Kinderhook Animal Hospital

Dr.Southard and staff are professional, courteous and beyond helpful. They handle the animals with care, concern and respect. Appointments are scheduled to eliminate any chaos in the waiting room. The waiting room and exam rooms are spotless with no telltale odors. I have never had to wait to be seen or wait to check out( seamless transitions). Dr. Southard is thoughtful and offers judicious advice regarding treatment and veterinary protocols. He listens to his client and is respectful of their opinions. He is gentle with the animals and takes time to examine them with care and gentleness. Everyone at this practice operates at a high level of professionalism and expertise. Read Less

I have been going to kinderhook Animal hospital for over 20yrs. I have not had a problem with the doctor or his helpers. They have been friendly and and helpful with my pets. I just had to have my cat Paws put to sleep after 18yrs. They were very kind to her and my husband and I. I would always recommend them to everyone. I want to Thank them very much. I still have one more dog which is 10yrs. I will bring him there until the day we need to have him put to sleep. Read Less

What we appreciate the most about Dr. Southard is that he categorically doesn't try to "upsell" you on stuff your pet doesn't need or would benefit from. (Haven't you been to a vet's office where you were made to feel like you needed to have this or that IN ADDITION to what you came for?. Didn't you feel like you'd be treating your pet like a "red-headed stepchild" if you didn't?) It's really Dr. Southard's no-nonsense attitude and his willingness to engage in a discussion about the pros and cons of any potential treatment or procedure that we truly value.Read Less

My family and I got a new puppy (Bailey) the end of October and within days she, of course, had 2 ticks on her one night. We removed them ourselves, but weren't sure if we got the head or had to worry about Lyme. Next morning I called and was giving a same morning appointment. This is my first experience with the Kinderhook Animal Hospital. The lobby area is very clean and doesn't have that "vet" smell. The staff was very friendly and calm, no loud noises and excited talking for Bailey's first ever appointment. The groomer was there (Wednesdays only) so there was some background noise, but nothing like screaming yelping dogs. Mainly clippers, water and a vacuum. Bailey was allowed to explore a bit and get comfortable and then we walked down to the exam room. Dr. Southard was in instantly with his vet tech. The Tech put Bailey on the table and gave her some treats (that I supplied) to make it a good thing to be at the vet. Dr. Southard is not a loud personality, he is calm, quiet and thorough. He determined that we had gotten all the tick heads out but wanted her to be on antibiotic anyway, just in case. I was comfortable asking him questions and got well explained answers in return. He didn't overly pet Bailey, but just enough to comfort her in this new experience. Dr. Southard is a great vet. He knows what he's doing, and does it well and efficiently. He didn't make the experience any more traumatic than necessary. While waiting for some routine test results I realized I had forgotten my wallet (Had the dog, the poo and the treats, but no wallet, shot record or cell phone...priorities LOL). The staff were very accommodating and I ran quickly home, dropped the dog off, grabbed my forgotten things and went back. The test results were back, her medicine was waiting and I was able to ask lots of questions to the vet techs about everything. The bill was also not nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be. I made a follow up to have Bailey's next round of shots (which I was told is only HALF the normal office charge if it's just for immunizations - $22.50 rather than $45). Some other reviews from across the web state that Dr. Southard is cold and unfriendly towards people and animals. I disagree with them wholeheartedly. Dr. Southard is not there to chat with you. He's there to help your critters. He does that well, and offers up information and answers readily. We were in and out the door again in 20 minutes. I will definitely be going back. Read Less

Dr. Southard & his staff took care of my cat Tigger back in January of 2009! Dr. Southard showed the utmost kindness and concern when he diagnosed my cat as having a cancer called Fibro Sarcoma. It was a cancer at the site of where your animals normally receive the rabies vaccine in the neck, and Dr. Southard knew what it was right away! He examined my cat to determine that he was healthy enough for the surgery to remove this tumor before it spreads to other areas and be the end of my cat if something wasn't done soon. It was growing rapidly. There fore we were able to skip on some costly tests, biopsies and xrays which saved us a lot of money! He suggested surgery for removal that afternoon. He and his staff genuinely showed true concern for my pet and answered any and all questions we had as a pet owner without rushing us, and it was then I knew my cat was in good hands. It was my first time ever using this animal hospital, and I am so glad I did. They fixed my cat and caught the cancer early, and even though my cat is getting up there in years, I am sure to have him around alot longer because of this fine Doctor. I am so greatful to him and his staff for the careing and professional way they handled our situation. I can see me having a long relationship with this Doctor & staff with Tigger and all my other pets in the future! I would like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart. So Thank You Dr.Southard & Staff! I will always be greatful! You are 5 stars in my book! Sandra Quirino ....(Tiggers Mom!) Read Less

I've been to this Animal Hospital on a few occasions and found Dr. Southard to be unfriendly to the animals, rarely ever petting my dogs and never greeting me with a (hello) or anything. The visit also was only 5 - 10 minutes and he really didn't say a whole lot. The staff did not seem to be very good either. I have recently moved and am bringin my dogs to the Coxsackie Animal Hospital. Dr. Perkins and staff are excellent! They love seeing my dogs, always petting them and treating me very well in the process. Dr. Perkins has spent over an hour with me and my dogs on several occasions. The office is spotless and is always packed with people which shows other people in the community feel the same as I do. Read Less

My wife and I have been taking our pets (dogs & cats) to Dr. Southard for over 20 years and have always been treated respectfully and professionally. They are a very caring office. I don't know what rsdifazio's issue was but I can guarantee that she must have done something to provoke the situation. What she describes is just so out of character for Dr. Southard and his staff that I'm sure she's only telling one side of the story. Just goes to show that there's no pleasing some people. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Southard and his staff to anyone looking for quality, compassionate and professional care for their pets. Read Less

Kinderhook Animal hospital has the most friendly and respectful staff in town. We just changed vets from another local vet after a referral from a friend. They also charge so much less than my old vet, it was a very smart move. We love Dr. Southard and wouldn't have anyone else take care of our little ones. Read Less

Nobody has taken better care of my little pookie than Doctor Southard. We have 12 dogs and have been professionally breeding for 24 years, we will go no place else for our dogs. Dr. Southard has saved us money and given us the best advice on their care. Read Less

Kinderhook animal hospital hospital has the best prices in town and has a very knowledgeable staff. We moved into town about 5 years ago and have been taking our animals there. We were shocked as to how much we paid for the service we recieved, the best value around. We love Dr. Southard, very quiet, but a great guy to know who takes excellent care of us. High recomend this place to anyone who loves their pets. Read Less

My husband and I have brought our dog to Dr. Southard for the past five years. We will not be returning after today's visit. Our dog is always very well behaved, but is a barker, and can be a bit unnerving if you are not particularly fond of dogs. Apparently, Dr. Southard is not particularly fond of dogs, because at today's visit, he reprimanded me (read: yelled) for not holding the dog tightly enough. I believe that his exact words were, ""If you are not going to hold him, I will give you his records and you can get out"". This, after I *was* holding the dog. He claimed that the dog has tried to bite him every time we bring him in. I can assure you that my dog (a black lab) has never tried to bite anyone. Perhaps part of the problem is Dr. Southard's overall demeanor with animals (and people). He is not particularly friendly, and apparently does not believe in exchanging niceties upon meeting clients. He has never once actually tried to pet the dog, or even call him by name. We had always just chalked this up to him being shy. While I will say that Dr. Southard appears to be a good vet, I was shocked at the way I was treated today, and would highly recommend bringing your animals elsewhere. I would also question if my husband would have received the same rude treatment, had he been there instead of me. Read Less