This is a rather long review, but if you live in the vicinity of Springfield, MO, and have a cat, it is worth reading.
I have had cats for 22 years, and have taken them to seven different vets during this time (I moved several times, which partially accounts for the large number of vets). I can say without a doubt, and emphatically, that Dr. Stan Duncan (graduate of one of the best vet schools in the country, Ohio State) at the Pampurred Cat is the best vet that I have ever taken my cats to see!
Here are several reasons why:
1) He specializes and treats only cats (sorry doggies!).
2) He regularly attends conferences in order to keep up with the latest findings in his field, which he puts into practice. That is EXTREMELY important to me! (Imagine your own MD who is 20 years behind the times because they didn't attend conferences...).
3) He does almost all procedures (aside from surgery and dental) with you in the room (only if you want to be in the room, you don't have to) so that you can comfort your kitty. This includes drawing blood or urine, and even shaving my long-haired cat, which he was able to do without anesthesia. But, you do not have to be in the room if you don't want to be. I saw a previous review complaining he doesn't have a vet tech to do this stuff. Me, I prefer to have the vet himself do these things, and to do them with me present; otherwise, my cats would be afraid. My current (inferior) vet takes the cat away into another room to draw blood or urine, and I am not permitted to go with her; my cat looks over the vet's shoulder at me as she is being dragged out of the exam room, looking horrified, which breaks my heart. Going to the vet is already a traumatizing experience, and it is much better to be with them when these things need to be done. Yeah, you might see a little blood, and yeah, you might have to help hold her leg straight, but think of your kitty. They would prefer you, rather than some stranger, be there with them!
4) His boarding facilities give the kitties a window to look out of (don't know if this is still the case, but there used to be an emu farm they could see from the window). I saw one previous negative review regarding boarding, but I boarded all four of my cats on multiple occasions with them, and never had any problems at all.
5) He does thorough exams. I have been amazed at how many vets I have seen that don't take my cat's temp, or who don't look into their ears or teeth. Dr. Stan does all of these and more. For example, if my cat had a tartar build-up on her tooth, he would try to scrape it off with his thumbnail. I have never had any other vet do that! Don't get me wrong, if they needed a cleaning, he would schedule one, but in the meantime, why not help prevent things from getting worse?
6) I thought his pricing was fair, certainly less than the first vet I saw when I moved to Springfield, and WAY less than I've paid in other parts of the country. Also, perhaps more importantly, and unlike most vets I've seen over the years, he doesn't recommend unneeded tests. He always gave me a good and justifiable reason for any test that he performed. My current (and again, inferior) vet has racked up big bucks from me for various blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, and other stuff every year without any justification other than to say they were "due for it." Guess I'm a sucker, 'cause I paid for them. Dr. Duncan does not do this, and only recommends tests when the situation warrants them.
7) He's just a good, straightforward sort of guy who actually cares about cats. For example, there was a cat dumped on his doorstep when she had not even opened her eyes yet and was not yet weaned. He nursed her back to health (it was amazing that she even survived, the odds were not good), and I monitored her progress and eventually got her from them when she was stabilized. She is my one remaining kitty. I had to feed her Queen's Milk initially, that's how young she was. She is still alive and kicking 18 years later! Also, his wife Becky (who has also had some veterinary training) works the office, and she is wonderful too, a real sweet person!
8) I moved out of MO in 2006. That was the year when he last saw my cats. Now, in 2018, he is still willing to generally discuss cat health issues on the phone with me. I called him today, after 12 years of not having one of my cats as a patient. Now, I didn't ask about a specific cat, because it wouldn't be ethical for him to answer about a specific cat that he hadn't seen in that many years. But, he did answer a very general question about the latest veterinary thinking regarding evidence about a particular treatment (specifically, regarding whether or not there is medical evidence showing that kidney disease in cats can be slowed by subdural saline infusion; the answer is yes, it prevents dehydration). My own current vet refused to answer the same question unless I paid for an exam (needless to say, she is no longer my vet). read more
