Northeast Veterinary Hospital

I am unable to remove my former good review of NE Veterinary Hospital so, am publishing this in its place. Under no circumstances whatsoever would I recommend this establishment. In fact, I am currently exploring avenues of legal action and complaints to pursue against them. more

I discovered NE Veterinary Hospital when I pets' regular veterinarian, Dr. Fisher, moved his practice here and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I love my pets dearly and there is nothing more important than their care so, I have learned to be very careful through the years to find the best veterinary care possible for them. I feel absolutely confident and comfortable with not only my vet but also with the professionalism and the kindness of the staff. Theirs is a difficult job because so many of us have pets who are surrogate children but I would not take my "fur kids" any where else. Simply the best. more

Our cat was given an injection of Convenia at Northeast Veterinary Hospital in Seattle which caused many and varied symptoms (treatments which cost over $600+ and many smaller costing visits on top of the initial $200+ bill) that ended up being a bonanza for this practice. I did not want this injection but was overridden. The problem with long acting drugs is that they stay in the body a long time, but even I didn't suspect that this drug stays in the system for 65 days - long after efficacy. Stupid me, I thought 14 days might be bad if there was a problem. If you are interested here is a link of study data - http://treshanley.com/NewCC/Dangers/page77/page77.html What really hurts is I believe now that most of the treatment was designed to hide his reaction to this drug - not treat him - when they talked me into euthanasia for fluid build up (a side effect of this drug) they led me to believe he had cancer or heart failure and he wouldn't survive draining the fluid which would be cruel and painful and I should just let him go. At this point I was in for well over $1000 and they probably thought they couldn't get too much more out of me. I caved and maybe it was because they insisted that it would be cruel and he was suffering. He fought to live and I wonder if that was really what he wanted - I believe he was trying to tell me something and for the amount they charged me anyway I should have taken the risk with the draining even if they didn't want to do it. This drug was still in his system and given more time he might have recovered - maybe not 100% but who makes it through all the way at 100%? more

My pets (and I) have became customers of NE Vet Hospital when my favorite veterinarian (Dr. Fisher -- and his wife, Dr. Wrycha, is also great) moved to this animal clinic. I not only obviously recommend Dr. Fisher highly as a top-notch vet but the entire staff is not only competent but NICE! I have gone through some difficult illnesses with one of my pets recently and this place and the staff have been wonderful. I can't recommend them highly enough. more

the front desk is great but Dr. Erick Christensen is rude and think you know anything about your pet more

I recently stopped going to NE Veterinary Hospital. I find their front office staff unprofessional, rude and dismissive. I've seen several of the vets over the years with mixed reviews. However, they do have one really good vet. tech. It took me a while to realize I was only going there because it was close and convenient for me. My animals deserve better than that so I've moved on. more

The people at NE Veterinary are amazing. My dog developed a spine problem several months ago and Dr. Amy Ward did everything she could to help her get better. When she got too ill to walk or stand anymore, Dr. Ward came to my house on a Friday night so she could die in peace at home instead of in the office. When it was all over she, gave me a big hug. How many vets would do that? I highly recommend NE Veterinary and Dr. Ward. more

I've been using NE Veterinary Hospital for the last two years and I can't find anything to complain about. The vets have been kind, compassionate, and have given good care to our animals (both dog and cats). They work with me to make sure that the best decisions are made. The front desk staff is often busy, and when they can't help me right away they at least signal that they know I'm there and will get to me soon. I would take my pets there just for the quality of care, but I really love that they offer evening hours - that really helps me with my work schedule. more

definitely good to know when looking into a new vet. more

I've been going to NE Vet Hospital for years and years. They are wonderful. The doctors are very kind and caring, although I agree with someones earlier post about Dr. Ward, I'm not sure if she likes people either. She can be rude and somewhat fake. Otherwise, I've had nothing but good experiences there. The reception staff is completely overworked. It is a very busy office and the reception staff seems to be working non stop. I would not say that they are rude by any means. I have never had a bad experience with the receptionists, they just seemed stressed and overworked. I don't know if they are short handed up front but it seems like it most of the time. But don't let the stressed out front desk staff turn you off, the doctors are wonderful and very helpful! more

