I read good reviews about Shoal Creek and it was conveniently located, so I took my fur child. However, my experience was a little different. I was very worried about my dog having a skin issue. The veterinarian couldn’t tell me what the issue was by looking at her skin, but that he was going to run some tests. However, he seemed to think it could have been the mange. And even though my dog was not tested positive, I guess he thought it necessary to alert the whole staff. So, as I was checking out with the front desk assistant, she used a napkin to grab the pen I used to sign my receipt. I understand the mange is serious, but with everything considered, I just felt disrespected and a little embarrassed quite honestly. I received a call a few days later that my dog tested negative for everything. Took my own knowledge (and the $60+ I spent there) to realize my dog just had an allergic reaction to flea bites. I’ve taken my pup a few more times and haven’t had too bad of an experience, besides my dog hating being touched by anyone she doesn’t trust, and even professionals having a hard time with it. Everyone on the staff seems nice enough, but it just made me uncomfortable. Read Less

I found Shoal Animal Clinic on Yelp as we were new to the Athens area. I was very impressed with their friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Dr. Elder and Hillary were patient and caring with our dog and listened to our concerns. I am impressed with the quick response to the tests taken and their follow up. Read Less

I found Shoal Animal Clinic on Yelp as we were new to the Athens area. I was very impressed with their friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Dr. Elder and Hillary were patient and caring with our dog and listened to our concerns. I am impressed with the quick response to the tests taken and their follow up. Read Less

Absolutely love the staff and vet here! Dr. Elder and his staff are the best! I’ve been going here for three years and every time the service has been wonderful. It is more expensive than other clinics but I personally think it’s worth it. At some clinics, you don’t get to be in the room with your pet, but here you get to go into the exam room and be with your pet! Read Less

A really good vet. Dr Elder is incredibly patient and kind, as are the vet techs & receptionists. I often wish I could get a GP for myself who listened as well & explained things as patiently as Dr Elder does. Read Less

My puppy fell ill and my usual vet is closed on Wednesday. Needless to say, I was a ball of stress. The staff at Shoal Creek not only made time out of their day to see my puppy they also gave quality care. Thanks to Dr. Elder and the staff my puppy is feeling fantastic ! :) Read Less

Dr. Elder and the rest of the team were fantastic. This was our first visit to Shoal Creek Animal Clinic. Our puppy had its first shot, de-worming, and flea meds done. I came in with a long list of questions and Dr. Elder took the time to answer each one in detail. He even provided information I had not thought to ask for. The rest of the staff were extremely helpful as well. We will be returning for future care! Read Less

Wow! What an awesome group of people. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my animals. After several fantastic experiences with very qualified vets in this office, I must say for the first time ever I love taking my animals to the doctor. They answer all of my questions, thoroughly! My pets do not freak out (get scared) when they see Dr. Elder. You can tell he cares about his career, the people who come into the business, and most of all, his patients. I even brought my mother's dog in here and she is always terrified of the vet, but she immediately warmed up to Dr. Elder. I had both of my precious animals spayed and neutered and the team did an awesome job in helping me feel safe dropping them off for the procedure. One thing I like is they do use anesthesia. In my personal view, taking on a pet means committing to a lifetime of care for the animal. Therefore it was important to me to find the right Vet for my pets. Dr. Elder is definitely someone I feel I can trust. Another positive thing about this office is they DO NOT routinely offer declawing of cats. In my humble opinion declawing is inhumane and unethical. Something else I noticed is they have an immunization map for my pets that shows where they last got shots. They are sure to change the injection points each time the animal needs an injection. Why is this important? There are some studies floating around where (if my memory serves me correctly), some pets have been found to end up with cancerous growths in routine injection spots. The fact that Dr.Elder changes the injection points periodically (the reduce the contingency of cancerous growths) was another sign that he is abreast of "new" procedures that reduce patient risk. Although this is probably not a well known fact outside of the vet science community, these sorts of things to me showed he really does care. Not all vets do this by the way. In any case, I have recommended and will continue to recommend this place as the number one spot for your furry friends. It's worth every penny. Read Less

My cat, Leroy, was feeling ill Friday evening and into Saturday morning. I was very concerned for him, so I called Shoal Creek as soon as they opened. Despite their busy weekend schedule, they were able to fit me in at 9:30 am as a walk-in. The woman I spoke to on the phone was kind, the receptionist was warm, and the assistant and veterinarian were both knowledgeable, gentle, and warm to Leroy. They took wonderful care of my sweet boy, and he's feeling so much better today (Sunday). I can't thank them enough for their great, professional care (and reasonable prices)! I highly recommend this vet office. Read Less

Dr. Elder recently operated on my pit bull and had three tumors removed for her in one day after he'd gone through all the effort to present me with my options, made sure I had all the diagnostics first and that I had the best plan for her. Him and his whole staff are empathic and personable, they will either call us to check on her or answer all our concerns patiently. My dog feels comfortable whenever she's there and I know in confidence she's very well taken care of. Great place to take your pet.Read Less

