My dog got into a rasin and I called Alpine since it was a Sunday after hours. They got him in right away, and purged his system - keeping him overnight. He never showed signs of poisoning. They were encouraging, honest, and forthright. Yes I'll return read more

They say they care but when it comes right down to it is all about money. Some people live on fixed incomes and can't afford the outrageous price they charge. read more

Our established vet is in Missoula, but we were in Helena when our dog came down with a racking cough over the Thanksgiving holidays. As there is no emergency clinic in Helena (WTF?) we started calling around to find a vet that would see him. Alpine charged us $140 over the phone just to make the appointment, and said it would be the same price even if we came in during regular hours. The vet seemed thorough and knowledgeable but the prices charged are insane. This isn't NYC or LA. Even the prescription meds (we were not given the option of going to a pharmacy) were outrageously overpriced We paid $290 for three xrays--I don't believe my own doctor would charge that much for me. The cough medicine they charged $10 PER PILL. And they also wanted to put him on ten days of Prednisone for another $90. There is no way these medications cost this much, and IMO the Prednisone is overkill--I refused it. This is all on top of the $140 they charge just to walk in the door. Pretty outrageous. About $500 in charges just for a cough. Which the vet didn't think was a virus, just an irritation. Is this business owned by a corporation? They sure act like it. Surely there have to be better options in Helena. read more

The initial exam was thorough and both the vet and the tech were so attentive to my dog. He is a new dog to our family so they answered all of my questions and provided additional resources. The tech even held on to my unsocialized pup while I checked out so there wouldn't be issues in the lobby. Thank you!! All the care and kindness put both my dog and myself at ease. read more

Alpine Animal Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Helena, Montana

Alpine clinic took incredible care of my in-laws' cat when they were unable to. The veterinarians, front desk and the boarding facility staff communicated clearly with us, kept us up to date about his care, ensured he was well cared for and were very kind to him. We were so fortunate to find them. read more

The doctors and staff at Alpine have taken such extraordinary care of our animals, making sure that proper diagnostic work is done and issues addressed appropriately. We've never been surprised by costs as a statement of expected charges is provided upfront. read more

580-1000 to fix an Apses on an outdoor cat... that's insane!!! They care more about money than animal lives and it's clear as day with pricing.... read more

Alpine suggested I have my dog's teeth cleaned. I paid a lot of money for tests needed to ensure she was healthy enough to undergo the procedure. The day of the procedure I got a phone call saying there was a problem, that my dog died while under anesthesia. I'll never know whether little Coco died because of their negligence or for some other reason. I had decided to not dwell on that and just grieve my dog's passing, until today when I received a bill for $144 for the drugs they administered for the procedure. They also charged me for CPR done to resuscitate her. Can you imagine how I felt getting that bill? This place has a lot of turn over of vets and staff. I've heard from staff that the owner is difficult to work for. I've also heard about other problems from people who have taken their pets there (misdiagnosis, poor outcomes, etc.) Choose your vet clinic wisely. read more

Excessive charges for service. For example, charged for urgent visit even though we waited 8 days. The front desk answering calls is very delayed. The office manager was dismissive. Fancy office, but staff often miss details. I asked twice for bail trimming and it never happened. Tried to bill us twice for a new visit. Lastly, just try figuring out what is being billed and the experience is confusing on purpose. read more

My dog is due for a rabies vaccine. When I arrived at Alpine Animal Clinic for the appointment for the rabies vaccine, I was told it was going to cost over $140.00 by the staff receptionist, vet tech AND the vet herself all saying that they are REQUIRED BY LAW to perform a wellness exam before they can give the inexpensive rabies vaccine. First, my dog is an existing client and has already had his wellness exam this year. Second, the rabies vaccine only costs around $16.00. Third, THERE IS NO LAW IN MONTANA OR THE CITY OF HELENA (I have verified this through the MCAs, city ordinances and Animal Control) that states a health exam must be done before a rabies vaccine can be given. I confronted the vet tech and vet that they are mandating an unnecessary exam and lying to clients that it is a state law just to make a profit. Profit over pet care. That is what Alpine Animal Clinic is about. I left without getting his vaccine. I will go to the once-a-month Earthly Creatures vaccine clinic they give. I will never spend another penny with Alpine. They have lost their way only caring about money. read more

