Reviews of North Carolina State Equine Veterinary Service (Veterinarian)

Erica Martin

After speaking with I want to say Dr. Stevens on the phone many times last night, I am impressed. My husband and I were trying to avoid the vet cost for our buckling goat who was attacked by a dog. She was understanding, and patient. She allowed me to send her pictures of the wounds, and explain to him how he was attacking. With her willingness to help without pay, my goat is up and standing today where he couldn't move last night. From now on our farm animals which consists of quite a bit will be seeing them. Forever thankful for her help.

Harold king

Dr. White is a professional with a heart for excellence. He has gained the respect of his peers and strives to be the best. His bed side manner was amazing.

Behram Jamaspi

It takes them over a week to sign the insurance claim form and send it back. I am still waiting so probably i will update this review after 30 days and state the same thing. There is no way to call them or reach their accounting department. i have called atleast ten times at different times and days and every time reached a VM that nobody every responds or calls back. Doctors and staff is good but my complaint is for their accounts department

Robert Harris

The hospital is world class in every way, staff, hospital and equipment. I have been using them since 2006 with nothing remotely approaching a bad experience. Three times they have literally reached into the grave to restore a dog to me. Expensive in money terms but priceless in terms of tummy rubs and sloppy kisses. You will not go wrong here

Crystal Weaver

We were treated with such love and care there. Our pug had a serious eye infection that caused her to lose the eye. All the vets were very understand and explained to us the process and we were well informed throughout the ordeal.

İsmail Alaca

My place

Phillip Goin

We took our dog in there because he was having trouble walking 7 weeks ago, they told us he was fine took X-Rays and sent him home. We were sent to the ER there by our Vet who was concerned about Neurological issues. We called them back and tried to get him an appointment with a neurologist again. They could not make an appointment for 5 weeks. He progressively got worse and Died today. Thank you very much for letting an animal die of Strokes because you are too busy to let us bring him in.

Tracey Laughlin

My 10 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy, Rosemary, has a unique case of Vestibular Disease and they have been nothing short of amazing. It is very clear to me that they genuinely care about her wellbeing and health, along with her happiness. I have felt appropriately communicated with and treated as an important participant in the decision making processes. They have kept my primary vet updated as Rosemary's condition is changing over time. We are looking forward to a slow but full recovery, thanks to Dr. Pastina and her 4th year student John.

Carolina Laser and Cosmetic Center

Horrible experience. They performed unnecessary colic surgery on on my saddlebred colt. He had a small amount of gas in his small intestine. Guess the residents or fellows need the practice because they pushed me really hard to operate him in the middle of the night. They called me when I was half asleep and insisted I pay them right then.They said nothing about the potential of a hernia. I signed no operative consent. Dr. Debra Foley operated on him. Then they discharged him prematurely after 3 days...3 days!!! They also did not recommend a hernia belt and my horse is low backed. He developed a rampant wound infection which required a second hospitalization and then the wound dehisced and he had a big old hernia. Every step of the way with them it was all about the money. I have heard horror stories from friends and trainers about this place. I complained to the hospital administrator, James B. Brawley, MHA who stated "The working diagnosis was small bowel obstruction, based on distended small intestine imaged with ultrasound." In fact, he did not have an obstruction intraoperatively at all. He stated she meaning Dr. Debra Foley "did find small intestinal distension". There was no obstruction and therefore the surgery was unnecessary. But Mr. Brawley did nothing to adjust my bill. Apparently he is all about the money and has no compassion for the horses. Now my beautiful colt is left with a hole in his belly because of unnecessary surgery. If you have any choice at all STAY AWAY form this place or you horse could easily die. Take them to Virginia Tech or anywhere else.

Samantha Hill

My dog was just bitten by a snake. Clearly in pain, muzzle swelling, we panicked and called our regular vet who wasn't open but directed us to call the emergency center. We start the process, head on the road, only to have them call back and tell us he's too big and they don't have room for him. Thanks a lot State, if it wasn't for the fact we were able to call a friend who was a vet, I have not clue what might have happened to my dog. Needless to say, my warning to anyone that reads this is to make sure they have room at the inn for your animal or they might leave you up a creek without a paddle.

