South Lake Animal Hospital

I am not a customer of theirs but needed some information.  I called about 1-2 weeks ago to get some information.  Called again this morning and the person who answered the phone was HORRIBLE.  She was rude, would not give me any information, argued and told me I was wrong.  If they treat people like that you can only imagine how they treat the animals.  I do not recommend this place.  There are much better animal hospitals out there.  When I looked up their number today and saw they only had 1 - 2 star rating I now realize why. Read Less

Beyond disappointed and upset with the service and care here. My dog has anxiety when people are up close in his face and the doctors here treated him horribly because of that. They wanted to put a mussel over his mouth which freaked him out obviously bc he has anxiety!! So then after ONE TIME of trying to get it on him, they gave up. The doctors made my husband and I feel horrible that they couldn't get it on him and made it sound like he's an awful dog, when they don't know anything about my beagle and didn’t care to find out! They have absolutely no idea how to deal with rescued dogs they have absolutely no patience and rudely except you to do their job for them. On top of all this, they decided to give him an oral vaccine instead and not all of the vaccine got in his mouth and they knew that, yet they still charged full price. Which we don't care about the price of things we just want the best care for our dog and want to make sure he is actually getting vaccinated if we're going to pay top dollar. I've never experienced such horrible and rude service. They treated our beagle like a criminal and the doctor was talking down to my husband and I like we were children (is this what happens when you rescue a shelter dog??) Such a mean lady NO ONE should be treated like that for just trying to get care for our dog. We will never be returning here and I urge you not to take your fur baby here bc the doctors clearly don't know what they are doing and don't even care for pets they only know how to suck your wallet dry! Read Less

DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET HERE!All I can say is WOW... What an awful experience with very rude Pet Doctors. My dog is a rescue with severe anxiety and clear signs of abuse (According to other doctors- they refused to acknowledge that info) Anyways, instead of treating him as such- the WOMAN VET berated my wife and I for our dogs anxiety and fear of the doctor. Our 20 pound dog was treated like Casey Anthony! Also the doctor- who was very rude to her staff. The experience was extremely bizarre and before even leaving the office my wife and I agreed on never returning. They didn't give us documents or communicate what we needed for our little dog's flea/heart worm prevention, just recommendations for products that THEY sell at the front desk. I was charged for exams they DID NOT give him! South Lake Animal hospital does not care about your pets, they care about your money- they are the sort of "PET PEOPLE" who criticize someone for getting a new dog as oppose to a rescue; but then complain when a rescue dog needs a gentle touch. Like the kind you'd expect from an alleged "PET DOCTOR" who charged us for anti biotics Who then proceeded to tell my wife "I can't prescribe medicine" when asked for medicine we had interest in. Very disgusting and they will be hearing from a lawyer. Read Less

Beyond disappointed and upset with the service and care here. My dog has anxiety when people are up close in his face and the doctors here treated him horribly because of that. They wanted to put a mussel over his mouth which freaked him out obviously bc he has anxiety!! So then after ONE TIME of trying to get it on him, they gave up. The doctors made my husband and I feel horrible that they couldn't get it on him and made it sound like he's an awful dog, when they don't know anything about my poor little guy who was rescued from a shelter! They have absolutely no idea how to deal with rescued dogs they have absolutely no patience and rudely except you to do their job for them. On top of all this, they decided to give him an oral vaccine instead and not all of the vaccine got in his mouth and they knew that, yet they still charged full price. Which we don't care about the price of things we just want the best care for our dog and want to make sure he is actually getting vaccinated if we're going to pay top dollar. I've never experienced such horrible and rude service. They treated our beagle like a criminal and the doctor was talking down to my husband and I like we were children (is this what happens when you rescue a shelter dog??) Such a mean lady NO ONE should be treated like that for just trying to get care for our dog. We will never be returning here and I urge you not to take your fur baby here bc the doctors clearly don't know what they are doing and don't even care for pets they only know how to suck your wallet dry! Read Less

Ihave been taking our dog Tommy there for approximately 8 years. They have helped him through numerous allergies.Referred us to specialist for injury etc. I board him there when I go away, knowing he is in the best care with a mature staff that i trust. Dedicated to our pet family and us. Read Less

