We were patients at SODO Veterinary Hospital for about 10 years, going all the way back to when it…read morewas Kirkpatrick Veterinary Hospital. For many years, we had wonderful experiences there. They took great care of our animals, we liked the doctors, and the location was incredibly convenient for us.
Unfortunately, since the transition to SODO, our experience has changed pretty dramatically.
One of the first things we noticed was a lack of continuity in our pets' records. Despite being longtime patients, at appointments we were regularly asked to provide basic information like our pets' ages, weights, vaccination history, and what vaccines they were due for. I'm happy to confirm information, but as a pet owner, I'm relying on my veterinarian to maintain those medical records and tell me what care or vaccinations my pets need. It increasingly felt like we were starting over as new patients at every visit.
More importantly, we felt like the clinic was no longer there for us when we needed them most.
About a year ago, our dog, who had cancer, took a significant turn for the worse. We knew it was time to say goodbye and called SODO hoping they could see him. We were told no one was available. We ultimately used an in-home euthanasia service, which ended up being a wonderful and peaceful experience for him and something I would highly recommend, but it was still disappointing that after so many years as patients, our longtime vet couldn't be there for us at the end of his life.
Then, about a year later, our cat suddenly became unresponsive and was struggling to breathe. We immediately called SODO and were told we would need to take him somewhere else because the doctor was getting ready to leave for the day. It was around 4 p.m., and I understand that veterinary offices have hours and cannot always accommodate emergencies. But after more than a decade of bringing our animals there, it was incredibly upsetting to once again be turned away during one of the most frightening moments we had experienced with a pet.
We called around until we found an emergency hospital that could take him. He was in extremely critical condition, and we ultimately had to put him to sleep that same day.
What really stayed with me afterward was that the emergency hospital sent us a condolence card. Our new veterinarian also sent us one after hearing about his death even though they had never had the opportunity to see him as a patient. We never received that kind of acknowledgment from the veterinary practice that had cared for him for most of his life.
I have always liked Dr. Patino, and because we had so many good years here, I genuinely wish I could leave a different review. But over the past few years, the level of care, record keeping, continuity, and compassion we experienced declined to the point that we no longer felt comfortable trusting SODO with our animals.
After 10 years, we made the difficult decision to leave and establish care elsewhere. I hope the clinic is able to address some of these issues because there was a time when we truly loved bringing our pets here.
