PAWS Veterinary Center

PAWS is amazing. We decided to try alternative medicine rather than surgery when Stanley tore his CCL. The staff is so caring and thorough. They spent 2 hours with us the first appointment. And the comfort room is so nice for the pups. No anxiety about going to the vet here. I drive all the way from Vail just to go to PAWS. And you might think by the location and beautiful building that they would be super expensive, but I found their pricing on meds to be the same as buying it online. That never happens at a vet!

Been going to Paws for ~4 years, with the first cat I adopted, and since the second. Only done cats there.
I absolutely love the place, for a couple reasons:
1. Cat friendly facility. Other vets I’ve run into treat cats as kind of disposable, but these folks have been wonderful, from a «quiet waiting area» that is good for cats in carriers, to very cat friendly vets and staff.
2. Knowledgeable and sincere staff. I’ve dealt with three vets, including once with Dr Randy for surgery.
3. Up front and clear about costs and recommendations.
4. Very helpful with «life tips» for feeding medicine to cats! This is not always an easy thing.
5. Gorgeous facility. I know this doesn’t really impact, but it really is gorgeous.
I’ve dealt with two semi-​serious issues with cats through Paws. One was a cat that ate a USB drive cap, and it lodged in his intestine. Dr. Randy did surgery to remove it. The surgery and treatment went well, and the cat is perfectly health now.
Secondly, my second cat had Stomatitis, and the doctor guided me through what to do, and even consulted with and then referred me to a specialist (for what I understand is a fairly technical mouth surgery to remove teeth).
They call me when its time for annual visits, or when the rabies or other immunization is about to expire. They call me without fail the day after a visit to check status.
I have never shopped around enough to know what the cost is at this facility compared to others around town, but it’s always seemed within reason to me.
Can’t say enough good things about these folks, and its a pleasure to have them watching over the health of my cats.

Unskilled, unprofessional, and unethical. I do NOT recommended for the care of any animal.
Very disappointed in the care that my cats received. Brought two of my cats in to see Denise Gordon last week, one for shots, while one had not been eating and had been vomiting. The one that wasn’t feeling well hissed and swatted at Denise Gordon. She immediately recoiled in horror as if she had never had to deal with a cat not feeling at his best. She then was very timid and afraid to complete the exam or touch my cat without first sedating him using gas anesthesia (isoflurane) in a closed chamber. With this lack of a physical examination and only a very quick health history, she then went on to recommend $ 800 in diagnostic tests. I agreed to the charges and when all tests came back negative, Denise Gordon then recommended another battery of additional costly exploratory tests such as echocardiography. When I asked what exactly the tests would be looking for (because I am happy to have the tests done if she had a strong hypothesis for what was causing my cat to vomit), Denise Gordon became extremely defensive and justified her treatment course as «this is how I treat all my patients». At that point, I suggested that I would wait and watch the cat over the weekend. However, instead of receiving a phone call on Monday morning asking how the cat was, I received a letter in the mail stating that PAWS no longer was interested in caring for my pets. Nope, the letter did not even a mention my sick cat and whether he was doing better. Given that in the last month my dog was seen at PAWS for routine shots ($ 368.23, note this charge included optional blood work because we care about the health of our animals), shots for my healthy cat ($ 112.50), and a bill for my sick cat ($ 730.81), I think I am more than happy to look elsewhere for a better skilled, more experienced and more compassionate veterinarian who cares about my animals.

I have been bringing our 2 dogs to Paws for 3 – 4 years. We have gone through all the routine vaccine appointments, valley fever monitoring, emergency visits like; cactus in the eye, coyote fight mending, digestive imbalance diagnosis, allergy testing, dental cleaning, etc. After all of our various visits I have found that the staff are consistently and clearly professional, they are kind and accommodating too. We receive friendly appointment reminder calls and follow up calls with every visit. I never need to wait long for a call back when I have a question that the receptionst cannot answer off the cuff and she needs to consult the doctor on. Also our primary vet will often take the time to call me and consult about aftercare or bloodwork. The vet technicians are attentive and patient too. I appreciate the compassionate common sense advise I am given. I love the wholistic approach to my pet’s chronic symptoms too. Although pet care can be expensive, I am given options to fit my budget and never made to feel guilty if some treatments are not in our budget. Oh and the Paws building is thoughtfully designed for pet comfort and relaxing for me to be in.

I got a new puppy and have been there four times for scheduled visits. The staff is amazing and you can tell they love their jobs. I have owned dogs all my life and have been to a few different vets over the years. Never have I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I appreciated the cost savings tips on healthy treats like carrots, green beans and apples. I learned about the different foods which keep Lexi healthy and happy. She is like family to me and I want the very best. I paid the same price as a friend who took her puppy to a different vet. She did not learn nearly as much as I did. I highly recommend them!

