Gambrills Veterinary Center

I highly recommend Gambrills Veterianary Center. Great people and love the doggie daycare. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Doctors are lovely. This vet is costly, which I wouldn’t mind since the doctors were so great, but the front desk staff are the rudest must inefficient unorganized people I have ever done business with. They messed up not one but two of our appointments and asked us to return at another time! Today we had an appointment scheduled to show up and be told someone had scheduled over our appointment and there was no doctor in to see our pup. The wonderful doctors have lost a new client and we will not be returning here. I advise new clients to do their research before choosing this vet as a primary.

We’ve been going to Gambrills Veterinary Center for about a year now but after a particularly upsetting incident we are looking for another vet. As first time puppy owners, we were recommended this place by a neighbor and initially were pleased with the services. The front desk is very friendly and doggy daycare is amazing — a fantastic way to socialize your dog and tire them out! We could tell our dog loved all the people who worked daycare and the front desk because he would run up and lick them every time we went.
We started questioning the veterinary services after a few visits. Dr. Orenstein would tell us a lot of information all at once without much explanation unless we asked specific questions, which as first time puppy owners was difficult trying to figure out what we should ask! We ended up leaving multiple times with a huge bill, bottles of medication, and a lot of questions about what just happened because he would tell us everything in about 30 seconds and walk out the door. Trying to communicate was also challenging as it usually took a day or more for him to return a phone call which was really concerning when our dog had a stomach bug. Needless to say his bedside manner was lacking and we began to wonder if we should look elsewhere.
We really decided it was time to walk away when we boarded our dog for a week to go on vacation. Even though we were concerned with the way Dr. O handles office visits, we were pleased with the staff who takes care of the animals when boarding. (it is interesting to note, however, that in the year we’ve been there, we only recognize a few staff members who have been there the whole time. Seems to be a high turnover rate for employees).
We got a call 2 days before we were about to come home from a new vet, Dr. Allison Gutwillig, and it was a very upsetting conversation. She called us in the morning saying there were multiple issues going on with our puppy, one of which involved him limping a bit at daycare, and she wanted to sedate him and do x-​rays. She told us a list of tests she wanted to run, medications she wanted to give him, and delivered it all without giving us any specific information regarding his issues — just vague symptoms he seemed to be displaying and one hefty diagnosis for his limp that she said we must «have missed since we see him every day» — literally a quote from her mouth.
It was such an upsetting phone call that we had to hang up and discuss it for a while. When we called back, we discussed our options since we were across the country and as nothing appeared to be an emergency, we told her our decision. She then proceeded to question us with «are you sure» when we told her our decisions which was extremely unprofessional and truly showed us she seemed to be after our money. We couldn’t believe she wanted to sedate our dog without us even being there to see him ourselves when it was not an emergency!
It absolutely ruined the end of our trip and when I went to pick up the dog, he came running out in one of those cone collars which she never even mentioned! The staff told us he had been in one since the day she called. We watched our dog closely once we brought him home and none of the issues she mentioned showed up at all, not even a limp.
I DO NOT recommend anyone to come here for a vet visit as Dr. Orenstein and Dr. Gutwillig have terrible bedside manner and truly are after your money as opposed to what is really best for your pet. Doggy daycare is still a great service, but we are absolutely looking elsewhere for a vet. Very disappointing after a year.

After being a loyal customer here for over half a decade (with out dog and our cat), we’ve thrown in the towel and are looking elsewhere for services. When we first started with Dr. O and his staff, we were very pleased with the level of care/​service they provided in addition to the prices. As time has passed though, the quality of service has gradually eroded to something that we feel is just barely acceptable — especially considering the prices that have seemed to have just as gradually increased. Last year we had to bring our cat in to be seen three times (per Dr. O’s recommendations) and we paid upwards of $ 500 for an «eye» issue she had — mind you it didn’t require any surgeries or anything invasive otherwise. I feel like Dr. O played up a situation to be a lot more serious than it actually was in order to justify the continued visits he insisted we needed for «follow up» and the many medications that he recommended that didn’t even necessarily work that well. Most recently we took our dog in there and we were told an issue he had would require invasive surgical procedures upwards of $ 1600. This is after we had already done our «homework» and discovered what the «ballpark» range would be and it was at least $ 500 less than what Dr. O insisted. Now that we have lived here a while, we have been able to network and make friends with people who actually own their own local clinic so that’s where we are headed. Kind of sad that we let ourselves be pushed to this point where we are more than happy to leave GVC and Dr. O. At the same time, I’m relieved that we are finally going to be going to what we believe to be much more attentive care for our pets as much as sensitive to our personal finances.

