Naticook Veterinary Hospital — Local services in Merrimack

Had really hoped that the reviews were correct and that Dr. Whitebone was everything that we had been looking for in a vet. Unfortunately, on one of our first visits with him my husband was dressed down for how we feed our dogs (our diet was created with the specialists from Tufts in Walpole mass, as well as with an animal dietician). In and attempt to understand Dr. Whitebone's position, my husband asked for resources to read more about his recommendations. Of the resources provided, the main article wouldn't pass for a source on a 5th grade book report (the published date says 'two hours ago, updated an hour ago'). Beyond the lack of sourcing, the article never identifies who funded it or who the author is working for; handing out unsubstantiated google articles is not what is expected of a medical professional, regardless of who they are caring for.

When I attempted to call the office I was met with blind defensiveness from both the front office and the vet tech Ben. The conversation with Ben was akin to talking with a brick wall, who then attempted to be offended when I asked him to stop dismissing my questions and answer what I was asking; I even confirmed with him that I was not raising my voice or cursing at him, or insulting him in any way, yet he still felt he was being 'threatened' because I plan to report Dr. Whitebone to the state for disseminating outdated, biased, information as medical fact.

Instead of simply picking up the phone to discuss, and trade sources to make sure our pets are well cared for, the Dr. simply sent us our records and said I was out of line on the phone - I encourage him to make the call public, as I was professional and to the point.

This guy is pushing biased articles, paid for by competing food companies, as fact. Then he scares people that don't use his 5 brands of food with these articles, that say in the first paragraphs 'this isn't scientific data'. I'm not saying he isn't talented, but he isn't the best. The lack of understanding or willingness to work with patient's families made it an easy decision never to return.

To make it worse, some of the brands this Dr. suggested have been known to carry molds that cause cancer, a simple FDA web search makes it clear. Don't waste your time with these folks, they know it all and they have no room for other opinions - no medical professional should ever get to this point as it's time to retire.

Response to the below comment: Didn't threaten anyone - I reported your practice to the State. Not once have you admitted that passing badly sourced, opinion pieces is not appropriate - instead choosing to double down that I was rude, which I was not. I would encourage you to reread your defaming response and change your rhetoric, as I haven't threatened anyone, I reported the practice as is my right.

We don't feed our dogs grain free diets, further proving my point. You don't listen, you don't engage, you instead talk down to patients. I also clearly stated we were moving on to Ben, but spin it however you'd like to justify...

I truly cannot say enough good things about Naticook Veterinary Hospital. We had transferred to Naticook in the summer of 2021 when we realized that most of the veterinary techs we’ve loved over the years as well as Dr. Whitebone were there. We had a vet we had used for a couple of years that left a practice we were at and we had a hard time feeling like we had a vet that truly knew our dog. When we switched to Naticook we had been monitoring our dog for some elevated liver and gallbladder levels that the prior vet had been treating with a medication. Upon examination and review of her records, the wonderful staff at Naticook suggested that we do an ultrasound out of an abundance of caution and to be sure we weren’t overlooking anything. The ultrasound revealed a 6cm tumor in our dog’s liver. Dr. Whitebone presented every option, and truly supported us through making the decision to go to Mass Vet. While we ultimately had to say goodbye to our dog, we are so grateful for the diagnosis that came from Naticook that allowed us to make our dog’s last months truly memorable, to give her a fighting chance and to say goodbye in a compassionate way. When we were ready to open our hearts and home to a new rescue, the folks at Naticook were the first people I called. They absolutely love our Pitbull! Our dog is dog aggressive and the staff at Naticook go out of their way to ensure the safety of everyone, including Isabella. They never make us feel like we’re putting them out to check in from the parking lot, and they’re great with bringing us right into a room so we don’t have to worry about other dogs. Isabella absolutely loves the staff there and even gives Dr. Whitebone hugs. Honestly each and every person there is absolutely fantastic, from the staff when you check in to each vet tech that just absolutely loves on our dog. Whenever anyone asks for recommendations for a vet in the area I will always pass along Naticook Vet. They are amazingly caring and...

I’ve been coming to Naticook for about 7 years now since my oldest cat became a patient with Dr. Whitebone. He is hands down the best vet I’ve ever been to. Factual, transparent, caring, and kind. At the time I came to the practice, my cat was so sick and I went to 2 other practices in the Nashua area that offered me no information, had me pay for tests and procedures that didn't help, and had no clue as to how to help him after all of it. My friend recommended Dr. Whitebone as my last resort and when I went he knew immediately what was wrong, bloodwork confirmed it, and he saved my cats life. I’ve since added two more cats and now a dog to the list of patients there. My female cat was also seriously sick in 2022 and instead of pushing me into a $1500 surgery right away Dr. Whitebone gave a different option to try first, gave thorough follow-up, saved her from a massive surgery, and me from the cost. I will never go to another vet in the area again. The pricing is fair, they never push you or make you feel like a bad pet parent for not opting for more expensive procedures if they aren’t necessary, and they always let the routine stuff be your choice. The techs are all nice, charismatic, and chatty. I love the addition of Dr. Waples to the practice too! She’s an amazing vet and makes you feel...