Critter Doctor Animal Hospital

Doc Wendy and team have cared for our dogs and cats for well over a decade. Our pets are our kids and we place a premium on the care they get and the trust we have with Critter Doctor on providing information, advise and services along the way. We simply wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Never have had any issues with the quality of care that my dog has received. Dr. Bernstein is knowledgeable and always wants to do as much as possible for my pet. They are not in the business of hand holding and codling the owner, so if that is the type of pet care you as a pet parent need, I would suggest you look elsewhere. However if you want a vet that is all business, and discusses all options then this is the place for you. The clinic is always clean, the staff is friendly, and the cost is reasonable.

Dr. Wendy did an amazing job with my dog. She is the best vet that I have ever met. Extremely caring and detail oriented, she takes the best care of my pet. She is thorough, empathetic, and is reasonably priced for her services, highly recommend Critter Doctor!

I am writing this review with the hopeful intent that no one has to experience the nightmare that my husband and I did with this clinic. We took our 2 cats and dog to this clinic for several years. We were seeing Dr. Alt who we loved, but who left the clinic in the early part of 2013. Upon hearing of her departure we decided to look for another clinic, as we did not have the same trust and rapport with the other Dr’s at Critter Doctor.
However, before we were able to do that our cat was due for her yearly exam and we decided to go ahead and give the new Dr’s a shot. We were very surprised to learn she had lost ¹⁄₃ of her weight and developed heart murmurs. The blood work showed that she had some abnormal liver functions and she suggested $ 360 ultrasound. We did not feel comfortable pursuing expensive diagnostics (based on pervious experiences). We began watching her more closely and could see changes in her appearance as well as behavior. The Dr. suggested that we try steroids. During this time the owner Dr. Bernstein called and spoke with me regarding her health and wanted to do x-​rays (no mention of ultra sound).
Within a couple of days of that conversation we awoke around 1 a.m. to our cat constantly meowing. At 4 a.m. she had lost control of her bodily functions and began frantically trying to claw her way out of our windows. We knew she was suffering and there was no other decision at that point but to euthanize her. We called at 9 a.m. when the clinic opened and the receptionist stated we would have to drop her off and the Dr. would then determine if they would be willing to do that. We had her up there 5 mins later and the receptionist told him at that point if the Dr. was unwilling to euthanize we could take her the humane society. We were grateful for the information but confused that this decision was not ours to make.
At 12:30 p.m. we had still heard nothing and called ourselves. My husband was talking to the vet (we had never met her nor had she ever seen our cat before) and getting nowhere. I asked to speak to her and she immediately was rude, judgmental, and uncaring. She said, «All I know is that I have an order here for euthanasia and you don’t want the ashes back.». This was said in the rudest way imaginable. She also said she was «busy» but watching our cat she looked «perfectly normal» which was absurd and shocking to me based on her appearance (she had also lost muscular control and was walking like a drunk person when we dropped her off). The Dr said she didn’t know we wanted her to call us with an update… Ridiculous. Through my tears I explained what she had been doing the night before & questioned letting an animal continue suffering like that. She stated that this had not been explained to her and finally agreed to euthanize her «shortly». My husband heard this entire conversation and told me he had relayed the same info the receptionist.
This was the hardest experience of my life compounded 10 fold by the way the clinic handled it. Having no communication from them for hours and having to ARGUE with them about ending her suffering was beyond appalling. They charged $ 200 for an exam, the cost of euthanizing her, & cremation. I would have gotten her ashes but they wanted another $ 100 just for me to be able to have them. I picked up our records today as we will not be going back there. I had a conversation with the owner Dr. Bernstein about how horrible this experience was. She proceeded to blame us (primarily my husband) for the situation and «lack of communication». I was appalled at her responses and how rude she was. She explained that she doesn’t care about how the client feels and that they make their own determination on whether or not they will euthanize a pet. I would understand this in a situation where the animal was obviously healthy. However, they knew our cat was not healthy and we were long-​term clients. Not to mention the amount of time she was up there with no medication to alleviate her suffering and NO communication with us. Dr. Bernstein told me she was there doing paperwork during this and overheard the conversation so she could’ve gotten involved at that time. This was honestly a nightmare and I never even fathomed of something like this occurring. Losing my beloved cat of 10 years was hard enough but they made it abundantly harder than it ever should have been. I worked in a vet clinic and had pets growing up and have never heard of such a horrible situation. I was sickened by Dr. Berstein’s responses and lack of ownership for the way that they handled the situation. She actually said to me that I should’ve been the one to bring our cat in and not my husband! He is an intelligent man and told them exactly the same things I did when he dropped her off. Irrespective of that it’s obvious that they handled this horribly at every turn. I would honestly go to any other other clinic but this one.

