ISU Small Animal Hospital

Words cannot express the gratitude my wife and I have after taking our dog here. Our dog, Cedar, passed away after a few days in the hospital and we were shown the utmost respect, kindness, professionalism, and empathy. I felt we were informed every step of the way and our options fully disclosed with the appropriate risk/benefit with each option. Those final moments stick with you, and what stuck with us was the support and empathy our dog and us received during a devasting and difficult time. We will be forever thankful to Dr. Doke, Jordan, and the rest of staff.

Absolutely dreadful customer service on the phone I called the emergency line After I worked a twelve hour shift came home to my dogs tail a mess I called asking if it was an emergency they wouldn’t answer any questions just told me it was 106 dollars and that they were a triage clinic and if it’s not serious enough they’d send us home, so they answered none of my questions and just told me I’d decided to come in then they’d actually answer my questions. I would never in my life recommend this emergency service hot like to any person who is worried about their pets safety at night I called a vet 20 miles away and they answered every question and assured me I’d be okay to take her in the morning. And I get some people are not trained but if I see on your that you have 24/7 on board medical staff they should be able to transfer me instead of trying to screw me for money.

I took my cat of 12 years here on an emergency visit after he was having trouble breathing. The staff was very compassionate and thorough. He was given a short time to live because of heart failure, but I couldn't imagine the people here handling such a tough situation with any more grace. I highly recommend this hospital to everyone.

I would not recommend them for the cancer treatment of your dog. The oncologist should have known better than to prescribe a high dose of prednisone to an older dog with a history of heart failure (and not stress how dangerous it could be). His heart condition quickly deteriorated as a result and I was forced to put him down, withering in pain and unaware of his surroundings. This was no means the way I wanted my fur baby to pass away, so I am extremely sad, devastated, and infuriated. Had I known how horribly the steroid would have impacted his health, I would have considered euthanasia right after I had received his diagnosis—while my dog was still feeling (and looking) well. Instead, I had to put him down as he was gasping for his last few breaths of air, dying in agony on the storage room table they put him on. I ended up spending thousands within a two-week period on transportation, drug costs, tests, and treatment. It was a horrible two weeks emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially for me and my fur baby. And now I’m left with a huge charge on my credit card and a dead family member. Nothing can be done to bring him back. I wish I hadn’t sought out this clinic for help.

I am absolutely APPALLED by the way I was treated and talked to when I was recommended by my vet to seek help here. Although they lead the state with how much technology and resources they have, something they lack that I find horrifying is any sort of compassion or professionalism. When I called, I was rudely greeted, like I was a nuisance to them. After explaining the issue, I was told that it wasn't an emergency (obviously it is!) in the rudest and most valley girl voice and attitude you'd think only existed in Hollywood like the movie Mean Girls. I suggest if you don't care about animals or people, find a different job! My only choice now is to wait "till the time comes." I completely understand the situation they are in, which is being understaffed so they can't just see and help every animal, BUT what the big issue I have is the ATTITUDE I received. Nobody who has an ailing pet should be treated in such a nasty manner. As if we didn't feel horrible enough going through this, we don't need someone to basically say they don't care and that you and your pet don't matter, especially for a place that is suppose to care and love animals. I don't even usually write reviews, but this is something I am really passionate about. It's so sad because when you have that much resources, people are forced to come to you for help. Such a shame!

Money pit! You’d think the collage would want to fix the reputation of this place beings it’s their reputation! I’ve heard horror stories but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and Ames doesn’t have a lot of options so I called! I explained the symptoms my dog is having (fever) and all they would say is so do you want to bring it in? They could not be given any idea of what test or scans they think they would need to do without seeing him I wasn’t asking for a diagnosis I wanted an idea of what they might put my dog through and what those test cost! This needs to change! You need to do more then just respond to this message with your generic I’m sorry message I seen on every bad review and actually turn this place around! Stop being about the money and start being about the community! I feel like any positive review on here is someone who is affiliated!

I could not be more pleased by the service we’ve received from every department we have worked with at the ISU Vet Hospital in the treatment of our dogs. They have been seen by emergency, soft tissue surgery, oncology (primarily) and cardiology. Every member of the staff had been incredibly responsive and compassionate. A huge shout out to Leonard’s student, Chelsea when he was there for surgery, who called us multiple times a day with updates and told him he was a good boy for us. Leonard unfortunately lost his battle with cancer and the oncology staff sent us a card with personalized messages. Our dog Sheldon is receiving cancer treatment now, and he wiggles with excitement when we pull into the parking lot. I have called reception more times than I can count, and they have always been wonderful about helping with any of our needs. It has been an incredibly difficult time treating our pups, and we are so grateful that all of their needs have been met at ISU….and our expectations exceeded.

