Lancaster Small Animal Hospital

I chose this clinic because of all the good reviews I read. But i am extremely disappointed in my choice. My animals are part of my family and i would go to any length for each and every one. I do not feel that this clinic has those values. My cat gets extremely sick in the car. Diarrhea, vomiting and he usually urinates as well. It's very hard to watch him go through that. Plus i have to give him a bath when we get home and im sure you all no how most cats feel about baths. We had an appointment to get a booster done and i tried explaining to the receptionist what he goes through and how it causes him violent physical and emotional stress. I asked her if it would be possible to administer the booster myself, she responded with a very rude no and said its illegal to give the pet owner such vavaccine(I understand this) She said they could prescribe him "something" to help with the stress. So not only will he become violently ill but you want me to drug him ontop of it?!?!?! Think about that for a min. Plus if he by chance gets an allergic reaction to the vacc.... What then? Car sick, drugged, and the possibility of something else going wrong. I then asked her about house calls, she responded again with such rudeness. Saying the vet doesn't normally do house calls and if she did she would charge me $100.00 dollars in addition to the cost of the vaccine. As i stated earlier i would go to any length necessary for my animals. She then said the vet isnt in until noon. And they would call me back once they recieve an answer as to wether or not she would even want to make the house call. At this point i am feeling very betrayed and very frustrated. And concerned for my pet. I then called my other vet where we take our dogs and she explained to me not to worry and that I CAN give my cat his vacc and that i can get it at tractor supply store. And gave me the reassurance that i needed. Im absolutely disgusted by not only the way i was personally treated, but for the lack of compassion for my cats inability to be placed in a vehicle. With all that said, I asked for a copy of my pets records and i will never go back there again. I strongly advise anyone else considering this facility to rethink. There are plenty of other options close by to this one. Remember, our animals are precious and priceless! And also deserve our utmost respect. Shame on you lancaster small animal hospital, shame on YOU. Read Less

Friendly and energetic staff willing to listen and share. Was given a copy of Jaffy's blood work and they valued my input and knowledge. Allowed me to choose a care plan according to my budget and gut feelings. Compassionate care is what i found! Grateful to have found this practice. Read Less

It was my first time coming here( last Friday )with my kitty Noel and let me tell you this place is so wonderful!! Not only is the atmosphere great but the staff is very nice, friendly and professional!! Definitely would recommend this place to others:) Read Less

Dr. Fetzner is incredibly kind, attentive and knowledgeable. Every time I bring Lilly to Lancaster Small Animal Hospital, I feel the staff genuinely cares for her. They also make it a point to follow up with me to see how Lilly is doing. Read Less