I brought my cat into the hospital for surgery. He needed to have an internal lump removed and his teeth cleaned. When I went to pick him up after the surgery I was horrified to discover that they operated on him in the wrong spot. His lump was still there, and he had been cut open and sewn back up about 6 inches from where the actual lump remained. Dr. Edwards, who performed the surgery, refused to take any responsibility for the fact that she had cut my cat open in the wrong spot and simply sewed him back up trying to pass it off as if she had done the proper surgery. Dr. Edwards blamed the vet technician for not doing her job and shaving my cat's lump when we arrived. In addition, Dr. Edwards told me that she couldn't locate my cat's lump from his chart because she couldn't even read one of the other veterinarian's handwriting. Even worse was when I called the next day to explain what had happened to the owner of Northeast Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Reeves. He was extremely rude and apparently only concerned about money because he refused to give me a full refund. The worst part about all this is the complete disregard for my cat's well-being. None of the veterinarians cared that my cat suffered because of their carelessness. The multiple mistakes and incompetence this veterinarian clinic showed is inexcusable. I would warn people to stay away from Northeast Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Edwards and Dr. Reeves. They do not care about animals and are rude and dangerously incompetent. more

My family has been taking our pets to NE Vet for about 20 years. Dr. Price is such a wonderful vet and feels to me like an old fashioned family doctor. He is quite reserved and not the most socially apt person I've ever met, but the moment he begins his examination you realize that you've hit a real gold mine of skill and caring. He provides excellent care and you can see his genuine love of animals - and the fact that his/the business' "bottom line" is not a consideration in his recommendations. He is more than willing to work with families to figure out what's best for the pet and never hesitates to say "if she were my pet, this is what I would do" which goes a long way in making me feel like I'm making the best decision. In addition, he's unfortunately euthanized probably a half dozen of my family's pets and has always been extremely sensitive to grieving humans. I've also had good experiences with Drs. Christensen, Reeves and Moody, though I don't see them as often. The experiences I've had with newer vets have been hit or miss. I question if Dr. Ward in particular even likes animals (or humans for that matter). So far as office staff goes, there are some stellar assistants/receptionists there - Penny and Diane in particular have been there forever - and some that are only okay, but I feel like so long as my pets are receiving the quality of care that Dr. Price provides, the rest of the staff isn't that important. more

We took our 4 lb chihuahua in for oral cleaning. At the pre-op check up, the vet tech told me that our dog could stand to eat a few less greenies (he's 4lbs for cryin out loud & in great shape). Who tells a parent that their kid is fat and then laughs in their face? This was forgiven as I felt she was just socially awkward but then she told me that he needed his nails clipped, to which I replied that we do clip them but not close as his wicks are long & a vet down in Texas clipped them too close once & made him bleed. I thought that was the end of that. The next day we took him in for his surgery and my partner gave specific instructions to call us if they wanted to pull any teeth other than the one specified. They did call us later that afternoon to let us know that he'd lost some teeth during cleaning and that they wanted to remove some extra baby teeth. During the discussion, the same vet tech said that she was going to clip his nails. My partner told her "do NOT clip his nails. I don't trust anyone but us to do it and I do NOT want his nails clipped." The tech argued that if they cut him they had glue to stop the bleeding and that he would be knocked out anyway and wouldn't feel a thing. Needless to say, she was told again in no uncertain terms that was unacceptable and that his nails were not to be clipped. fast forward to pick up time. The front desk lady rings us up and tells us "today your dog had a dental cleaning, blah blah, HIS NAILS CLIPPED" WHAT?? I told her that the tech was told in no uncertain terms not to do that, to which she replied "well when a dog has oral surgery, it's best for them to have their nails cut short". So at that, I stopped arguing or even caring, I just wanted out of there. HOWEVER, it gets worst. That same receptionist gives us his pain pills and anti-inflammatory pills with instructions of "one a day". To which we ask if we can split the pills up as he's a 4lb chihuahua and the pills were quite large. She replies not to do that, but to cover the entire pill in butter and shove it down his throat if he won't take them. O.K. fast forward again to when we get home. I'm reading the medication and I see that it says "25 mg" and "give 1/4 a day until all medication used". My partner then reads the medication advisory which states that 2mg per lb is the dose. That equals 8mgs NOT 25! So we call the vet. The admin lady is very rude and says to do what the receptionist told us. We then tell her about the advisory and that it doesn't sound right. She then says "well I can get a vet if you want" (UM YES PLEASE). So after holding a few minutes she comes back and routinely apologizes but yes our dog is to have 1/4 pill a day not the entire pill. HE COULD HAVE DIED!!! Seriously, we will not be going back here. You'd think that a veterinary hospital would care more for their patients welfare and not so much about being late for dinner. I'm so glad we pushed the issue but am saddened that many pet owners probably (and rightly so) trust their initial advice at the cost of their pets comfort, health and at worst case scenario, death. more

