Fairhaven Veterinary Hospital

I have a severely reactive dog and I wasn't sure how visits to the vet could ever go well for him. I told the staff at Fairhaven Vet his issues and they put together a game plan. I was very pleased and impressed how smooth the visit went.

I took my boy back to get neutered and they handled it so well. The staff is very kind and understanding toward difficult dogs.

Life with a reactive dog isn't easy, but Fairhaven Vet took excellent care of him and put me at ease.

There's no question I will be going to Fairhaven Vet for all my pet needs.

I have gone to this vet for years with my 2 older dogs. First off I hate that they constantly state they are "fear free" when all that means is they want you to give your dog a bunch of trazodone when you bring them in so that they are so drowsy they have no idea what's going on.
Second, they often have same day appointments but will only give it to you with an extra "emergency" fee even if they know it's not really emergent. It's just a good way to charge extra.
They don't seem to be able to get regular patients in, in an appropriate amount of time. Of course when i call the vet, it's usually because something unusual is happening (swollen paw, eye infection etc), then they say they can get you in about a month out.. it's absolutely pointless.

They told me that they aren't currently taking new clients, but will resume in September, which is the first time I've ever heard of this "clients" role within a veterinarian hospital. Reach out in September and they said they still aren't taking new clients, and I have cat that has been throwing up multiple times and I just want to know what is going on and they outright refuse to help. Thanks for causing me so much stress.

Excellent care by Dr Schasch for elective appointment for general checkup and evaluation of a dog bite. I would give 5 star review for that. Unfortunately two days later my dog developed an abscess and Dr Schasch was out. I called early afternoon on a Friday and was told my dog could not be seen. No veterinarian would discuss this with me, so I had to find a veterinarian at another location to discuss antibiotics and therapy. Monday through Thursday the group is probably fine for semi-urgent issues and the elective care was great.

I've had a lot of animals and been to a lot of vets. I worked as a vet assistant when I was a kid and I have to say this is the best vet experience I have ever even heard about, let alone experienced myself. The staff was AMAZING. They made our puppy feel very comfortable. During any hands-on exam portions of the visit, there was the Vet doing the exam and then an assistant petting or feeding tiny treats to him to make him feel at ease. Things were explained well. They didn't talk down or assume I knew more than I did. It was a great balance. When it came time for the shots the same thing: vet tech giving the meds and the assistance distracting him. When he got his shot he didn't even flinch. The 'no fear' concept really applies here. It's not just hype.

It was as wonderful an experience as I could have ever hoped for in a vet visit. As I was leaving I made the joke "I wish MY doctor put this much time into making me feel as comfortable as you all put into making my dog feel comfortable."

As long as I live in Bellingham, this will be our new Vet Clinic.

FVH is well deserving of its high review rating on Google. I've been taking my two Cavaliers to them since the beginning of 2020 and I've experienced nothing but the best care and love towards my animals from their front desk staff to their vets. Even when they are swamped with patients, I've never felt rushed or that my pets received less than their best. One of my Cavs had been struggling with chronic allergies since she was a puppy, the worst part of which were the awful ear infections she would get year round. It has taken a toll on her hearing. Until I met with Dr. Kennedy, no vet had taken the time to truly listen, take a detailed history and recommend alternatives when previous treatments had failed or proved to be unsustainable. Now Lily has the right meds and nothing has worked better. She isn't bothered by chronic ear infections anymore, doesn't itch and chew her paws non-stop, and can enjoy herself all seasons of the year! Thank you FVH for your dedication to our pets.

I'm very thankful and happy that they fit my senior pug, Earl in this week. He had a tremendous hole inside his neck which turned into a huge swollen puss-filled mass. Dr Wendy and her team really came through for us. He's literally jogging now. I haven't seen him move so fast since 2017!!

We made an appointment with these people when we were new to town. First they required we prepay on the phone for our appointment, $60.00, but I was a few minutes late and they canceled my appointment and told me that I would have to prepay again,$60.00. Well you can see where this is going. No problem as I have two dogs. I was new to town and handicapped.

They cancelled both appointments and KEPT my $120.00. NO COMPASSION. THIEVES!!!

I truly appreciated my vet from earlier days, but my access to her became non existant so I elected to consider options..... I AM SO GLAD I DID.....
FAIRHAVEN VET is truly the most compassionate, knowledgeable, caring set of staff I have ever encountered over numerous years. There was no manhandling of either of my two cats, and there was no instruction to "back away as the staff only knew best",
I am truly grateful for the stress free environment, the time taken to examine and educate to my cats' health condition. The personal touch and caring I encountered and witnessed is absolutely extraordinary and compassionate.
Staff had read the medical information before the apptmt, and entered the room prepared to identify primary concersn and to proceed with exam and vaccinations given as my animals were ready. Actual discussion then occurred in the visit as the cats relaxed, and when Ii could receive the information. Additional phone call later confirmed plan and my understanding.
Costs were discussed, and quotes provided, that were reasonable and commensurate with other clinics. The extraordinary thing is having given the range of prices that could occur, they did in fact conclude in this visit under their quote.
I am so grateful to work with this clinic and staff. I did not realize such an experience was possible. HIGH RECOMMEND THIS CLINIC.

SSproule

We had our first appointment with Dr. Mike Hinckley yesterday- Kelden's first wellness checkup. I was very impressed at how patient and gentile Mike was with our pup. He took his time and did not rush our appointment. He made sure to cover even just the basics of puppy life, including recommending some puppy classes. I was extremely happy to hear Dr. Mike was well knowledgeable about recent dog research such as it will be healthier to neuter Kelden at 1 year of age rather than earlier or that grain free diets really aren't good for dogs. I appreciate that extra effort! Thanks Dr. Mike and the Fairhaven staff, you're doing it right with our precious fur babies in Bellingham.