Vetco Total Care Animal Hospital — Local services in Orlando

I just want to say, this review is not to discredit the staff. I believe that despite my recent encounter, some were very kind and understanding. More specifically, a technician whose name I cannot recall at the moment (she spoke to me various times).

On the other hand, I’m displeased with a situation that took place recently. I’ve been taking a kitten that I foster to be seen here for a fracture (Cinna). Dr. Hines was extremely helpful with costs and care, and also, in referring me to AVS, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford a $3k surgery. With that being said, AVS splinted her leg and advised to have the bandage changed weekly; this was 5/7/19. Moreover, the following week, I scheduled the bandage change at Thrive with Dr. Hoggarth on 5/14/19. Nonetheless, when Dr. Hoggarth originally wrapped the leg, I became concerned that the bandage was too tight, as I waited for the medications. I’m not a professional, so I let the technician know (Vanessa), and she took Cinna so that Dr. Hoggarth could take a look. After approximately 15-20 min., she brought the kitten back with a new bandage and tells me that Dr. Hoggarth made sure she could stick a finger on both ends, to ensure there wasn’t any lack of circulation—great. Except, the entire splint started sliding off Tuesday, and was completely off by Wednesday. I called on Wednesday to let them know that I was advised by Dr. Hogarth that if anything happened to the splint, I was to come back and that they’d make sure to fix it. The technician also reminded me to call and they would fix anything within the first two days free of charge because it would be considered “their fault”. It’s no surprise when I call however, I’m advised that I was misinformed and that I was never told those things, so in other words, I made it up and since they cannot speak on behalf of the doctors, I would have to return and pay for whatever services are provided. Needless to say, I spent $208 Monday 10/14 for a splint that started to wiggle off within the first 24 hours as a result of the vet making sure she could fit fingers in it, but I would be required to return and pay for another splint, X-ray, sedation, and an office visit. I spent $200 the week prior at AVS, $208 the following week, and would have probably spent another $175 within a week—I don’t have $600 laying around. With that being said, I expressed my concern and I was contacted by Kristine which is the regional business manager from Sanford. She told me she would speak to Dr. Hines with regards to not charging an office visit because they want to do what’s best for Cinna, but that I would still be responsible for fees at the Dr’s discretion. I must admit, I was so upset I had to politely let Kristine know that I couldn’t continue the conversation and disconnected the call. I reached back out to Kristine on Friday 10/18/19 and sent radiographs to the Orlando Lee Vista office as instructed by Kristine and haven’t heard back yet.

All in all, I understand the fees behind a service. Every time I’ve went there, I’ve paid for all the services, as I should. I’m not upset about that. However, if you provide a service, the expectation is for you to stand behind your service, and fix it. Dr. Hoggarth told me she would see me in two weeks for a X-ray with a splint that barely lasted 48hrs—that is a poor service. As a competitor that prides itself in providing quality care while reducing veterinary costs, I just didn’t experience that in...

We do NOT recommend Thrive Vet....

On 8/7/20, we heard about a young female cat living in a bad environment, so we quickly rescued her to get her out of there.

On 8/8/20, we looked on-line for an affordable veterinarian to get a full exam and medications if indicated. When viewing Thrive Vet's website, it stated the prices were affordable. So, we decided to call to inquire about the costs. We were quoted prices, which we wrote down, and scheduled the appointment for the next day (8/9/20) at the Orlando Lee Vista location.

On 8/9/20, when the appointment was over, Thrive Vet called us and sent us a text-link to pay and then pick up the cat. We paid and when we picked her up I asked about the results of the fecal exam and they stated they were not able to obtain one and told us to bring one in. No reason was provided to us for why they didn't obtain one. They also stated that they put flea/tick/ heartworm medication called Revolutionary Plus Feline in the bag that we were to take home.

Once we got home and looked at the itemized invoice that they emailed to us following the visit, we noticed that they charged more for each service than what we were quoted over the phone. When we called to inquire they stated we must have been given the wrong prices over the phone. Basically.....our loss I guess.

We also noticed that Thrive Vet charged us for the fecal exam that they stated they were not able to do....how do you charge for a service that wasn't provided? "If" we bring the fecal exam to them, then they should charge that day....not in advance.

We opened the bag they provided to us which was to contain the Revolution Plus Feline for flea/tick/heartworm "topical" medication. Inside the sealed envelope was an "oral tablet" clearly labeled for "dogs" not cats.

Now, we have to drive an hour round trip, plus tolls, to bring this dog flea medication back to them so we can get the medication they were supposed to give us.

Do not go to Thrive Vet. Do yourself a solid and...

This is by far the best Vet I have ever been to. If you think they aren't a fully functioning Vet because they are attached to Petco, you are wrong.

The appointments were easy to set up and reschedule (which we had to do twice). Once we finally made it in with our 2 cats Kyle greeted us with a friendly smile and got us started right away. There was no waiting in a busy, noisy Vet office. He was friendly and got us settled in a small, cozy med observation room with both of our cats and got the preliminary data he needed.

Brandon continued to help us next and seemed very knowledgeable and observant of our cats. He gave great advice and answered all of our questions before the doctor saw us. After the visit was complete he did a great job explaining the membership program to help us save money on our first and future visits. He carefully went over every detail of our bill before we paid and gave us information on setting up an appointment to have our kitten spayed (Yes, they spay/neuter. It sounds affordable and more comfortable for our cat compared to a cheap in/out spay clinic).

Dr. Hines was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He eased concerns that my girlfriend had and was able to answer specific questions in regards to irregularities that we felt on our cat's belly. He clarified some misconceptions we had about caring for our cats. His examination/immunization of our cats was quick yet precise/detailed. He even called and left a message the very next day to check in on how our cat was doing with her new medication.

Do not let their size/location fool you. This is a great place to bring your pets, especially if you are on a strict budget or schedule (they are open every day of the week and have plenty of open appointments that are easy to schedule online)

Thanks to everyone at Thrive for all that you do. Keep up...