Savannah Veterinary Emergency Clinic

GO ELSEWHERE IF YOU LOVE YOUR PET!!!!!\r worst care. Took cat in emergently for small bowel obstruction. Did absolutely nothing but give him pain meds and 100 cc of fluid for dehydration. What...even I know thats not right. Did not have a regular vet as we just moved to savannah. RUDE staff, Rude physician. Dismissed animals symptoms and did nothing to resolve the obstruction. I""m"" filing a complaint with the board of veterinary medicine. No ANIMAL SHOYLD SUFFER THIS WAY. I was brought a list of charges inwhich I was instructed to initial before. Your concern for payment out weighed your oath and common humanity for animals. You should be ashamed. I hope the people that staff this facility have the same health issue and I hope they suffer just as they made my animal suffer. Shame on you. more

Avoid coming here for emergency services especially time sensitive ones. I too had a problem with Cecilia. She is completely neglectful. Brought my two small dogs in for fear that they got ahold of prescription medicines that are highly toxic stimulants. She did not so much as weigh my dogs much less check any vital signs during the entire ""exam."" I had to call poison control myself and pay a $65 fee to the hotline before they would even do anything and even after I did that, there was absolutely no type of observation of the dogs. She gave me a $1000 estimate for overnight observation which I declined because at this point the dogs would have been dead and we'd still be waiting on her to weigh them as she giggled and joked in the hallway. I waited for her to come back and check me out along with others which never happened so I left. I got a call shortly after telling me I skipped out on a bill of $123 and that they would report me for theft of services. I called back and she was absolutely belligerent and accusatory. I informed her I had no problem paying the bill for services rendered and when I inquired as to what these services were she lied about examining the dogs. more

After having moved to the area only six day prior to my dog losing use of his back legs .... I was so fortunate to have found this practice. I took him to the emergency clinic at 11pm and was told he needed surgery. The emergency vet was straight forward but compassionate enough .... I do not expect them to be overly worried about my emotions ..... but rather demonstrate clinical competence and be honest. Dr. Shealy did surgery the next day but not without calling and discussing his findings. He was kind and straightforward ... which again I appreciate. I took the initiative and called the previous vet and had them forward records. I also wrote down all conditions and brought all medications. The pup is doing GREAT and I am so grateful to all involved. If you want straight forward and very competent care for your pet.... I strongly recommend this practice. more

On Friday April 25 2014, our cat needed a blood transfusion to aid his low red blood cell count which had moved him into respiratory danger. Our vet and we had phoned ahead to ensure a quick start on his problem. That went well, but from thereon, no communication took place with us as they robotically went about their tasks. No warming blanket was placed on our cat even though he was in shock, no gentle touch or soft voice of encouragement was given to comfort him through the intubation ordeal or transfusion. At one point when he was being removed from the oxygen cage since he had stopped breathing, one of the vet techs yanked him out sideways by his arm /shoulder and whammed him down onto the work table. She didn't know I had come back into the room. And no one else working in that room had a problem with her behavior.\r \r This is a practice where humane treatment does not exist: no empathy for the poor pet victims or their frightened guardians. Where chat continues between them, but no important information is shared with clients such as ""Your animal has stopped breathing again. We cannot get any blood pressure. His heart is still beating."" Without these exchanges, a pet guardian doesn't know how to correctly proceed and Savannah Emerg Hospital likes it that way so they can call all the shots, and get that bill up high even if the situation is hopeless.\r There was no debriefing, no follow up report by email, 3 days later a curt report only a medical doctor would understand arrived since by mail since they refuse to discuss face to face with clients. I insisted that their harsh and unsuccessful treatment cease, and took my cat's corpse back to my home vet who respectfully treated his body for cremation.\r Why does this Emergency Hospital have so many similar complaints? They need serious re training or to be closed down. if you have time, go to Charleston for vet emerg services. They have refused to answer my questions so I have taken them to the State Veterinary Board in Macon Georgia. (See online) Complain there\r more

My experience here was great. I have a lot of animals and have taken them to multiple ER vets and honestly was very pleased with them; when in the past, I usually am never satisfied with er vets. They answered my questions over the phone before I got there and didn't try to run any tests or keep my dog going when it was her time to be put down. I can truly appreciate a vet (Dr. Debbie) who doesn't try to bs me. I have a lot of pets and am pretty well versed in their health conditions, and she told me exactly what I expected to hear. I was skeptical to hear that this is the only er vet in town, but was pleasantly surprised at how awesome they are.\r \r Were very caring with me and my dog and gave her a heating pad while we waited for my boyfriend to get there for me. They explained the whole process clearly and gave me the time I needed to say goodbye to her. I recommend having a copy of your pets records on hand in case you need them in case of emergency, it makes everyone's jobs more

