Animal Surgical Clinic Of Seattle

My Dog had his TPLO surgery there with Dr. Johnson.
Their service and attention to detail is excellent. Everyone from the front desk to the myriad of other workers there — nurses, walkers, PT staff etc gave positive attention to my dog and his care… maybe its because he’s the best dog ever and such a looker!
I hope to never have to return here!
But should my dog ever need similar surgery again, this is where we will come.

My Yorkie had luxating patella in both her knees. Dr. Bennett took his time during the consultation to make both me and my dog feel comfortable with the process and procedure. His estimate had a range depending on how much work needed to be done once he was in there.
He was very patient with all of my questions and never once pressured me. The surgery was done and I was happy to see the actual bill was on the low end of his estimate.
A month later, my dog has recovered beautifully. He has seen us a few more times since as I was worried that she might’ve re-​injured herself. He never charged me for any of those follow up visits and again was very patient with me.
Surgery is expensive, however he gave me such piece of mind, as board certified surgeon. I debated for a week between them and another Vet (who also does surgeries but not board certified). I am so thankful we decided to choose Dr. Bennett. Everyone including the reception staff as well as the nurse in the recovery department were so nice and caring.

ASCS, Dr Bennett & all the nurses & support staff totally rock! Our tiny, mini doxie had a huge mass in her abdomen, that our holistic vet & regular vet had been watching closely. When it quickly seemed to change (suggesting attachment to an organ), our holistic vet insisted we get in to see Dr Bennett ASAP because of his great skill & experience & get this Alien removed. He was the ONLY one she wanted to do this surgery. I have an extreme fear of anesthesia (having lost a dog to it) & was put at ease by Karen, who scheduled our appt. Dr Bennett’s nursing team has been with him for a very long time & they work together as a great experienced team, which means we would be in the very best possible hands. Dr Bennett was very honest about possible outcomes & the possibility he might discover the benign tumor on her colon to be inoperable due to location or attachment. Not an uncommon scenario. We went ahead & it was the best possible outcome we could have hoped for. It was operable & Dr Bennett was able to get it all. The sutures were the cleanest I have ever seen & our Dori was back to herself in short order. I cannot thank Dr Bennett, nurses Sari & Theresa, Support staff Karen & Teri & everyone else we encountered during our experience for all their compassion, kindness & SUPERIOR care. Hoping we are never in this situation again, BUT if we are, we know EXACTLY where we will be going!

Our amazing holistic vet highly recommended Dr. Russell Bennett to remove a mass from our longhair miniature dachshund’s abdomen. It was more like she demanded /​insisted that we use him for the surgery based on her knowledge of his expertise, experience, skill and reputation. We met with Dr. Bennett who sat on the floor with our Dori and fully explained the procedure and potential outcomes. We elected to proceed and waited in a private room while they prepped and performed the surgery. Everything went smoothly and quickly with the best of results. The mass turned out to be benign so Dori’s surgery was a cure. We also were able to leave Dori there overnight for her post-​surgical recovery as ASCS shares the facility with Animal Medical Center of Seattle which provides ²⁴⁄₇ emergency care. What a relief not having to transfer our Dori to a separate facility for overnight care, and return her for the final checkout.
The whole experience at ASCS was amazing, in spite of our emotionally stressed frame of mind over concern for our Dori. The staff were professional, courteous and clearly animal lovers. They were attentive, caring, professional and pleasant to work with. The facilities are clean and comfortable. Most importantly, the medical team has been together a long time and worked efficiently with the best outcome we could ever hope for.
Dori was back to herself in less than a week, so we had to keep her subdued until the 2 week appointment to remove her sutures. She’s 100% back to normal and having the time of her life!

In short: Extremely nice and helpful from the first phone call to the doctor’s consultation to follow up appointments. If I had to say something critical, as any legitimate reviewer would do, it would be that the location is not close to where I live.
Details: We have three dogs, one of them had a cruciate ligament injury (a more familiar term for humans is equivalent of an ACL tear). Being from the Eastside, we naturally started the work up for the evaluation and treatment on the Eastside. Our experience led us to look further for alternatives and that led us to Dr. Kristin Kirkby Shaw of Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle. It was serendipitous that we ended up with her (feel free to read my other review of the Eastside place).
We called, a bit in desperation because our original plans fell through, and they got us in to see Dr. Kirkby Shaw that same day for a consult. She was knowledgable and patient, drew pictures to show us what has occurred in the joint and what treatment options mean in the short term, long term, risks and benefits involved with each. In addition, an extensive amount of time was spent, in no haste, answering our questions (and there were a lot of questions).
We walked out of the consultation feeling good about the Dr. and that our dog will be in good hands.
Given the options, my husband and I elected to have TPLO, with scope. Surgery day came and went, 2 weeks out from the surgery day, our dog is trotting around like nothing happened. Though scoping was elected by us, which we knew would be an additional fee, at the time of surgery, it was determined his leg is too small for the actual scope to be useful or safe, so it was not preformed. As with anything else, it’s always nice when cost goes down. His wound was well stitched, approximation of the skin tissue was precise, healing was fast. He’s doing exercises at home with us so he can really use his leg like before.
During the 2 week post surgery check, I asked the Dr. what her opinion is on joint supplements. The discussion led to her offering to contact her pharmaceutical source regarding a very specific supplement question I had. A day later, I had my answer. It seems small, but it’s another example of the interest and passion this doctor has for the welfare of her patients.
I recommend, with no reservations, Dr. Kirkby Shaw to anyone seeking a surgery specialist for their dog. In fact, I went to see my regular vet for another dog’s allergy problem since and have told him all about this experience. He’s now convinced to tell his clients that a few extra minutes is worth it to see her when needed.

