South Orlando Animal Hospital

The owners of the practice Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Finnel have both treated two of my kitties, one :-( a number of times. I always feel very reassured by both their calm demeanor and their extensive veterinary backgrounds. Thanks to my neighbor Nancy A for recommending them! Read Less

The doctors and staff are extremely caring and friendly. I've been coming here for several years, and have never had any complaints. The boarding, and grooming services are an excellent bonus, and everything is reasonably priced. Keep up the great work! Read Less

We have gone through vets like water in Central Florida. We finally found SOAH and could not be more pleased. It’s funny because they are close to a 40 min drive for us. Every time we are there we see different neighbors! Hidden gem of a vet. Can’t recommend them highly enough. Read Less

Excellent staff . I have a large German Shepherd and the staff here  is terrific. I would highly recommend this clinic. My dog has been sick after hours and the vets that cover after hours at the vet emergency clinic were terrific too Read Less

Dr. Finnell did an amazing job on my dogs ear cropping very happy with the outcome, we will be back again for any future ear cropping. Great place to take you’re pet staff is very friendly and took good care of Enzo! Thank you SOAH. Read Less

Personnel and vets are very polite, friendly and professional. Very clean. Wide spectrum of services from regular vet services to grooming to boarding to hospital srrvices. Prices are moderate. Been taking my pets there for over 7 years. Highly recommended. Read Less

The best place I've ever taken a pet. The doctors and team are great to the puppy and make sure that she is well taken care of. The entire staff here is great, and the prices seem competitive for the area. I greatly appreciate the service and care provided by the excellent staff here! Read Less

Amazing service! We walked in with 5 minutes to close and they still treated my dog. Misty was extremley helpful and talked us through everything. Defintely coming back and recommend to anyone that is in need of a vet. Read Less

Dr Cushing and her staff are OUTSTANDING!!! They really LOVE the animals they care for. When I took my dog in and she needed emergency surgery, Dr. Cushing and two of her staff stayed to save my dog Mozza's life. I can never thank them all enough for what they have done for me. The entire team at South Orlando Animal Hospital is AMAZING!!..... Margaret and Andy Elghannam Read Less

We've taken our animal family to SOAH for many years.  They're always friendly, compassionate and thorough.  We normally see Dr. Fennel but on occasion we've seen all of the doctors and staff. I hope they never change.  I recommend them to everyone. Read Less

Recently I was told by my vet (of 10 years) that my dog has a very suspicious growth and needs surgery. My dog is my world and of course, I was quite concerned. I was very upset that the growth was so concerning to the vet and the very high surgery proposal. My neighbor suggested I go to her vet SOAH. I called and I told my children I felt like I was "Beyonce" I had 5 star-red carpet treatment. The SUPER AWESOME HONEST VET said, "I think that is a cyst." She poked a needle to it and it was gone. I am thankful beyond words to have met a vet that is so honest, loving and AMAZING!!!!. The staff, vet assistants- not five star- 10 STAR! My friend highly recommended this hospital and was she ever right! There is nothing at all like having an honest vet with such a loving caring kind staff!  BEST OF THE BEST in 30 years of owning dogs. Read Less

Thank you so much Yelp for helping to introduce me to my Sagwa's new car Dr. Esch. He is absolutely brilliant,  he quelled all my worries and I had several walking in.  He gave our unexpected addition- our housecat - her updated rabies vaccine and gave me a prescription when I requested one for my kittens eye medicine.  He also gave me an antibiotic and ear drops for mites. This place is truly a haven for your beloved animals. Thank you so much! Read Less

