Best Friends Animal Hospital and Urgent Care Center Billings, Montana

Emergency visit, my cat was having breathing problems. Once there the vet tells me he's fine, I have to beg for them to do an exam. He had fever of 104.7, very high. I asked about his breathing problem, she said he didn't have one. I told her it was just the adrenaline from the drive that was making him normal at the moment, I wouldn't have driven 30 min & paid $100+ if he didn't have a problem. She said he was fine it was just typical upper resp infection & as long as he was eating, there wasn't an issue. He has a high fever! She agreed to give him subQ fluids, that was all. My beautiful, sweet boy died from severe pneumonia 48 hrs later. Tired, burnt out staff. Don't trust them.

I can’t put into words how much I love this clinic. Every staff member I’ve ever encountered has been kind, professional, and has treated my little ones with such compassion. They’ve gone above and beyond, including grabbing my kennel to clean it out for me and provide a new towel as I was walking out the door cause my little one got nervous. Every member I’ve seen handle one of my little dogs has been so gentle, and I feel like they take the time to listen to concerns. They’ve taken in strays who’ve run in front of my car, and they fit me in last minute for pain management after procedures (Dr. Galvin didn’t just give meds she wanted a quick exam to make sure everything was okay). I’m so grateful to have found this place and won’t take my puppers anywhere else.

We had scheduled our cat for a simple claw trimming and claw caps. We had arrived 5 minutes before our appointment and let them know we were here. We ended up waiting for over half an hour before we eventually ended up leaving because we have to go to work. The parking lot was not that busy so we shouldn’t have had to wait that long for a simple claw trimming and caps that takes 10 min. It’s traumatic enough that our cat has to wait in her tote for that long when you don’t even come to get us. That wait time was ridiculous and unprofessional.

Best Friends has done an amazing job with our dogs surgery and post recovery visits. In addition, they’ve been available for calls with any questions and have gone above and beyond by checking in on her as well. Would highly recommend.

I really like best Friends Animal Hospital they really helped our dog out he wasn't doing so good and the doctors Erika and the blond lady did a wonderful job helping him get better. Our little dog wasn't able to walk or move because he was having very serve irritation on his skin and very deep in the legs. Erika and the blond lady sorry I forgot your name did a fantatic job and I really appreciate the help you both did for us. The medications, wipes, and cream really helped him out! Love you Best Friends Animal Hospital! ❤

I was about to take my dog until I seen a post that they made a puppy die because the owner did not have all the money they wanted. They got 850.00 from her but the puppy died anyway and there was a chance they could of saved the dog. They should not be in business, they could care less about animals. If you were smart you would never go back there.

The doctors, technicians, and reception staff were very friendly and helpful when our little guy had his emergency. Thank you Dr. Smith for doing such a great job on Cooper's leg!

Great place to take your pets, friendly and efficient and not any more expensive in the middle of the night than from during the day. I will use them as my regular vet now as needed because of how well they treated me and my pupper who was having some suddenly concerning issues late on a Saturday evening. Driving and hour and half into town after a nice dinner when you have a movie lined up is not always one's first wish, but we went and glad we checked everything out. Reasonable bill and we were well taken care of. Excellent service and care!

Every one was very kind! The care of my fur baby Moose was top notch! It is no fun waiting in the car, but that is unavoidable with Covid, but my cat got the best care and was able to come home healthy and happy!!!!!!!

Our little Ellie Digs had a bladder infection and it set in on a Sunday. They fit us in between other patients and got her taken care of. Thanks again for going up and beyond.

These guys are the best, especially DJ Smith. He takes as much time as we need and doesn't make us feel rushed. We feel our lab is safe and in good hands here. I would never go elsewhere.

