Another vote here for Clayton Animal Hospital. Our little guy loves them all, especially Ms. Cindy (Vet Tech, Manager). Our girl does better with females, so she sees Dr. Beam or Dr. Sechrist. Ou get what you pay for and I feel my babies get top notch care. I third the opinions expressed about Lash...bad experience several years ago and I will not trust her with my babies.
I also go to Dr. Ansede. Even though it is probably a little out of the way, it is a great place. They have something called the Promise Plan. I think it is $260 and covers about everything(shots, some heartworm preventative, etc.) you would need for the year. I can't remember the last time I had to pay for something there. The staff is very caring and I believe they do some work for animal charities. They pretty much charge just enough to keep in business.
Clayton Animal Hospital. 553-4601. Right up at 42 and 70, next to Clayton High School. WONDERFUL staff - doctors, techs, front office, you name it. I see they now have a link to a website off of 4042's front page!
I believe there is private creamation which involves only your animal. There is also communal creamation which includes several animals.
I just took my dog to Stage Road Animal Hospital, and had a great experience. It's not in clayton, but not too far either. They charge $30 for the office visit. Maggie just needed some steroids to help with some allergies, and a 2 month supply was like $8, not bad at all. I was really expecting a lot more. 639-3337. It was worth the little bit of a drive. They are at the corner of 210 and Old Stage Rd towards Angier.
Personally, I really like Dr. Sara Lash - Health Pets Mobile Vet - (she has a banner ad here on 4042.com). I have used her for years, and she gives THE most thorough exam I have EVER seen. I appreciate the way Dr. Lash takes a clinical approach and combines it with personal attention and the convenience of coming to my home. What I EXPECT from veterinary care is quite simple - I want a vet who will TELL me what I'm doing right, as well as what I'm doing wrong. I want a vet who will advise me of every approach I might take, whether it be titer testing to see if my pet REALLY needs that booster shot and exploring holistic methods when possible. I want a vet who keeps up on research and is willing to re-think what they've learned when 'old school methods' have been replaced with more effective treatments/protocol. I want a vet who will call, or Email me the day after they see any of my pets to let me know the results of their bloodwork and answer any questions I might have. I want a vet who will respect my pets, yet they don't have to be all ga-ga over them. I want my pets to be PATIENTS - period. I also use Dr. Ansede and have for years - his approach is very similar. (I need a stationary vet for my dog Percy, who has a bad heart and can have problems and need care as immediate as I can get it.) I choose vets like I choose my personal doctors - I look for a clinical approach first. What that medical professional KNOWS is much more important to me than any 'hand-holding' they might be able to do. Comforting me is not going to extend my life, or my pets life by one more day. Everyone has different reasoning, for my little zoo, I look for who best suits my needs. My votes are for Dr. Sara Lash- for the convenience of having a vet come to me so I don't have to transport critters, go through the hassle of waiting in a sometimes crowded office - which upsets some of my pets, and not having to be in competition attention-wise with other patients in the office. Dr. Ansede for a stationary vet.
Yup, lots of folks I know cremate their pets. Have had three of mine done so far - all had private cremations and ranged from 100.00 to 150.00 each plus their urn. My plan is (you all likely think I'm a bit whacked already, so no harm, no foul) when each pet passes, they get cremated, then when I go, we all get placed into a large urn together and our ashes spread over the mountains. That way, we'll all be together somewhere I know my mutts loved to go hiking.. .the cats are stuck going with the majority of us:roll:
I will also add that I have had several late night calls from my babies' doc to check up on them, especially the little guy going through chemo. One night my phone rang at 9:15 with bloodwork results he had received from out west. While I do want the doc to have a good bedside manner (mostly to keep my lab from eating them), I want knowledge first and foremost. Once you find one you trust you will be extremely loyal, thats for sure!