SO PLEASED with the care our puppy received after being run over by a pickup. From the orthopedic surgery to the rehab, she had amazing care. They kept us informed every step of the way. Everyone was caring and engaged, especially her student carers (vets & PTs in training). Just knowing she was being cared for by people who treated her like she was their own made it a little easier. Yes, it’s not inexpensive but neither is human healthcare. We’re so lucky that we were able to have her treated at Iowa State. Thank you for all you did for our Daisy!

I drove my Bandit 3 hours to have a total ear canal removal surgery and my experience was outstanding and the price was almoat half that of what I would have been charged by where I live. His caregiver while there for 3 days, Carlie, could not have been more sweet, caring and loving while I was so far away from my boy. It made the distance so much more comforting knowing he was being shown such loving care!!

I can not begin to say how much this small animal hospital helped with our year old cat. The staff was OUTSTANDING! They took time to explain procedures, test results and what would happen in surgery. When I had to leave her, they called me twice a day to tell me how she was doing, called right before surgery to tell me that they were prepping her and after surgery and once she was awake, the Dr. called to give us an update on how she did. We are truly appreciative to all the communication and attention they gave her and didn't once leave us out of the loop. Madison the tech, Dr. Matthews and Maria Georgi, I can't thank you enough!

way overpriced , blue pearl is better

I took my 1 yr old dog, Viva to Cardiology for a second opinion of her heart murmur that was previously diagnosed as aortic stenosis. We drove 2 hrs for her appt. Dr. Solari, the technician and student were all extremely pleasant and professional. They explained everything very well and did a wonderful job handling my girl. The only reason we will not be returning is because she was given a clean cardiac bill of health!! ❤️ ? If I lived closer, there is no doubt this hospital would be where I take my animals. The facility is beautiful and my bill came to be less than I was anticipating.

If I could give ISU Small Animal Hospital a hundred stars I would. On Memorial Day my little precious kitty Abbie was having issues vomiting and having a hard time breathing. Dr. Vander Wiel and Nurse Caroline were so kind and gentle taking care of Abbie. They were very thorough in their exam. We found that Abbie has some health issues but she was sent home feeling so much better than when she came in. When I got her home she felt good and couldn't stop purring because she felt so much better. Can't thank Dr. Vander Wiel and Nurse Caroline for their professional caring support of Abbie.

I was very disappointed in the service I received today. I called to confirm that I should bring my pet in for emergency service and was told they couldn’t help me because of doctor patient confidentiality. This was confusing to me as I just wanted to confirm that my pet’s symptoms are something to be concerned about. I asked to speak with a professional and was told I would have to set up Iowa State as my primary vet. I already have a primary vet, so I was not able to speak with a professional. The receptionist poorly explained why they could not help me and overall seems as though they do not put the animal first.

My dog passed away and I requested a necropsy and a private cremation. After waiting 3 weeks, they couldn’t tell me what happened to my dog. Whatever, I understand that sometimes you can’t figure it out. But then they accidentally cremated him communally, rather than private, so we didn’t even get his ashes back either. Everyone makes mistakes, but that’s not really a mistake you can afford to make.

My cat got in a fight about a month ago and suffered from multiple bite wounds.. We have been treating him through our primary vet. He has been on antibiotics, pain meds, anti inflammatory meds...the whole works. Last night his leg ballooned up to the size of my wrist and his breathing was very shallow. My husband and I thought he was trying to die. I am not new to animals, as I work at an animal hospital. We rushed to ISU emergency vet just to have them tell us they had "5 more serious cases" and he was "too fractious to do anything to". I gave them permission to sedate him and they said they'd try to get to it as soon as possible...but probably would be at least a 2-3 hours. I opted to take him back home with me and wait until my primary vet could see him the next day. Very disappointed and saddened by the outcome of this visit. I don't think I will be back (ntm it was a 1.5 hr round trip to spend over $200 on iv fluids...)

Oh I just picked up my baby boy from here and I had to leave a review.. He stayed 2 nights here trying to figure out what is going on with him. This mama was very worried and missed him but Hannah called and kept me informed with how he was doing and the vets explained everything that was going on with Rocky very well! So nice and way more informative then any of my Doctors! Thank you all so much for taking care of my baby ?

My cat went in for a urinary blockage. He spent a week there. They released him with no verbal instructions on how to care for him. His urine blocked the day I got him home on a Saturday. I called and they said someone would call me back with advice. No one called. This visit cost 4000 dollars. On Monday I took him to the local vet. They treated him, operated on him. Released him. 1500 dollars. He’s fine now. So, my conclusion is isu vet med small animal is about the money. And not the care. Alex Abrahamson, Laurel Iowa.