This is probably the most important review I have ever left and here is why..Our dog has had allergies since she was very young, she is now nine.She has been seen by 4 different veterinarian hospitals across 4 states, from the east coast, west coast and obviously the south. She has suffered from uncontrollably biting her feet and back to the point the fur was completely gone. She had sores around her mouth and eyes. The symptoms would fluctuate depending on her location and the time of year. Most of the vets had us try different diets, asked if she has gotten into anything lately, replaced her toys, dishes, etc.- for years!  You get it.So when we relocated to Florida we naturally went to yelp to find a new vet. Judging the business solely based on past reviews we made an appointment. We were scheduled with Dr. Glen Finnell. After a few minutes of speaking with Dr. Finnell and explaining in greater detail the above information he immediately asked us if any of the prior vets mentioned a few medications, internal and external that help combat this generally common allergy situation. We explained to him they did not and we have never tried any of the medications he mentioned. He basically offered a topical shampoo and an internal oral medication to start with. THAT DAY after giving her the first tablet she stopped itching! It took a couple weeks for the sores around her mouth and eyes to go away and ever since her hair started growing back. I am convinced that the oral tablet alone would do the trick but I will continue to use the shampoo as well. I know this because I have forgotten to give her her pill and she had started itching like clock work a couple of hours later. Now the thing is to make a long story short we changed her dosage due to weight changes and we used to give her 1 full pill in the am and that was all. Now we give her half a dose in the am and the second does exactly 12 hours later and this helped regulate the drop.If you have never been to this vet before and you are scanning these reviews for help with a similar issue (I found many people on google with this same issue with no explanation of resolve) you need to have Dr. Finnell and Co. help you out.But not only did they help our dog with an issue that 3 other top vets (or so we thought) couldn't help us with, they are a very friendly and helpful location across the board from the front office to the back and we are proud to have them as our vet now. Read Less

I would definitely recommend this clinic.  I decided to go based on their great reviews online & the fact that they were AAHA accredited.  I was so pelased by the level of professionalism and care from the staff and Dr. Esch.  I will be using them for all my vet needs from now on.  So glad I found them. Read Less

Incredible doctors and staff. I would highly recommend this practice to every pet owner. My chocolate lab recently had puppies and had a really bad case of mastitis. Dr. Cushing called me on Sunday during her time off to check up and make sure everything was going well. When she called I was at the emergency vet having her looked at due to a fever. She called the emergency hospital and spoke with the vet there to come up with a treatment plan all on a Sunday, her day off. Incredible dedication to the well being of the animals they see. Just one of them any reasons why I drive 30 minutes just to bring my dogs. Read Less

I think I've been bringing my Boxers here for 15 years.  I have always been happy with each doctor we have seen.  Currently we are seeing Dr. Esch and Dr. Mingle and both are excellent.  I have seen all of the doctors, it just depends on the dog, all are excellent.  Dr. Mingle was excellent when treating Nori for lymphoma several years ago.  I always recommend South Orlando!  Just as important, the staff and vet techs are always great.  My Boxers love going to the vet!  Not many can say that.  Thank you all for everything! Read Less

Amazing staff.  Moved to north side town a few years ago and continue to drive 50 minutes each way to see Dr. Finnell.  Wish I could find a family Dr with the same bedside manner and care this staff gave my dog. Read Less

I have been in this area for 3 years. I will not take my crybabies anywhere else! I recently had an emergency with my boy baby and just walked in. From the front staff to the tech to the doctor... they didn't blink that I didn't have an appt. I didn't wait long at all either. I was so very grateful and relieved! Thank u Thank u Thank u!!! Read Less

Just moved to the area and scheduled my dog for routine visit. Staff was very friendly and I was impressed by Dr.Finnell. He didn't appear rushed and took his time with her exam. He was so fast with the shots and discussed issues in depth. My dog is usually a handful at the vet but she did great because of how the Dr and tech handled her. Called me the next day with bloodwork results. Definently was a happy and looking forward to returning. Read Less

The incredible Dr Esche has been taking care of my senior dog for 2+ years. He is thorough, compassionate and very professional. My shiba inu is difficult and up in age, but the great care he gets from Dr Esche and staff is amazing and comforting. We drive an hour each way for the care we think is the best there is.Thank you SOAH. Read Less

My puppy of 10 months was having some dark discharge in one of her ears. I was able to get an appointment within 2 days of calling and so far I love this office. The doctor was very patient with us and my puppy seemed to love him! Read Less