I believe the care here is competent and responsible, but it runs on the expensive side. In my case, I felt somewhat pressured to do expensive testing on my elderly cat when we knew what she had and I knew the limits of what I'd subject her to for treatments. On the other hand, they did a fine job diagnosing our dog. The real problem here is the surly receptionist who is curt or even rude with you on the phone or in person. Now that I've found a better clinic (Atlas Animal Hospital) I am willing to write this honest review. I wish it could be better but the rude lady needs to find a different job, or get some training in customer service. Read Less

I made an appointment for my two new kittens I recently adopted. They were quick to get them in. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Dr Joyner was awesome with them as well. Definitely a good place to take your furbabies and know they are being taken care of the right way. Read Less

If you want very good experience for you and your pets this is the one. They are very nice and helpful and caring about you and your pets they are very knowledgeable about animals and they take the time to get to know your pets and give excellent care from the receptionist to the vet tech's Read Less

We started bringing our little Molly to South Lake Animal Hospital about 8 months ago, after inheriting her. This poor dog was in rough shape, and as a result of her severe allergy problems, she had ripped almost all of her hair out, had severe skin infections, goopy eyes, and was in so much discomfort that we feared we may have to put her down.After working on a treatment plan that Dr. Joyner put together over the months, I'm grateful to say she is almost at 100% health. This little shihtzu requires a lot of attention, maintenance, and love, but because of  Dr. Joyner and the awesome team at South Lake Animal Hospital, Molly has a long and healthy life ahead of her! Read Less

I have trusted Dr Rodriguez with my pets for over 15 years. He has seen my family through normal checkups, cuts and illnesses and helped us worth the passing of furbabies. He is kind, gentle and has a real passion for pets Read Less

The doctors are excellent, support staff outanding, but the recepcionist which is the first contact with the public, it is too rude, lack of basic manners e.g. Greeting the public with a simple, "good morning" and a smile...must be something basic for any line of business, (in person and on the phone). An example of her greeting is as follows, "what up, what do you want". I usually don't make coments about anything but there was more people there this time. She does not know me and she sounded so unprofessional, my face was rolling. Ms. Sabrina will benefit from a job that doesn't involve dealing with the public. Her angry demeanor should not be tolerated in the workplace (no room for that behavior). Please hire a profesional receptionist that truly represents you, your team and your clinic. Read Less

My wife, Tere Pizarro and I went to a trip to Puerto Rico on June of this year and left our 4 pds chihuahua puppy in a boarding on another vet for 10days. This dog is trained and lives in our apt. He never goes outside. When we came to pick him up after the trip, he started with diarrhea and that other vet gave him medication and a can food! He got very sick and my wife made an appointment with D.V.M. Anthea Joyner of South Lake Animal Hospital which did blood and stool samples and found that the dog had parasites on the intestine and that he had a colitis! She gave us 3 oral injection of medications to deworm the dog in 3 days and antibiotics for 10 days! Thanks to these vet the dog got healthy and loose stools stopped! Today we went for F/u and the dog Rico was evaluated by Dr. Roberto O. Rodriguez who gave him probiotics and more antibiotics! We will recommend this place without hesitation! This Hospital in our opinion is the best in Florida and around the world! We give thanks to God and the Virgin Mary for giving us the pleasure to meet this pet vet Dr's and staff! They have excellent Customer service all the staff and D.V.M. Read Less

My wife, Tere Pizarro and I went to a trip to Puerto Rico on June of this year and left our 4 pds chihuahua puppy in a boarding on another vet for 10days. This dog is trained and lives in our apt. He never goes outside. When we came to pick him up after the trip, he started with diarrhea and that other vet gave him medication and a can food! He got very sick and my wife made an appointment with D.V.M. Anthea Joyner of South Lake Animal Hospital which did blood and stool samples and found that the dog had parasites on the intestine and that he had a colitis! She gave us 3 oral injection of medications to deworm the dog in 3 days and antibiotics for 10 days! Thanks to these vet the dog got healthy and loose stools stopped! Today we went for F/u and the dog Rico was evaluated by Dr. Roberto O. Rodriguez who gave him probiotics and more antibiotics! We will recommend this place without hesitation! This Hospital in our opinion is the best in Florida and around the world! We give thanks to God and the Virgin Mary for giving us the pleasure to meet this pet vet Dr's and staff! They have excellent Customer service all the staff and D.V.M. Read Less

