Des Moines Veterinary Hospital

Love this place and Dr. Onarati! He correctly assessed a long-term leg problem that had been misdiagnosed by two other vets. The office staff has scooched us in in emergency situations. We recently moved and it is a longer drive, but that won't get us to switch clinics. The entire staff is responsive and helpful.

All of our animals see Dr. Onorati. We have cats, dogs, a parakeet, and chickens. All of them have been treated extremely well by everyone. One of the best things about them is their patience with fearful animals. Our pit bull has a vision impairment that causes her a lot of anxiety with new places and people. This is now the only place that I take her, even for nail trims. Dr. Onorati always takes the time to make sure I understand what is being done and what my options are. We drive over an hour just to go here, that is how much we love it!

This does not sound like the compassionate, loving vet that I have known for 35+ years. He is the most competent and knowledgeable veterinarian in the field of small animals and birds that I have ever known. I have trusted the lives of my pets and quality show dogs to him for years. You will NEVER find a more compassionate person let alone veterinarian ever. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I can't even imagine Dr. "O" doing that, let alone anyone from that clinic. It's not even in them.

Onorati killed my 21-month-old chow. Trusting him was the worst mistake of my life. In his own words, "he was terrified so we sat on top of him and forced a muzzle on him." They used brute force on my chow and severely stressed him to the point of death. Onorati NEVER even called me when it was a dire emergency. He let me think I was picking him up. He made me wait hours to see my baby and when I finally did, he was comatose. Onorati gave no explanation as to what happened or why. He showed no remorse, never offered to pay for cremation, or refund my money. When I dropped my chow off there, he was vibrant, happy and healthy. The last time I saw him, he was dead in a plastic bag with blood coming out of his mouth. I have nightmares about this every night. I don't think we will ever feel normal again, after this betrayal by a veterinarian. Onorati lied in court and made up preposterous stories. When I filed a complaint, he turned it over to his insurance company as "property damage."