Gayton Animal Hospital

I started going to this hospital when it was owned by Dr. Moon. He ran a great practice. Stayed when Dr. Tisnado bought it, hopeful the level of care would continue. I have left the practice because I think the quality of care is very poor. My dog died from encephalitis 4 months after receiving his rabies vaccination. The risks of giving him the vaccine were never discussed with me nor was the fact that I had a choice to not vaccinate him. Additionally, my dog was sick with allergies last spring, which I told Dr. Tisnado. All vaccines state for use in healthy animals only, she vaccinated him anyway, and prescribed an immune-suppressing drug for his allergies. The perfect storm for his untimely death which haunts me to this day. To add insult to injury, I received a card in the mail last week from her "sister" hospital reminding me he needed more vaccinations. I recently took two puppies in for their first visit, the exam room table was lined up with shots before their records were even looked at. Alarming. Money-hungry. If you want a conscientious and cautious vet, this is not your practice. Keep on searching. Read Less

My dog has been going to Gayton for 3 years and saw Dr. Jones until she left the practice. We had to go in yesterday for an ear infection and some itching. Dr. Tisnado tried to have me put him on steroids, or apoquel. If you do not know the side effects and damaging results of these drugs on dogs, I suggest you do some research. It’s very eye opening. After letting her know I didn’t want to go that route, she decided that it was appropriate to talk about me in the hallway rig...ht outside. She pretty much said, “she’s never used allergy medicine and now look, he has ear issues!” My pitbull is 4. This is his first ear infection ever. I hardly think that warrants years worth of drugs. As someone who has spent years studying pet nutrition, I can happily say an excellent diet tailored to his allergies has helped him more than dangerous drugs (whose main side effect is itching) ever would. I really strongly advise other owners to do research before just putting your pet on drugs you know nothing about. Their bodies are not made like ours, and most of the time a holistic diet (not the awful science diets filled with meds and fillers that they push) will help with most issues. Vets work hand in hand with the people who supply those medications and food. They are developed to keep you coming back, and keep spending money. I will not be returning to Gayton, as I found those comments so incredibly unprofessional and ridiculous. After three years, they have lost a client. It’s not smart to talk badly about your patients at all, but especially not where they can hear you. Go right ahead and keep pushing your drugs, just not on my dog. See more Read Less

I took my dogs there for awhile. Very impersonal, unfriendly and expensive. Then when my dog got really sick they charged me a bunch of money and told me they could not help him go the the VRCC. They never follow up and the vets there are all about the MONEY. They suck and I never went back to that dirty, small, money focused rat hole. Read Less

Dr. Tisnado is the only doctor I will trust my dog with! We have had several bad experiences with other vets and I believe it's because we have a pit mix who is nervous at the vet. However, when Dr. Tisnado came in to meet my dog she sat down on the floor and fed her treats to earn her trust. Our appointment went great thanks to her willingness to make my pup comfortable and her ability to calm her. I highly recommend Gayton and I am so thankful for Dr. Tisnado! We will happily drive 30 minutes to get the right care for our dog. Thank you all so much! Read Less

I have been using Dr. Tisnado for my dog, Woof(yes, that is his name). She is thorough, very well trained and engages our dog before she starts the examination. Dr Tisnado uses a very soothing voice talking to Woof as she proceeds. When Woof became a "senior" dog, she asked if I wanted an additional senior blood panel. I said, "no" and that was fine with her. While she was doing the standard draw, I changed my mind and said, "yes". Never an attempt to up sell. And last, but not least, the techs and front office staff are terrific. Read Less

I don't think I'll be back to this vet. My dog has been here multiple times but no one there seemed to know his name. The Dr. was very rude, slamming the door when I refused her attempt to upcharge me for services. I paid to have the nails trimmed and noticed only 2/3 of them had been done. When I mentioned this it clearly irritated the vet. They are also very quick to suggest a sedative instead of being patient with young or hyper animals. I will never take my pet here again after this last visit, I consider him a part of my family that deserves respect and proper medical care. Read Less

My Aussie was having chronic UTIs and was on antibiotics constantly. Dr Jones has been using acupuncture to control it. So now, we only come in every 3-4 months when he starts showing symptoms. No more tests and no more rounds of antibiotics to treat his UTIs! We both approve! Read Less

Dr. Carol is one of the gentlest vets I've experienced in my 29 yrs of owning kitties. She was my vet for the 17 yrs I lived in Richmond with pets. My current 2 boys/brothers are 13 now and were introduced to me by Dr. Carol when they were 9 weeks old. We live in Buffalo, NY now and while our current vet is very nice, there's only one Dr. Carol. Read Less

I take my dog to Dr. Tisnado and she is AWESOME. My dog is a rescue who had been abused for several years and is never excited to be inspected at the vet. Dr. Tisnado has really worked to find a good routine for him that makes the visit as stress-free as possible for him. Have been really impressed with how they have treated my family's pets over the years. Highly recommend! Read Less

Absolutely the best. Vets, techs, and front desk staff caring and professional. My pets are my kids and I looked at four different vets around Richmond before finding GAH. They have been with me through everything dog and cat related for the last 11 years and have never disappointed me. I recommend them to everybody and they are AHAA certified, which is tough to achieve. If your pets are your family members, this is the place to go. P.S. Just read through the bad reviews and laughed. Easy to tell by the tone of the comments those people are the ones who like to complain about the weather. Read Less

I have a very sick 12 year old American Eskimo puppy in the hospital right now. Dr. Tiznado (hope I spelled this right) has been wonderful, both to my dog and to me. She is very caring and listened to my concerns. She calls me twice a day for updates and I wait very intently to hear from her. If anyone has ever had a seriously ill dog you know how worried and scared you become. It is horrible!!! I would HIGHLY recommend Gayton Animal Hospital and will never go elsewhere. Read Less

Gayton has always met and exceeded my expectations. Everyone is very helpful and take the time to discuss real concerns I've had in the past. They were SO comforting leading up to and when I euthanized my dog. Ill forever be grateful. Bravo, Gayton! I'd recommend y'all any day! Read Less

The service and professionalism of the staff has significantly dropped in the last few years. It's sad because I used to adore the people there, especially Burke. But I think he's left as well as the head doctor :( The receptionists are great. But the medical staff either act as if they don't want to be there, I've interrupted them, or they genuinely don't like my dog! My guess is because he's about 70 lbs and doesn't like people messing with his face. Buck up and be a professional! You're going to have dogs like that. If you and your staff can't handle them, then just accept small dogs as patients. Read Less

I have brought both of my dogs to Gayton for years and they always receive the best care. The flexible hours, amazing doctors and staff and reasonable prices make it a no-brainer. The office even calls to check on patients after they have been treated. This is an amazing vet office! Read Less

We have been taking our dogs here for the last 5 years, and I cannot say enough good things about this office. They have worked with us through a variety of circumstances, and taken exceptional care of all of our dogs (we have 3, and also take in foster dogs). When new dogs have come into our home they have been great about getting past records and then passing on records to the new owners once they have been adopted. They also have worked with us on payment since I pay for our foster's care out of pocket. I have referred several people here, and would recommend this office for everything from annual visits to more complicated appointments. They truly make you feel welcome & make an effort to address your pets specific needs. In addition to the full-time vets, they also have a holistic vet on staff part-time. Their hours accommodate most schedules, but they also accept "drop-off" appointments if you need. They also offer boarding services, and while we have not boarded our dogs there, this is the only place I would trust. Their entire staff is fantastic, I would never dream of going elsewhere for veterinary care! Read Less