regardless of when this incident took place, the review stands — it happened. also two other people were witness to the incident — one was my husband, and the other was a staff member. The policeman said I was within my rights to press charges, but I decided not to. That was gracious enough of me for being assaulted. Now they call me a liar? At the time they admitted fault to the cop. Want me to reference the police citation?

Dr. Alt and the staff at Critter Doctor are amazing! We have worked very closely the past 2 years with Dr. Alt with our dog’s health issues. She is so kind, compassionate, informative, and ALWAYS goes the extra mile to take time to come up with a health plan.
In our years of using various vets, this is the first time we feel our concerns are being listened to, and we are treated so genuinely. Our dog, Ripley, loves to see Dr. Alt!

To be honest, I’m surprised by all of the negative reviews this place has received. I have a dog with some health problems, so I’ve been here quite a few times, and I’ve been nothing but satisfied. They have very friendly staff, and they seem to have more technicians than I’m used to seeing at a veterinary office, which is great because I’m usually in and out in 15 – 20 minutes.
My dog usually sees Dr. Alt, and my girlfriend’s dog usually sees Dr. Bernstein. It seems like people have taken offense with Dr. Bernstein in other reviews, but I haven’t had any such experience. Both doctors are very thorough, and make a point of educating their clients and answering questions. Of course there have been times when I wasn’t very happy with what they had to tell me, but it’s not their fault that my dog has health problems or that there was something I could’ve done better to prevent the issues.
It does seem like their prices are a bit higher than other vets I’ve visited, but it’s not so much higher that I wouldn’t go back. Here’s the thing… I can pay a little more and have quick service with friendly staff and thorough vets, or I can go to a cheaper vet that’s under-​staffed and doesn’t respect my time or intelligence. I guess a «perfect» vet would be cheap and have great service, but I’m not convinced a place like that actually exists.
If you live in Totem Lake and are looking for a great veterinary office with great service, I highly recommend Critter Doctor.

It is difficult to rate Critter Doctor, because everyone besides Bernstein is kind and amazing. However, she has been difficult to work (unfriendly, cold, and spoke down to me) with the two appointments I have had with her. Although I adore Dr. Alt and the rest of the staff, I will be collecting my animals records and using the services of another vet in the future. It is unfortunate that the clinic has to suffer in its ratings on many sites due to Bernstein alone.

My six-​year-​old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier was first seen, by the Critter Doctor staff, a couple of months ago to treat an ear infection. The ear infection seemed bad and I was worried. The staff was able to fit me in on the same day. After an initial conversation and assessment, the Dr. Alt provided me with an estimate for my dog’s care before proceeding further. I agreed to the estimate. Once the doctor examined the material swabbed from the ear, Dr. Alt explained the diagnosis and the treatment. The cost of the visit was less than the estimate, because a less-​potent prescription medication was necessary.
I was so pleased with the service that all of the staff provided, during my first visit, that I inquired about teeth cleaning. Dr. Alt assessed the condition of my dog’s gums and teeth and rendered an estimate that was much less expensive than the one I had received from our vet in Ballard. We moved from Seattle to Kirkland, so the smalled drive, coupled with the lower cost estimate and the team’s great care made booking the procedure with Critter Doctor a «no-​brainer.» The information delivered before the procedure and the post-​procedure care instructions were outstanding. A staff member called, the day after the teeth cleaning, to inquire about my dog’s condition.
I recommend Critter Doctor and will continue to patronize the clinic.

