***Edit to respond to owner*** Thank you for trying to contact me to discuss my review. I did call back twice and left messages for you both times. Orthotics were NEVER discussed with me, even when I asked. That is very upsetting. Yes, we do currently have an "off the shelf" brace while we await the shipment of the custom brace. As you know, a custom brace takes weeks to make after the mold of the pet's leg is submitted with the order. When it comes to our pet, we do not worry much about how much things cost. We just want him happy and comfortable. Note, you spelled my name wrong. ******************************************** I didn't have a good experience with Dr. Stramel at Advanced Care Veterinary Services. I was happy when my veterinarian referred me to Advanced Care Veterinary Services for my 13-year-old Labrador Retrievers tendon injury as an alternative to surgery. I was also pleased with the reviews I read. At the consultation Dr. Stramel provided options (with very little discussion or recommendation): 1) MRI or CT scan to get a "true diagnosis" 2) Surgery 3) Treat based on observation/ at surface level - with laser and acupuncture and reassess in 6 weeks and consider Platelet Rich Plasma injections. We weren't sure if an MRI or CT scan was needed since we weren't doing surgery. Based on Dr. Stramel's experience we opted to treat based on observation with laser and acupuncture. Dr. Stramel assessed my dog and treated him for "superficial digital flexor tendon issue". At each session, I tried to ask questions including any recommended exercises I could do with my dog at home. I was told "there is nothing you can do". I asked about the use of a splint/ brace and was told "no that won't help". Even though Advanced Care Veterinary Services has Orthotics listed as a service on their website. At weak 5 I told Dr. Stramel I didn't notice any improvement. He said, "this dog needs surgery". I was so frustrated!! After all this time and almost $1,000 spent, I didn't have a true diagnosis or a treatment plan. I didn't feel like he was "direct" with me regarding what he could do for my pet specific to laser and acupuncture. I then met with an Orthopedic surgeon at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center. My dog was diagnosed with a partial left calcaneal tendon injury with an intact superficial digital flexor. The surgeon understood the concern about putting our 13-year-old dog through surgery that had a 12-week recovery. As an alternative, he suggested rehab, using the underwater treadmill, and the use of a splint/ brace. Once we have the brace we can talk about Platelet-Rich Plasma treatment. Next, we went to North Texas Animal Rehab for a consultation. After explaining the sequence of events related to my dog's injury, I was shown exercises I could do at home with my pet, and which splint/ brace to get. They were shocked to find out that Dr. Stramel hadn't gone over the option to provide a splint/ brace or go over any at home exercises. Again, frustrated and upset. I'd lost 6 weeks of time. My dog could have had a splint/ brace to effectively immobilize the injury while allowing him some safe physical mobility. Its' been about 2 1/2 month since the injury occurred. My dog just started wearing his brace and has adapted quickly. It's not a permanent fix, but I can see he is happy to be mobile. I finally feel like I'm in good hands with DVSC and North TX Animal Rehab. I wish I'd gone there first! read more

Advanced Care Veterinary Services - Veterinarians Near Me - Carrollton, Texas

I visited Advanced Care Veterinary Services yesterday. I am a fierce dog mom and very protective of my pets. Let me begin by saying I totally disagree with the negative post below. I cannot testify to that person's experience, but I can describe my experience and explain how it was counter to what was written below. Back story: I have a tripod who was previously diagnosed with mild arthritis in his knees. He has had a mild, persistent limp for a little over a year now. He *seems* to not want to put weight on his back right leg. He has seen several other vets who after conducting x-rays, MRIs, etc. found nothing wrong. He showed no discomfort or pain when manipulating his hips or back. Their best guess was he had a soft tissue injury which could take months to heal and it was suggested that I take him for physical therapy. I researched physical therapy for tripods and learned that swimming is excellent exercise for tripods in particular. I sought out Dr. Stramel who used to have a therapy pool, but unfortunately no longer does. My search for a doggie pool where I can swim with my tripod continues. I decided to take my dog to Dr. Stramel anyway to get his opinion on the limping issue. My experience at Advanced Care Veterinary Services: 1. Upon coming into the room, Dr. Stramel greeted both me and my pet. He petted my dog and spoke kindly to him. He then proceeded with the examination and found muscular spots on my dog that were causing him mild pain. No other previous vet found these tender areas. (That's not to disparage the other vets we've seen because it's quite possible those spots weren't sore a year ago.) My dog reacted mildly to the tender spots, but this has to be done in order to locate the problem. My dog did not bite, bark, yelp...nothing. He simply raised up to indicate that was the spot! 2. I was previously told that my dog had muscle atrophy in his back right leg, probably a result of the limping. Dr. Stramel measured his two back legs for comparison (which no other vet had done previously) and found a minuscule difference in size. He explained that it likely wasn't muscle atrophy, but simply his left back leg was bigger because he relies on it more. My dog is missing his front left leg. He uses his front right and back left legs to counterbalance. Therefore, his left back leg is slightly bigger. That made logical sense to me. 3. Several other dog owners (non-vets) have suggested I look into a wheel chair for my dog. I asked Dr. Stramel about this and he said absolutely not because the dog would rely on the wheel chair and then there would be muscle atrophy. Again, logical sense. 4. In regard to the negative post below: At no time did Dr. Stramel or his technician mistreat me or my pet. Neither of them spoke rudely to me. Both of them made eye contact and were respectful. Most importantly, they were kind to my dog and gentle as they could while still being thorough enough to find the source of the pain. Dr. Stramel is very matter-of-fact and logical which some people may interpret as rude if they are used to super chatty doctors. I did not feel he was rude, period. I am a fierce pet mom and if there was anything unprofessional or disrespectful, then I would have walked out. 5. Cost: I paid exactly what they quoted me for the initial consult plus the cost of the medication (which I was expecting). They were not dishonest in regard to the cost, period. 6.Results: Dr. Stramel prescribed an arthritis medicine and a mild pain reliever. We will return in 2 weeks for a recheck. I will add an update to this review then. read more

