Tawas Animal Hospital — Local services in Tawas Township

We took our cat of going on 14 years old to the Tawas Animal Hospital. She seemed to have an ear infection. Her ear hurt to the touch, the ear was down, and she had some trouble with her balance, but still got around with a stumble here and there. The doctor said her organs were fine, checked her eyes and said that her eyes indicated she did not have a stroke, did a swab of her ears which did not have mites, just some wax from her bad ear. He said that her ear was irritated but he did not see a middle ear infection, but could not tell of an inner ear infection. He said he would have her ear cleaned and give her a one dose treatment of an ear medication. He did not tell us the name of the medication at that time and never told us of any side effects or any other information. After we brought her home she was the same for a day or two and then all of a sudden her head was tilted downward to the side, she could barely walk without falling over after a couple of steps, and she stopped eating and drinking completely. My wife and I are both older, disabled, individuals. The nearly $170 we spent at the vet hurt us deeply leaving us unable to buy enough food for ourselves and unable to pay a bill. But our baby was worth it. Our little girl continued to get worse and when we called the vet a few days after this all started they said they gave her a medication called Claro. They said to just give it some time to work. We looked up the medication and from the manufacturer it states, “Claro® (florfenicol, terbinafine, mometasone furoate) Otic Solution has not been tested or approved on cats. Do not use Claro® on cats.” And from the National Institute of Health, “CLARO™ ElancoTM (florfenicol, terbinafine, mometasone furoate) Otic Solution for use in dogs only. Do Not Use in Cats.” We were shocked that they would give our precious cat a medication that clearly states not to give to cats. When we called them and asked why in the world they would give our cat a medication that is not to be used in cats and they said that they give it to cats all the time. They said she must be having a reaction to it. They prescribed her an antibiotic and steroid. By then it was too late. Our cat is laying here dying because we can not afford to have her put down. The vet refused to do anything for us except to prescribe the antibiotic and steroid, and expected us to pay for them, even though they were the ones who caused the entire situation in the first place. They even blamed us because we could not afford $200 more to pay for blood & urinalysis testing. If you love your pets then I urge you to take them somewhere else where they don’t use medications off-label and not FDA approved for the use in other animals. If they harm your pet they will expect you to pay for their mistakes. I AM WARNING YOU! If you don’t take my advice it is on you if your fur baby dies under Tawas Animal Hospital’s so-called care. Update: Our lovely and beautiful, way more than a cat but a daughter to us, died approximately a week after writing this review. She could not walk anymore, would not eat or drink so we spent over a month giving her water with a dropper and putting food in her mouth. I held her as and petted her as her tail fluffed out, because she was scared, and she took her last breath. A part of us died that day as well. Our other three rescued cats are still depressed, along with us. If the veterinarian didn’t give her Claro, a medication not FDA approved for use in cats, she would still be alive today. She died over a simple ear infection because of Claro which is a dog and horse medication. Dr. Harrison should not be allowed to practice veterinarian medicine...

I stopped in and asked about flea medication and they said i had to make a appointment. So I called and made one for my cat and I told them I was a new patient. My cat goes crazy when taken in a car even in her carrier so our visits are few as possible. I arrive and told them who I was that we were a new patient.... they asked what for I said she has tape worms. They took the carrier back and then brought her back after weighing her and handed me a pill. I asked about Revolution a med for fleas and ticks she takes and is out of. They asked if she had seen the Dr I said no we're new. They then looked in the computer and said your V* G** right? I said yes ...she said "and that's Chubs?" I said NO I have never been here before i told you that! Well your in the computer... was her reply. After finally convincing her I had never been there before she announces "well you have to make a appointment to see the doctor!!!!!" 😠 I calmly state "that what i did...thats why we are here".....the doctor walks through and ignores whats going on. "Well you need to make a appointment ....when is good for you?" I said "No Thanks I had one and wasted my time coming here and stressing my cat for nothing"....though I'm surprised they didn't demand the worm medicine back after they found she wasn't "Chubbs"even though i had paid already. No this place isn't worth the aggravation when you make a appointment and they still refuse to let you see the Doctor and want you to make another appointment. I do not know the skill of the Doctor because my cat never got beyond the counter but the help...

My dog woke up in the morning very lethargic and unsteady on her feet. As soon as the office opened I called and even though there were no openings in the day, I was offered to bring her in as an "Admit" patient. Dr. Harrison called me while I was on my way to pick her up later that afternoon (after hours) and he explained what they had found. When I arrived at the office, he explained the options to me for both her treatment and lab testing (whether to do it there or have it sent out). All of the staff from beginning to end were very friendly and accommodating.

This has not been my first experience with Dr. Harrison and his staff. A couple of years ago, my other dog became ill and started losing weight. After a few visits with suggestions and no improvements, I made the decision to have him put to sleep (he was a senior dog who had been having seizures for years). The process was very personal. They had us come through a different door so that we didn't have to go through the main entrance (I was very grateful for that, because I was crying). We were taken to a room where he was first given a sedative. I was allowed to spend this time with him while he relaxed and then after he had passed, they let me stay with him as long as I wanted. Afterwards I received a card in the mail, which was signed by every member of the staff.

I would highly recommend this office to...