-
January 2024 by Patrick Piper
In November 2023, my dog Bingo, and best friend for the past 12 years, was diagnosed with lymphoma at the VCA emergency clinic. I was told to follow up with a veterinarian and upon some initial research, found Animal Hospital of Desert and Dr. Deol. I made an appointment and have had 3 appointments in the past month. The purpose for my most recent visit was to have Bingo's blood glucose level checked because the treatment for the lymphoma caused him to have diabetes which he was prescribed insulin (very expensive) for during my last visit.My initial visit with Dr. Deol (a female, and not the man on their website) was difficult as I discussed Bingo's prognosis but I found the doctor to be straight forward yet compassionate. The clinic was clean and the staff very friendly. Well, after 3 visits and nearly $2000, I fear that they may be more concerned about making money than the actual well being of the animals that they care for. Each time I went, I was told about all kinds of expensive tests that were recommended and charged exorbitant amounts of money for routine procedures and medications. For example, I was charged for an exam and then charged for the venipuncture, the glucometer, the syringes and even a biohazard fee. Shouldn't some or all of this be included an an exam? If not, the exam amounts to nothing more than a visual analysis. But each time I paid out of desperation for my dog.I felt that I was being "nicked and dimed" but wanted to believe the best until my last visit. While I was waiting to check Bingo in for his appointment I began talking with a woman who was there getting her two new puppies vaccinated. When they brought her puppies back to her after the vaccinations, she noticed that one of the puppies wasn't moving. She became alarmed and said she was scared he was not breathing. The woman's husband came in to the room and said the same thing. They immediately called for help and were concerned that the puppy was having a reaction to the vaccination and asked for the doctor to look at him.As the receptionist took the puppy into a room, another receptionist came out and told the couple that they would have to pay $61 for an exam fee. The couple told her that they had just paid that as well as for the vaccinations that he puppy may have been having a reaction to. They just wanted to be sure everything was okay before they left. The receptionist insisted that they pay the fee before the doctor would be able to "examine" the puppy again. It was then that I spoke up and said that when humans get a vaccine they are made to wait 15 minutes after to ensure that they would not have a reaction. That is standard practice. So why shouldn't the same apply to our pets? Why should this couple be charged an additional exam, fee during the same visit, if they fear their puppy was having a reaction to a vaccine the doctor had given him just moments before? I was shocked.When I went to check Bingo in I was given another list of recommendations each with a hefty price attached. Not only did I have to pay another exam fee and for the glucose test (which should be considered follow up to prescribing insulin), I would also be charged $300 for bloodwork and several other associated fees (e.g., biohazard, etc.).Our pets are our family for whom we do anything necessary and pay any price to ensure their health and well being. It saddens me to think that this sentiment is exploited during these vulnerable times of crisis, all in the name of the "almighty dollar".
-
January 2024 by Makira
They got me in same day which I very much appreciated since my baby got sick on Christmas. They were up front about pricing and kind about the breakdown of costs. They didn't try and push loads onto us or make us feel guilty for what we couldn't afford. I don't know what's going to show up on my kitties bloodwork but the receptionist and doctor made me feel welcome and were attentive and kind. I do feel he's in good hands here and I appreciate the kindness while we navigate what could be wrong with my baby.
-
November 2023 by Debra F.
I am so grateful for the Dr. and staff. They are simply the best!!! We came from out of town and our dog was very ill. It was clear this was the end and they took us right away. They clearly were compassionate, professional and so loving.
-
September 2023 by Stacy Galleron
If I could choose -100 stars, I would. Unprofessional, rude, impolite, nasty, discourteous, and that is before my dogs were seen. I walked out!!!! DO NOT take your dogs to this establishment if you love them.