I have taken my dog here for a long time and I will no longer. All they care about is money, I had an issue with my dog so I called on Thursday to make an appointment at hey couldn't get me in until Tuesday so I asked for them to write a prescription so my dog didn't suffer for the next 5 days. The doctor called me back and refused so I asked to bring him in on an emergency and they said it wasn't an emergency. It got worse and on Friday and Saturday I called 7 times with no answer. I finally got a hold of them and had to ask 5 different times to bring him in. They said I had 30 minutes to get there so I did and ended up waiting and half hour to see the vet tech who clearly had no idea what she was doing. They clearly don't care about animals only the bottom dollar l. If you care about your pet don't take them here. read more

Here's the deal I've been going to Alpine for years and loved them. However currently they are more concerned with money then your pets. Hence all the new rigs in the parking lot. By this I mean I have two dogs with chronic ear infections that need help and need the same medications and ear wash over and over. I can't just get them over the phone with alpine they make me bring the dogs in and charge me an appointment and give me the same stuff over and over. Most recently being a long time customer I was told they are a month out but they can fit me in the "urgent care list" for an additional fee!!! If you have room on a urgent care list maybe someone that has spent a few or more bucks at your practice should just get in as a long time customer. With that being said we have moved on and I hope most of you all reading this do as well. read more

Excessive charges and twice I asked for dogs nails to be trimmed and it didn't happen. The front desk has a delay in answering calls. The way the business if run is income based (how much can they charge unnecessarily) while using a dialogue that leaves the owner with worry that if all the tests aren't ran the pet could be in harms way. Excessive charge to neuter 1000.00. Missoula charges 400.00 and 200.00 at Humane society. Why are there charges more than twice the reasonable amount to neuter. The office and building are nice, but that's just a marketing strategy to charge excessive fees. One time I was charged for an urgent care appointment even though it was 13 days from the call appointment. The next appointment I was charged for a new visit as the clinic doesn't consider the urgent appointment (that was 13 days from the call) as a new appointment! Another time I stopped by to ask about dog food and the receptionist was rude and dismissive and explained I needed a prescription. I explained we were already established care, but still did not help me with a purchase. Also, if you ever try to ask questions about the excessive fees you will be met with nothing but confusion while they keep repeating they gave you a credit (8.00) and ignore the obvious mess up with the charges. read more

I have absolute confidence and trust in the veterinarians at Alpine. They are always on time with their appointments, the facility is clean and fresh smelling and the staff is always friendly and caring. They were so compassionate and helpful when my dog Bijou died suddenly of a stroke and now they are there for my new puppy. As a dog owner I feel extremely fortunate to have this clinic in Helena. read more

Dr.Wampler's Clinic has taken such exceptional care our dog Lucy! Dr. Mary removed Lucy's spleen due to a tumour and also removed her Gallbladder:( Dr. Wampler answered all our questions pre op and alleviated our anxiety....:) Lucy is doing so well read more

i called to get my diabetic dog some food, as usual, I was asked if I had a prescription for it. I told them we just moved up and didn't, but I didn't want to have to bring my dog in and pay a couple hundred dollars just to have a vet tell me something I have known for the past 4 years, that my dog was diabetic. they asked if it would be ok for them to contact my last vet back in California and get my dogs info from them. I gave them the phone number and by the time I drove there (10 minutes) they had everything done and ready to go. I didn't have to do anything. When I walked in, it was nothing like I expected, it was very clean and pleasant. I would not hesitate to bring my pets here. read more

