Absolutely not!
As an established patient, I called to get my dog an appointment because he was limping. I was fine that they did not have an appointment until the next day. That is entirely understandable and reasonable. What was NOT reasonable was the staffs refusal to ask the doctor a very simple question about the medication HE prescribed. We needed to know if Dog could take it with another of his prescribed medications (from prior vet). That's all - he took a prescribed anti-inflammatory last night. Can he also take a trazadone to keep him calm for the day, so he does not further injure his leg (he has a LOT of energy)? We are pretty sure the answer is 'Yes,' but could really use confirmation from the Doctor.
Angel told me she could ask Dr. Sanders in a FEW HOURS, at the end of the day. Girl, it's 8:30 AM! You need a few hours to answer a question that takes less than 2 minutes? Why not call me back between patients? She was RUDE about it too. She said to me, "Well he has other patients!" Really? Yeah, I know he has other patients. Just ask the thing between patients, because Dr. Sanders will know the answer off the top of his head. It's a yes or no question! That is poor patient care, and we will not be returning.
I called another vet, who we have never given business to, and the tech/receptionist said, "She's with a patient right now. Can I call you back in a few minutes." They knew I was not their patient, and they were kind enough to answer the question anyway.
I would have given Chase Oaks two stars were it not for this incident. Not because there's anything horribly wrong about them, but just because there are dozens of better veterinary practices nearby - larger facilities, accreditation's, better educated staff, and a greater ability to treat a wider range of health problems. Doctor Sanders is nice guy and has a good bedside manner with the dogs, which we liked. He really does seem to care about his patients. He also picks and chooses what he considers to be the best in preventative care, rather than keeping with industry standards. His staff advertises that as though it were a good thing. Literally, our first visit, Angel said to us something along the lines of: Other vets do a lot of things that are unnecessary, but not Dr. Sanders. As though not keeping up with the most current best standards of care in veterinary medicine were something to advertise, and somehow made him better than every other veterinarian out there - you know, the ones who are actually keeping up with the science. He does, however, grind the dogs claws for free at each visit, which was my favorite thing about this place.
Doug Sanders seems nice enough, but I also need extremely competent, which includes having a good staff. I've been to small town vets in the middle of nowhere with far more impressive practices. It's a tiny operation, with few abilities, and Dr. Sanders is pretty cavalier about things. Clinic is a good descriptor for the place.
To be a 3 star vet in this area, Doctor Sanders needs to hire a staff that can make reasonable determinations, is not unduly rude, and he needs to update his standards of preventative care. To be a 4 or 5 star vet, he would need to expand his operation, become a veterinary hospital, and gain AHAA accreditation.
We have moved to an AHAA accredited animal hospital and are very happy with our choice so far. read more