They don’t care about your pet. Took my dog here and she was treated with kennel cough. I have 3 dogs and so then my other dog also got kennel cough and hers was really bad. I called the clinic to see if I could get some cough medicine to make her more comfortable. I was told that sometimes it could take up to 24 hours to get prescription filled but they would mark it as urgent and someone would call me back. 24 hours came and gone and no word on the prescription so I called and they were so busy I had to leave a message. It has now been 48 hours and still no call. I will be taking my 3 dogs to a new clinic since this one only cares about money and not your pet.

I wouldn't take our kitty anywhere else. They always have such nice and caring staff/doctors that takes wonderful care of her. They're so busy all the time which is a good problem to have. It means they're the best ones to go to. Plan ahead with appointments if you can!! Otherwise they are good about getting back to you with their wait list as well. Thank you Best Friends Animal Hospital for all that you do.

Took a cat into the emergency clinic, where she stayed overnight while various tests were done. Everyone was extremely professional, caring and efficient. We recommend Best Friends for your urgent care, without any reservations!

Absolutely fantastic veterinary practice. I have taken my dog here twice now for after hours emergencies. First time he swallowed a fish hook that needed to be removed, and second time he had a mass on his spleen which was bleeding internally which needed to be removed as well as his whole spleen. These were both major procedures, and my dog means everything to me. From the first phone call to the diagnosis, to treatment/surgery, to all the communication and aftercare, Best Friends staff were extremely professional, compassionate, knowledgeable, informative and skilled in their expertise. I am beyond grateful to the team at Best Friends, and recommend this vet without hesitation.

Everything done from the time I first brought Andi to Best Friends until her follow-up appointment last Friday was done with care and love. She has another follow-up this Friday and I know Andi will receive the same gentle care as before. Thank you Best Friends team!

Appointment at 3:30. Left home to get there early. Construction on Main. Didn't want to be late. Got there 15-20 minutes early. Was told they'd come out for us when a room was available. 90° outside. A/C isn't working in the car (obviously not their fault). Waited until 3:45. Half an hour in the hot car. Gave up and went home. Caused my pet unnecessary discomfort on top of the discomfort they already felt. Why not require masks and open your waiting room in the summer heat? I'll find a different vet. Thanks anyway.

Their new ‘pull up to check in’ system seems to be getting worse; most people don’t have time to wait 30 min in their car to drop off their pet…

10/10 for saving my dogs life at 3am 4/10 for discharge. Instead of rushing him and me out of the door, I wish I could have gotten a 5-10 minute consultation to ask questions and clarify on somethings that I was confused about.

I live in a smaller town in WY and was referred to Dr. Smith and Best Friends Animal Clinic for a procedure for my dog that my local vet wasn't capable of (tumor removal/CT scan). The entire staff was incredibly kind and made the whole process as simple as possible. Dr. Smith removed the tumor and made sure we knew exactly what to expect. Their follow-up has been incredible and it's great to work with staff that truly care about their patients. We live 3 hours away and I feel like it would be worth it to take my dog here for everything. 10000% recommend.

Best Friends is amazing! Dr. Galvin seems to genuinely care about my pets. As a dog mom, that is really important to me. She listens, asks questions, and really takes the time to address any concerns we have. It’s nice to have someone with a great personality! Also, we had to say goodbye to our old Golden last month and Dr. Uffleman was also incredible. It was the first time I’ve been present during euthanasia. Though the situation was terribly heartbreaking, she was so caring and patient with us as we struggled with a whirlwind of emotions and tears. We appreciated her compassion. She made a difficult decision not as difficult as we were anticipating. I recommend Best Friends to everyone that is looking for quality care for their pets! I’ve sent many friends, family, and coworkers to this facility and no one has ever complained about their experience. Keep up the great work!

Won’t go here if it was the last vet on earth. They treated our dogs as just a number.

