Animal Place Veterinary Hospital

Listen: 5 stars do not do them justice. They deserve the milky way. My dog is 15 years old; but, with their care, he might just make it another 15 years. The entire staff is super and, believe it or not, my Luke looks forward to his vet visits. They are not stuck on traditional treatments - they practice leading edge veterinary medicine to include: cold laser treatments; acupuncture; oriental herbs and the latest in breaking veterinarian medicine developments. To put the icing on the cake, they are quite reasonable. Read Less

Animal Place Vets have taken great care of my two kittens from the day I found them. The vets we've worked with, Dr. Hinkle and Dr. Davis, are very knowledgeable and warm, and take the time to answer every question or concern.  The front desk staff is wonderful as well - it's a breeze to schedule appointments, and they've given me advice on topics like pet insurance. I am very happy with my experience here! Read Less

Moved to the area recently and have taken my kitty cat there after she had an accident with her tail. Vet and techs have been really great. I really like that they care about the treatment of your animals and don't want to manhandle them just to get the job done. They take their time to make the animal feel comfortable and I appreciate that. This will be my new primary vet. Read Less

I've been going here since I got my rescue dog 7+ years ago. My dog Molly and I always been treated well by staff and all of the doctors have been careful to fully examine her and provide treatment as needed. Recently, I brought Molly in for what I thought was a bad tooth (not eating well, sluggish) and Dr. Gardsbane came back out to let me know Molly needed to have blood/urine samples to rule out a variety of symptoms as bad teeth wasn't one of them. Thus started a fast paced series of tests that ended up showing Molly had the beginning stages of kidney disease but more importantly, for immediate treatment, showed two masses in her spleen. Surgery came next (the surgeon said it more than likely would have just been weeks before her spleen burst). Dr. Gardsbane's actions - quick thinking, full explanation at every level and contacting the surgery, saved Molly's life. I will forever be grateful and will continue to take Molly and any other pet I may have to the Animal Place Veterinary Hospital. Read Less

I just left this establishment.   My son has been bringing his dog here for 2 years. He had school today and asked that I bring the regarding an ear infection.  Everyone was polite even gave me the meds.  I informed them that he would call with the payment after he got out of class. (He's never been delinquent in a bill). They said ok, I get to the car and the receptionist knocks on my window and asked me for the medication back.  I have never been an established customer anywhere and been treated like that.  I wonder if they treat all their long term customers this way or just the African American ones.  Either way shame on them! Read Less

This morning my daughter lost her first pet, Franklin Marcelo, the guinea pig. We tried for almost an hour to find a vet to see him even showing up to 2! After speaking with the receptionist for 3 minutes they told us to come right over. The staff was so kind, compassionate, and respectful to our daughter as she said her goodbyes and provided us with various options. We can’t thank them enough and would certainly recommend them to anyone with exotic pets in an emergency situation. Thank you sooo much Read Less

We have a difficult pup, who shows aggression, particularly with vet staff. Dr. Davis has been extremely patient and cooperative with us. She has also taken extra time to explain exams or conditions to us.  Her willingness to answer all questions, despite the time demand, is very impressive.We have been to vets before that almost shun us because our dog is a challenge, but in particular, Dr. Davis and Susie at the front desk, have been very understanding.  Most of the staff is truly caring and patient.My husband and I are very relieved that we have a veterinarian who is thorough and kind. Read Less

The doctor and nurse were friendly but one thing I didn't like or recommended this to the 1st visited was charged for $20 for not making appointment. I got chargers for $20 for fit-in fee or walk-in fee without appointment. This is not what they tell me early. When I stepped in a room. The nurse said they have to charge me for it. Make sure you call them ahead before coming. Read Less

We originally enjoyed coming here, but not recently. Our dog has had an itchy paw for a long time and it obviously bothers him. He has come several times involving the matter and nothing they have done seems to work. We have asked about seeing an allergist, but instead we are given expensive medications that only work temporarily. We feel we are wasting our money because they want to check on him every few weeks.Also, our dog got a tick bite over 9 months ago and we told the vet. They said that since we didn't see any symptoms, blood work was not needed. Present day, he goes in for his yearly blood work and he has Lyme Disease! He had it for 9 months because the doctor didn't want to do the blood test originally. Read Less

We had a very wonderful experience from the time I contacted the office to make an emergency appointed for our senior dog Simba. The receptionist couldn't have been nicer and when we arrived the vet assistant was really great too! Dr. Arlene F. Gardsbane was so good with Simba and she did a great job cleaning and testing his eyes. I highly recommend the Animal Place Veterinary Hospital for your pets. As we all know when your pet is Happy, You are Happy too!Read Less