I have at two dogs be put down here, one from their age, the other from being no more that to bleed my family for money. Other clinics could do their work for a fifth of the price, yet somehow they feel the need to multiply it so much higher. Edit. With clearer mind I slightly change it. I will understand that their facility and faculty is very nice and caring, a percent of their earnings certainly just in someways. But given possible state funding and student's paying tuition to learn there I will still stand somewhat by my perspective in that it doesn't feel fully right to charge that much.

i am so thankful for Dr. Dawson and her assistant Krizia and all the other staff for attending to my cat Poppy in the hospital for about four days. those days were truly a struggle as i dealt with anxiety over my pet’s health and my financial health. the vet and assistant called me three times a day to update me on Poppy and to see how i was doing with it all. through all the tests and meds, they determined a course of action and gave my cat the best supportive care. when she was discharged after eating reliably and doing well on her meds, the vet personally walked me through each of the medications and gave me hands-on practice with giving my cat liquid oral meds and injections. i cannot even begin to express the level of quality care and reassurance i received in bringing my cat to dr. dawson, dr. christie, and all the assistants there. Poppy is at home and doing much better than i could ever expect, thanks to the care and attention of the isu vet hospital!!!

We brought our 6 month old Golden Retriever into the ER at the ISU Small Animal Hospital in January, 2021. We were very pleased with the service and care that he received and especially grateful for the excellent communication efforts from Dr. Kaitz. We felt that they genuinely cared for the well being of our pup and would highly recommend this facility to anyone needing specialized care. Thank you again for all of your hard work!

Arrogant student No recommendations Poor history taking If you think you are taking your pet for a specialist evaluation you are mistaken, a resident with less experience than your regular vet will see the patient, what a waste of time Front desk - needs customer 101 training The response from ISU does not address that when I asked for my dog to be returned to me after talking to the resident they did not do so. I had by that time decided to go someplace else. They then had staff see her against my wishes, likely so they could charge. This has nothing to do with covid 19.

Waited for an hour and a half so they could give me a bottle of pills . They didn't even clean the wound . 200 dollar bill ?

The ophthalmology department has taken GREAT care of my double Merle Aussie. They have been very kind, knowledgeable and helpful while figuring out the best course of action for my pup. I first started taking Bethany just as COVID-19 hit so I was unable to go in the building with my girl, but the staff treated Bethany like the queen she is. I never had to worry about how she was doing while visiting. Beth also loved her visits to ISU and got so excited when we pulled into the parking lot.

Pretty much the most condescending group of people I've ever had to try to work with. Refusing to answer any basic question without a payment up-front. I would recommend working with them only if you need them. Ames is kind of out of luck for emergency care outside of this office. Edit- to specify, the questions I had asked revolved around a prescription medication that my dog had already been given by another vet. I had asked if I was able to pick up the medication through the hospital (my vet was happy to send a referral via email, and I stated this) since my vet wouldn't be able to order more before we would run out. I was told that I would have to come in and get an examination done to determine the next step forward, and that they could not answer any questions about it before they saw my pup. To be fair, I wasn't sure if they could help me at all at first, that's why I called. But the person that I talked to was dismissive and pretty rude about it; when I tried to explain that he had already seen a vet, and that I had a referral also, the woman I talked to acted like she didn't hear me, and just repeated that they do not answer any questions over the phone, but that we could come in at anytime for a check-up. I would've been happy with a no, it was a weird question. But it could've been handled better.

I have gone to the Lloyd Small Animal Hospital with my baby, Charles Avocado VanGogh, ever since he started having medical issues just a few months after I moved here to start my Ph.D. The doctors that work here are very thorough and have an innate curiosity, which mean that they worked diligently to try and get to the bottom of the of the problems that were afflicting my corgi baby (not a baby, he was four-years-old, but always my baby). Yes, their services may be expensive, but you should know that going in and plan accordingly. I live on a very strict budget so I can continue to afford regular checkups for Charles every three months in addition to his expensive medications every month. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else with Charles. They are so invested in making sure that he is able to live the best life that he can while at the same time remaining aware of the fact that I am a graduate student living on a graduate student budget. The internal medicine service has been phenomenal and I truly believe that, with their help and recommendations, I've had my Charles around for two years longer than I thought I would when he initially got sick. I hope to have him around for as long as he is still enjoying life! Also, you may want to be aware that you should plan on being there for up to two hours (maybe more) if you are going for a regular checkup with blood work and what not. They may not be quick, but they sure do give you a lot of information. And I love receiving the discharge notes via email following his appointment.

They use your animal as a lab rat. Will do anything to rack up your bill. Dog came out worse than it came in.

