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Paws vs. Paws

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Shanghai Expat Forum Index » City Living Forums » Expat Cat Answers on Living in Shanghai

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Newsgirl

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Joined: Mar 04, 2008
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Posted: June 02, 2008 - 02:10 PM
Post subject: Paws vs. Paws

Can anyone help me out?
I'm looking for a good Western style Vet in Shanghai (preferably with boarding options). I've seen Shanghai Paws listed on a couple of reputable sites but I'm confused if there are 2 locations or they are 2 different businesses completely.
One is on Xin Hua Lu, the other on Huai Hai Xi Lu.

Anyone know?

Thanks

slackrz

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Joined: Aug 16, 2004
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Location: Xu Hui
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Posted: June 04, 2008 - 10:04 PM

Not sure about there being two of them, but our Yorkie went to Shanghai PAW at Xin Hua Lu. Phone 5254-0611. They used to be located on Huai Hai Zhong lu (almost positive it was "zhong"). We used to board her there too. Oftentimes the ayi would be holding her whenever we'd turn up to pick her up from boarding. Good experience all around. Oh, and I use past tense because we just relocated away from Shanghai.

Frankenstein

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Posted: June 04, 2008 - 10:21 PM

PAW has moved from Huai Hai Zhong Lu to Xinhua Lu near the corner of Kaixuan Lu.
We've been very happy with the service there. European-trained vets, and we've been happy with the boarding experience for a cat. It's more expensive than Chinese vets, but I hear that here the training is only two years or so for a vet, and that doesn't seem to cover much consideration for the animal.

Newsgirl

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Posted: June 06, 2008 - 08:28 AM

Thanks for the info. I took my dog there.. and realized I had just stumbled onto an old address on Huai Hai.. Dr. James was great.

Medea
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Joined: May 05, 2008
Posts: 1158
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Posted: June 30, 2008 - 10:45 AM

Does anyone know, how much is the primary immunisation of a cat at PAWS?

Two weeks ago I picked up a babycat from a sidewalk. We already gave her selmatecin but we should start with the immunisation the next weeks.

aussie-mandy

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Joined: May 09, 2008
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Posted: Aug 01, 2008 - 01:14 PM

Does anyone know know the chiense address of PAWS? my puppy has an appointment with them tomorrow!

datsun

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Joined: Jan 23, 2009
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Posted: Feb 02, 2009 - 10:23 PM
Post subject: very disappointing

I've been to PAW twice and I've been disappointed both times. The first time we went there for a regular check-up, the Brit vet did not even touch my dogs (they are small dogs and not some fierce large ones). He had a strange manner and came across as someone who didn't like dogs. In fact, I got the feeling that he had no affinity for the job.

The second time we went there was when my dogs had ring worm. They took blood samples (just to be sure it was ring worm - but we never heard back from them) and prescribed a shampoo and a cream. He wanted us to spot clean the dogs twice daily (which I found out was not the best thing to do as the shampoo dries the skin and isn't good for the already fragile skin). Secondly the cream prescribed was made for humans, and was a local brand. They charged about 100 RMB for it and I found the same cream for 15 RMB in a pharmacy. After spending over 1,000 RMB for the visit, I did not see any improvement. I decided to take my dogs to a vet recommended by a friend (St Anthony Pet Recovery Hospital) and Dr Stephanie (who had a great manner with dogs) prescribed an imported medication specifically for canines (and cost about the same as the local cream at PAW) and a shampoo for weekly use. The total bill was under 600 RMB and the dogs got better within the same week, and the ring worm was completely gone in about 2-3 weeks.

januza

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Joined: Jan 24, 2007
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Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 03:49 PM

My Yorkie needs 2 teeth pulled.. I think I will try and contact St Anthony and ask them.. Checked the website.. All expats from Europe!

Medea
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Joined: May 05, 2008
Posts: 1158
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 10:37 PM

We've been to PAWS several times and they were always very friendly + knew how to treat our cat (we met the Dutch + British vet). We also had the cat neutered there and were very satisfied with their service.
However, they are very expensive. (Compared to our vet at home)

_________________
"Disappointment is anger for wimps" - House talking to Wilson

soochowlady

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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 - 10:54 AM

Dr. James Holder at the PAWS is good. The problem is that he seems usually go out of town during holidays and they seem to have no other vets to cover for his holiday leave like Christmas or Chinese New year. Except for that, he is very good and skillful and they have an emergency number you can reach him IF he is in town. Our dog visited him for a year and even had one major surgery there. We like the services he provided.
Our experience of having pets in Shanghai for a little over a year is that we can find good western-standard vets in Shanghai no problem. However, there seem to have no reliable vets for off-hours emergency in Shanghai and this can be a problem. I know there are some local vets provide off-hours emergency even during Chinese New year. But we never used them. So I don't know how their services are.

