Szymkowski, Mary, Dvm - Animal Hospital Of Peak Plaza

We loved our first experience at the Animal Hospital of Peak Plaza with Dr. Bailey. He engaged our children in the conversation regarding our new puppy and seemed very thorough. Dr. Bailey made us feel as if he really cared about the health of our puppy. I would recommend him without hesitation!! After our puppy became sick, we went in to see Dr. Szymkowski. I was so upset leaving the office after this sick visit. She was flat out rude to me as I asked multiple questions, which I felt to be very pertinent to maintaining a healthy household with young children. When I respectfully questioned when to give our puppy medicine, she became very defensive and rude and didn't even give an explanation as to her answer. It was as if she couldn't believe I was questioning her authority. Perhaps we just had one bad experience, but I feel very strongly that she crossed the line. We are new clients and I would think she would want to treat us with respect. I have NEVER written a bad review on a service before, but I feel so strongly about this poor interaction, that I felt as if I should warn other people. Again, Dr. Bailey was phenomenal. I would NOT recommend Dr. Szymkowski! more

We've been taking our cats here for almost 2 years and Dr. Szymkowski takes excellent care of them. One of our cats was pretty sick for a while & it's been great to have a vet you can trust. She answered or returned every emergency call, even offered to see our cat during off hours. It's very obvious that Dr. Szymkowski is a very compassionate & competent doctor. As long as we're in this area, we won't be taking our animals anywhere else. more

We have been going here for almost five years and have never had a problem ever getting an emergency appointment or receiving wonderful care for our animals! Both Dr. Szymowski and Dr. Bailey have had nothing but compassion for our animals throughout the years. The post by Deb09 is inflammatory and simply isn't true and does not warrant being reported. The imaging technology that is available to humans is extremely expensive for animals due to lack of health insurance for animals. Vets typically rely on experience, their hands, and simple lab tests. Diagnosing cancer is never easy and is extremely expensive. Give the woman a break! That said, I will be going back to Peak Animal Hospital for as long as I possibly can! We love it there! Pros: The doctors, friendly staff Cons: none more

I WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE DOCTORS OR THE CARE. THEY WERE NOT KNOWLEDGABLE AND APPEARED INEXPERIENCED. I WILL NOT RETURN AGAIN. POOR STAFF FROM THE FRONT DESK TO THE DOCTORS. Pros: NONE more

I took my dog there because of a small lump on her side. Dr. Szymkowski aspirated the lump and said it was just a fatty tumor. She told me it was nothing to worry about. She said only if it got bigger and was bothering her to bring her back it could be removed. I was back in there a couple months later to pick-up some meds for my dog and I ask her again about this mass. I was told again, just a fatty mass we can remove it but possibly it would come back. Over the next couple of months the mass got huge and my dog started to limp and became lethargic. I took her back to see Dr. S and a biopsy was done. It came back to be CANCER and of a high grade. This nut never once told me as a precautionary measure to bring her back to have it checked again. She never mentioned that it could possibly turn into cancer. She is the doctor not me, I should have been told to bring her back in a couple of months to have it rechecked. Now my precious dog has a tumor that can not be removed because of its size. The only thing we can do is give her radiation to make her comfortable. Otherwise my dog has no other medical problems and was in good shape for a 9 yr old. She was very active, outgoing and full of energy. If she had only told me to bring her back to have it checked as a precautionary measure my dog would be fine. The mass could have been removed when it was still very small and she would survive. Now she only probably has months to live because of her negligence! Please DO NOT SEE THIS DOCTOR!! She is inexperienced, negligent and incompetent! I plan on reporting her to the NCVMB!! She also seem to become defensive because we asked questions and when we could not reach her we contacted their emergency vet services. She told us we could take our pet somewhere else if we were not happy with her. I thought that was odd and showed signs of guilt! What kind of caring doctor with a situation like ours would have done that?! So, Please Do Not Take Your Beloved Pet There to see her!! I will never forgive her for what she has done to my precious dog and to us! This is UNFORGIVABLE!! I hope she rots in hell! Pros: Nothing Cons: Everything about Dr. Szymkowski more