I have been going to this Veterinary Hospital for years. Originally I changed vets because they offered acupuncture and Chinese herbs to treat my dog's allergies. I continued with them because they have gone above and beyond to treat my dog. They have fit me in several times when my dog had emergency symptoms. You can trust your pet's care to the exceptional staff at this Veterinary Hospital. Read Less

Love Dr. Gardsbane!  She is attentive and caring, explains everything thoroughly.  I moved out of the area for a few years and was happy I could bring my dog back to her care.   Front desk staff is courteous and fast.  Vet Techs are terrific too. Read Less

Plays games with our dogs medication. Our old vet would sell us a year supply. This vet sells us small quantities so we have to keep coming back 4x a year for a Full Examination and Bloodwork. His prescription hasn't changed in 7 years. Humans only do thyroid work ups once a year. After appealing to the vet over this multiple times, she graciously gave us an "exception" to come less often. Now they are doing the same thing with our other dogs allergy medicine. Do not recommend this clinic. (They also sell pseudoscience light therapies and acupuncture.) Read Less

This Vet plays games with my dogs medication to ensure we come back often. This is not professional veterinary care. It started with my dogs thyroid medication. The clinic that I used at my old location was happy to test and fill his thyroid medication annually. The dog is old and has had the same prescription for 7 years. APVH informed us that they would not give me more than 3 months medication, so they could check him again to be sure. That was fine. After they checked him, they attempted to give us only 3 more months of medicine. The care plan was to come for a Full Consultation and Bloodwork every 3 months. We refused. The vet decided to allow a year's worth at a time. The vet then proceeded to give us old 8 months worth and call it a years worth.The vet also requires continual heartworm tests, even when the dog is on heartworm medication. This is just something to make the vet visits cost more. The latest and last issue we had with this vet is they are now attempting to play the "keep coming back" game for the other dogs allergy medicine. When I asked the front desk about how I could come less often they told me I am free to find another vet.So we did. (Expense is only one issue, taking off time from work to come in is also annoying. This vet also sells pseudoscience laser light treatments and acupuncture. I guess in hindsight it was a cash grab no morals kind of place from the start.) Read Less

We are new to the area and with the move and Christmas we ran out of Zelda, my grand babies allergy medicine, I called and had an appointment the next day at a time that was best for me. We didn't sit and wait for a long time to be seen. The Dr and nurse were great with Zelda and very friendly to my daughter and myself. They handled Zelda with love. The receptionist was so sweet and caring. I will continue to use this Vet and recommend to friends. Thank y'all !! Read Less

First time client and first impression was very good. Everyone nice and friendly and clearly interested in ensuring the health and well being of our kittens. Got a good feeling from them and anticipate a good relationship in the years to come. Read Less

Dr. Gardesbane and Dr Davis are terrific with my aging Boston Terrier, Conrad. The staff always is happy to see him. Conrad absolutely loves going to the Vet! The staff is so caring. Losing my Boston Terrier was very hard last June, but they were so caring and made it as easy as it could possibly be. Maya is our newest Rescue and just loves all the attention she gets here. Read Less

Animal Place Veterinary Hospital is fantastic. They always make our dog (Xena) feel like their very favorite dog/patient (which I'm sure she is!), and they always provide wonderful, gentle, and competent care. We are big fans. And I've never known a dog to get happy and excited about going to the vet. Xena is always thrilled to go for a "visit" to her best friends at APVH. Read Less

The vets and staff are the most extraordinarily kind, compassionate professionals. Maggie (our very anxious, fearful rescue) is treated with immense gentleness and every effort is made to keep her calm during her visits. Drs. Gardsbane and Davis always put Maggie's needs above all else and do their very best to avoid traumatizing this stressed out girl. They take a personal interest in Maggie's well-being and I would never dream of taking her to any other vet. Read Less