My apologies for this long review, but I think it's warranted and may be helpful instead of bashing. I have read the other reviews, have taken my pets in, and while I'm not overly impressed with some things that happened, I can say the front end staff was always friendly. Every time I would speak to them they would note the file (I know this because on later calls the notes were read back to me with specifics about the previous calls) . That being said, I think there is definitely room for this establishment to improve. In early March 2021, I took my cat in to be examined for what I was pretty sure was a UTI. She was examined, but they were unable to get a urine sample at the time. We decided to give her a heavy dose antibiotic anyway, being as I was certain of the diagnosis. They sent us home with special litter that would allow me to collect a urine sample as available. Once collected, I took the sample back to the vet to have tested for crystals. I was told I should hear back in a couple of days. Days came and went. I heard nothing. My cat got better within a week of recieving the antibiotic so I knew she was on the mend. However, it had been a week and I still had not heard from the vet. Then 2 weeks went by. I'm a courier, and on the weekends I work in the heights. Best Friends Animal Hospital is one of the businesses I pick up from frequently. During one of my pickups, I decided I'd ask whoever opened the door to check on the results and please give me a call back. I figured they'd go tell whomever and I'd finally get a call later that day. Again, my cat is doing well now so I really wasn't worried about her, but I had paid for the test and wanted the results. It became a bit of a game for me to ask about the test results when I would do a pickup there. This went on for a few more weeks. I wanted to see how long it would take them to call me back. Fast forward to mid-May, I'd finally had enough waiting, so I called. The receptionist was very professional and kind. She seemed to be genuinely concerned about the situation. A few days later I did get some resolution. I spoke with the office manager. I did not get angry with him or chew him out, but that is clearly what he had been expecting me to do. I did tell him I expect better and they need to strive to be better. I also told him it's not right and I hope it never happens again, not just to me but to anyone. He did not make excuses but felt bad and quite honestly, defeated. I don't want anyone to feel horrible about doing their job, so long as they do it as well as they can. I'm not sure, at this point in time, if we'll continue to use Best Friends for our fur-babies, but I think there were a lot of contributing factors that lead to ongoing delays. This definitely shows some flaws in their system. I don't think they are a bad vet, but maybe struggling at the moment.

very unprofessional, would recommend taking animals to different vet

Honestly they were great. Everyone there has wonderful customer service. They treat our dog lilly with great care and they are friendly. It is the best vet place ever and they will be where we continue to go for her care. Thank you to all of you!

The Doctors and care staff are great and have only good things to say about them, whereas the customer service, pharmacy and money hungry business side is what earns them only 3 stars. We have been trying to get a simple approval for med ordered through 800-Petmeds for over two weeks. Their actions would make one believe that they are trying to make the process a hassle so that you will just break down and purchase their more expensive exactly the same item from their pharmacy. 6 April 2021 Update!! BFAH still refuses to work with us to resolve the issue! Their standard of customer service is unacceptable and we will no longer be one of their patients. Downgraded them to two stars.

We had to have our older cat put down and they were incredibly kind and caring during the entire process. It is hard enough to say goodbye to a family member but the staff made sure to answer any questions we had. I highly recommend them.

I don't know why this place doesn't have 5 stars. I drove from Dickinson,ND because this place has advance service. Staff I met in person was great. Dr. D.J. Smith extremely great doctor. I forgot to tell him a few things I was recommend by another vet and he made the changes without me having to even ask. I just got home and found out they went the extra mile and cut my dogs toe nails which is hard to do for me and I didn't even have to ask. On top of all things DR. D.J. Smith called me several times to keep me informed told me everything they were doing and why. I'm not a Dr but I do my research and this place was spot on and went above and beyond. He even explained things my primary vet did that they could not or would not answer for me. I would drive all this way here anytime for my dogs. It's hard to trust vet especially ones your going to for the first time. I trust them 100%. Also they got the swelling to stop and started going down. My primary couldn't get it to stop swelling but they did. Great job!

In response to your comment, my name is not in your system but my ex partners is. You guys were money hungry years ago and still are now. It’s my experience and I’m entitled to share it.

They saved our dog - literally! Wonderful and attentive service. Can’t say enough good about the vets and techs. Would recommend them highly. Emergency service at night is the best!