Dr. Rodriguez and his wonderful staff have been care of my beagles and my cat for over 14 years. They have care very deeply for my animals and treated them with excellent care and dedication. They are the best! Read Less

Customer service here is awesome. My beloved Kimbo has an abnormal growth near his genital area. Called in for an emergency appointment, spoke with Sabrina Lewis. She was very professional and showed genuine concern for my issue. Got in and the vet assistant and vet were very caring and informative of my KimBo's issue. So pleased and happy with my service. They care for your pet as if they were your own. Read Less

I have taken all of my animals to Dr. Rodriquez for almost 20 years.  He is a wonderful warm caring Doctor.  The staff has always been so wonderful to me.  On Memorial day I called the office (they were there!!) because I knew it was time for my 15 year old Shih Tzu to leave this earth.  He had taken a huge turn for the worse over night.   The staff was so caring and considerate of my situation.  The nurse even brought in a blanket for my dog to lay on instead of the cold table.  When Dr Rodriquez came into the room he was so sweet to me and my dog.  It turned out that my dog had actually had a stroke.  Dr. Rod showed me exactly what indicated this and explained everything to me.  He sedated my dog and then told me if it was too much for me to be there when he administered the final injection, I could leave.  It was so nice to have been given that option. I did however wait until my little old man took his last breathe.  Afterwards, they brought in another blanket and covered his body except his head and told us we could stay as long as we needed. (Even though it was after closing time).  When we were ready Dr Rod walked us out the back door so we could have some privacy.  I would and have recommended this clinic to many and everyone that I have sent there has been very happy with the care their beloved animals received!! Read Less

I work as a veterinary receptionist but am leaving this review simply as a person. I am new to my position. A regular part of the job is contacting other offices for patient information. Today, I called one too many times (mostly because I am still learning to process information properly) and was made aware of this by the receptionist who answered at South Lake. It hurt my spirit a bit, as someone else had been rude in person at my office shortly before. I let her know I was knew and trying to learn to perform my duties properly, receptionist-to-receptionist. The phone call seemed to end kindly after that. I share this because I am reminded each day how important it is to have mercy and be generous with other people. Receptionists really set the tone for the clinic as they are the first point of contact. We never know what a person is carrying with them and I do not want to add to that load if possible. I understand things can get crazy up front and I am glad the call ended somewhat nicely. Read Less

Modern facilities and friendly staff. They stay busy but are really good at working in emergencies to help everyone. They really care about the animals they treat and work to get to know the families they belong to which says a lotRead Less

It would be in your best interest to find another Veterinary clinic for your pet.  Staff very was very rude and unprofessional showing a strong lack of concern for pets and clients.  Dr. Rodriguez is clearly not equipped or trained to handle pets with complex cronic issues, told me to look for someone else to care for my pet.   Pet lovers beware of this place. Read Less

Extremely unhappy with this animal hospital. Strike 1: The first time I went there they were either behind or overbooked because I waited for 30 minutes to go in. The reason I was there was to check on my dog's leg because she was limping. Dr. Rodriguez couldn't even tell she was limping!!! Maybe if he had actually taken the time to go outside instead of walking her down the hall, he would be able to see the limp...useless.Strike 2: A few weeks later, I took my older male in with my female for their annual exams and vaccines. This time I saw the woman vet (I forget her name). I was happier with her attitude but she failed to see that my dog had a cancerous testicle! I found this out a week later by going to a completely different clinic to get him collected. HUGE MISS!!Strike 3: My old man collapsed about a week later for no reason. I took him in for them to conduct an abdominal and heart ultrasound to figure out why this happened. That EXACT morning, I told them NOT to give him a certain sedative...and what do they give him? The one I told them not to. Dr. Rodriguez argued with me that a vet's education is better than years of breeder experience and he thought he knew what was better for my dog. He actually told me to wake him up every 2 hours...ummm, for what? In case the drug you gave him killed him in his sleep?!?!?! Well, it took my dog 12 HOURS to get over the drug. WAY longer than a normal dog would get over it. Terrible experience for both me and my dog. Then to sum it all up, it took them 3 whole days of having the results in house to being able to call me about them (this is after I angrily called them and asked them if they knew what the definition of an emergency was). Congrats on getting 3 grand out of me for 3 visits. You won't be getting any more! Read Less