I brought  my cat for an observation and DR.Arlene Gardsbane examined the cat. I love my Cat very much and brought him in due to I have noticed he wasn't happy and perhaps in pain. Doctor knew cat was in pain and pulled him out of the carrier by the fur (on the neck), cat got scared, jumped off the table, perhaps hurting him more, and hid under the furniture, hissing and making unhappy sounds. Doctor noted that she'd need to sedate him in order to examine the cat. Doc did not want the liability issues for her and staff. Doc said that X-ray would be needed as well. I Requested to see the charges prior to any services that cat would receive today. Staff gave me a bill listing 3 things: X-ray, sedation and exam that totaled to $247. I agreed to pay that, because I love my cat and really wanted to know what's wrong with him.My cat was taken to the back room, and I was sent into the waiting area. When Doctor came back, she told me that cat was examined and X-rayed, however, they found nothing wrong with him except that cat may be developing an arthritis  and perhaps has a bone fracture. Doctor recommended a long term pain medication administration, or a referral to the orthopedist. Doctor said there is not much that can be done. I asked about the cost if I decide to go that way, Doctor said it would be long term injections to relieve the pain. Doctor gave no other inexpensive alternative. When I was ready to pay the bill, I saw that the amount has changed. The new amount was over $330, when I asked to explain the additional charges, staff told me that they administered pain meds to the cat. I was surprised that no one asked me or presented me with charges prior to administering the meds. I refused to pay the charges that weren't approved by me, and paid only $247, as originally agreed to pay. Doctor belittled me and made me feel guilty that I refused to pay to reduce cat's pain. I explained to her that regardless what Doctor wants to do and believes, customer is the one that pays for services, and Doctor always needs to present charges prior to the billing. Vet services get to be expensive and since I am the one who is responsible to pay the bill, I should be the one who knows how much money it would cost me to get my cat better. Doctor did not even ask me how I feel about pain meds, as I don't even support pain meds, and wished to find an alternative to pain med treatment. Instead, Doctor Arlene G. Told me to not come back to their Clinique and that I should look for other place to take my cat. This is absurd! This vet place careless about pets, about customer's ability to pay/ cost effective method, and if customer thinks differently about the treatment, they are out of the door. After my cat received pain meds, he felt terrible and unhappy even more then before I took him to the vet. I regret that I took him to this place in the first place, and I wish staff told me that they would administer pain meds to the cat. Today, my cat feels better because I found an cost effective alternative to administer him a baby aspirin, he is doing better only because I consulted with some knowledgable people who care about pets but also about my pocket and spending that I would have to encounter if I listened to that Doctor. I want to warn and advise other pet owners to think twice when they go to this place to take their pets for more then just an immunization. This place cares about your money, not pet; Doctor guilts you if you disagree with her treatment plan or charges enforcement. Customer deserves to know final charges(aside from the hospital stay charges) before anything is done, especially pet owner has a right to know what meds/treatment is administered prior to actually administering it. I disagree with doctor's decision to discontinue services to my pet because I refused to pay extra charges that Doctor did not let me know about ahead of time. This is wrong! Read Less

Dr. Gardsbane is both a wonderful vet and a wonderful person. She was quick to pick up that something was wrong with out recently-adopted boxer when the shelter vet had seen the same symptoms but hadn't understood the seriousness. Our boxer had cancer when we adopted him. We were able to give the boxer a home for the last months of his life, and Dr. Gardsbane was able to keep him happy during that time. When the time came for him to pass away, Dr. Gardsbane and the staff provided a safe, gentle place for our family to gather and be with our dog when he passed. Dr. Gardsbane and the staff were kind, understanding, and patience and did not rush us or make us feel like we were anything but welcome. She is a gem and we are lucky to have such a great vet. Read Less

I had a good check up with my pit bull. We had the first visit since our dog doesnt like other dogs.arlene and the staff are very professional.our dog is on antibiotic and feeling much better.thanks ritaRead Less

I have been using Animal Place for more than 10 years and it's been a pleasure. The staff is compassionate and it's obvious that each and everyone of them is a true pet lover. The pets are always greeted in a positive manner and treated wonderfully during the visit. I would not consider taking my pet anywhere else. Thank you Animal Place!! Read Less

The veterinarians at Animal Place are skilled and compassionate professionals. My cats, guinea pigs & hamster have been well cared for by the amazing vets and vet assistants. I've never felt like they've taken advantage of me financially and I always feel like they are true animal lovers! If you're looking for veterinarians who will take excellent care of your animals look no further than Animal Place. Read Less

Excellent Vet Hospital! This place was recommended to me by a friend and I've been going there for over 15 years. They are friendly, knowledgeable, compassionate, and seem to truly care for our pets. I've since lost my dogs who both lived over 14 years, but they are still taking care of my 16 year old cat. I would strongly recommend!! Read Less

