Reviews

Based on 19 reviews

Citysearch User

Excellent Service

Picture this...bird sitting (African Grey & Sun Conure) for folks in Paris, France when Sat morning I awake to blood splatters around the AG cage. I call RPBH & although I've never owned a pet, never used this hospital, they told me to bring him in right away. Dr Skellenger not only took care of the broken blood feather but explained that this was not an uncommon occurrence. He took excellent care of Fernando and lessened my anxiety tenfold. I RECOMMEND Dr. Skellenger and his staff. They have wonderful bedside manners and provided exceptional service!

posted at 07/14/09

Citysearch User

Research Pet & Bird Hospital is...

Dr. Paul Skellenger is hands down the best vet I have ever gone to (and I've tried many). He treats my animals like his own. He reads up on the latest techniques. He knows I am interested in vet medicine and explains things in details so I understand exactly what is going on. He tells you the options, explains the pros and cons and never pushes any procedure. Pricing is up front and detailed for any extensive work.

They have additional experts outside of the hospital that they will call in when needed (for example and ultrasound specialist that is so wonderful I have even considered going into that field). I've been going for 15+ years after having a horrible experience with a vet that told me I didn't know anything about vet medicine (I did my homework) and proceeded to show me why with a document over 20 years old. Needless to say that vet was wrong and wouldn't admit it. Dr. S. diagnosed a large kidney tumor immediately on my bunny. We had a weird issue with one of our cats and on

posted at 12/27/09

Citysearch User

Lucky Find!

We have been nothing but completely staisfied with the staff and service at Research Pet and Bird Hospital. We were not exactly looking for a dog, but while visiting a ranch in the HIll Country our dog found us! We have been taking him to the clinic for vet care and grroming (Randi is awesome) and have really been happy with the level care. The staff are all well trained and really helpful and friendly.

The BEST part has been finding our trainer, Ruben! Our dog, Lucky came to us lacking some of his social skills. Ruben has been working with Lucky (and us!) for a couple of weeks and we have noticed a huge change in his behavior (and ours!) already. Ruben has taken the time to really get to know the dog as well as us. He is super skilled and has a great personality. He is helping us tackle some really challenging behaviors including aggression towards other animals and bikes.

We plan to use the boarding facilities while we are on vacation and have complete confidence that our Lucky wi

posted at 05/26/10

Citysearch User

My pets love Dr. Reeves

This Animal hospital is absolutely amazing. I'm a dog groomer and I ask many of my customers who they would recommend most of them suggested Research Pet & Bird. When my guinea pig was sick and near death Dr. Reeves took excellent care of her! She was so sweet and gentle with her, as were the vet techs She gave me two very reasonable and helpful choices to may in regards to her medications and cost. They called to make sure she was doing alright before her follow up visit. I just cannot thank them enough for helping me get my baby back in good health.Now she is big and happy and I would recommend them to anyone who asked. As for the people that claim that this place is too pricey: i'm 23. I'm not a millionaire. I have also been to other vets in the area with lower prices-and lower standards. For the first time I feel like I actually know less about what may be wrong with my pets than my vet does. I have met so many vets that will GOOGLE information for me. I can do that at home! I wan

posted at 07/16/10

alicia_gambell

Dr. Judith Weirauch

Dr. Weirauch posseses everything you owuld want in a vet - she's thorough, she presents all the options for care & treatment, she is compassionate, she takes the time with your animal and with you. To back her up, the staff makes you feel special and they almost always know your pet AND you by name. I have been going there for 9 years and will continue to go.