I went in around 1 AM on May 30th because I thought my cat had broken her leg(dog incident). I couldn't go inside due to COVID so I waited in my car for the doctors to call after examining my cat(which is totally fine). When he called he let me know that he was very confident she fractured her but he couldn't be sure without an x-ray. He then followed up by telling me to x-ray the cat, he would need to heavily sedate her and give her a catheter. If they leg was broken, they would board her and fix it Monday. I decided not to x-ray her because I could go to my regular vet tomorrow. The doctor then got very upset with me. He almost started to act like a salesmen who was working on commission or something. It seemed he cared more about how much he could get me to pay for than he cared for me and my cat. He kept questioning me and asking if my vet would be able to get the diagnosis- it was very strange. At that point I wouldn't have even felt safe boarding my cat there. I denied all care which he was not happy about. He suggested I should at least take pain meds home- I agreed. This "visit" cost me $130. When I arrived home around 2:30 AM I was trying to figure out if they had already given some pain meds, or if I could give her a dose. I looked at the papers they gave me and it said: "NEXT DOSE DUE this morning(5/30/20)." Considering it was already morning, I wasn't totally sure what they meant by that. I called to clarify and I was met with a simple, "the doctor said he wrote dosage instructions on the paper." The next morning I went to my actual vet. Within an hour, she had x-rayed my cat(without sedating or putting in a catheter), diagnosed, and set us on our way. By the way, her leg was not broken. She just has a bruise and we were given anti-inflammatory medicine. For medicine, an actual diagnosis, AND an x-ray, it was $150. I will never go to ISU vet. I will tell everyone NOT to go there. What a horrible experience. It makes me wonder if they did the x-ray if they would've boarded her anyways. Seems like its a lot more about the money and a lot less about the animals.

My 10 y/o cat, Sheila, has struggled with mega colon for several years. Earlier this week her situation was looking grim as we have tried what feels like everything to relieve her discomfort. ISU quoted me at a price that was not far off from what the end bill came to be. They ran various tests to rule out any underlying conditions to ensure best practice and care. She ultimately had to have a procedure which removed the obstipation. When it was feared she may be septic, Dr. Heinrich was very informative and professional, making sure I understood the risks and benefits of a possible emergency surgery. When it was found out she wasn't septic, she called back right away and expressed her excitement over this too. I could tell she and the Internal Medicine staff truly cared for Sheila and I knew she was receiving the best care. Sheila is on her way home today. :)

ISU emergency saw my 7 week old kitten last night. She had a broken arm. A previous vet I visited elsewhere estimated me $2400-2600 (yikes) for surgical pin or amputation. I have heard ISU can be expensive so I was scared to go at first BUT ISU gave me a professional, trusted, and cheaper option that was actually better for my cat’s health! Also, due to COVID I could not go inside. However, they called me and gave me updates! They were super informative and answered all my questions (I had many). It made me confident my kitten was given the best care and love they had to offer! ISU turned my day around and made me want to come back! The receptionists, the veterinarians, the surgeons, all so nice! Thank you ISU, you are appreciated!!

They are very professional and work very well with their patients. I have used the vet clinic for year and have been very happy with the care they have given to my dogs. I recommend them highly.

Dont call the ISU vet if you have an emergency unless you have $500 to bring your dog in. My dog ate a whole bag of almonds and I called to ask if this was going to kill my dog if I needed to bring him in immediately and they refused to give me any info. I was panicking wondering if my dog would die and they did nothing but say if you need help you have to bring him in we can say anything over the phone (which even a simply checkup is very expensive here). I then called the Des Moines Vet and they were extremely nice, explained what to do and what signs to look for to bring my dog in if it got serious. Thank you Des Moines Vet for helping me in an emergency, and no thanks to ISU vet. So terrible. Don't even waste your money there, they charge through the roof.

Excellent Veterinarian College. Diagnosed my ShihTzu with Inflammatory Bowel Disease after my regular veterinarian referred us to them when she had chronic diarrhea. They diagnosed her with biopsy during endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Our 18 year old cat Frank was having bladder problems. Our hometown vet believed he had an UTI. After a dose of drugs to treat a UTI, he still was having problems. Our vet suggested we take him to Ames. And while the diagnosis by the vet(s) was grim, advanced bladder cancer, we were glad we took him to ISU. Everyone was professional and made it easier for Frank. They explained everything thoroughly and treated our beloved boy wonderfully.