DO NOT GO HERE. Where do I start? After years of bringing my dog here, only due to proximity to my home, I have come to the clear conclusion that this animal hospital only cares about making money and has no idea what they are doing. Every appointment with Dr. Duzsa turns into a sales pitch. She does not give you a medical opinion on what the problem could be with your dog. It always turns into doing multiple tests that come with outrageous prices. How about giving a medical opinion first? Seems to me she has no idea what she is doing. On many appointments, the tests that I paid hundreds of dollars for led to nothing besides "come back in a week and we'll run more tests." At what point do you keep going back and paying for tests to be done and your veterinarian not doing anything to help your dog get better?!  I'm sure the office manager Michelle will write a condescending response to this post saying I've declined tests to be done over the 4 years that my dog was a patient. Well yeah, you guys have no idea what you're doing. What a gem she is. More to come on her later. The straw the broke the camels back... A few months back my dog started suffering from seizures. I brought him in for an emergency appointment on a Friday. Dr. Dusza of course didn't know where to proceed. I agreed to the multiple expensive tests in hopes of getting my dog better. She tells us we'll have the results on Monday. 3 days later! As my dog is having continuous seizures about every 8 hours, what did she give us in the mean time so the seizures would stop? NOTHING. After 2 more seizures that day I called and demanded a prescription for my dog so he did not have to suffer for 3 days and wait for Dr. Duzsa to come up with her "expert" medical opinion. I was able to obtain a prescription for 60mg Phenobarbital. Giving him 1 tablet twice a day. Thankfully this stopped his seizures. I was told he needed to come back in for a thyroid level test. Test found normal thyroid levels. After a month of my dog taking 1 pill twice a day of 60mg Phenobarbital, he did not have one seizure. I was then told he needed to come in to test his phenobarbital level. These results showed he was slightly below the "clinically medicated level." This term, "clinically medicated level", was regurgitated by Dr. Dusza, technicians and the officer manager Michelle for the next month like it was the Holy Gospel. Then they recommended that I up my dog's intake from 1 pill twice a day to 1.5 pills twice a day. I asked why I should do that if he hasn't had a seizure with taking 1 pill twice a day. The answer? You guessed it, his phenobarbital levels aren't at the "clinically medicated level." Well, is this level the be all end all? Maybe some dogs don't need to be at this specific level to stop seizures.  They have no answer to why my dog is having seizures and yet they want me to medicate my dog even more when he hasn't had any seizures taking the amount of medication he was taking at the time. I am not going to over medicate my dog when it's not necessary. This conversation ended with them telling me it is my choice if I want to up his medication. Fine, thank you. After his first prescription of 60mg Phenobarbital ran out, I called to get a refill. This time Dr. Duzsa decided to up his prescription to 64.8mg of Phenobarbital. I take the script to Rite Aid and the price for the 64.8mg pills is $160 as opposed to $60 for the 60mg. I call the vet back to get a script for the 60mg Phenobarbital because $100 extra for a 4.8mg difference per pill. Dr. Duzsa was not in the office (big surprise), so the office manager Michelle gets on the phone. I explain my situation and ask for a script of the 60mg script instead. Wait for it... Michelle states this is the specific prescription he needs to be on because he isn't at the "clinically medicated level." I respond ok Michelle can you help me out and give me the 60mg prescription so I don't have to spend an extra $100, I'll just break off a piece of another tablet to make up for it. She responded rudely that she will not do that he needs that specific amount and she will not jeopardize the doctor's medical license for me! Jeopardize the doctor's medical license?! Let's back track... On the doctor's medical license you prescribed 60mg of Phenobarbital. You then told me to give him 1.5 pill of the 60mg for a full month. And now, without any more tests being done all of a sudden he needs to be on 64.8mg?! It seems this whole office should lose their medical license! Not to mention they were instructing me to give him 1.5 pills. Breaking them in half turns it into shattered little pieces.  No chance he would get exactly 1.5 pills, The professionalism, medical practices, common sense and simple people skills are completely absent from the Lancaster Small Animal Hospital. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, as it has led me to find another veterinarian.  Here's to hoping they have more competence than this sorry place! Read Less

This place is pricier than any other vet in the area... why is there an additional $45 office visit charge for every follow up visit and the Dr is with the patient for less than 10 minutes? How is it that all the low ratings are hidden in the 'not recommended' reviews!!!! Read those, this is Very telling!!! Read Less

We brought our rabbit to Dr. Dusza. It was an emergency. My rabbit was bleeding from her vagina. She was treated by my usual vet for a UTI but never bled like this. Since my vet was closed we were suggested to go here. Well they have no idea how to treat rabbits. I don't know why they accepted our appointment. The vet appeared to be grossed out by my poor bunny. She barely wanted to touch her. They had no clue what was wrong with her and stated that. They had no idea how to hold my bunny , said to give her a bath. That would only stress out my rabbit even more. Bad suggestion. They didn't do a thing for my poor girl. Its a holiday weekend and my vet will not be open for a couple of days. I will make an appointment with them. Hopefully they can help her. She is so uncomfortable. I spent $140 for nothing. If they would have helped her I would have gladly paid even more. I don't suggest going there if you have an exotic pet. I don't think I would go there for any pet. They just wanted to get me and my poor bunny out. Read Less