posted at 01/29/06

andrea_merry

Inexperience nearly cost my dog his life

I had been in and out of the hospital for a month because my dog had problems with congestion and difficulty breathing. I knew I was in trouble when both vets made snide comments about the breed of dog I have and how genetically inferior and unhealthy they are. He suffered another severe episode in the middle of the night on a Thursday; I rushed him to the Animal emergency clinic on 183N where he stayed until 7am. Friday @ 7am I had to transfer him to my regular vet, he was hooked up to oxygen and obviously in serious condition. For some reason he was assigned to a Dr who could not immediately treat him because of prescheduled appointments. If my dog were a person on oxygen being brought into the emergency room @ a hospital, the ER doctors would address this person immediately, right? Well not this hospital. They called me around 10am saying that they wanted to do xrays and an in-depth exam which requires anesthesia. I came to the clinic @ 11am to sign the anesthesia waiver and the Dr did not look @ my dog until 3pm! Then it turns out the xray revealed he had pneumonia, and the Dr still anesthetized him to do the in-depth exam which is a huge no-no with the breed of dog I have when they suffer from pneumonia. Regardless the Dr said my dog was genetically defective to the point that I should just euthanize him because he will probably not be able to overcome the pneumonia anyway. Distraught I contacted another vet and they recommended I put him back in the Animal ER clinic for the weekend and put him on meds & oxygen. Well I called RPBC and told them to transfer him to the Animal ER and once again they tried to talk me into euthanasia because his treatment would be expensive and his chance of survival is slim. He was transferred to the Animal ER on Friday evening and discharged Sunday afternoon after receiving 2 days of proper care. It worries me to think how many people unnecessarily euthanize their pets because of an ignorant diagnosis.

posted at 08/21/06

andrea_merry

Too Inexperieneced - Needs to mentor longer

When I first saw Dr Weirauch she couldn't help but make derogatory statements about the breed of dog I had. Not only was this a blatant display of poor bedside manner, it was clearly unprofessional. She also felt the need to tell me that my dog was genetically defective by having nostrils that were too small, a observation that was refuted by a Veterinary Internal Medicine specialist and a Veterinary Surgeon. She is too inexperience to be trusted, I strongly recommend requesting Dr Skellenger when seeking appts @ this clinic.

posted at 09/04/06

andrea_merry

Indiscretion and Inexperience nearly cost my dog his life!!!!

Dr Morelli?s indiscretion and inexperience nearly cost my dog his life.

I transferred my dog to Research Pet & Bird clinic while he was on O2 @ 7am in the morning directly from the emergency animal clinic on 183N. Dr Morelli did not examine my dog until 2pm. After x-raying my dog and discovering that he had pneumonia she proceeded to put him under an anesthetic for further examination, which is life threatening for my breed (brachycephalic) of dog.

After the examination her ONLY recommendation was euthanasia, she never once discussed treatment options. The clinic receptionists also tried to persuade me into euthanasia after I declined their euthanasia recommendation.

Needless to say I did not heed her advice and have a happy & healthy dog.

This is the worst vet clinic I have ever been too. I would not recommend this vet clinic to my worst enemy.

posted at 12/02/06

mayqueen87

Excellent Veterinary Care

My pets have been seeing Dr. Morelli and Dr. Weirauch for a year and a half now and my fiance's family has been bringing their animals here for years. I always receive a warm greeting at the door and Dr. Weirauch and Dr. Morelli are extremely knowledgable and have the best bedside manner. They always make my pets feel welcome and I know that they are receiving the best possible care. I would highly recommend this clinic to anyone with a furry, feathered, or scaly friend that need veterinary care.

posted at 03/18/07

ambergf

Do not take your pets here!

I only give this place one star because there is no lower choice. The vet I saw does not have her named listed, and honestly, I don't remember it, but I have never had a worse experience with a vet. They recommended treatment for my rabbit that would have probably cost her life. Luckily, I followed my instincts and went to another vet for a second opinion. Too bad I had already waister nearly $150 on the poor treatment they offered at Research Blvd. Pet and Bird. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

posted at 08/05/07

mikecatfish

great place to take your pets

they took care of my pet that was on deaths door and brought him back to life!!! They work with me on cost and gave many great ideas to help with my pet! I have been to all kind of vets. These guys are 5 stars in my book.

posted at 07/28/09

CHA

Terrible Vets

I took my dog here when she was in pain and having trouble walking, and the Dr. (whose specialty was orthopedic surgery) recommended $2000 worth of surgery to open the channel in her spine even though the xrays showed minimal if any arthritis there. I took her to Westgate, and they immediately found a softball-sized tumor on her spleen by simple palpitation, which was even more obvious when the xrays were sent there from RP&BH. I would never take an animal to RP&BH again. Absolute incompetents.