Two years ago my corgi shattered his femur. Every vet in the area refused to even attempt to fix it. You guys took him in instantly, you told me that his leg may never be the same, but it could work. I brought him in, you guys called me multiple times to check in with me and let me know he was doing okay. And I appreciated that so much, everyone was so kind during such a stressful time in our life. It’s been a long road of recovery, but it’s been a year without him having any leg pain, he doesn’t limp, he can sploot, and he can run as fast as his little legs can. He’s completely back to how he was before the accident. I just wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If I could give the ISU Small Animal Hospital more stars, I absolutely would! My rabbit, Indigo, got very sick the previous Wednesday evening. He was lethargic and not taking treats all of a sudden when I came home from classes, and after forcing some critical care supplements into him, he went diarrhea (which is VERY dangerous in rabbits). I immediately rushed him to the ISU Small Animal Hospital, where the ICU gave Indigo fluids and critical care supplement, which stabilized Indigo a ton. Because they did not have an exotic vet in at the time, they made sure that I would get him seen the next day. I was able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Zaffarano the next morning, and Indigo went back to the ISU Small Animal Hospital around 10:30 AM that day. Indigo seemed to be doing better, but Dr. Zaffarano and the vet student working with her, Sarah Marnin, decided to take Indigo in for the day to verify he was alright with many tests. As it turned out, Indigo had a liver torsion and needed emergency surgery to remove part of his liver. Dr. Zaffarano performed the surgery that night with the help of the soft tissue specialists and her student. Indigo made it through and is doing amazing now at home, even though he doesn't like wearing a cone of shame! I am SO HAPPY with the level of care, professionalism, and communication that the staff members had during Indigo's stay at the ISU Small Animal Hospital. I was made aware of every test result Indigo had and every step that needed to be completed after each result. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Zaffarano, the soft tissue surgeons, and the vet student for completing Indigo's surgery that night because I'm fairly certain this was much past their normal work hours. Everything worked out perfectly during Indigo's surgery, and I was contacted right away once it was complete. I was even sent a photo of my sleepy Indigo later that evening, and Dr. Zaffarano has been very responsive when I need questions answered about Indigo's recovery. I truly believe Indigo was treated with the most care and respect he could receive, and I highly recommend the ISU Small Animal Hospital to every pet owner, especially those that own rabbits! I owe my thanks to Dr. Zaffarano, Sarah Marnin, the soft tissue surgeons, and all of the amazing staff members at the ISU Small Animal Hospital that were a part of helping Indigo the past few days. Also, thank you to the rabbit owner that let their rabbit donate blood to Indigo for after surgery!

Thank you to all of the staff for taking care of our mini doxie Dottie! Dottie had a surgery to remove a tumor in a very difficult location. Dr. P, Dr. M and Nathan were wonderful in making sure we were always informed with her progress. Thanks for taking wonderful care of her. She is home and eating well and sleeping soundly. Thanks again!!

I can’t recommend them enough. Our kitty, Milo was having breathing problems so we took him to this hospital. They were so kind & compassionate towards us. We sadly had to put Milo down & a week or so later we received Milo’s clay paw print & a card signed by the staff & the doctor that worked with us that day. It means so much to us to have something to remember Milo by. Thank you!

Excellent veterinarians, techs, students and administration. Dr. Berger and Jane are some of the best people in the industry and I'm never concerned about the care my dog receives.

Called because my hamster got wet tail, and we took him in. One of t male doctors gave us his phone number. We texted in photos and update videos of our hamster, but yet no response. They told us they would follow up and never did. He then proceeded to get worse and worse, and we called the vet. They claimed they would call about him but never did. I called in giving updates about his worsening health, no response. He died the day before Thanksgiving and the vets still haven’t called up on him. Thank you, for not being able to save my hamster. Not coming again, I’ll bring my business elsewhere. For being one of the top veterinarian clinics I’m disappointed.

You couldn’t pay me money to go back to the emergency part of ISU. I’m a certified veterinary assistant currently working at a veterinary clinic. I took my dog there on Tuesday for severe disc pain. Our next steps were supposed to be an MRI to confirm his ruptured disc and potential surgery. The vet we saw refused to believe he had ruptured a disc because he was not showing the severe signs of a disc rupture. Even though I thoroughly explained that he had ruptured a disc in the past and never showed any sign of rupturing a disc. My dog is on the highest doses of pain meds he can be on; Tramadol 4x a day, Gabapentin 3x a day, a sedative Trazodone 3x a day. None of which were or are helping his pain. Instead of recommending being kept overnight and transferred to the team that could do an MRI. The vet told me she wouldn't recommend an MRI and that even if we did it surgery wasn't an option for him because he could walk and surgery risks are too great. So instead recommended sending him home with additional pain meds; a fentanyl patch and Amantadine. I knew these would NOT help him because of the pain I’ve watch my dog be in. Sure enough 2 days later my dog will hardly walk. I will NOT take him back to ISU. We are going to Blue Pearl in Des Moines. Who are recommending a CT scan and possible spinal surgery to relieve his severe pain. HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND ISU, they used to be good, I’m not sure what has changed but it’s not for the better.