-
August 2023 by Jeremy Nichols
AVOID THIS VET AT ALL COSTS! I wish I had read all of the awful reviews before I stupidly brought my cat here. This animal hospital was beyond incompetent and extremely unethical. They have zero bedside manner, to say the least.Starting with the phone call, it took me over an hour just to get ahold of somebody at the office. After an hour of failed phone call attempts because they simply were not answering their phones, an older Indian sounding lady finally answered in the rudest tone. Making the appointment was the most unpleasant experience as the manager would aggressively talk over me and had the worse energy and zero social skills. She sounded insufferable over the phone. I should’ve seen that red flag as a huge warning off the bat.They ended up taking me in the following day which is strange because every other hospital in the desert is booked up for weeks. They seem to have a lot of availability AKA not a lot of business.I ultimately brought my cat in to get a wound treated on his face. I assumed the vet would clean the wound and send him home with some antibiotics.Firstly, the vet techs are the most ghetto 18 year old girls fresh out of high school with zero experience working in any kind of medical field. These girls are who I was communicating and interacting with the most which was an awful experience in itself. Apparently, these are the only employees this awful manager could find to work for her.I was put in a room with my cat for nearly 4 hours without water during a heat wave. The appointment ran incredibly slow, nothing was really explained to me and it took 3 hours just to get the actual vet into the room.The actual vet was a bait and switch scam. On their website, they advertise a male vet. The vet that finally arrived was really young, female, and seemed straight out of vet school with zero experience. She was not even featured on their website and I had no idea who this was. She didn’t even introduce me with her name, I had to ask her twice just to know who she even was. The vet herself has zero social skills and performed a half a** 5 minute exam.The 18 year old vet tech then negotiated the rates with me. The vet ended up quoting over $700 including hardcore pain medication that I wouldn’t even take as a human. There’s no way a superficial cut on my cats face would require all of that. It was a total bait and switch up-sell scam tactic. The 18 year old vet tech herself told me she wouldn’t go along with and pay what the doctor was recommending. AWFUL! The actual vet tech employee was basically telling me the doctor was ripping me off. Even the employees could see that.They went ahead and charged my card for services that haven’t been provided yet. They were really aggressive with demanding payment before any services were performed which I thought was very unethical.After enduring over 3 hours of this, I ended up cancelling the appointment and asked for a refund so I could take my baby somewhere else. I couldn’t believe how they handled the entire appointment and how they are even in business.To top it off, after they offered me a full refund because they knew how awful their service was…they still ran my cards and now I’m fighting claims with my bank. I will get this money back, however, this process with this vet has been nothing short of a nightmare.The manager/owner is an insufferable woman that clearly hates her job, hates the clients and hates these pets. Their hatred for animal care and overall laziness was very evident. Save your time and money and RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, SERIOUSLY!
-
July 2023 by Christopher T.
By far the most unfriendly and rude staff I've ever encountered. Do not waste your time or money people. There are far better, cleaner, friendlier offices all over the desert.
-
July 2023 by Monica A.
Thank you, Dr. Deol! AHOD was the only vet in the desert that could get our cat seen on a same-day emergency basis. The kind receptionist made sure to check with the doctor on availability and scheduling before having us get in the car with our lethargic cat, and assured us she would have the doctor see us within 10 minutes. Upon arrival, the technician took us in right away, made sure we were comfortable, weighed Romeo to the ounce, checked his heart rate, and asked us how much pain he was experiencing. The quiet examination rooms are a bonus; my cat curled up happily in my husband's lap, which he has never done at a vet's office before. The staff and the doctor were very open and honest about all possible charges, and asked our permission before performing any procedures after educating us on possible options. The doctor was very thorough, and she was very compassionate and empathetic to our fur baby. We found her to be highly educated and thoughtful. After asking us extensive questions about our cat's health history, she covered every possible cause of extreme recurring constipation she could think of and took X-rays when it was essential for her to understand what was going on inside our cat's intestinal track. She made sure he received intravenous fluid to prevent the dehydration that so often accompanies constipation, and took the time to review all of the possible dietary options with us so we knew exactly what to feed our aging cat and why. His blockage was cleared, his OTC/meds were reviewed, his IV was administered, an enema was given (which proved to be highly effective), and the lethargy diminished. We fully realize that emergency-basis vet care is going to be expensive, just as emergency-based human medical care can be; AHOD's charges were comparable to what we have paid in the past at Paws N Claws of Palm Desert. Today, our cat is no longer constipated and in pain, has a new dietary regimen that seems very sensible, and is on the mend.
-
July 2023 by J N.
Worse vet I've ever been to and most ghetto staff I've ever dealt with at a hospital. I would give zero stars if I could. The doctor herself has no clue what she's doing, it's almost as if she inherited the practice from someone else. Save your time and money and your precious pet's welfare and go to a different hospital, please I beg you. There were so many red flags starting with the phone call, I wish I didn't ignore them. Im so embarrassed I even took my pet here, I was just desperate for some urgent care. Don't make my mistake!!
-
July 2023 by Jay G.
