VCA Maple Shade Animal Hospital

I will not come back here unless it is an emergency. This is a detailed rant if you don’t wish to continue reading.
This is our first dog and we came to VCA because it is very close and the first visit is free. Sounds great, lets give it a shot.
We came in and of course the dogs want to get acquainted by no fault of our own. A staff member very rudely told us to keep our dog away from the other patients. I can understand why, but the fact is there was no problem between them. We can still respect your rules if you tell us nicely.
The vet tech and doctor were very nice and handled our dog with care, which I appreciated. However, after a few visits with them we realized that this is not the place for us. It felt more like taking your car to a mechanic than the genuine experience I had hoped for.
She spoke fast and unclear, until we had to ask her to break things down for us the following visit. She gave vaccines before telling us what exactly she was doing. Tacking extra things onto our bill that we didn’t ask for or without asking us first. For instance, we told her on our first visit that we already have front line and they tried to give it to us on the next visit, we had to tell them we didn’t need it. I understand it is to be put on every month, but I don’t appreciate them giving it to us without asking if we want it or not at that time.
She gave him his 3^rd distemper shot a week after his second and we honestly forgot to tell her not to do it, but the way I see it any service provider always goes over what’s on the schedule and confirm if it is correct. She said it was okay when I asked, but she hesitated and I didn’t get a good feeling about it. I later had been told there is reason why it is a series of every 3 weeks so it has time to get into his system, otherwise it probably moot and he may have to get it done all over again.
When she asked us how old he was, we said we weren’t sure because he was a rescue. estimated about 7 or 8 months. She said nothing else on the matter. A month later, we see another vet and she asked us how old he was we said we weren’t sure, we think about 9 months. This Dr. immediately looked at his teeth and explained something about the molars and that 9 months is about right. Alright.
We had two other opinions and vet experiences after dealing with her and they both looked at our pups records and said some things did not add up or make sense.
For example, he had a fecal analysis and a parasite was found that could be treated with a powder for 5 days with his food. Pup is 42lbs. We were given and paid for two separate doses because he was in between 40 and 50lbs. Really? By 2lbs? This means they have to be the exact weight in order to get one dosage. You have to be kidding me.
Fast forward a few weeks, pup is sick for days with the exact symptoms of the parasite that had been found. We see our new doctor at Ace of Spays who did another fecal test and came back positive for the same parasite, that she explained they should have followed up with us (which they didn’t, except to talk to us about heart worm meds) and he should have been given another vaccine or pill to make sure it was completely out of his system. And guess what, they even measured and packaged the correct dosage for him to take. No confusion. Done.
I really don’t know if this is the standard, but the doctors name isn’t even on any of his receipts from his visits. Except on the fecal test paperwork that we requested a copy of. Kind if strange, no?
Other people I know go to other doctors here that they like, but I’m over this place.
Rant over.

I love this place.
I used to work in a veterinary hospital years ago and this facility is top notch.
All of the veterinarians are wonderful, the staff is fantastic. Everyone is very kind, very helpful, and will explain everything.
Prices are on par and not too high
We have brought all of our pets to this office; that’s a total of 4 dogs and 3 cats for 15 years.

I just got my dog back from being boarded here. I was extremely nervous to say the least, because I was uneasy leaving my dog in the care of another person for a week. I was so impressed with how much they obviously care for the dogs. My dog had an upset stomach with the change of food. They immediately started her on medicine to subside the diarrhea and she was better the next day. They really did take the time to care for my dog. Highly recommend!

The Vet took the time to talk to us and explain everything. This was our puppy’s first visit and she was gentile and patient. She encouraged the dog and did everything she could to make it a positive experience. This Vet is very informative and really cares about her patients. I highly recommend this place!!!

We have been going to Dr. Heller for 30 years… loved him, and we were always able to bring our dogs in without an appointment to see him. However, they have changed their policy, and you must make an appointment — even if your pet is sick, you can’t get in right away. Also, the office staff seems unprofessional — I called in and was asked to hold on, which I did for about 8 minutes and then was disconnected. I called back and was given an attitude when I told them my dog has an eye infection and I needed to see Dr. Heller sometime that evening… they said he wasn’t available (but another vet was), and the few appointments that were available that day were during the day when I couldn’t come in. When they had changed their walk-​in policy a few years ago, I was told that you could still bring in your pet anytime if it was sick — I guess that rule has changed. I’m sorry to have to find another vet, but I need to be able to have someone who will be able to see my dogs when they’re sick — without an appointment.

We have been beyond pleased with the care our Weimaraner has received at MSAH, both in terms of health and obedience. Our pup had consistent digestive issues that were overlooked and improperly addressed by three other veterinary offices. Dr. Faulls was able to accurately diagnose, treat and follow up with our girl and now her past problems are non issues. The staff and medical assistants are courteous and caring and we are very happy with the care our four-​legged friend receives each time she visits.
In addition to an improvement in her health, we have been 200% satisfied with the obedience training we have done with Sue Battel at MSAH. Our weim was shy, nervous and seriously lacked confidence when we were recommended to Sue in November 2010. Sue carefully takes the time to put a plan together to address the needs of each dog (and their humans!). We could not be happier that we invested in time spent with Sue to better understand why our dog acted a certain way and how we can best address it. Sue does an excellent job of training you, the owner, on how to train your dog amd it’s evident that she has genuine concern for canines and owners alike. Our weim is more confident, handles social interaction better, is more manageable on a leash and overall less of a nervous Nellie since we began working with Sue. She really is a completely different dog. Our only regret is not taking her to Sue as soon as we brought her home! We now are participants in Sue’s agility class, which provides a great outlet for our weim to gain more confidence… and it is a ton of fun!

Dr. Heller is the best! Service here is great. The staff at Maple Shade clearly love animals and do an awesome job making sure your pets are well cared for.