I have to agree with the other reviewer (Jennifer N.) on here. My friend recommended Baker's to me, but before calling to book an appt, I used my iPhone to look for an online review. At the time of writing this, her's (Jennifer's) is the only other one. It sounded great so we proceeded with high expectations. Well, I gotta say - they STILL EXCEEDED them!!
We were completely blown away from the whole experience from the moment I called and booked our appt with reception, til the moment we payed our bill and walked out the door
I called at 2pm and they took us at 4pm! It wasn't even really an emergency but they still took us on such short notice. Actually, they even said we could come as soon as 3:15! And it's not like the place wasn't busy, other patients were coming and going the whole time. That's the beauty of having more than one vet available at all times.
I haven't been pleased with our other vet. They always try to charge me an "examination fee" of $100 just for listening to my dog's heart, checking his ears and mouth. It would literally take 60seconds flat and they wanted 100 freakin' dollars! After the first time, I paid it and told them never again do I want their stupid "examination" done when I come it, yet every time, at cash, I'd have the same fight with them. The last straw was when we went in for Beetle's vaccinations (short for Beetlejuice - my little Boston terrier - named after the Howard Stern "whack packer" not the movie Beetlejuice. I'm so sick of people asking what happens if you say his name 3 times). I held his front whilst the Vet administered the shot. But as the needle went in, Beetle squirmed a little bit and I noticed the needle withdrew for a second and half the shot ended up in his fur and dribbled onto the examination table. I knew he saw it, so when he didn't say anything, I figured he knew he got enough of it in that it would be ok. Fast forward to 4months down the road and poor Beet ends up getting Kennel Cough from the dog park. That was one of the things he was supposedly vaccinated for, so when I brought him back to the vet, their excuse was that they can't guarantee the vaccine will prevent kennel cough 100%, it just lessens the chance of him contracting it. Fair enough I suppose, "but what about half of his shot going onto the table and not into my dog?" I asked. They mumbled some nonsense and handed me the bill for his medication and his - you guessed it - EXAMINATION FEE!!
Anyway, this is supposed to be a positive review for Baker's not a negative one for Anderson Veterinary Clinic (there -- I said it)
So the receptionist was amazing! Beet had developed a swollen anal gland the night before and I wanted to catch it early before it turned into an abcess or something. We spoke on the phone for a good 15-20min. To reiterate what Jennifer said, she was asking all the right questions. She was very considerate, polite, helpful, enthusiastic...I can't say enough about her. I wish I could remember her name to credit her. Anyway, when I couldn't find Beet's medical records, because they were buried in a box from moving, she took the initiative and called my old vet to get his records and update them in their computer system.
When we arrive at the clinic, we were greeted by friendly faces and helpful reception staff. Once I filled out the 'new patient' forms one of the vet assistants brought us into one of the exam rooms and made sure we were comfortable and answered all our initial questions. She gave Beetle a treat which I told her he had to earn, so we showed her all the tricks he knows. She thought he was so cute and cool, she ended up bringing half the staff back to watch him perform again and gave him MORE treats! She also took his picture and attached it to his file in their computer system and on our copy of his bill.
Dr. Dave Rutherford saw us. You can tell he loves his work and is very passionate when it comes to demonstrating how much he cares for the animals he's treating. The very first thing he did was scoop Beet up in his arms and hug him, letting him lick all over his face, neck and ears. He was extremely gentle while treating his infected gland and did everything he could to keep him calm &minimize any unavoidable discomfort. He spoke to us on our level and not down to us like we were ignoramuses. He made sure we understood everything and took the time to listen to our concerns and answer all our questions in a dignified manor. He couldn't have been friendlier or more sincere. He also has a great sense of humour. He clearly had our best interests at heart and was more concerned about doing what was best for Beet and not suggesting any unnecessary proceedures to try to "cash in" on us. In the end we were there for about an hour, (enjoying our complimentary "Tassimo" coffees & hot choc in the waiting room!) got his meds, a protective cone, a complimentary ice pack and the bill was less than HALF of what we were read more