Lakeside Animal Hospital Henrico, Virginia

Great staff! Everyone is so nice. The doctor was very informative and gave me all the right information as a new puppy owner. Lakeside has a new regular!

I was frantically trying to find a place to see my injured Guinea pig immediately. I was referred to them and called explaining and asking if they could see her which they said they could if I could make it in 15 mins. As soon as I got there they immediately took her back and examined her. The doctor and assistants were very thorough explaining everything and all her after care. It was such a quick and fast emergency visit and also VERY reasonably priced! They will be getting my business from now on!

I would not recommend this place. I’ve been holding out on this comment for about two years now. Back on my puppy broke his leg I sent him to Lakeside animal hospital for a boarding overnight due to some family emergency reasons. When I went to pick up my dog the next day I was greeted with him and he was white with urine. When I contacted Lakeside animal hospital, the “ manager “ came to the phone and decided to tell me that that was not their fault and they didn’t know why he was covered in urine. I proceeded to argue with her, and then she hung up the phone and came out to my car and proceeded to cuss me out. I was very upset that this had happened and that nobody in the staff or a general building knew what was going on with my dog. He was soaked in urine, and so was his cast. He needed to be re-casted, so I had to come to another vet nearby and got him re-casted. I just called this location today to get my kitten set up for vaccinations, come to find out they have blocked and banned my account to where I am unable to book ever again in the future. I would not waste my time with this place seeing as they are very irresponsible with your pet & unprofessional as to not receiving any email about this. I do expect a reply from the manager, seeing as she needs to correct everyone that leaves a review to this business. I hope they find a more professional way to take care of CUSTOMER to bring in their injured or sick pets. You cannot get upset with someone for being concerned about their little family member, especially when they are left untreated, or not taken care of. Will be reporting this with PHOTOS that i still have and will be legally filing against this company.

This was my first ever visit to a veterinarian, and my experience left me with some regret. I brought my pet female rat to this hospital to be treated for a serious respiratory infection. Symptoms included substantial weight loss, small appetite (soft foods), labored breathing, and being lethargic most of the time. She battled really hard, but sadly could not overcome the illness. I will try to be as objective as possible about how things went without letting the outcome color my experience. Negatives: Reliability, Trust There were two things that did not sit well with me. 3 hours after leaving the hospital, the doctor called to recommend oxygen therapy because my rat was showing increased signs of stress from the treatment. I said to the doctor I agreed to try oxygen therapy for a few hours to see if there was any improvement. At the end of the day, I reached out for an update on whether oxygen therapy was helping, and I was told my rat was still breathing hard. When I asked to stop oxygen therapy, I was told the hospital charges the full 24-hour amount once it has started. I expect full transparency upfront on something that costs as much as the medication. This is not a good way to conduct business. The next day, I called again for an update. I was simply told my rat’s condition was worsening. Against the doctor’s advice, I chose to bring my rat home with medication rather than have her stay for what looked like several more days. When I saw her, she was moving but was even thinner than before her hospitalization. She was jittery and no longer wanted to eat any food. I realize respiratory infections can progress quickly and her condition could have deteriorated suddenly on the day she started treatment. A part of me wonders though what could have happened if I had brought her home to be medicated while she still had a small appetite. I expect the doctor to be more forthcoming about these changes. If she’s not eating, I really want to know about it so that I can consider other methods. Positives: Friendliness I thought the staff and Dr Lenihan showed genuine friendliness and care. After my rat was diagnosed with a respiratory infection, the doctor recommended to have her hospitalized with an aggressive treatment plan that included hospitalization and injectable antibiotics. I wanted to give my rat the best chance of recovery, so I agreed to everything in the plan except 24-hour oxygen therapy.

The veterinarians and all staff I encountered at Lakeside Animal Hospital were compassionate and professional as they cared for my chicken and interacted with me. Our first visit was with Dr. Gonzalez who saw her on the same day I called. Our second visit was just over a week later and they also saw her that same day. They could have done surgery on her, as I had consented, but determined she was improving and delayed it. Surgery was ultimately not needed at all as she continued to improve under their care. I was allowed to visit her and I received regular telephone updates from Dr. Lenihan. The receptionists and techs were amazing as well! The value for the service was reasonable and I would highly recommend them.

