I've been going to this clinic for ~10+ years and aside from the great knowledge and skills the vets posses, what had stuck with me is the small acts of kindness I've experienced from the staff, that just compound in meaning when you think back on them over the years, and have made truly difficult situations feel just a tiny bit better. read more

This is the best vet clinic I have ever encountered each and everything we visit. Our dog was injured June 22/25 and they took Archie in immediately. Staff even attended at our car to assist. The staff are so caring to the animals and humans. I find this clinic so reasonably priced. Canadians need to remember we do not get a bill when we visit the human ER or hospital but that costs a great deal of money. Medical care costs money as do vets. Thank you staff at Nelson Animal Hospital and you are worth every penny. read more

My 3 yr old doggy finally got in to get neutered. She died two days later from badly mixed Medication. It shut her body down. Took two days for them to call and explain. Obviously I'm still not over it. I will say the receptionist did handle me calling constantly. read more

Kinda felt like they didn't want or need my business. So after sitting on hold, I called another vet in town, who squeezed me in the same day! read more

Cannot say enough good things about this clinic. The vets, techs and assistants saved my puppy during the holidays and all went above and beyond. I would never hesitate to take my pet here again, they are amazing. read more

The receptionist this morning was very rude on the phone at check in .. must have a case of the Monday's. asked me if I was checking in for surgery or could I hold the line . I said in a nice manner ,both .. then she asked me again very snappy like I didnt undeRostand the question. Love it when my mornings start off that way .won't be bringing my dog back there thank you very much . Sometimes it's a little thing such as your additude problem that can throw people off forever . .. the young girl that checked my dog in tho was wonderful . read more

WARNING! If you have seen Nakusp veterinarian prior to needing emergency services for your pet the Nelson Animal Hospital will NOT help you because of an ongoing drama between them and Nakusp veterinarian services. The Nakusp veterinarian does not provide emergency services because they do not have the staff to comply. When my pet was very ill from an infection in her womb after giving birth and I called Nelson Animal Hospital seeking help to save my pets life, they refused to help me because I had previously seen the Nakusp Veterinarian. I was told I could go to Kelowna if I wanted help. I was shamed for getting a dog during covid lockdown and was told "all you people who got dogs during covid have made an overload of work for all of the BC veterinarians". I was shamed for seeing the Nakusp veterinarian in the first place. I was told no Nelson vets would help me because the Nakusp veterinarian does not comply to the emergency services responsibilities. I was shamed for being desperate and upset and scared for my dogs life. Not everyone with a job and a child can just pick up and go to Kelowna which is more than a 4 hour drive from the West Kootenays. I was told if I cant go or make it in time to save my dogs life, too bad for me and my pet. The receptionist I spoke to was incredibly rude and unfeeling about my situation. I said to this receptionist, Rhianna, that if my dog died it would be their fault for caring more about equal sharing of emergency services than taking care of animals, which I personally believe should be the priority of a Veterinary clinic. I found a way to save my dog, without leaving the Kootenays, absolutely no thanks to Nelson Animal Hospital. In early January 2023 I required emergency care for one of my pets babies because she was bleeding from her bottom from eating something she somehow got in her system out in my fenced yard. It is still unknown what exactly she got into her wee belly that caused this. I took every measure to take care of her. I was actually accepted to go to Nelson Animal Hospital for emergency services, and went right away and paid the hefty bill on the spot. I was pleased that they actually helped me this time and the fur baby survived and is still thriving. After the emergency appointment I ended up with a letter from Nelson animal hospital stating that they had made a mistake in helping my pet and realized too late that they should not have helped me because I had previously seen Nakusp Veterinarian and that when I had first spoken to the Nelson Animal Hospital when I needed help saving the mother I had been rude to the receptionist. In the letter it states, Please be advised 50% of the after hours services for Selkirk Veterinary Hospital and Maybank Mobile Veterinary services. If either of these practices are your veterinary services provider, you and your pet(s) will be without after-hours emergency services on the days/nights that Nelson animal Hospital is covering those services. I have called the Nelson animal Hospital today and spoke to the receptionist who complained that I was rude to her and she said that when I did indeed tell her that if my dog died it would be the fault of the Nelson Animal Hospital for refusing to attend to my pet, she took it as an insult and filed a complaint. Let me add that I could not even see the Nakusp Veterinarian at the time as the vet there had a family emergency and was not available for the next week, and I had no choice but to call Nelson vets. I was expected to go to Kelowna and find lodgings and miss work and take my child out of school to have my pets life saved, or too bad for us. Never mind the huge cost, which I was willing to take on, but the time away from work would have been unacceptable and I could have lost my job. Please do not deal with these people, Nelson Animal Hospital. They have horrible reception and take out their problems with other veterinarians on clients. They refuse to see you if you have even spoken to Nakusp Veterinarians. I am in the process of making an official complaint about their negligence and horrifying lack of compassion or empathy for animals because of something the client has no control over, their issues with another veterinarians lack of staffing for emergency help. As for the complaint the receptionist made about me being rude to her, I have witnesses for when that call was made on October 22, 2022, that I was very upset about the possibility of my dog dying for lack of services all because I had unknowingly previously seen a vet their office has a problem with. I was not abusive as the letter states, I was reacting with tears and a broken heart to a mean receptionist. The real reason for a shortage of veterinary services in BC is that there is a law that only 14 new vets are allowed to make a new practice a year in BC because it makes it fair for all the vets and keeps them in business. People who got 'COVID dogs' are not the reason there is a shortage. Thank you. read more