Our (almost) 8 year-​old, 80 lb. golden retriever has torn one of his achilles tendons twice in the last three years. It healed pretty nicely in a splint the first time, but this last time the damage was more severe, so surgery was recommended.
We initially consulted with Dr. Engen at SVS in Kirkland, but immediately started shopping around after our visit there due to the ridiculously high prices, and the fact that they were so pushy and weren’t very thorough in their explanations. I called around to five different places in total and all but one were priced significantly lower than SVS, including Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle. It wasn’t the cheapest option (it was middle of the road in terms of price), but they came highly recommended, sounded the most sincere, and could fit our dog in for both a consultation and surgery within a week (the wait time at SVS was a minimum of two weeks).
The clinic itself is relatively easy to find with ample parking, and it’s extremely clean. It felt much more welcoming and less sterile than SVS and all the front desk ladies were so sweet! One of the gals immediately got done on the floor with our dog and gave him several belly rubs until we were called back to meet with Dr. Aguila.
I’m so happy Dr. Aguila was our pet’s surgeon. He was so nice, articulate, and spent a lot of time with us. Not once did we feel rushed. He laid out all our options and explained in detail what was going on with our dog and what all our treatment options were. He even drew a picture for us showing where he’d be operating in his leg and never once made us feel like he was talking down to us. Additionally, he wasn’t pushy about the surgery. He acknowledged that although there were many benefits, it was purely elective and there were other options we could consider. He also outlined all of the risks (something SVS never did), which I really appreciated. My husband and I felt so good after talking to him that we decided to get our dog in ASAP for the surgery. Dr. Aguila gave us a price quote and then took our dog back to get prepped for surgery.
We picked our dog up this morning, and again we experienced nothing but kindness from everybody we interacted with, and we were absolutely thrilled to see that the final price of his surgery was on the LOW end of the estimate! We saved almost $ 1,500 by having his surgery done there vs. SVS!
Our dog is now home and doing great, all things considered. Only time will tell how he heals, but we are so happy we gave Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle a shot, and would highly recommend the clinic and the staff (especially Dr. Aguila) to anybody needing a similar surgery for their pet.

My 60lb senior dog tore her cruciate ligament in her left leg about 4 years ago. She had the TPLO surgery here and her recovery was better then I could’ve imagined. She regained full use of her left leg and to this day still has no problems.
Now 4 years later (she is 11 now) she has torn her RIGHT cruciate ligament and medial meniscus. They had warned me this probably would happen eventually. Again, we took her in for the TPLO surgery and I just want to say the entire staff at this place is soooo wonderful. They greeted me and my old girl with smiles and made me feel super comfortable leaving her with them. You can tell they all are huge animal lovers.
It’s been a week since her surgery and so far so good! My old girl even seems to be in better spirits since her surgery, it’s like she knows!

We have had an excellent experience at ASC. Our 8-​year-​old Shepherd/​Lab mix tore her right cruciate ligament and meniscus. Dr. Johnson was our surgeon and he answered our myriad questions and his quiet demeanor was perfect for our dog. She came through surgery with flying colors, and six months later is back to normal activities with no sign that she even had the TPLO procedure.
The rehab team has been great, and we went for six sessions including underwater treadmill. I feel it was very much worth the investment to do that and put our dog ahead of the curve on recovery.
We now go to the clinic once a month for Adequan shots to help with pre-​existing arthritis and it’s always nice to see the whole team. They’re animal lovers with exceptional skills, and the clinic is well-​run, clean and hospitable. You are making the right call should you choose ASC. You get what you pay for here — excellent care and good outcomes.

It has been 2 years since my dogs surgery at Animal Surgical Center and heirs still as good as new. No problems or new injuries. See my previous review in 2013.

