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August 2022 by Tk Talko
No one answers the phone
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July 2022 by Ever G.
This establishment is a scam by design. We took our dog in for a simple check up and were charged for blood test and urine samples that we nerver approved. When we asked for the charges to be reversed we were told they had been. When in fact, that was a lie. Dr. Ed is a greedy man, that chooses to do business in a disrespectful and dishonest way. They will call both the primary number and secondary number on the account in an attempt to increase cunfusion among the patients so they can capitalize on the scam.
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June 2022 by Dakota Meador
The receptionist are great and and communative about me when my dog is in there. My dog is a blood donor and he always comes out happy and tail wagging. I know I can trust them and leave my dog there
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April 2022 by Hannah W.
I'm writing a Yelp review not to be a Karen, but as a general curtesy to anyone going to this vet. Also, I hope the staff might implement some changes. Several other recent reviews say similar things to what I experienced. You have to ask ALL the questions you wouldn't think you'd have to ask. They put my dog under anesthesia and did x-rays without my consent. I was waiting out in the parking lot for a doctor consult, as she was being treated without me knowing what was up. That was infuriating. The communication was just poor overall. They gave her a pain pill in the back, but sent me out the door with directions to start them when I get home. I'm glad I clarified whether or not they had given her one. I do want to give a big shout out to Ian for generally helping ease my frustration. He was generally caring and attentive and sorta took charge. Dr. Sullivan did offer some good advice, but I should have received it before they went ahead and PUT HER UNDER. On another note, I did have a good experience the first time I brought her in to get spayed. I'm not sure where the communication breakdown is happening. Best wishes because I think they genuinely could be a good vet.
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April 2022 by Brian K.
It's hard to know where to even start. Disorganized. Rude. Dishonest. Uncaring. Greedy. My dog was dying. They stretched it out and got their money. When I finally decided it was time to let him go I asked to bring him in. By this time they were only communicating via email. They just stopped replying. I called and the vet refused to call back. My dog died that night, in my arms in pain. I left them a voice mail letting them know he died. They never called back. That was almost a year ago. These guys are monsters.
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March 2022 by Devin H.
I am so grateful for Dr. Sullivan and the Bellingham Vet staff. After my pup was diagnosed with cancer last year I was referred to another specialist in town that did the ELIAS immunotherapy, but I called Bham vet on accident and I'm SO GRATEFUL that I did! Right off the bat, literally first phone call, Dr. Sullivan spent an hour on the line with me getting to know Beauregard (my dog) and going through every detail. I couldn't afford to pay for the very, very expensive and lengthy treatment but he told me to focus Beau first, and we'd figure out payment later. I live in Seattle and gladly drove the 3 hours back & forth every week for months, it is worth it to have a dedicated medical team that puts my mind at ease. My baby is still alive over a YEAR later and it's all thanks to Bham vet.
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March 2022 by Rajdeep A.
I do not recommend Bellingham Vet. There are several reasons that I do not recommend them, but I will only list a couple. The first huge reason is the profound lack of communication between the staff/vet. The lack of communication comes off as lack of care, and realistically negligence. Due to the consistent game of 'telephone' the staff relay incorrect/misinformation from the vet. When my partner and I asked to speak directly to the vet, we were constantly pushed off. We were told certain labs were going to be done for our pup that we later found out were never done, however they were paid for. His urine sample was mislabeled and put under our cat. We were constantly gaslighted by staff, especially a person named Robyn, whenever we asked questions regarding our pups lab work, and the medications that were being prescribed. When we finally were able to talk to Dr. Sullivan we were told that his lab work looked 'fine' only to receive an email from his staff informing us that the labs in question were never done. Leading to a potential misdiagnosis. Whenever we asked questions we were brushed off and treated poorly by the vet and his team. Who would constantly demean us, and make us feel like they were doing more than they actually were. We brought our cat in for a wellness check, which was never done, and/or was incomplete (we don't know because every time we asked about the labs or how our cat looked we were told that the labs they were still being "processed", when we finally asked for records showing the labs that were ordered we were told that the labs were never done, by staff), and now our cat will need over $500 dollars of work, which should've been caught/prevented by Dr. Sullivan. We brought our cat in for an established care appointment with another vet who caught dental issues, and brought to our attention that a standard wellness check looks at teeth, gate, eyes, and overall look of the cat. None of this was done at Bellingham Vet, when we brought this up to Dr. Sullivans team, they informed us that we need to "specifically ask for these things to be checked" when asked what they check for in a wellness check they said "I don't know". After all of these issues were brought to Dr. Sullivans issue, we asked for a refund. Upon asking for this Dr. Sullivan stated that he no longer wanted to communicate with us. This is only listing a couple of issues, the list could go on for the reasons we decided to leave. I truly do not recommend this vet office, and strongly feel that there are other vets in this area who will do more, and care more for your fur babies. We thankfully have found a vet who has shown us what a caring vet will actually do for your pet, and who has also spent more time with us in 1 visit than Dr. Sullivan has in over 7 years.
