UF Small Animal Hospital

Most Recent Comments

• February 2024 by james witcraft
  Thank you Dr. Diaz and staff for taking great care of our boy Khalua .
• February 2024 by Major Lewis
  This place deserves ZERO stars.AVOID this place.
• February 2024 by Victoria Lewis
  I had to put my baby to sleep yesterday. The vet we were at stated my 5 yr old Maltese's gallbladder ruptured. They called this place (UF) to inquire about surgery, they gave an estimate of around $8,000-$10,000 I felt destroyed. Shame on me for not doing a little more research though bc after we made the difficult decision to end our baby's life, I found an affordable center in Orlando with much better reviews than this place, that would have done the entire surgery for $1600 and wish I would have waited and done a little more research. SHAME on you UF for charging these OUTRAGEOUS fees and making people feel they have to do the unthinkable bc your costs are WAY too high!!!
• February 2024 by Sandra HENDRICKS
  I can not say enough about the service provided to my dog by Dr. Kim and the rest of the staff at the UF Small Animal Hospital. They saved my dog when it appeared all hope was lost. Always treated with respect and caring. So glad I found them!2/4/24 Update: The staff in the ER last night were so kind and considerate of both the human needs and my precious senior dog's needs last night as it was time to let her go. I am grateful for each one of them. RIP my sweet baby girl.
• February 2024 by The Dude
  Waited an entire year to see a nutritionist at UF as my dog has numerous health issues including pancreatitis and a diagnosis of cushings disease and has been losing tons of weight. The resident who we saw could barely speak English. She asked why we were there and said we would like a custom made low fat diet. She said she would not formulate a low fat diet without proof she's had pancreatitis and there's no tests that prove it. We had records with us which she fanned through, but seemed confused with everything. It was as it she couldnt read right and had no clue what she was looking at. I had said I would like the diet to be anti inflammatory and she got very rude with me saying there is no such thing which is a lie. I mentioned how I would also like a low purine diet which she said she was a purine specialist and there is nothing wrong with purines (which there is no such thing and was laughable) and she recommended rice, mentioned sugar and refunded oils.....all which are bad for pancreatitis and are just flat out inflammatory. My dogs albumin was low on labs along with low vitamin d (which later said she had no idea we had it tested yet told her there) and folate and her excuse was I just wasn't feeding my dog enough food. She said my dog was catabolic because of the cushings (which come to find out later she really doesn't even have) and me not feeding her enough protein. They had received records from several vets prior to the visit, we brought them yet she had the student that was with her take notes on vets we've seen to get records again. The visit was a waste of time and left very angry. On the followup notes they recommend I pay $2800 to do a full analysis on her current diet and feed more because her stools are normal which they were not. They have a lot of undigested food and clear malabsorption not to mention previous labs. Vets did send over records yet again and it was very clear she didn't go through single page. As my dog's albumin was low, she was losing a lot of weight and yet told I'm not feeding enough when I hadn't changed her diet in 2 years I decided to get another ultrasound done elsewhere and it showed very clear characteristics of lymphangiectasia which is a serious disease requires a very low fat diet. It also explains the low albumin and weight loss. The resident left at the end of December and should never have been allowed to deal with anyone. She never listened nor cared. Her language barrier was terrible. It's sad to know UF being a school is teaching school is not doing better for the future of the vet world. This was honestly the worst experience I have ever had and was a waste of money. I went in with what I wanted and what I know would be best for my dog, but I guess they dont care and will do what they want. We pay them for a service yet wont do what you want. We have been here before for another issue and one of the head vets there even said the vet world is 30 years behind. I dont recommend going here for anything.
• February 2024 by Selena H
  Definitely not an easy job for those people but you can tell they care. Very grateful for this place.
• January 2024 by Byron Wells
  Spent 9 hours in their ER for a cat that has been choking on something he possibly swallowed. Spent $585 for basically NOTHING and 9+ hours of my life in the waiting room while they did who knows what diddling around in the back. I asked for them to simply put a scope down his throat to at least look. Was told NO that I would have to pay 2-3K for surgeon. That may be fine for rich people but I am on a fixed income. After a super long day there went home empty handed with some way overpriced generic Amoxicillin. Will NEVER go back there for anything
• January 2024 by Melonie Riley
  Been waiting to be seen for an hour an a half for my puppy who was bleeding the entire time vet student didn't listen and insisted on giving a parvovirus test to my dog when I already told her she had been tested for it she still did it anyway, we sat for that whole hour and a half waiting for results for it to infact came back negative 60 dollars down the drain, because she refused to listen. She never came back out to tell us the results till after we got the information from the receptionist. Keep in mind our dog is still bleeding in her carrier the whole time.
