1st Ave Animal Hospital

They did not have the vaccines needed for my parent’s cat in stock and required two separate visits. The vet assured they would not charge twice for the exam visit, but at the second visit they pressured my ESL parents to pay again. When I requested a refund on their behalf, they told me a refund would be processed, but it wasn’t actually done.
They will rip you off and expresses minimal care toward you and your animal.

Our dog was bit by another dog and required stitches. Dr and his team were great! Very caring and communicated to us in detail on what was happening and what needed to be done. Getting in at last minute was easy and there was no wait time. I would recommend 1st ave animal hospital to anyone.

They are wonderful and took really good care of booboo supercat. I had booboo spayed and they were absolutely wonderful taking care of my booboo. She hates the cone but we are grateful for everyone there. If I wasn't clear THEY ARE DAMN GOOD PEOPLE.

My dog was attacked and needed to be stitched up. I usually go to a different place for my veterinary services but I was referred to this place by the SPCA Hospital. I went there and when given my estimate for services from the Dr, I called around to see if I can get a cheaper deal elsewhere. To my surprise everywhere else was almost double the price for getting my dog helped. The dr here at 1st avenue were very friendly and kind. They took great care of my princess Lucky and stitched her up. There were more wounds than we thought and I was not charged more for them having to do more work on her. I’m very happy with their service and will definitely use their services again in the future as their prices were unbeatable. Even the vet recommended dog food is cheaper in price at this animal hospital. I thank the dr and great staff for helping our fur princess and she is healing at home well. She’s already running around and her old self again but has her cone on for another 8 days and she hates it.

I recently brought my dog to 1st Ave Animal Hospital after he was bitten by another dog and had a wound on his neck and eye.

While at the hospital, I encountered a few issues that I believe need attention. Firstly, during the initial intake process, the assistant did not inquire about the amount of gabapentin I had administered to my dog. Clear communication about medication is crucial for effective care.

Furthermore, the exam room experience was subpar. The room I was initially placed in was used as a lunchroom with a microwave on one counter covered with bits of food, which was unhygienic and far from ideal. When I expressed my concerns, the assistant told me it was fine because she was going to put a towel down over the mess. I had to request to be moved to a clean exam room. Cleanliness is an essential aspect of any healthcare facility, and it was disappointing to see these conditions.

During the examination by the veterinarian, there was a lack of communication and information sharing. When I questioned the suggestion of sutures for my dog's bite wound, I received a curt response with no explanation. I believe that a more thorough discussion of the treatment options and rationale would have been beneficial.

In addition, the veterinarian did not check my dog's vitals, which is standard practice during an examination. He also never checked under my dogs eyelid for damage. This omission left me concerned about the comprehensive care my pet was receiving.

I was also taken aback when the assistant handed me a bag of medications with no instructions regarding dosages, frequencies, or potential side effects. Proper instructions for medication are essential, and it is unprofessional to assume that clients are aware of these details.

After sharing my concerns with the staff, I received a call from the vet, who mentioned that the assistant was new. While I appreciate the explanation, it is essential that new staff members are closely supervised until they become proficient in their roles.

In summary, my experience at 1st Ave Animal Hospital was disappointing and did not meet the professional standards I expected. I hope that this feedback can lead to improvements in communication, cleanliness, and overall patient care at the hospital. However, I myself will NEVER be returning to this hospital again.

UPDATE: The reply I received below from the clinic owner is yet another example of their lack of professionalism. It's disheartening that someone who portrays themselves as a medical professional struggles to communicate in an appropriate manner. This is a serious concern for any pet owner seeking veterinary care.

0/5 for communication and care

I brought my male cat in for crystals in his urine/UTI because he was licking himself excessively and then started to have accidents on the floor. The vet only put him on general antibiotics even though we could see crystals in his urine and he would meow/yowl when trying to urinate so he was obviously in pain. We asked about putting him on the urinary health prescription food but they told us to wait until his urinalysis results come back. He continued to only pee on the floor every single day so I called again 5 days after the initial visit to ask if the results are back and if we can get him started on the food. They finally said sure come pick it up so we did but I think the damage was done.

Our cat didnt get on the actual medication for his UTI until 8 days after the initial visit and only because we had to keep calling. On day 7 when we called they said they had the results but the Dr hadn't reviewed it yet and would call back when he did but they never called back. So I called them again the next day and finally they said we can pick up his medication. There was no urgency for this issue even though it can become a very serious issue if not treated.

