Conference misery::feline_v1

My current vet is Dr. Brody, at the Countryside Animal Hospital in
Hudson. I chose him by the "emergency" method; when Chiun was hit
by a car, Dr. Brody was the vet on call.

He did a splendid job, and even though it's quite a drive for me
I've taken the cats back there ever since, for shots and preventative
maintenance. His staff and assistant vets seem to be very good, as
well.

Another vet I've known is one Dr. Larry Friedman, who practiced in
Rock Springs, Wyoming - if you're ever out that way, give him a
call. He is personally responsible for providing me with two of
my cats; it seemed that every time I went over there he had another
abandoned cat to show me. (He knew I was a soft touch!) Amanda
had been hit by a car, and had two broken legs and some cracked
ribs and other damage. He said he'd split the cost of the operation
with me if I wanted to keep her, and after this battered little
kitten stood up in her cage - stood up, on her two good legs - and
purred at me, well, there was no choice but to take her.

Dr. Friedman gave me Abigail, too; she had been left on his doorstep
one morning, and I begged him not to let me see her - but finally
the temptation was too much, and the sight of the tiny, fuzzy black
bobtail racing around the cage did me in.

I like vets who like cats.

-b

Our vet is Dr. Lyons in Newburyport, MA.  He is kind, cheerful, quick
and inexpensive.  He's also open evenings!
			Steve

If any of you are from the Allentown, PA area, I cannot recommend too
highly the services of Dr. Obenski, who devotes his practice to cats.
I got to know him when I was doing volunteer work at the animal shelter,
and began taking *all* my cats there.  When I had an emergency on a 4th
of July, he responded to the answering machine message within an HOUR,
and insisted that I bring the kitty in, who was suffering from a tempera-
ture of 106 degrees.  Who could ask for more?!!  I am reserving judgement
on my current vets at the Bedford Animal Hospital in Bedford, NH, but so
far they have been "okay" (fair but not terrific in diagnostics, but very
good in manner and attitude--a major consideration).  I once had a vet look
at a stray I had picked up with a serious abcess, and the creep was smoking
a cigarette the whole time he was examining her!!! needless to say, I NEVER
went back!

-c

My last recommendation for a vet would be Howard Lawson's office in North
Reading.  I brought my cat there to be "fixed" thinking it was a female.
Well, they opened up the cat, found no ovaries, then realized it was a
male.  Now I can see  normal (ha!) type person like myself making that type
of mistake, but to get 1/2 way through the operation and realize it!  

So, my new vet is Dr. Meehl in Lynnfield.  He's real caring and seems to
know what is going on.

Nichole

I have always dealt with Dr Mcgee in Marlboro, My parents
have taken our horses, cows, rabbits, ducks, dogs, cats
and just about anything else to him for as long as I can
remember.   My kitten was mauled by a dog several years
ago, I got home afterwork to find him hiding on the 
porch, obviously in a lot of pain, I called Dr Mcgee
(His office is at his house), and asked if I could
bring Spazz right over (as it was after his normal
hours), he told me to come right over and he would

fix him right up.  They kept him over night, and
I picked him up Saturday morning, Dr Mcgee stood
there scratching Spazzs ears (which he loved), while
spazz purred his little heart out....in my opinion
Dr Mcgee is great (resonable charges to..)  He
is located on Rt 20 in Marlboro, across from
Mcdonalds, and the Croft Tavern..

				/Robin

For cat owners in the Colorado Springs area, I recommend Dr. Bill
Hancock in Broadmoor.  Don't let his location fool you - he charges
reasonable fees, and he is great with animals.

Can anyone recommend a vet in the Burlington, MA area?  I moved there last fall
and haven't needed the services of a vet yet, but I'd like to know of a good
one, just in case.
						-- Nina

If you are looking for a good vet in the Merrimack area, Eric Clough of the
Merrimack Veterinary Hospital seems to be great with cats (dogs too!).  This
spring Hobbit my Maine Coon (who is 15) started crystalizing his urine again.
He was one sick cat!  There were three approaches to be taken:

First, since Hobbit is rather elderly, we could have put him to sleep.  Both
Eric and I felt this was clearly unacceptable...he warned me that treating the
cat might run into a large amount of money, but also volunteered to let me
stretch out payment.  

Secondly, we could catherize and medicate the cat to see if he would stop
producing crystals.

Thirdly, he could operate (its called an Eurosthomy, I think).  This is a
fairly delicate operation and not all vets can or will do it.  The other
hazard is that if this fails there is not much else that the vet can do.

Well, first we tried the catherization and medication route.  This went on for
over two weeks and was ultimately unsuccessful.  During this time, however, 
Eric frequently would call and report on Hobbit's progress...even when I 
wasn't expecting a call.  He knew how worried I was and I really think it
was above and beyond the call of duty for him to take the time to do this.
(He has a large practice.)  

Finally, there was nothing left to do but operate.  Happily, the operation 
seems to have been successful.  Hobbit is back to being the master of all
he surveys and Dr. Clough has my undying gratitude.  

Oh yeah, another neat thing was that the bill for the entire treatment 
(2 + weeks of hospitalization, catherization, medication, and finally the
operation) was the same as if Hobbit had only had the operation.  Admittedly
the cost was high...but it was roughly half of what it would have been if
he charged me for all the other stuff too! I've taken him back for two
follow up visits now for no additional charge.  Its nice to know your vet
is as interested in your pet's welfare as he is in collecting his fees.

-nn

RE: .7

When I worked in Bedford MA, I took my cat to the Bedford/Lexington Animial
Hospital which is located right at the intersection of 4/225 and route 128
(next to the Denney's resturant). I don't remember the vet's name, but he
liked cats, was very good with them, and at the time (several years ago),
was getting ready to build an isolation ward for cats with contaigous
illnesses.


RE: .8

I never met Dr. Clough, but was refered to him last Labor Day evening when
my own vet was unavailable, and I noticed my cat was having trouble breathing.
He said (over the phone) that it could wait till morning.  The next morning
I called my vet's office again, found he was still unavailable, and was refered
to another vet, this time Dr. Gleason in Amherst. Dr. Gleason indicated that
labored breathing in cats was ALWAYS an emergency situation, and the cat should
have been seen the night before. Cats adapt to breathing problems is such a
way that by the time you notice them breathing hard, their lung capacity is
almost gone, and in only a few minutes they can become frantic.  As it turned
out, the delay in treatment probably made no difference in the ultimate
outcome (Pepper died a week later from what turned out to be a rare disease)
it could have, and at the very least caused my poor cat to suffer 12 hours
longer with a chest filled with fluid that could have been drained allowing
it to breathe easier. 

re 9:  I don't understand what happened, Steve.  I talked to Dr. Clough
about what happened with your cat.  His policy is to ***always*** ask
the owner if they would like to bring in their pet.  He routinely does
this even if called in the middle of the night for something that is
obviously routine.  Perhaps you and he had a communication problem?

-nn

re .10: It could be, I was rather upset , on one hand scared silly that
something major was wrong (as it was), on the other afraid I was making a
mountain out of an ant hill.  I didn't know enough to realize that the
cat should have been brought in right away, prehaps trying to calm me
down Dr. Clough indicated the problem might be minor, and I interperted
that as meaning it was minor.  In this case, I whish I had been TOLD to
bring her in.

I don't want to knock this vet - I never met him, and he never really treated
my cat.  I DO want to make sure other cat owners understand that situations
like this can happen - so that perhaps they can avoid them.

In this case I was reluctant to bring the cat to a new vet, rather than the one
we dealt with for the past 5 years.  Since the vet I was refered to failed to
let me know the problem was very serious, I though it would be better for the
cat to wait till morning.  A cat breathing hard should allways be considered a
serious problem, so that's why I entered a later note.  None of the cat care
books I have even mention this as a possible problem.

Re: .7

I also reccomend the Lexington-Bedford Animal Hospital with no reservations.
In particular I recommend Dr. Johnson. Between one thing and another I have
taken 5 cats there and have had to have two of them put to sleep. The service
was reliable and the fees reasonable.

I am now using the Marlboro Animal Hospital. Both doctors have been very
good, the luck of the draw has given me Dr. Schwarcaz more often then Dr.
Nelson, but I like them both. I will be moving again in the next few months
so where I go next is up for grabs. I just hope I can find a clinic as good
as both these have been.


							.wIx.

RE .9 and .12 -- I got a recommendation via MAIL for the Lexington-Bedford
Animal Hospital and a month or so ago took both my cats there for check-ups.
Now I can't remember the name of the vet who saw them, but she was helpful
and seemed competent.  The prices for these visits were amazingly reasonable
(i.e. cheap!  Something like $18, which included booster shots).

I also asked the vet to recommend a groomer, as my Persian had unfortunately
gotten pretty matted as a result of a bath we'd given him a couple weeks
before after he'd suffered from a bout of diarrhea (not a pretty sight!).
I guess I didn't comb him out well enough when his fur was wet; anyway, he got
all matted on his tummy and under his legs.  It was more than I could handle,
so the vet recommended a groomer, to whom I subsequently took him with great
success (he came out with little purple bows on his head, which looked rather
silly...).  The groomer is in Bedford, MA, and is called something like Pets
Reflections.  They don't tranquilize cats for grooming (I'd called one other
place before I went to the vet, and they said the cat should be tranquilized
when I brought him in to be groomed; I wasn't too keen on that idea, though
I understand it), and the woman who was there the day I brought Jasper in
was very friendly and obviously cared for cats (they groom dogs, too).  There
were several cats just running around the place (one gorgeous black Persian).
So, if you need your cat groomed, that's a place to try.

							-- Nina

What does anyone know about the Bedford Animal Hospital in Bedford, NH?
We are moving to New Boston and need a good emergency vet.  Our "real"
vet is Dr. Mackenzie in Worcester, MA.  Or maybe it is Westboro, or
something like that.

  Let me put in a plug for Bulger Animal Hospital on Chickering Road (Rt.
  125) in North Andover, MA, close to the intersection of I-495 and I-93.
  The staff of five veterinarians is actively working to make this the best
  animal hospital in New England, and it shows everywhere.  They practice
  conservative medicine, rather than spending as much of your money as
  possible on expensive and risky diagnostic work.  I was so impressed with
  their work I decided to marry one of them:  my fiancee Jody Kaufman.  (But
  don't think I'm biased about the clinic or anything like that.)  [The
  preceding two sentences would contain many smiley-faces, but I'm trying to
  swear off the use of smiley-faces.]

  Features:

  - a large, well-equipped practice;
  - 24-hour emergency service;
  - individually-vented cages to prevent the spread of disease;
  - animal boarding.

					-- Roger

                
    RE: cat ailments left unatented:
    I've been told that since cats and dogs get sick so rarely, when
    they do have symptons it's almost always SERIOUS!  One of our cats
    was acting somewhat odd; not moving around, but not lying helpless,
    not eating, and making strange 'crowing' noises.  He looked OK,
    so we let him be and watched over him.  A day passed and he looked
    the same but no better, again we waited to see if he'd get better.
    
    When we finally took him the the vet the next day, we were told
    he had a very common cat disorder of the urinary tract.  The vet
    told us if we waited any longer he certainly would have died!  
    Moral: call your vet at first sign of trouble!
    
    Now a vet recommendation:  Dr. Mcneil in Sudbury.  She was very
    nice, took great care of Kleenex (the cat) and told us how to prevent
    the condition from re-ocuring.  We've been back for minor problems
    and advice, and she's been great.
    
    Bob
    

    Dr. John Lindermuth
    Maple Street
    Pepperell, MA  01463
    (617) 433 - 6050
    
    Great with cats, dogs and horses.  Seems to be able to solve difficult
    problems that other vets can't....plus his rates are very reasonable
    

    Can anyone recommend (or warn about) any vets in the
    Concord-Acton-Littleton-Harvard area? How about 
    Boston-Cambridge?
    

    I understand Dr. Wade at Littleton Animal Hospital is pretty good.
    However, I would recommend going into Groton to Sleepy Hollow on
    Rte. 40.  The vet's name is Susan Horowitz and she specializes in
    cats.  I take my cat there & have never had a problem.
    
    In terms of cost, I've found Sleepy Hollow to be one of the most
    reasonable.
    
