Firehouse Animal Health Center Belterra — Local services in Dripping Springs

One of our dogs had a lump on his neck that seemed to be getting bigger. It was the result of a trauma (he hit his neck on a piece of pipe but also may have been nipped by one of our other dogs - there were no puncture wounds just what looked like a scrape in a half moon shape), so we were worried about infection.

I’ve been out of work for almost six months so an expensive vet visit was not doable for us. This morning I googled: Free First Vet Visit Near Me, and this place came up as a sponsored ad. I clicked on it and saw it was quite close to us (we live in the Y). I called to see if they had any appointments and they did. Three when I called at 11: 1, 2, and 5 pm. They even have some Saturday hours!

I spoke with Kaitlin on the phone, got scheduled in, and arrived a few hours later.

First impression: Clean, bright, open. Beverage center with (actually cold!) sodas, juices, and water, as well as coffee and some snacks. Jar of treats on the counter for dogs and cats.

Exam rooms were clean and fresh smelling. Kaitlin took a long time getting a history on our dog, which I thought was great. She was very thorough and super patient. Everything about the office was set up to reduce stressors.

Doctor Duncan came in and was super friendly and gentle. They went over different options when I inquired about cost (as I’ve mentioned here, but not to them, cost was a concern for us) and we moved forward with the doctor sticking the lump to see what he could extract.

Then THEY ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK WITH HIM! What?! I’ve asked this a few times over the years and every vet I’ve been to has shot me down. I don’t even ask anymore because I know the answer will be no.

They let us go back (if you don’t want to, the “back” is fully visible through a glass wall observation window) but he was still in a lot of pain when he was jabbed, so the doctor wasn’t really able to extract anything except for the blood that came out of the jab point. He didn’t want to jab him again, and I thought, “I’m glad he doesn’t want to hurt the dog, but we just agreed to almost $100 to not really find anything out.”

When we got back to the exam room Kaitlin said that the doctor had removed that charge since he wasn’t really able to do it properly since our dog winced in pain. Again, WHAT?!

We opted to have the medications filled at our H-E-B since they were in stock and cheaper, but the markup for in-house wasn’t horrible, and honestly may have been worth the convenience if we weren’t in such a tight spot financially.

As we checked out, Anjel/Anjela (I can’t remember if there was an a at the end or not) told us she had engraved a tag for Rocket with my phone number in case I didn’t have one (again, WHAT?!), and said, “We like to give our new clients a bottle of wine to say thank you for coming in. Do you prefer red or white?”

😦😦😦

I mean, everything about this visit was the best vet visit we’ve ever had. And we have a lot of dogs and have been to a LOT of vets here in Austin. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Oh, and apparently if you call the clinic afterhours, you STILL get a member of staff who will tell you whether you should go to the nearest emergency center or if it sounds like something you can wait until they’re open for.

This place was seriously like walking into doggie heaven. I’ve never had such a good customer service experience. We have three dogs, my little sister has two, and my mom has two. I called my mom on the way home and raved to her about the experience, so this place just gained 7 new...

Often we go to a vets office excited with a new puppy and the life we will have with them. We also go there to say goodbye. Recently my senior dog was attacked and we had to rush to Firehouse. They quickly administered him pain meds to alleviate his suffering. Professionally, and compassionately, the vet explained all of our options. We knew what we had to do, what the humane thing was to do, and that was to put him down. This came so unexpected, happened so tragically, that I was beside myself. All of the staff were so sensitive to my grief. I stroked my beloved Bradley, hysterically crying, and told him he was a good boy until he took his last breath. The vets office gave us privacy and helped to give us dignity during this emotional experience. As we were grieving, days later, we received a letter from Firehouse, signed by all of the staff, expressing their condolences. I put this letter in a photo book made of Bradley's life with us. Later, I received a letter that a donation had been made in Bradley's name to a local vet-fund. Bradley's memory will always be strong, as he was a cherished member of my family for almost 14 years, dying just two weeks before his 14th birthday. Firehouse has taken care of all of my pets and done a great job, but this experience -- the attack, and saying goodbye, is one that we will remember for the rest of our lives, and Firehouse acted as compassionately as possible under the...

Every experience at Firehouse has been excellent. They are caring, welcoming, organized and professional. Unfortunately my best experience was a heartbreaking one. My elderly GSP, Boone, had been declining. We'd had discussions on a couple occasions about when to know the time had come. Dr. Rob provided thoughtful recommendations and guidance to help us put together a plan and prepare my children. When the day arrived they were responsive and caring. They have a comfort room specifically for saying goodbye. We took care of all of the administrative activities up front which I appreciated so to not have to do that after. We chose to stay with our boy throughout. Dr. Rob talked us through each step. He and all of his staff were compassionate and patient. There is a separate door to leave so we did not have to exit through the lobby in a very emotional state. A few days later we received a beautiful and thoughtful card from the staff. I highly recommend Firehouse and am so grateful for a truly wonderful customer experience in the...