# Links Road Animal Hospital



## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I'm hoping someone can help me with some specific experiences with Links Road Animal and Bird Clinic and some specific price information. I intent to call them and talk to them but the picture they will paint over the phone is not necessarily accurate, so I was hoping to get some personal experiences. 

For our last hedgehog we went to Dr. Munn at Greenwood park animal hospital. They were good there I only had a few minor complaints which were not directly related to the care they provided to Quigley. 

We've moved since then and that animal hospital is now about an hour away. The Links Road is closer and they also treat birds so we could take all of our pets there (hedgehog, cat, and budgie). It would very convenient to have them all go to the same vet clinic. 

I just can't seem to get specific information off the website. Here are my questions. Please add any thoughts or experiences you have had. 

What is their routine exam procedure and price (for hedgehog, budgie or cat)?

Do you find they prescribe a lot of stuff or recommend surgery before trying other options? 

Are they actually knowledgeable about nutrition? The website says that they are and help with food choices for all animals but it doesn't give specific food recommendations so I can't tell if they know what they're talking about or if they're going to tell me to switch my cat to Science Diet. :roll: 

I'm especially interested to find out how they physically handle hedgehog's and budgies since those are obviously more difficult than a cat. I have a lot more experience taking cats to different vets as well so I'm not quite as nervous about that. 

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Links road is expensive!!!!! Everything I've heard about them is they have to do a kazillion expensive tests before they give a diagnoses.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I went there, once, when I first got my boy (I like like 10 min away from them )

You need to know exactly what you want done, and how you want it done.
I don't remember the exact cost of everything though, I think almost 200? Don't quote me on that, and that was almost 4 years ago.
Anyways, this was back when I wasn't sure if Shinji had mites or not, so I decided to take him just in case, since he was losing quills.
Told them what I thought was wrong, told them what I wanted to treat with. So I didn't get any "hmms and haaas" about any various tests. The vet did say something about ivermectin, but I was like "no" and that was the end of that :lol: 
No gloves were used, just a towel. 

Overal, for stuff like that, and you don't mind spending more, it'd be ok. 
Back then, I saw some generic hedgehog food in a brown paper bag type packaging on shelves, but that was it lol

Now, as for small animals, I'm currently looking for clinics for my placement next semester, so I could give you the inside scope of whatever clinic takes me in the area  

As for food, ALL vets will try to sell the food they carry in the clinic. They get paid to do it. So all the medical/royal canin, hills prescription, etcetc. So it's not always necessarily reliable. Although, the vet and vet tech I was working with over the summer really likes T/D(dental health). Theres one for cats and dogs(large and small bites), and apparently really helps cut down on plague. Plus, you don't see many foods for cats that are for dental health like that, and they are bigger kibble sizes, which makes them chew their food, unlike regular kibble lol. So unless you find a holistic vet, the general food will be MDRC and Hills foods


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Nancy said:


> Links road is expensive!!!!! Everything I've heard about them is they have to do a kazillion expensive tests before they give a diagnoses.


That's sort of what I was afraid of but we don't have a car so a winter hedgehog vet trip is stressful and risky for the hedgehog and our cat is getting more and more anxious about traveling out side as he gets older (previously we took him on the subway to go to the vet but I think he'd be even more afraid of that now)

I decided that if I take a cab I can take them all in together and we don't have to worry so much about the season. A cab all the way to Greenwood Park seems like it would be really expensive. Plus I don't think Greenwood Park sees birds so I'd have to have at least two different vets. I wish a good comprehensive vet clinic was easier to find. 

Immortalia I would love the inside scoop! Thanks! And I sort of thought that would be the case with the food. Thanks for letting me know your experience with them. It sounds like they are the complete opposite of my vet right now. My cat's current vet is known for being the cheapest in the area but I felt rushed through the exam and the vet didn't seem very concerned about him, when I talked about vaccines and flea/tick/heartworm meds he sort of brushed it off as an extra expense. I want a vet who will recommend what is reasonable, not extra, and not avoid medicine or treatment just because it costs money.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Immortalia said:


> As for food, ALL vets will try to sell the food they carry in the clinic. They get paid to do it. So all the medical/royal canin, hills prescription, etcetc. So it's not always necessarily reliable. Although, the vet and vet tech I was working with over the summer really likes T/D(dental health). Theres one for cats and dogs(large and small bites), and apparently really helps cut down on plague. Plus, you don't see many foods for cats that are for dental health like that, and they are bigger kibble sizes, which makes them chew their food, unlike regular kibble lol. So unless you find a holistic vet, the general food will be MDRC and Hills foods


Science Diet makes a dental health food that is available at the pet stores. I recently bought a bag for our gang and although we haven't had the T/D in about a year, from what I can remember, it looks identical and is a bit cheaper than from the vet.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

Ready for a novel?

I used to go to this vet's office when I was living in Scarborough because it was the closest exotic vet I could find. I started going there because Pepper at the time was having chronic excessive quill loss. I seen Dr. Nur. She deemed it as mites and gave Pepper a dose of ivermectin (this was prior to me knowing anything about ivermectin). Well weeks and weeks went by and the quill loss continued so I brought Pepper back, she got another dose of ivermectin. Same thing happened, quill loss continued so I brought her back AGAIN and she gave her ANOTHER shot of ivermectin, annnnnnd it did nothing (every time I went for a follow up + shot was around $90). So the forth time I brought her back she finally gave me a topical mite treatment...none of which helped. So the fifth time I went to bring her back because she was still losing excessive quills, I seen Dr. Mavromatis who looked at her skin and asked me "have you ever seen mites on her before", and I said no, I had never seen them myself but she was treated for mites as that's what Dr. Nur concluded was wrong. Then he said to me "the way her skin is flaking is not indicative of mites, this is a hormonal issue". Sure enough after a few months the quill loss stopped on its own but I had already spent $100's trying to fix a problem that didn't exist in the first place. 