    Hope this helps!

    re .18:
    
    Dr. Gardner Kennison of Acton Animal Hospital is also a _very_ good
    cat doctor.  HJe's treated every cat in my family and has done so
    well.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

   I have found Dr. Richard Bird of the Spencer Veterinary Clinic in 
   Spencer, MA to be an excellent vet.  He has a very gentle manner, is 
   always willing to share information without being strong-armed and 
   certainly seems to like animals of all sorts, especially cats.  His 
   rates are quite reasonable and his assistants are as much animal 
   lovers as he is.  
   
   D=
   

	I highly  recommend Dr. Mark Smith at Great Road Animal Hospital
    in  Acton.  He's  wonderful with kitties. My girl-kitty (Becky), who
    has  a great fear of 90% of the male human population, even lets him
    touch her!


				    Kathy

    We've been bringing our cats (and dogs) to Dr. Daniel Rice in Holden.
    Not only has he been good to us on routine care (shots and stuff),
    but has handled the sadder duties with sensitivity and care.
    
    kh
                                   -30-

How do I say this tactfully?

Since I wrote .15, things have changed, and I feel an ethical responsibility
to withdraw my enthusiastic recommendation of Bulger Animal Hospital in
North Andover.  Some recent unfortunate incidents have made me and my wife
Jody Kaufman (an internal medicine specialist at the hospital) stop
recommending that animals be brought there for any procedure requiring
anaesthesia right now.  Anyone interested in the details may contact me by
mail.

I remain convinced that Jody and her colleague Barb McGuire are providing
some of the best internal medicine care in the area.  If you bring an animal
to Bulger's, ask to see one of these two doctors when you make your
appointment.

					-- Roger

    I second the recommendation of Mark Smith at Great Rd Veterinary
    Hospital in Acton MA. I have known him since 1982. He loves cats.
    I have had bad experiences with the other vets in Acton and Stow.
    
    I have worked as a vet's assistant for a while, though I don't
    have formal training. If you want to know more about my recommendations
    feel free to send mail. 
    
    Kristen.

    I would like to recommend the Stow Animal Hospital and Hudson Animal
    clinics both run by Dr. Carlson.  I have taken my cats to Dr. Carlson
    for the past 12 years.  He is a very caring vet.  My 20 month old
    cat recently got sick and Dr. Carlson did everything he could to
    save "Scrap-the-Kat", but to no avail.  Unfortunately, I had to
    have Scrap put to sleep and took him to the Marlboro Animal Hospital
    (because that was the only place I could find open, and I knew that
    there was no way that Scrap nor I could have made it to the Acton
    Emergency center) where I met Dr. Nelson.  He too seems to be a very 
    caring vet and was deeply concerned about how my brother and I felt 
    about putting Scrap to sleep.
                   
    The other vets at the Stow Animal Hospital are good too.

    I would like to make a comment about the Lex/Bed Smith Animal
    Vet.  I took my parents cat Smokey a month ago who had a open
    wound on his neck.  They first of all did'nt apply the ointment
    themselves but gave to me to apply at home.  They left the
    wound open they refused to put a bandage on it or use stiches
    we took Smokey back 4 times with hopes that they would do 
    something to promote healing.  We payed $14.00 for each visit
    and nothing was accomplished.  Smokey still has the wound
    and we are trying to find a better Vet. in the Lexington
    area does anyone know of any?
    
    thanks
    Debbie
    

    If you don't mind driving a short ways, there's an excellent place
    on the Cambridge/Belmont line that I used for years (before we moved
    to Newburyport). The place is called Fresh Pond Animal Hospital,
    and it's on Concord Ave just a few doors down from Sancta Maria
    Hospital.
    
    The doctors and staff there are top notch. If you're interested,
    I can give you directions off-line via net mail.
    
    	/Harry

    Just a comment on the treatment of open wounds on cats...I was watching
    the Cats and Dogs program last Saturday on PBS, and the vet was
    treating a cat that had an open wound.  She said that the instant
    a wound is open, it was considered infected and that stitching it
    would only keep the infection in.  She cleaned the wound and gave
    the cat antibiotics.
    
    If you want to try going to Chelmsford, Dr Brian Holub is terrific.
    He moved his practice there from the Hudson (NH) animal hospital
    and he's great with cats.
    

    I'd like to try the Vet. Dr. Brian Holub, could you send
    the directions on my vax account? 
    I'll try anything at this point Smokey is getting worse
    by the day, the wound is double in size, and he is very
    hard to catch he's a 28 pound cat and he's very hard to
    get into a cat carrier, once his claws are in the carpet
    you can hardly get him off the rug.
    The wound hasn't affected his appetite any!!!!!
    but he constantly is licking the wound and keeps opening
    it up so it just won't heal.
    
    Hopefully another Vet can help him
    thanks for the suggestions.
    
    Debbie
    

    RE:.27
    
    Interesting you should say that about Lex/Bed Vet hospital. I live
    in Waltham and our vets are at Kindness Animal Hospital in Waltham,
    MA (junction of Rt. 20 & 60), Drs Bigman and Morris. Anyhow, on
    Memorial day morning,I thot my 9 month old kitten Panther cut the pad of
    his paw and by the time I saw it it was swelled to twice it's normal
    size, bleeding all over the place, he was having truble walking
    and he ignored his food, something he has NEVER done before.
    
    In my area, if you call a vet during off hours/holidays/weekends,
    the answering service will direct you to the vet hospital on duty.
    I called, and was told Lex/Bed was on duty so I called there. Now,
    I realize it was a holiday and the vet would have to come into the
    office, but she spent 20 minutes trying to convince me that I wanted
    to wait until the next day to see my reguar vet (her reasoning,
    which she repeated 9 times, was that it would cost me $35 just for
    her to come in, plus any medication) and that things would "probably"
    be OK if I soaked his paw in epsom salts. (ever tried to get a cat
    to soak his paw?) Well, I insisted he be examined and it turns out that
    Panther was running a fever, and after examining it, the vet said that
    epsoms salts wouldn't have helped and that it was a good thing we came
    in so she could give him an anti-biotic; his open wound seemed to be
    his due-claw(?) actally growing thru the pad (he is double pawed).
    Who knows, could I have lost my cute little Panther had I not been so
    insistant about comming in? Anyhow, I'm glad they are not our regular
    vets.
    
    I should mention that I am very pleased with Kindness Animal Hospital.
    One of my other cats (Argus) is a cronic suffered of FUS and they
    have been great in dealing with him. Argus has a tendency to get
    blocked on holiday weekends (all the rich food :-) ) yet when we
    see him starting to have a problem that still isn't quite serios
    enough to hospitalize him for, Dr. Bigman has voluntarily (i.e.,
    I didn't have to ask) called me on Sunday and the holiday to monitor
    the situation, and let me know that if need be and the cat got blocked
    I could bring him in (rather than bring him to the vet hospital
    on duty for the weekend). BTW - Dr. Bigman lives next-door to the
    hospital which makes me feel better about leaving my cats there
    since if there is an emergency I feel that a vet can get there real
    fast.
    
    hope your kitty is feeling better,
    Deb
    
    P.S. 28 pounds? And I thot my Argus was huge tipping the scales
    ar 22 lb!
    

    re .30
    You probably ought to talk to your vet again, and tell the vet that
    the wound is getting bigger and not healing because the cat keeps
    licking it.  You
    can probably get them to (assuming you can maneuver your big kittie
    to the vet!  That's one BIG CAT!) put a "Victorian collar" on him
    so he can't reach the wound to lick it - which he will hate and
    which will look pretty silly, but it works.
                      

	Have you  tried Dr Chabot? He's located in Lexington across from
    Clarke  Jr.  High  (I  believe  that's Waltham St. - I always get it
    confused.)  We took our kitty to him for years (our late old fogie,
    Tiger) and never felt we were led astray.



		    Kathy

    If you happen to be around the Billerica, MA area, you might want
    to try the McGrath Animal Hospital.  We've been taking our three
    cats there for seven years or so and have been quite satisfied (when
    we take all three at once we even get a "volume" discount on shots,
    etc.).
    
    There are a number of veterinarians and assistants on the staff.
    On one of our recent visits we got talking to Dr. Kaplan about the
    cats and dogs show on PBS (channel 2).  It turns out that Dr. Migday,
    the host of the show, is his wife.  He made an appearance on the
    show himself. About two weeks ago there was a show where the opening
    office visit centered on a white long-haired cat that wanted to
    tear the place apart.  Dr. Kaplan was the person with the cat.

    So!  That explains it!  I was wondering how Azar the cat could get
    his FeLv shot in one segment and wind up in Dr. Migday's kitchen
    in the next segment.  BTW, that was some WILD cat, eh?  I would
    have declawed him, too!
    
    Mary
    

    Do any of you people live in California?  It seems I am isolated
    out here!  My vet in Morgan Hill is Dr. Daniel Gregg.  We choose
    him out of convenience but keep him because of the excellent care
    he gives our cats.  I have been called a "Cat Fanatic" and a "Sucker
    for a furry face" due to my habit of adopting strays.  At one point
    we had eleven cats already when a new one showed up.  This new kitty
    chose our bay window to crawl under and die.  Well no cat dies under
    my bay window!  I took him to the vet, who agreed to only charge
    for medications as long as we agreed to take him in until another
    home could be found.  This cat had so many things wrong with him
    that none of us thought he would actually live.  After 3 months
    of quarantine from the others and lots of TLC he emerged as a beautiful
    Maine Coon (he had no hair at first).  We still have him four years
    later and plan to have him for the rest of his life.  Dr Gregg
    estimated his age to be between 13 and 15 years old when we found
    him in '82 so he has outlived most cats already.  If not for Dr.
    Gregg's generosity we would not have been able to afford the various
    operations and treatment that this cat required.
    
    Jo Ann
                                                                            Maine Coon.  We have 

    Hi Jo Ann,
    
    Yup, there's more than one of us out here in sunny California! 
    Our vets are up in Fremont (Mission Valley Vets).  They are 
    extremely caring with our cats, always take time to just stroke 
    and relax the kitty before starting an exam, are VERY close to 
    our house and also run well-pet clinics 3 days a week.  Plus 
    their office hours are great and include Saturdays.  There's two
    vets in this office along with 3 technicians and 2 office workers.
    We have only good things to say about them.
    
    BTW, how long does it take you to get to the office from Morgan
    Hill????!!!!
    
    Lynne
    

    Hi I would like to highly recommend a vet that I worked for for
    almost 4 years (as an Animal Health Technician) and she is excellant
    with cats, they are her favorites!! The name of the hospital is
    Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital in Groton, MA and her name is Dr.
    Susan Horowitz.  Her prices are very good for the high quality of
    care that you get.  Her husband Bob Connally, also a cat lover,
    has a boarding facility that is for CATS ONLY and they get plenty
    of personal care and attention.  The boarding facility is in their
    house so it is clean, pleasant, unfrightening.  
    
    If you have any questions...please write....kathleen

    I live fairly close to sleepy hollow - and have been taking my
    kitties there for their whole lives (1 year right now).
    One of my cats even likes the vet. (The other one is afraid of
    anyone.)  I second the opinion that She is a good vet.  I like the
    practice of setting up appointments so that the customers don't
    bump into each other in the waiting room - ( I think that is on
    purpose!) keeps the dogs away from the cats etc.
    She has always made it easy for me to understand what/why she
    does things.
    
    Sally

    My vet has a two sided office, one entrance for cats and the other
    for dogs.
    
    My husband and I have never paid much attention to the dog entrance
    before but a few weeks ago we went to the vets after hours and they
    let us in on the dog side.  There is a sign on the dog entrance
    door that reads..."If your dog is vomiting or has diahrrea please
    leave him in your car and notify the nurse.  Vaccinations can be
    administered in your car if you prefer." 8^)
    
    Ken and I found this hysterically funny! If we had a dog that was
    vomiting or had diahrrea the last place we would want to leave him
    would be in the car!  Could you imagine!
    
    Jo Ann

    
    Re. 14.40, I could not only imagine but I also remember when it
    happened; not a pleasant experience but the poor thing (he was a
    stray I picked up) had distemper.  He did pull through though using
    whiskey to stimulate his appetite each day.  My car never was the
    same after that (traded it in not long after).
    
    Getting back on the track, when I lived in Groton, MA I also took
    my cat and dogs to Dr. Horowitz and was quite satisfied.  I also
    boarded my cat with her husband while I was moving from Groton and
    picked up the cat next day.  Less confusing for the cat when moving
    and less chance of losing him until he got the lay of the new land
    where we were moving to.
    

    Now that I have Trouble, I need to find a vet preferable in Nashua,
    NH.  Anybody have any recommendations or warnings?  
    