I had a terrible experience here. Not only did Dr. O lack compassion, the bill was outrageous.
The reason why I brought my dog in was for stomach issues and he never even addressed them!!! But he did recommend a bunch of random immunizations even though my dog was sick… I even had to remind him to check my dogs stool sample– which he didn’t bother to do himself and had his tech do it for him AND he charged me for a bag of dog food without even telling me. His front office would’ve let me leave without it had I not checked my bill.
I said he was unsympathetic because he diagnosed my dog with heart murmur– which is the first time a vet had ever mentioned it. He freaked me out and completely overwhelmed me without even explaining what it meant or how it could be treated. I will not be going back!!!

The staff is mostly very friendly, especially the front desk staff. There’s even a gal in the office with a super sweet Ursula tattoo from the Little Mermaid. Nice big, clean office. Don’t expect to be seen on time though. We almost always have wait AT LEAST 15 minutes past the scheduled appointment time.
BUT– the prices are absolutely INSANE. For my 2 indoor-​only cats to have their annual check ups and vaccinations, it was $ 616.23. Granted, some of that was because my cat had an ear infection but WTF. W. T. F.
Prices (PER CAT)–
Office Visit: $ 57.95
Distemper feline 1 year: $ 38.95
Intestinal parasite fecal exam: $ 34.05
Ear swab & microscopic exam: $ 37.65
Ear cleaning mild: $ 29.95
Tresaderm (ear drops): $ 65.25
Follow-​up visit (to check on ear infection): $ 40.50
Leukemia/​FIV/​HW test: $ 61.00
Blood sample collect/​prep: $ 10.48
Fecalizer: $ 9.20
Ear cleaning: $ 19.62 — THIS IS LITERALLY TAKING A Q-​TIP AND WIPING OUT ONE CAT EAR
It’s also been suggested that we spend another $ 500+ per cat to have them put to sleep to have their teeth cleaned.
Once we saw pictures of Noah’s Ark all over the office last night, that pretty much sealed the deal on switching vets (we’re atheists). I asked how I could get copies of their records. OF COURSE that would be an extra $ 20. Only other option?– have only the list of vaccinations faxed to me… because people still use fax machines in 2014 apparently… Maybe buy a scanner with all of the money you rip off from people! When the fax came in, it wasn’t even a list of prior vaccinations! It was just a reminder of when their next vaccinations were due. UGH!!!

I have used this Vet for the past year since I moved to the area. They seem to provide good care for my dog when I have had to bring her in (annual check up, vaccinations plus two office visits). They also follow up with a phone call 1 – 2 days after an office visit to check on the pet. This is always while I am at work, so it’s always a voicemail and not that useful to me as I would call them if I had problems, however it’s good business practice to show concern and retain customers.
However, in my opinion they are over priced. They charge a $ 58 office fee every time you go in, even for vaccinations (which are also a bit higher priced as well), which to me is ridiculous when it takes a total of 5 minutes max to administer a vaccination. They require an annual physical, which I believe is around $ 50. I suggest getting vaccinations done during the physical to avoid the separate office visit charge. Also be prepared to wait. Every time I have taken my dog in, I have had to wait at least 30 minutes, the last two times I have waited over an hour past my appointment time.
The facility is nice and clean. They are closed Saturday but open Sunday, which is convenient for those who can’t make it in during the work week. The reason for my 3 star rating is high prices and waiting room time for appointments.

