VCA Murphy Road Animal Hospital

I took my dog in for her annual vaccines. I was 5 minutes early for my appointment, but ended up waiting thirty minutes for my doctor to come and get us. She still wasn't finished with her prior appointment and since my dog had a slight allergic reaction to her vaccinations the last time, she asked that I leave her with them to monitor her reaction. It seemed a little over-the-top in comparison to how minor her last reaction had been, but I went with it to be safe. I left her there for the day and got a call before I was to pick her up telling me that she did not have a reaction but they had found a heart murmur. When I went in to speak with the vet, she explained to me that heart murmurs are judged on a scale of 1-4 and that hers was between a 2-3 in severity. Naturally this completely freaked me out that my 7 year old healthy dog had suddenly developed a moderate heart murmur. The doctor gave me an estimate on the types of tests she would recommend in order to make sure there wasn't a larger problem. The estimate ran between $700-$1100. I called my hometown vet to speak with him regarding this since these prices seemed insane. He told me while most of the tests may not be necessary, that it would be wise to schedule an EKG and some blood work. I set up my appointment for the EKG and blood work a few weeks later and was put with a different doctor. Apparently no one ever bothered to check my dog's history because when I went in, they began doing the tests stating that she was getting ready for a teeth cleaning...no mention of the murmur. I decided not to correct them that we were there to check out her murmur until they had completed the EKG. The EKG read perfectly normal...they remarked that it couldn't have gone much better. I then explained to them what I had been told on my previous visit and asked if they hadn't seen any signs of it and they seemed a bit stumped. There was no murmur but they told me sometimes a murmur can occur in a dog who was in distressed (i.e. a dog who has never been boarded left at the vet for vaccines by herself?). Her bloodwork came back perfect. She's in wonderful health, which I am very grateful for and I don't mind going the extra mile for her well-being, but it seems like the ball was dropped here. First, I would think a doctor might notice a dog is distressed instead of scaring the owner that the dog has a heart problem. Secondly, why did no one notice in her records that we were following up on the previous appointment? I feel as though the clinic tries to upsell unnecessary procedures to increase the bills. About 2 months later I called to get a Certificate of Health so I could take my dog on a plane and they refused!! Apparently they needed to perform ANOTHER unnecessary exam to give me the certificate. I guess they felt they hadn't milked enough money out ot me on the other tests she had just been through. Needless to say, I'm in the market for a new vet. Beware! This places is the worst.... more

Dr. Bell is amazing. One of our cats has kidney issues and doctor bell sees him every few months. I have complete confidence in Dr. Bell and his abilities. He is also very nice to our cat and to us and explains everything in detail. One time on a Saturday they had to do a urine test on our cat and couldn't get enough to test, so we left him there for the morning. By closing time they still couldn't get enough and Dr. Bell actually made arrangements to come back a few hours AFTER closing time to meet us so we could pick our cat up. It was very nice of him. He truly cares about his patients. \r \r One criticism I have of MR lately is the front desk staff. We have been going to MR for 10+ years and have always had good experiences. Lately however, we have noticed the newer front desk staff is very short, bordering on rude sometimes, and they don't explain things to you very well. The people at the desk who have been there for years are still great, it's just the newer people. There's one wi more

All the Doctors, nursing staff, and front desk help are truely caring, feeling people. They have been rated #1 for 8 years straight, so far. These Doctors have saved the lives of my pets. Luke had heartworm, they treated him and he lived to be 18. One dog was attacked by a neighbors dog, she lived to be 13. My cat lived to be 12. My Jack who has Addisons, was diagnosed right away, and is now doing fine. These Doctors work endless hours, and have a genuine love for not only your pet, but for all animals. They care about the owners just as much as they do the pets. NO they don't work for free! If you want cut rate, or some kind of discount, then go to petsmart. I want my babies to live they're full life. I WOULD NOT go anywhere else. more

When your furry friend is not feeling well, this is a good place to take him/her. The vets and the other staff members will take the time to answer all of your questions, and when my cat needed a routine procedure, they even called a few days later to make sure he was doing okay. more