    Bernice
    

    Since my first vet retired, I have been using Dr. Kaas at Ferry
    Road Animal Hospital in Nashua, N.H. (located behind the Nashua
    Humane Society - although his vet practice is entirely separate
    from the Society).
    
    I've used him for l year now and have been very pleased with his
    diagnosis, thoroughness and his gentleness with animals.  Kaas is
    a bit shy with people - so you have to ask a lot of questions -
    but he is extremely competent.
    
    When my puppy was injured I rushed him to another vet who charged
    me an exhorbitant amount of money for basically doing "nothing".
    After 2 days I brought my boy into Dr. Kaas who immediately made
    a correct diagnosis and set me up with an orthopedic specialist.
    The result: a totally healthy animal.
    
    I also found he is quite helpful over the phone - no question is
    "too stupid".  He is now the only vet my dogs will "cooperate" with.
    
    Pat
      

    Countryside Animal Hospital
    Bernard L. Brody, D V M
    327 Derry Street
    Hudson,N.H. 03051
    (603) 889-6269
    
    Have been using for years.  An excellent vet in my book.
    

    I second the vote for Dr. Kaas.  He has taken care of Honey for
    the past 4 years, and Chauncey since I adopted him 8 months ago.
    He is one of the most gentle, caring vets I've ever had the pleasure
    of dealing with (the other being Dr. Holub in Chelmsford).  He never
    makes you feel rushed and obviously loves working with animals.
    He's terrific, and his staff is also great.  The vet assistant,
    Rebecca, has a special way with animals...so much so that Honey
    will leave me and jump into her arms when she walks in the room.
    Very special people....
    
    Mary

    I second Countryside Animal Hospital/Bernard L. Brody, D V M.
    We've been using him for about nine years with excellent results.
    
    Ken

    Mark Bennett Smith, in Acton, has proven over and over again to
    be
    the best vet we have found in the area.  He has taken care of
    several emergency situations for us when we thought there was
    'no chance' of the animals pulling through.
    
    I also highly recommend Dr. McGee In marlboro, for regular
    shots, etc., as their prices are so reasonable, and they
    give tender care.
    
    I DO NOT recommend Dr. Carlson of Stow/Hudson. We had some bad
    experiences with a dog there in the past, and found his rates
    to be very high.
    
    

    Re 8. my name is Kate and I am Pookie the Persians mother.. Dr ERIC
    is just super.. I found out about Pookie thru his office.. I have
    an Allison Van Stry kitty.. and he is just so wonderful.. and his
    staff is just great also... I have also utilized the services of
    Dr Gleason in amherst.. he also likes "puddy-tats...
    regards
    Kate

Two things here:

First: For someone looking for a vet, I suggest getting in touch with the
local humane society or animal shelter and ask them which vet they use.
Chances are that an outfit like that doesn't have much money to spend per
animal so they will TEND to pick vets who care more about the animals than
money.  Also, a lot of the animals a shelter gets are in really tough
shape, so a shelter will TEND to weed out incompetents.  These are both
statistical statements and can, I'm sure, be shot down with specific
examples.  However, chosing a vet via the local animal shelter has always
worked for me.  Which brings me to...

Second: My all-time favorite and current vet, Nashoba Valley Veterinary
Hospital in Westford, MA, on Rte 110 just south of 225.  From my
experience, these people REALLY care about the animals, and I can't say
enough about Dr. Damitz and his associate, Dr. Lennon.  Just ONE example:
Dr. Damitz CAME AND GOT a badly broken 10 week old kitten after hours and
was subsequently able to put her back together.  (This was in the bad old
days before we had Animal Emergency Care on 2A in Acton, MA.  Its great for
5 to 9 and weekend emergencies, but it's rather expensive!  It's really
another plug for Damitz & Co:  Whenever we have to go to AEC, they say,
"Oh, you're one of Damitz's patients.  Well we have to warn you that we
change a lot more here....")

Enough.

BATMAN (5 cats)

I'll amend my previous reply to specify what I meant by "humane society or
animal shelter".  I'm talking about the places which will given an animal a
permanent home if no one can/will take the animal.  I am NOT talking about
the "gas-em-in-two-weeks" places.  They are neither shelters nor humane.

Batman

    I'm new to Worcester and need a vet for my two new kittens, one
    of which threw up all yesterday evening. I haven't seen any replies
    about a Worcester vet yet.

    Witt Animal Hospital on Main Street in Worcester, right past Webster
    Square, before Park and Main meet.  The vet is pretty good (except
    with ear mites)  He can deal better with animals than humans so
    don't be intimidated.
    
    As far as throwing up, Ishtar did that when I first got her as she
    was weaned too early.  She couldn't stomach cat food.  The solution
    was to make her Gerber baby rice.  As the days go on, mix more and
    more wet cat food in as the kitten can handle it.  Finally just
    wet food will be ok.  And keep the dry food away, she just couldn't
    break it down, it was coming up whole.
    
    
    
    

    Decided to put in a plug for my all time gret vet. This
    is for all of you DFW noters. Since I am exiled here  in Mass.
    I can no longer use him but he is great!
    
    Dr.Doyle Johnson of Arlington, Texas. I can't begin to tell
    all of the great things he has done for my animals overr the
    years. Plus he also helps out when people don't have money or
    strays who need homes etc. Allround animal lover. If you 
    use him tell him Suzie said Hi.
    

I'm curious ... has anyone used Dr. Richard Harris at Braintree Highland Animal 
Hospital (Massachusetts)?

He's my Uncle.  I've heard that he is an excellent vet (and cares alot about
cats) from people in the Cat Fancy I know, but I'd like to get info from noters.

Thanks.

    Good news if you live in the Derry, New Hampshire area (includes
    surrounding towns).  Dr Eugene Handel has established a practice
    called Veterinary House Calls of Londerry.  His number is (603)
    432-1404.  This gets the answering service (he is still training
    them) which gets some basic information, such as, whether or not
    it is an emergency.  He calls back and sets up the house call. 
    We found him to be very pleasant and very reasonable. He admits
    the limitations of his traveling practice but has a good base of
    specialists to whom he can refer cases that require more than he
    can deliver at your home, e.g., X-rays.  
    
    For general health care, especially in a multi-cat home, this is
    a great idea.  He has just started up this practice and will expand
    as demand does.  BTW, he is married to one of us, a Deccie.
    
    Frank

    
    We moved to Leominster two years ago but have continued to take
    our two cats to the Stow Animal Hospital.  Despite what previous
    notes have said about Dr. Carlson and his practice, we were VERY
    pleased with the care our cats got there by ALL of the staff.  
    
    But Dr. Carlson recently sold his practice so I think it's time
    to find a vet close to home.  Can anyone recommend a vet in the
    Leominster area.  We want someone who is excellent, not just good,
    to care for the cats who own us!
    
    Any recommendations would be helpful.  Susan

    I've said it once...I've said it twice...I've said it...how many
    times now??   But, I'll say it AGAIN ... Dr. Eileen Mulcahey of
    Central Animal Hospital on Rte. 12 in Leominster is the best of
    the best.
    
    -Donna

    
    Can anyone recommend a good vet in the Marlboro area?  I want to
    get a kitten soon and I want to be prepared in advance.  None of
    this "Help!  I need a vet NOW" stuff....no sir!
    
    Thanks,
    
    Becky

    
    
    	I would like to warn people *away* from NEICM in West Boylston,
    MA. At least, don't use Dr Tashjian - I worked for him for a while,
    and I wouldn't let him give any of my kids a shot, even. It seems
    to me that this hospital exists solely to rake in the money for
    Dr. Tashjian (who own and runs it), with no regard for either owner
    or animal.
    	If anyone wants more details, contact me through Vaxmail.
    

    In the Marlboro/Southboro area:
    
           Dr. Ovid Fraser 
           Rte. 85 Southboro
           485-4259
    
    Very personable, very efficient, very reasonable rates (and willing
    to defer payment if you're broke, a BIG plus.)  Also affiliated
    with Friends of the Animals.
    
    We've had much luck with him with cats and dogs for about 5 years
    now.
    
    Michael McGovern

    We started using the Countryside Animal Hospital in Hudson, NH 
    (at least two years ago) when a friend of ours recommended Dr Brody.  
    However, when we called we were told he was not there anymore.  
    I noticed one of the notes (dated May 1987) also recommended 
    Dr. Brody at the Countryside Animal Hospital.  Is Dr. Brody there 
    and no one is telling me???  
    
    We do still use Countryside because the veterinarians are great with
    our cats.  There was one woman doctor who I really liked (can't
    remember her name), but she has since left (these good people are
    leaving too fast, that is the only thing I might have a concern
    about - I don't know why they left).
    
    
    

    Dr. Brody was there as of September, when my two had their last
    check-up. Since I've been taking them there ever since Chiun became
    the Bionic Cat, I think I would have noticed if Dr. Brody had been
    gone for any length of time. Maybe the receptionist got confused
    when you called...
    
    -b

    re:61
    
    Dr. Buzz Brody is very much there - I think since last July
    I have supplied all of his kids with their college educations!
    Anyhoo, he now has 2 new Vets - both are GREAT - Jean D. and
    Caryn - they are also opening a new office somewhere in
    Litchfield - I'm not sure of the address.  I think that he
    is the best Vet I have ever used over the last 25 odd years.
    Any time I have called, all they say is come right in - no
    matter the time of day or night or day of the week.   I had
    to call at 11:30 pm Saturday night - he was at the office 
    in less than 10 minutes - he always knows what's wrong and
    how to fix it!  If he isn't sure - he reaches for his books
    and finds the answer!  The offices & surgery are so clean
    you can eat off the floor - The only thing is that you have
    to watch out for Caryn - she loves kitties!  Check her pockets
    before you go home or count heads to make sure you have everyone
    you went there with!  Everyone that works there really cares!
    
    E.T. + 12 

    I have been debating whether to write this reply, and decided it
    is appropriate to relate bad experiences as well as good ones.
    
    I recently selected a local vet to perform surgery on Alex-II --
    neutering and declawing.  I'm not opening a discussion on declawing.
    It was my decision, and the decision was right for my cat.  The vet
    choice was not. 
    
    Alex experienced considerable bleeding, and he was lame for over a
    week.  When I called the vet to express concern and worry, his response
    was "Well, that sometimes happens with some cats."  My family has had
    about 15 cats declawed in the past 10 years and have never had this
    problem.  (They're in Virginia, so I couldn't use their vet, although
    I seriously considered it.)
    
    When I took Alex back to the vet because I refused to accept that it
    was a normal reaction, he found that Alex had an infection and had to
    be put on antibiotics.  I'm very relieved to say that Alex is almost
    fully recovered (still some very minor bleeding and scabs to go away),
    but I am NOT pleased with the quality of the surgery. 
    
    The neutering was also not satisfactory.  His testicles must have
    been removed poorly, because he was swollen and did not even look
    like anything had been removed.  The swelling is going down very
    slowly.  Not at all like my other cats in the past.

    A final note of dissatisfaction was that when he saw me kissing my cat
    on his head to help reassure him, he told me quite strongly that I
    should never kiss a cat -- "Did I know how my cat washed himself and
    where?"  Of course I did, but I didn't appreciate his visible
    disapproval and disdain for my affection for my kitty!
    
    I cannot recommend Dr. Nelson at Marlboro Animal Hospital on Route 20
    for surgery.  They have been helpful for my other vet needs --
    deworming, shots, etc. -- but I am not at all pleased with Alex's
    surgery or the vet's attitude.

    On a note of recommendation, however, I can highly recommend Tufts
    Veterinary Hospital in Grafton for emergencies.  Alex went there twice
    during his early days with me -- for severe FUS and then for a bad
    upper-respiratory infection.  They really saved his life and he is
    fully recovered.  
    
    BTW, I did not use them for his surgery because of the fact that they
    allow students to train on the animals and I didn't want that for Alex,
    even under the best of supervision.  (In retrospect, I may have been
    more satisfied than I have been with my alternate choice.) 
    
    Tufts' emergency care is TOPS!  Alex would have surely died anywhere
    else.  He received round-the-clock intensive care for 7 days before
    being sent to their regular ward and then being allowed to come home. 

    Re: .65
    
    Don't kiss your cat??!!!!  Is he crazy?  I wonder what he'd say
    if he could see me sharing snacks with my pusses....  I'd also be
    inclined to take your puss into a good vet to have him checked over
    about those operations, just to see if things are okay.  There are
    probably recommendations for Marlboro area vets in this file, or
    someone could post some.
    

