Catawba Veterinary Hospital

I'm taking 2 stars off specifically because of the nurse with the black pixie cut hair. My visit was about a month ago but I am still so bothered by the nurses behavior. Not only did she have a back & forth with me about my dog but she was very rude to my dog. My girl is blind in her left eye. She also has a bad back hip because as a puppy her leg broke but she was a stray & it never healed properly. I adopted her about 6 years ago. I just moved to Ohio. I have brought my girl to the vet & paid hundreds & hundreds of dollars to makes sure all of her ailments are recognized so I know best how to care for her. To start, My girl had a hard time stepping up to the scale/table. Yes it was all the way to the floor but my girl has very bad depth perception, bad hip & she was anxious. I noticed she got increasingly more anxious as the visit went on & that lady was handling her. My girl has NEVER been this anxious at a doctor's visit. Ever! She's usually very calm & happy to see people. The lady was yanking her up & getting impatient. I was right there watching & was trying to offer help but she just got an attitude said she had it but had asked another nurse to help. She kept huffing & puffing in frustration which just scared my dog. When I said "she's blind in her left eye" the nurse was very, very rude & said "um yea... I can see that." So I guess she just preferred to neglect my dog. This was the point that my dog got anxious. She pointed out several things on my pup which I already had diagnoses for but she was saying she had dogs just like her & she knew better than I did. Doubt it. Doubt all of it. I've never met a dog like mine & I've grown up with dogs all around me. She met my dog for 5 minutes & assumed she knew better than I did. My dog has a reaction to the weather change ever year about twice a year. She sheds her top coat before spring & grows another coat around the end of fall. Warm weather gives her hot spots. We recently had cats show up that aren't ours & their dander makes my dog break out. We had a panel done & found that my girl is allergic to cat dander & fleas. Like more than other dogs would normally be. The allergy panel was not cheap but it got down to the root of the problem & helped guide us to better solutions. Still the nurse argued. I finally snapped & told her "Well I know my dog & everything your saying isn't pertaining to her specifically." Anyways she finally yanked my dog onto the scale. What pissed me off the most was she kept pulling her hair out. Just pulling chunks & tossing them. Causing hair to go everywhere. She said again, she had a dog like this & she loved just pulling the hair. I found it disrespectful. She said every time a dog like this comes in she just loves to pull the hair out. Like what? That's absolutely disgusting behavior. If this lady was losing hair for some reason, I doubt she'd like it if I just start pulling her tufts of hair out. Just because I thought it was satisfying. It's so gross & unprofessional behavior. I felt powerless as I would be expected to pay for this visit. Next time, if forced to deal with this woman, I will just walk out. I don't think she should be working with animals. The only reason I left 3 stars was for the doctor & the front desk staff. The doctor was really nice & way better than the weird, judgemental doctor at Harborview. He let my other dog die after refusing proper care. Let's hope this lady with the black pixie cut hair isn't handling my dog next time or else I will be snatching my girl from her & sharing a few words.

I’m wary of bringing my dog to a new vet, but we were traveling through Ohio and my dog fell ill. Luckily for us, this vet is truly a gem. This is a really small vet office with friendly staff and a detail oriented veterinarian who is happy to tell you his thoughts. I never felt any concern with how they treated my dog nor their diagnosis. They deserve every star I can give them.

DO NOT take your pets to CATAWBA VET! About 3 1/2 weeks ago our 6yr old shepherd husky basically stopped eating and became very sluggish. On that Wednesday we took him in and they took blood and urine samples. We had to pay for the visit and a lab testing package. Thursday we heard nothing. So friday we called in and they had the results but the vet wasn't in. Monday no response. Called late that afternoon and the vet would have to get back to us. He finally called late Tuesday morning and said they couldn't find anything and needed another urine and a stool sample. Which we had to pay for again! We got them to the office last Thursday. Friday no response. Called numerous times Monday only to be told the vet was busy. Got a call back late yesterday and were told it "might" be a kidney issue. We were told to change his diet to a specific food. Now here's the kicker. They said we could order it elsewhere (cheaper). But now the vet won't authorize it and we're told to order it from their site. About 15% more!! Our dog can barely come up our 3 steps and has lost 14 lbs. Obviously we're gonna give them their money but we'll NEVER go back there!!

3/6/25 Dr. Matt Lenke and staff at Catawba Vet Hospital are amazing ! Our 10+ year old Shetland Sheepdog Tucker was violently ill a little over a week ago , through extensive blood work etc. Tucker was diagnosed with Pancreatitis , with daily meds and a special diet Tucker is now a happy camper . Although he would be really happy if he was to be given some table scraps !! NOPE - no longer an option . Thank you again Catawba Vet Hospital . Helen Fagan

They got us in an out with a last minute appointment needed for travel! Great staff!! Super kind and courteous! Priced right for the services we received! Definitely recommend this vet office!!