MaryAnne Hubbard

My 32 yo old quarter horse needed a bladder stone removed. The care was excellent. The doctors called and texted me numerous times per day during his stay....which was a bit extended as I had to be out of town for a few days. The technicians and staff loved on my old boy and he knew it! It has been nearly five months since that time and I can only say it was a relief to know that such caring people were taking care of my family member! I was welcomed to come visit as much as possible during his recovery. His stall was kept impeccable. He was a bit of a picky eater and the barn crew had many choices trying to encourage his appetite.

Michael G

Since many visitors are referred here when a pet's needs go beyond what a local vet's care can provide, NC State Vet Hospital gets a bad rap. In our case, this hospital and it's staff saved my cat's life. Her breathing was shallow and she was vocalizing more than normal, with pain in her left rear leg making her limp. After the 3rd visit to our local vet, he referred us to NC State. They gathered a history from us and the doctor told us that they believed these symptoms that appeared to be separate where actually related, suspecting an undiagnosed heart condition and a partial blockage of her saddle thrombus due to a thrown clot. They were exactly correct. Our cat has completely recovered due to the expert knowledge and attention of the staff here, and I am forever grateful.

Jennifer Stephenson Williams

I can count on these folks to provide the best medical care available.

Charlie Needham

How they can charge so much and be so grossly understaffed, I have no clue. This place is extremely hot and cold with their care. We've had to make emergency visits 3 times in the past week, so I speak with experience. If you are lucky, you'll get Dr. Murphy who is absolutely fantastic. If you aren't, you'll get any of their other doctors. One of these Dr's told me to my face that if I didn't do the 5k surgery they quoted me for, I would have to euthanize my cat. Not even a couple hours later I called around and found at least half a dozen vets who were willing to do the same procedure for 1,500 or so out the door. Of course they know they charge more than anyone else, but at no point did they even humor I had options outside of themselves. Had I gone with the advice I received from them, I would not have my sweet and now-HEALTHY cat back in my life. Avoid at all costs. If you have an emergency, I would imagine any other emergency hospital would be a better choice for you. Dr. Muphy, if I could rate him on his own, would get a 5 star rating. He was the shining star of compassion in that Bush league roster of vets.

Daniel Judy

I brought my girlfriends cat here because he had blockage in his urethra and was unable to urinate and they were one of only a few places open on Sunday. Not only were they very professional and friendly but they were willing to work with me on the price. The other places I took him and called were firm on $2200. NC State was much more reasonable while still monitoring him overnight and giving him a superb level of care. I will be bringing my dogs here for any emergency from now on. I cannot emphasize enough that if your pet has an emergency bring him here!!!

Gina Gould

The staff is nice, but they are so busy with limited staff. Again the Dr. seemed nice and knowledgable but it took all day for them to give me a diagnosis that we already knew and my dog couldn't get surgery for 4-7 weeks b/c it's considered "non critical" and they are booked so far in advanced. Not to mention all said and done it was going to cost $4,500-$5,500. They recommended a animal hospital in Durham and was able to make a appointment and schedule surgery all in the same week and it was going to be $3,500. All in all I was not that impressed due to their high cost and limited staff on duty. I would only recommend going here if it was a super super critical issue and money is no object.

Janice Laube

Please be aware that unless your equine is going to die do not bring them here. This place has changed drastically since you last might have been here. Very little if any supervision of the vet students and/or vet techs. The hygiene is deplorable. There are drug resistant organisims all over the place. The hospital is dirty. No one likes working there. They killed my horse last year when all she went in for was a small elective surgery. The 1st year resident didn't know how to bandage a horse correctly. It was a horrible horrible situation. They wouldn't even let me be with my horse when they were euthanizing her. She was and always will be my HEART horse. She helped me fight cancer. The vet school, especially the director of it all has absolutely no empathy. They only care about their job and protecting the university. Equine come last on their list. You have better choices than that death trap.