If you have ultimate confidence in Alpine then you've been dazzled by their ads. I took my dog to them to clean his ears, they insisted that I bring him in at 7:30 am but wouldn't even see him until 2:40 pm. I'm not sure how much you know about dog psychology but you DO NOT put a 100 pound dog in a cage for over seven hours and expect compliance from an overly stressed dog in fact that makes the seemingly harmless procedure into an emotional event for the Animal! Not to mention the Clinic charged me $50 more than their highest estimate. Don't be fooled by the "luxury " facilities they offer. You have no way of knowing what happens to your loved one after you leave. As a rating? The best I can offer, on a scale of 1-10 they get a minus 10. They create stress for your animal not relive it as they advertise One last remark.... I raised Chinese shar-pei for years I do understand dogs and vets and this is one vet you want to avoid like the plague. THEY WILL KILL YOUR DOG I back my statement with three staff attorneys read more

I recently moved my two cats over to Alpine Animal Clinic from Bridger Vets on a suggestion of a friend and former employee. One of those cats has had a perpetual ear infection from ear mite damage since I adopted her about a year ago. I wanted a second opinion on that ear infection because even with medication given to me at Bridger, it never seemed to clear up and this didn't concern the vet at Bridger at all. Dr. Richardson at Alpine took over an hour examining each of my cats for their one year check ups. I have two rare-ish breed cats and she knew the right things to ask for each of them. When she took a look in the little infected ear on one of my kitties she immediately identified the issue; there was a polyp growing in there causing all the discharge and inflammation. These are apparently fairly common and it should have been identified before. She consulted with the surgeon on staff, printed me out information on these polyps and called me the following day with the consensus on what to do to remove it. I appreciated her thorough evaluation and the fact that she really seemed to care a lot about giving my two kittens a really good check up. Excellent care here from the vet and vet techs, front desk staff are always friendly, and the clinic seems clean, up to date, and extremely professional. read more

Please see my post of 1/5/17. Today 11/22/17 I received "an important reminder" from this clinic letting me know that Angel was due for her annual exam with vaccines. Really??? My cat had to be euthanized after being in your care for only two days which I made you aware of. What is wrong with this clinic????? read more

Really helpful and knowledgeable vets and technicians. Had a bad time and spent a lot of money at another vet and ended up leaving them for Alpine. read more

This review is about their boarding facility. It looks amazing online, but they don't offer any options for those dogs that just don't get along with other dogs. Its unfortunate when there are so many dogs out there like that. I have 3 dogs and just one is tempermental. Too bad that they can't stay in the "nice" kennel. It would be nice to see them change their policy. And before all the haters jump on me about my dog - she was attacked by 3 dogs at once and was really beat up. She doesn't hate all dogs, but she definitely has fear issues. It takes time to heal those kind of wounds. read more

My dog lost a tooth, got a laceration on his lip and an abrasion on his nose, while in their care. Is this acceptable?

So impressed with Alpine and specifically Dr. Henry Ford. She saved my dog's life literally. She hung right in there even when it looked like he wouldn't turn around. She got a dog out of the shelter for blood transfusions. (We made sure that the dog got adopted just in time for Christmas). We had to leave another clinic because we got a erroneous diagnosis and almost put our dog down. That was a NIGHTMARE. He was fine-I don't know where this vet came up with her information. I trust Alpine implicitly. I know that Dr. Henry Ford cares about my dog and won't steer me wrong. A good vet is absolutely a must for our family-our animals mean the world to us. read more

This vet clinic almost killed my dog and the worst part is the So called dr that prescribed the needles to my dog...oh by the way folks they were wrong...could have killed my dog and used a different vets name read more

