Tender Care Veterinary Clinic - South Bend, Indiana

Taylor

We have been coming here with our pittie, Osiris, since he was a puppy- a little under 4 years. Osiris isn't always the easiest to deal with, but every single staff member is SO patient, so kind and so caring towards him and us. The office is always clean and welcoming. Every staff member has shown exceptional care and consideration towards our pup. Dr. Harris is so kind and really cares about the well being of Osiris. We are always recommending Tender Care to any and everyone!

Taylor G.

My cat cut his leg and I was trying to decide if I needed to take him the emergency vet. I searched emergency vet near me and this vet showed up, while they are not an emergency clocking and not even my cats vet, they scheduled to see him within 45 minutes of my calling, and less than an hour before we closed. We did end up taking him to the emergency vet but I am so grateful that this staff was willing to help me when I’m not their patient and so close to closing! They also did not allow me to pay for the exam because they knew I would have to do it again at the emergency vet. While it was not expected, it was very kind (especially since I ended up spending over $700 at the emergency vet)

Janet G.

Best place for your fur babies. They have taken care of our pugs from a new puppy to letting an older one cross the rainbow bridge. Dr. Harris gives all the time you need at every appointment, never rushed and top notch care!

Rachelle M.

Literally saved my dog’s life when others were ready to euthanize. Very kind, knowledgeable staff, 100% recommend.

Paloma B.

UPDATE BELOW

My initial visit in June was great, the doctor and tech assistant were so kind to my Cat and gave him treats and cuddles. It made sense why the other reviews say the same thing, it’s true very empathetic care from the doctor and assistants.

However since that initial appointment I have experienced a drastic decline in quality of service from the office staff which they don’t care about so I am informing future clients and perhaps an existing client going through a similar experience. Firstly, they recommended a dental cleaning and blood work and said that a treatment coordinator will give me a call to schedule that. I’ve asked three times, now four including today. It is almost October and no one has called me or can tell me why no one has called me.

In addition, I collected a urine sample for urine analysis and let the receptionist know it had sat out because my cat urinated overnight and there was a 4-5 hour window that he could have peed. I was told that was fine and charged $150 for the analysis. I’m later told that the urine sat too long and I need to do a second test, another $150. I asked for a credit on the second test because I had been clear about how long the urine sat and the response was “no because no one told me” and then proceeds to ask my why he’s even having a urine analysis to begin with even though I’m taken back by this question being that of course all of this was discussed, I calmly explained to her that he had been to the emergency vet for bladder stones. I explained that $150 is a lot for me right now it’s a months worth of groceries because I am unemployed. Mandy said she understands and that we can wait a month and have him retested. Because the urine analysis was faulty through no fault of my own and the office did not offer a solution to meet me in the middle, I go on to dispute the charge with my bank.

Today Stephanie the office manager calls me about the disputed charges and to “clear up the confusion” and again asks me why he’s even having one to begin with. She says that they never received paperwork from the emergency vet and that’s why no one knows that’s going on (Couldn’t Mandy have told her? Couldn’t the receptionist have told her? or does the office usually run random tests with no idea. In fact, when I first called in I asked for a wellness exam for a post-op check and a urine analysis and the receptionist is the one who told me I could just drop the sample instead and didn’t need the exam.

As I told the office manager the confusion isn’t on my end, it is bad Inter-office communication leading to bizarre treatment paths and sending in faulty urine samples and then charging me for their negligent practices. Stephanie then goes on to tell me that yes the bacteria in the urine sample couldn’t be accurate but the white cells (the first I’m hearing about this) wouldn’t have developed from sitting too long, if this is true then Mandy didn’t bother to tell me when she called me about his results because I was told that the urine sat too long and we needed to retest. Apparently my cat has an alarming number of white blood cells that no one thought would be important to tell me about until it came time to disputing the charges.

*UPDATE* That blood test that I never got a call back for would have gave him a fighting chance my cats surgeries ended up being over 10K for the Cystotomy and PU not to mention the pain he was in. He ended up having struvites “therapeutic foods are 100% effective in dissolving feline struvite uroliths in about 1 to 3 weeks.” I remember telling the office manager “I’m trying to keep my cat alive” in tears, it was horrific and the lack of compassion was beyond. Moe is alive and well, thank god. I go to a different vet now, and they text after every visit and when I ask about a service, they provide me with a quote the same day. And the urinalysis they got it directly from his bladder and it cost me $67 and the results were immediate, I was mind blown that this kind of care was even possible (if interested see my other reviews) best 💗

Duane K.

This is a wonderful local veterinary clinic. My mom has used their services for her many cats over the years, so much so that Cathy, the lead groomer and pet whisperer, is basically family. We are moving mom to Florida soon, and we are working to re-home her current brood of three cats, and the folks at Tender Care have graciously worked with us to do that in a kind and less painful way for mom and cats alike. I can't say enough good things about this practice!

Victoria M.

Dr. Harris and her techs (specifically Kaylee and Mandy) have taken SUCH amazing care of my family and our animals for the past several years. I had a 20 year old cat who saw them frequently and they acted like she was a legend each time Chewy was there. I recently had to put her down, and they gave us all the time in the world and were just so kind and caring. They gave us some of her fur in a little jar and even got some of her paw prints for us. I recommend them to everyone- they are hands down the best vet we have EVER worked with. ❤️

Warren S.

They put on a good front, seeming to truly care about your pet's wellbeing, at least at first. I had been taking my two dogs to Tender Care for approximately four years, and they had seemed to do a thorough job. So why the one-star review

Over the last two weeks or so, my oldest has been on a steep decline, more so in the last three/four days. I knew it was time to say goodbye. She no longer enjoyed life as she once did and was in considerable pain (along with other health issues). She was sixteen years old and lived a wonderful, full life.

I called Tender Care first to arrange end-of-life services. The receptionist was very compassionate and assured me that the doctor would likely be able to squeeze her in considering the circumstances, but she first had to clear it with the doctor. After a hold, I was told that the doctor would not see her today due to "leaving for vacation.'' In addition, the doctor must determine if she indeed needs to be put down via a paid wellness exam, and the earliest they could make that appointment was Tuesday (today is Friday). Needless to say, I was appalled.

Did they think they knew my dog better than I did? Why the appointment first? I believe it is ONLY about MONEY at Tender Care. For example; three years back, my dog had a growth on her paw, and I was quoted a bit over $2k to have it removed, I declined. On my next visit, they asked again if I would like a quote to remove the growth. I explained that I was previously quoted an exorbitant price. Miraculously, the procedure would now only cost a bit over $600. Why such a discrepancy in price? Yes, I paid to have it removed, improving her quality of life, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Their price gouging tactics are disgusting.

In my opinion, the doctor is heartless and is only after your pocketbook.

After I ended the call with Tender Care, I called Michiana Animal Care Center. They were SO compassionate and understanding. They rearranged some things to squeeze me in. I was able to peacefully put my dog to rest today.

You pets deserve compassionate care throughout their life as patients. You will not receive such treatment at Tender Care.