Jim Dechand DVM - Banfield, The Pet Hospital - Indianapolis, IN Review

Sometimes, I can be naive.  Before we owned guinea pigs, I had no idea that you had to take them to a special kind of a vet.  Yep - you need to take them to a vet that specializes in "exotic animals".  Guinea pigs...exotic?  I would have never thought...

Anyway...

There aren't a plethora of exotic animal vets to choose from so our choices were limited.  I called around and the closest available exotic animal vet was located inside the local PetSmart store - within the Banfield Pet Hospital.  Normally, I don't think of a facility, located within a retail outlet - to be one which would hold a lot of credibility.  I mean - doctor's are supposed to have free-standing buildings of their own, right?! 

So maybe I rushed to judgement too quickly....

It had been awhile since I had interacted with a vet and honestly - I wasn't sure what to expect.  From the moment that Dr. Jim walked in, we knew that he was a keeper.

I'm sure Dr. Jim is a lot like other vets.  He's knowledgable.  He's intuitive.  He's personable.  What sets him aside though is that he actually gets why kids and adults enjoy owning guinea pigs.  He understands that these little creatures have unique personalities and they are sometimes more entertaining than a 22 minute television sitcom :).

We love the way that Dr. Jim interacts with our pets.  He's gentle but firm in his handling of those pesky critters.    Part of being a vet is having to deal with situations that don't necessarily end with..."and they all lived happily ever after...."  Dr. Jim isn't afraid to be honest with you.  He is able to relay this unpleasant information in a caring and sensitive manner - and without being too corny about it.

In two situations where we had to take our GP's elsewhere (Banfield is closed on Sunday), the mere mention of his name to other veterinary personnel elicits never-ending praise and genuine admiration for his approach and care for animals. 

If you EVER need a vet in the Indianapolis area - especially for exotic animals - you'd be absolutely lucky to meet up with Dr. Jim.