Dr. Elder and the staff at Shoal Creek are amazing. My senior cats get thoughtful care and I get things explained clearly and thoroughly so I can make informed choices for them. Extra special shout out to the techs who deal with Flake's meltdowns like the pros they are. Read Less

I have been taking my dogs here since 2009 when I first moved to Athens. Dr. Elder and his staff are the best! They are always kind and gentle with my pups and will always take the time to answer my questions. Dr. Elder always remembers my dogs which says to me he is also familiar with their health history. Pricing is very reasonable and they sometimes offer discounts on blood work and teeth cleaning over the course of the year. There is no one I trust more with the health of my precious pets. I couldn't think more highly of Dr. Elder and his staff. Read Less

Shoal Creek Animal Clinic has been my number one vet since my first experience with them in 2011. I came to Athens as a grad student with my three partners in crime, Belle, Bianca and Poohbear, all dogs, all rescues, and all wonderful and neurotic in some way. Poohbear passed away in November of 2015, two months shy of his 18th birthday, and as an Australian Shepherd-mix, that meant he was pretty old. Seriously old. And the happiest old dog ever. I'm convinced he was gifted this amazingly long life with an amazing quality of life as a result of the outstanding, top notch medical care he received under Dr. Elder. As for my girls, I have complete confidence they are now entering their senior years happily and healthily, and any questions and concerns I have are always investigated and taken into account. The technicians and receptionists (especially Angie!) are always amazingly friendly and super helpful on the phone. I've traveled a lot as a field biologist and have taken the pups with me on a lot of cross-country adventures lasting weeks to months. It is no stretch for me to state they are the most helpful and accommodating clinic I have dealt with in any location. And while a poster below mentioned they are expensive, in all honesty, they're not. The honor of most expensive clinic goes to the Hillcrest area of San Diego. However, here they just offer more comprehensive services. I'd rather take my dogs to a clinic where I have an option of adding a blood work screening and the full spectrum of vaccines to the physical exam yearly as opposed to a clinic that only has the capability of performing the basics. Yes, the basic exams might be comparable in price but the extras are going to cost more in time, supplies, and of course, if something abnormal is found, treatment. So I see the options as being there because they are what are best for my dogs and I am never pressured to take the more expensive route. In short, when I deal with Dr. Elder and the rest of the folks at Shoal Creek, there is never any question in my mind about whether a proposed treatment plan or even the exploration of a potential health issue is what is best for my pups. I highly suggest them to all, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by how professional, kind, compassionate and knowledgeable these folks are. Read Less

Dr. Elder cared for my three cats from the time they were feral strays to the loving lap kitties they have become. I trust him implicitly. I recently moved and haven't been able to find a vet anywhere close to him. Treasure what you have Athens! He is AMAZING! Read Less

I won an auction deal from the UGA Vet School for a visit to Shoal Creek.  I was pleasantly surprised by this little vet clinic.  Dr. Elder is very nice, and the staff are always incredibly pleasant.  My large dog was having some very serious issues, and while our primary vet was pushing me to get him surgery, Dr. Elder actually formed a plan to solve the problem instead of just cutting to the end game. That spoke volumes to me.  I plan on getting all of my pets switched over eventually, I think.  The one thing I would say is that some follow-up calls would be appreciated, especially in the very serious case of my dog with terrible issues.  It would mean a lot to have someone checking on his progress.  But other than that, this clinic is one of the best I've been to. Read Less

I won an auction deal from the UGA Vet School for a visit to Shoal Creek.  I was pleasantly surprised by this little vet clinic.  Dr. Elder is very nice, and the staff are always incredibly pleasant.  My large dog was having some very serious issues, and while our primary vet was pushing me to get him surgery, Dr. Elder actually formed a plan to solve the problem instead of just cutting to the end game. That spoke volumes to me.  I plan on getting all of my pets switched over eventually, I think.  The one thing I would say is that some follow-up calls would be appreciated, especially in the very serious case of my dog with terrible issues.  It would mean a lot to have someone checking on his progress.  But other than that, this clinic is one of the best I've been to. Read Less

Absolutely kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. I had no issues, was able to make an appointment that same day, and they treated the abused stray I brought in with so much care and love. The prices were reasonable especially considering just how much I had to get done/what they had to check for. I'll definitely be going back. Read Less

the best doctor who dealt with my best friend Popeye (6lb Yorkie) he care and treat them like his own, I made the mistake of taking him in weekend to UGA they killed him and charged me $900+ the worse place for animal corollaryRead Less

Since we have moved to Athens a year and a half ago, we have used Shoal Creek to take care of our 90 lb labradoodle Porter. We have seen two different vets, and have been impressed with both. For us, the staff have been very helpful and nice. We will keep using them until I graduate. Read Less

Over the past 10+ year and am honored to say that this office is the most caring, friendliest and educated animal clinic I have ever dealt with. They treated Hershey (chocolate lab) with such affection up to the end. I couldn't imagine using any other office and I would VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THEM! I want to personally thank them for the understanding and caring in the end, it helped us through a hard time. Read Less