We have used SOAH as our vet for probably 15ish years for our pets, and I have NEVER been more impressed with the service we, and our pets, most recently our Labrador, has just received. Our amazing dog turned suddenly ill, lethargic, drinking lots of water, and had an occasional upset stomach; but , walked and ate as usual. After a sudden down turn and a night trip to the Emergency VET (also great place!!), we started working with Dr. Finnell, and he and all the staff, were AMAZING! Saturday he worked with us even past closing time, to get IV fluids, and meds into our beloved pet. He called several times each day throughout the weekend, checking on our labs progress and reporting back with new blood work results, even on Sunday. We felt like we, and the care of our dog, were the only thing on this mind. Monday morning came, as did another call, and a decision to preform additional procedures, all while Dr. Finnell consciously helped to make the best decisions for our loved pets care while financially choosing carefully for the best use of our money. Today, out loved lab is back home with us recovering!! We are still mapping out plans of care for his future, but I cannot write enough words of praise, appreciation, and gratitude for the way the staff at SOAH and the Drs. make you feel like one of their family. Read Less

My dog got her spay and a surgery to remove a gland tumor here. As well as other things throughout the years. Love it, all the doctors always explain everything thoroughly and make it easy for me to understand. The receptionist would literally be the ONLY thing I can complain about. And even they aren't too bad, just not 100% cordial at times. Rarely see a smile but the top priority, which is my dogs health, is in trusted and great hands with the doctors and nurses at this animal hospital. Even after not going for about 2 years, people greet my pup as a familiar and friendly face. And she is never scared to go there. Love love love this place. Best I've ever been to. Worth the 35 min drive to the opposite side of town for me. :) Read Less

The vets and staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. That is where my positive experience ends with this vet BUSINESS. After looking at my cat's itemized bill I was shocked. First off, when I took my cat in and they discovered that he had a bladder stone that had blocked his urethra I was quoted an estimate of $350 to $500 for treatment. An hour after leaving the office I received a call saying that they wanted to do an x-ray for $100. I OK'd this charge. When I picked up my cat the bill was close to $900. The amount that this vet charges for different things is ridiculous. $38 for an antibiotic that cost less than $9, $31 for each shot given to my cat, and $71/day to keep an 11 pound cat (after calling around to several vets this week the average fee is less than $35 in South Orlando). When I picked up my cat the vet happily said I am not going to charge you for one day because of the holiday. But they charged me for the entire stay. In a separate case I happened to inquire how much they charge to spay a 4 month old kitten....to my surprise they quoted $224 as long as there are no complications. Calling other vets in this area I found the most expensive vet was $99. There is some disconnect with this office. I will NEVER take one of my animals to this office. Furthermore, I will tell everyone that I know with animals to avoid this office at all costs. Read Less

The vets and staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. That is where my positive experience ends with this vet BUSINESS. After looking at my cat's itemized bill I was shocked. First off, when I took my cat in and they discovered that he had a bladder stone that had blocked his urethra I was quoted an estimate of $350 to $500 for treatment. An hour after leaving the office I received a call saying that they wanted to do an x-ray for $100. I OK'd this charge. When I picked up my cat the bill was close to $900. The amount that this vet charges for different things is ridiculous. $38 for an antibiotic that cost less than $9, $31 for each shot given to my cat, and $71/day to keep an 11 pound cat (after calling around to several vets this week the average fee is less than $35 in South Orlando). When I picked up my cat the vet happily said I am not going to charge you for one day because of the holiday. But they charged me for the entire stay. In a separate case I happened to inquire how much they charge to spay a 4 month old kitten....to my surprise they quoted $224 as long as there are no complications. Calling other vets in this area I found the most expensive vet was $99. There is some disconnect with this office. I will NEVER take one of my animals to this office. Furthermore, I will tell everyone that I know with animals to avoid this office at all costs. Read Less

Dr. Esch has been amazing with our boy. He's been very thorough, professional, and patient with us and our bud. It's reassuring to have great, compassionate people take care of your beloved family members like they're their own. We love South Orlando Animal Hospital! Read Less

Completely unprofessional, only set out to profit generate and nothing more. 25 years has done a number on the way this doctor opperates. 0% patience or compassion. Lost my pup because I didn't have the funding to save her. Definitely wouldn't recommend this veterinarian to anyone.Read Less

