We previously took our dogs to the Humane Society but 2 of our girls had issues that none of the vets could either agree on or fix so we went to Dutton as a last ditch effort and we are SO very happy we did.
Our biggest issue and #1 reason for trying Dutton was our Piper. Piper was a little over 1 year old when we first took her to Dutton. She had been dealing with chronic diarrhea for over 6 months. The Humane Society vets had different opinions of what the cause was and what the treatment approach should be but they all kept prescribing her a certain medicine to "fix" it. The daily pill was meant to cure giardia even though they didn't think she had it. The issue was that the pill worked and fixed her upset stomach but AS SOON AS she was off it, she would get the diarrhea again. Dr. Mills at Dutton told us that this medication was not meant for long term use and there is no reason why she was being continually prescribed it for 5+ months... she could've seized up and died on us at any moment. We were so upset and thankful that Dr. Mills told us that so we stopped giving it to her immediately. Dr. Mills prescribed Tylan powder and sent us home with a full bag of Royal Canin food (for free, by the way) to see if that would help Piper's issue. The Tylan powder was MAGIC. Dr. Mills assured us this was something that dogs with IBS take daily and unlike the pill she was previously on, there are absolutely no negative side effects.
When we went back for our follow up appointment Dr. Mills was not in (we scheduled with him but he had called out that day) and that is when we met with Dr. Seymour. Dr. Seymour told us the powder is a good plan and as long as we're OK with it, that's what we'll do. She did tried to wean her off of it but it was a no go so Piper will get 1/8 of this powder every 3rd day for the rest of her life but that's fine... it works, it's easy and it's cheap. No problem. Other vets we spoke to about Piper (not at Dutton) were really quick to have tests done on her which included anesthesia but what we liked about Dr. Seymour was that her treatment plan was safer and less invasive... only to resort to the expensive testing that required anesthesia should 1) we get tired of administering Tylan powder or 2) the Tylan powder stopped working. Soo... thanks to Dr. Mills and Dr. Seymour, our Piper is FIXED after 6+ months of her issue.
While we felt comfortable with Dr. Mills and we fully trusted his knowledge, when we met Dr. Seymour on our follow up visit we decided to always see her from that point forward. We had previously dealt with more than 1 vet at the Humane Society and the conflicting opinions was not only confusing but also frustrating. In the interest of keeping things consistent, we now only see Dr. Seymour. However, we would gladly see Dr. Mills if she no longer worked there or if there was an emergency situation and she was not in. Both Dr. Mills and Dr. Seymour are very kind, easy to speak to and helpful.
Since we had such a positive experience with Piper, we brought our 2nd girl in to see if there was an answer for her. Our Maggie had severe allergies and Dr. Seymour prescribed her Apoquel which we had never heard of before. Maggie had no hair... she was pink and her skin was goopy. We had her on other allergy medicine for years, tried switching her foods and also were giving her fish oil. We were wary of new medication but Dr. Seymour explained that her dog takes it too so we bit the bullet. After being put on the Apoquel, Maggie grew her hair back and was DEFINITELY more active and social. YAY! The ladies in the office were even amazed at how much hair she had because at the first appointment she was totally bald... even her tail.
Besides the fantastic staff at Dutton, another big deal for us was the affordability. When comparing office visit prices to what we previously paid at the Humane Society and other vets, Dutton was a BIG price difference. A lot more affordable. That is a big deal... especially when you have more than 1 animal. The cost of medications was the same as what we paid at the others vets.
The third positive point about Dutton would have to be the hours of operation. Dutton is open on the weekends and late nights during the week... can't beat that.
A bonus at Dutton is that they sell pet care items for really low prices on site. We get $1 tooth brushes and tooth paste for a couple bucks whenever we go. We also snagged a $200 Pet Gear stroller for $25! YOU MUST pay with cash for these items but it is absolutely worth it.
Overall we are extremely happy with Dutton and have no plans to switch. We recommend them to everyone we know. If you're a first timer, they run coupons in the paper and sometimes have one on their website for 10% off your first visit.
There is 1 thing I would like to give people a heads up about-- they charge a service fee for using your credit card. Bring cash or check to avoid the fee. read more