Although I won't knock the hospital yet (nothing bad has happened), my wife 
and I have not been pleased with Dr. Nelson's attitude at all.

He acts like an uncaring know-it-all.

We'll request another doctor in the future.

    Re: .69
    
    Is Salem far from Nashua?  It was Dr. Adams at the Salem Animal
    Hospital who took care of Jake, a.k.a. CC.  I can't vouch long-distance
    for the quality of medical care, but they do seem to love animals.
    

    I was "between vets" once, and went to the Merrimack Animal Hospital
    on the DW highway, near the Budwiser Plant.
    
    I was very pleased with their attitude, and my cat's reaction to
    them (very important to watch!!).   I only went for a short while,
    to get my kitty spayed, and for a few shots.  I found a vet nearer
    home, although that's another long story!
    
    			-Lorri
    

    re: .65...not kiss my cat!!  GEE!!  My vet snuggles my little Chauncey
    and tells Honey how handsome he is.  Of course, that was all before
    he tried cleaning Chauncey's teeth last time....
    
    I go to Dr. Kaas at Ferry Road Animal Hospital in Nashua.  He's terrific!
                                      
    Mary

    RE: .65
    
    Not kiss your cat? When I bring any of my cats in, the first thing
    that Dr. Morris does is make friends with them, and this includes
    patting, snuggling and kissing. And in Pip's case telling her  she is
    the most beatuiful cat in the world (and in my unbiased opinion,
    she is).
    
    I suspect that your vet doesn't like cats!
    
    Deb

    I read somewhere that when cats make friends they rub foreheads?!?
    So I rub foreheads with my cat and they start purring!  So kissing
    your cats forehead can't be bad!
    
    As for vets in the Marlboro area.  I have been to Marlboro Animal
    Hospital for Spaz for a long time, although she has mostly been
    there for absyss healing, no surgury.  I felt they were giving her
    good treatment, and mostly have been to the woman there.  However,
    when I brought her in because she was limping, it cost me $125 for
    them to tell me it was a sprain!  For my new cat, I took her to
    the new animal hospital in Hudson right off main street by Durand
    Chevrolet (across from Hudson Catholic).  I had Fuzzball examined,
    all shots, lukemia test and first booster.  They were great!  My
    mom went there with her cat to be fixed.  She loved them.  Others
    have recommended them.  My whole bill was $90.  At Marlboro Animal
    it would have been $200 at least!  Looks like Spaz and Fuzzball
    will be brought to Hudson.   I have no complaints about their work
    at Marlboro, although I did notice a real different attitude at
    Hudson than Marlboro.  For example, when Spaz came out with her
    sprained leg, they told me to cage her for 2 weeks so the sprain
    would heel.  Right, try and keep her caged for 2 weeks!!!  She was
    fine after she came home.  
    
    The only thing I can say about Marlboro is that my Mom never felt
    comfortable there with her cat.  She tends to never be wrong when
    her instincts tell her not to trust someone!
    
    dr

    re .75  Hudson Animal Clinic
    
    I believe that the vet that runs the Hudson Animal Clinic used
    to be Dr. Carlson's assistant at the Stow Animal Hospital.  I
    had two occasions to use him when he was at Stow.  Once for a
    stray I found and the other for a cat hit in the road whose 
    owner was ultimately found.  I wish I could remember his name,
    but I give him an unqualified recommendation.  He was both kind,
    and compassionate, and seemed to truly like cats, all qualities
    that make for a good 'attitude'.
    
    Donna
    

    Milford,NH is closer than Salem to Nashua.  That's where my vet[s]
    is located.  Dr. Paul Phenix's "Care Hospital for Animals"
    
    Dr. Phenix & Dr.Brian Lampert are the doctors.  They are very much
    into the Wellness/Holistic approach.  Both encourage you to ask
    questions and will take all the time necessary to explain options,
    treatments, etc.  There are bulletin boards with pictures of everyone's
    babies [much like in an obstetrician's office].
    
    Dr. Lampert frequently brings in his kids on Saturdays to help out
    [i.e. make a huge fuss over your babies while you write your check
    or handle other options]  During the week, senior citizens are the
    fuss-makers and there is one sweet woman who gets VERY annoyed when
    the receptionist sees a new baby and doesn't let her know.
    
    While both Drs. are wonderful with my two cats, Dr. Lampert is more
    of a cat-person [with two 8-month-old 'fireballs' at home at present].
    
    All this is to say that Care is a great family-practice vet.  They
    also have a good relationship with South Shore/Tufts -- I know this
    from experience.
    
      Annie
    
    p.s. there's a beautiful young grey parrot whose baby-fluff is almost
    all gone now in the waiting room. Very chatty about all of her [?]
    "guests."

    I too vote for Dr. Kaas.  When I took Trouble in for her yearly
    shots, I was a little apprehensive because her previous owners had
    told me that when she is scared she "loses her cookies" and she
    always did at the vets.  As a matter of fact, I even warned Dr.
    Kaas and it didn't seem to bother him.  What really won me over,
    though, was the fact that while Trouble was definitely uneasy she
    didn't seem to be scared like I expected.  I would say Dr. Kaas
    definitely has a way with animals.  
    
    Bernice

    
    
    RE: .76
    
    The veterinarian's name at the Hudson Animal Clinic is 
    Dr. Peduzzi.  I bring all my cats (five) to him.  He used to
    work with Dr. Carlson in Stow.  Dr. Beth Essington who also
    worked in Stow, now works in Hudson as well.  When our little
    Annie was sick with FIP, Dr. Peduzzi took care of her.  She
    was at the hospital for almost a week, and he showed her a lot
    of attention and care.  When discussing Annie with me, he would
    say things like "I was talking with my wife last night about
    Annie, and how frustrating FIP can be to treat".  He would call
    me at home and at work.  When we finally decided to put Annie to
    sleep, he held her and cried, the same as we did.
    
    We have another cat, Buster Brown, who at one time had high titer
    readings.  Dr. Peduzzi would call me now and then to see how he
    was feeling.
    
    He is a good person and he cares.
    
    Carole
    

    
    RE:  .75 about Marlboro Animal Hospital
    
    I have been bringing my guys to Dr. Nelson and Dr. Schwartz for
    nearly 9 years now.  I must agree that there is a real lack of charisma
    in the air at Marlboro Animal Hospital, and they will never be acused
    of undercharging.  I suppose that those two aspects of an animal
    hospital are very important in many respects.  After all, in many
    cases, you see them in a time of stress (sick pet etc) when you
    are about to incur an unexpected expense.  On the other hand, I
    have found them to be competent and (perhaps overly?) thorough.
    They will tend to test a pet six ways to Sunday, but I find this
    approach quite similar to the way one would handle the health care
    of a human.  I personally like Dr Schwartz best, and I am impressed
    with the fact that she is right up to date on things like immunology
    and she is more than willing to explain things like that to you.
    I believe she goes to a lot of seminars.  Another thing that impressed
    me was the fact that they will not hesitate to refer you to a specific
    doctor at Tufts who might specialize in a related field.  So I guess
    MAH has it's down side, but they seem to meet my needs well.
    
    Marion
    
    

    I have been bringing my cat and kittens to Dr. Essington, (.79)
    at the Hudson Animal Clinic and am completely devoted to her.  She
    first helped me by treating my first and greatly missed cat, Sparagus,
    as she was dying of feline leukemia; Dr. Essington is so devoted
    to animals and cared so much that she saw Sparagus TWICE on Sunday,
    Mother's day (She was not working that day either) -- once at her
    house, and once at mine.  Both she and everyone at the clinic have
    been wonderful with Crystal and her kittens (as we had a few problems
    when they were young); they give advice and reassurance over the
    phone; and I am sure Dr. Peduzzi is just as wonderful because I
    know Dr. Essington wouldn't work with someone who wasn't!!  (And
    their prices do seem to be very reasonable.)

    Hi.. Pookies personal physician is DR eric clough.. at the Merrimack
    vet clinic.. he is excellent and likes cats.. and he understands
    them.. as a matter of fact that how I  found Pookie.. he did surgery
    on Pookies eye in Oct and she is just fine.. and Pookie really
    doesnt mind spending the day at Kitty-Kamp...
    regards
    kate

    I have been taking my kitty to the Merrimack Vet Hospital on DW
    Highway (right next to Budweiser).  They seem to do everything to
    make both the cat and the owner comfortable.  When Mandy went in
    for spaying and declawing she had to stay overnight.  The vet told
    us we could call and check up on her that day and night.  A couple
    of days after we brought her home the vet called to check on Mandy's
    appetite and recovery rate.  She also told us to call if we had
    any questions about Mandy's recovery.  We had no problems at all with the
    operations, and we were quite pleased with their attitudes toward
    worried owners.
    
    Suzanne

    We have been bringing Misha, our corpulent kitty, to the Northboro
    Veterinary Clinic since we adopted her two years ago.  She has
    had stitches removed, and has been declawed there, and I've been
    very pleased with everything.  Our latest visits have been due
    to FUS and fleas, and the entire staff has been wonderful about
    answering TONS of questions from my husband and I, as well as
    being very kind to a terrified Misha.  We even watched some brief
    movies about FUS and what it's all about, as well as talking to
    the vet at great depth.
    
    Their facilities are spotless, and they have separate entrances
    for dogs and cats.  They also seem to take care of many different
    kinds of animals; I've seen pet birds there as well as cats and
    dogs.  They do housecalls by appointment, although I've never
    used this service.
    
    They are located on West Main Street in Northboro, right near
    where Route 20 veers off towards Shrewsbury.  They have very
    flexible hours, and are very nice about letting you leave your
    kitty there when you're "de-fleaing" your house!  I've had
    horrible experiences with Dr. Nelson in Marlboro, as well as
    with Dr. Fraser in Southboro, so it's been a real pleasure
    to find a vet I have trust in.
    
    -Joyce
                                                    

    Hi, I'm a new mom and am looking for a good veterinarian in the
    Franklin, MA area.  Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Susan

    I read through all these replies, but wanted an update on a good
    vet in the Belmont, MA area.  A friend of mine thinks her elderly
    cat may have diabetes and wants a good vet for a checkup.  I suggested
    Tufts, but she would like something closer for a first visit to
    reduce travel trauma to the cat.  Any suggestions?  Thanks in advance!

    Kindness Animal Hospital in Waltham is good. Dr. Bigman is sometimes
    a bit gruff, but he is really a good vet. The other two vets, Mr.
    Morris and Dr. Stadmore are excellent with cats  (and I'm not just
    saying that because Dr. Stadmore told me that she thought Pip was so
    pretty I ought to show her ...)
    
    They are located at the junction of Rts. 20 & 60 on the Linden St.,
    right next to the court house and across from the Stop & Shop This
    is probably about 1.5 miles out of Waverly Sq..

    
    I recommend Rotherwood Animal Clinic in Newton, Ma. (@ four corners).
    If you do go there, ask for Dr. Stone rather than Dr. Walker.  He
    is much nicer and doesn't treat you like either an idiot or a child.
    He also remembers you and your pet, which is nice when you have
    a continuing problem.
    
    

Can anyone recommend good vets in the Brighton/Brookline/Cambridge
areas? We would like to take our new kitty Freckles for a general
checkup as well as spaying in the very near future.

              Thanks,
           
                    Timothy and Robyi Haven

                   P.S.  We would like to use a Friends of Animals
discounted spaying certificate if possible and would appreciate any
info especially on wonderful vets in the above areas who participate 
in the program.

    I *highly* recommend (once again!) 
    
    	The Boston Cat Hospital
    	496 Park St.   Brookline (near Beacon St/Park Ave, St. Mary's
    							   T stop)
    
    	266-7877 (266-PURR)
    
    Others who have used them have also been extremely pleased with
    the quality of care to both the cats and to the humans!

    I have just read all of these replies and haven't found any reference
    to Vets in Manchester, NH.  Is that because we don't have any good
    ones?  I have taken my various dogs and cats to Northside Animal
    Hospital since I moved there 8 years ago.  However, since Dr. Lampert
    left (see note .77 - he was wonderful with my Stanley who used to
    fall asleep while being examined) I have not been happy.  There
    is no specific thing I don't like, but they sure don't seem to take
    any special interest in the animals.  And I get the ffeling that
    they don't really prefer cats.  When I brought the pups in, they
    didn't seem interested that they are a rare breed.
    