I have moved a lot over the years and have tried many vets. Dr. Bailey and his staff are by far the best I have ever been too. Dr. Bailey remembers us and is very considerate of our goals and needs. He understands that our pets are our babies, but sometimes we can't always afford to clean their teeth every year-he inflicts no guilt...except with weight control. That is a good thing. Because of him my 11 year old lab will surely live longer. No other vet has helped me with weight control before. His staff is very friendly and they love animals. They take their time with you-so sometimes, but not all the times they are running a bit behind b/c you know they are not rushing through any patient. I always look forward to my visits, and if we ever move I will do everything I can to drive back to this office!!! Pros: Service, compassion, consideration, friendliness more

Good Vet office staff is a little slow but does their job. Would like more samples of suggested food etc. Smells a little in the office. Overall okay. more

I have had pets for ten years and lived all over the country, and hands down Dr. Bailey is the best vet I've ever had. He is very thorough in his examinations and gives pets owner lots of pertinent information to take home about the diagnosis. He is very direct about risks with various procedures. He genuinely cares about each animal and is very good at calming down anxious pets for the exam. He listens to owners and takes adequate time with each patient and owner. He does not over charge for his services and products. It is easy to get appointments. I would recommend Dr. Gene Bailey to any pet owner and already have to friends and family. All of my family in the triangle take their many pets to his office. Pros: Easy to get to -- right off NC-55 Cons: none more

Dr. Bailey is an excellent Vet. We are new to the area and used this site to find a Vet. Dr. Bailey was highly recommended so we gave him a try. We've been here 3 short months and both dogs have been in. Dr. Bailey and his staff treated our dogs like they were their dogs. They are caring, compassionate and informed. They take the least invasive approach when possible. I brought our Akita in with what i thought was a bladder infection, Dr. Bailey saw something more concerning and did radiongraphs and we also needed a follow up ultrasound. He chose to try the radiographs and ultrasound without anesthesia, we've spoken to vets who would not even take Akitas at their practice and many who wanted us to muzzle her before letting her out of the car. They saw past her breed and saw the actual dog and personality. They really pulled out all the stops to make sure we weren't missing something more serious in her condition. We also have a small dog and Dr. Bailey was sensitive to our apprehension to put him under anesthesia to do a teeth cleaning. He got out past records and reviewed them to find a better anesthesia to use for him. Overall I have been very impressed, the only thing I wasn't thrilled about was that when the shaved our Akita to so the ultrasound they knicked her several times with the razor and she had some pretty good sized cuts from that. I suspect that somone not familiar with the breed shaved her not knowing that Akita's have some extra skin in their underbelly. We are so impressed that we drive all the way from Durham to Apex because we think he's the best vet in the area. We've lived inmany places and have had 7 different vets and he ranks near the top. Pros: Comprehensive care, plesant staff, caring Cons: need to work on shaving dogs more

Dr. Bailey has been one of the most compassionate veterinarians I have ever met. He has taken care of my "babies" for many years now, and I trust him to provide the best care possible for them. I have recommended him to many of my friends and have never had a single complaint. Wonderful doctor! more

Dr. Bailey has been our vet for years. I cannot imagine trusting anyone else with our precious pets. He is a remarkable man.... The Hansen Family Pros: kind, compassionate, honest more

...is tops. We adopted our dog Maggie 5 years ago. The man who took Maggie in until we adopted her, recommended Dr. Bailey, after having worked with him. We not only got the best dog in the whole world, but the best Vet, too. The kids love to come on the visits because Dr Gene is so nice and caring....We highly recommend the Animal Hospital of Peak Plaza! more

Not only is Dr. Bailey a good vet, but he actually cares about our pets. Dr. Bailey takes the time and interest to learn about each dog's individual personality and adjust his approach accordingly. The 'pampered pooch' approach has made vetting more of an adventure than a challenge for our 3 dogs. As to his knowledge, he is an expert. Better yet, if he does not have the answers he will research them until he does. He takes the time to call, during his off hours, to see how his patients are responding to treatment. He truly cares and you can't ask for more. more

Gene Bailey is not only the most intelligent veterinarian I have met, but he also possesses the best touch with animals. His ability to handle animals in a safe and humane way eases their visit, and even the worst of temperments can be remedied. Our two cats and two dogs enjoy the visit, as do my wife and I. We always learn something and take an active role in our pets' health. We moved further away, but the trip is well worth the world-class care our animals receive at the Animal Hospital of Peak Plaza. more

We take our four pets here, and couldn't be happier. Dr is kind, intelligent, and gets "parents" involved (even took me back in the lab to show me cytology results!). Staff is friendly, loving. Prices are low to moderate for area--Great value. We love AHPP! more