Used this animal vet for 13 years  at first their staff was cold and uncaring completely ignoring you when you walked in. then years later they got better staff in for a few years. But those people eventually left and now I'm clear on why most of the current staff lack empathy or concern. I left my dog for boarding for her last weekend with them and whoever was in charge over the weekend was not doing the job or giving my dogs food or meds as instructed and until late in the day. When I picked her up Sunday around 11am before they closed she still had not received her food or heart medication and she was in extremely bad shape but they didn't tell me she hadn't had them yet bi didn't find out until after noon when I finally got home. She died the next evening.  when I called to let them know and to return the several hundreds of dollars of meds and food I had just purchased the day before and to let them know that no one fed her that morning or gave her the meds and didn't tell me that when I picked her up, not only did they say they could refund me on the meds, but the new receptionist gave attitude about it as she always does. However she relayed my very calm and unblaming message to Dr Rodriguez was incorrect. I was simply informing them that someone didn't give her the meds or food that morning which led to her worsened condition. I got a nasty unsympathetic voice message from Dr Rodriguez telling me my comments were unfair to them and they take care of the animals etc. well someone didn't that weekend. wouldn't he want to know? Instead he was only concerned for not being blamed for her death and took no responsibility for their negligence over the weekend and not informing me she hadn't been fed even up until 11am. She normally eats at 7:30am. He is not a genuinely empathetic human being in general and has ALWAYS lacked empathy. Only always trying to get you to purchase more things and services. And wouldn't give the prescription to buy dog food or flea medication or heart guard online cheaper. Money grubber who should not be treating animals because he has no feeling or empathy at all. Never has because it's not in him. I'm not blaming them for my dogs death. Just for their negligence which led to her worsened condition from which their was no return. She would eventually die within the year. But they screwed up and would not even say they were sorry for my loss when I came in to return the food that at least they would take back since it was unopened but the meds were not even opened or used and that was over $100. Don't expect them to care. Especially dr Rodriguez who doesn't have a caring bone in his body. A place is about the people who make it. Unfortunately, the people who did care left long ago because they were tired of working under his screwed up personality. And I don't know who the red headed doctor is but she never says hello or acknowledges anyone not even the staff and never cracks a smile She seems very hostile and unhappy also. Read Less

I backed into this review by just looking up Dr Rod's address, and had to add my positive input. I have used this facility for 25 yrs, for all my pet needs. Of greatest importance was Dr Rods discovering that my free American Bulldog had a severe heart defect. He immediately ordered an Echo, and 10yrs ago sent me to the best cardiac Vet available- none in Florida at that time, so we went to NC State University Vet School. I was told my dog should have lived 6months, but thru the excellant care of Dr Keene of NC State, and follow-up of dr Rod (and 3 stents in his heart and ballooning of his pulmonic valve), my dog is now 10 yrs old. He has been a nationally registered therapy dog, and a wonderful companion to my inlaws as they reached their 80's. Without Dr Rods quick diagnosis 10 yrs ago , my dog wouldve died shortly after i got him. Dr Rod continues to treat him as a very special patient, but then he has always done that for all my animals. I have a degree in Nrsg, so medically I know good care when I see ii. The price of taking care of your pet has increase over the 40 yrs of my being an adult, but his prices are in line with Vets in the area, a necessary expence for keeping your family member healthy. Read Less

I couldn't agree 100%. about your post.. The staff was good, however cross contamination of cats, dogs was evident. Dr. jumping from room to room , no gloves and If you love your dog. Look for a Vet who has time to see your dog only and not jumping from room to room. I told the Dr's wife very kindly about my concerns and she said to me ""We have plenty of happy customers, if you don't like us find someone else""! So I did , and I'm so HAPPY I DID :O) Read Less

The doctor displayed a poor bed side manner...Her staff was good, however cross contamination of cats, dogs was evident... An assistant brought a blood culture from another animal in the exam room where we were being seen with our dog....No one wore gloves.......Not a place I will recommend......Prices??????Doesn't matter if you get good quality care.......The doctor and her personality was lacking......My suggestion is for her to buy some people skills.......Go back to school and learn your craft again... Read Less