I adopted my dogs more than 10 years ago. Both were adults. Animal Place was the first animal clinic I went to for their first physical, getting spayed and consequently the last place one of my dogs went to. I had to put her to sleep today, because she was in so much pain. They took her in as soon as the vet came in. The vet and staff were very compassionate and treated her with a lot of care. When I am ready to adopt another dog into our family, I trust his/her care to the Animal Place. Read Less

My over 15 year old Cockapoo has never been to any other vet. They listen to me and my concerns and obviously have taken very good care of Spice. So - when we rescued a Toy Poodle, there was no question who his vet would be. Read Less

I wouldn't trust my babies with anyone else! They love my dogs! Dr. Davis spent a lot of time discussing a surgery with me that I was apprehensive about. The front desk staff is very friendly and genuinely enjoy their jobs! Read Less

I read some of the reviews and  amazed! I have been going to Animal place for years and find everyone helpful and understanding . Dr G spent hours researching new treatments for my dog.  She suggested referral to a specialist but I really didn't want to go. So , she spent a lot of time trying to help my dog.  I called and often was put right through to her, othertimes she would call me back. What is amazing, when I think about it, I am sure she has several other clients with pets with problems, yet she never rushed me or acted like she was in a hurry.I have now met the two new doctors, Dr. Davis and Dr. Wehrli and both are really nice. Very much like Dr. G they take time to explain everything to me.I LOVE the front desk people, they are do friendly.Animal place is the best! Read Less

I was so impressed by the staff at Animal Place. I had never been there before, but I was able to get a same-day emergency appointment for a sick guinea pig. Many other vets do not treat guinea pigs, and those that did would not allow a same-day appointment. I was welcomed, and the technician was warm and wonderful with our pet. The vet, Dr. Gardsbane, was friendly, professional, and intelligent. She's owned guinea pigs before and knew all about their particular ailments, so I trusted her within the first two minutes. She gave me some good advice in terms of home care, and the tech took the time to show me how to hand-feed.Not only that, the front desk staff was outstanding. I had a genuine, moving conversation with a woman who has worked there for many years. I am grateful for everyone there and the good work they do.Really, today turned out to be one of the best days because I met three wonderful, caring people. And the prices were fair, too. Read Less

I am frankly astonished at the negative reviews of Animal Place. I realize the people who tend to write reviews are often the people who had bad experiences, but I have been going to see Dr. Gardsbane at Animal Place for around 8 years and absolutely adore her. Dr. Gardsbane has a calm, quiet demeanor that has always gone over well with my pets, including my very fearful greyhound. She's always gentle with her handling and the staff is as accommodating as they can be with my requests to make exams and treatments minimally stressful. Additionally, Dr. G is always happy to research something for me on her own time, and will often call me and talk with me at length on the phone for no additional charge. I've always found them judicious with how they charge office fees as well. Additionally, the practice offers a few things that many vets don't - Dr. G is a certified acupuncturist and is educated about chinese medicine, including supplements. They also offer cold laser therapy, which has been really useful for one of my dogs for everything from a wound he got hiking to muscle strains.If I were rating the practice on Dr. Gardsbane alone, I would hands down give 5 stars. I'm taking off one star simply because I think a few of the techs could use a little education in dog body language and/or people skills depending. :P Sometimes people are enthusiastic about greeting the pets and giving them attention, which is understandable, but not all animals, especially in that stressful situation, appreciate it. I also haven't seen the other vets in the practice much, although I had great experiences with Dr Foster previously (she has since left the practice). I wish the people leaving negative reviews would state which vet treated their pet since there are several vets there. I for one am a huge fan of Dr. Gardsbane and would definitely recommend her. Read Less

I am absolutely shocked after reading these terrible reviews.  I have been taking my cats to see Dr. Gardsbane for at least 10 years, and have always been treated with courtesy and respect, and my cats have always been treated compassionately and thoroughly.  When my cat, Samson, passed away after 19 years at home, they were so caring and compassionate.  Dr. Gardsbane hugged me when I brought his body in the next day to have him privately cremated.  They sent a very nice card out to me a few days later.  I have never experienced anything remotely negative with their practice and I love my cats like they were my own children. Read Less