We just moved to the area at the beginning of the year and chose GVC because it’s right down the street from our house. After reading so many negative reviews, I felt it necessary to write a good one of my own. First thing, we’ve never had any major issues with our dog. We’ve just taken her there for her normal checkups and yearly shots, so I don’t have anything to say when it comes to major surgeries or anything like that. Even so, we’ve never had any issues. Secondly, I’ve never actually met Dr. Orenstein, so can’t comment on his personality or bedside manner. However, Dr. Christy Shoup (I think she’s there Monday afternoons) was absolutely amazing! You can tell that she loves animals and is extremely compassionate. After Sadie’s appointment, she even took us on a tour of the facility, which was really nice. Speaking of the facility, it’s incredibly clean. Most of the vets we have been to in the past smell of… well, animals. You can tell that they deep clean this place daily, which I definitely appreciate since it’s a medical office for animals. Lastly, every time I’ve called, the women at the front desk answering the phones have been extremely friendly and accommodating. I treat my dog as if she’s a child (seriously, it’s a little ridiculous), so am always calling before her appointments asking very detailed questions, and they’ve always been extremely sweet about it. I truly have no complaints when it comes to the staff or facility… it is definitely a little more expensive than some of the other vets we’ve been to in the past, but in all honesty, most things in this area seem to be a little pricier.
We’re taking her to GVC this weekend for her first stay in the boarding facility, so I will update my review once we return.
UPDATE: We came home to a very happy and tired pup! I warned the girls at the front desk that I would be calling to check up on our dog while we were away, and they were so sweet about it. When I called, I got a full update and was assured that she was doing fine while we were away, which put my mind at ease. Again, the only downside is the high prices. After four days of boarding and updating all of her shots, we spent a pretty penny.

I never really felt any compassion when I took my dog here last year for an emergency. Never got any definite answers. Ended up having an almost $ 1500 hospital stay, because I was very scared for my dog, and taking him day after day spending tons of money, on things that I now find unnecessary. And I am a person who is willing to spend as much money as possible to make my dog better– I was in a state of mind of trying to get him better, now looking in hindsight, I spent way too much money and feel I was taken advantage of. The other staff besides the doctors were friendly, and the place is very clean but I would never recommend it or go back there.

I have not had a good experience at Gambrills. Dr. Orenstein’s bedside manner is severely lacking. I never felt as though he had any compassion for my dog or our situation which seems to be a trend on other review sites. I thought Dr. Orenstein seemed knowledgeable so I decided to deal with the lack of compassion I felt in an effort to just get my dog well however I experienced other problems that eventually I could not overlook. I had an extremely difficult time getting calls back from the doctor or anyone at the office after my dog had surgery just to let me know she came out OK or when they received test results to let me know they were in. At one point my dog’s condition worsened and I called to let him know and to get advice on what to do and after 8 ½ hours and 3 phone calls with no response I had to physically drive to the location to try to get help and even then Dr. Orenstein did not have the courtesy to speak with me. It is very disappointing as the facility is clean and offers many different services but I think they could greatly improve their customer service and retention if they used these reviews as tools to improve.

Don’t use them! We made an appointment for them to board our two dogs over Easter long weekend (Thursday-​Saturday) while we were going out of town; then we went to drop them off the next day (Thursday) they only had the reservation for one night. The front desk person was nice but disorganized. It took about 10 minutes, but she made the necessary changes, then told us they were closed on Saturday and Sunday, so we’d have to pay for Saturday and Sunday night too and pickup on Monday. The day before, my wife had very specifically asked if they were open on Saturday and they said «yes». So we were either faced with paying an extra $ 200 for two days we didn’t need or want, or we had to take the dogs on vacation with us at the last minute. As I gave them our leashed dogs the vet tech commented how interesting — my golden retriever’s leash (a special order British-​style slip leash) was just like the one the vet tech had (showing me the one in her hand); shortly thereafter, we started driving out of town; I explained to my wife what had taken so long, and we decided to turn around, get the dogs and save the $ 440 by taking the dogs with us. When I walked back in, they gave us our two dogs, and the wrong leash, which I didn’t notice until the end of the weekend when I took the dogs for a walk. When I called them to explain the mix up and ask for my leash, they denied giving me the wrong leash and insisted that the torn up leash was ours and the new one was theirs. To me it’s just principle; I’m certain they kept my leash and they refused to even consider they made an honest mistake and they refused to return it.

Great docs and super friendly staff. They also have very convenient hours for us working animal lovers!