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February 2022 by David L.
no staff communication leads to messed up billing, which leads to really rude employees who don't answer the week old email they called you up to b**** you out about. Thanks, mgmt, you welched on your end, got pissy and rude, and now, you get my attorney. Enjoy. take your dog anywhere else. Follow Up....BV set me up with a terrific vet doc, she looked at my dog and offered to fix him for free....regardless of what happened, that was a stand up thing to do. I didn't expect the apology from the front desk woman, but I did learn this, actually I learned a lot about a lot...i still have serious issues with medical due diligence, standard of care, and poor charting, no communication. The due diligence was they really didn't examine my dog, or if the did, they charted horribly. It literally was a challenge to get an idea just what was done. Standard of care, you do an x ray on an abscess tooth if your thinking of removing it, that was not done. Im sure they are great lab vets, definitely into animals, his whole family. looks Like his entire family works for his businesses. So they had Derek call, nice guy, set me up, and then our doctor today are the real heroes. The front desk lead ( not his kid) but the one with the huge mouth is a total liar, I hope she gets cancer....seriously... But the moral of the story is this, and I hope I don't jinx my dogs surgery, but I have come to believe the following: There are some people there who truly love and care for animals. There are some people there trying very hard to fix this place, which, trust me, is still broken. And, most importantly, they had the guts to call me back in, and fix the issue at their expense. My point is, they seem to be trying very hard, they are an enigma to me clinically. The communication and lack of charting is huge, the best MD would be done at my facility..They dedicate several businesses so they truly love animals, and they did right their wrongs with me, so I'm really curious about this clinic? Burned out docs? My advice is this. Be VERY CLEAR WITH WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE DONE. BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU DONT WANT DONE, EVEN IF YOU PUT A NOTE ON THEIR COLLAR, OH....be SURE you agree on the right price with the right employee. And it reflects on them. After weeks of back and forth, I found out I was eligible all along because BV works with the Opportunity Council. That's such an incredible nice thing. So yeah, if you can see through the dichotomy at this place, let's go apply and fix it.... After 57 years, I'm left both very impressed with them, at the same time very very grateful, yet I can't put my finger on it. I've never been treated so poorly, then so we'll, they definitely owned their stuff, I had a great doc and they seem to be all about it- how that gets lost in translation I'll never know, but, in all fairness, they were exceptional today.....let's hope it continues......
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December 2021 by Kimberly B.
The worst costumer service. I went in to get my cats nails trimmed, walked out with a bill for almost $300!! They sedated her without discussing that with me and made it seem like my fault that they charged me without telling me what they were doing. Unethical and rude service, especially with SARA at the front desk.
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November 2021 by Katie E.
