tl;dr- This place is fabulous, and definitely reasonably priced…read more
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I ended up finally going back here a couple of weeks ago with my new dog because I was tired of dealing with the sour receptionist at my former place, plus they really screwed up my last dog's care and their hours had shrunken considerably.
What a difference - wow! The receptionists at Point Breeze VC were very pleasant from my first call. They got me scheduled at a reasonable time with Dr. Berger from when I called, then got me in much sooner from the waiting list with Dr. Simard.
Just for the record, Dr. Berger is actually Dr. Gerson's daughter and recently fully took over the clinic because Dr. Gerson fully retired.
Dr. Simard was absolutely fabulous. First, she introduced herself by her first name, which really impressed me, and was super friendly.
I loved the tech, too, whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, but she was Mexican and I speak semi-fluent Spanish, which a visit to Mexico as a child had influenced me to study, so I have a soft spot in my heart for the country and its people. I don't get much chance to use my Spanish in Pittsburgh, so we were both delighted. Her accents might be a little hard for some people to understand, but that in no way affects the quality of her care.
Dr. Simard is clearly a native speaker of French, but her English is flawless, with only the slightest trace of an accent.
I don't know if any other language is available there or not.
Both were incredibly efficient and gentle with Romeo, and treated him like he was their own, giving him treats including Easy Cheese. He had a couple of minor issues which they took great care of. I was delighted, especially because his vet records from his previous owner had said he was afraid of stethoscopes, but he didn't show the slightest concern with either of these ladies, just snuggled up to both.
Dr. Simard also treated me like a respected equal in Romeo's care, which of course is important, because that *is* what owners actually are.
They showered me with all kinds of information about their services and emergency care, and gave me a new client and patient packet in a very nice reusable bag, including a folder with some helpful flyers - and a chart for tracking my dog's vaccines and care.
They have a service for a modest price where you can call *after hours* and speak *with one of their vets* about any concern rather than *have* to go to an emergency clinic only to find out that you could have done the treatment yourself at home. They will, of course, tell you if you really should go to the emergency clinic, but could also save you a lot of money.
They also give a substantial discount on flea and tick meds if you buy a 6 month supply.
The entire place is spotlessly clean, which of course is critical in a veterinary hospital. They recently completely renovated it during the pandemic, so it's now bright and fresh.
They are also up to date with modern technology, including text messaging, which makes the administrative things much easier and more efficient.
Some reviews have said they're very expensive, but I was delighted to find it's the complete opposite. I called around for prices for neutering and a simple office visit - and this place was hands down the least expensive, literally *half* of what my former VCA vet now charges, at least for office visits. Their other charges are quite modest as well. Veterinary care *is* expensive these days; that's just how it is *everywhere.*
Be aware that they do require up front payment when you schedule your first visit, but of course it's applied to your total bill once your pet is actually seen, and I think will be fully refunded should you cancel within their cancellation timeframe.
It's fully wheelchair accessible (I think) except for the restroom. I didn't think to measure the doors. Parking is a real pain if you have a wheelchair van because of how the street itself and the curbs are, but even that is doable. I finally found a space several houses down on Reynolds around the bend towards Fifth Ave. This is obviously not PBVC's fault, just something to be aware of if you use a side-opening wheelchair van.
