Emergency Veterinary Clinic

The triage tech was incredibly compassionate and knowledgeable. I was told that I could leave while the bloodwork was being run. (Unlike a review below, I was not made to wait.) The vet did not have the same level of bedside manner as triage; however, she was clear, concise, experienced, and did not try to upcharge me.

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Good vets....terrible staff!!!!!!!!!! Get the message!
My advice is to drive a bit further and get better overall care. These people are the first thing you see when they hit the front door...not a good first, second or third impression.

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Sadly, our cat sustained a bad throat injury in our home in the early morning and we were forced to find the closest, open emergency vet clinic last week. My husband took her to Catonsville because he had used them before. They immediately took x-rays and found air leaking into her throat region. Even though their surgeons were booked for the day, they kept her there all day for "observation". They were unable to start an IV line, so the only treatment she received was a dose of prednisone for the swelling and subcutaneously fluids so she didn't dehydrate. She struggled to breathe for over 11 hours. The worst part is that when I called in the morning to find out medical details, I was told by the receptionist "your husband has the information...you can call back after 6pm"!!! I don't know if she could have been saved or not, but if they had told us that they weren't going to be able to treat or even diagnose her that day, we would have certainly moved her to a better-equipped facility right away. My heart is breaking because we did end up losing her, even after having surgery the next day. I will always wonder if she might've been saved if she hadn't spent a whole day gasping for air in Catonsville. She deserved much better.

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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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My experience with this clinic was over the phone, so I can't talk about their skill as veterinarians, but what I can tell you is that the people on the staff are genuine, caring animal lovers. One person in particular offered to take a stray I had found into her own home after I had found out that my dogs would not tolerate her in my small apartment for the night. Every other place that might be able to help me had closed, and I thought I was completely out of options. I called the hospital for advice and to beg for a place to leave her until the morning, but they did better than that and this person was all set to take the dog home for the night.

I drove the dog through the neighborhood I had found her in one last time and actually located the owners, which is the best possible ending, but these people stepped up to help when no one else could, and I think that says a lot for the business as a whole.

I have two dogs and a cat and I hope I never need emergency vet services, but if I do, I will take them straight to this hospital, and it will be a comfort to know that I'm going to see people who care.

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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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When my regular vet refused to see my 18 year old cat that had a stroke and was having seizures, I took her to the emergency vet. I knew she had to be put to sleep, and the employees here were understanding and sympathetic. They made a very difficult time so much easier with their kindness and consideration for my family and my pet.

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On a Saturday night our 18yr old cat was showing signs of distress from a mouth issue. We took her to EVC in Catonsville, where else could we go, we live here and she needed help. Luckily the service was decent. The doctor was very nice and caring, the receptionist was, well she was at least articulate. We were told that Paradise would get the visit information by fax before Monday am. Unfortunately our cat only became worse on Sunday and we had to make that most difficult decision. The same doctor kindly spent some time on the phone discussing the issues with me and we made the decision. After the receptionist (same from Saturday) told me Paradise would receive the fax letting them know by Monday am but I should call to follow up. I did just that. I called Paradise at 11:00am on Monday. NEVER RECEIVED ANY FAXES from EVC regarding our cat and the issues over the weekend. On Tuesday I find out that Paradise has only JUST received the fax regarding Saturdays visit and nothing on Sundays visit. When I called EVC Tuesday and spoke to Carrol about the information not being passed only his first responses were simply, "ok" and then when I expressed a little dismay at the lack of professionalism and how disconcerting the whole situation was his response to me and I quote, "its a thing thats in the past so whats the problem". Blindsided by this person who works at an animal hospital... this is his response... why should I care now since my cat died two days prior! The doctors are good and you have to remember its an emergency hospital so it might take a while depending on the situation but the support staff, they seem to be there simply for the paycheck and where they are working doesn't seem to come into play. That is a name we will always remember for the future should, God forbid any of our other pets need the service.

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Our dog's stomach had bloated and had already twisted by the time we realized what was happening. We called, the vet immediately recognized the situations from my description on the phone, and he insisted we get there ASAP. He was ready to go when we arrived. It wasn't cheap, but he saved our dog (and three others that weekend) from one of the most serious emergencies a dog can face. Our dog was home by the next evening and had no side effects thanks to the quick and decisive intervention by the vet. The surgery was done perfectly and we are forever grateful. Everyone there treated our pet-- and us-- well.