This would be zero stars but, Unilocal doesn’t make that an option. One morning months ago, I was home in bed sick. Our beloved family dog, a 4 year old yellow lab named Addie came into the bedroom to tell me something wasn’t right. There was brown liquid coming out of an area that shouldn’t be. Long story short, we called our vet to be told they couldn’t see us, but the description sounds like it could be Pyometra which is a deadly disease of the uterus and we needed to get to an emergency vet immediately or she could die. We learned Pyometra happens rather suddenly and there are roughly 24 – 48 hours before death (often compared to acute appendicitis in humans). We arrived at the Critter Doctor by mistake as the Lake City emergency vet sent us to the wrong address. By this time, it was mid-​afternoon. We needed immediate care and the emergency doctor called Critter Doctor Animal Hospital ensure they could perform the surgery. Over the phone I heard them explaining the urgency of care needed. Getting through a migraine and operating on adrenaline, I immediately drove to the Critter Doctor, losing more time in traffic. We arrive, finish the paperwork, and Addie is lethargic. Dr. Wendy Bernstein says that’ll be $ 2,100 before we start the surgery and they accept cash or credit only. I only had my checkbook with me and needed to make a transfer after spending a significant amount at the emergency Vet. Being time was of the essence and our dog was dying, I asked if she could please start immediately and I would most certainly personally deliver a cash or a check at the start of business in the morning. She said sorry — she doesn’t know me and she can’t trust me. I offered my ID, my auto-​registration, anything and everything I had on me because there was not enough time for me to get home (Seattle) and back before closing which would ultimately be the death of our family dog. In tears, I run to the car, start making calls, can’t get a hold of anyone mean while our dear dog is in the car with me getting sicker and sicker. Luckily, we were able to find a vet that not only immediately took us in during the 11^th hour, they allowed us to get payment to them after surgery that saved our dogs life. Incidentally, they also charged less than half the amount the Critter Doctor was intending to charge. The new vet ended up being the epitome of an honest, caring and professional hospital. That was our experience.
We wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we went through with Critter Doctor. Beware.

We go to Critter Doctor for our 13yr old cat and our 9yr old dog. We typically see Dr Alt but on occasion see Dr Bernstein. Both are very capable and handle our animals with great care, as do the assistants. They’re always prompt with test results and we generally don’t have much of an issue getting into see someone within a couple days.
Our cat had a thyroid issue that was making her extremely lethargic. They diagnosed the issue, recommended a couple different approaches — radioactive iodine treatment or daily medication. I appreciated the choices so we could decide what we could afford. We ultimately went with the iodine treatment and after a few weeks, the difference in out cat’s behavior was night and day. A couple years on, she’s doing fantastic and back to her old, crabby, self. :)
Our dog is a recent rescue. She’s been in for an initial checkup. They looked her over and confirmed the vaccines and diagnoses that the previous vets have given. They found a minor issue and gave us an easy prescription to deal with that. Oh, and they threw in the Humane Society exam for free even though they didn’t have to because she was a rescue. Very cool. They also recommended a groomer to remove her matted and long hair. The groomer was great. Our dog looks great, she seemed relieved and happy after the visit.
The only downside to Critter Doctor is that they can be a bit expensive. But, judging by previous vets both here an in Canada, the rates are in line with the norm.

I withdrew our earlier endorsement from my first dog Mocha last year after we had left our two darling jack-​a-​poos (mork and mindy) with them for spay/​neuter and an extended stay while we were away for a week in September.
they both came back traumatized (they were then 6 months old) and tails tucked while eating for the first 48 hours home… so sad. We weren’t informed they had had issues eating until we brought the issue up that the food we provided was almost unused… then we heard why. They had trouble eating in the noisy and strange environment and had severe anxiety as a result. I followed up a few days later as Mindy (darling 9# female) was having bloody stool issues, after several tests, I was told it’s most likely the diet, to ease her onto a mild diet and work her back up… so a waste of near $ 100 in diagnostics.
I was assured by Wendy she would follow up with me the following week to make sure all was well… never happened.
This year, my fiancé received a call chastising her for not bringing Mork (the male) in for his shots… and how could she miss this? We had since switched vets due to the poor follow up and expensive charges. I had doubted this previously, but am a convert to Dr. Call in Snohomish County.
Seriously, the lack of followup, poor transparency and then the poor demeanor on the phone is three strikes in my book and I’m pretty tolerant.
Find someone else, they may give a good front, but buyer beware, there are others with better followup and won’t gouge you on the charges… the bills for their stays were ridiculous