ISU is no longer a 24 hour emergency vet for exotic pets they refused to let us bring in our lizard for help .

Very caring about their patients and the people who love them. Good communication and very advanced technology.

I absolutely love this place!!! Our fur baby Charlie is a patient here undergoing SRT radiation therapy for a pituitary macroadenoma. His team is the absolute best!!! Everyone is so caring, compassionate and knowledgeable. We traveled here from St. Charles Missouri to get Charlie the best treatment possible!!! Forever grateful to Dr. Johannes, Dr. Berger, student Javiar Gomez and the rest of Charlie’s team. The reception people were awesome as well!!! ❤️

The vets and students deserve 5 stars. However, the front desk staff - they deserve (0) stars due to their overall attitude and lack of customer service. One of our family pets was treated there for over 6 weeks, with great care from the vets and students. We spent over $13k trying to save her life, however, it didn't work. Our dog did receive great care and unfortunately passed away. On Wednesday 6/5 I received a call from Amber that we owed them $20 on our bill and it had to be taken care of IMMEDIATELY. She stated that I could pay via card or bring in the payment, however, it had to be done IMMEDIATELY. Mind you - we have faithfully paid them in full and on several occasions overpaid our bill, with a couple hundred dollar credit. It strikes me as odd - that when you overpay your bill - the front desk does not call you and say you have a credit on your account. However, the second you owe them even a penny - the front desk is demanding payment IMMEDIATELY. I have asked several times regarding this practice and have not been given an explanation. Finally after several phone calls back and forth - Amber admits she made a mistake - after her troubling arrogant attitude that she must receive payment IMMEDIATELY. Great customer service is not a part of her job. Their other troubling practice - they only have one staff member who can notify families when your cremated pet remains are available for pickup. Our pet passed on 5/27/19, was cremated and returned to the Small Animal Hospital on 5/29/19. The only notification we received that she was back was due to us being at the small hospital on Monday 6/3 and us asking the status. When I asked Amber about this practice - she stated they only have one person who notifies people that their pets are back from Loving Rest. This individual was out of the office for a week and was planning to make calls on Monday 6/3, however, since we already were there and picked up our remains, they didn't call. Thanks for letting us wonder each day when we can pick up our pet with no communication from you...much appreciated. I find that to be a very poor excuse and poor planning. What would happen if this person was gone for two weeks ? Out on LOA for an extended time ? Would you never notify families ? I can't believe an organization as large as the ISU Small Animal Hospital can only have one individual trained to contact families. Lack of empathy and customer service. The vets and students take exceptional care of your family pet - the front desk staff could learn a thing or three from them.

I can't say enough kind things about Dr. Liz Soler and her overnight ER team. She was so kind and gentle while we struggled with having to put our sweet, sweet ferret to sleep.

Their staff is amazing. Basically, I freaked out about my tortoise having RI and brought her in during emergency hours (even though it wasnt an emergency) the staff still treated her like it was one and took everything I said seriously. They called their Exotics doctor in and she treated Sissy so well, as did the other staff and students. I felt extremely comfortable with them handling her. Very glad I came, highly recommend

We had our 14 year old Jack Russell there in the ICU before Christmas. He had pulmonary hypertension and we knew the prognosis was not going to be good. The staff there was absolutely wonderful. We were able to get him home Christmas eve. It was so nice to have our guy home. Unfortunately, he went down hill as we expected. Once again, we went back to ISU. The decision to put our guy down was hard but necessary, we were lucky to have gotten one more good month in with Hank and it was his time to go. The staff was very compassionate. We sat in a private room and held him while he passed. I can't begin to say how great everyone there was, from his time in the ICU to his passing. After he passed, we received a clay paw print and a beautiful card from the staff. They shared memories of his little but wiggle and his joyful nature from his stay in the ICU. I can't thank them enough for their care and their compassion. I am very sure that Hank is thanking you all too.

The Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital is the absolute best clinic and ER in the region for small animals, bar none. No coincidence it is attached to one of the nation's leading veterinary schools. Ignore the 1 stars complaining about price or compassion, they are not in touch with reality on what quality veterinary medicine costs. I have always been treated with the utmost respect and understanding coming here, even in extremely stressful situations.

I recently had to put down a beloved pet and a little over a week later I got a card in the mail saying they are sorry for my loss. Not only did the doctors remember her but wrote very touching words. I will continue going here for any other small animal needs

My experience at the Iowa State University small animal Hospital was entirely positive. My young dog required serious ortho surgery which was completed perfectly. Dr. Hoefle is a highly skilled and personable surgeon and the vet student (Laura) assigned to our case was outstanding. They explained everything and kept me informed throughout the stay. I give this whole experience five stars.