I have had the worst experience with the Dr herself. Instead of actually coming up with a plan for my cat to have her babies safely they'd rather euthanize my cat. I am not ever going back to them again. The doctor was very unprofessional and very rude and they are way overpriced.. Shame on you, I thought I was doing the right thing by calling and asking advice not to be treated the way I was and then the doctor demanding me to bring my cat in immediately to be euthanized. My cat is tired, we all get tired when pregnant. read more

Completely unprofessional, rude, and uncaring staff. They misdiagnosed my dog and cause extensive and extended suffering and then when called on their colossal mistake they chose to deny me service. The owner should be ashamed of herself as well as much of her staff. My dog didn't have to go through what he did in what ended up being the last days of his life but due to their callousness and huge ego he suffered needlessly. I loved her and miss her so much. Unfortunately my abysmal experience is not isolated. They treated my friend and their dog horribly and they were about the most loving and caring pet owners you can imagine, spending thousands at this "clinic". Shame. Stay far away if you even care a little about your pet. Sadly there's not much choice in Nelson and haven't heard great things about the other clinics and even had a fairly bad experience elsewhere myself although it pales in comparison to this. I have found luck out of town and if able I'd recommend that as an alternative although for emergency care you may be stuck here sadly. read more

I disagree with the angry, negative reviews posted here. My spouse & I have been clients of Nelson Animal Hospital for over 7 years. Over this period, we have had 3 dogs and 2 cats registered as patients, and a variety of ailments were conscientiously treated. I believe Dr. Bignell and her team saved the life of one of our dogs when he accidentally ate a chocolate cake with Xylitol. The entire clinic staff are welcoming and sensitive to the different temperaments of our animals. I have only experienced courtesy and respect from clinic employees. And I am impressed that the team cares enough to follow up when we call with questions or after a visit... sometimes calling in the evening after a long day of surgery. Our emotions can cloud our judgment when our beloved pets are involved and misunderstandings can arise as a result. I think that these consumer review apps can skew negative and so, I feel I must counter this bias. We absolutely recommend the team at Nelson Animal Hospital highly, based on our many experiences with our pets over the years. read more

We had to have our beloved family member, a 13 year old German Shepherd, put down due to complications of getting old. We found the staff here to be extremely caring, compassionate and professional. They made a very difficult time a little easier for our family. Thank you to all of your staff that helped us. read more

I have been taking my dog to this animal hospital for years. After today I am looking elsewhere. I have been getting the feeling they are only concerned about money. Or how many tests they can perform and charge a person for. No actual concern for animals. I was told during a very thorough examination, ultrasound, urinalysis 6 weeks ago that I could come back and get a prescription refill with out bringing my very senior dog for another visit if his recurring bladder infection came back. Well when that time came I got the typical bring him in for a $75 exam fee and possible tests and bloodwork response (another $300 - $400) When I tried to explain the situation, the old receptionist was very rude to me. read more

