North Georgia Veterinary Specialists

My dog of 16 years passed away recently. Since my wife and I have no prior experience of such matter, we got a friend’s referral and contacted North Georgia Vet specialist for the Cremation service. It was around 7 pm when we contacted them, and we were surprised that they were still open. After arriving with my dog, the check-in process was quick and the price was very reasonable. Five days later, the urn was ready to be picked up as promised. My dog’s ashes was contained in a very nice and solid wooden box inside a small blue pouch, along with the dog’s last paw print and a certificate. Both my wife and I immediately noticed the detail in what was returned to us. It was not hard to see that they have really put their efforts in my dog's passing and I have absolutely no doubt that my dog’s last journey was handled with love and care as if he were one of their own. What’s most surprising is that, after about a week later, we received a greeting card in the mail, filled with warm messages from all of their staffs. I was in tears again as I was beginning to recover from the grief...come on!! There are tons of businesses out there providing different types of services. Landscaping service, car repairs, house maintenance services, health care, etc..., and I have used quite a few of them. Never have I come across a business like this with so much love and compassion. Those people at North Georgia Veterinary Specialists really touched my heart. My wife and I might not want a new pet in the near future, but I will always remember them. Thank you, North Georgia Veterinary Specialists!

posted: 09/18/2023

Fantastic service! We took our very old, very sick kitty in, knowing that her prognosis was probably not good. Dr. Hayes was the sweetest, kindest vet we have ever seen. She walked us through our options and told us she would fight for us as much as we wanted. In the end, we decided it was best for our sweet girl to let her go. Dr. Hayes was again so caring and understanding throughout that process and spent a lot of time just chatting with us and making us feel comfortable and comforted. It is obvious that she cares about animals AND people.

posted: 06/18/2023

There are no words for the gratitude I have and what a wonderful experience I had at North GA vet specialists. I brought my dog in incredibly sick with the full understanding I likely wouldn't walk out of there taking my dog home with me. Dr Hayes is a true gem, very honest, practical all while exuding compassion. A few days later my dog was transferred to Dr Surdyk the internal medicine doctor. My pup was diagnosed with a terrible autoimmune disorder that doesn't have a great prognosis. Dr Surdyk was SO THOROUGH, drew pictures, simplified everything she explained in medical terminology. When I cried, she cried with me; true compassion. The techs, front desk and office manager were also simply amazing, especially Brittany who loved my girls and took her time explaining every medication in detail. 6 days, lots of med, 3 blood transfusions and lots of love later she got to come home. I'm sure it won't be for a very long time but I'm just grateful for the time. Was it expensive? Sure but if I walked into the ER and was admitted into the hospital for 6 days with a life threatening illness without health insurance it would be too. But the entire staff was very upfront with the financial aspect of the options I was presented. And I can honestly say even if I was fortunate enough to leave with my dog I would have left the same review. If your on the fence bc you're reading complaints about "I had to wait 3 hours or it was expensive" take it with a grain of salt, you can't please everybody. Thank you so much to the entire staff!

posted: 09/07/2023

JUST 10 HOURS AFTER EMERGENCY VISIT, OUR DOG DIED AND BLOOD RAN OUT OF HIS MOUTH. My dog, Shep, walked 2.5 miles and played Frisbee jumping 6 feet high to catch that afternoon. He seemed fine until shortly after midnight. He started breathing rapidly & shallow, and had a terrible look of coping with pain on his face. I took him to N. GA Veterinary Specialists arriving around 3:30 am and reported he was breathing what looked to me was the "death breath" - rapid/shallow breathing common when people die ...just like my father & grandmother. I added he had an unusual facial expression I thought was him coping with pain. I had to sit in parking lot and they took Shep inside. The vet returned and told me Shep had a high fever and checked his vitals and they were good. He said the rapid breathing was to cool himself because of the fever. He decided to give him fluid to reduce his temperature and told me to follow up with my vet and Shep should probably have blood work done. I called my vet when they opened the next morning to schedule an appointment for the recommended follow up. Shep, my best friend, died in our home 10 hours after seeing North GA Vet. A large amount of blood ran out of his mouth when he took his last breath. His rapid/shallow breathing was consistent to the end. No words can express the sorrow and horror we experienced watching our dear Shep suffer to a bitter end. Below are the veterinarian's words from the pdf he emailed me immediately after the visit - everything in quotes are his words - I cut & pasted them. I did as he instructed. I recommend reading the "Additional Instructions" section closely, and give that some thought. Visit Summary: "Shep presented for panting. He is currently being treated (started Friday) for prostatitis and is on baytril and an nsaid. Eating normally. No vomiting or loose stool. We found a fever (104.8) and did a quick U/S which did not show any free fluid or any obvious issues with the heart. I suspect the fever is causing the panting and we gave SQ fluids to help reduce his temperature. Use a fan on him to help with cooling. I recommend rechecking a temperature twice daily at home (a digital thermometer can be used rectally). If above 104, check with your pcVet. If his fever persists a complete workup(blood work, radiographs) would be advised. A more complete diagnostic U/S could also be considered to better evaluate the prostate." Diagnosis/Assessment: "Probable prostatitis (can't rule out neoplasia)". Exercise: "Shep can resume his regular activities". Feeding: "Feed Shep his regular diet". Additional Instructions: "The examination and treatment you have received have been given on an emergency basis and are not intended to substitute for complete medical care. For Shep's health, we recommend keeping your primary veterinarian involved in his follow-up care and for any further problems."

posted: 12/06/2022

Excellent service and help in a time of grief of the loss of your pet in our case of ATHOS our 15 year old cat. From the call to the very friendly call centre (Nick) to the service information where he informed us of the 24/7 service. On arrival on Sunday September 17-2023 at approximately 3:00am the snorita who attended us very kindly asked very kindly what was wrong with Athos (cat) we commented that it was very bad and we wanted to help us to sleep, we understood and gave options. Then she took us to a room to be with Athos, she explained to us that they were going to cannulate a vein and then they would bring him to us to be with Athos and say goodbye, we thanked Athos for his 15 years with us and our family, we called the doctor who explained what was going to happen, she gave us another time with Athos and with love in a moment of silence the doctor started with the procedure and our Athos said goodbye to this earth in our arms. THANK YOU to the team for the beautiful and loving support they gave us in this farewell of our beloved cat Athos!!!

posted: 09/21/2023