We brought our puppy in for a suspected UTI and they let us know what we were going to be charged for the UTI analysis and for all of her shots so that we didn't have to pay for the next round she came in for. Well the UTI didn't go away so we brought her in again and had to pay for another screening for the UTI AND her shots when they told us prior we didn't have to. During this particular visit we had told them to call us to confirm any other price increases. The price was double what we signed for and we had no call. The doctor tried talking over me and my concerns and was telling me different information than what the front desk had told me about my dog. She spoke to me in a condescending way and didn't bother explaining anything about the meds or why they were wanting to double our price from our last visit. It was all very confusing and in no way did they help us try to understand so when I got my dog back I was expecting meds that we apparently weren't getting even though we had paid for the entire exam. We took our poor pup to another vet and they blew us away with their service. It's concerning to be surprised to have friendly service. They also let us know that Alpine charged us for medical procedures they didn't even perform on our dog..... they know this because we took all of her paperwork to them from Alpine. Our new vet also tried calling Alpine to get more of our dogs info and they told our new vet they had no records of our dog in their system. Between the different vets there was no price difference but Alpine over all failed us. Our experience led us to believe they didn't want to help our dog but wanted us to keep coming back in to spend unnecessary money. She's on the road to recovery after discovering another bacteria in her sample. read more

I meant to come back and update this review in November of last year (2012). I totally got caught up in moving and let it slip my mind. Dr. Wampler was kind enough to respond to my earlier review and so I was reminded. I did, in fact, have a situation requiring immediate care of my pet and so I went back to this clinic as they agreed to see him on short notice. I saw Dr. Shani Henry. She is, without a doubt, absolutely amazing! She was very compassionate with me and my pet. I really would recommend her to anyone. As well as being compassionate, she was knowledgeable and didn't try to sell me anything unnecessary. I really appreciated her honesty. The experience with her definitely changed my opinion of the clinic as a whole. I wouldn't see the previous vet again, but I would definitely visit any of the others in this practice. read more

$800 charge for 1 hour on gas anesthesia for a c-section!!! Total bill almost $1700 which is very high for Montana. Wanted to charge $19 for a cone. Who puts a cone on a nursing mom that has babies to clean and tend to? In all my years of breeding never has a vet put a cone on a mom after c-section. Vets were nice and did a good job, just super overpriced from any other places I've been. read more

I took my puppy in a rude lady named deb answered the phone before telling her it wasn't a emergeency she put me on hold. The other lreceptionst was rude and I couldn't find my card she told me that I couldnt take my dog home until it was paid. And they told me as soon as my dog is better he has to be vaccinated. I had no idea and they humiliated me were unprofessional and I will not be back! read more

I originally brought my 9 month old pup to Bridger and just made the switch to alpine and I am so HAPPY that I did! I am beyond impressed by the facility and staff. It is clean, and the staff are there not only to make your pet feel comfortable but for you to feel comfortable as well. I have Dr. Ford who is awesome! I highly recommend her. You can tell that she is very passionate about her job and animals. Anytime I go in everything is explained perfectly. I am not guessing what my pup needs. Yes, this place is a bit more pricey then the others, but well worth it if you ask me! My pup is being boarded for the first time at Alpine this week, and the first visit when I came to alpine she was scared of the place. The second time she warmed up, and then when I dropped her off to boarding her tail was wagging and ready to play with the other pups! If you are looking for awesome staff and high quality service for you AND your animal then this is the place to go to. read more

So angry with Alpine. Boarded my Shepherd for 2 weeks with explicit instructions to call me if anything happened. I pick him up and find two nickel sized abrasions on his front legs. I ask the receptionist and tech. Response from tech i noticed them yesterday. Receptionist looks in computer. They have been there at least 3 days. The vet said they were no big deal. No one called me or notified me at all. I happened to see them when he climbed in the car. Seems like they were trying to hide it. The sores are not healing. I will never take any of my animals back to them. Be ware!!!!! read more