ryanjones72

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Joined: Sep 29, 2008
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Posted: Feb 13, 2009 - 09:43 AM

Please give the address and phone or website of the PAWS vet in Pudong, if possible. Do you know if they sell dog food and other pet products? Thank you in advance!

spandexballet

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Posted: May 14, 2009 - 10:51 AM

i have used PAW for years and my opinion of them has dropped substantially. i feel that maybe they are stretching themselves a bit too thin. i feel that as a customer, i should be able to talk to the vets for information and have a slightly leisurely conversation. if i'm paying for an operation, a consultation should be free, etc. i don't see why a visit should cost a lot more than it did in the US. perhaps that is naive, but whatever. they are quite expensive. I have been to a local vet though and was horrified by their manner and they ended up charging me almost the same amount anyway. Definitely do not advise going to your average corner vet. or if you do, don't buy all they crap they recommend.

i wish I had known about this St. Anthony place. Sounds pretty good and definitely worth checking out. Alternatively, i know the ShenPu clinic does boarding as well and it seems reasonable. that place is a disaster for exporting information, but i think the staff there are pretty nice and seemed to actually really like their patients.

datsun: in PAW's defense, the same medicine is used for pets and people for ringworm. seems ridiculous that they would take a blood sample to confirm this. it's pretty obvious by looking, or by taking one of those uv lights used to check money and look at the marks. if it's ringworm, the spots glow like freaking christmas trees. pretty cool really, unless you are the one with christmas trees all over. (done it, don't recommend it!)

mauhan

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Posted: July 27, 2009 - 06:38 PM

Interesting to read some of the comments re the male vet at PAWS, Shanghai. Thought it was only us and that maybe we were out of sorts ... I merely happened upon this feedback on Paws (Sh) as I was searching Google for a GENERAL email address for Paws in Shanghai so as to re-send the email I sent him about 3 weeks ago about making an appointment to get the process started for my pets emigrating to another country ... an email I am still awaiting an answer on.

It does seem like there might be a problem there ....

My 2 cents worth to this:

We have been to PAWS three times in the last 2 years, having adopted three kittens from the streets at different times. We went to them for the Western Vets, solely. We did find them a bit expensive, but, we do not mind paying if we know our pets are taken care of and properly treated.

The first time we went there was to get our 1st two kittens, then 7 month old, all their injections and have them neutered. It was summer, hot and horrible and after a 45 minute taxi drive, the cats were both stressed and not very happy. After the initial examination by Dr James, we placed them in the holding lockers in the back near his office, we went out, signed all the consent forms and then, before leaving, I went back in to make sure they were OK. This was when the rather abrupt nature of his manners in the examination room spilled over as I was literally shouted out of the area by him.

When we collected them that afternoon after the operations, he was nowhere to be found.

We have been back twice since, and every time we hoped to meet with the Lady Vet from Holland. However, it was not be for both these subsequent meetings were with a vet who gave off a feel of "this is not really what I want to do" and sadly left us with bad tastes in our mouths. I must add that during our third meeting we had a journalist in the room doing a piece on Paws and Dr James was extremely friendly. This was also when he gave me his email address to contact him regarding the emigration of our pets - the email I am still awaiting an answer on.

We have been going to a local vet since - and they have all been great.

Just to make it clear: everybody else there were very nice, extremely friendly and very helpful, esp the staff at reception and in the wee shopping area.

PetPirate

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Posted: July 30, 2009 - 05:19 PM

I've been going to PAW for years -- since it was on Gubei Lu, and I understand where some of you guys are coming from r.e. James, but I wouldn't take our cats anywhere else.

He can sometimes be a bit blunt, but I think that is just his manner. We have left our cats for operations, check-ups, jabs, and several times in the cattery there, and we have always felt that they are in safe hands there. Even the Ayis and receptionists all seem to take a great interest in their progress.

I usually consider myself to be extremely chilled, but taking housecats out in Shanghai and leaving them in a cattery is a huge ordeal -- for us and the cats. Standing by the side of a busy road with cat carriers, waiting for a taxi with them(in the rain), with people poking them and shouting at them all around, is *never* a good experience.

By the time I get to PAW, I'm usually pretty flustered. I imagine it's the same for most animal lovers visiting the vet here. Maybe people can be a little bit over-sensitive in these circumstances? I know I am.