My 5 year old chocolate lab has suffered with on and off lameness for a couple years and was recently acting more painful. He was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and surgery was recommended. In searching for a rehab vet who could possibly help him with pain management and rehab if surgery was necessary, I found Dr. Stramel and am so glad I did. He gave me several non-surgical, cutting edge options for treatment and answered ALL my questions at our consultation. We started with acupuncture and laser therapy several weeks ago and Rooney is like a new dog. When I brought him in he was barely putting weight on his left hind leg and didn't want to get up much and when he did it was painful. In a few short weeks he is bearing full weight on all legs, not limping much at all and so much happier than he's been in a long time! I believe that we will be able to avoid surgery with continued treatment! Dr. Stramel is truly passionate about what he does! Now instead of growling because he was in pain Rooney is a happy, tail-wagging, kiss giving lab like he should be! We definitley plan to continue treatment with Dr. Stramel and hopefully avoid surgery or at least postpone it. If you are looking for non-surgical options or a great rehab vet don't go anywhere else! His treatments are cutting edge and he and Lori are extremely professional and so helpful! read more

Dr. Stramel is awesome! My dog Chrissie has been seeing him for three years and she wouldn't be alive today if we had not gone to him. Chrissie is 17 1/2 and diagnosed in renal failure three years ago. She was not eating and wasting away when I reached out to Dr. Stramel about acupuncture. The alternative the vet that diagnosed her had given for Chrissie would not have given her the quality of life I wanted for her. It is not about keeping her alive for me, it is about her life! Chrissie is alive today and has a great quality of life being queen and spoiled. She is eating and maintaining her weight, taking walks almost daily and enjoying life as a senior dog! She gets her acupuncture every two weeks and you can tell afterwards the difference. It is not going to cure her kidney disease but it does give her a sense of wellbeing and happiness. Dr. Stramel thinks outside of the box and he isn't set on following the normal protocol hence he helped Chrissie get back to eating. This is why Chrissie is alive today! I am glad he is on our pet care team! Dr. Stramel Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I know that is what Chrissie would say!And I do too :) read more

Dr. Stramel is a miracle worker!!! Our dog was paralyzed in all four legs due to the disease IVDD. Could not walk at all. We had been to several different vet and had no luck on him walking. We knew Gizmo wasn't ready to give up so we weren't going to give up. I finally found Dr stremmel via the Internet and made an appointment right away. He did not give us any false hope but within two weeks of our first visit my dog was taking his first steps. And now a year later my dog is running. After 7 months of not being able to walk he is now a perfectly fully functioning dog. I highly recommend this Hospital they are the nicest men you could work with. read more

