Bryson City Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Smith has a high opinion of himself and what he charges reflects that. Unfortunately, our recent bad experience with Bryson City Veterinary Clinic and those of our friends/neighbors we have talked to that have dealt with him find his pet care and personality to be sub-par. After 6-7 negative responses from friends and neighbors with no positive comments, I stopped bothering to ask around as our experience appeared to be confirmed.

No "Emergency Numbers" were provided and I think no weekend hours now. No farm animal care and no house/farm calls. Does not bother to give out care/drug fact sheets which every other vet I have been to in the last 25+ years has done as he claims it is "too expensive" to do so. One or two pieces of paper and a little printer ink is too expensive for him?. His charges were higher than what we found in the local area for the same care.Though we had taken our pet there before, referred us as "new walk ins" when we had an emergency. I guess he did not bother to read our pets history there though it was up on the computer screen in the examination room. Kept referring to our female dog as "he".

Go to BCVC if you HAVE to in an emergency (and be prepared to pay), but if there is any way you can get to ANY other vet, do so.

I have changed vets and am extremely happy with my new one that is in the area (15 minute drive instead of 5).

Like my friends and neighbors, I will never go back to BCVC again.
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Posted 09/06/09 | Report Abuse

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According to Dr Smith, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, even when it comes to fact sheets from drug company websites. Well, I believe this is true when it comes to the good reviews I see for his office. I can't say anything with regard to what happened to our puppy one way or the other, but I can cite his childish and unprofessional behavior toward us in the aftermath.

We were calm and reasonable in demeanor, though we were requesting information and making suggestions. These were received as accusations and he became very defensive when he realized that a patronizing tone and general "talking down to us" was not working. He seemed more upset to have had to deal with an emergency on a Friday night than sympathetic for our loss.

In my years working for the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine on computers, I had the opportunity to overhear a professor telling a group of prospective students that a veterinarian must treat two patients. One is the pet, the other is the human client. As I said, I cannot comment about his skill in treating our puppy, but his personal skills when we had questions afterward were much to be desired.

To get some of my questions answered, I actually had to go to some of my former co-workers because he created an adversarial atmosphere where I could not even inquire about what steps I had to go through to safe guard our other animals from possible contagion. I was afraid that any more questions would further antagonize him.

So, in personal/social skills alone, I would not recommend him. I had thought our case was an isolated incident, but after speaking to friends and neighbors, I found out that there are many, many people in the community who will not go back to him. This is something I wish I had known before I went to him, so I wanted to leave this review for others who look for this kind of information. Of course, as above, Dr. Smith will tell you that you can't believe everything you read on the internet, even if you are careful about your sources.

Posted 09/06/09 | Report Abuse

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I have lived in Bryson City for more than 25 years and began taking my pets to Dr. Mike Smith in the early l980's. I have never met a more caring doctor. I was also his neighbor for a few years, and I saw how he cared for numerous strays and neighborhood cats and dogs that were not his "patients". Over the years the practice has grown and he now has several associates and a larger staff, and they are all wonderful. Medical care for humans and pets is expensive these days--but no more expensive at BCVC than any other clinic, and if you find a medication or pet food on line at a lower price, they will match it. I would not hesitate to recommend this clinic to anyone who loves their animals as much as I do!

Posted 05/30/08 | Report Abuse

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The veterinarians at Bryson City Veterinary Clinic go above and beyond to give your pet the care it deserves. While they may charge more than other vets in the area, the level of care your pet receives makes the amount seem small when you see how safe your pet is in their hands. They'll tell you what your pet does and doesn't need. They won't try to talk you into services that aren't necessary. They care about what's best for your pet and not what's best for their bank account.

Posted 03/02/06 | Report Abuse

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