James seems to be a good guy and knows his stuff. His advice hasn't always been very practical (i.e. feed them 5 times a day all around the house, brush their teeth daily, etc.), but it is in the best interest of the animals.

I imagine he daily has to deal with owners who don't follow advice, or who don't take much responsibility in looking after their pets (Seriously -- when I tell people I have cats, 50% of responses are something like "I used to have a cat... until it [disappeared/fell off the balcony/got eaten by a dog/got its head slammed in a door/etc/etc]"). If you care for animals enough to be a vet, this must be a very difficult position to be in, and personally I think James deals with the situation admirably -- walking the right line between taking interest in the animal and taking interest in the owner.

We went to a semi-local vet (Taiwanese), once, and only once, before finding PAW. The vet was so disinterested as to be practically horizontal, and the place seemed to be more interested in selling superficial dog clothes and grooming services than caring for the animals.

PAW isn't cheap, and we had the same deal with ringworm -- human medicine worth 15 kuai being sold for 100. But I don't have a big issue with that -- I wouldn't have been able to prescribe it myself. Compared with vet surgeries overseas, PAW don't seem to have much (medicines / diagnostics) to work with, but they seem to do an admirable job.

jjaayy73

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Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 18, 2009 - 09:30 PM

We've been to Paws twice and both times pretty upsetting.

From our experience and friends who have been to Paws, they like to charge you with unreasonable and uncalled for blood tests. We also tried to get our dog neutered there, and they charged us the lblood tests but failed to complete the minor operation.

Long story short, they don't seem to care about your pet and also have an air of high nose foreign snobbyness toward certain pets.

Our saving grace: St. Anthony's pet hospital in Gubei. All the docs there were great and they don't unnecessarily overcharge. Very honest and very good. Specifically , Dr. Stephanie. She was genuine and one time, didn't 'even charge us for seeing our dog.

They are a bit far in Gubei but we've seen many docs...foreign and local, they are CONSISTENTLY the best.

- pet lover

angeldemon

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Joined: Oct 01, 2009
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Posted: Oct 01, 2009 - 11:33 AM

Went to St. Anthony last month, the people there were so nice, especially Dr Stephanie

swisscook

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Joined: Aug 27, 2007
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Posted: Oct 01, 2009 - 01:34 PM

I think I agree with Pet Pirate. We are going to Paws since almost 3 years now.

The first time we went we called them around 2 AM for an Emergency. We had never been there before and did not know James. Yet he agreed to come to the Clinic in the middle of the night. The cat had to stay there for several weeks in a cage as he could not walk and they took excellent care of him. And for the 4 weeks he was there the amount spent was very reasonable and well worth it.

As said, we take both our cats there since 3 years and have had nothing but good experiences. He assisted in relocation preparations, pointed us in the right direction and has been very helpful overall.

I think Pet Pirate is right when talks about some Pet Owners in Shanghai. A lot of the People I know just have Pets as toys for their kids or because it is cool to have one. But they don't really have a clue as to what it actually means to have a Pet. And then when there is something wrong they go to the Vet and expect them to work miracles. Can be frustrating I guess.

I agree, he might be a bit direct sometimes - but then again, I prefer it that way. Seems more honest to me.

I for me, would not want to have any other Vet taking care of our two cats here in Shanghai. I went to other Vets, including St.Anthony, and I just do like Paws better. And I think at then end of the day that is all that matters in the end. You have to feel comfortable with the Vet you choose. For some of us this is Paws, and for some of us this is somebody else.

I hope you also shared your comments with Paws and not just on here.

paul123

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Posted: Oct 19, 2009 - 01:03 PM

yes, we used to go to paws, but now we got to petshome. they have 2 locations. dr lo, whom i think is from taiwan, speaks english and is always very thorough. we just had one of our dogs spayed there, and it went smoothly. we made an app't, the doc (dr lo doesn't do surgeries) performing the surgery called us to tell us what to do/expect, etc. for everything inc meds, it cost around 1700rmb.

Newsgirl

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Posted: Oct 23, 2009 - 10:16 AM

Sorry to hear some of you didn't like Paws. I started this thread when I first moved here. It's now a year and a half later and I've been taking my dog to James the entire time. My dog is somewhat -medically high maintence since arriving in Shanghai.. and I wouldn't trust him in any other hands. He's had some major surgery here and James & the girls at Paws have been fantastic every step of the way. Some people have referred to prices being high. I guess that comes down to where your home is. In comparison to my vet in the US, prices here are quite similar most of the time.. and even cheaper on some occasions. Sometimes people's personalities don't mix.. but when it comes right down to it.. James loves animals and they are his first priority.