• January 2024 by Mia M
  I brought my dog to ER for acute renal failure. The ER vet lacked compassion, hardly any updates or explanation on the case, young arrogant vet. The following day a group of specialists evaluated my baby. The specialist explained clear the case for me and said that my dog has a week to a month to live, very poor prognosis of 5% of survival. If they continue with kidneys treatment he will go into heart failure. They suggested euthanasia which I refused. They brought in someone who referred me to lap of love and started questioning me about why I refused euthanasia. I took my baby home thinking this is it. I changed his diet to all organic homemade food, started reading and doing a lot of research, put him on supplements and phosphorus binders, kept him hydrated and he improved. This is something I discovered on my own, nothing they suggested. And He lived a year and 8 months after.So here is my answer to why I refused euthanasia. You don’t know and no one ever knows when it’s time. You would have stolen a year and half of his life which is not your right. In the world of humans it would be defined as killing. It’s not up to you or me to decide.2nd, you gave up on my child, this dog is my child, you failed to save his life and didn’t even try to find alternative solutions to treat him. You are a teaching facility how would you not think outside the box? How could you not even try harder? You are supposed to research, invent and do the impossible. I believed in my dog while you didn’t, no wonder we are surrounded by incompetent veterinarians who don’t care much with limited capabilities.3rd, I called 5 times and emailed the Dr to update him on my dog case and requested meds refill. Never got the refills, never got a response.I have to say, I appreciate the details the specialist explained, which were ended up not being true, but I like that he respected my concern, I hope the ER vet would learn from that. And i appreciate the detailed report I received.Please work harder to improve veterinary medicine, teach vets compassion and innovation. Join pet groups to understand what our pets mean to us. When you diagnose, treat and teach think what you would do if this is your child. Would you euthanize them or give up on them? Wouldn’t you do everything there is in the world to save them? Seriously don’t you feel bad or jealous that vets in some other countries can do so much more and you just can’t or won’t?
• January 2024 by John Fitzmorris
  My girlfriends Guinea Pig, Mr. Pig desperately needed help due to overgrown teeth not letting him eat and he required surgery. We were running out of time and hope for someone to help us immediately. We were referred to the UF small animal hospital and the hospital along with the zoo med team did an amazing job in every way. They got Mr. Pig the help he needed and saved his life. They kept us updated about him very often as well and it was easy and quick to reach them on the phone to have any of our questions answered when we called. To be honest it was a little costly($1300 for anyone wondering that has a similar issue). But I would say the cost was worth it for having him back home safe and healthy. For anyone reading this review, MAKE SURE YOU GET TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BEFORE 5 PM, otherwise it’s an extra $1000 deposit for your pet. I got there right in time and didn’t have to pay this thankfully. Overall a great experience
• January 2024 by Josephine Abbate
  Horrible !!! They euthanized a stray dog I brought in with an injured leg without telling me. I specifically told the male worker that I didn’t want him euthanized. I would have done anything to get him better & adopted. I waited around for his status for over 2 hours to find out what was needed to help him. I specifically told the male worker that I didn’t want him euthanized and wanted to help. I was not explained anything whatsoever. It was like they didn’t care. They said to go home and call for updates. I was shocked when I called only to learn that they euthanized him without telling me. The female on the phone was cold as ice. They refused to give me any info. This place was like animal control kill center. I am devastated!!Stay away people !!!!!!