This is the first five star veterinarian I’ve ever met.
1. The veterinarian was friendly and honest. He spoke about all costs prior to conducting treatment and asked us which we wanted. Furthermore, his recommendation was not for the most expensive treatment; he actually cared about our dogs and advised us to go with a less intrusive and cheaper form of treatment. I was very impressed with this.
2. The staff will conduct a follow-​up and ask how your pet is doing.
3. The office was clean and the staff was friendly and proffessional.
4. Despite the fact that I didn’t break the bank, I was still treated like a person and not shamed into spending more money on unnecessary treatment.
This is the only veterinarian that I would return to in Tucson.

As my mom said when to me when we walked in, «Is this a vet for wealthy?» LOL! I must say they do have a great décor and the staff is always welcoming and friendly. I have seen 3 Dr’s there so far and each one makes me feel comfortable and safe. Unfortunately I don’t have my dog anymore but next pet I will take it there.

Being new to town I was referred to PAWS by a family member. I was thoroughly impressed with the facility and staff. We went in to have a local vet in case of any issues with our dogs and to get tested/​Rx for heart worm meds which was not something we needed in S. CA. It was a great overall experience.

After hearing stories about how local low cost clinics use metal sutures PERMANENTLY! Or when Petsmart’s Banfield accidentally over-​drugged my mom’s cat and killed him during a dental cleaning. All because she was being cheap, you get what you pay for! If you wouldn’t go to low cost clinic, probably even through your POS HMO provider, why would you make your pet? Smart and compassionate pet owners should have money in savings (DUH!) and pet insurance, and think twice before you go to some low cost back alley Vet. I pay premium for my acupuncturists, herbal doctors, and Naturopathic physician for myself and my family, and my pets go to PAWS!

Great veterinary center Dr Aronson and Dr Thurston are caring and thoughtful. Always find them very helpful and reassurning.

We have been taking our dog to PAWS since we adopted her 4 years ago. We chose PAWS since it was close to our house and prescribed to the type of care and treatment we believe in. We have have steadly seen two Vet’s (one left after 2 years) but have consistently seen the other Vet (Dr. Halstead) since then. Dr. Halstead has provided us with good care and has spent the time we needed to discuss our dog’s care. PAWS is more expensive than other Veterinarians we have used in the past with our other dogs but you get what you pay for. I have pet insurnace that requires itimized invoices. I have never had a problem asking PAWS to provide an invoice like that and the front desk staff has filled out the insurance paperwork happily. Dr. Aronson has a radio show on Saturday’s that is informative. I download it to my iPod and listen to the show while I walk my dog.

I took my Chloe here after I found a mass on her stomach. Dr. Aronson did surgery on her and removed the mass. Dr. Thurston broke the news to me that the mass was cancerous but they were willing to do whatever I felt was needed to keep my Chloe as happy and well as possible. Unfortunately my Chloe girl died shortly after because the cancer came back so quick. I brought in Chloe’s body (she passed at home) and was given a genuine bear hug from one of the girls at the front desk. I was shown such amazing compassion and sympathy. When I picked up Chloe’s ashes I was met with sincerest apologies for her passing. Everyone who works there took time out of their day to write a condolences card which made me cry. And they also made a little clay imprint of Chloe’s paw, which made me sob.
I will not be going anywhere else but PAWS. The care and concern for my cat and for myself is absolutely amazing and I couldn’t appreciate it more. It’s the little things like signing a card or making a paw print that make this place so wonderful. Thank you PAWS for making me feel cared about!

Hands down, BEST VET EVER! Clinic is friendly, professional, and well-​run. Doesn’t appear to be any more expensive than most other clinics in town, not that I care. Dr Randy has taken care of our dog for four years, and now, we havehad to move away (boohoo!) and having gone through FIVE vets in FIVE months, I miss Dr. Randy and PAWS even more! This is a topnotch clinic, and I so loved the holistic approach and the supplements, that helped my dog’s gut, when nothing else would. I now so much more, appreciate that there was no «hard sell», that made it feel like a used car lot, which is what you get up here in Denver. This doctor cares from the bottom of his heart. My dog, who doesn’t really like anyone, liked Dr Randy. And that was enough for my vote. What clinched my full confidence in this doctor is that he took emergency care of my dog on a day that he was not even seeing patients, did surgery, AND stayed late until my dog woke up, and went over xrays, treatment plans, and generally sat with me while I sobbed. Kindest vet ever. HATE my vets in Colorado. Want to move back to Tucson, simply so my dog can go back to PAWS.

I have never been to a nicer facility than PAWS or a better vet than Dr. Halstead. We got the junior wellness package for our dog and after all the labs were run Dr. Halstead called us with the good results and hand wrote a note with the lab results she mailed out. We also got our dog’s teeth cleaned here, and I hate to say it, I don’t think they were properly cleaned the first time. Because after her dental appointment her teeth were white and not a hint of plaque on a single one.
The prices are a little more expensive but the quality of care is astronomically better than any where I have been. Pay the little bit extra and treat your dog or cat right. Dr. Halstead also recommended an amazing place to board our dog, Adventure Dog Ranch. Dr. Halstead cares for her patients and loves them too, it’s very clear to see.