North Kenilworth Veterinary Care

We have been coming here for nearly 2 years for regular check up and vaccination. But, today was our first visit with Dr. Alyssa Show, I can genuinely say, she is the best Vet, and with what we saw, the most thorough doctor we’ve seen since moving to Phoenix. I appreciated her people skills in talking to us, not making us feel like guilty pet owners, yet being clear on a potential outcome/worst case scenario. We made sure that we will be requesting her for any and all follow up visits, even if we have to change our own schedules. The vet tech today was also amazing, I wish I got her name, she was SO kind, caring, I was sitting on the floor with my baby, and she met me at my level, she sat on the floor to offer him extra water, explain the medication, answer questions. By far, today was the best care we’ve ever received. Thank you Dr. Show; and team! ❤️

This clinic told me that my dog’s teeth looked good and didn’t need to be cleaned for at least another 6 months. Upon taking him to get his teeth cleaned elsewhere shortly after, they informed me that 8 of his teeth had to be removed that day due to rotting. The North Kenilworth staff seemed afraid of my dog, who is large but has never acted aggressively toward anybody or ever had an issue at another vet. They barely looked at his teeth for this reason, which is unfortunately why I didn’t learn about the issue upon this visit :(

I am sharing this review because I genuinely want other pet owners to be aware of my experience with Dr. Shaw and the dental procedure performed on my dog, Penny. Penny is a 3-pound dog who underwent a dental cleaning and multiple extractions under Dr. Shaw's care. During the procedure, I received a call stating that six teeth needed to be removed, including a back upper molar located very close to the eye/orbital area. At no point was I advised to consider referral to a veterinary dental specialist despite Penny's extremely small size and the complexity/risk associated with that area. I also was not informed of the serious potential complications that could occur. Following the procedure, Penny developed worsening symptoms including swelling around the eye, pain, fever, decreased appetite, and visible distress. We returned multiple times seeking help. According to the medical records, the extraction site was documented as "difficult to see due to size of patient," yet Penny was discharged without additional diagnostics or escalation of care. The next morning, an emergency hospital immediately identified active purulent drainage coming from the extraction site. CT imaging and specialists later confirmed a severe abscess and infection tract extending from the extraction area into the orbital region behind Penny's eye. Despite emergency treatment and specialist intervention, the infection progressed to the point that Penny ultimately lost her eye. This experience has been devastating emotionally, physically, and financially for our family. We incurred nearly $12,000 in emergency and specialty veterinary expenses as a direct result of these complications. What was also deeply upsetting was the complete lack of personal accountability or compassion afterward. Dr. Shaw never personally called to check on Penny following the loss of her eye, and at no point did she apologize for what happened. I understand that complications can occur in medicine, but I believe pet owners deserve full transparency about risks, especially in medically delicate cases involving very small dogs and complex extractions. I also believe cases like this should be referred to appropriately trained dental specialists when necessary. I would strongly encourage anyone considering advanced dental work for a very small dog to ask detailed questions about experience, training, specialty referral options, and risk before proceeding.

I am sharing this review because I genuinely want other pet owners to be aware of my experience with Dr. Shaw and the dental procedure performed on my dog, Penny. Penny is a 3-pound dog who underwent a dental cleaning and multiple extractions under Dr. Shaw’s care. During the procedure, I received a call stating that six teeth needed to be removed, including a back upper molar located very close to the eye/orbital area. At no point was I advised to consider referral to a veterinary dental specialist despite Penny’s extremely small size and the complexity/risk associated with that area. I also was not informed of the serious potential complications that could occur. Following the procedure, Penny developed worsening symptoms including swelling around the eye, pain, fever, decreased appetite, and visible distress. We returned multiple times seeking help. According to the medical records, the extraction site was documented as “difficult to see due to size of patient,” yet Penny was discharged without additional diagnostics or escalation of care. The next morning, an emergency hospital immediately identified active purulent drainage coming from the extraction site. CT imaging and specialists later confirmed a severe abscess and infection tract extending from the extraction area into the orbital region behind Penny’s eye. Despite emergency treatment and specialist intervention, the infection progressed to the point that Penny ultimately lost her eye. This experience has been devastating emotionally, physically, and financially for our family. We incurred nearly $12,000 in emergency and specialty veterinary expenses as a direct result of these complications. What was also deeply upsetting was the complete lack of personal accountability or compassion afterward. Dr. Shaw never personally called to check on Penny following the loss of her eye, and at no point did she apologize for what happened. I understand that complications can occur in medicine, but I believe pet owners deserve full transparency about risks, especially in medically delicate cases involving very small dogs and complex extractions. I also believe cases like this should be referred to appropriately trained dental specialists when necessary. I would strongly encourage anyone considering advanced dental work for a very small dog to ask detailed questions about experience, training, specialty referral options, and risk before proceeding.

I have been a client of North Kennelworth for 15 years. My dog Cinderella was in their care for almost 12 years before going on to the rainbow bridge. I drive from Sun City to DT Phoenix as I believe this is where my dog Bodhi will get his best care. Not only does the staff care for Bodhi but they care for me as well. Thank you Dr Show and every vet tech that has touched and cared for both Cinderella and Bodhi 🐶🐾.