Testimonials

There are no words to adequately express our appreciation for the care our dog Oliver received from Dr. Filer and the entire staff at the Veterinary Referral Surgical Practice. We brought Oliver in with a degenerative disk problem in his neck that had suddenly left him unable to stand up, let alone walk. Dr. Filer did a myelograph and then surgery, and by the next day when we picked Oliver up he was actually walking. We are now just past two weeks post operation, and he is back to his old self. In fact our biggest problem is trying to get him to take it easy for a few more weeks. Dr. Filer not only performed an incredible feat of surgery, but his compassion and demeanor made what was a trying time for us, so much easier. Not only did Mike and Liz and the rest of the staff spend time with us thoroughly explaining the post op instructions, and encourage us to call with any questions (which we did), but they called us to check up on Oilver's progress. We cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful care our dog received and we would encourage anyone whose pet needs surgery to call here first. —Mr. and Mrs. Saffran

Dr. Filer and Staff,

I wanted to thank you and your amazing staff again for the unbelievable knowledge and compassion that was provided to us.

Our pup, Jake, tore his ACL back in December and we were referred by two different veterinarians to VRSP and Dr. Filer. Our initial meeting was nothing short of excellent. Dr. Filer explained in detail what had happened to Jake and our options. He was very reassuring that it was a common procedure and one that he did quite frequently.

Jake isn't just a pet to my husband and me, he is a member of our family. Dr. Filer's expertise put us at ease to help make our decision and go forward with the surgery. After the surgery, the vet techs explained the home care very thoroughly. The vet techs made it clear if we had any concerns to give them a call over the weekend. I did call once over that first weekend and the vet tech talked me though exactly what was going on and what I needed to do. He let me know that he was going to call first thing Monday morning to check on Jake, and he did! It meant so much to us that he remembered and was able to follow up.

The staff at VRSP made this rough patch as easy as possible for us. I can't thank Dr. Filer and his staff enough. Thank you again for everything! —Mr and Mrs. Harris

Thank you fromthe bottom of our hearts for the care you provided Levi. We always felt he was in the best hands when he was at your practice. You all made Levi, and us, feel like special patients and we will always be grateful and thankful for that. We'll certainly miss seeing our VRSP "family"! —Kathryn Lamb

The Best of the Best
Dr. Filer works with the Veterinary Referral Surgical Practice in Roswell, Marietta, and Woodstock. He has performed surgery on two of our cats. Our calico went lame when she was young due to a problem with one of her back knee joints. We tried two vets and the surgery failed both times. Then we found Dr. Filer and, as they say, nothing succeeds like success. It's over 10 years later and her knee still works perfectly. What makes this even more amazing is that he had to work with things done with the first two surgeries. Last year we found a mass on the abdomen of our "big kitty". Testing showed that it was malignant. We took him to Dr. filer to get this taken care of. It was huge, and the location made it difficult to deal with. But once again Dr. Filer was able to remove the tumor and he (Lancelot) is doing fine over a year later with no sign of reoccurrence. If you want the best for your pet (and I know that all of us do) then there simply is no one better. —Mr. J. Benton

When our beloved cat Smudge was shot by an arrow, we rushed him to Animal Emergency Center of North Fulton. After x-rays and an initial meeting with the doctor on call, we had little hope for Smudge to survive. The arrow went all the way through his back leg, into his body and was stuck in the rib cage. Without performing surgery, he would not be able to tell us how severe the injuries were and which organs were pierced. The doctor on call told us he would call Dr. Noone to take a look at our pet. He told us he was the best and specialized in this type of surgery. After a brief talk with Dr. Noone, they moved Smudge to Dr. Noone's office in Roswell and performed surgery.

It was about three hours that we waited while surgery was performed. Dr. Noone called us to tell us that our cat had not only survived but that he was incredibly lucky that no organs were pierced. Even though it was late on a Sunday night and he just was in surgery for the past three hours, Dr. Noone took his time to walk my husband through the surgery step by step.

There was a lot of trauma and our cat had to spend almost a week in critical care. During this time, Dr. Noone not only stayed in touch with the facility where Smudge was staying but also informed our regular vet what was going on regarding Smudge's progress.

Dr. Noone went above and beyond to save our cat's life. We cannot express how thankful we are. Just 6 weeks after surgery, Smudge got a clean bill of health from Dr. Noone. Smudge is back to his normal loving, playful self with one difference - he is an indoor only cat from now on. —Corinna Holz

Dr. Filer,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the extraordinary staff at Veterinary Referral Surgical Practice in Roswell for the great care you gave our dog Jake.