Totally upset! Tonight about 9:55 I saw a cat hit on 66th St. He was still alive. I turned around and stopped traffic and picked the poor thing up off the road and set it in some leaves. It left a bloody stain on the road and the poor thing had mangled back legs. I believe he was bleeding thru his butt and tummy. I was afraid of getting scratched --it just whimpered and let out a meow. Sad, I assume it was feral- no collar and young. I parked and kept my distance hoping the poor thing would pass and be out of it's misery. Well 3 minutes went by and it was trying to move (rear quarters completely messed up) and it panted and cried. Well, I am an animal lover and hate to see this. I called animal control about 10:03 pm, nothing but recordings. I looked for the after hours vet clinic. I am thinking I can box the little guy, bring him in tonight and maybe pay $10 dollars or so to have him euthanized. I tell the girl on the phone what happened and I'd like to bring him in, she explains its $40. I ask her to work with me, its not my cat. I'm just trying to do what's right. SHe says no, it's $40. I hang up. I'm on fire! poor thing is breathing heaving and definitely struggling. I went home. So annoyed I call back the after hours vet clinic and spoke with Cecilia. She is callous and there's no working around the $40. The $40 is more of an issue than stopping the suffering of a poor innocent animal to this woman. I told her it was ridiculous, that they could have at least done it for cost. She rambled on like a robot recording. I told her if my vet was open I'd take the cat there (they are GREAT about that stuff) and she just said ""call your vet"". There was laughing and talking in the background. I let her know I would complain to the owner Dr Harrelson, she acted like it was no sweat off her back.. After all, she's not hit laying in a pile of leaves...what should she care? This woman needs a job that requires zero compassion. Let me tell you, this vet should not be after hours if they are not going to help with animal emergencies. Especially homeless animals. Oh I understand how expensive it is to treat animals, I was NOT asking to treat the cat for free. All Cecilia could offer was the cops to be called. What a witch. I am just ONE crazy animal lover but know that I have a big mouth and know a lot of people. Get your office staff and injured animal policy together!! Disgraceful. more

Twice we have been to this After Hours Emergency Vets and twice we have come away extremely pleased with the services they offered us. Our recent visit after long lengthy visits to our local vet resulted in getting the bottom of my dogs issue. The vet on duty was incredible and identified an issue with my dogs back, we were referred to Dr Shealy who in turn when above and beyond the call of duty to get to the bottom of the issue. This Dr called us at night and weekends to keep us up to date with the progress of our dog. We eventually had to meet him and thank him for his incredible persistence in finding what was wrong with our little girl. Dr Shealy and the staff at this clinic were amazing and we still visit them for weekly shots our dog has to have for a while. I totally recommend this Clinic and all the staff that work there. After not being able to have children of our own she is my daughter and I would not trust my dog to just anyone believe me. more

I've read all reviews and was amazed at the overall negativism imparted from pet owners who had no where else to take their sick pets. I have taken my 3 1/2 old Yorky to this clinic TWICE and I absolutely KNOW I would not have her with me today, had it not been for the swift and appropriate medical interventions of the team there. Emergency care, whether it is for animals or humans, is a clinicaly oriented, very fast paced, care environment. I believe that it is the responsibility of the pet owner to stay immersed in the care of their animal and take the lead on asking questions and staying on top of the care their pet is receiving. I might have a few little quirks that I think could have been different but the bottom line is this: I feel so fortunate to have this clinic close to my home. Count thy blessings, instead of throwing stones, and see how much more you enjoy your pet and your life! A Grateful Pet Owner\r PRO: After hours availability, Location\r CON: Sometimes unavoidably shor more

Horrific attitude from Taine and Dr. Shealy! My pet died after 4 wks of intensive physical therapy after spinal herniation surgery that would correct her "to as good as new" in Dr. Shealy's words. My dog had a predisposed illness that had nothing to do w/ her herniation but Dr. Shealy never requested my dog's records from her usual vet nor did he even ask me any background questions about my dog's medical history. After $5000 of expenses, which was about $1200 more than Taine's estimate, my beloved pet died from a disease that could have been diagnosed w/ a simple test. If they had asked some questions regarding medical history, or even consulted w/ my own home vet, they may have made the test that would have circumvented $5K in surgery and physical theray that did my beloved Shelley no good. The worst part was this: my pet started going downhill on a Thurs and no one notified me. On Sat. evening I got a voice mail from Dr. Shealy and I called him back. Shelley had died that Sat. morni more

I will have to agree with the reviewer. I had a similar situation just over three years ago. My dog ended up having to be put down. The veterinarian on call that evening was anything but friendly. She was incredibly callous and almost cruel as I sat holding my dog and just bawling. I have been there on more than one occasion the last couple of years and seen that she is still in practice. She is not the owner of the practice, but she still works there.\r \r The vet techs, however, I can say have been outstanding. I visit quite frequently to pick up animals left behind by owners who couldn't pay the bills for care. They deal with a lot of stress throughout their day from emotional customers, and I think they do a great job. \r \r I will admit, the ER Vet is my very last resort. As the prices are always high, I highly recommend that families invest in pet insurance or set money aside for emergencies. Better to be prepared than to have to end your pet's life because you simply don't have the more

Even though we have had several very positive experiences at Savannah Veterinary Emergency Clinic when our pet received excellent care, we experienced incredibly callous and insensitive behavior displayed by the doctor on duty at this clinic the night of June 27, 2008 (at which time an emergent situation necessitated having euthanasia administered to my long-time family dog, one also loved by the residents of a local nursing home where he served as a therapy dog). I shudder to think how many others have also been maltreated by this particular "health professional." \r \r As anyone who has ever had to have a beloved pet "put down" knows, it is emotionally stressful and a time when compassion and empathy are appreciated. Complaints are currently being filed against this doctor to the proper authorities. The owner of Savannah Veterinary Emergency Clinic has apologized for the unacceptable treatment we received and assured us action against the doctor on duty would be pursued by her. \r \r If more

Our dog Freckle got into a bottle of Motrin and had to take a visit to the hospital after hours. They were very busy but they took care of Freckle. The only thing that I did not like was that they did not keep us updated on his condition. We stayed in the waiting area for HOURS before anyone told us anything. He also had to stay over and getting there to transport him to our home vet before 7:30 AM was a task seeing we live almost an hour away. Even with these ""little"" issues they knew what to do and he is fine now. Pros: Open all night Cons: Location more