Recently I had an issue with my dog and upon looking at their website I saw their Email address so I decided to E-mail them and maybe avoid the standard "bring him in" response. So I wrote The Nelson Animal Hospital, and asked if what I saw was normal bad really bad etc, I wrote out what I was seeing and asked if there was something I could do at home to help my dog. To go to the Vet is a large expense in Nelson and there always seems to be some major test, X-ray, tooth cleaning or some other procedure that adds to the final tally some of which are out of some peoples means at times. I know that they are a business and in the business of making money so I did not expect them to tell me much and I expected them to tell me to bring him in, but...... I received no reply at all, which I thought was odd for a business that you would expect to care about animals more than the ends (money) This combined with word of mouth reviews about the Nelson animal hospital, I wont be taking my dog into see them for any procedure is I can help it. Ill drive the 45 Minutes up the lake to a vet there who seems to care more about he animal more than the money despite being a business as well. I had money to bring him into the vet, I just wanted to know what to expect but if they cannot be bothered to even reply with "bring him in" Ill go elsewhere. :) read more

Best Vet and staff we've ever had. The whole staff was so supportive and helpful with our cat Lucky during weeks of difficulty. Dr. Ayres, Dr. Celeste, Malary and EVERYONE there couldn't have been better. Thankyou during a difficult time. The Janzen Family read more

A few things need to be said about Nelson animal hospital. Someone you can trust? No! We entrusted our sweet girl with Dr. Celeste Bignell for over 2 years. She was diagnosed with a heart condition which we then were actively treating (so we thought) when we noticed our dog getting worse never better after many visits we decided to get a second opinion. Turns out her heart is in good shape for her age. Turns out the treatment and medicine we were prescribed could have KILLED our dog. She has a liver tumour, not a heart condition. After only 1 week of the proper treatment we are seeing some positives. We may never now be able to correct the problem because it was unnoticed. All the tests, medications, and discomfort our happy girl went through and they could have killed her. I could have killed her by taking her back because you're supposed to be able to trust your vet like any doctor. The last straw was when I was handed back a dog who was bleeding down the techs lab coat, she didn't even notice. She didn't even tell me why my dog was bleeding. Please steer clear of Nelson animal hospital and Celeste the owner. Protect your animals but learning from my mistake. Thankfully my girl is still with us, but we won't know her outcome just yet. Thank you to Dr. Theresa Hart at cottonwood falls animal clinic, you not only gave me a diagnoses and showed me the results which I've never seen before but gave me a bit of hope it's not my pups time yet. read more

Had an 18 year old cat that developed fluid in abdomen and just moving to the area I did not have a vet. I called then and they fit me in the next day. Over the course of the next week the followup phone call to see how my cat was doing, the compassion directed towards my cat and the willingness to provide the best care was above and beyond any other vet I had for my pets in the best. I would highly recommend them for your pets needs. Just can't find true compassion and caring for pets as much anymore and these guys go out of their way. Can't say enough good things about them. Thank you so much. read more

I had brought my pet in 6 weeks ago. He's a very old senior dog and was told that bladder infections are common and will likely be recurring. The bill came to 300$. Because I keep a close I eye on my pets I noticed the same symptoms from the last time. My last visit, the vet was very thorough and professional. I understood that I could have the prescription filled at least once. I was told this by the vet and a nurse. If that didn't help I would then need to bring in my pet again for another visit to re-evaluate... However, today, this was not the case. I was told the dog must be brought in for the $75 visit or no prescription. To this I reply he had all the checks done 6 weeks ago. I cannot afford to bring him in every 6-7weeks at 75$ a visit plus whatever other "testing" gets done and prescription resulting in another 300$!? I have been blindsided by this business twice now. 300$-400$ a visit is ridiculous. This time when I questioned it, they said "after bullying the staff you can just have the prescription!" and then I was told to take my business elsewhere. To that I reply. "Gladly" and I will absolutely never set foot in that business again. They can line their pockets with someone else's money. There are other veterinarians to choose from. I understand business is important and they simply cannot due free services. However, taking advantage of people with their sick pets is disturbing. Hope this helps others make an educated decision before taking their beloved pets there. read more