We couldn't be happier with South Orlando Animal Hospital. From the staff to all the wonderful doctors everyone is excellent, extremely caring and courteous. The first time I took my cat to Dr. Glenn Finnell she had seen several veterinarians and a veterinarian internist. Dr. Finnell took the time to read all of her records and solved the problem of her chronic high fevers that no one else had been able to. I can't count the times that I've received after hour calls checking on my sick pets from Dr. Finnell. They go above and beyond and I recommend them to everyone. Read Less

This place is wonderful. I've been taking my cat here for a few years. We always see Dr. Esch. My cat is very feisty and can be quite a handful at the vet's office but Dr. Esch is always so patient with my cat. He puts my mind at ease. I tend to ask a lot of questions (while in the office or sometimes over the phone) and I always receive detailed information addressing all of my concerns. All the staff are very helpful, knowledgable, and super friendly.  In the past, I've had to make urgent appointments for my cat for issues I was very concerned about. They scheduled my cat to be seen within the following day or so. They're very efficient. And the office is organized and clean as well. I have complete confidence and trust in the doctors'  and staff's abilities to treat my cat. They really do care about the wellbeing of your pets. I highly recommend this place! Read Less

We had our pitbulls ears cropped with Dr. Finnell. He was professional, clean, very kind and well knowledged. He showed us a few pictures of his past work and I must say the ear trim he did on our Rednose was perfect in every way. It was exactly what we wanted and more. He did an extrodinary job and has an art for what he does. He is overly highly recommended and I will tell everyone I know about him. He is amazing and careing! woot! Read Less

I started using South Orlando years ago when I began volunteering with a cat rescue group. Several of the other foster parents used South Orlando for their personal pets, so I decided to try themMy first experience was with Dr. Mingle -she's great.  I especially love her sense of humor. Over the years I've taken my cats (and many of my foster kitties) into the office and I've seen all of the vets. I trust each and everyone of them. They are all kind, caring, and very knowledgeable. On one occasion they prescribed a medication for one of my fosters that the rescue vet had not even heard of and made it possible for me to treat a kitty in 2 days instead of 3 weeks with the old treatment. If there is ever a question, they are good about consulting each other.  With a pregnant kitty I fostered who was having problems all 5 vets reviewed the X-rays to verify the diagnosis I have the utmost confidence in the entire team. Read Less

Took my Service Dog, Levi, for a check up here and for his shots.  We saw Dr. Esch and he is amazing.  I can honestly say he is the best vet I have ever seen,  He explained everything and really took his time with us.  Definitely ask for him if you go to this office.The entire office was extremely clean.  The staff were all smiling, friendly, and helpful.  The assistant helping was wonderful!They even managed to clip Levi's toenails when I've had other vets refuse with sedating him first.  I will absolutely be going back here every couple of months or so for Levi's grooming. Read Less

SOAH is not the place to take your ill pet. They have several vets under one roof, and our dogs(s) got lost in the shuffle, passed from vet to vet. Our first dog was very sick. We know our dog well, and we kept insisting the vet check his prostate. The vet kept blowing us off. My husband wouldn't back down, and the vet agreed to check our dogs prostate. Indeed our dog had an enlarged prostate, and was dead 6 mo. later from prostate cancer. We were stupid enough to go back to get our 2nd dogs teeth cleaned and infected teeth pulled. It was a horrible experience for her. They kept her in back for a long time, did her teeth, and when we went back to pick her up - she was in agony. Wimpering and moaning. i knew domething went wrong. We demanded to see our vet, but of course he wasn't there, so we saw another vet who said ""I don't know, I mean,she just had her teeth pulled, so yeah, she's gonna hurt"". She totallly blew us off. We had another terrible experience on the phone when we were transferred to a vet tech and we asked about information on a particular illness we thought our dog might have. The vet tech said""Huh? I never heard of that."" then she started laughing with the other vet techs about our question...Ironicallly, we were trying desperatly to find answers for our sick dog. Our dog died just weeks later. in my opinion, this place is cold, overpriced and if your dog isn't sick with a typical illness, they throw in the towel. i am writing this because as pet owners, my husband and I dropped the ball by going to this place. We failed our dogs miserably. We now take our remaining dog to another vet. Don't make the mistake we did. there are good, fairly priced caring vet offices out there. This is not one of them. I am writing this to pay tribute to my two dogs that passed because I let them down. Perhaps this will enlighten you. Be a smart shopper, folks. don't make the same mistake we did. Read Less