My dachshund, Charley of 9 years old was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). This is where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst into the spinal cord space. The discs start pressing on the nerves running through the spinal cord causing severe pain. Charley would scream every time he tried to walk or move around. The regular vet told me there was nothing I could do accept have Charley undergo back surgery. This was a serious ultimatum for a dachshund with a heart murmur. I found Dr. Stramel and Advanced Care Veterinary Services because he's one of the few practicing alternative pain management treatments for animals. Dr. Stramel swapped and added some medications for Charley and we began regular acupuncture and laser treatments. After the 2nd session I saw improvements in Charley and he was begging to go on his daily walks. Even if they were shorter, we were already walking again. Now, after his 7th treatment, Charley has more energy than before his IVDD diagnosis. He's walking, chasing squirrels and back to his normal happy, quality of life. Dr. Stramel and the staff at Advanced Care Veterinary Services are compassionate and truly care about treating the symptoms and reducing pain for all creatures. They've given Charley his life back for many years to come. For that I'm immensely grateful. If you're considering surgery, I would strongly urge you to visit Dr. Stramel and his team before you make a decision. This is an AMAZING facility with remarkable, experienced professionals. read more

If you love your pet, stay away from this place & Dr. Stramel. He will mistreat you, show zero affect when causing your animal pain to show you how much he's needed and lord only knows what kind of treatment your pet will be subjected to by this unfeeling robot when you are not around. He will speak to you rudely and barely make eye contact. I will say my dog is not the same and in more pain than ever. They left a catheter ($49.50 by the way) in her leg which was discovered by my friend while I was picking up my dog from her dry needle procedure. He condescended me, was pushy like a used car salesman, and had a less than zero bedside manner. Also one bottle of medication had the date of the evaluation typed on the label while the other had the date the medication was actually given to me, you know, following the procedure which was 3 days after the evaluation date. Don't expect what they quote you to be what you'll pay either. Brace yourself for the impact to your wallet because that's the only thing that's getting any relief from anything. Do yourself and your pet a favor, go anywhere but here. Trust me, you'll regret it. read more

Advanced Care Veterinary Services has been the best thing that ever happened to my elderly dog! Having access to a swimming pool just for my dog has been a blessing and people have remarked how much younger he looks. I really do believe this kind of treatment has added time to his life...not to mention improved the quality of his later years. I tell everyone about this place and I'm sure I'll be using the acupuncture services in the future! read more

This is a long overdo review but have been wanting to say what a wonderful job Dr. Stramel and Ron did for our dog. I was about to put my 12 year old Kuvasz to sleep because she couldn't walk very well and we were having to get up every 2 hours through the night to assist her outside to go potty. I thought her time was up and had contacted several places to come to my home and have her put to sleep. She would bark whenever I would get on the phone and then my daughter found this place. Because of their knowledge and skill we got to have her around until she was 14. She has moved on now but I am ever so grateful for their expertise that gave her to us for a longer time than what we thought we would have and with a quality of life that both she and we could enjoy! Thank You! read more

I highly recommend Dr. Stramel and ACVS. My dog Chessie, 10 year old wired haired pointing griffon, was suffering from crippling arthritis and elbow dysplasia when my veterinarian referred us to Dr.. Stramel. Dr. Stramel and staff performed a variety of treatments targeted to Chessies's specific condition, including laser therapy, acupuncture and stem cell therapy. Within three months of treatments Chessie's condition improved dramatically. Chessie was limping badly from elbow dysplasia at the time she first came to Dr. Stramel. but her front leg limp went away and her overall mobility greatly improved.. Most importantly, the treatments by Dr. Stramel and seemed to significantly reduce Chessie's discomfort and stiffness caused by her arthritis and dysplasia. The treatments Chessie received at ACVS were quite expensive especially the stem cell therapy, but well worth it considering the dramatic improvement to Chessie's quality of life. read more

I was so happy to see that a place like this opened near me. My dog competes in agility and had a little stiffness and soreness that slowed him down a little. Dr. Stramel was wonderful, really seemed to care about my dog and me, and spent the time explaining what he was doing and how it would help. The facility is state of the art. It's hard to find a vet I like and trust, but I really respect Dr. Stramel. Very highly recommended. read more

Im not sure what the first reviewer is talking about b/c I have had nothing but a great experience with Advanced Care Veterinary Services and Dr Strammel. He helped my yorkie fully recover from cruciate ligament surgery. He was very professional, friendly, and very gentle with my yorkie. My yorkie had laser treatment, acupuncture, and water therapy. The prices were reasonable too considering its specialized animal care. The price I paid for the surgery was actually less than I was originally quoted too. I have a co-worker who has used them with their german shepherds in the past too and they were quite happy with the results too. If your pet is in pain, I highly recommend taking your pet there read more

I brought my 9 year old German Shepherd to Advanced Care. He could barely walk. He could not wag his tail. He had been hospitalized for an infection of the spine. Now, three months later, after acupuncture, laser therapy and sound shock treatments he is able to walk around the house and take short walks outside. When I go out, or open the refrigerator, he greets me, and food, with a wag of his tail. On one of his especially good days, he manages to jump into my truck. This is a place that performs miracles. read more