    So, with the new kitten coming this weekend, it seems like a good
    time to look around.  I'd like my daughter to have a good vet to
    relate to.  I have even considered driving to Milford so we could
    go to Dr. Lampert.  
    
    Anyone like their vet in or near Manchester?
    
    Ellen

    I have read all the replies to this note, and was really surprised
    to hear all the negative responses about Marlboro Animal Hospital.
    I used to live in Marlboro a few years ago, and I used Dr. Nelson
    many times, with great satisfaction. When my cat Mousa had kittens
    when she was really too young, and they all died, and she was so
    weak that she couldn't even deliver one, I rushed her up there,
    and he gave her a shot to help pass the last kitten, and she sang
    to him the whole time. He tried to get the kittens that were still
    alive to eat formula, but they were really too weak by the time
    I found them. 
    
     As a result of this bad time, she became very anemic (sp?) and
    our hearts sank because we figured she had leukemia. We had lost
    another kitten to that, while she was living there too. Dr. Nelson
    said to try not to get our hopes up at the results of the tests,
    but rushed the test through, and called me at work to tell me that
    she was just anemic, and to try to feed her the formula that the
    kittens should have eaten. 
    
     He also spayed her later after she recovered. (We also brought
    home a new kitten for her, and she treated it like her own. I think
    she may have been depressed over losing all her babies because she
    had no milk to feed them.) He was wonderful, and Mousa loved him.
    (She was not an overly friendly kitty. She was a stray, and I think
    she had been abused.) 
    
     I do have to go along with the overpriced negative though. They
    are very expensive there.
    
     I know this note is long, but I was so surprised to hear that he
    had changed like that. I would also like to add that I got a pamplet
    from them just the other day that stated that Dr. Nelson is either
    leaving, or has left Marlboro Animal Hospital. Maybe that's good
    for marlboro pet owners?
    
    Yvonne 

    
    Does any one have any experience with the following veterinary
    hospitals ?
    
    	Tewksbury Animal Hospital
    
    	Silver Lake Veterinary Hospital
    
    
    I'm moving to Tewksbury and need to find a good vet (mostly for
    emergencies) for my two kitties.  In particular, I need to find
    one who handles more than just the same old stuff and go beyond
    the more common diagnoses.  This primarily because of Isabeau. 

    Isabeau has already had surgery twice to correct congenital problems,
    and he is kind of high-strung (though very sweet natured!).  He
    started to pull his fur out once when I went on vacation and now
    any high stress situation (like moving!) induces the same reaction.
    It took some time, effort and patience to find out what was the
    cause ( I have gone on vacation before w/o him having a nervous
    reaction ) and then how to treat him.
    
    Any info about the above hospitals, or any other in the area 
    would be appreciated.
    
    Terry (and Isabeau and Etienne)

    Does anyone have any comments about Dr. Fitzgerald's clinic in
    Fitchburg, MA?  I haven't seen any comments about him in this note
    so far. . . 
    Portia absolutely loves him - she ends up visiting him at least
    once a month with all the sicknesses she picks up.  He's gotten
    her through bouts with the flu, worms, odd lumps on her tail, burnt
    toes, and he's been treating her leukemia.  Oscar on the other hand
    is such a womanizer, and resents the fact that this was the man
    that neutered him!
    I'm happy with the care they get there, however I tend to wonder
    how they survive on the prices they charge -- usually $3.00 per
    visit!  I also was only charged $35.00 for 4 nights of boarding
    (both cats) when Portia had her last leukemia test done.
    
    Anybody else have any comments?

    I didn't like Dr. Fitzgerald.  I felt like I was rushed in and rushed
    out when I took Tabbatha there for her shots.  It just seemed like
    he was running a production line.  "Hurry up and get them in and
    out so we can get the next one in."  I went to Dr. Mulcahey after
    that at the Central Animal Hospital in Leominster.  She is absolutely
    great!
    
    Holly
    

    
    
    Re: .94,.93
    
    Sounds like a tradeoff here.  Time Vs. Money.
    
    I guess its just the owners choice :
    
    	lotsa money and lotsa time
                    OR
    	little money and little time
    
    Personally, I would take the cheaper guy as long as he was
    still doing the job right.  And if you are like me, you can
    always slow the guy down by being a pain!!  I always ask
    LOTSA questions!!!!
    
    Karen
    	
    	
         

    I also, personally did not like Dr Fitzgerald.  I take my crowd
    of furry felines to Dr Fallon, Fallon Animal Clinic - almost across
    the street!!!
    
    If you'ld like more info, please send mail.
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Well, I just went through a vet visit last night.  I had previously
    gone to Dr. Mulcahy in Leominster, but now that I have moved, I
    couldn't face having to listen to Tiggy crying all the way there!
    It makes me a nervous wreck and I feel so bad for her.  So I went
    to a place called Westside Animal Hospital.  This is on Mill St.
    in Worcester.  The cats were seen by a woman vet and unfortunatly
    I have already forgotten her name!  There is also another vet there
    but I don't remember his name either!  I'm terrible.  Anyway, I
    liked the vet, although I think I liked Dr. Mulcahy better.  I know
    I like Dr. Mulcahy's prices better so maybe I'm biased!  I spent
    $82 yesterday for 2 checkups, 2 distemper shots and 2 FeLV tests!
    I found the cost of the shots and tests to be very average ($7 and
    $18 respectively).  However, this place charged $16 apiece for the
    checkups!  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't ever remember anywhere near
    this kind of a charge at Dr. Mulcahy's.  The FeLV shots are going
    to be $10 apiece with an $8 charge for the office visit.  But maybe
    I have to keep in mind that I now have 2 cats and twice the cost!!!
    
    As far as this Vets handling of the cats, she seemed great.  Has
    cats of her own which I always like to consider a good sign!  My
    Tiggy is always terrified of the Vets.  She sits absolutely still
    though with her head under my armpit he whole time!  However, my
    Al is another story altogether!!!  Al thinks he rules the world
    and the Vets was no exception!!!  He is only 14 weeks but thinks
    he's tough!  Screamed bloody murder everytime the lady tried to
    do anything to him!  I felt so bad for him until I realized that
    he wasn't the least bit scared or hurt, He just can't stand to be
    held that still and he was MAD!!!  The Vet couldn't even hear his
    heartbeat because he was screaming!  She did finally get it though.
    She called him the Wild Man!!!  This is so comical since, like I
    said, he is still a kitten!  However, at 14 weeks he already weighs
    in at 5lbs!!!  She said he is going to be 15lbs. of Wild Kitty!!!
    After Al was taken care of, he made himself right at home in the
    place while Tiggy got hers!
    
    Anyway, all in all the woman was pretty good!  Today I get the results
    of the FeLV tests...
    
    Lesa

    Addendum to .98
    
    The 2 Vets at Westside Animal Hospital are Anita Trom and Bart Murphy.
    We saw Dr. Trom and liked her (especially Tiggy who was told how
    beautiful she was!!!(except that Tiggy is scared of all Vets!))
    
    Also,  Great news!!!  Tiggy and Al were both tested negative for
    FeLV.  Now we get to go back for more shots!!!  Both cats will be
    overjoyed at this thought, not that I blame them!!!
    
    Lesa

    Hi, I'm the mother of EBONY & IVORY (see introductory note 2.190)
    
    I've been taking my kids to the Weston Vet Clinic for about 4 years
    and have been very satisfied with their services.  Although they've
    only gone once a year for checkups, shots, etc. I found the staff
    to be not only competent, but very nice and caring of my animals.
    (Weston Vet Clinic is on Rt. 20 right before the 128 underpass - right 
    as you enter Waltham from Weston).
                                        
    Since I moved a couple months ago to Boylston, I'm in need of another
    vet.  I was thinking of the Marlboro clinic, but since I've read
    so many negative comments I've changed my mind.
    
    I did read one vote for the Northboro Vet Clinic....is there anyone
    else that endorses this clinic??  Who could/should I contact there?
    
    Any help would be appreciated.
    
    Thanks,
    Barbara
                                                                 

    Hang on to your hats! Here we go!
    
    Hats off to Donna (.15), and Holly (.95) and anybody else who goes to Dr.
    Mulcahey that I may have missed!
    
    She is by far and away the best veterinarian I have EVER seen! 
    (and believe me, I've been to more than I can remember)
    
    She not only takes care of our guys (at relatively little cost),
    but she is also responsible for the regular care at the non-profit
    Purfect-Cat Cattel Shelter in Fitchburg. The woman (and her colleague,
    Dr. Cheryl Moss) is phenomonal!
    
    In February of this year, I had a little kitten that was born with
    glaucoma. I took her to many vets, and all said the same thing:
    "She is now, and forever will be totally blind. She is in tremendous
    pain, and it is not possible to relieve the swelling. The only solution
    to the problem is to put her to sleep. She will never be a normal
    cat." I even took her to an animal eye specialist. He too, told
    me that she would never see again, but gave me drops to (hopefully)
    keep her from losing the right eye.
    
    To make a long story short, I took her to Eileen and she knew right
    away that the kitten (little Stevie, my Wonder Cat), could be saved.
    She even got the swelling to go down! (A feat even the opthamologist
    said couldn't be done!) Today little Stevie, though she has lost
    the left eye, sees perfectly with her right, and is a purrfect terror!
    She now lives with my sister and is called Goo (because of
    all the goo that has to be put in her eye daily). During the whole
    time both Dr. Mulcahey and Dr. Moss had no doubt that she had vision
    in her right eye. They agreed that the left eye would probably have
    to be removed, but they tried absolutely everything they could to
    save it. They never spoke down (or condescendingly) to me; always
    more as if a friend than a client. They told me what to do if the
    eye should burst, and tried to help me deal with it all emotionally.
    THEY ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The office walls are littered with pictures of happy pet-patients,
    and my guys are always cooed over and crooned to whenever we go.
    Their bedside manner is unparalled, and their prices are also something
    to purr about.      EVERYBODY GOT THE HINT YET?
    
    Dr. Eileen Mulcahey, and Dr. Cheryl Moss at Central Animal Hospital,
    Johnny Appleseed Plaza (Rt. 12) in Leominster, MA 01453
    
    Now, I hate to be longwinded, but there are some "bad guys" I must
    mention:
    
    I have to disagree with 14.31 and 14.87 about Dr. Bigman at Kindness
    Animal Hospital in Waltham, MA. Dr. Bigman is indeed gruff, and
    can be very rude at times. Also, I have never found his "hospital"
    to be clean enough for my standards. At one time we had a cat with
    a stomach injury. The technician proceeded to pick up the cat by
    the scruff of the neck, saying that this is standard procedure.
    The cat was obviously in a great deal of pain. Dr. Bigman was very
    rude and said that they were "trained professionals" and that they
    would handle the situation. I took my cat and left. The next vet
    we went to (now also on my sh*t list) said that was no way to be
    carrying a cat in such a condition.
    
    Another vet to stay away from, in my opinion at least, is (and this
    will shock a few of you) the Weston Veterinary Clinic (Dr. Davis
    in particular). Dr. Kirka, Dr. Prescott and Dr. Hicks are fine
    veterinarians but their practice leaves much to be desired. 
    Dr. Davis was adamant about putting little Stevie to sleep - he didn't
    want me to leave with her alive. He was very concerned about the
    money it would take to remove the eye and said that a blind cat
    is "useless". He spoke to me like I was a retard: "This cat can't
    see! This cat is totally blind!" blah blah blah. He was a real jerk
    about it, and that is not his usual style.
    I am also down on the clinic because, when my beloved Samantha had
    to be put down, we took her there. My mother went in to be with
    her as they "did it". My sister was left outside to be spared the
    brutal details. As soon as the deed was done, they opened the door
    for my mother to leave. My sister went to greet her and there was
    my Samantha, her body just casually left on the table for the whole
    waiting room to see! Certainly not a sight for the general public
    to witness, much less children!
    
    Another guy to stay away from is Dr. Donovan, an animal opthamologist
    in Burlington. He's not "too" bad as far as knowing his stuff, but
    the man is very rude and somewhat sexist. I told him that Dr. Mulcahey
    had me using warm compresses to get the swelling down in Stevie's
    eye, and he flew right off the handle and starting knocking her
    and her practice right down. He maintained that the compresses were
    of no use. He even spoke to her over the phone and blasted the hell
    out of her over her methods!
    (I understand he was VERY rude to her...unfortunately we have been
    on shaky grounds ever since due to this). The guy is a creep.
    
    Of the good vets you might want to take note of if you don't want
    to travel as far away as Leominster are:
    
    Dr. Prescottano in Auburndale (Newton). He is good and honors FOA
    spay/neuter certificates.
   