Its now been over 3 weeks since he first started having accidents and our cat is refusing to use the letterbox as he's likely associated it with pain now. We are now having to take him to a different vet to see if theres anything we can do. We've tried multiple things to correct this including new litter, new box, different location but he's clearly terrified of the litterbox as he tries to run away or growls at us if we try to bring him close to it. I called the office again to ask for pain medication only for them to suggest bringing him in to have his anal glands expressed instead.

I should have seen the red flag when we had his neuter appointment booked but they never called for the reminder or care instructions so I called them the day before the appointment and asked if it was still booked to which they told me yes, and that somebody was supposed to have called me.

This whole situation has been incredibly frustrating and now we're having to spend more money to try to fix this.

My cat died a few hours after we paid $900 and were told that this isn't a life-threatening condition.

Timeline:

Wednesday, October 25: we noticed that our cat was breathing heavily and booked an appointment with Dr. Dhunna. He did a check up and recommended to do a blood test and an X-ray. We agreed. Based on the X-ray result he concluded that it was asthma even though we didn't have anything in our home that could cause this condition. He also said that there was NO fluid. He prescribed us medications and sent us home. The blood test results should've come back the next day. We specifically asked if it could be a heart issue since our cat had heart problems before, but he ensured us that the heart is 100% fine.
The same night our cat's heart failed and he died on the way to the emergency. The doctor at the emergency hospital said that there was A LOT of fluid.

Thursday: no call from the clinic. The blood test results should have come in that day but even if they were delayed, the clinic didn't care to let me know about that.

Friday: the clinic called but I wasn't in the mood to talk to them.

Saturday: the clinic called; I missed the call; when I called back I told them that my cat has passed. They said that they will pass this information to the doctor but he was gone for the day (it was 4: 50 pm when the clinic is supposed to work till 6 pm).

Sunday: the clinic called again. Both the receptionist and the doctor were surprised to find out about the death of my cat (I guess the information hasn't been passed after all). I explained the situation. Dr. Dhunna got very defensive and said that there was A LITTLE fluid (on Wednesday he said that there was none) and we could only properly examine that using ultrasound. They don't have ultrasound at their clinic and he wasn't able to tell me why he didn't send us to the emergency. I asked him if he's at least willing to refund us those $900 that we spent at his clinic but he refused. He said that they already paid for the blood test (we never received the results of that blood test) and we can only return medications for a partial refund. These are medications that you need to store in the refrigerator (according to the clinic's instructions). It means that if we didn't store them properly, the clinic would just resell the ineffective medicine to someone else.
Dr. Dhunna also blamed us for not sending the X-ray results to "a specialist" but I was hoping that Dr. Dhunna is a specialist himself. Turns out that what they call "animal hospital" is actually a clinic with one doctor and a couple of assistants who can't read X-rays, do ultrasound, or diagnose serious diseases.

I believe that the clinic owner will make sure to blame me again or find an excuse in their response, but there is nothing they can do with the fact that my cat died the same night after the visit to their "hospital".

I absolutely like the place and customer service and proper care for fur babies, The lady at front is super friendly, polite and knowledgeable, very clean facility, great prices.

The vet gave my dog a completely wrong diagnosis that could have killed him and left him in pain for way longer than he needed to be, also tried to convince me to buy medication worth hundreds of dollars a month that wasn't needed for his real diagnosis. I 100% would not recommend and I went a handful of times.

They also make it really difficult to transfer files so if you have an emergency ask them right away.

I LOVE 1st Ave Animal Hospital! I wouldn't trust my dog going to anyone else (and ive had some terrible experiences with other vet hospitals in the city). Dr. Dhunna is just incredible! So kind and patient explaining everything to me in detail as im very anxious. Ive only had successful treatments here as well as having my girl spayed with incredibly fast recovery. Hes very detailed and has never pushed me to do unnecessary tests that i cant afford. Hes very conscious of peoples financial situation and has always been very accommodating to me. Im so relieved to have found this place! The facility is very clean, and the staff are exceptionally helpful, kind, and accommodating. I call constantly asking questions and they're always ready to help! Dr. Dhunna genuinely cares about the animals, and puts their care before everything including money and his personal time, as hes even come in on his off days to treat my dog! I recommend this clinic to everyone! Also the best prices in town and the assistants are extremely knowledgable:) 1000000/10

We go to this vet hospital regularly and the new staff was so good with my dog. She was so affectionate and patient with our nervous dog that she followed her into the treatment room with no problems (she used to dig her heels in and needed to be dragged in). It really shows that the staff cares about their furry patients which puts my mind at ease.