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The vet that saved my cat's life will always have my deep gratitude. However, over the period of several days that my cat had to be there, I found several members (young) to be inconsiderate and rude. I witnessed a tech abuse an orange tabby because the cat was a little on the grouchy side (could you blame it?). This young woman meanly stuffed the poor cat into it's cage muttering obscenities at it! I was scared that they would take it out on my cat if I said anything, so I kept quiet. I'm glad I can use this forum to make my complaint, although it occurs to me that they might still be able to locate me through the info from the log in, and I have cats that might need to go there in an emergency. I told a friend who is a vet tech at another facility about the incident and she said that, unfortunately, she had also witnessed techs abusing animals that they didn't "like". That is sick!! How low can you get?

The receptionist at the front desk (a young woman with long, dark hair) was extremely rude to me on two occasions when I came to visit and sit quietly with my very sick kitty. I felt that I had to endure her attitude or they might treat my cat badly when I left. I cannot tell you how sickened I was by this awful experience. I was worried half to death that my cat was going to die and there is this nasty, fire-breathing girl to deal with on top of it all.

The vet treated me with respect and did save my cat, but she also did nothing to stop the poor treatment of both the animals and myself when I was there. I will add that I was very quiet and docile, as polite as I could possibly be every minute I was there. It's a sad statement about some people in our society that there are those who take advantage of the sick and broken hearted as an opportunity to vent their emotional baggage on.

I hope that others will speak up if they are treated badly or see an animal treated poorly. People with personality disorders should not be working around sick animals or stressed pet owners.

Shocked pet lover

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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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You will bring them here. My own foot surgery with a 2 day hospital stay did not have as much diagnostics as this hospital offers. My cat was literally checked every 30 minutes for vitals,. and hand fed in glass enclosure that was pumped with pure oxygen. WHO DOES THIS? they do~
Their vets are like a hodge podge of tree huggers to high techies. You can either get a hug or a lecture... But its that MIX of personalities and specialties that will give your pet the only chance of survival. Trust me, I know~! I once saw a dog come into this hospital who was put into a pickup truck bed and flew out at 30 mph. The owner (jerk) said "put him down". Those vets took this 120 pound rottie out of his truck in a stretcher with compound fractures on all 4 legs. (sidebar: When you come to this hospital you will wait out your diagnosis,. so you DO see alot!).
Anyway,. everyone in the waiting room was in tears. Most of us wanted to kick this idiot in the head who brought this magestic dog in (who was not even wimpering).
When I returned 4 days later to pick up my cat and sign over my house note to them, I glimpsed a room with a rottie laying on a cot with steel pins in his back legs. 'NO WAY! THIS WAS NOT THAT SAME DOG???".
and indeed it was! Someone in the office decided to adopt this beautiful dog and rebuild him~!
THIS IS THE TYPE of people you want caring for your beloved pet!!
Don't forget to call when you are on the way to bring your pet in. And bring a soda, cell phone, magazine and a sleeping bag because this is NOT a drop off zone. You sweat it out minute by minute until you get a diagnosis! Oh yes, bring a visa card too!
HEY ITS YOUR PET!! There is no price tag here! The good part is that your pet will go home healthier than they have ever been in their life~~ Something special happens behind that wall...
Maybe one day I will admit myself...just to get a little of that special mojo!
Dayle Thrasher
Life member of the catonsville animal hospital.

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I have had to , unfortunately, bring my dog here on several occasions. I say unfortunately because you never want to have to bring your pet to the ER. They did extremely well in the emergency situations and even in the times I've brought him there for just precautionary measures. A couple times we went there when my dog was attacked when I was walking him by Pitbulls who were off the leash (I live in the city) and they were great calming my nerves because I was very shaken. Another time when my dog was younger he bit into an inhaler I had. I brought him there because he seemed sleepy, and sure enough he was poisoned. He was touch and go for 3 days and I credit them for bringing him back. I will continue to use and recommend this clinic!