You can’t get any better than Animal Surgical Clinic. My Great Dane, Phred, tore his cruciate and had to have a TPLO surgery on his knee which was performed by Dr. Aguila. He was such a kind and knowledgeable doctor, and went above and beyond to answer my questions. He always made time to address any concerns I had throughout the process and was very understanding to my ‘crazy dog mom’ needs. The technician staff were also extremely helpful and compassionate from start to finish. From Phred’s initial consult, to his last follow up — the quality of care he received was top notch. I’m so thankful for this hospital and so is Phred — he’s got a spring in his step and he’s back to being his happy, ball chasing self!

My dog tore her cruciate ligament, which is the equivalent of an ACL in a humans knee. Options are practically unlimited in King County, but Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle is one of the earliest adopters and now an innovator of the corrective procedure used today, called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or TPLO. Within one week of injury, my dog had surgery and six weeks later, she is walking on all fours for 30 minutes at a time. Dr. Johnson was great! He consulted us on our options, performed the surgery and called us after the surgery to let us know how it went. In the weeks since the surgery, we purchased a three pack of physical therapy appointments where underwater treadmill walking, exercises and stretching are utilized to encourage a speedier recovery.
If your dog has a similar issue, spend the extra $$ and go with the gold standard we are lucky to have in the greater Seattle area.

I adopted a rescue dog that had been living with a severely broken femur for the majority of her 9-​month life and the prognosis was not looking good.
Dr. Bennett was very pragmatic and helped me through the process of deciding what to do (surgery vs. amputation — I know it sounds like a terrible word). After much consideration, I chose surgery knowing there was some risk involved given the poor state of her leg.
After Dr. Bennett and his team performed surgery (involving bone grafting and a metal plate), she came walking out on all fours and has been moving freely ever since (5-​ish years).
We would have loved her just the same with 3 legs, but I have to thank Dr. Bennett when I see her running around with the four that she has (which is constantly).
Everything was handled with a high level of professionalism and care, even post surgery and recovery. I’d recommend this team over and over again.

Love this place, but more importantly, my dog does. We were referred here by our normal vet who diagnosed a partial CCL tear. Holly was incredibly friendly with all of the staff there, which is the opposite of how she is at the regular vet. All of the staff members that we spoke with seemed very genuine, and I got the impression that they all really like their jobs.
Doctor Allen Johnson took a great deal of time to describe how a dog’s knee works and the options available to us. At no point did we feel rushed or like we were being pushed into any decisions — he presented a great deal of information in an easy to understand fashion and let us make our decision. When I walked in there I was very nervous about the process but by the time he was done I was comfortable with the surgery. As it turns out, his examination led him to a different conclusion so he did not end up doing surgery.
My only disappointment is that they don’t do normal care, or I would switch to them in a heartbeat! Hopefully I never have to see them again, but should our pup need surgery or have an emergency I feel quite confident putting her care in their hands.

We met with Dr. Russell Bennett for an evaluation on our 8 year old dog’s (recently adopted) fatty tumors. We really wanted to talk with a surgeon to see if surgical removal of the tumors would be advisable. Most dogs do have or get fatty tumors but these were just too big and badly placed. Baxter first had needle aspirations to test for cancer, which turned out negative. He then had an ultrasound which helped make the decision for him to have the surgery as Dr. Bennett was able to see how the tumors were attached. After a re-​check on his blood work, he had surgery the following week. We were *amazed* at the incision; there was no excess skin flab and the stitches were not visible –at all-​. And he didn’t even have to wear a cone. It really was a «beautiful» job. Yes, they are expen$ive but we’re so glad we had it done as our dog can now run unimpeded. Thank you Dr. Bennett and staff for a great experience!

Because of Noël my little kitty will probably die!!! The Dr. called me up after Noël was so rude. I asked her if she got the x-​rays from my vet? She replies talk to your vet! I told her my vet said they sent them and she answered — «Talk to your vet!» Then she hung up. The Dr. called and he was very nice — he said to make an appointment and he felt he might have some options to help. I asked him not to do what 3 other vets did. Charge me $$$ to tell me there was nothing they could do about 2 broken legs in a 2 week yr old kitty. They all said they knew they could not do anything but still have me come in and waste my time and $$$ to tell me they had no idea how to fix her! Only Dr. Spencer from Queen Anne Clinic had the heart to say — I know I cannot fix her you should go to a specialist and he did not charge anything! Thank you Dr. Spencer for being honest!!!
Then I called and Noël called the police!!! The officer called me being very rude — I told him to talk to the owner/​dr who called me. The officer called the owner/​dr and called me back and apolized and said that I was right but I need to find a new place. I told the officer I will right reviews on Unilocal and he agreed that it was wrong and was sorry that my poor little kitty had to suffer.
WOW!!! Do these people love animals or $$$???