Please, for the sake of your pet's health and your sanity - avoid this clinic at all costs. I tried to be as understanding as possible with the long wait times, poor communication and general disorganized mess. It's clear that the techs and admins who work here are frazzled. However, my most recent visit left me frustrated, shocked, and disgusted. The actions Bellingham Veterinary clinic took while caring for my cat were highly unethical. These actions included: failing to take a medical history at intake, failing to obtain owner consent to perform non-emergency medical treatments, failing to communicate a recommended treatment plan, and failing to maintain accurate medical records. I called the clinic after my cat started showing signs of gastrointestinal distress. They recommended he be brought in for observation and a fecal test. I agreed. 2 days later I dropped my cat off at 9am to be observed for the day and run the stool test. This request was noted in his medical record and confirmed with a tech at drop-off. The tech asked no other questions regarding his medical history or present symptoms. I assumed we would discuss these after his test results. I requested to be called with updates on his condition before we took next steps, the tech assured me they would call. After 4 hours of radio silence, I called the clinic to check in. They told me that they were looking at his x-rays and that he might need surgery. I was very surprised since we did not discuss imaging when I dropped him off. I urgently requested they call me back when they determined if he needed surgical intervention or not. The clinic staff again assured me they would. A few more hours went by and I got a text at 4pm saying that my cat was ready for pickup. When I went inside to resolve the bill, it was revealed that the clinic had performed an unauthorized sedation of my cat, unauthorized xray imaging, unauthorized bloodwork, and unauthorized medical treatments. The total bill was almost $700. Shocked, I told the admin staff member that I did not consent to anything beyond observing my cat and sending out a stool sample. Especially the anesthesia/sedation. If I had been told that was a possibility for my cat, I would have withheld food from him the 12 hrs prior to drop-off. That would have helped mitigate any risk of complications. I asked the staff if my cat's condition was critical or life threatening, they said he was not. Confused, I then asked why they didn't call me to discuss a diagnostic/treatment plan. The staff went back to speak with Dr. Sullivan, and returned saying "Dr. Sullivan assumed you wanted him to treat your cat". I reiterated that I dropped my cat off for observation and was to be called to discuss next steps. The liberties taken with my cat's care were far beyond what was initially agreed upon and obtaining owner consent is reasonable and prudent in all non-emergency situations. I also asked if, after all they had done, they had a diagnosis for my cat's condition. Foreign body? Pelvic injury? Tumor? The tech again disappeared into the back and returned with the x-ray they took of my cat but could not determine a cause or give recommendations for my cat going forward. Frustrated, I requested they print all the medical records for my cat and my 3 other pets. There was nothing in my cat's medical chart regarding the veterinarian's findings from the physical exam, no progress notes, no treatment plan. What was listed on my bill was absent from my cat's chart. One of the techs offered to go get Dr. Sullivan and I agreed. The tech returned a few minutes later saying that Dr. Sullivan declined to meet with me as he was in an "emergency surgery". However, I have been to the clinic several times with my other pets and they've given me a variation of that line each time. To this day, I have never met or spoken directly to a veterinarian at Bellingham Veterinary. To the credit of the tech and admin staff, they did apologize to me. And they waived the majority of my bill.
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November 2021 by Jess Smith
I drove cross-country for Bellingham Veterinary. I would do it again if I had to. That says it all pretty much. And for people that have complained about Bellingham in terms of waiting, etc, their staff truly cares about the animals. They lose sleep and meals caring for these animals. They hop in a plane for special procedures for these animals. I have never met any other vet staff that were as passionate and caring as they are. Yes they’re busy and time gets delayed, but it’s important to note that at times they run like an urgent care vet. Last minute blood transfusions come up, surgeries, etc. to save an animal’s life. Although my Meera passed in July when I was still there, Dr. Sullivan, Dr. Steele, and the rest of the staff were so amazing and caring to her. They tried so hard to save my 3yo baby from lymphoma, and I couldn’t thank them enough. Meera loved you all so much, and I do too!!! You all will forever have a special place in my heart, and I will make sure to keep in touch. ?? I still heavily grieve my Meera, but I couldn’t ask for a better place for her to spend her final months, in such beautiful weather and beautiful places. The adventures her, Reece, and I had were great/valuable memories. ? Seriously, thank you so much for everything. All the extra you did and love you gave to her. ???