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I highly recommend this clinic. My cat was seen immediately. All the staff were professional, efficient and calm. My cat was having her '15 minutes of lame' (couldn't even manage to decent limp once we were at the office) but I feel sure if she'd been having a real emergency this would have been the place to be.

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We have three dogs and a cat and live nearby. The first time we went in my husband was frantic because one of our dogs had run into a saw he was putting away. We were new dog owners and he had nicked his tongue and it was bleeding - we were beside ourselves. We took him in and they took a look at him right in the waiting room and told us he was okay. They spent a few minutes examining him carefully and explaining things to us in a caring and serious way -- and they didn't charge us!

Then early one Sunday morning sometime later the same pup dug his way into a guest's luggage and ate some chocolate. On the phone, the staff did suggest the amount he consumed may not have been toxic by the usual formulas, it was never suggested that we not bring him in if we were concerned. As it turned out, he did need treatment and to stay the night. He was well-treated, I got good info when I called to check on him, and he was healthy afterwards.

We've also been there for injuries to one of our other dogs due to a dog fight. They have always treated us with respect and have shown great care and concern for our dogs. They even helped set up treatment at another vet!

Please remember that this an emergency vet, not a regular office. It's expensive, but emergencies tend to be expensive. I just wish that I could get that level of care in a hospital emergency room!!!

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I think the poor ratings on EVC are unfair. First, it takes money to take care of a pet. This is an emergency veterinary clinic not your regular vet! I have used them several times and always find them to be helpful and professional. They have taken very good care of my animals in the past and are presently treating my dog. They are very good at what they do -- they are not gods!

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I brought my cat to this clinic and was told on 2 different occasion that she was eating and doing fine. When I picked her up on Saturday (she was brought to them on friday), she couldnt walk (she was walking slowly when she went in)and she was worse than when I dropped her off. My cat had an infection and had to be put to sleep. Now she didnot get the infection at this hospital but BEWARE I dont think they gave her the care that she needed. She spent 1 night there and the bill was $600. Just to be seen its $88 and the receptionist will gladly tell you they dont bill so make sure you have money in hand as you walk through the door. I took my precious cat to another hospital on Monday, where they actually cared! My beloved cat infection was so bad that she had to be put to sleep. Couldn't EVCI tell me that when she was there NO. Just pay your bill & call your regular vet on Monday. How sad!!

PROS:
CONS: No one showed compassion, "its just a job"

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I recently moved to Catonsville, MD. and one day while at the river playing and running and jumping- my dog became injured. I called Paradise Animal Clinic for a same-day appt. & I was told that because I was a new client they couldn't see me for 5 days.

They gave me the number to Emergency Veterinary Clinic Inc. (ECVI)

I called EVCI and told them something was wrong with my dog- He wasn't raising or wagging his tail and he would whimper when we touched the middle vertebras of his tail.

The female that answered the phone said "You're calling because your dog isn't wagging his tail? Maybe he's just not happy!"

I explained that dogs can easily dislocate their tails and if not treated quickly it can fuse leading to disfiguration and life-long discomfort.

The person answering said "How do you know it's dislocated? - there might not be anything wrong."

Any owner that truly loves and cares for their dog KNOWS when something is wrong because they can sense the pet's mood and see its behavioral changes.

The woman seemed completely unqualified to be answering phone calls. She advised that she doubted anything was wrong, and said- "You can bring him in, but you still have to pay $80 even if there is nothing wrong."

Our dog is part of our family. Our dog is a major part of our life. Money is not an object when it comes to his health.

I hung up with EVCI and decided to drive my dog 65 miles to my old vet.
It turns out he had a fractured tailbone and a dislocated tail.

The vets at EVCI maybe qualified individuals, but I was never given the chance to evaluate them due to the incompetence of the receptionist.

EVCI- the person answering the phone for you has a very important job to do. They are the forefront of your business and the health of your clients depends on their knowledge and judgment.

I will never bring my animal to this clinic- no matter the emergency. If they hire idiots- then they're idiots themselves in my book.

PROS:
CONS: uneducated staff making bad decisions that should be left to the Dr.s

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We got to know these folks very well after my cat developed very bad asthma. The doctors and staff are excellent. They respond to anxious owners so wonderfully. Vet services aren't cheap and they don't get any cheaper after midnight. They provide very competent care when your regular vet is not available.

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