Don't let the pretty facade fool you; this clinic is primarily focused on how much money they can squeeze out of you and treatment of your pet is a distant second. If I could give this place no stars at all, I would. My first couple of visits with Dr. Wampler went great, but after that things went downhill to the point that she couldn't even bother to take the time to return a call about a question on my pet's medication. I called the clinic three times and never did hear back from her, so I switched vets that very evening.. Their website claims that they are affordable but in my research they are actually the most expensive clinic in town. In one procedure alone Alpine was going to charge almost $200 MORE for the exact procedure the vet I took my dog to charged. That's a pretty big difference in my book. In addition they incessantly try to pressure/guilt trip you into buying add-on type services rather than evaluating what would actually be most appropriate for your pet's care (is that even ethical?). I'm not interested in someone who's a sales person first and a vet second!! I think the high volume of advertising that Alpine needs to do to attract clients speaks volumes about them. Seems to me that it would be much more effective to provide good services to their clients rather than paying for TV ads or to put magnets on every phone book. There are so many other competent, caring and affordable vets in Helena that I would never recommend Alpine to anyone. read more

Will never take my pets here again. They misquoted a procedure to me three times and then when I had my cat groomed here they essentially skinned the back of his tail. When I called to complain they said the vet would call me and they never called back. Had to take the cat to another vet to get ointment to help heal his tail. Not as caring as they claim. read more

One of my chickens was attached by a dog and I took her to Alpine because I had heard there was a vet there that sees birds and has seen some chickens. Dr. Henry-Ford saw my chicken and was very patient in showing me how to tube her to give antibiotics and pain meds. At first I was afraid and didn't want to do it for fear I'd get the tube in the windpipe instead of the esophagus but Dr. Henry-Ford had so much patience in showing me and demonstrating how to do it that now I feel like a pro. I am forever grateful. My chicken, Leggy, is getting better. Still walking with a limp and the bit wounds have not yet healed but she is getting better every day. read more

We had previously taken our dogs to Alpine for vaccinations and treatment and had always had a decent experience, even though they are more expensive that other Vets. Not anymore... Last week we took our dog to see Alpine as he had an eye infection. We arrived 25 minutes early for the appointment to ensure that anything that needed to be done prior to the appointment was done. We waited an additional 10 minutes past our appointment time until we asked if we were going to have our dog seen, at which time we were led to the exam room. We waited another 25 minutes in the exam room to see Dr. Wampler and were just getting ready to leave and go to Bridger Vet instead when she walked into the room. She did a couple tests and asked us to bring him in the following Monday for follow-up drop off appointment as she was not going to be there Saturday (she wasn't the on-call Vet). Today I took my dog back in and specifically asked that they not do one test. Dr Wampler called and told me what the issue was and the medications, and explained that our dog was ready for pick up. When I went to pick him up and pay, I looked over the bill, and there on the bill was the charge for the test we specifically asked not to have done (a tear test). Thinking that it was probably some mistake, I mentioned it, and was told that Dr. Wampler would talk to me about it as she did the test anyway, because SHE decided it was necessary. That was bad enough, but when she told me she felt like the test was needed, even though we asked that it not be done, I explained to her why we felt it didn't (the tear test helps to determine if the animals infection was due to a lack of tears). She then proceeded to tell me that she was just trying to do the best thing for our dog and provide the best care she could, "but if I didn't want the best care for my dog..." that is when I walked out of the clinic. My dogs receive the best in care from us. They go everywhere with us, get seen annually by the vet, eat home prepared meals, etc. Anyone who knows us knows that we do the very best for all of our pets. Dr Wampler was insulting, rude, and treated me like an idiot, over a $23. test that she (as the owner) could easily have refunded (since I specifically asked that it not be done), but instead chose to insult a customer. Imagine how your wishes for treatment of your pet will be respected if Dr. Wampler gets to decide what is and what is not needed against your wishes. I saved a copy of the intake request where it states that the test not be performed, and the invoice, which shows it was done anyway. Will provide that to anyone that asks that disputes the review. Bottom Line: If you want to be respected and have your instructions respected, go somewhere else. read more

While the facility is very nice, the staff is apt to attack clients in public if their pets do not behave well after invasive surgery. Overall: not professional and over-priced. read more