AVOID THIS VET AT ALL COSTS! I really wish I read the reviews more before taking my cat here. The staff and doctor herself have zero bedside manners. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even know what that phrase meant if you asked them. The manager/receptionist older Indian looking lady with grey hair was astoundingly rude. The girls working in the office had zero experience working in any kind of medical field. I brought my cat in for a wound on his face. I assumed they would wash it and send me home with medications. The first quote I got was for $700. The doctor herself recommended a bunch of medications that were not necessary. She wanted to prescribe my cat hardcore painkillers which I don't even take myself as a human. His wound was not severe enough to require that type of medication. After talking them down to $300 and after spending 4 hours in the room just waiting around for the doctor, they then told me I wasn't going to be able to be with my cat while he got his wound cleaned. I understand if their procedures are strict and they do not allow pet owners to be with their pets during visits, but it's something that should have been discussed prior to the visit over the phone while I was making the appointment. That's a huge detail to leave out. After I told them I don't feel comfortable with them taking my cat to another room without me, after having just haggled down the negotiation from a ridiculous price, after waiting for 4 hours they then tell me that they're refusing service since I voiced my concern with them taking my cat without me. All in all, it was a great choice for them to refuse service because it allowed me to find a better vet. But my god, this was the worse experience I've ever had at a doctors office and the staff should be ashamed of themselves for treating customers like this. Again, they have zero bedside manners and only care about price gauging over prescribing. Shame on them.
-
July 2023 by Anna Maine
I had to take my oldest cat to this vet office. The staff that worked with me and my kitty were nice. They are still expensive but slightly better than most.
-
June 2023 by Kiki K
It was a long wait, but they were kind and good to my dogs. I had a pleasant visit.
-
June 2023 by Linda H.
I have been going to this hospital for years when Dr. Gurdeep Deol was the Dr. since his daughter took over and I had to take my cat in for a problem in his backend, I thought he hurt his leg or something. The prices they charge is way out of line. then they gave his meds that almost put him away. they wont even clean the back area off since the meds they gave him gave him diarrhea. I found a sore on his right area by his butt today and they wont even let me bring him in telling me I have to take it to a groomer? Dont bring your animals here they only care of what they can charge you. I was in this business and I have never been treated so badly. and they Doctor told me to give my cat this meds to keep him calm when bringing him in and those meds almost killed him!!!!
-
June 2023 by lauren blachley
Dr Deol at Animal hospital of desert has been my veterinarian in Palm desert for over 5 years. This is a family owned clinic with a strong passion for animals. They’ve provided amazing care for my dogs and rabbits. Whether my appointment is for vaccines or a more serious issue I am never disappointed by the care my animals receive! Thank you Dr Deol and family for caring about my animals!
-
June 2023 by Rocky P.
Dr Deol and his daughter Dr Deol at Animal hospital of desert have been my veterinarians in Palm desert for over 5 years. This is a family owned clinic with a strong passion for animals. They've provided amazing care for my dogs and rabbits. Whether my appointment is for vaccines or a more serious issue I am never disappointed by the care my animals receive! Thank you Dr Deol and family for caring about my animals!
-
June 2023 by J L.
Worst vet in Palm Desert. They were highly recommended by a friend and I was beyond let down by my experience there. First and foremost it's not the original Dr.Deol. It's his daughter who just graduated three years ago from vet school and the lack of experience is very evident. The staff is unfriendly and incompetent and they do not communicate internally. After spending thousands of dollars to diagnose my pet she still can't tell me what's wrong. She wants to represcribe medications that didn't work the first time and have me go see another specialist. Other lovely things about this place: You have to drop your pet off and can't even be with them during the appointment. They couldn't even record the weight of my pet correctly. And when I made the appointment to have an ultrasound, they called and said Tuesday 8am is first appointment. I said "great, I'll take it". Two days later they call again to confirm the appointment? Annoying, but confirmed again. The next morning they called at 9:30am and left a message that if they didn't hear back from me by 11am they were going to cancel the appointment. It was confirmed two other times and now you're giving me 90 minutes to call to confirm a third time?? Lame, disorganized, unfriendly office with a green veterinarian that can't make any recommendations other than to go see an internal medicine doctor and take the medicine previously prescribed that didn't work. Really wanted to like them and have a positive experience here. I was going to have my other dog's teeth cleaned but I will never ever step foot in this office again. Crap service, crap office, crap staff. Oh, and my favorite charge of theirs is the $5.99 fee to dispose of any needles they use on your pet. *insert eye roll here* I just spent thousands of dollars over two months and have watched my pet continue to deteriorate before my eyes. If you'd like to waste two months and thousands of dollars only to watch your beloved pet continue to decline before your eyes.. this is your place. 100%. If you actually want to help your pet and get an accurate diagnosis find another clinic!