Courtney Elliott

I STRONGLY URGE anyone considering bringing their pet to NC State Veterinary hospital to reconsider. My experience with them was beyond horrific and my only desire is prevent others from having to go through a similar affair. I will always regret that the last few hours of my horse's life were spent in their care. My horse was brought to them due to colic. I was displeased with the the staff and felt they did not fully explain what they were doing for him and I had to continually ask for explanations as to what steps they were taking and received curt responses. Then once he had been placed in a stall and administered drugs the vets told me I had to leave the facility despite his critical and concerning condition. Calls were made to request that I be able to stay and see my horse and denied. I was told I could wait in the lobby which was far removed from where my horse was and was not able to see him. I informed the staff that I would be in my car in the parking lot. I stayed there the entire night and did not receive any information on my horse and was not able to see him. Around 5 A.M multiple calls were made to check his condition and answered by a vet tech who did not provide any information (she refused to even tell us if he was in stable condition or not), yet said the vet would return my call shortly. AN HOUR LATER- the vet returned my call and told me that they did not have any definitive information but said that she would not be able to keep me updated on his condition nor could I see him until more tests were performed. I understood that further testing would take awhile and decided to return to my apartment which was a half hour away to change since she impressed upon me that it would be long before I could see my horse. A half hour later when I arrived at my apartment I got the call that they have decided that he was not going to survive and said I could now see him. Infuriated that they did not communicate properly I rushed back to the hospital. When I was approximately 15 minutes away the vet called asking how far away I was- at this point I asked if he was in distress and she told me he was not (which I truly believe to be a lie due to the condition he was in when I arrived). She called again when I was 8 minuets away and said to prepare myself for how he would look again failing to provide relevant information about his condition. When I got to the hospital I could not believe the state my horse was in. His stomach was swollen to horrific proportions, he had been drenched in ethanol, which they told me was because he developed a fever that I was not informed about until then. His eyes seemed engorged and he was shaking violently and his breathing was so labored I was disgusted. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ME NOT BEING ALLOWED TO SEE MY HORSE UNTIL HE WAS IN THIS CONDITION NOR ANY EXCUSE FOR THE VETS TO BE SO INCOMPETENT AT COMMUNICATING MY HORSE'S CONDITION THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. When I arrived they said he had had a fever and they had performed an ultrasound and had seen fluid which lead them to believe his intestine had ruptured. NONE OF THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED WHEN I GOT TO THE FACILITY WAS GIVEN TO ME BEFOREHAND. They waited until he was in the most deplorable condition to allow me in and to update me. When I got there I rushed to my horse to pet him and instead of allowing me to comfort my horse the vet immediately began to harass me about needing to sign for and perform his euthanization. Instead of allowing me proper time to privately say goodbye to my horse, a crowd of about three people hovered around either in his stall or in the doorway. With no prior information they immediately asked me to decide what to do with his remains without being given options to think about beforehand. I feel his euthanization was rushed and that I was deprived of the opportunity to say goodbye properly to my beloved horse. As we have had to hospitalize this horse before elsewhere we know what good care and good communication look like, I confidently feel both things were absent from NC State Veterinary hospital.

Thunderhoof Farm

Excellent facility and professional experts ... The veterinarians at the ER horse clinic made all the difference in the world with their quick diagnosis of gastric ulcers. In less than an hour of initial exam the Resident had accurately pegged the issue and started a course of treatment that put my mind at ease and my horse on the road to a speedy recovery. I doubt we would have received the same level of care, expertise and treatment at a non-teaching/for-profit animal hospital that would have charged us a higher rate than NC State.