    Dr. Stone at the Rotherwood clinic in Newton is also pretty good.
    
    A VERY GOOD cat opthamologist is Dr. Bachrach off Rt. 2 (in Concord,
    I believe). He is recommended by Dr. Mulcahey at Central.
    
    Well that's my .02 cents anyway. Sorry to carry on so.
    
    Goodluck in your search.
    
    Denise.
    

    Re: .101
    
    I know of blind cats who live perfectly happy lives as indoor cats.
     That vet was really bananas.
    

    My Misha, who is blind in one eye, jumped from mid-way down the
    metal spiral stairway to the condo against the wall this morning.
    I almost dropped my teeth, but he didn't even think twice about
    it.  He also gets up on the window ledge in the basement area
    and goes to the beams on the ceiling that aren't closed in yet.
    He thinks he is cute!  He is a worse climber than any of the
    other 14 kids - anyway, he is CUTE!  Beautiful really - he is
    a classic Silver Tabby and sweeter tha sugar!  He compensates
    beautifully for the lack of vision in his left eye.  Gets 
    better at it as he get older - he was a year old July 7th!
    
    E.T.

    
    	My kitties and I moved to Colorado Springs and are needing
    	a vetrinarian here. I needed one for emergency surgery the
    	first night we arrived in town so we went to one of those
    	24 hour surgery centers (it was a Sunday night and snowing
    	like mad). I took Catnip (the one who was surgered...(sp))
    	to one of the participating offices (the surgery center is
    	a cooperative thing) for her shots and DID NOT LIKE the way
    	she was handled.  At this point, I have a new 4 month old kitten
    	who needs her shots and I keep putting it off because I do
    	not wish to take her back to the vet I went to for Catnip.
    	Any recommendations for vets in Colorado Springs from folks
    	who know?
    	Thanks from all of us in advance.
    							kim
    

    I don't recollect seeing anyone mention they were in Colorado in
    this file, so I'll toss in my two cents. Taking a puss in for shots
    is actually a good way of getting a preview of what a vet is like.
    Better to find out at shot time than when something serious comes
    up.  What I'd do is call a local humane group and ask them who they
    recommend;  there is probably some vet who works with them.  Don't
    put off your baby's shots.
    
                                         

    RE:  14.104
    
    There are several listed in the Colorado note file (COMET::COLORADO).
    Just add COLORADO into your conferences and do a  DIR/TITLE=VET.
    

    
    	Thank you. I found that note and as it happens, the vet
    	who's office got me miffed originally came recommended
    	in there. Sooo...I decided to be reasonable and give it
    	one more shot (not a pun). Gracie and I went yesterday
    	and his office was chaotic and we waited long but the vet was
    	personally fine and very good with her.  We seem to have
    	survived. I am probably just being an overly fussy parent.
    

        <<< HYDRA::DISK$NOTES$LIBRARY:[NOTES$LIBRARY]HOLISTIC.NOTE;1 >>>
                              -< Holistic Forum >-
================================================================================
Note 319.0                    HOLISTIC VETERINARIAN                   No replies
ISWS::MATTHEWS "Lynn Matthews"                       37 lines  22-SEP-1988 14:31
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just wanted to pass this along to you pet owners.  I have three Boxers who
are on a "holistic" diet.  I prepare their food based on a diet especially
designed for their individual needs. 

I go to a VET who practices holistic healing.  His name is Dr. Richard
Kearns. He is located in Hingham.  Telephone number is 749-2800.  He is a 
full fledged vet so he can totally treat your animal.  Certain things such 
as heart worn, parvo, etc. require traditional medicine.  

Two of my boxers have been on the diet for the past four years.  My third
dog (a four month old male) is a third generation on the diet.

Dr. Kearns exams your dog, takes a blood sample and determines the 
nutritional needs for your animal.  He does cats as well as dogs.  He also 
used accupressure and also accupuncture.  It is amazing what this man 
knows.  The first visit will be about an hour as he fully explains the 
treatment and diet.

Two of my dogs get yogurt, brown rice, cooked ground beef and an assortment 
of chopped, raw vegtables.  The other one gets chicken or turkey as the 
protein.  Along with that they get numerous vitamins (Vit. C, Lipinoids, 
multivitamins, etc. as well as homeopathic medicines.  I can't tell you how
happy I am with my dogs.  My puppy is doing just great.  Didn't have the
problems usually associated with puppies - not sleeping during the night,
throwing up their food, wanting to chew on things (furniture, shoes, etc).
His diet is so well balanced.  His treats are rice cakes rather than those
lousy packaged dog biscuits. 

I know many of you would say I'm crazy but if it means my dogs will live a 
healthy and longer life, I'm all for it.

I cook approximately twice a week.  I make my own yogurt so it keeps the 
cost down.

I could go on and on about the diet.  If anyone is interested, I'd be glad 
to give you more info. on it.  I can be reached most days at 262-8364 or 
better yet send me mail.

    
    I hadn't seen any recommendations for the Watertown area, and I
    wholeheartedly recommend 
            Watertown Animal Hospital
            Thomas J Cusick DVM
            404 Main St.  (near Watertown Sq.)
            Watertown MA 
            617-926-8888
    
    Dr. Cusick is a cat lover, rates are reasonable, and he is very
    thorough. We have 3 cats, and they have always gotten the best of
    care. Unfortunately, we recently moved to Burlington, MA and are
    in need of a new Vet as one of our cats needs to be sedated in order
    to travel any distance from the house. ( When we first moved to
    Watertown, Steffie went into shock and almost didn't survive).
    	So any recommendations as to vets in the Burlington area would
    be appreciated.
        I plan to visit a few of the local ones in advance without warning
    and get a gut feel BEFORE we entrust our kitties to a stranger in
    an emergency. There seems to be conflicting stories here about certain
    vets, and my feelings are to check them out in advance with a personal
    visit and add information from other peoples recommendations. You simply
    can't judge a vet by one or two routine visits. 
        

    Having worked for the Humane Society of So. Hillsboro County (now
    known as the Nashua Humane Society), I knew quite a few of the vets
    in the area.
    
    I can personally recommend Leo Bishop of the Animal Clinic of Nashua,
    Dick Kaas of the Ferry Road Animal Hospital and Paul Phenix of Milford.
    
    Being a bit of a pain when it comes to my kitties, when the time
    came to find a new vet I actually interviewed Dr. Bishop and he
    got the job.  He patiently answered my questions and it's obvious
    he cares about my cats from the way he treats them.
    
    However, and this is a big however, if something very serious was
    wrong I would take my cats to either Angel Memorial or Tufts where
    the latest technology is available.  I'd do the same with myself...head
    south to Boston if I was seriously ill.

    The only problem with going to someplace like Angel Memorial or
    another place you've never been, in the case of an emergency is
    that the vet's there have no experience with your cat and have
    no medical records for him/her.  
      N

	After reading all the praises contained here I feel I must put in
a vote for my Vet, Dr. Conti at the Hudson Animal Hospital in Hudson NH.
If it were not for his genuine concern for animals my Rocky would be not be
here today.

	Rocky (short for his full name - Xerox) became extremely ill in
November.  It came on quite suddenly.  Sunday morning I went to the basement
to get the woodstove going and he was lying there on the washer.  He was
soaked in his own vomit and could not even stand.  He had been full of life
the night before!  I called the Animal Hospital and Dr. Conti suggested that
I bring him in.  Rocky then spent one night in an incubator while being re-
hydrated (he was severely dehydrated) then 3 more nights hospitalized.
Dr. Conti stayed in continual contact and patiently explaned every test and
procedure.  When Rocky was able to come home Dr. Conti also called to follow
up on his progress and even asked how Rocky was doing when I brought in another
of my cats for a regular exam.

We never did figure out what Rocky got into to make him so ill but it is for
certain that if it were not for Dr. Conti I would have one less wonderfull
warm kitty.


-Kathi

        
    
    I'm taking my three cats to the vet next week and I'm wondering
    if the rates he is charging are reasonable.
    
    	T.K. (Rabies, FLV, FCVRP shots) $11/shot + $12/office visit
    	Bandit (same as T.K.)
    	Cinamon $23/office visit
    
    	Totals
    		T.K.	$45
    		Bandit  $45
    		Cinamon $23
    		------------
    		       $113
    
    	Yuk!!  Is this reasonable? This is the first time I've brought
    	the cats to the vet since they were kittens.  What about a
    	group discount rate since they are all going in at once?	
                                                    
        I'm going to the Merrimack Veterinary Hospital.  If you can
    	recommend a less expensive vet who is reliable in Nashua NH, it 
    	would be appreciated!
    
    	Thanks,
    
        Karen
    	

    The last round for two for me cost me $83.00 but that included
    Two blood tests for feline leukemia, two rabies shots, two FIP shots,
    antibiotic for Dream for a week and vitamins for the entire brood
    of four.  I also get a discount for quantity visits (2 cats at a
    time).  I go to Plaistow Animal Medical Center in Plaistow, NH.
    Both vets there are wonderful with my cats and I've been very pleased.
    
    Mary-Michael 
    

    Mary-Michael,  I didn't realize there was such a thing as a FIP
                   shot.  Are you sure about this?
    
    Donna

    I had been paying around $50.00 for Nippa for her yearly checkup
    and booster shots.  It was agravating because the vet was not really
    giving her the through exam I hoped she would get.  As a result
    a few weeks after her yearly visit, she got sick.  I went to the
    new vet, was charged $25 for the visit, a shot, and 5 days of a
    liquid medicine.   I took her back the following week and they wormed
    her, and was charged $15.00.   Yes, in the end I ended up paying
    about the same, but at lest she was checked, treated and is the
    healthy cat she used to be.
    
    Michele & Nippa
    
    p.s.
    
    I cant imagine having to pay fo rmore than one......wheres that
    overtime!
    

    RE: .115
    
    Oops, I meant the 3-in-one shot, not FIP.  Was reading notes previously
    on FIP, guess I had it on the brain.  Sorry,
    
    Mary-Michael

    My vet gives me a frequency discount - the more I'm in, the less
    he charges.  One time I hadn't been in for close to 3 months, and
    I was shocked with the bill - he had charged me the everyday rates.
    
    What gets to me is the vets who charge for the office visit on top
    of the shots, medications, procedures, etc.  Or when they charge
    a daytime boarding charge when the animal is in for day surgery.
    
    I recently paid $35 for Oscar and Portia combined, for their annual
    shots and checkups.  That was right after I had paid for Elmo's
    neuter and beginning checkup (separate visits), Elmo's tapeworm, 
    Portia's 6 visits for an abcessed ear, and sneezy medication for 
    all 3.    Best of all though, if I don't have any money on me when
    I walk in the vets door, I know it's ok, since he'll just add it
    to the bill for the next time I'm in.
    
    	-Nancy

    Karen,
    
    Your vet seems more reasonable than mine!  Over the past 6 months,
    I've had Meg's maternity care, checkup and shots for my five little
    babies, Honey's annual, Chauncey's annual plus teeth cleaning and
    tear duct flushing, Meg's spaying, and I've still got Julie's Felv shots
    to finish up!  If I remember correctly, my vet charges $15 for the
    Felv shot plus the office visit.  It has all come to more than $800.
    
    Call some other vets and see what they charge.  I think they're
    all pretty much the same.  But since you were willing to delay
    Cinamon's visit till you could see the vet you wanted, there's always
    the chance that another vet won't be satisfactory to you.
    
    Mary
    
    Mary

     Karen, I have to agree with Mary, Dr.Eric is Pookies purr-sonal
     physican...... as well as Happys!!.. they are really good, and
    I think very reasonable...Pookie day care" at Dr Erics kitty kamp
    is reasonable, only an additional  $6 for the day..and the care
    is excellent... Pookie and Happy both, bring their toys, fur rugs,
    binkys and stay for the day!! according to  Becky, the last pookie
    was there , she led the 3pm kitty aerobics class!!!!!!. the key
    word is "led",  here..heh-heh..DR Eric has always treated pookie,
    even whne she lived with allison...I am very pleased with the care
    thay have given both Pookie and Happy, as matter of fact
    Dr Eric' performed Pookies eye surgery, and a wonderful job,and
    just recently, pookie had some oral surgery done, and I was quite
    surprsed at how reasonable the bill was!!!! I also like how he will
    speak to "the kitty parents first, then he brings in the "little
    patient, and we chat a bit more..if medication is necessary you
    learn how, and when to do it.. well enough of this,,maybe we will
    see each other sometime. at  Kitty kamp!!!
    REGARDS
    Kate
    
    
    P.s. he also os real good with our happy cat, cuz she does her
    I am not going to cooperate with you routine, I am going to
    sit here and s-c-r-e-a-m and P-o-u-t.  I know my rights I am
    allowed one call..!!!!! H-E-L-P Pookie, bring the LIMO to
    the rear window.. I'LL slide(thud) down...he says she is getting
    better, she actually ate her lunch and kept it down last time...
    heh-heh.. Poor Happy!!!!
    