I brought my dog in for a routine checkup and vaccinations last week. I have been searching high and low for a vet with good ratings and hours that work with my schedule. Their hours are awesome with later afternoon appointments and even Saturdays! Aside from the hours, the vet was amazing with my nervous pup. They were even able to schedule his neutering in less than 1 week's time! The technicians and staff were knowledgeable and professional. The facility is clean and well kept, and it's very close to our new home. As far as pricing goes from all of the research I have done in the surrounding area they are very moderate. The quote I received for a neuter from most vets was higher than the cost of the neutering, blood work, vaccinations, fecal sample and exam all together from Lancaster Small Animal Hospital. I am happy to have found such a great team to take care of my Reuben! Read Less

I have had nothing but positive things to say about Lancaster Small Animsl Hospital. I have had 3 dogs Izzy, Fiona, and Phoebe. Izzy scares most others but the whole staff is wonderful with her. Izzy and Fiona both had major surgery and I was very happy with the entire office staff. Phoebe was spayed and came out of that perfect. I recommend this office very highly and wouldn't trust my babies with anyone else. Read Less

I can't begin to explain what a wonderful place this is!!! They truly care about your animal!! I highly highly reccomend this place. Jenny is our favorite!! She is always so nice and caring with my dog!! We truly appreciate her being such a great person!! The vets are fantastic as well!! Very compassionate!! Read Less

We have been taking our Boston Terrier, Zoe, to Lancaster Small Animal Hospital since April 2010 when she was only 6 weeks old. This is the only vet we'll take our dog to. They have been exceptional. Zoe is always treated with great care and she loves it there. Thank you! Read Less

A friend recommended that I bring my puppy (Sadie) here and I couldn't be happier with my experience! Everyone is so nice and genuinely cares about pets. As a new puppy parent, I had tons of questions and they were so patient and helpful. Dr. Fetzner is the absolute best Vet and I am so grateful for her insight and advice. Read Less

Had previously left a message at another local exotic pet vet and never got a call back from that place. From experiences with a dog a while back, I knew Lancaster Small Animal Hospital also took care of birds, so I called to see if they could take care of Sunny, our orange canary. Got our appointment booked right away, and they took great care of our little guy at his wellness visit and pedicure. We'll definitely be bringing him back here for all his needs! Read Less

We have been visiting the Lancaster Small Animal Hospital ever since adopting two rescue kitties a couple years ago. Unfortunately one of them was too ill and didn't make it, but the care she received is why we continue to see them with her sister. The doctors and vet techs are always clear about charges for services before they are performed, if they are too expensive the most important tests are prioritized, and we receive convenient appointment and immunization reminders via e-mail. I would recommend this animal hospital to anyone - they are knowledgeable, empathetic, caring, and respectful. I never feel like we are rushed and the vets spend enough time with the animals.Read Less

Dr. Dusza and Dr. Fetzner are amazing. I highly recommend this office. After a horrible experience at another vet's office, I brought my cats here. They took great care of them. My cat was having accidents, and another vet told me it was behavioral without running any tests. But when the accidents continued I wanted a second opinion. This office immediately did a urine analysis and discovered my cat had a very bad urinary track infection. After her infection was cleared, my cat was still having accidents. Dr. Dusza and Dr. Fetzner went above and beyond to help us. They diagnosed her with anxiety, which makes sense because she is afraid of everything and had a very traumatic start to life. Dr. Dusza and Dr. Fetzner are so friendly, knowledgeable, always answer all your questions, and return your calls. There staff is just as great! Read Less

We have brought our puppy Jerry to this vet since Day 1 and we have been very happy with the experience. All of the staff are friendly and the office is run very efficiently. All of the Vets are animal lovers and treat every animal with kindness. I would recommend Lancaster Small Animal Hospital to anyone! Read Less

We've been patients at Lancaster Small Animal Hospital since my daughter's beloved hamster became sick years ago. They were wonderful and compassionate toward my elementary-aged daughter. We switched care from another clinic on Transit where one vet, in particular, is very contemptuous. The opposite is true of LSAH. The vets, techs, and desk staff are all wonderful. Read Less