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October 2021 by Ridge S. B.
Let me start by saying, I understand the fact that there is a lot of stress on the vet industry currently caused by Covid. The vet industry works have had an influx of patients and this has put strain on the works. That being said, I brought my cat in today for a checkup/FVRCP vaccine and it was my first time visiting again since 2017 (I had switched vets as my fiancé works as a vet assistant at further away clinic). The cons of my experience were that they took my cat and told me it would be 30-1hr minute wait. I accepted this and I have no problem waiting. I arrived back 1 hour later and waited outside the door (Covid restrictions, which I accept) and I was informed they had just given her the FVRCP vaccine and they were now just getting to her exam. I have never once heard of a clinic giving a vaccine before checking an animal via an exam to ensure they were in good health before administering a vaccine. What if she wasn't healthy, they didn't check her heart and she has a heart mummer and she were to die? Besides the 2 hours wait (as I saw other clients come after I had arrived) and them administering a vaccine without an exam first, the visit went well, the price was fair as they only charged me for the vaccine and reduced the cost of the exam, she had no adverse reactions, and it seems she was treated well. Just a slightly frustrating experience, and again I understand the strain the vet industry is feeling and appreciate their work, just wanted to share.
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October 2021 by Claire D.
I would give this place 0 stars if I could. I had the most frustrating vet experience I have ever had here. I brought my cat in for an exam because he has been excessively licking himself. I was worried it was a thyroid problem. I waited outside the clinic for 40 minutes past his appointment for my cat to be seen. (By the way they don't let you come inside and are kind of rude about it and expect you to just hand over your pet not knowing what they are even doing or charging hundreds of dollars you for).) After the exam they told me blood work needed to be done on him and I would get my results in no less than 7 days. 2 weeks later I still hadn't heard from them. When I called I was told that the Vet was busy and he would call back. No call back. Sent an email. Called again and finally spoke with a receptionist and was once again told that the Vet call me back. At this point I was still worried my cat has some kind of serious illness and want to see the results to attempt get a piece of mind. I asked for them to email me the results and that I still wanted to speak with a Vet so I would wait for them to call him. I received the results and didn't know what they meant obviously. And yet still no call back! I called again and the receptionist vaguely explained what the results me and told me that the Vet suggested my cat had flees. I know for a fact he doesn't have flees because he had them before so I know what they look like. I felt like the vet did not do their job helping find a solution at all and it didn't feel like the receptionist was qualified to help me. Such a terrible experience. Take your money elsewhere and find a better vet.
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July 2021 by Trisha Lynn
They sedated my dog without consent or my knowledge, when I went to pick her up they still did not tell me. I asked what was wrong with my dog and they said it was because they messed with her ears. Very disappointed
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July 2021 by Aria J.
Showed up for an appt and as I entered the building a very rude young lady with glasses says "you can't just walk in". I said I had an appt and she said well your suppose to wait outside. They didn't tell me this procedure on the phone and have a poorly placed sign outside. I did not like the idea of waiting outside with my scared cat with all the noise and so I was going back to my car when one of the staff told another customer it would be likely at least an hour as they had two emergencies. They didn't say this info to me. I went back to my car with the clipboard and paper to fill out of basic info and decided to go back up to the door and see what the situation was. She then tells me the same story and if I want I can leave my cat there in a nice cool room and come back when I am called. You seriously think I am going to leave my cat in a strange environment ALONE in a place I have never been to ? Or I could wait in my car for who knows how long. Cell phones are a thing now and they could of called people who had appts to let them know they had these emergencies arise and give us options. I was not happy with the way they handle customer relations and the first thing that got me off the wrong foot was the rude round glasses young lady who has no customer relation skills apparently. Maybe you need better signs and telling people who make appts the procedure, I know covid has made things harder to handle situations and all and it can be frustrating but bad organization. Not sure I would give them another chance. I really needed to have my cat seen for something that may or may not be serious and I left feeling really angry and treated as if I am just another sheep. I got bad vibes from the get go.