Also- look at the reviews- notice there are only 5 star and 0 star reviews, and that the reviews that are 5-star are generic where the zero star reviews are specific. That is a certain sign that the 5-star reviews are shills, and the minute you step into the lobby you'll see an office full of miserable animals and clients- it's difficult to imagine anybody giving this place more than one star. Also- if you care about your pet, don't go to a place that touts low cost in their sham reviews- no good vet is cheap and it means that there isn't much else to recommend them.

posted at 10/19/09

mtmcgeisey

Best Vets in Austin

My little girl has 2 new best friends - Dr. Skellenger & Dr. Lewellen. She is getting older in age and yet they never see her like that. They see her as my baby dog and treat her as if she is in the beginning of her life. I have been taking her to see them since I first moved to Austin almost 8 years ago and wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. We have always received friendly and prompt service whether it's a simple vacine or a tumor in the ear. They have always treated her as if she was their own pet and me as a friend. I strongly urge anyone looking for a new vet to visit this clinic!!!

posted at 11/16/09

kaliopae

There's a sucker born every minute!

The only reason I went to this clinic is that they are part of Pet Assure, a discount plan. The only reason I am part of Pet Assure is that I have two dogs; one who is a senior, and one who was born with two congenital defects: subluxated patellas and seizures - a double whammy! Needless to say, insurance is out of the question due to pre-existing conditions.

I arrived at the clinic early on a Saturday, and there were already people lined up. The front desk staff was not very friendly, and acted like I was bothering them.

The veterinarian who examined the dog with the two conditions saw dollar signs in her eyes! I have consulted with other vets about his condition, and due to the danger of the weakening of his liver, they recommended that unless his seizures occurred on a daily basis, to hold off on seizure medications. This vet seemed to think that since my dog has one seizure a month, he needs blood work, diagnostics, labs and meds, a whopping total of only $800! Then when I asked about dental work for the same dog due to a strong breath odor, she came back with an estimate for a teeth cleaning of a mere $299! Egads! To think... my primary goal was to bring in the older dog for anal gland secretion, and now this! To top it all off, after the vet tech brought the senior dog in from the back, he was not paying attention, and my dog slid off the edge of the counter. He barely caught her by her collar inches from the cold, hard floor!

Needless to say, I am never going back to that used car lot of vet clinics! The reason I switched vets was that I moved to Central Austin, and my regular clinic is in Cedar Park. Also, I thought I would save a little money with the Pet Assure plan of 25% off from participating veterinary clinics. Wasn't I shocked when I compared numbers after the visit from hell?! As a comparison:

Anal Gland Secretion
Research Pet & Bird $31
Premier Animal Hospital $15

Dental Cleaning
Research Pet & Bird $299
Premier Animal Hospital $160

You do the math!!!

I won't keep ranting and raving. The economy is on the fritz, and everyone needs to save some money. That is the goal of my writing this, to save others from being conned out of hard-earned dollars. My best advice would be (if you are anywhere near Cedar Park) to give Premier Animal Hospital a try. Dr. Daigle has a great "bedside" manner, and the staff is gracious. They are open on Saturdays as well. My parents and I have been taking numerous family pets there over the years, and have always had a good experience.

Thank you, and good night! :)

Side note: I also canceled my membership with Pet Assure!

posted at 01/05/10

Srybac

Awsome caring people

My experience was one of perfection and ease. Timing was crutial and they had my dog Buddy on time and ready to go. They really care about their customers and their pets.

posted at 03/12/10

jechrist

Excellent Veterinary Care

My cherished relationship with Dr. Skellenger and the staff at Research Pet & Bird Hospital started about a decade ago and is still going strong to this day. Dr. Skellenger's knowledge and dedication to his patients and their owners is second to none. Here's my story... My dog Barkley (the love of my life) and I started out seeing Dr. Skellenger for routine exams and dental cleanings when needed. As Barkley got older, I learned the importance of the "Health Plan", which is simply a more comprehensive set of routine tests to make sure all of his systems were functioning properly. Through the years, the test results showed some changes and with medication we were able to slow the aging process and keep Barkley as healthy as a puppy! Dr. Skellenger was truly instrumental in prolonging Barkley's quality of life for many additional years. Honestly, without Dr. Skellenger I would have lost Barkley years ago. Unfortunately, Barkley had to be put to rest this past September, which was in a word, devastating! Dr. Skellenger stood by us and was so compassionate during this difficult time.