The team at this vet is incredible! I took my precious boy here for an evaluation by the surgical group for his hip dysplasia, he was treated with great love and caring by Dr. Aguilla. They treated me like a capable person who should make my own decision on his treatment. We have been to dozens of vets and this group is at the top. We returned for a session with the physical therapist Dr. Kari Johnson who put together a diet and exercise regiment for us to follow and work on at home. They never pushed us in any direction, but educated me on the best approach to manage my dogs condition. This team is professional, caring and very reasonably priced! I will continue to use this team to care for my boy as he gets older and his condition progresses because in two visits they built a trust that is hard to find in this industry! Highly recommended!

Very nice attentive staff, cozy waiting area for the humans also; surprisingly no water in the front area with a fire place emitting so much heat.

Nice facilities,
Pup was well taken care of,
Staff were responsive.
My 8-​month old puppy had necrosis of the femoral head and his surgery was performed by Dr. Aguila. Dr. Aguila was professional, competent, and explained everything in a way that we could understand. He presented all the treatment choices in a nonbiased way but when asked, he gave his professional recommendation. Our puppy’s surgery went well and we were kept up to date on his progress. We came away from the experience confident that our puppy received excellent treatment and care.

They were the kindest vet staff I have ever encountered. I had an emergency visit that required my amazing, sweet cat be euthanized because of illness. They were so patient and supportive of our decision and made sure we had all of the information to make a decision in the best interest of our little guy. A couple weeks later they mailed us a card that had hand written notes from the staff. Their compassion made such a difference.
Once I am ready to adopt, I would definitely trust them with my pet!

Our lovely Syd’s gift to us on the eve of my recent birthday was, with a jump and a twist while playing with another dog, to completely rupture his cranial cruciate ligament (similar to a human’s ACL). His regular vet recommended several options for Seattle-​area surgery centers, and mentioned that Animal Surgical Clinic was one of the oldest and most established in the area.
We were able to get in for a surgical consult the next morning, and to have the surgery performed that afternoon. One surgical method (preferred for our athletic dog) for fixing these ruptured ligaments is TPLO. Essentially, the physiology of a dog’s knee can make the cruciate ligaments vulnerable to partial or complete ruptures, and the TPLO procedure changes that physiology by flattening the head of the tibia so the dog can use the knee even in the absence of the ligament. The technique itself was pioneered next door in Oregon and brought into wider use in ’95, and ASC was one of the first veterinary clinics in the nation to perform it. Additionally, all of their surgeons are board-​certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). You’d only want a surgeon who was actually a specialist in surgery (as opposed to just a GP!): your pets deserve the same.
Syd’s surgeon was Dr. Aguila, and I hope that if I ever have major surgery, mine will be as skilled! Dr. Aguila took plenty of time as part of the pre-​surgery consult to thoughtfully lay out our options in terms of a rehabilitative versus a surgical approach, gave us plenty of history of research on the nature of the injury itself, and answered my husband’s questions carefully. In my experience, it can be difficult to find veterinarians who don’t talk down to you, and he’s one of the rare ones! And although we knew going in that we wanted to have the surgery performed, he never presented surgery as if it were the only option (although of course it’s the only option if what you really care about is restoring as much movement as possible!), and was explicit about his recommendations taking into account any financial realities of our situation. Finally, I greatly appreciated his discussion of how to balance quality of life for a dog with concerns about any future injury. Given that nearly half of dogs who rupture one CCL will, within a year, rupture the one in the other knee, the only realistic way to prevent that from happening is to keep your dog from running or playing at all, which (at least for Syd) would be a sad existence. Dr. Aguila clearly understood this, and we had a nice talk about quality of life and how a veterinary surgeon’s job (unlike that of too many of our own physicians and surgeons!) is to enhance THAT, not just to extend life itself.
Oh, and of course he had a great manner with Syd!
The surgery was uncomplicated; Dr. Aguila called me promptly that afternoon once it was done, and we picked Syd up the next afternoon. I met with a vet tech who went over all the post-​op instructions and medications with me, and picked up a pretty happy dog who, although bouncing around on three legs, had plenty of energy and (I think) was more interested in saying goodbye to the tech than in seeing me…
All in all, a great experience. The incision and sutures were clean and healing beautifully without any infection at all! The facility itself is a nice one, very clean and bright with comfortable chairs and consult rooms with windows, durable carpet, and office chairs, so nothing feels cold or clinical. Best of all, ASC is also a twenty-​four-​hour emergency veterinary clinic, which means that your pet is monitored after-​hours instead of left to recuperate alone overnight. For those who want to take advantage, ASC also has a physical therapy program for your pet (something that can be very useful for Syd’s particular type of injury) involving things like an underwater treadmill and other therapeutic exercises all under veterinary supervision by Dr. Jakish.
I definitely recommend ASC if your animal is in the unfortunate position of needing veterinary surgery. If all the surgeons are like Dr. Aguila, they’ll be straightforward, honest, never pushy, and excellent at answering your questions and finding the solution that’s best for you and your pet.