Great veterinary service for all animals. Very friendly staff. They take care of my reptile, bird, dog and nunerous cats! I wouldn't go anywhere else and i will always recommend this practice. Knowledgeable Doctors, Assistants and CSRs.

I highly recommend this vet to rabbit owners in the Richmond area! My rabbit has been a patient since May and recently got spayed by Dr. Gonzalez. The surgery was successful and the entire staff was incredibly helpful before and after.

Had to take my daughters pet Rat for cremation services. Staff was very kind and respectful. They helped my daughter pick memorial items and were very helpful.

Always helpful & accommodating, in and out

I have a cockatoo and it is hard to find a vet in Richmond that will see him. But Dr. Gonzales is amazing with him and pays special attention to details. My bird has become less stress going to the vet each time because of the great care he gets here.

Kind and knowledgeable staff and vet. Love it

This is my first time ever writing a review of any business. I would not take my pets to Lakeside Animal Hospital. Dr. Marissa Gonzalez saw my bulldog about two weeks ago. He is having issues with his eyes. During the scheduled appointment one of the tear tests they administered literally did not work. She then continued with the rest of the exam. After the exam was over she told me to bring my dog back whenever and they would re-do the tear test for free and made it seem like it was no big deal. When I brought him back she had her technicians re-do the tear test and I was charged $107... I wouldn't have brought him back for them to do this if I knew I would've been charged for it. Very unprofessional. I will be taking both of my dogs to a different vet that isn't trying to rip me off.

Always great. They genuinely all seem to care about your pets. A bit pricey. I got an estimate for a tooth removal for my dog that was $1400. Can't afford that, but if it has to be done, they are the ones I will go to.

I have taken my very reactive deaf pit bull Cash there and I was so nervous on how he’d react but the bet and the vet tec took the time to try and get him to trust him and even said to just bring him buy sometimes to build his trust. They went slow and didn’t push him too far like other vets I’ve been to have and I really appreciate them taking the time to get to know my little guy.

I was honestly nervous going here for the first time due to some of the reviews. But I had an amazing experience with bringing my three guinea pigs to the vet for the first time. One is hairless and does not like to be handled, but they managed a check up and nail trim like it was a piece of cake. He was perfectly happy and not the least bit stressed out like I had somewhat anticipated. I waited about twenty minutes past my appointment time, but totally understand why after the level of care we received. I got tips on food and common issues to look out for and left feeling great about the visit. I'll definitely be back and recommend. Thank you!!

They kept me waiting for over an hour. The vet refused to check one of my cats because the cat was upset. The vet wouldnt even let me touch my cat because if it bit me the vet would call animal control and get me a large fine. To be clear the vet threatened me if I touched my own cat to comfort her. I never touched my cat because I felt so threatened by the vets promise to get me a "big fine". She wrapped up my cat in a towel and put her in the cage on her own. Any medical facility whether it's for people or animals should be a non threatening and trustworthy place. The fact that they threatened to call animal control when i tried to comfort my cat is completely insane to me. Addendum; Be careful of this vet. I am writing this after her response to my earlier post. She has written things here that are verifiably false. If you look at the other negative reviews you'll see her try to shame other former patients who were not happy with her behavior. She accuses me of a "DNA helix" of twisting the truth when it turns out that she is writing things that she made up completely. Not only did this vet lie about me in this review but she also lied to me about getting medical work done for my cats. She tried to upsell me on very expensive medical work that my cats never needed. Dont worry I went to a different vet who actually checked my cats out. Marissa Gonzalez's use of shame, insults, guilt, and the need to be right in her responses to me and others should be enough evidence for you to understand how this person operates. I would rate them 0 stars If I could. I would rate them 0 stars If I could.

Second time there with two young cats and they've been incredibly kind, and a very wonderful experience each visit. Would highly recommend.

They are great people and they are so kind and loving to your furry children. It was a great experience I would recommend anybody go to them.