We joined Lancaster Small Animal Hospital about 2 years ago after a rather lengthy relationship at another clinic which engendered serious trust issues concerning care and protocol and proved no longer a good match. - Dr. Dusza graciously afforded us all the privilege required to ease into a new owner-client-patient relationship. She offered complete transparency as well as no -nonsense care and advice, always leaving us at ease to make the final decisions regarding treatment options. If cost prohibitive brand name meds are in order, this clinic will find ways to accommodate with alternative treatments, i.e. generic drugs and/or a mix of generic drug and holistic supplementation. It was Dr. Duzsa's textbook euthanasia of one of our eldery mixed breed dogs which convinced us to entrust the rest of our 'girls' into her knowledgeable care. We presently have 2 Senior (8.5 years old) Great Danes in Dr. Dusza's and Dr. Fetzner's care and you can imagine the medical as well as financial challenges such pets are able to present. - Here again, this Hospital has not disappointed - willing to work with us at every turn, helping us to keep costs for prescription drugs to a minimum which allows us to pay closer attention to routine tests/procedures necessary for early detection of relevant health issues for this breed. - Every breed has their own unique health challenges, Great Danes in particular require a Veterinarian experienced in cardiology. I found Dr. Fetzner to be such a Doctor, but what is more, Dr. Fetzner did not hesitate for one moment to refer to a Specialist in a timely manner. She even arranged the emergency visit via phone, faxed all pertinent info and when we arrived the team at the referred clinic greeted us in apparent readiness. If you are owners of Giant breed dogs, I recommend Lancaster Animal Hospital to you. Again, I want to emphasize that I am very satisfied with the level and quality of care my dogs have received at this facility, and here I simply must include all employees working at Lancaster Animal Hospital. A professional, high standard echoes throughout this facility. I recommend this Hospital and it's staff. N.B. All you have to do is ask, really .. these Doctors and Staff will not take short cuts at the expense of their clientele. Let's be frank here, if you felt taken advantage of perhaps you lacked the personal fortitude to present your financial limitations (pet budget) upfront? Be perfectly open and direct about your wishes and abilities - it is what I have done and I was met with great accommodation. Read Less

My 17 year old mixed breed Boomer started having trouble with his hind legs last year, and we have been bringing him to LSAH for accupuncture and cold laser therapy for quite some time. He is otherwise healthy, but lame and his back legs are weak. After his treatments he moves much better and he is much friskier. We drive nearly an hour and a half, and we gladly do so. The staff is WONDERFUL, he loves being spoiled by them and his life has been made much more comfortable and happier. Dr. Dusza is amazing with him and acknowledges that old age isn't necessarily a disease, but a condition to be treated (in his case). We have him on a comprehensive treatment plan, with holistic and western therapies, and the combo works wonders. I highly recommend this practice, and have steered a few other people to them.Read Less

If you want to spend a lot of money go hereI spent $1300 here in a few weeks with little to show for it, and it was clear Dr. Dusza had many more charges in mind for us had I not left her practice. I would have left sooner but was locked into a $428 treatment package that I had to complete before moving on. She also ear crops and tails docks – procedures many vets refuse to do because it’s an unnecessary mutilation -but I don’t think anything that makes her money gets refused. So if you’re looking for somewhere that’s reasonably priced, not high-pressure and truly holistic, look elsewhere. Other vets have the same equipment and access to testing that she does, they just won’t charge you as much. Read Less