Emma

I couldn't even find their regular google review page, so I'm using the Equine one. We have had a HORRIBLE experience. I know they're busy and I know they're students, but this entire experience has been a nightmare. After taking my special needs dog to them his episodes drastically INCREASED. Rather than trying to help me figure out what had triggered it, they belittlingly began acting as if I had just met this dog yesterday and began disregarding everything I said. I have been caring for this dog for two years now. I have his routine down to a science and had gotten him to the point that his episodes had become exceptionally rare and short-lived. They kept insisting that these episodes are common in dogs with these sorts of issues and that he is just having an off spell. They insisted that my two year routine had just suddenly inexplicably stopped working... and then they suggested that I should feed him smaller amounts.... immediately after I had just told them how we were barely feeding him at this point and it hadn't helped at all. They suggested this like it was a new novel idea that I hadn't already been trying the past two days and insisted that this was a good firm solution I should try for a few days to see if it worked and then get back to them. So I had to wait a few days with no new suggestions while my dog slowly starved to death. Last I got in touch with them was two days ago. I told them I had now tried their suggestion ( because apparently I had to humor them in pretending it was a new course of action ) and that he was still not holding anything down and was now getting dehydrated. I had to leave this update with the front desk Who reassured me they would call as soon as they could.... two days later they still haven't called. To their knowledge he is still losing all his food and fluids and on the verge of serious dehydration. Thankfully the local Urgent Care agreed to give him fluids and check his nutritional levels. Due to selfish bad breeding he is only 4 pounds to begin with and when I took him to urgent care he was only 3.25! That is a HUGE concerning loss for such a little guy who was already very lean. I'm lucky he has started rejecting the medications they gave me and is slowly recovering and beginning to hold down food now... he'd probably be in intensive care by this point otherwise. Now I'm stuck because I can't put him back on the meds which he may have reacted to, and without them he will suffer from potentially damaging acid reflux. My vet won't listen when I tell them that NC State won't return our calls and the vet refuses to send us anywhere else either. I never want to take him here again.... In short... our initial visit was great and he loved them, but they have seriously let us down and have no concern for that fact that a 4 pound special needs dog has been losing all nutrients and fluids for three days straight now, ( and as far as they know, four days straight now, because they won't speak to me for an update ) . Who the hell thinks that's okay to ignore?!

Danielle Bedotto

I have had two of my dogs treated at State. My first dog, PJ, a GSD presented with a pneumothorax that my vet completely missed. It was recommended that I have a $10,000 surgery by my vets "guy" to fix it. I decided to take her to State instead. They were absolutely amazing there. They did three trial procedures and unfortunately none of them worked long term but we did get another 3 months of quality life with her. The surgery the first guy wanted to do would not have worked because she did not have ONE tear, she had MANY and State was the only one to know that and tell me that costly surgery wouldn't work. My second dog, another GSD, was literally dumped on my because he had a broken leg and the owner said it was too expensive to fix. I was in a completely different department and still had great care by the vets. The thing people miss is that this is a school. There are limited specialist so yes, it does take time to get an appointment, just like with human medicine. No one here caused a dog to die because of an appointment wait. If you aren't happy with the wait time you can go somewhere else. The things you need to keep in mind when choosing a school are: Things may take longer. Students are learning which means the vets can not see as many pts in a day as an ordinary office would. You will have more than one opinion for your animal. This is my sole reason for choosing a school. Not only do I have the opinion of the Senior Vet but also the resident and the student. They all bounce ideas around to each other. They may be privy to test and technology your around the corner vet is not. They were in constant contact with me. I received morning and evening calls about my dogs while they were there and also follow up calls after they were discharged. Both times the procedures were very costly. Yes, State is expensive but I do not feel they are any more expensive than any other specialty office nor do I feel they take advantage of you. I have always been offered several options and never once have I felt judged for financial reasons. Two great experiences at State and I wouldn't go anywhere else. The vets really do care here!

Morgan Mason

The cancer diagnosis team's work was perfect. Fine Oncology Department. They saved my dog's life by detecting the true problem with their state of the art diagnostic equipment. The courteous, kind and caring environment keeps your animal calmer than your local vet! I highly recommend this fine institution. The fees were fair and reasonable.