Secondly, after aquiring my cat I brought him there because he was itching his ears, they did swabs on his ears ($40 a swab!) and all they said was that it "may" be the beginning stages of mites and told me to get revolution which you can only buy from that office in packs of 6 ($100!)...and guess what...months later problem persisted and I brought him to a different vet and they determined he was itching his ears due to food allergies for significantly less money. That visit for my cat I spent over $200. There has got to be a closer vet to you that deals with cats rather than this one. Do not take your cat there or you will be spending an absolute fortune. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any receipts left from the few times I had went there but it was very expensive in comparison to other vets. 

The vets who work there are very nice, and I found they did handle my hedgehog(s) well. I brought another one of my hedgehogs there for a wellness visit and it was ok. They were aware though that I was feeding my hedgehogs "8 in 1 hedgehog diet" and never said anything about it being garbage (again before I knew about them eating cat food).


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Thanks Pickles that was really detailed. I appreciate hearing your experience. Sounds like they are not a good vet for cats. I wonder if they are better with hedgehogs now, Maybe they're more up to date and treat with revolution now. It is a red flag that the first vet you saw misdiagnosed the problem for so long without getting another opinion. I think if I were in that situation I would have complained and asked for a refund. At least a refund for the exams even if they couldn't do a refund for the medicine. I'm glad your hedgehog didn't have any ill effects from the ivermectin but still that's scary!

There are other cheaper vets in my area for cats I was just really hoping to take them all to the same vet. I really didn't want three different vets. I feel like the more business you give them and the better they get to know you the better service you get and the more likely they are to compromise on price or make a payment plan in an emergency.

I found Sam Munn on The Association of Avian Veterinarians list, (http://www.aav.org/association/?content ... embersList) so I'm back to thinking that Greenwood Park is probably the best vet in the city. I'll have to give them a call today. If they do treat budgies then I can at least take my budgie and future hedgehog to them even if I go to a closer vet for my cat.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've also heard that Greenwood Park has gone downhill and gotten more expensive to being not too much different in price than the others. I've seen numerous comments saying to specifically request Dr Sam because the other vet do not know much about hedgehogs. 

I agree with having one vet for all the animals and hopefully you can find a good reasonably priced one that will meet your needs.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Nancy said:


> I've also heard that Greenwood Park has gone downhill and gotten more expensive to being not too much different in price than the others. I've seen numerous comments saying to specifically request Dr Sam because the other vet do not know much about hedgehogs.
> 
> I agree with having one vet for all the animals and hopefully you can find a good reasonably priced one that will meet your needs.


I last went there a little over a year ago, The last few times we went we had a different vet than Dr. Sam Munn, she was ok. I found her a little patronizing, she actually explained to me that when hedgehogs are examined they usually ball up, complete with a patronizing sing-song voice and ridiculous hand gestures demonstrating that they hide their face. She even had a little sound effect for it. :roll:

That aside, Quigley had a little lump on his head that I was worried about and she checked it out, removed it and explained that it was only a little fat deposit and nothing to worry about. She also examined him. It was not that much money, I don't think it was more than when I first started going there. I think I would be ok with her as a vet especially since Sam Munn would be available for second opinions. I was sort of annoyed that they switched us to her without telling us we would be seeing a different vet. but that is an admin complaint not a vet complaint.

It seems like the only choices for Avian vets are Greenwood Park, Links road and a vet at high park (although I think that might be out of date), I haven't had any pressing need to take my bird to a vet so I don't have a current Avian vet. but now that he's getting older and we're thinking about getting him a new friend I want to make sure he is healthy. As far as I can tell the only Avian vets that list that also treat hedgehogs are Links Road and Greenwood park.

I am about to call around and see if I can get specific prices out of them.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Ok so the scoop for anyone who may be wondering. 

Links Road did not want to take my Cat despite having cats and dogs listed on their website as animals that they treat. Apparently they only do routine stuff for cats so would be no good in emergencies or for surgeries etc. This is why she recommended getting the cat set up at a clinic that is equipped for emergencies and non routine stuff for cats. 

At Links Road the base exam is $95 for a first visit (they have never seen the animal before). 
After the first visit the base exam is $79
The second animal in the same visit is $69 

Greenwood Park 

will take cats, hedgehogs, and budgies

the base exam is $77 for a hedgehog 
$84 for a budgie 
$71.50 for a cat 

they do not have a second animal discount except for small things with the same species. For instance if you have two cats going in for flea meds, or two budgies that need beak and nail trims. 

Dr. Munn is still there, Dr. Hammond who was there a year ago is not there anymore and the new partner is Dr. Markus Luckwaldt who used to be at Amherst. 

If anyone has any experience with Dr. Markus Luckwaldt I'd love to hear that too.


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## maity (Feb 17, 2018)

I encountered the same problem the other person had. That Dr. Nur gave my pet an injection to treat mites but it turns out my pet did not have mites.
It might be okay going there for routine services such as grooming or spay/neuter or a simple cold, but I would not rely on them for anything serious that requires a diagnosis.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Please check the date on a thread before posting, this one is from 2012.


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## maity (Feb 17, 2018)

Fyi...The point I am making is that 5 years later, Links Road Animal Clinic is still making the same mistake on misdiagnosing.


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