After visiting other Vets in the area for an ongoing issue with my kitty I was drawn to this practice because of their claims of holistic medicine and boasts about cold laser therapy. In 3 weeks I'd spent $1300, and what little improvement there was started to reverse by the time I'd had enough of the place.I'd seen some success with warm laser treatments at my primary "conventional" Vet in Hamburg, but the repeated trips to the doctor stressed kitty and he ended up getting bronchitis which he spread to my other cat. I was also unhappy about the cost (including a $500 hospitalization due to the bronchitis), but compared to what Lancaster has charged me it seems like pennies. Every service/test/procedure/consultation there is higher than anywhere else I've been in my life. Having a bandage wrapped around my cat's foot is $14 at my primary, but Dr. Dusza charges $32.50. My primary charged me $15 for each laser treatment - and the highest I've found elsewhere is $32 - but at Lancaster it's $45!Every time I walked in she'd hit me with $300-$700 worth of "recommended" services. She doesn't even present these to you herself, she sends her Techs in to do it. I've had cats my whole life, have worked at shelters and in rescue, had 7 cats at once at one point - some living to be 20 years old - and have lived in both Seattle and Atlanta, but never have I been soaked for this amount of coin.After spending $1300 she still wasn't really sure what the issues were, and wanted more tests before any further diagnoses or treatments could be determined. On my last visit she wanted me to spend $100 on antibiotics alone, after I'd already spent $100 on antibiotics, and had come there to do holistic medicine! And when they give you your bill they'll list each item you turned down in all caps as DECLINED: Convenia, DECLINED:  FELV SNAP Test (they repeatedly pushed this one, even though my cat has been vaccinated for feline leukemia and doesn't really go out) - and then the Vet acted like I wasn't giving her all the tools she needed to do her job. Obnoxious, right? Regrettably before I got this place's number I referred someone else there. They had the male doctor but the same experience - asked to spend $400 in one visit on their 2 year old cat when all it had was a rash. And on another occasion while sitting in the waiting room I overheard a fellow customer complaining that she'd already spent $2500 and was still being asked to cough up more. As I've worked in rescue I know there are many, many animals that don't get homes, and this sort of bull is often why. I'm asking myself how I can continue to afford caring for my animals when prices keep skyrocketing. I am unemployed but Lancaster Small Animal Hospital had little sympathy and offered no breaks, just a "we can spread the charges out" option. When I made comments about the prices I was told they're comparable with other vets in the area, which means they're set by what the market will bear. Putting people into a position whereby they have to either watch their animal hurting or be bled dry financially trying to help them is just plain despicable. I have an issue with the medical community in general in that reaping huge profits off others pain and suffering is immoral, yet these days making yourself rich is what seems to draw many to the field. So my advice is shop around, particularly if you're drawn to the "holistic" offerings here (I'm not sure how much training she actually has in this or from where). I came in saying I believe my cat has kidney decline - which she also suspects but wanted more testing to be sure - then she tried to sell me Science Diet K/D cat food. People truly versed in holistic/Chinese medicine recommend high quality, high protein diets for kidney decline, not the standard unpalatable prescription low protein garbage. The only holistic option I was given were a couple of herbs ($72 for them), but the other $1200+ were spent on crap anyone could do, and might not have even requested, and would've charged me less for. Read Less

Choosing a vet is a very difficult and overwhelming decision. My family has used other vets in the past, but this is my first time having my OWN animal and having to choose my OWN vet. I chose Lancaster Small Animal Hospital, at first, because of its location. I live very close and they had a very convenient "puppy plan" for all of the necessary shots a puppy needs. Today, my puppy needed to be fixed. I was a nervous wreck. The staff at the hospital were absolutely amazing. Once my puppy was finished with surgery they called and updated me. They then went above and beyond and sent me a text with his picture saying everything was going great. Hands down, I would refer this vet to ANYONE who is searching.  You can tell when people truly love their jobs and I can say without a doubt that everyone here works great with the animals and really does love each and every one of them. Read Less

What a great place! I took my dog here after he got into a small altercation with another dog and they took great care of him. It was a very welcoming environment and the staff was incredibly professional. The cost of the visit was great as well - I would definitely recommend this place to a friend. Read Less

We board our dog here whenever we go out of town and feel absolutely at ease knowing that this wonderful Staff is taking care of our furred family member. Dr.Amanda is our dogs Vet and she is the most kind & compassionate doctor you will ever find. She sincerely loves animals and it shows. We wouldn't board our dog any where else. Read Less

Very good service always fits you in if necessary.  happily caters to cats as well as dogs (most places only have one cat room and 3 dog rooms!)  a bit pricey and seems to force new expensive treatments when the old will do and for cheaper Read Less