We brought our dog here for a simple ear infection and left with a $434 bill. That's in large part because the vet insisted on sedating the dog in order to examine him.to the point that he was collapsed on the floor for more than an hour before we could get him into the car. He left there panting and huffing and completely out of it for the rest of the day.
The vet charged $120 for the sedation alone (!) and the staff kept asking if we wanted to do vaccinations as well. We had made it clear the answer was 'no'.
This is the second time that they've sedated our husky for a very simple ear exam and we had told them on this visit not to sedate him like that again. They did so anyway, and claimed it was a smaller dose, but the effect was still too much.
(He also wore a muzzle throughout the visit, btw).
Why sedate a dog for an ear exam?

They forgot to close the door, and we saw them THROW OUR CAT IN THE CARRYING CASE in the back room. The lady just laughed when we asked what that was about.

Take Your Fur-Baby Anywhere But Here!

My cherished pup ran past either a fence or a tree, injuring herself on something protruding that tore her side. I brought her to the Vancouver SPCA, but they couldn't accommodate her and referred me to the First Ave Vet Clinic. When I called, I had trouble understanding the person who answered the phone and confirming if I had the right place. After a confusing conversation, I found out it was indeed the vet clinic. I inquired about appointment availability for my dog's stitches, and the person told me to drop her off, which I wasn't comfortable with. I asked about the clinic's opening time and the vet's availability, and he mentioned he was the veterinarian and would be there at 10 am.

I promptly brought my dog in at 10 am, but the vet didn't arrive until 11 am and didn't see her until 11: 45 am, making it difficult for me to seek help elsewhere. When I brought my dog to the back, he refused to assist in lifting my 80lb Labrador, leaving me and his petite assistant to manage. He examined the wound and incorrectly diagnosed it as a bite, displaying rude and curt behavior, with a terrible bedside manner. Despite my dog's calm demeanor and high pain tolerance, he insisted on anesthesia for the stitching. I reluctantly agreed, even though I believed the wound only required cleaning, and local freezing for stitching.

I provided her Thundercoat and emphasized not using a cone due to her past anxiety during spaying. They agreed to my instructions. When I returned at 4 pm to pick her up, I heard her distressed barking and whining. To my dismay, they had placed her in a small kennel with the cone on. Overwhelmed, I demanded her Thundercoat, removed the cone, paid a hefty $800, and took my dog home. Two days later, she developed a urinary tract infection, and the wound/stitching filled with fluid, prompting me to seek another vet for drainage and help.

I have decided never to return to this unprofessional, money-manipulating, discompassionate veterinary clinic, and I strongly recommend finding an alternative vet for your beloved fur-baby's care.

My 8 year old doxie started having health issues out of nowhere. 1st ave animal hospital helped assist me to get a specialist report on X-rays, and gave my dog the treatment of royalty. He’s doing significantly better and the doctor has called regularly to check on progress. The staff also helped to keep me calm and reassured during some of the most scary moments I’ve experienced. Thank you so much for the five star service!

My cat just finished a surgery here and the doctor and nurse are all very kind and patient, they explained everything and taught us what to do after surgery. A solid 5 star

Don’t waste your money at other vets, after 2 sets of X-rays, 7 consecutive blood tests (one per week), and different brands of antibiotics every week for 2 months straight at another animal hospital, they could not come up with a diagnosis for my dog that was sick. All they did was change antibiotic brands and increased doses saying it would not hurt my dog or have any major effects!

1st Ave Animal Hospital staff and Dr. V Dhunna were able to come up with a personalized treatment with results from only one X-ray and one blood test. After 3 days, he was showing signs of major improvement compared to the past 2 months of being sick. In one week, my dog was 90% recovered and is now happily back to normal.

We would like to give a big thank you to Dr. V Dhunna and staff for being so accommodating and reasonable with pricing in this tough economy.

I took my dog Kitty here to have her spayed. I was very scared. She’s never had an operation. The woman up front texted me after. Reassured me that everything went well and told me she held Kittys paw throughout the procedure. When I went to pick her up I asked Dr. Dhunna if I should have a small pimple removed from Kittys leg. He said unless it grows don’t waste money on it. This is not my experience with most vets who try to gauge you any way they can. A large circle of my friends and family bring our pets there.
We do so because Phae works there and she will not work for a vet that doesn’t love animals.