I would like to share my experience and hope that in some way this may help others to feel more confident knowing they have choices in surgical needs. My newly adopted puppy came in from his walk and had injured his leg causing lameness in his left rear. We took him to our local vet and with examination and x-rays was referred to VRSP.

Dr. Filer's examination and assessment was a bilateral early partially ruptured cranial cruciate ligament. I was needless to say upset and devastated about the news. Dr. Filer obviously knew that our lives had just changed for the next several months. He discussed with us in great detail and with patience the plan for treatment.
I'm happy to say that we are now 14 weeks post operation and Jake is doing great. I will never forget the service, understanding and the kindness of all the staff at VRSP. They go out of their way to make sure Jake was well taken care of in all aspects. Dr. Filer is a phenomenal orthopedic surgeon and was extremely caring and compassionate in treating him. Jonna, Jodi and Sue in physical therapy are the best. Adrienne is always pleasant and I enjoyed talking to her while I was there. Liz makes it easy to get through post operative do's and don'ts.

I will relay this story over and over again knowing that the outcome could have been very very different. —Barbara Baker

My dog Rocky - I love him dearly! Took about four months for me to find out what exactly was wrong until I got referred to Dr. Filer. After the long 4 months I met with Dr. Filer who helped in giving me big hope that Rocky would be back to normal. Dr. Filer is very knowledgeable and very patient to answer all my questions in fact everyone at the Roswell facility are extremely friendly, understanding and helpful. Rocky had his TPLO surgery and recovered fully without any complications due to the great skills of Dr. Filer and blessings of many of our friends. I am very thankful and grateful to Dr. Filer for all his considerations, patience, immense knowledge and his willingness to help animals - our awesome pets! Thanks Dr. Filer. Thanks to everyone who had a part in Rocky's care! —Shanthi Nathan

Our dog Diamond had to have Cervical and Thorcolumbar Spinal Cord Decompression and Intervertebral Disc Fenestration (Nucleoplasty)by Dr. Noone due to 2 ruptured discs. After 3 hospital days of exemplary care by the team at VRSP, she was able to come home on March 10th; but wasn't able to walk a single step on her own. We began rehab with AARF right away and the improvements were exciting to watch! Jonna and Jodi are dedicated therapists as well as cheerleaders and teachers for Diamond and for us. On May 16th, Diamond was able to RUN and bring back her favorite ball for another toss. I recommend AARF for assistance in a crisis mode like this and also for teaching how to work with your healthy dog to keep them in good physical condition for a long happy life. Thanks to the whole VRSP and AARF team. —Jim and Lisa Loughridge

Dr. Filer,

Not sure if you remember Mocha - she was the adopted little black Cocker Spaniel with the broken leg that had apparently never been set after her injury. As she was adopted, we had no idea as to when she sustained the broken leg - she could not walk.

At the time, you weren't sure that you could do anything with her leg, as the break might have happened months prior. But in fact, you were able to save the leg with a metal plate and several screws. This was about a year and a half ago. Anyway, Mocha's leg healed well. She runs, jumps and roughhouses with the other three dogs (sometimes more than I would like her to). Anyone would be hard pressed to notice anything wrong with the back leg that was repaired.

The home rehab work, and the water treadmill at the Roswell rehab facility did wonders. Guess the 'bonding' process was stronger than I imagined it would be, as Mocha is totally devoted to me, but that's OK. She has a good disposition.

I thought you'd appreciate a current update on the little girl! —Nick Giamarino

Dr. Filer is very knowledgeable and does a great job! Everyone is always friendly. —M. Weber

The staff at all three clinics were very professional as was the Doctor (Dr. Filer). Not only was everyone professional, all were like family. The entire staff was so caring and concerned for Max; giving him excellent care. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for caring for Max with the utmost care and concern. —Shirley and Larry Carter

Dr. Wagner,
You operated on my dog Poky who was hit by a car and had both her front limbs crushed on January 17th of last year. I have not spoken to you for a long time, but wanted to give you an update. Although recovery from nerve damage was slow, Poky has made an excellent recovery. Most people cannot tell that anything ever happened to her at all. The legs are strong and she does not seem to be troubled by any pain. I want to thank you for a job well done. I know with surgery like that on limbs that were as mangled as hers nothing is guaranteed but I wanted to let you know I have been very pleased with the results. She is healthier, stronger and more mobile than I could have expected. Thank you! I don't think anyone could have done a better job. Well done. —Mr. H. Warner