I like taking my cats to ISU small animal hospital because I like that we can contribute to the vet students learning. Sometimes it takes a bit longer here for a standard appointment, but I don't mind because it makes me feel confident in future veteranarians getting their education though Iowa State. They have great service and are caring for any questions that I have about anything. The only reason that I don't give 5 stars is because of the office staff that work up front. The receptionsists are consistently rude every time that I come in, they speak to me like I am inconveniencing them when I check in and when I check out. I think these staff members can make or break the experience that is had here and they definitely break it for me. I was in a few days ago with my cat and while checking in the receptionist asked what we were in for. I told her we were there to update my cat's vaccinations. She looked at his info and said we were last there in December so it hadn't been a year so she didn't understand why we were there because he was not due for vaccinations. My cat's vaccinations were done last August so we were actually overdue coming in (in September), when we came in December it was not for vaccinations, it was for something else. So this receptionist was not looking at all of the facts before she was trying to tell me that I was wrong about my cat's care and I found that concerning.

I've come to really appreciate and respect the people at this hospital. Ive been taking my rabbit here for 2 years now. Just in the last couple of months I've had to go to the hospital numerous times to deal with multiple complications in my rabbit. Dr. Zaffarano and Dr. Henry in the exotics department are wonderful! They love my sweet bun very much and are doing everything they can to help him out. Dr. Zaffarano has been very patient with me as I send her email after email asking questions and sending picture updates. She always gets back with me so quickly as well. I live about an hour away so they have also been very accommodating with my schedule as well. The students as well have been willing to come in early so I don't have to miss as much work. I can tell everyone there has take an extreme liking to my precious bun and they are doing everything they can including reaching out to other colleagues and mentors, to help him. I can't thank them enough for all they are doing for me.

I take my 5 rabbits here as their primary vet and the exotics department is wonderful. I definitely don’t expect to take any less than an hour or an hour and a half per visit but they’re so accommodating in cases of emergency I don’t even mind! The vets also present the options to me and explain what they’re doing and why and work with me to come up with the best treatment plan for my little guys. Would recommend to anyone with an exotic animal!

They have been fantastic, they are so attentive and call twice a day with updates.

I used to think the ISU Small Animal Hospital was expensive, even back when there was a 10% ISU student discount, but my viewpoint has completely changed ever since moving away from Iowa. My dog's heart murmur has gotten progressively worse with age, and getting a cardiology workup would have been 3 times more expensive in NYC compared to ISU. Thank goodness I have a record established for my dog from back when I was in Iowa and was able to schedule a consult relatively easily. I finally understand why this place deserves a 5-star rating. Comparing this place to a normal vet clinic is like comparing a small rural clinic to a level-1 trauma center in human hospital terms. The availability of specialty/sub-specialty services is unmatched, and the expertise from the attending veterinarians is something that you simply cannot get from anywhere else.

Well its been a year since my poor lukie died, or should i say the people killed him. If you take your animal here be very informed because they will not inform you. They are all about the money! I can not believe anyone takes their animal here. They are not any different than your regular vet except they pretend they are more. Go to a holistic vet first. Go to five or ten vets before you trust these people with your beloved pet. They certainly do not care about your pet,just money

When I was ready the review I thought oh the place can't be that bad...so I called for an apt. for my boy to be neutered...when I asked how much they charged...the receptionist was put off and asked "don't you have a regular vet? I stated yes, but we have brought him here before....she stated oh between $1,500.00 and $2,000.00! Insane, first I found her a little rude...second I was calling for the ISU's Vet Clinic and this is the place they game me. She could have been polite and and mention that this is an ER only...I was very put off by the way this phone conversation was handled!

Did a great job with removing my hedgehogs tumor and continued up every couple of days to see how he was doing, highly recommend!

This place is absolutely amazing. The staff, students and doctors are all wonderful and go way out of their way to help without hesitation. Our dog was transferred here not expected to survive. She had emergency surgery and was in ICU for five days. Thanks to the world class care and huge pool of top notch doctors and students, she is laying here with me right now. I can't say enough about how excellent the care is here. And I can say without a doubt I would feel this way regardless of the outcome.

The receptionist was VERY rude and snappy towards me in a very fragile situation of my sick lizard. They are very overpriced but the doctors and nurses there are excellent. For the receptionist I would recommend not calling or going somewhere else to get information. I am very upset and Disappointed at the attitude I was treated with while talking about my sick lizard.