Don't waste your time and money!! I took my dog here because it was close to my new home. My dog had a strange injury on his leg, wasn't sure if it was an infected wound or growth. First off my dog growled at the doctor and snapped at her when she grabbed him. My dog never has done that to anyone EVER!! I was so shocked and held my dog down while she checked him, she kept making some weird sounds claiming that it would calm him but I am sure it just made him more upset. She glanced at his leg and prescribed some medicine and recommended some blood tests . Her diagnosis was callus growing from laying down. I was confused because my dog does't lay on his leg that way but I went along considering that the Vet should know best. I went to pay and get the medicine at the front desk and they charged me $300!!!! I was so upset but she promised it would help so I paid. One week later no progress, I called the office and they said I could come back but they would charge me again. I was so angry I made an appointment with my old vet who was almost an hour away but I needed my dog to be checked and properly treated. A few days later he was fine.If you love your dog don't go here there are much better vets in the area. Read Less

My grandmother's English Bull Dog was up for some shots and an annual exam so I took him in for her because my grandmother sprained her ankle that week. Let me make it clear that I do not take my dogs there and after taking my grandmother's dog there, I will never take anyone's dogs there again.Dr. Julie Maul is the worst Vet I've ever come across in my life and I've had dogs all my life. I felt so rushed during the exam. She didn't even checked his ears and when I asked her to do so, she gave me the evil eye and said she "I don't need to look inside. I can just tell by looking at the exterior because I've been doing it for that many years." Absurd if you ask me. Instead of tending to the dog, the entire time she was trying to push procedures. She wanted to add some geriatric tests because he's 5 years old for an extra $248 even though she claimed he's perfectly healthy. Makes no sense to me. The WORST VET.I made calls to the owner, Dr. Gardsbane, but she never called me back. I guess she doesn't care about her business or for my business. Bottom line-if you care about your pets, do NOT take them here. Good customer service and care is something they obviously do not believe in. Read Less

My 2.5 year old English Bulldog has been going here since he was 8 weeks old. He loves going here!  Everyone is always extremely friendly and helpful.Luckily, I have a very healthy dog and have only taken him for check-ups. He's only had a minor skin infection last year and I had to take him a couple of times to check on his progress. During this time, Dr. Foster knew exactly what to prescribe him (she has experience with Bulldogs, which is a major plus since they're kind of rare dogs). A couple of times, I had to take him in to check his progress and I was not charged! Not even my doctor does that for me. I always have to pay a co-payment even if I'm just picking up lab results.I've actually never met Dr. Gardsbane since I always go on Saturdays and she doesn't work on weekends but we love Dr. Foster! Read Less

Reading the previous review I must say I have to disagree that I have received nothing but great care from the doctors and all of the office staff. I myself had gotten a dog that had kennel cough and he was just a sick puppy when I got him. Animal Place put the PEP back in my PUP. I have also had to have one of my dogs put to sleep and my 10 year old daughter wanted to be there. All the staff was more the compasionate and caring and took extra steps to ensure my daughter understood the process and was ok during it. I couldn't be happier with Animal Place. Read Less

I had to write a review to counterbalance the negative one below - the Animal Place definitely deserves more than one star! I switched to the Animal Place from Wheaton Animal Hospital, partly because the former is closer, less expensive, and had better reviews from Consumer Checkbook. I also wanted to get a second opinion on some mysteriously "off" results from my cat's bloodwork that Wheaton had not been able to resolve. One thing you have to know about my precious little baby - he's goes from zero to Satan the minute he realizes he's in a vet's office. This is partly due to the frequent xrays and manhandlings** he endured while we were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. I worked with Dr. Foster and her assistant to wrangle his insane ass, but it was no use - he was determined to draw our blood rather than the other way around. They finally gassed him for about 15 minutes so that they could get a blood sample and trim his freaking talons. They also did a quick teeth cleaning on him because they noticed he had tartar - no charge!Under their care, his bloodwork results gradually got closer to normal, and the slightly "off" values the vet told me were nothing to worry about. A year and a half after his initial health scare, he's bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, healthy, and ready to rip my head off! (((cat))))Shortly after we adopted our second cat (a stray), we took him here for some check-ups. Initially, we weren't sure if we just wanted to neuter-and-return. The staff offered me a discount on any procedures for him because they knew we were trying to do something good for the community. They also referred us to another clinic that dealt primarily with strays and ferals because they felt that the clinic might be able to give us a better price. Long story short, we decided to keep the cat and now rely on the Animal Place for all of our vet needs.It's obvious that the people who work here - vets and office staff - adore animals and care more about their welfare than about money. Dr. Foster is extremely professional, competent, and most of all patient with my fractious little guy. The front office staff are great, and the prices are very reasonable. I wouldn't go anywhere else.**Please note that Wheaton Animal Hospital treated my cat well - they did all they could, but I needed a second opinion and, perhaps, a different approach to diagnosing him. Read Less