    
    Re: .120
    
    Kate, who is Dr Eric??  Where is he located? 
    
    It sounds like the vet I have is pretty reasonable, and I particulary
    want to see him this time because he recently put two of Bandits
    littermates to sleep.  I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with
    him because I had been told that Bandits littermates contracted
    whatever they had from the mother and I was afraid that Bandit might
    have the disease too.  He reassured me that I probably had nothing to
    worry about.  He also did not know what the two cats died of but they
    tested negative for Feline Leukemia. He also told me that the two
    littermates also lived together so it probably was not contracted from
    the mother. 
    
    Anyhow, what I'm getting at is, he spent some time on the phone, free
    of charge, and he was very nice to me.  Now I want to bring my cats to
    see him. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't getting the
    run-around since this is my first visit since the guys were kittens. 
    
    As far as Cinamon goes, he seems much better but we will be going to
    see the vet anyhow, just for reassurance.  I'm somewhat worried that he
    will recommend a series of unnecessary tests just to tell me that the
    cat is old, but otherwise healthy.  I'd be inclined to refuse the
    tests since he seems to be feeling better.
    
    Karen
    	

    Sounds like you guys have pretty reasonable vets.  My last visit
    for my three, one office visit, three exams, three three-in-ones
    and three rabies plus one stool sample cost $120.
      Of course, this vet is in Dorchester and the cost of living that
    close to Boston is much more expensive.  I'm sure that influences
    the prices.  I also know this guy is killing himself taking care
    of his patients.  He's found it impossible to get other help because
    the cost of living in Boston is so high and vets don't make that
    much.  (Average about $40,000/yr - not much when you have all those
    school loans to pay off).  I've also been going to him for 9 years
    and I trust him (which is worth alot).
      Thought I'd throw in some other figures for comparison.
      Nancy DC
    

     Karen, Dr eric (clough) is at merrimack veternary clinic in merrimack
     ... I think we have the same doctor  for our kids..... you are
    talking about the merrimack vet. clinic right next to the budwieser
    plant? right..
    regards
    kate

    
    Kate, yes.
    
    I'm going to see Dr Jullian.  I've been there two or three times
    before but I don't know who I saw then.
    
    Karen
    
    

    .. we are going to see dr dobbs on tuesday morning.. we will be
    staying for the day... .. I noticed last nite that pookie's mounth
    ( the other side was bothering her.. I just talked to them, and
    we are going in tuesday to have them take look.. poor pookie,
    I hope we are not going to be fitted for dentures or abridge..!!!!
    She is going to 13 years old, so we try not "upset her too much,
    DR Eric"s hates to put her under... we have seen dr julian..
    very nice .. more later
    regards
    kate

    I just wanted to put in a plug for the vets.  Nancy is right, they
    don't make alot of money.  Just like going to your Dr., you should
    expect to pay for the office visit.  Afterall, the vet (or Doctor)
    did spend several years in school learning his trade and should
    be compensated for that.  Any treatments have to be paid for on
    top of the office visit because vaccines, medicines, etc. have to
    be purchased by the vet before being given to your kitty.
    
    Also, the charge for boarding when your cat is in there for surgery
    is to pay for the AHT (animal health technician) that preps your
    cat for surgery, gives it the "knock out" juice, and then monitors
    it's vital signs all day to make sure that it is doing okay.  Cats
    recovering from anesthesia are often checked every fifteen minutes!
    
    When you leave your cat off for the day, the boarding charge covers
    food, litter, water, scooping of litter pan, and the use of the
    boarding cage. 
    
    Having multitudes of cats myself, I find it odd that I feel compelled
    to defend vet charges...:^) :^)
    
    By the way Karen, $12 for office visit, $11 for shots is terrific
    and I would be thrilled to only pay that much!  Also, since Cinnamon
    is getting older, you might want to go ahead and get a complete
    blood panel on him to find out if his kidneys, liver, and other
    organs are still functioning properly.  This will cost you about
    $25.00-35.00 depending on your vet, and can be a great way to detect
    problems before they become life threatening.
    
    Our vet charges $17.00 for an office visit (1/2 price for second
    and subsequent patients).
    
    Jo

    I live in Lowell, MA and presently have 1 9-month old female cat.
    We have a local vet, but was wondering if anyone could give me some
    personal experiences/pointers about vets in the area.  I know there
    are lot in Lowel, but I would like others opinions...
    
    Thanks-
    Baby Girl's stepmother (my 3 year old son is her real "mother")
    

    After reading so many wonderful descriptions about Dr. Eileen Mulcahey
    in Leominster, I felt I had to share my story about our first meeting.
    
    On Halloween weekend in 1985, my husband and I received a call from
    Bob, a kind-hearted Deccie who was dating my sister.  It seems that
    when they came home from a party that weekend, they found a half-grown
    black kitten at the end of Bob's driveway with a broken hind leg. 
    Someone had run over him and left him there bleeding!  Bob told us that 
    he picked the little guy up and cleaned him off while my sister called
    his vet to make an appointment.  To make a long story short, the vet
    saw the cat immediately and suggested putting him to sleep because he
    was a stray and because the fracture was compound.  Bob, who already
    had three of his own furry friends, couldn't bear the thought so he
    asked the vet to splint the leg and he took the cat home.  The next
    day, Bob called us and asked if we would be willing to take care of
    the cat "for a couple of weeks" until he could find it a good home.  
    
    Of course we agreed and, when we met him, feel in love with him
    immediately.  Bob had asked his vet about the cat's leg and the vet
    said it would not heal properly with just the splint; a pin was
    necessary.  Bob's vet could not do the surgery himself, but he
    recommended that we contact Dr. Mulcahey in Leominster since she was
    just opening her practice and specialized in small animal surgery.  
    
    We did make an appointment with her (we live in Nashua, but it was worth
    the drive).  Not only did she fix the leg so that it is completely
    healed; she only charged us about 1/3 the cost because we were adopting
    him!  She fell in love with Onyx just as we did; he is so friendly. 
    When the bandages came off and he still wasn't walking correctly, Dr.
    Mulcahey refused to give up on our furry black friend.  She instructed
    us to perform physical therapy until he began walking and jumping like
    a healthy cat.  
                                                                    
    A few short months after his surgery and thanks to Bob *and* Dr.
    Mulcahey, Onyx was walking and behaving like a healthy, happy cat.  In
    fact, he was so healthy that we had to get him a friend (another stray,
    this time all in one piece) to run around the house with!  Yes, since
    his accident, Onyx has embraced the life of a leisurely housecat who seems
    content to watch it all from the window.  His chief form of exercise is
    chasing and wrestling with his little sister when he gets bored with
    "cat TV."
    
    With two cats, it became a little difficult to drive to Leominster for
    appointments so we started taking them to the Hudson Animal Hospital in
    Hudson, NH.  We have been pleased with the people there but we told Dr.
    Mulcahey that she if she ever considered moving her practice Southern
    NH we'd be her first customers!  
    
    We have recommended her to several friends in the Leominster/Fitchburg
    area and all have agreed that she is super!  In fact, to this day she
    still asks about Onyx when they mention who referred them.  
    
    Sue                                                         
    

    What a great story!  Its so nice to know that there are so many
    kind folks out there.
      nancy DC
    

    Fantastic story.  Eileen is truely wonderful.  
    
    On a side note, since onyx is a black cat (I love the name) and it was
    halloween, I wouldn't be surprised if it was some kids that hurt him. 
    GOD that burns me!!!!!  
    
    Holly
    

    Thanks for the comments!  Yes, one of the biggest reasons we have two
    *housecats* is because of sick people like that.  Our other cat is a
    dainty female who is very timid and wouldn't dream of going outside. 
    We adopted her from the Nashua Humane Society when she was a kitten.
    They make a nice pair of bookends--he's jet black and she's all grey
    with a silver sheen and greenish-blue eyes.  Both of them are neutered
    and *very* playful.  We would adopt more but we just don't have any
    more room!
    
    My husband grew up with cats but I used to be strictly a dog person. 
    Just goes to prove that you can't judge a cat until one *lets* you get
    acquainted.  I still like dogs, but I have to confess; I now prefer
    cats.  
    
    Sue
    
    

    If anyone has read "The cat who came for Christmas"  there is a
    very good chapter about the myths and folklore surrounding cats
    and how much of it involves horrible abuses of cats.  Some of
    those old practices were really sick!  It helps you to understand
    that cat abuse has sometimes been "socially acceptible" and that
    it still is to some extent today ("I LOVE CATS - DEAD ONES" , crushed
    Kitty toy etc etc).
       N

    I should probably appologize for re-directing this note.  I'll ask
    that folks not turn this into a discussion of cat abuse - I just
    wanted to pick up on the point made in the previous note about it
    being Halloween and Onyx being a black cat etc.
    
    Onyx sounds just like my Isis - black with gold eyes :-) and his
    housemate sounds really beautiful.  We have friends who have a
    silver-grey female and she is stunning - if a bit overweight.
      Nancy DC
    

    To Nancy and other readers:
    
    Sorry, I guess I got off the track a bit too.  This topic does concern
    veterinarians.  To make up for going off on a tangent, let me offer a
    caution about a bad animal hospital in the Southern NH area that should
    be avoided--State Line Veterinary on the Tyngsboro, Mass./Nashua,NH
    border.  
    
    When we were first looking for a local vet, we had the bad sense to
    bring Onyx (who had already been through so much in his young life) to
    that clinic for a checkup.  The doctor who treated Onyx was very rough
    with him and abrupt with me.  He didn't pick Onyx up, pet him, or
    try to reassure him before he began the exam.  He just shoved Onyx
    around and plopped him down tightly on the table while examining him. 
    This vet was extrememly rough with the thermometer; Onyx howled.  Then,
    when the vet was finished with the exam, he pushed Onyx back in the cat
    carrier instead of picking him up and gently placing him inside.  (I
    should explain that Onyx is *extremely* well behaved at the vet; he is
    frightened and always reacts with a "let's get this over with quickly
    attitude.")  
    
    This vet (can't remember his name) also treated me as if I was
    supremely annoying when I dared to ask a few questions.  Besides that,
    the prices were about double the going rate for routine immunizations,
    etc.  It was obvious that this hospital was only interested in making
    money.   After the superb treatment we had enjoyed with Eileen Mulcahey
    at Central Animal Hospital, we were appalled at the lack of concern the
    people at State Line exhibited.  Needless to say, we have never
    returned and have told our friends to stay away also.  After all, if I
    went to a physician who treated me the way this vet treated my cat
    *and* me, I would at the very least give her/him a piece of my mind and
    find someone more suitable!
    
    The people at Hudson Animal Hospital are well-trained, genuine animal
    lovers.  As a matter of fact, one of the vets there used to treat all
    of the exotic animals at the Benson's Wild Animal Farm accross the
    street until they closed a couple of years ago.  The hospital is much
    bigger than Central in Leominster, but they still have time to "get to
    know" the patients and their owners.  
    
    -Sue
                                              
     
    
    

    Gee, I had good luck at State Line when I brought 5-week-old Julie in
    on an emergency visit late one Saturday.  She had jumped off something
    and had suffered a compression fracture in her left paw.  The doctor we
    saw was a woman, who's name I cannot remember, but was not one of the
    two doctors listed on the sign out front, handled Julie with the utmost
    care.  She nuzzled her and called her "my little neo-nate" cause she
    was just a baby.  She even called on Monday to see how Julie was doing.
    
    It sounds like you had a bad experience there, but, again, I think it
    may have been that one vet that should be avoided.
    
    Besides, Honey says that he's never met a woman vet he didn't like!
    
    Mary

    
    	I have had extremely good service for the past several years
    with the Marlboro Animal Hospital, on Rt. 20 in Marlboro at the
    495 interchange.  Dr. Nelson and his female associate, Dr. Schwartz,
    have always exhibited tenderness and caring towards my numerous
    animals over the years, mostly feline, but with a couple of dogs
    and even a parrot.
    
