Carothers Parkway Veterinary Clinic — Attraction in Brentwood

Yesterday I had an urgent need to get my chocolate lab into a vet. With COVID it’s been difficult to find a vet that since I moved to the area that didn’t want you to just drop off, even with new patients. I called in the morning and his staff was able to get me in that same afternoon. Max is a senior lab and had stopped putting weight on one of his back legs and I was beyond worried. When I got there, we were greeted right away, and while they weren’t using their exam rooms, they had created a plan on what they wanted to do and his tech went through the prelims with me step by step, since it was his first visit, the called my vet out of state, got his records and had everything prepped when I got there. They took Max, weighed him and then went to do the X-rays and bloodwork, then brought him back out. Dr Rye then came out and sat and talked about what he observed with him and concerns he had for him, while we waited for the X-rays to develop. We talked about options for different medications and trying them to see what would work best and what signs for me to look for. He was very thorough explaining the X-rays so I knew what I was looking at. Turned out it wasn’t his leg/hips at all but disc in his spine...just like us and arthritis. We put a game plan together and put my concerns at ease. If you live in the Cool Springs/ Brentwood area I would recommend them to anyone. If google would let me I would give them more than 5 stars. I think their prices are reflective of the services you receive from them. I also want to mention they also don’t have you get anything you don’t need at the time or can put off and get later which I that was highly ethical showed that they care about their patients and understand that those bills can add up quickly. I really appreciated that. Even if I move at of this immediate area, I will still come back to Dr. Rye...

I like Dr Rye. I've been using his office for all of my animals since they opened 5 years ago. While he isn't always the warmest of individuals, he is honest, answers my questions, and doesn't talk down to me when describing different health issues.

However, I am in the process of seeking out a different vet to do my future business with.

Recently one of my dogs became very ill. After a week it was quite obvious that what she had was more than just a stomach bug, and based on the fluids she was losing, it was potentially life threatening. I called the office to discuss the issue, explain that I did not have the funds immediately to cover a visit, but was guaranteed funds by the end of the month, and ask if they would see her and let me pay the bill later. To my extreme surprise, Dr Rye refused to see us, and I was told that it would be $100 just to come in and get meds for the symptoms without doing any testing or examination to find the cause.

Yes, he has every right to run his business this way. However, I have been a very loyal client, have always paid my bills in full at the time of service, and thought for certain that with such a clean history between us there would be some form of compassion during an crisis. I need a vet that is going to be there for me when something unexpected comes up, and who is going to work with me. Especially if I have a sparkling clean long-term history with them.

(I was able to discuss my concerns with a couple of more experienced trainers, and we were able to settle on a medication for bleeding ulcers to try. Overnight my dog made a total 180. After being sick for almost 3 weeks, she made an outstanding recovery. Though we're still slowly making our way out of the woods. If it hadn't been for them, she likely would have bled out and I would...

I’ve been taking my dogs here for years and have never had any issues at all until recently. They’ve made a policy change where they no longer fill prescriptions from third party pharmacies and force you to buy from their sponsored pharmacy online or straight from their office which costs 30 to 60%+ more than PetMeds or Chewy depending on the medication. They claim that this is to “improve care” but it seems like nothing more than a cash grab to make a few extra bucks from people who are already paying very high vet bills.

When this change was made I called to inquire about their “competitive” pricing. My dog is on several medications but here are two examples I was quoted directly from their office:

Pain Medication - PetMeds $54.56 vs Carothers PKWY Vet price $114.00

Thyroid Supplement - PetMeds $14.99 vs Carothers PKWY Vet price $46.43

The quality of the medication received from their office is somewhat suspect as well. When ordering from PetMeds, Chewy, etc the medication I receive is sealed in packaging direct from the manufacturer with expiration dates clearly labeled. When I bought the same medication straight from their office they just threw a few loose pills in a container that had no information on the expiry date, it could have been sitting in their office for years.

This is a bad policy decision that has forced me to jump through hoops and pay a lot more for my senior dogs medication that she really needs in the last phase of her life. Disappointed is an understatement and I can guarantee that I will be taking my next dog somewhere else that is more focused on patient care than improving their...