- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Downtown Animal Hospital
Category: Pets Veterinarians Veterinarians [Edit]
579 Church StToronto, ON M4Y 2E4
Neighbourhoods: Church-Wellesley Village, Downtown Core
(416) 966-5122
About This Business:
Weekdays - Preventive/Wellness, Weekends, Weeknights, Holidays - OPEN 24/7 for EMERGENCY and after hours care with Veterinarian and Animal Health… read more »
9 reviews for Downtown Animal Hospital
9 reviews in English
-
Review from Polina S.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2011
I'm very surprised at this vet's negative rating. I have four cats, and I've been taking them to the Downtown Animal Hospital for the last 6 years or so - and I've had nothing but positive experiences. Of course it's hard to call a visit to the vet a "good" experience, since it's always going to be stressful and depressing and frightening - but the vets and the staff always do their best to minimize the stress. Most of my dealings have been with Drs. Steed and Surette, and only once or twice with Dr. Vihos. All three seem very nice and knowledgeable, and Steed and Surette actually remember me and my cats and ask about the other three when I bring one in.
I also like the fact that most of the time, I can get an appointment on the same day (or next day at the latest) without paying extra emergency appointment fees. When one of my cats is feeling sick, the last thing I want to do is wait four days for an appointment.
The prices are quite high, but I didn't find that they were higher than in other veterinary hospitals. Vets are always overpriced, so no surprise there. The hospital actually gave me a small discount because I have so many cats. They do usually offer me a long list of tests and procedures, and I can understand how that might sound to some people like gauging - but I don't see how this is different from what any human doctor does when he or she offers you a list of treatment options. In fact, last time I spoke with Dr. Surette about one of my cats, he was DIScouraging me from doing further tests and spending more money unnecessarily.
Had I seen the hospital's low rating before going there, I probably would have never used their services - and I think both I and the cats would've missed out on very friendly vet service. -
Review from marija k.
Toronto, ON
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I go here because they are close to home and are open early and close late. If I could find a vet that was in the same area I'd rather go to them.
I have had excellent care for my felines here, but they charge an arm & a leg. Always trying to upsell and if you say you cannot fork over the cash they give you a hard time about how much you love your animal - guilt tripping you into paying for unnecessary blood work, urine tests etc. My last visit I brought my cat in cos he was sneezing & he had a runny nose. As he has a history of seasonal allergies I just wanted to get some pills to clear up his wee lungs and go our way.
The vet, one of the senior partners, wanted all sorts of tests. They tried taking urine from him, but the cat is a bit of a hellion so they were not able to get a catheter up his bum. I managed to get the pills.
If you need something in a pinch Downtown Animal Hospital is good. But I would rather find a vet that doesn't keep trying to empty my wallet at every given opportunity. -
Review from Kimberley K.
10/13/2009
I called this vet to make an appointment for dental surgery for my elderly cat. I was given an appointment the next day. The location is convenient to downtown and the waiting room is inviting.
My first impression was immediately ruined when the girl at the front desk opened her mouth, however. The staff could all use a lesson in customer service.
The doctor kept me waiting over an hour and then told me that I should come back another day. When I refused, he spent all of 5 minutes examining my cat and then reluctantly agreed to keep her overnight (for an extra fee) so she could have surgery the next day. An unfriendly vet tech came in and gave me an estimate... everything came to about $700 on the high end. I signed it, kissed my kitty goodbye and left.
The next day when I picked her up the bill was over $1000 and nobody could explain why. They said it was due to extractions yet they couldn't even tell me how many teeth an adult cat has. Where do they find the staff for this place?
While I was waiting, the two catty (no pun intended) girls working the front desk seemed more concerned with gossiping about me under their breath than actually doing their jobs.
When I finally got my cat home, she had a cold which she probably caught from being in their unsanitary boarding area with other sick cats. I had to take her to another vet to get medication. I will never, ever, ever return to this place and would advise others to steer clear as well. -
Review from B R.
Toronto, ON
9/12/2011
I've never taken a pet there, but the two times I've been to the Hospital, I found the staff great. The first time was a few years ago when I was walking home in the rain. Another man ran across Yonge Street cradling a towel. Inside was a cat who had just been attacked by a dog. The Hospital was the closest in the neighbourhood so we ran from Yonge and Gloucester to the Hospital. As soon as we came in with the cat, the entire staff was on their feet and rushed the cat into surgery.
The second time was today, when I found an injured bird lying in the road. I couldn't let the poor thing wait to get run over or eaten, so I picked it up. Not knowing how else to soothe its agony, I took it to the Hospital. The staff politely told me that they couldn't take in wild animals but they offered to call Toronto Animal Services for me. They even brought me a blanket to wrap him up in. When Animal Services put them in a 15 minute queue, they decided that the bird wouldn't survive that long. Instead, they offered to put it down and refused to take my money when I offered to pay. I came back later and apparently the poor guy died before they could sedate him.