First of all, I am obsessed with my Syrian hamster. She’s my first pet ever, has the biggest cage I could find, every chew toy purchasable, and is beyond spoiled. So this may be a biased review because I love my hamster as if she were my little daughter. Also, she’s a very gentle hamster. She’s never bitten anyone, even when I smell like food she just licks me.
I thought that my hamsters teeth were uneven and was worried she had broken a tooth so I took her in (for the free visit) since I couldn’t get her to open her mouth large enough to get a good look. The facilities are clean and the front desk staff is pretty nice. I really liked the vet tech that took measurements of my hamster. She was nice, gentle, kind, and honest. She talked about her pet experiences and how she used to own rats and I liked the way she interacted with my hamster.
Now the vet. Bernstein. Came in, very perky and nice (albeit a little artificial compared to the vet tech). I explained why I came in and so far so good. How she handled my hamster is where I started to deduct stars. She picked up my hamster by the back, holding her between her front and back legs with one hand and used the end of a Q-​tip to try to get a look at her teeth. Not abusive, but my hamster, obviously uncomfortable, wriggled to get free and the vet commented on how difficult it was to get her to be still and open her mouth. If the vet had just held my hamster differently, it probably would’ve been easier since she’s a really calm hamster. The mouth opening thing, understandable. I couldn’t get her to open her mouth either. According to the vet, her teeth looked perfectly even and were of a good length.
I did appreciate how the vet wanted to talk about general hamster health afterward: diet, activities, toys, etc. That was nice and added a star to the review.
I was satisfied, at that point the review would have been a 4 star review. But I got home, and my lovely hamster decides to yawn in front of me. Her teeth were UNEVEN! Now I’m going to watch to see if they even out on their own and that she’s eating properly since I won’t have time to take her to the vet for another week or so. I wonder if the vet even got a look at her teeth. =/​
—–
Summary:
Positives:
+ Awesome vet tech (huge plus)
+ Clean facilities
+ Free first examination
+ Vet appears to care
+ Extra information/​care tips
Negatives:
— Vet hamster handling
— Telling me my hamsters teeth were even when they weren’t
——
Would be willing to give them another shot because it is sadly uncommon to find a vet who sees hamsters.

My 16 month old Syrian hamster was urinating blood and was in so much pain. It was difficult to find a veterinary clinic in Seattle that would treat hamsters and a lot of their hamster doctors dont work on Mondays. Dr Wendy Bernstein of CDAH was the only one willing to see my hamster on an urgent basis on Monday.
Ham’s first visit here, and I was sold. The receptionist who handled my call and appointment was helpful. Dr Bernstein was kind, and her approach to the management of my hamster’s illness was honest, realistic and dedicated! My hamster was likely to have a urinary tract infection or stones or a tumour. She ended up giving my hamster the much needed hydration under its skin (poor Ham was severely dehydrated for he was not drinking), and prescribed antibiotic suspension to treat a possible infection. What I liked most was that she took the extra mile to explain to me and gave me ideas on how to care for my ill hamster (eg using a syringe to force feed my hamster with pureed baby food/​water).
Consultation fee: $ 57
Hydration: around $ 20+
My drive from Seattle to Kirkland was totally worth it.

When I noticed blood all over my beloved hamster’s cage, I knew something was wrong.
While it didn’t seem like anything serious, just a cut on his foot, I decided that it would be good to take him in and make sure that nothing else was wrong. The doctor handled him with care, gave me liquid antibiotics to put in his water, and told me to change the bedding I was using to one that was softer on his feet instead of the pine which I had been using previously. Sure enough, the cut healed quickly, and while my hamster eventually died a while from then, it was because of old age, and nothing else.
I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thanks so much!