As recent transplants to Helena, finding a great vet was right at the top of our list of things to do. We have three dogs--one of whom is a new puppy. Needless to say, we have seen the inside of those exam rooms a lot and have used the boarding and grooming services too. From Day One, our animals have been treated so well! The front office staff is kind, professional and knows our pets by name when we walk in. Multiple boarding stays have led me to think that our dogs would almost rather stay there than at home. They play, socialize and rest easy. They come home smelling great and in perfect health. The two groomers do a wonderful job on our terriers. They are efficient, timely and well-priced. And, most importantly, the veterinary care over the past year has been superior. If we've had an emergency, they work us right in. Annual vaccines and check-ups are thorough. Dr. Wampler spent a lot of time with me explaining how our routine was going to change with regard to parasite-control with our move from Texas. I very much appreciated her thoughtfulness in understanding my need for new information. I am confident that all of the folks at Alpine Animal Clinic absolutely have the best interests of our dogs at heart. They practice what they preach and I'm incredibly satisfied with our decision to trust our dogs with all of them. read more

Our bunny had an emergency on Sunday morning. The vet (Dr. Henry-Ford) called me back within 10 minutes, and was nice throughout the whole process. Not cheap, but I thought we got prompt thorough service. If less expensive would have been 5 stars, but I have no complaints about the service. read more

We took our dog Susie to be boarded for a week. On the fifth day we received a call saying that Susie was sneezing she was one of three dogs that was sneezing and they were wondering if they could treat her. We agreed to have her seen and we were informed she had kennel cough. Susie is never around other dogs and this is the first time she had been boarded she also had the vaccination.When we came to pick her up we were informed that the charge had increased from the agreed-upon $68-$99. I asked why they told me that they had moved her to isolation and that cost more. I inquired where she would've gotten the infection and they said she must have brought it in from an outside source. When inquiring further as to the other dogs that I was told that that it was probably coincidental when I asked what kind of test they ran they told me they just looked at her and decided to give her pills that cost me $70. No bloodwork or any other testing was done just visual. Then they brought her to me and I had paid upfront for her nails to be clipped And they told me that they had tried to clip her nails but she was too squirmy so they didn't do it but they still charged me for it and would not give me my money back. I would never recommend anybody to bring their dog to them. Susie is a small beagle blue heels x and I usually take her to Bridger and they have never had a problem clipping her nails. The staff was extremely rude and we will never be going back!!! Not worth the money or your sanity!!!! read more

I have two 15 year old female cats. They have become my best buds since my spouse passed away so I know how important pets can be to their owners. Alpine recently correctly diagnosed two infections in one of the cats. Surgery, daily injections and boarding all became necessary. Alpine made special accommodations for boarding since they were already full. The cat is now back to normal and as happy as ever. I then took the other cat in for a checkup since neither had been in for quite some time. She was diagnosed with arthritis, which explained her moodiness and lack of physical activity. Her medication seems to be doing the trick as she is more active and less moody. I cannot relate to the bad reviews given on Yelp. My experience has been excellent and I have observed none of the negative aspects described by others. I highly recommend Alpine and am not associated with them in any way except as a customer. read more

We are not impressed with Alpine in the least. And especially Dr. Wampler. When she was with another clinic, we took our newly acquired Hound dog in and told her he had an enlarged esophagus, at which point she said she hoped we could get our money back because he wouldn't live very long. I thought it was cold of her. We weren't about to give him back. He lived 9 years. Just passing away last month which wasn't bad for a dog with special needs. Once her clinic opened up, we did try using them for boarding when we went on vacation, because they were a vet and in case anything happened to him. When we returned we were given a very rude note from Dr. Wampler telling us that our other dog was no longer welcomed because he barked the whole time, but we were welcomed to bring our special needs one. She couldn't even speak to us in person! They are way way overpriced and Dr. Wampler is far from compassionate. She is, in my opinion, only in it for the money and I get sick of seeing her phoney billboards of her posing with pets. Bridger Vet is a far better Vet! They are reasonable in their prices and they ARE compassionate with our pets. read more