    	One Christmas Eve about 12 years ago, I had returned from a
    party in the we hours to find my new kitten, Whitewalls, laying
    on the couch, obviously in pain, and having great difficulty breathing.
     It was about 2:30 in the morning, but I called Dr. Nelson at his
    home, expalined what was happening, and he came out and opened the
    hospital and spent the night trying to save my Whitewalls.  That
    impressed me that he had so much dedication, he would come out on
    Christmas Eve and do that.  I've been with that establishment ever
    since.  Alas, poor Whitewalls expired later Christmas Day, causes
    unknown.  But I know that at least everything was done to try and
    save him, and I will always bring my animals to Drs. Nelson & Schwartz.
    I highly recommend them to anyone in the area.
    

    Does anyone bring their kitties to the Amherst Animal Hospital?
    I brought my 8-week old kitten there for her check up and distemper
    shot a few weeks ago.  She saw Dr. Mitterling who gave her a very
    thorough exam, played with her and announced she was a very good
    little kitty.  I liked the way he handled her and answered all my
    questions.  She'll be going back for her booster shot in a couple
    of weeks, but I was just wondering if anyone can give me good/bad
    experiences there or if anyone else uses Dr. Mitterling?
    
    Thanks, Terry
    

    Yup, we do. Have used AAH for eight years now. Dr Gleason took care
    of our saint bernard when he was alive and the kitty's my daughter
    had also.
    
    Doctor Anderson has seen Mocha and Ming but I prefer Dr Gleason. I
    must say, they are ALL nice including the girls at the desk.
    
    Barbara

    I felt I needed to respond to a noter quite aways back in this
    Vets section that commented that Fitzgerald Animal Clinic in
    Fitchburg pushed you in and out real quick.  I think...once you
    get to know them down there and they understand how much you
    love your animals...they will give you all the time in the world.
    
    Norm..is great!  I always call for advice and he knows I'm a
    panicky mom..so he even gave me an emergency number to call if 
    something were to happen.  Last year one of my kitties had to
    be put down due to two very large tumors in his belly...he was
    real sick.  I cried and cried and Norm even had tears in his eyes.
    After it was completed I asked him what it costs...and he just sighed 
    and said he could never charge me a cent for having to do this.
    
    They do love the animals and you definetly know they are not
    in the business for the money.  My kids have problems with 
    there ears..not mites, but dirt and wax!  If I bring one kid
    down he will clean them, give me medicine for home and charge
    me $5.00.  If two go...the bill is normally $10.00.  I might
    be getting a break...because it seems we are always visiting
    for some reason.
    
    Of course...I have been going to him for years, but I couldn't ask
    for a better vet for my kids!
    
    

    Dr Francis Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Animal Clinic has passed away
    last Saturday.  Dr Fitzgerald had been practicing in Fitchburg
    for over 50 years.  Dr Fitz was getting old...and even for the last
    few years when he no longer took care of the animals...you would
    always find him in the office just walking around talking to
    his animals, calming them down, and always willing to give advise.
    He may not have known all the latest Vet Technologies...but some
    of his old remedies, his very caring attitude, his friendship
    with the animals, his reasonable rates, and 50 years of knowledge 
    on the whole animal kingdom...will surely be missed. 
    
    Thank you Dr. Fitzgerald for all you have done for my pets over
    the years.  We will miss you and pray that your partner "Norm"
    will keep your clinic,,,your dream,,,going strong!!
    
    Sandy (Tamba, Poco, and Barkley)
    
                                    
    

    I'll add Dr. Francis Fitzgerald's name to the SLM list along with
    Dr. Verbridge.
      Nancy

    Thanks Nancy...how do I go about sending you a contribution?  I
    know that info is in here somewhere...but I can't find it.
    
    Sandy

    PO BOX 157 Maynard Ma  01754
    
       or
    
    31 Peach St
    Braintree Ma  02184
    

    I'm surprised that the Fallon Animal Clinic on rte 2A in Lunenburg
    hasn't been mentioned in more detail.  The 3 vets, Dr. Fallon, his son
    Mike, and Dr. Wm Norelli are all wonderful.
    
    Several years ago Dr Fallon put my cat to sleep and both she and I were
    treated with respect and sensitivity.  And when I went home I had with
    me two cats that had been left in his parking lot!  Since then, I've 
    acquired a husband and his two cats and all four of our felines have been 
    well cared for by the folks at Fallon.  We've been through de-clawing, 
    neutering, immunizations, and regular examinations....all of which have 
    been professionally and competently done.
    
    For us, the real test has been the two emergencies we've encountered. 
    The first was late one Saturday night.  We met Dr Fallon at midnight,
    and he patiently and carefully examined poor Sophocles, determining it
    was an inner ear infection.  Recently, we had another bout with 3 out
    of the four.  I won't go into the gorey details, but by the time we
    were finished we'd had another late night visit (we got home at 1:45
    AM!), 13 shots, 2 chest x-rays, a call to the poison control center,
    and an overnight for 4 cats.  The bill came to $113.!!!  Dr. Norelli
    knew that we were real cat lovers who were beside themselves at the
    thought of losing one of their "kids" and cut us a major break on the
    bill.  
    
    One last thing.  If you have to leave an animal overnight or if
    an animal is in for a surgical procedure, you're encouraged to call and
    check on their condition.  Your concern is appreciated and not seen as
    silly...as some who aren't pet lovers would view it.
    
    "Mom" to Sophocles, Bobbie, Fritzie, and Aramis

    As a breeder of Exotic Shorthairs, and a resident of the
    Lunenburg/Fitchburg Area, I can't agree more with the previous note. 
    I've been using Dr. Fallon and the Fallon Animal Clinic for over 10
    years as a breeder, and many many more before that.  
    
    I think they're the best in the area.  Dr. Norelli and Dr. Michael
    Fallon (Dr. Robert Fallon's son) are both recent Tufts Graduates too,
    which makes me feel real good about the quality of their education.  
    
    I'm surprised I hadn't entered a note on the Fallon Animal Clinic
    before this.
    
    cin
    

    For those of you who live in the Worcester/Grafton area, I have found a
    new vet who makes house calls!  Her name is Dr. Linda Breitman and
    although we have never personally met, we spoke at great length on the
    phone yesterday afternoon and I have agreed to try her out when all 4
    of my guys are due for their vaccinations and annual exams next month.
    
    Dr. Breitman is also a graduate of Tufts and is limiting her practice
    to housecalls only, unless an emergency situation arises.  She has a
    newborn baby at home so is only available for housecalls in the evening
    (meshes perfectly with my schedule!).  Her rates seem pretty
    reasonable--below is a breakdown:
    
    Housecall:		$10.00 (Grafton only)
    Exam fee per cat:	$20.00
    All Vaccines	$10.00 each
    
    She also gives a 10% discount off the total bill for multiple cats.
    
    She took all of my cats' histories over the phone; we talked in detail
    about past problems they have had, how Kelsey's brothers died of fatal
    heart diseases, etc., and I felt as though we struck a good initial
    rapport.  I will report back with more information once she actually
    comes to the house to examine the cats.
    
    
    --Roberta
    

    
    Thanks for posting that Roberta.......That is valuable to me!
    
    One question.....Is she remaining affilitated w/ Tufts or another
    pratice?  I would be concerned that if Nippa was not her lovely
    self, that the vet in this situation may not have access to the 
    proper facilities to care for her.
    
    I really like Tufts, but don't want to be going there for something
    that a Vet w/ facilities can handle.....I really can't afford Tufts.
    
    I wonder how much she'd charge to come to Westboro......
    
    Michele

    Michelle,
    
    I believe she is affiliated with another vet, not Tufts.  She does have
    an office which is where her clients would bring their pets in the
    event of an emergency.
    
    When you are ready to contact her, write me mail for her phone number.
    Since it is a home telephone number I am reluctant to post it in a
    public forum.
    
    
    --Roberta
    

    
     Does anyone have any experience with Twin City Animal Hospital in
    Fitchburg, Ma. ?? I currently bring my kids to Abbott Animal Hospital
    in Worcester and would like something closer and more convienant to
    Leominster. I am aware of Fallon, but TCAH would be more convienant.
    The reason I bring the kids to Abbott is because my wife brought all
    her cats there when she lived in that area. We are quite pleased with
    Abbott's service but would like something a bit closer for Bogey & Bijou.
    
    Thanks,
        George

    If your from Leominster, I'ld recommend Central Animal Hospital as a
    preference.  
    
    cin
    

    Can anybody recommend a cat-loving vet in the Lowell/Tewksbury area?
    I have become less than enchanted with my current vet who seems to be
    more interested in bringing in money than the well being of my cats
    (He insists on seeing my healthy, indoor cats twice a year, and spends
    most of my time in the office trying to sell me cat food, cat toys, and
    any other cat products he can think of).  I've looked in the phone book
    and am surprized an the large number of vets listed.  How in the world
    do I choose?
    
    					Mair
    

I'd like to recommend an excellent veterinarian who makes HOUSE CALLS.

Her name is Dr. Linda Breitman and she lives/practices in Grafton, MA.
She has been treating my animals for about six months, and I have to
give her my highest recommendation. It is so much easier having her
make house calls than having to load (multiple cats/dogs) into the car
for the dreaded ride to the vet. Breitman comes to your house for any
exam or treatment. She does surgery at her house. Her rates are competitive
with those of vets' to whom you have to bring your pet. Her manner is 
very good and she is great handling animals. She's a grad of the 
Tufts New England College of Veterinary Medicine. She specializes in 
cardiac and neurologic disorders of small animals but does all standard 
medical procedures.

Her address is Dr. Linda Breitman
               49 North Street
               Grafton, MA
               508/839-9678

If you want, tell her you saw her name posted here in NOTES.


Ken Sherman

    I would like to second the recommendation of Dr. Breitman!  She is
    absolutely wonderful!  I live in North Grafton and she has been
    treating my cats since last December.  She is very sensitive with a
    very compassionate bedside manner... and she doesn't overcharge.  I
    recently had a dire emergency with one of my cats and over the course
    of his illness, she stopped charging me for housecalls (was at my house
    every other day, including one evening when I called in a panic and she
    packed up her small baby and drove right over) and other miscellaneous
    supportive care we were giving on a regular basis.  When presented with
    the final bill it was one of the most reasonable I have ever gotten
    considering all the care my cat received.  I can't say enough good
    things about her.  And the most wonderful part is she is affiliated
    with Tufts, so if your cat needs any sort of diagnostic testing or
    special care from Tufts, you will pay her rates and know that your baby
    is in the most professional and state of the art place available in New
    England (I think this excludes hospitalization charges if your pet needs
    to be hospitalized at Tufts instead of the small clinic in Dr.
    Breitman's home).
    
    Another bonus is that her practice is small due to having an infant
    human life to care for.  She really becomes close to the animals she
    treats and calls often for progress reports.  She is also married to
    the head of anesthesiology at Tufts, so between she and her husband, I
    know my cats are in the best hands possible.
    
    Anyone in the Grafton area should really consider checking her out.
    

    Several corrections re. Dr. Breitman (note .152):
    
    While she has a special interest in cardiac and neurological disorders,
    she wanted me to make clear that she is not a specialist in these
    fields. Also, while a grad of Tufts, she is not affiliated with them as
    an employee.
    
    Just trying to be precise -
    
    Ken
    

    I spoke with Dr. Breitman on Friday evening and she reiterated the same
    thing to me :^).  She thanks us for the referrals.  We are currently
    working on catching and fixing up a stray (feral) cat in my
    neighborhood to which she is being very compassionate and
    understanding.
    

    I am interested in considering a new vet.  I have been going to one in
    Stow, but have a nagging feeling of dissatisfaction.  Can I get some
    recent references for the Harvard/Acton area??  Thank you.  
    (I am a temp - Judy Woo @AKO)

Dr. Mark Bennett Smith (Great Road Animal Hospital) right by Triple A on Rt. 2A.
I used him when I lived in Acton.


Nashoba Valley Veterinary Hospital (347 Littleton Rd (Rt 110), Westford)
	Phone: 692-2302
	

    
    	Dr Cindy Schaeffer at Apple Country Animal Hospital in
    	Stow, 897-9271. If this is the same hospital you are
    	dealing with now, and she is NOT the vet you have a problem
    	with (I had a problem with one of their other vets) ASK
    	for her specifically, she owns the hospital.
    
    	Sherry