Olympus Cove Veterinary Clinic — Local services in Millcreek

I am not the type to leave negative reviews because I like to assume that all humans are simply trying to do their best and should be afforded a level of patience and understanding in their profession, but if sharing my experience can help someone else avoid the absolutely heartbreaking experience we just had with Dr. Tarassov, it will be worth it. Worried that our elderly dog is nearing his end of life, we went to Dr. Tarassov to seek his medical expertise and guidance during this difficult time for our family. Our beloved Leo is part of our family and we just want him to be comfortable. Dr. Tarassov was condescending, accusatory and lied multiple times during our visit about things he claimed we had said during our exam. Though we had assured him we were there to seek his professional guidance, he claimed that my husband and I were insisting that our dog is old and we're not willing to pay for treatment (this did not happen), calling us irresponsible pet owners who never should have owned a dog. He threatened to report us to animal control for refusing treatment, which we did not do. He was incredibly confrontational and defensive and made false claims against us as pet owners in front of our young son who had spent the morning crying in worry over his beloved dog. When I begged him to show a little compassion as we try to gather information about our dog's health and options to proceed, he said quite bluntly, "I have compassion for your dog, but I have absolutely none for you." He charged us for the exam and bloodwork but refused to give us a formal diagnosis or recommended treatment plan when we requested one. When I asked for a complete copy of my dog's health records, he refused, saying he was not obligated to provide that. When I pressed, explaining that we were going to go straight to another vet for help with our pup, he said we had to make a formal request in writing and then he had 10 days to respond. When I asked for a paper and pencil to comply, he said they had none, even though we were standing at the reception desk where such supplies were within our sight. Flabbergasted by his incredibly unkind and unprofessional response, I requested an additional copy of our receipt, which the receptionist provided, then wrote my request on the back with a pen I found in my purse while holding my poor dog. We walked away in tears, completely shocked by the treatment we had just endured. Since this experience, we've read other online reviews where he responds by defending himself or reprimanding the reviewer. I imagine he'll do the same to me and repeat many of the horrible things he said about us to our face in his office. I have no interest in any further communication from this office, only post our experience in hopes of helping other pet lovers in our community avoid the painful experience we had here. I wish I'd read the reviews before trusting this office with my...

My cat has been extremely sick twice in the past six weeks--to the point of refusing food and water, not peeing or pooping, and vomiting bile for nearly three days straight. I've taken her to Olympus Cove 3 times, and each time I called the evening before and they fit her in in a "drop off" appointment (I drop her off at opening, they say they will get to her when they can. Each time she was seen within about 1-2 hours). They're very communicative. At each appointment the vet talked to me for about ten minutes over the phone to let me know what was going on, suggest what procedures or treatment should be done, and gave me a cost estimate before they proceeded. I had to bring her in two days in a row when she still refused to eat or drink and did not pee after receiving subcutaneous fluids. I was not charged for the second exam or the second round of subcutaneous fluids. Additionally, her bloodwork was discounted at 10 percent. The vets are very reasonable. The techs are also great, they're very kind and obviously care for the pets. They've also called back each time to see how my cat is doing the next day. When she became sick and lethargic a second time, they suggested both repeat bloodwork and an ultrasound; money is a bit tight now since my boyfriend is in law school. They were very understanding and suggested I do bloodwork before an ultrasound if I couldn't afford both. The bloodwork was again discounted. All in all--three appointments, with two rounds of bloodwork (one of which was very thorough and checked for numerous common diseases), three physical exams, three rounds of subcutaneous fluids, antibiotic shots, anti-nausea shots, prescription medications and prescription food has cost right around $900. The bulk of that was for diagnostic bloodwork. I think this is a very reasonable price considering Dr. T and Dr. K both essentially operate as emergency vets during clinic hours and do not charge extra for emergency care. Thanks to their care, my cat is now fine and I am able to treat her illness on my own.

UPDATE: Dr. T has now been our regular vet since 2020. We very tragically lost one of our cats in Oct 2022; he went into cardiac arrest after being given conscious sedation. He was only one-year-old, so it was unexpected to say the least. We could not afford a necropsy, but Dr. T very kindly covered the cost of this for us (which is not cheap) so we could get some answers. We found out he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Dr. T and his staff are extremely kind & compassionate--we are so fortunate to have found them. We've always received excellent care. He has high standards for veterinary care and expects the same from his clients, which is why I think his reviews tend to be either...

We have been going to Olympus Cove Vet Clinic for a decade and have nothing but positive reviews for Dr. T and his team. They have always been honest, supportive, and affordable. They find ways to fit us in promptly and I’ve never felt rushed while in the appointment (If anything, sometimes I’m concerned I’m taking up too much of their time). While I understand that some may want to be coddled during an exam, I appreciate the direct and clear communication style regarding the seriousness of my pet’s medical care. I am not a child, I don’t need my hand held while my dog may be suffering from an ailment. That being said, Dr. T has never, ever been rude or confrontational. He has always taken the time to listen to me thoroughly and has offered suggestions based on our discussions. What else can you ask for?

I always recommend this place to friends or family looking for a new vet for their animals. They are a small clinic, which I really appreciate. The techs and front desk staff always greet my animal by name, so I’ve never felt like just a #. I’ve never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get into a waiting room. My current dog is extremely fearful of new people (won’t even take treats) but always responds well to the staff, takes treats, wags his tail, and gives kisses even when being poked and prodded.

We had a medical procedure done before a holiday weekend and Dr. T gave us his personal contact info just in case we needed him while the clinic would be closed. Another time, we had our beloved boxer finally pass away after an 8-month battle with DCM, and when calling to see where to take his remains, they stayed open for nearly an extra hour even though we weren’t in the office. They called us after hours to make sure we were taken care of. I can go on and on about specific instances of compassionate care shown by OCVC. This is a veterinarian who clearly cares deeply about animals and his clients — which is also reflected by the team he leads.

I am sad to see so many negative reviews online because I cannot stress enough how wonderful this clinic has been for our family over the years. If you are looking for honest answers for your pet’s care, try OCVC. If you’re looking for someone to tell you what you want to hear, go elsewhere and keep this clinic small for me and the others that know what a...