If zero stars were an option, that would be my choice. I had a litter of puppies born here by elective C-section which was planned from the day we did the ultrasound and found out that she was pregnant. The puppies were born at approximately 10:30AM and had nothing to eat for at least 4 hours, at which time the almost 9-10 ounce puppies were given 0.5ml. (they should have each and at least 5ml) When we were to leave with them, 1 was having some labored breathing and a couple of others seemed weak and like they could also use some supportive care so we left the litter with the ICU.....that was the beginning of 10 days of hell. I have the flow charts showing that the puppies were basically starved, given meals ranging between .1ml-.5ml every 2 hours. Each puppy was fed approximately 5ml over a 36 hour period (not even enough to keep a baby squirrel alive) and they should have been fed approximately 100ml each! What person with a lick of common sense believe that a meal for a 10 ounce puppy is 2-10 drops of formula?? When I found out the amounts fed, after the first pup had died, I was in tears trying to tell them that they were starving my puppies. They wouldn't listen (seems to be a big problem there)......all they had to do was read the back of the Esbilac can. The puppies likely never needed the oxygen, they needed food. We've taken our pets here for the last 25 years. This used to be a top-of-the line place to go but we've watched it slowly go down-hill for the past 10 years and after this, we will never go there again.

Kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, intelligent, helpful people! Took extremely loving care of our 11 year old Golden. I am forever grateful to the ISU Small Animal Hospital.

I couldn't be more pleased with the care my dog received. The vet who repaired her broken leg always returned my calls. The cost of the procedure was considerably lower than their first estimate. They explained everything. My dog is back to normal. Thank you ISU!

This place was a nightmare. They were going to do surgery on my dog to remove a tumor. They decided to keep him a week, to run the tab up apparently. The did diagnostic tests after three days then had to wait two more for the results. The whole thing cost me $5000 dollars and they didn't even fix the problem. I had to have my dog euthanized a few days later

Visited there twice for two different problems for my dog. This place has both service and teaching functions. Skills were good but fees were always over charged because there were too many unneeded tests for teaching purpose, obviously. In my 2nd visit, I received another large bill unrelated to the problems weeks after I paid and discharged my dog. If your pet has insurance, this place will be fine. Otherwise....

I hear several people complaining on here (as of this writing this place has either 5 or 1 star reviews, nothing inbetween). All our experiences there have been extremely positive. Know before you go: 1) This is a learning hospital, so naturally it's not the most efficient place in the world - but it does serve an important function by creating new vets! If that's not what you want highly personalized service with no waits, feel free to go pay a student who graduated from this clinic 5x as much at a boutique clinic somewhere. 2) Surgery, tests and medicine are expensive - even at discounted places like this. Students are prone to "play it safe" and offer you anything and everything they think might help. Don't get mad when you take your pet to a doctor and the doctor attempts to provide medical care. That's insane. If this is going to upset you, don't take your pet to the doctor. 3) Nearly all vets require upfront payment or a hefty deposit on expensive procedures. It's incredibly common for people not to pay their vet bills, so they have to do this or they would rapidly run out of funding. This place is no different, it's not that they are heartless - it's that they do actually need to be paid.

Honestly don't take your pets here for anything. They wanted to do exploratory surgery on my cat because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so thought cutting him open would be a good idea. Luckily I refused and he is still alive today. They told us he had 6 weeks to life. That was three years ago. Best decision I ever made in my life was not allowing them to do it. I try to warn as many pet parents as possible about them. My vet was made aware and hopefully is able to deter people from taking their pets here.

Nice facility. Staff takes 3 times longer to complete tasks compared to other vet centers. They carried out procedures and administered medications without asking myself first. They try to "sell" you uneeded tests.

Called to ask about a dental deep clean with anesthesia for my cat (clinics in Des Moines want 200-300 and I can't afford that), she stated it was 600-800. She wasn't very helpful and was a little rude. I find it ridiculous that the want a base of 600 when I was told this was a school vet clinic.

I love it here. Excellent patient care. Dr. Van Eerde is my favorite Radiologist. He explains the x-rays with the most soothingest voice.

The best clinic I have ever been to. I wish I had discovered them sooner. From now on, all my animals will go here.

Our yorkie was deathly ill and we took her to Ames she barely made it there, we drove almost 3 hours from sw Iowa. The staff there were wonderful, started treating her immediately. She spent 3 days in intensive care but went home . Unfortunately she had to return 2 weeks later for surgery. They treated her like she was the only patient there,we were kept up to date hourly on her progress. I even got to see her in a quiet room by ICU. I would trust my pets with ISU anytime. They have a wonderful staff and my complete trust with our baby called Abby. I can't praise them enough. Today you'd never know she was ever sick. She goes back for her two month recheck shortly and I'm anxious to see the staff, which have become like family.

Fantastic staff!!