We first started going to the Critter Doctor in the early 90’s because they treated our pet rats. That was an uncommon thing back then.
Since then, we’ve been taking our cats and kittens there; most notably our newest, tiniest kitten.
Instead of considering what was best for our little Jack, they decided to pump him full of unnecessary vaccinations. He is an indoor cat, and did not need many of the chemicals they injected into him. The worst was the chlamydia shot, which he had had a small dose of early on and had a bad reaction to. They decided to give him yet another dose despite his earlier reaction. Because of this, he got very sick and it became necessary to take him to an all night ER vet who could check him out and replace the fluids he needed so badly.
I’m sure these vaccinations are an economic boon to these vets, but they put my little kitty at risk! We will never take our beloved animals here again.

$ 850.00 for ofa hips and a regular spay!
That was my quote. Yikes!
Sorry, I think not.
The reason why there is a payment plan is because they charge so much for any procedure they offer.
Next!

I could not be more happy with the service and quality of care my cat Ninja received after going here. He had recently gone to another vets office (Rose Hill VCA) and had to be seen by an alternate vet b/​c his regular doc was unavailable. The original reason for going in was to change his asthma medication b/​c the prednisone was no longer working and in the meanwhile he was seeming to have some trouble with his back leg and urinating. SO we took him in and they poked and prodded him and ended up keeping him overnight to get a urine sample that turns out should not have been tested in the 1^st place b/​c it sat to long in the box before a tech collected it. Anyway to make a long story short, they gave us new asthma meds without any questions, supplements for his joint pain (back leg) and determined there was nothing wrong with his bladder or kidneys and told me I HAD to FEED SCIENCE DIET!!. He was home for a few days and I had already had it with that vets office and them shoving science diet down my face. I attempted to ask what they thought if I was to feed him the wellness brand of low calorie cat food and that’s when they jumped down my throat and said not to use it based solely on the fact that it was not a prescription diet, she knew nothing else about it. Well science diet is not good enough for my cat, so I will not feed it to them. We switched to the wellness despite what the vet said. A few more day has gone by and he stills seems to have trouble breathing and his meds are not working fully. I decided to take him to someone who specializes n cats and does not have a corporate sponsor, The Critter Doctor. We saw Dr. Alt and I don’t think we could have received better care. She spent nearly 25 minutes in the room with us discussing his issues and explaining things in a manner that I could understand unlike any other vet had done. She was very thorough and complete. No one has ever bothered to tell me that my cat should be dewormed as a precaution to rule out the lung worms he could possibly have. After she she spent some time with Ninja she determined that one of his lungs was significantly worse than another and we need to find out why. She wanted to take xrays to rule out that he has a tumor in one side and discovered that he has an pneumonia on one side. I feel blessed that they were able to figure out what I though was wrong all along. She actually listed to what I had to say, for gods sake I know my cat better than anyone else and if I think he is having trouble I would hope the vets would listen. And she did. We are so very thankful that this was discovered before it became fatal and I will never take my cat back to that other clinic again. We will always go to the critter doc! Thank you again!

First of all, I have to say my one experience with this place was horrible! I had a rat with a respitory infection, and thus made an appointment.
Upon taking the rat in, they first accused me of keeping them in a 10 gallon tank — in reality I had them in a 4 story wire cage, and let them run around my bedroom whenever I was home. I changed the cage about once every 3 or 4 days, fresh food and water, etc.
After I established many times I don’t keep them in a glass tank, I don’t use the litter’s they were accusing me of using, I change the cage often, etc etc, they accused me of neglect. For crying out loud, here I am paying $ 80 bucks to bring in a sick rat, and they say I’m an irresponsible owner and it got sick because I had it in a glass tank. Finally, reluctantly, they gave me medicine for the little guy.
I later found out that this disease affects 99% of all pet rats out there, it is similiar to pnemonia, and there isn’t much you can do but prevent the symptoms until it finally claims the rat’s life *sob*. I took any future rats to two other vet’s who gave great care, and told me the above.
Critter Doctor was not only cold towards their customer/​patient, and unknowledgable, but they spent more time pointing fingers than trying to help my poor rat.
I’d avoid them and go somewhere else if at all possible. There are several other good vets on the Eastside.