I think the staff have shown outstanding humanity and compassion towards animals and, at least when I've been there, they've been polite and prompt. -
Review from Andrea H.
3/1/2009
I didn't have a great experience here. I fostered some kittens for the humane society. Someone at the THS made a mistake and gave me the name of this clinic as one of the vets where you can take foster animals in an emergency and the bill is sent to the society. So when two kittens got very sick, I made an appointment at the Downtown Animal Hospital, being sure to tell them these were THS animals when I made the appointment, when I arrived, and in block letters at the top of the intake form. I waited 45 minutes past my scheduled appointment time before the vet told me he wouldn't see the kittens unless I paid upfront because they had too many problems with the THS and had to cancel the account. He also tried to tell me I hadn't let them know they were THS animals. After I called the THS on my cell from the office, he agreed to take their temperature, and since they were very sick they ended up having to be brought in to the THS.
I know it isn't the vet's fault that the THS person made a mistake. I wish they had told me upfront that they didn't have a THS account anymore, that they hadn't kept me waiting so long when I had an appointment, and that the vet hadn't tried to make the situation my fault. To his credit, he did agree to take a look at them when I pointed out that I'd been waiting a long time, it was too late to make it to another vet before closing time, and they were really sick. Still, I've chosen to take my own cats elsewhere. -
Review from Sophie R.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2009
I took my dog for grooming. The groomer did not listen to my instructions on how I want my dog to be groomed.
The cut was way too short.
My dog didn't need such a short cut coz her fur is beautiful and has no matted/knots.
According to show standards, my dog's breed is not supposed to have her ears cut but the groomer trimmed my dog's ears!
Seems like the groomer has not done her homework on dog breeds. -
Review from Natasha G.
Toronto, ON
6/8/2010
I brought my cat here before to be groomed and the service was good so when she was sick I decided to bring her back. The doctor whosaw us first was Justin. He ordered bloodwork and wanted to keep her overnight. We paid a deposit and left. My cat ended up staying there for a week and I was always talking to different vets when I called to see how she was doing. Justin was pretty forceful with telling me she needed more and more tests even when everything was coming back normal. He wouldn't treat her for anything until there was a diagnosis. Which there never was. Finally a new vet felt with my cat. She asked if it was okay to give her pain meds, which she wasn't getting. After that, she started eating and again and came home a few days later. I made a late appointment to pick Lynda up and waited almost an hour. The vet tech gave me two different pills. The tech couldn't really tell me what the pills were for (didn't know which was for acid reflux and which was the appitite stimulant) and didn't show ne how to give Lynda the pills. We went home and tried giving the pills with no luck. The clinic called the next day and the vet I was speaking to told me to hide the pills in food. Of course after that Lynda thought there were pills in everything and stopped eating again. When I called to speak to a vet they were all busy so I spoke to a tech who had no idea what I was asking and only suggested I come to the clinic twice a day and pay for a vet tech to give her the pills. I made one last appointment about her not taking the pills, waited an hour after the set appointment time to see a tech, then a vet who gave us a pill gun and more pills because Lynda had spit out all the ones we got before.
Overall I felt like I was over charged and the bill was set up in such a way that I couldn't understand what treatment Lynda got each day. It was broken down by what vet did what. I felt pressured into doing expensive tests that came back with no clues so to why was wrong with Lynda. They were always running late for appointments and they seemed to pass off appointments to vet techs that weren't helpful at all. $4000++ later I have my cat back and she's been fine ever since but I didn't feel like Lynda wasgetting good care. I will not be bringing my cat back again, even for her yearly shots -
Review from Steve M.
Ancaster, ON
3/7/2010
When I first got my puppy I took him there and not only do they brow beat you into doing unnessary tests - they could not even diagnose parvovirus properly - luckily another vet caught it in time. Bad bed side manner and incompetent staff.
-
Review from vivian v.
Aurora, ON
Updated - 7/21/2009
okay, i feel like i need to change this now.
they're not the worst in the world as i might have made it seem in my anger.
they're as helpful as they can be. as for vets, i think i just have an issue with the over pricing and gauging of money that most of these places do. and i'm sure they're still doing it in this situation, but the fact of the matter is there are really great people that work there that actually do care about the animals.
i just had the most pleasant of conversations with the receptionist because for long strung out reasons, there is someone who is threatening legal action against me, and they are making notes everywhere to not give anyone information about me. not that they should anyway, but in case anyone slips up, there will be a note in there face warning them not to.
swell people, that's for sure.
(no sarcasm, i swear)Listed in: The Good, The Bad & The…, Welcome To The Village
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/20/2009
i'm frustrated. i really am.
when my puppy ate rat poison a year ago, i went right to them and they… Read more »
-
