it was really bad that I could give her a dose of children's cough medicine. I know he just did that to make me feel better. \r I've read several negative comments about Dr. Darch and I find them hard to believe. He is a busy doctor with many patients. He does not have time to carry on a 20 minute converstation with each of us. I had a very hard time changing vets but I have found his staff and him to be great! He did not have to call me back but he did. \r If a vet uses him then that should tell you something right there! Pros: Friendly staff, convenient, cheaper than most. Cons: Can't use my credit card but that's okay. more

After my dog injured herself, I did some calling around to vets that are near me, as well as many of the ones in Raleigh. North Wake was the only one that had affordable rates and they were able to see me that same day. Even though they do walkins and not appointments, they got me in and out quickly and easily. However, I do not feel I was rushed and they took the time to answer my questions and concerns, as well as giving me some advice for how to proceed. Despite being a bit of a drive, I will be taking my animals here in the future, as they are friendly, professional, and well priced. Pros: Price, Staff, Quality of Service Cons: Don't Live in Wake Forest and Have to Drive there... more

this vet charges you a fee to use your credit card, this is illegal according to visa/mastercard regulations and they can be charged a 5,000 fee for this. when you tell them what they are doing is illegal, the vet screamed at me in front of the entire office and ranted that his brother is a lawyer. he treats me cat ok though but he wasn't nice to me more

I am not a vet and I even know not to stick a qutip in one ear and put the same end in the other ear. I couldn't believe it when I saw Dr Douche do that to my dog. If she had an ear infection in her left ear it would of been transferred to the right. Against my better judgement I left her there to get spayed. When I picked her up the next day she was covered in feeces. I had to drive home with my shirt over my nose and mouth. I understand my extremely house broken girl just had surgery and may have had an acciedent, but if she is left in your care she should not be returned to me in that condition. Esspecially with a fresh stitched insision. It is only sanitary that she would of been cleaned up. I have suspicion that she was just left in the cage to sit in her own increment and not let out while she was in their care, but I have no proof of that. Now she is bleeding from the vaginal area. It has been 1 week since the surgery and she is bleeding. I refuse to take her back there so now I have to pay another vet to make sure she is ok. I wouldn't go back there if they were free and I recommend you don't either. If you do watch Dr Douche cross contaminate your dog's ears with a qutip. (excuse my spelling) Pros: They are cheap Cons: You get what you pay for more

If there was a lower rating than one star, I would award it to North Wake. I had heard about this vet from my sister. Of course, like any owner who loves their pet I researched them . . . came across several negative reviews, but my sister said they were ""so great"" with her dog, I thought I'd give them a chance anyway. \r \r My initial reaction was ""Wow! What a great vet""! Initially, I was very impressed with the treatment and the care they took with my babies. So much so, that for the last 6 years I have driven 45min one way just to make sure my babies had the ""best"" treatment. However, the last few years I had started to notice a downward shift in both the treatment of my babies and the care they were given. Instead of handling them kindly, they started handling them quickly and matter-of-factly. They would loft my older handicap German shepherd up on that cold table like a sack of flower. She can't stand very well anymore and they didn't support her or even do anything to help calm her. To say the least, she was traumatized every time. This is how it has become. . . . now.\r \r Our most recent visit was our last. I had taken our lab in to have the vet check her skin. After a quick once over he left. When he did return he shot my baby full of a highly potent steroid/hormone (this I found out later . . . when we transferred her med. records the new vet told me she had ""never seen that much steroid used on a dog her size"") without asking me or telling me a thing. When I asked him questions about her condition he was very vague and very curt . . . he obviously was not interested in answering my questions and left almost as quickly as he came.\r \r My husband an I have a new baby at home. So, still concerned about our labs condition and even more concerned that this could be dangerous for our little girl, I called the vet the following morning. When I tried to ask the woman on the phone (another vet in this practice) the questions I did not get the opportunity to ask the day before, she very rudely snapped at me ""I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO KNOW . . . I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU WANT? A DERMATOLOGY LESSON?""\r \r If North Wake REALLY cared about the pets and people they serve, do you really think that two of the three vets in this practice would set such a negative example of concern for the patient or the parent? I am a teacher . . . and I LOVE my job. I get tickled to DEATH when I have a parent show concern and involvement in their child . . . because this shows me that the child is well loved and taken care of. Obviously this is not a concern for this veterinarian practice.\r \r NOT EVERYONE TREATS THEIR PET LIKE A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY - IF THIS IS YOU, THEN NORTH WAKE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! OTHERWISE I RECOMMEND YOU STAY AWAY. Pros: Cheap Cons: See Below . . . more