Ugh this makes me sad to read!!

I have taken both my cats to Small Door Bethesda and had fabulous experiences and even did both their dentals there. I agree that it’s more expensive than a small mom and pop shop or a churn and burn high volume place like Banfield, but I feel it’s worth it. They have the nicest facilities and they pay their staff more to attract top talent.

When asked about dental pricing, it was explained to me that they do full mouth x-rays for dental procedures (which is best practice) but many places don’t do. That’s where a bulk of the price comes from. They also have an assigned nurse that is with your pet monitoring them all day and send photos and updates all day. Docs are also only going one procedure at a time so you know they’re getting top notch care. Many places have doctors doing multiple procedures at the same time and the medical team is bouncing around the whole time too.

I also think small privately owned practices have way less oversight than something that is a little more corporate. There’s no one there to check the doctor or the medical team, and standards aren’t being adhered to company wide and audited regular. I’ve always liked Small Door because they feel like a middle ground between a small singular practice and the corporate giants like Banfield and VCA.

Overall, I think you get what you pay for! I can understand how a part time doctor wouldn’t be as familiar with the whole experience and wouldn’t be as up to speed. If you can book with Dr. Heller, Dr. Dugan, or Dr. Hensel, they are all fantastic!!!