I was quite impressed with Northeast Vet. Hospital. I am not always impressed with the receptionist. A lady by the name of Diane went above and beyond for me. She is quite warm and kind whenever I call. While others, you can tell by the tones are awful, and dont go to any lengths to hide it. But, that will not scare me away from this fabulous vet hospital. I have seen Dr. Price, Dr. Christensen, Dr. Jeff (cant think of his last name) and a few others, and I am completely happy with how they have treated my cats. One of my cats has seziures, and Dr. Christensen has been kind, and patient with me. (My cat is wonderful at that office) he answered all my questions and didnt seem rushed at all. I would highly recommend this place to go with your animals. Don't let some of the rude receptionists scare you off, (with the acception of Diane, because she is wonderful) because the doctors arent *anything* like them.. more

We've taken our adult dog here for the past 2 years. Over this past summer, we got a puppy that quickly became very sick with parvo. I found the staff and veterinarians to be especially responsive and understanding when caring for our critically ill puppy. They even allowed us to bring a radio to play classical music in the isolation room where our puppy was kenneled. Also, the veterinary staff were very up-front with us about our puppy's odds of survival and the cost of care. Unfortunately, our puppy didn't survive, though not due to lack of care (I was researching treatment options for parvo online, and the vet's tx matched best practice). We've since adopted a second adult dog, continue to take both of our dogs to this clinic. One thing I really like is their clinic hours--with evening and weekend hours, it's very convenient, and easy to get in if you have an emergency. My perception of the front desk staff is that they are typically very busy during the day--not necessarily rude. When I've been in and it's not as busy, they're friendly to me. more

I highly recommend Dr. Price, particularly to anyone with a sighthound. Not all vets understand the needs of these dogs, but both greyhound and Italian greyhound rescues work with Dr. Price, so he knows his stuff. My first impressions made me hesitant. This is a very busy office. You weigh your own dog and the staff are hurried, although they try extremely hard to be polite while the phone interrupts them. Dr. Price is a reserved person--he doesn't smile that much--until he sees the dog (or, also, my cat). But once he starts his exam and diagnosis you see a great diagnostician at work. He has been right on target every time AND the prices were very reasonable for high-quality dental cleanings, office visits, and surgery. So, despite the busy atmosphere, I now give this Dr. Price a "perfect" because any shortcomings are more than compensated for by the strengths more

I've been going to this vet for 15 years. They have seen multiple family pets over the years. I have all the faith in the world in the doctors there and have never been disappointed with that aspect. I must say that the front desk staff can be improved. The service received when you come in for an appointment is fine. The service received when you call is not so great. Often times I've called to see if what my cat(s) are doing or experiencing is serious or should be looked at. I call to get a professional opinion about what is going on. More often than not, they are boarderline rude to me. It's like calling a car shop when something's wrong with your car, "well ma'm, we can't tell what's wrong with it unless you bring it in and we take a look". I can call the on call nurse if something is wrong with my health and get support and advice...this is not the case with Northeast Vet. None the less, I am still a customer and will continue to be a customer as long as the doctors we see are great and the service we recieve when we are there isn't lacking. more

I've been taking our two cats here for five years. Over the years we have seen all their vets, and Drs. Price and Christensen more than the others. They have always been very attentive and caring. We just had to have one of the cats put down yesterday. He was a great favorite of the staff and when we went in everyone was incredibly supportive and told us how sad they were. They all agreed, gently, that it was his time to go (he was very old, had a tumor, and had stopped eating). Today the doorbell rang and when I opened it, I found a beautiful flower arrangement--yep, from the vet. In response to other posts: I have not found the front desk staff uncaring or inconsistent. What they are is busy--this is a crowded clinic--and sometimes you have to wait while they serve someone else. If that bugs you, you probably should find another vet. more

My hamster became quite ill and the vet I use for my cats doesn't see small animals. They recommended Northeast as one of the alternatives. They were able to see us the same day, for which I was grateful because he was suffering. However, when I arrived for my appointment I was told that I could have brought him in at any time since he was having respiratory problems. She was very apologetic- apparently the woman who handled my initial call was a new hire and that was her 3rd day on the job. We saw Dr. James Reeves. He was very gentle with my hamster and explained what he thought was wrong with him and what options existed. Unfortunately my hamster had to be euthanized and both the Vet Tech and Dr. Reeves were very compassionate about it. I received a sympathy card in the mail two days after my hamster was put to sleep. I was so very touched by that gesture. I will definitely consider switching to Northeast for my cat care. However, I would suggest calling to confirm any information given by the front desk staff if it is regarding anything other than a routine appointment. more

We have 1 older dog and 2 middle aged cats. We are almost always able to get an appointment last minute if we really need it. We usually see Dr. Moody, but on occasion have seen other docs and they are all very nice. They take the time to explain things to you and they have such a calming manner around the pets. The vet techs seem to be knowledgeable and nice too. more