I've now had Dr. Elder see all of my pets (2 dogs and 2 cats) he has been absolutely phenomenal for them, and has bent over backwards to help them have the most affordable treatment and accurate diagnostics as possible. For my dog Luca, he helped me find the most affordable surgeon who can perform a TPLO surgery on her back two knees, and helped me find an affordable treatment for heartworms for my rescue boy Cole. This, and just his overwhelming kindness for my animals, means I'll be coming here for a long time. I can not express how thankful I am for his services and his wonderful team :) Thank you Dr. Elder!!! Read Less

I'm new to Athens and needed to find a vet close by ASAP. I called shoal creek and I was squeezed in later that afternoon. My dog Otis was treated with a lot love and attention. I called a couple of days later to see about him needing worm meds and was told I do not have to bring him in just come and get the meds he needs. Thank goodness for a caring group at shoal creek. I can honestly say my fur-babies have a perminant Dr now. I totally rrecommended this team Read Less

When we first moved to Athens with barely a penny to our names, we were able to access affordable vet services for our old dog. The care and attention far surpassed our expectations. Last week, our dear old guy had to say good-bye to us and Dr. Elder took care of him with respect and grace. Today, we got a beautiful handwritten card from Dr. Christopher Elder - a long and sincere condolence. This meant the world to our family and my kids will cherish this card. I highly recommend this clinic and can personally vouch for their staff and their services. Read Less

Dr. Elder is amazing and I really appreciate all he has done for my dogs during my time at the University of Georgia. The whole staff is really nice and I highly recommend his services to anybody looking for a quality practice in the Athens area. Read Less

This clinic is by far the best vet experience I've had. Prices are comparable to past vets and the people are excellent at what they do. They called same day to give back test results as soon as they were ready. Any time one of my dogs has had a vaccine, they've called the next day to check in and offer advice if needed. Highly recommended!Read Less

I recently relocated to Athens and really lucked out finding such a great veterinarian my first go.  My cat is quite a difficult patient with a myriad of health problems, including a heart defect, and usually needs to be sedated to be examined.  Dr. Elder and his technician were able to perform the examination and get him the treatment he needed without sedation.  Additionally, I was presented with options to help treat my cat's condition more chronically rather than going to the vet every six months for steroid injections, which are detrimental to his health and really stress both him and me out.  It is apparent that Dr. Elder really cares about his patients and their fur-parents.  I will be returning to this practice in the future and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any friends. Read Less

We've been bringing all our dogs to Shoal Creek for years. They are simply the best in town and our dogs are very comfortable with them. We found this clinic when we first moved to Athens about five years ago. Our oldest dog had been "attacked" by an off-leash dog (a big problem in Athens, apparently) and needed emergency surgery around her eyes. We got to the clinic about ten minutes before closing time, but they took our dog back right away without any fuss or complaint. The surgery was a success. Since then we have adopted two other dogs and take them to Shoal Creek for everything. I'm glad we live in Athens, but unless it were an emergency, I think we would drive 100 miles to bring our "children" to Shoal Creek! (We do have personal friends who are vets in the area. They all speak very highly of Drs. Askren and Elder.) Read Less

I relocated to Athens from San Diego with two 8-year-old basset hounds and chose Shoal Creek Animal Clinic because of it's proximity to my home and the other Yelp review and I'm really glad I did. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and I really like Dr. Elder's no-nonsense approach to animal care. Both of my bassets have myriad health issues, and before we left my San Diego vet had prescribed a long list of expensive tests and procedures (ultrasound and possible surgery) to definitely diagnose and treat my female with Cushings Disease. Dr. Elder said he didn't believe tests and even treatment would improve her quality of life. If we were okay with letting her drink a lot of water and making sure she had access to the backyard to "expel" the water, then she'd be just fine. He said the drug he would give her for Cushings had non-desirable side effects. I appreciated his honesty. Also, you can drop your pets off for baths at Shoal Creek. Read Less

So, when we moved here our dog was only 3 months old and she was due for her next series of shots within a week of being here.The first vet we took her to was nice but there was only one doctor there are we had an appointment but waited over an hour to get seen.  We went ahead and got her shots there but never went back.The second place we took her was after she hurt her leg and they claimed she needed a splint and all this other stuff and we believed them.  However, their front desk lady was always rude and the vet and his staff were immature and I didn't feel that they listened to our concerns....sooooo, we went to yet ANOTHER vet....Finally, on the recommendation to Pawtropolis, I took Frankie to Shoal Creek....they explained that she never really injured her leg that bad and that the previous vet should have taken x-rays of both legs and they would have noticed that.  Also, both vets (Dr. Elder and Dr. Askren) are sooo nice and they explain everything.  I feel that the doctors and all the staff truly care about your concerns and your little furry family member's well being.  Even though we are getting ready to move to Watkinsville, I will still take my dog and kitties there. Read Less