In addition to caring for Barkley, Dr. Skellenger also cares for my other dog Hailey, and my two cats, Ringo and Mia (my little princess).

Also, I have gotten to know the staff pretty well at RPBH and must say that they are some of the best folks around! I'm always greeted with a smile and love when we get the chance to chat. To me, the staff and Dr. Skellenger are family.

I would never consider taking my beloved pets anywhere but RPBH.

Thanks,
Jennifer Christena

posted at 04/22/10

running on empty

Great vet clinic/hospital

We have been taking our 6-7 cats to this clinic for 18+ yrs. We have seen some of the other vets in the clinic but our favorites are Dr Skellenger , Dr Clinton, and Dr Lewelle.. When we have seen some of the other doctors and vet techs who we did not care for, all we had to do is tell the front staff and they changed us to a different doctor immediately and took our complaints seriously.
When the cats first started getting their dental cleanings I requested that if the cats had any cavities to fill them if the teeth were fixable. Dr Skellenger was great in fixing the teeth that needed it. He helped us understand feline dental cavities and gave us a lot of information on dental health. They now have digital xrays which are easier and clearer to read and also less radiation for the animals.
We've also had some of our cats with problems, heart murmur, kidney problems that were all addressed very assertively.
When any of the cats had to go under anes. for surgery or dental or even if they were sick, the staff would also call either that night or the next day to check on the cats status.
When our cats quality of life is no longer good and their life ends they,staff and doctors, are very compassionate and comforting. They even gave us a paw print clay cookie with the pets name on it. WE have 4 of these now.
The staff has always been polite. There are days that they are swamped and extremely busy and the front desk can get overloaded but they try very hard to be pleasant and efficient.
When I had to board the cats I checked multiply clinics and most were open cages with cage floors and very very small but RPBH kennel area was the best that I found, they were like kitty apartments, one room for litter box, one room for bed. The area was very clean. When I picked up the cats they all smelled clean and were healthy.
Overall we have been extremely happy with RPBH,

posted at 07/05/10

atxfireman

Won't Go Back

Our vets, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Schroeder, closed their Milwood Veterinary Clinic practice and partnered with Research Pet & Bird Hospital. Milwood was our neighborhood veterinary clinic and we always felt very comfortable with them. We had been going there since 1993. Milwood had a great staff. We always received friendly, caring, customer service and excellent veterinary care for our pets. Our dog requires particular attention due to an ongoing issue.

I tried this new location. I don't like it! The staff is not very friendly and I never felt like I had good customer service. When I took my dog in, to have her anal glands expressed, a tech came out to take her, but I couldn't go to the back with her. That never happened at Milwood. The times I went here it seemed as if the staff didn't care and was more interested in moving customers in and out quickly rather than providing any customer service. They were very impersonal.

I have since found another veterinary hospital where the staff is friendly, provides excellent customer service, and is very caring about my pet's health; like it used to be at Milwood. I'm sorry my previous vets partnered with this place because I will not go back to Research Pet & Bird Hospital.

posted at 10/01/10

Disaster Guy

Great Support and Understanding

We have two Bichons and we are wanting to have one litter before we have our dogs spayed and neutered.

Dr. Skellenger to the time to talk to us and perform a thorough exam of our "kids". We felt he and the staff went above and beyond in helping us. Even to the point of Dr. Skellenger walking out to the lobby and sitting beside me assuring me that everything would be OK.

I could never imgaine taking my kids anywhere else.

In addition, the fact that Dr. Skellenger was an Aggie didn't bother me ;-) He and the staff are super.

Thankful "future" parents

posted at 02/09/11

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Daniel Lisa DVM

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alicia_gambell

andrea_merry

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andrea_merry

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ambergf

mikecatfish

CHA

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Srybac

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running on empty

atxfireman

Disaster Guy

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