Good Hope Animal Hospital: Berlin Katie DVM

Mar 2023

Our cat was misdiagnosed by a former veterinarian at Good Hope and the specialist that he sent us to see. The cat had a diagnosis of Gastric lymphoma and everyone was very empathetic and kind but suggested Palliative care with prednisone and an appetite stimulant. My sister who is very disabled and has not been in the office, was devastated. I had gifted her the cat to help her with depression and for companionship. I felt terrible because the cat was only 4 yrs old. Anyway after paying over a thousand dollars for the testing and being faced with the possibility of two major surgeries followed by chemotherapy, my sister called Good Hope for an opinion. Her veterinarian told her that he didn't think the cat was well enough to undergo the treatment and it would only prolong his life for possibly a year or two. He suggested that we just treat the symptoms and give him the best life possible. This occurred in May and by November, it seemed like he was continuing to lose weight and we were surprised that he had survived this long but he was content. I then rescued a kitten for my sister hoping to bring up her spirits and ordered a pet memorial stone and necklace. Now the kitten has FIP and I am paying thousands for a treatment that is time consuming and difficult for my sister to administer daily. But, when I brought the kitten in to be seen,I asked Dr. Konetski why it had been almost 10 months and Scamp was still alive. We were told he would only live about 3 months. She looked into it and called later to give us the good news that he was probably misdiagnosed and could be treated for this. Dr Konetski is a wonderful and astute doctor. We were so happy but upset that my sister and the poor cat suffered this long. When I brought the cat in for his annual checkup the next day, he saw a different doctor who made us feel guilty about not bringing him sooner for more blood work. It was a very unhappy experience. We needed to bring him back again because his labs were very bad. I know the doctor talked to my sister on the phone about treatment but it was a bit confusing for her and I looked forward to talking to the doctor to clear up a few things. I found out that we were only scheduled with a vet tech and she couldn't answer my questions. The doc did come in but appeared annoyed. We were just confused as to why his kidney levels were so bad when he drank a lot of water and appeared to be urinating a normal amount. My sister already was having trouble finding volunteers to help her administer an injectable med in the kitten but now she would have to have someone come to help with the cat's shot and IV fluids. It was just so overwhelming. No responsibility for the misdiagnosis was talked about. We were just told that that doctor wasn't there anymore. No apology or discount on the cat' s treatment that is long overdue. I take my dog to another vet and never pay what you have to pay at this office, nor am I ever made to feel badly. My sister's cats have a warm and loving home and she should never be made to feel guilty for doing what she was told.

Dec 2021

We've been taking our dogs to Good Hope for years, but this is the first time I'm writing a review. We just went through the heartbreak of losing our Lily. Dr. Konetski was an angel from heaven. It was an emergency visit and we had never met her before. But it was as if she'd been Lily's vet for years. Her kind, calm, experienced voice led us to be able to better handle such a difficult time. Thank you Dr. Konetski. And thank you to Dr. Heidecker, Dr. Michler and Dr. Kaylor who are also exemplary. ~Alicia

Dec 2021

Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve we made the painful decision to place our beloved cat (Sebastian) down. Our cat went downhill rather quickly and we weren't left with too many options. Given the circumstances and the holiday. Dr. Kelly was able to squeeze us in. From the first phone call to us leaving after the event THE WHOLE STAFF was amazing! I will recommend this facility to everyone I know. Thank you all again for the compassion and your time.