Kleintierpraxis Ina von Gierke

Ms. von Gierke is wonderfully calm and collected. We've been seeing her for many years and are very satisfied. Appointments are available promptly, and waiting times are short.

Simply a terrible, unfriendly practice. I deeply regret taking my cats there. And since when do you need a "consultation appointment" for a routine annual vaccination, thus incurring double the cost? The worst veterinarian I've ever seen, and the assistant was just as bad… absolutely untrustworthy! Forced smiles but an unfriendly manner. Questions answered disrespectfully… never again…

We took our cat to Ms. von Gierke for several years and would choose her practice again without hesitation. There were never long waiting times, and our anxious cat was always treated gently and lovingly. Even when it became clear that our cat would need to be put down in the foreseeable future, Ms. von Gierke was a tremendous help by relieving us of the pressure and being available for us even on weekends. She came to our home, allowing our cat to pass away peacefully in her familiar surroundings. We would like to take this opportunity to thank her again most sincerely. 🤍 We can therefore wholeheartedly recommend Ms. von Gierke.

Unfortunately, I absolutely cannot recommend this veterinary practice. I got the overall impression that financial aspects and "additional services" were the main focus – and that communication was neither transparent nor empathetic. We took our cats there for the first time because we suspected our female cat might be pregnant. During the appointment, our male cat was also "briefly examined" without any questions asked, supposedly to check if he was even suitable for anesthesia (I only asked at what age male cats should be neutered). We paid approximately €35 for this; at that point, we weren't even sure if we would have the neutering done there. She convinced us to make an appointment for 8 a.m. the next day. The following morning, we were told that the male cat needed to be examined again because "something might have happened overnight." For a healthy indoor cat, this seemed unnecessary to me and, above all, like additional costs that should have been communicated more clearly beforehand; the way things unfolded the last day was appalling. ... What particularly bothered me was that before the surgery, I was asked to sign a kind of consent form stating that I would be "responsible" if anything went wrong. I'd never experienced this with any of my cats or different vets before, and I found it very unusual; it made me more suspicious than reassured. Then, when I asked about the risks, I received a very impatient response ("He could stop breathing, or his heart could stop"). Of course, I know that every anesthetic carries risks, but the tone was far more alarming than professional. When it came time to pick him up, there were conflicting reports: First, we were told he'd be ready around noon, then suddenly not until 4:00 PM. Very strange! It was worrying! When we arrived, it turned out that our cat had been waiting in the carrier since about 11:00 AM. He was very restless, crying, and hadn't eaten for over 24 hours. This made me very uneasy – especially since they had previously said they would "take good care of him." I now know that it's not normal to starve a cat for two days before surgery and give him nothing at all. The vet wasn't there when I picked him up. The assistant answered questions very briefly and sometimes seemed annoyed (e.g., about food or aftercare instructions). We had to call later to get important information (e.g., that he shouldn't eat anything until the day after the surgery). In the end, instead of the quoted €150, it cost €165 due to additional charges. Overall, I felt misunderstood, poorly informed, and uncomfortable. In conclusion: I expect more transparency, calmer explanations, clear aftercare instructions, and respectful treatment when having surgery. Unfortunately, I didn't experience any of that here.

If you want to have the same experience, then by all means make an appointment here. If not, there are veterinarians with good energy and a friendly manner who apparently weren't born with a black sheep. So: - Your website recommends a veterinarian. - You're at this practice for the first time with your husband and 7-month-old dog. - You're waiting at reception. - You don't know where the waiting room is, etc. - The door on the left in the hallway opens, and a woman comes out with a large black dog, which is pulling wildly on its leash. - Followed by Dr. Gierke. - No greeting, no explanation, just a somewhat gruff tone telling us to leave immediately. - We're outside and waiting at a safe distance. - The door opens, and I'm called in to provide my personal information. ``` - Man and dog stay outside - I go in, fill out the form, and already mentioned the tone I experienced. No major comment. - I was supposed to bring my husband and dog in (friendly receptionist at the front desk) - But he wasn't there anymore, not even within earshot. Reason: while I was filling out the form, my husband was asked to "get out of sight." - When I was able to reach him by phone, he told me this. - We then decided not to keep the appointment, and when I communicated this, I experienced Dr. Gierke's extremely unfriendly manner once again, a manner she apparently doesn't seem to need new clients. - My dog ​​is certainly worth being in kind hands. Nobody needs an encounter like that.