I've been taking my pets to Dr. Mingle at the South Orlando Animal Hospital for years and I have never had anything short of an excellent experience with them. Dr. Mingle is a phenomenal veterinarian that really knows veterinary medicine inside and out and you can tell that she genuinely cares about the animals. One thing that I love about going there is that she is actually the person that spends the most time with my pets, she always explains the health issues and their solutions to me and never puts my pets (or my wallet) through unnecessary tests (unlike the other vet offices where I spend 20 minutes waiting, 20 minutes with a technician and 2 minutes with a Dr, then end up paying hundreds of dollars on curing a disease that I have no knowledge about). I live almost an hour away from their office and there are many vets that are within 15 minutes from my house, but I would not put my pets' health into anyone else's hands. I give them 5 stars and would recommend them to anyone, anytime. Read Less

I took my cat there for shots and too be declawed. I told them my cat already had his rabie shot . I took him in there and before I new it he needed this he needed that AND THEY GAVE HIM ANOTHER RABIE SHOT the total was $317.00 .When I picked him up they said he needed too come in for a follow up . So I called the day of his appointment to see what they were gonna do . Now it is $27.00 for and examine ( Which he was just in there less than 3 weeks ago ) and than there is a booster shot another $14.00. Oh and another dewormer which is $ 17.00. These people love your money . I was in there with another cat less than 3 weeks ago and had to have him put to sleep . They did and xray . I was devasted with my lost oh but they charged me $237.00. How's that for compassion. LOOKING FOR ANOTHER VET. Read Less

Dr. Finnell has treated my two dogs for the last several years and performed surgery on the one of them (a thirteen year old mutt). I have found the quality of the care and compassion exhibited to be exceptional. The entire staff has been helpful and caring for my animals. I would not hesitate to recommend this clinic to anyone. Read Less

I think they are over priced and though the office looks very nice and is very clean, I also don't care for the lack of politeness from some of the front desk women. I thought the vets were fine but not great for the price. Read Less

This Vet Hospital might be a little overpriced, however, my pets health do not have a price tag. I taolly trust Dr. Veal. I've had a dog with cancer who has been diagnosed about 8 years ago and he is alive, happy and healthy. Dr. Veal has always been caring, attentive, extremely nice, professional and a GREAT vet! Recently I took my cat to be seen by her because at another vet clinic (I had moved from the area and came back just to see Dr. Veal) I was told he had to have his leg amputated! Dr. Veal saw him and totally discarded the need for that...it was simply a node from an infection he had in his paw...she also cleaned his ears (I told at the other clinic he needed it to be done and they never did it...after performing 3 surgeries on my cat...). To sum it up...I will ALWAYS come back to this clinic...ALWAYS come back to Dr. Veal... She treated all the pets I've had here in Orlando...she is THE BEST! Read Less

My husband was born and raised in Orlando and this is the vet that he has always taken his pets to. However, when I took my cats there to get declawed I wasn't quite satisfied. The nurses were not overly friendly and although the vet was very nice, it was the prices that I was unhappy with. I know from being a previous cat owner the approximate price of this procedure. They charged me far beyond that. I tried to justify it to myself by thinking that I would rather have my pets in a place I can trust than to go somewhere cheaper but not feel good about leaving them there. They also told me after the fact that the cats had an ear problem that they treated while they were under for the declawing. I found that absurd that they would just perform a procedure without asking for owner's permission and expect me to pay. I guess they just assumed we had to pay it since it was already done. The whole thing ended up costing about $500!! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. The overall experience wasn't bad and I know that it is a very reputable place but I was just not happy with how it was handeled. I think I will be finding a new vet. Read Less