We’ve had multiple experiences here. Most recently for our new pups. The vet and their staff were efficient, swift and courteous. Highly recommend

So I called to try to make an appointment because my cat had a severe problem the vet told me that they like to form relationships with their logos and everybody does payments pretty much since I was not a local that did not going to do payments with me but the vet said they would then the office manager replied with well the vet don't make that decision all they care about is money

For fourty years, I have owned cats and dealt with veterinarians. My experiences have been varied, but my experience with this veterinarian has been unique. Seldom have I been more dissatisfied. I brought 3 cats to be seen on a scheduled appointment. I arrived promptly or maybe slightly early. I was told to sit and wait, which I did for approximately an hour. The veterinary practice was not busy, there were no emergency cases rushing in, and other non-emergency cases were seen ahead of me. I suppose the other cases were all dogs which another vet saw. I mentioned in passing the unprofessional inconvenience to the assistant who finally ushered me into an examination room. Unfortunately this seemed to fluster her and the staff treated me as hostile and irascible. The principle reason I had come was that one cat in particular had a soft mouth and was suddenly refusing treats. I was concerned that the cat had a bad tooth or an infection. When the vet did arrive in the examining room, she proceeded to give the most cursory of examinations to the cats. I don't think she spent more than a few minutes on each cat, for which I was charged over $50 per cat. The vet went on a monologue about long term care and preventive medicine. It was clear she was more interested in upselling me on a long-term veterinary payment/care scheme. She was quite insistent on rabies vaccinations, saying that, if she were to be bitten or scratched by one of them, I would be reported to Richmond Animal Control and liable for hefty fines. The cats were strictly indoor animals. When I asked why she didn't bother to take the temperature of the cat with which I was primarily concerned, she said some nonsense about not disturbing the cat's "dignity." She barely glanced at the cat's teeth too. After the so-called examination, I paid their bill of over $150 and looked for a more competent veterinarian.

My dog was seen for the first time in November 2020 at Lakeside for a full annual exam, blood work and vaccines. 8/5/21 I called asking for my dog's RX to be sent to Chewy as it always has been. I was told that they can no longer do that because it takes to much time. I was then told that I could pick up the written RX at the office. I asked if it could be mailed or emailed to me. I was told that I needed to pick it up because there is a $5.25 fee. I asked why there was a fee as my dog was seen in November and the RX should be good for a year. I was told that the vet would have to use an RX pad and take time to write the RX, and if it were mailed it would be an additional $1 fee for postage and time in mailing. The laws that govern pharmaceuticals states that payment cannot be accepted solely for an RX. Needless to say, I will be seeing another vet for my dog's future care, and I will be contacting the board. Absolutely scandalous!!!

Helpful staff and very informative

If you love your pet, I do not recommend that you take them there for any reason. I don’t usually write reviews but I felt I should share this so others proceed with caution. I took my bunny there because she was sick with one eye... they told me they had to do an operation on her eye to remove a larva that had gotten into her eye and I paid over 600 dollars to have the operation done. The day after the operation my rabbit died. I am very disappointed with this clinic because I lost my money, my time and my pet. I was never told that my bunny was at risk of dying after the operation. On the contrary, they told me that my bunny was going to recover and it turns out she past away the day after. I called to speak to someone in charge to make them aware of the situation but the response i received was the opposite of helpful or comforting. I was basically told that my bunny could’ve past away for many reasons, they even went as far as saying that she could have passed away because of how I gave her medications. I followed THEIR instructions on how to give her her medications yet throughout the whole conversation I was only given the impression that they were not responsible. Not what I expected at all. Beware.

They lady's that help me with my guinea pig are very gentle and sweet.

Dr. Gonzalez is the best! Always so friendly and knowledgeable about my bearded dragon ????

I've seen this vet several times, and I have to agree with all the other one-star reviews. They are overpriced and constantly trying to upsell you. As far as their knowledge of rabbits goes, it could definitely be better. And, they are rude--just look at how the head vet is responding to other reviewers here. Can't wait to see how she tries to bully me too by publicly disclosing details of my rabbits' medical history. Is this how they have such high ratings, by discouraging honest reviews? I do not recommend them at all and I will never be back.

Very caring and concerned staff. Dr. Gonzalez was excellent addressing my concerns and explaining the outline of treatment. Was able to get an appointment the same morning that I called. Highly recommended.

Dr. Gonzales was able to address the specific concerns I had regarding my bearded dragon and the cost was very reasonable.

I am so grateful for the compassion and care that we received at Lakeside. We cold-called after a dog attacked one of our chickens. They were willing to see us immediately, despite us not being an established patient. Dr. Gonzalez was professional and compassionate. I don't know what we would have done. Highly recommend for owners of birds and other pets. Very grateful.