• October 2023 by Pamela Plemmons
  If I could give less than 1 star, I would. Our dog was vomiting and very lethargic when we took her in last night at 9 pm. It took them about an hour and a half to even get her in a room. Once there, we were asked questions by a med student who was very nice and attentive. He took her to the back to "get her vitals and exam". After 3 hours with no word I went to the reception desk to see what was going on. Mind you, lots of people had brought pets in, they were seen and left already by this time. The receptionist called back and then told us that our dog had not even had an exam yet! I wonder if this meant her vitals had not been taken yet either! Finally, after about another hour and a half we were called back to speak with the Dr. She wanted to do x-rays and complete blood work, which we whole-heartedly agreed to...we were there to get our pet help! She said it would probably be about an hour. Three hours later we were called in! We spent 9 hours in the waiting room while so many people and pets came and went. During those 9 hours, our baby was in the back alone. Communication was terrible. I DID let the dr know that I was seriously disappointed in the care that we received. She made us feel as if our pet was unimportant! This will be a last resort for emergency care from here on out.
• October 2023 by Lauren Schock
  I brought my six year old dachshund to UF literally dead from being poisoned. Completely unconscious with an extremely low expectation of recovery. They are miracle workers!!! The cost was minimal and I was able to pick up my only baby in less than 24 hours! Walking with full eye sight and completely back to himself! Unbelievable! I am astonished! You will not find better vets for a reasonable price!!! I can’t thank you enough! Extremely knowledgeable!!!
• October 2023 by Katy Jordan
  If I could give negative stars, I would. We brought our dog in for vomiting—8.5 hours later, we left with her body and a $1200+ bill. We asked them to please not sedate her for x-rays unless they had to because she had heart problems. They assured us they use heart friendly sedation—so they used sedation anyways and started showing strange symptoms on the drive home after being released and cleared. Times We brought her back and she died of a heart attack, and they couldn’t resuscitate her. She had no symptoms that should’ve resulted in that, was diagnosed with “slight pneumonia”—so we believe it was negligence on their part that caused her death—likely someone gave her the wrong sedation since they were “so busy.” If we could sue them for every penny they had, we would. We’ve also brought in 10+ injured animals we’ve found on roadsides and they’ve euthanized every one of them. Started bringing animals elsewhere and other vets have saved them and found them homes at sanctuaries. Please steer clear of this place, ESPECIALLY in an emergency.Edited to add: we’ve been here multiple times and each time before was also lots of unnecessary and expensive testing, many waiting hours, and we’ve had some experiences where we really did like the doctors but overall, it’s never been a place we wanted to go unless we 100% had to.
• September 2023 by Yordanka Manso
  This has been by far my most unpleasant insecure and unreliable experience. I have ever had with any of my animals in an emergency setting. Few days I go I brought my Bella to Ocala location . Was told she was carrying 7 babies and that the only thing she had was high glucose . Days later My Dachshund goes into labor the first baby was not coming out . I called UF in Ocala I explained everything and asked clerk to consult with doctor to see what I should do. Well she didn’t speak to a physician and simply stated to bring her in. First puppies shoulders were stuck according to the center in Ocala and the puppy though still in moms wound was already dead. They tell me there’s nothing they could do because they don’t do deliveries. Charged me $275 for an iv catheter and labs . To then tell me I had to drive 45mts to Gainsville with my dog in the middle of labor . I explained to please send all my dogs labs and procedures done at Ocala location so they wouldn’t have to repeat it. None of that was done because labs were done twice and charged twice. I was told my deposit would be x amount and balance x amount. Was told to go home because it would be a long process and someone would call me . No one called so I decided to return to facility. The last puppy was not born yet so I waited another hour or so . After the doctor comes out states all puppies were born except the one that past and mom was good too. As I went to check out the clerk gives me a different balance and tells me it’s because they had to run different labs. I refused to pay as none of that was explained by doctor. The girl was very Andy did not allow me to finish talking every time I kept asking her to explain things that I was not understanding on the charges. Finally my dog and her babies were handed to ne . I drove home and just as I was arriving to my house. They called and said that the remains of the deceased puppy had to be gotten rid of. Either by them cremating the puppy and charging me another $100 something or I could come back for puppy and bury it in my yard. It’s like they had no compassion for my situation they could care less wether my dog and all her puppies died. All they care about was that the services rendered got paid.They come out to lobby and talk about your business in front of everyone. I hope ppl read these reviews and realize the only good thing about this veterinarian center is that they are open 24 hours. Four of the “6” or “7” puppies is what I was given including my deceased puppy a lot of attitude and no communication with pet owners to discuss what they should do..