Raimund Heck Tierarzt

We've been taking our cats to him for a long time; the staff is very friendly, and the vets are excellent. He doesn't coddle the animals like they would children. He comes highly recommended.

Super!

It started around noon on October 7, 2024: Our dog (an Old English Bulldog) was breathing heavily and behaving strangely; his abdomen was extremely bloated. We immediately went to Dr. Heck. After an examination, he diagnosed cardiac dilatation and ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity). The vet explained that our dog had an enlarged heart and fluid in his body, which naturally worried us greatly. Nevertheless, he reassured us, saying everything was fine, and simply gave us some pills. We couldn't get a follow-up appointment until Thursday. Despite the diagnosis and our dog's clearly poor condition, we weren't told how critical his situation was, and no further measures such as IV fluids or inpatient monitoring were offered. Once home, his condition deteriorated rapidly. At about 5:40 p.m., we went back to the vet's office because our dog could no longer walk on his own, and his mucous membranes were a pale bluish color—a clear warning sign! We pointed this out to the vet, but he brushed it off, saying again that "everything was fine," and that our dog might still have an infection. Instead of taking appropriate action, he simply gave him two injections and reassured us that we shouldn't worry. He even told us to expect our dog to have diarrhea that night—this was after the second treatment. I was desperate because I could tell my dog ​​was very ill, but the vet ignored this and kept reassuring us. This misjudgment was fatal. At home, around 6:10 p.m., our dog took his last steps from the hallway into the kitchen, lay down, and collapsed before our eyes. He had four violent seizures, and at 6:22 p.m., he stopped breathing. He died before our eyes and those of our children—an indescribably traumatic experience. We understand that life is a cycle of coming and going, and we accept that. However, the way our dog had to die was an absolute nightmare. What makes us particularly angry is that the vet knew about the serious diagnosis, but instead of being upfront about how grave the condition was, we were turned away multiple times. No humane option, such as euthanasia, was offered. The dog had to die a miserable death without adequate support. Had we known how critical the situation was, we could have spared him this agonizing death. A veterinary practice should communicate honestly, take its patients seriously, and always prioritize the animal's well-being. Unfortunately, we experienced the exact opposite at this practice. Trust was betrayed, and our dog suffered needlessly. We will never set foot in this practice again, and we absolutely cannot recommend it.

Dr. Heck is a great veterinarian. Competent and he explains everything.