This veterinarian is excellent.  He takes the time to explain everything very thoroughly, answers any questions, and LISTENS to his clients, which is very important, since animals can not speak for themselves.  Not only is he caring, but he brings years of experience to the 'table', and he truly cares about the animals that he treats, remembering that these animals are someone's beloved family members.  Office staff is very good, too, and very caring, as are the techs.  One tech in particular, Beth, is truly an angel.  I have a bad back, and she has personally made a trip to the parking lot to pick up our furbaby and her carrier so that I didn't have to strain my back carrying her into the office.  In addition, it's very clear that she loves animals, and the patients react accordingly, as they can sense when a person is genuinely concerned.

 If a client wishes that a particular test be done on their pet, this veterinarian will do his best to accomodate. He has voiced the opinion that his clients are the best advocates for the health of their beloved pets, as it is they who observe the pets' behavior and would be the first to notice any subtle changes indicative of illness. In addition, if you have done research on a subject, Dr. Goebel will not be offended if you bring that up.  For instance, I have researched the overuse of vaccinations, (there is new protocol, be sure to do your own research) and I mentioned this to him and he was not offended, whereas some veterinarians would be, as they do not like clients who ask questions or are well informed.  (BEWARE OF AVS 'SPECIALTY' CLINIC IN MAITLAND, THEY FALL INTO THIS CATEOGORY AND IT IS OUR OPINION THAT OUR BELOVED DOG DIED AS A RESULT OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE.  IF YOU ARE REFERRED TO THAT CLINIC  BY YOUR OWN VETERINARIAN, AVOID DR. MARIKA LASZLO AND DR. ALISTAIR CHAPNICK. BETTER YET, TAKE YOUR COMPANION ANIMAL ELSEWHERE FOR A THOROUGH WORKUP)

  Dr. Goebel is a credit to his profession.  I highly recommend this vet.

UPDATE:  I recently had to euthanize our 18 year old cat, who was suffering.  I called ahead  to give them a heads up, as I knew the day before that I needed to do this for our baby, and fully expected that Dr. Goebel would take us first thing in the morning, particularly since the entire process takes just seconds. 

 At first, I was told that I might have to find another vet because they were very 'busy' that day. Needless to say, I was shocked, and after I thought about it for a few minutes,  I called back. I  said that I didn't think that was fair and that I knew they work in emergencies, and this should be considered an emergency.  I was then told that it is Dr. Goebel's policy to only do euthanasias the last appointment of the morning or the last appointment of the afternoon.  They did call me back when Dr. Goebel came into the office and he agreed to do it at 11:30, but when you are watching a loved one suffer, especially when you know that that suffering can be alleviated,  time is of the essence. 

 I did take our girl to another vet, Dr. Sharon Sernik, and she kindly agreed to fit Amber into her busy schedule.  The euthansia was handled with great compassion, and I am very grateful to Dr. Sernik.

I was very disappointed in Dr. Goebel, and while I can understand that he was busy, so was Dr. Sernik.  Therefore, I had to, in good conscience, change the rating for Dr. Goebel from a 10 to a 9.  Although one of the receptionists did say that they were sorry for not being able to 'accomodate' us, I thought that was a very uncaring way to handle an end of life/suffering issue for one of their patients.

Overall, I still think that Dr. Goebel is a  very good veterinarian, but I am very disappointed that he wasn't there for his patient/our girl, when she needed him the most.  

Issues such as this, while they may seem minor to the veterinarian,  can  either make or break the trust and rapport that the veterinarian  has worked hard to  establish with a client/patient.

The Golden Rule should always apply....i.e., would Dr. Goebel want his own companion animal to be treated in the same manner if they were suffering and he were unable to alleviate that suffering  himself? 

UPDATE: I found a lump on our younger baby.  Because of the location near the mammary gland,  Dr. Goebel removed that lump and did an excellent job on the surgery.  It is my impression that Dr. Goebel felt badly that I had to seek out another vet  when our eldest girl had to be euthanized as I made my feelings known to him.  I believe that this was his way of making amends.  He fit our girl into his schedule, performed her surgery  earlier in the day than was planned, all of which we appreciated very much.    Because he did go out of his way to fit our baby into his schedule, and because I do feel that this was his way of making amends, I am re-instating his previous score in the hopes that Dr. Goebel, being the reasonable and compassionate person that he is,  will re-evaluate his policy on euthanasia, as it should, in my opinion, be considered an emergency situation if the patient is suffering.  

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