Gandy Animal Hospital

I have been taking my dogs and cats to Gandy Animal Hospital for eight years now, and I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about this facility, the vets, the techs, and the staff in general. To find a vet where literally everyone you encounter is friendly, concerned, caring, and professional, is extremely rare. \r \r When I first moved to Tampa in 2003, I took my animals to the vet that a family member used for her dogs. The specific vet she used was great, but there were multiple vets in the practice, and it seemed that ""the good one"" was always booked up so unless you wanted to wait forever or made an appointment very far in advance, you had to see one of the other vets. Each member of the office staff was ruder than the last, and I once had a vet tech try to take blood from my elderly dog four times before I put a stop to it. \r \r At Gandy Animal Hospital, on the other hand, there are three vets in the practice: Dr. Heinen, Dr. Gladnick, and Dr. Callahan. All three are amazing at what they do, know their stuff, and take time to explain things, go over options, and make sure I am comfortable with the course of action we're planning to take. They are also warm, compassionate, and truly care about the animals they're treating, as well as their owners. So no matter which vet I see when I'm there, I know I (and my animals) will be in good hands. SUCH a relief to have this peace of mind. \r \r The techs are all awesome as well, and the front office staff is probably the best I have ever seen. I would love to list names, but I won't, because I'd surely leave someone out accidentally, and truly, they are all amazing! In eight years, I have never encountered a rude person, or had an even remotely negative experience. Every single time I speak to one of the staff or bring one of my animals to see them, I am freshly impressed by their friendliness, compassion, and overall professionalism. \r \r I highly recommend Gandy Animal Hospital. \r \r \r \r more

We've finally found an outstanding veterinary hospital we feel completely satisfied with. I've taken both of our cats in to see Dr. Heinen at different times within the last year for separate issues. Having never been to the hospital before last year, I was skeptical of vets in the area as I have been to a few that were super expensive and the quality of care that was received just didn't match up to our bill. The quality of this place made me feel like I was dealing with true medical professionals, this was not some shot clinic. We met Dr. Heinen and instantly felt his warmth and compassion for our furry babies and for us as well and felt his knowledge was really impressive. He listened to our questions and was very patient with our freaked out cat. Our visit didn't feel rushed and the care we received was exceptional! Dr. Heinen personally called to check on our cats a few days later just to see how things were going. It felt nice to receive a call and not from a front desk person but from the Dr. himself. Could not tell you how much we appreciate Dr. Heinen and Gandy Animal Hospital. You have us as long term clients for sure. Great job to all of you. more

Over a year ago we took our Yorkie in to be looked at. He kept coughing like he was trying to cough something up. The vet there did an x-ray and said he had a heart murmur. Which I already knew about since he had it as a puppy. The Dr. said it didn't have to do with that and it was just a cough and contributed it to old age. This past Friday our dog almost died. He did his cough, which we were attributing to old age and he passed out. He was lifeless! We thought we had lost him. We rushed him to an AMAZING vet, where they put him on oxygen for hours, and took an xray. Turns out he has congestive heart failure, and advance heart disease. This was something that would have been apparent, at the vet if he were to have done his job right. From the start of going into Gandy (while the front office staff and techs are really nice) the vets there seem to just rush along and take your money. After seeing the x-ray of our dogs heart, it was enlarged twice the size it should be. It was enlarged when Gandy did the x-ray but instead of doing blood work or tests they just sent us on our way with cough meds for a dog who was dying of heart disease. Thank goodness for the vet who saved him. He is on heart meds now for life, and on a new diet and we hope to have him around a lot longer!\r \r That was not our only problem with Gandy...We also have another dog who needed spinal surgery. We went there and they werent able to determine what was wrong so they prescribed us with a ton of meds, then sent us to another vet who told us we didnt need any of those meds, and our dog needed spinal surgery due to a blood clot. \r \r I am not sure what is wrong with the vets there, but I would not trust them if you love your pet. It doesn't seem as if they have the animals best interest at heart and are more focused on filling their pockets with your money. more

This is the best place to take your pet for anything and everything! The front desk staff is so friendly and helpful. The techs will love and care for your pet like their own. The Vets themselves are exceptional. I have been to three vets in the South Tampa area and this is by far the very best!! more

My dog had become very ill from what we later found out to be a fractured chicken bone stuck in his digestive system. So I decided to take him to a local hospital since his condition did not seem to be improving. The lady at the front desk told me it was going to be $65 dollars just to see the vet on such short notice and that I needed to hurry up and make a decision because the doctor was very busy and in between visits. lol I told the lady to not do me any favors, a rushed vet is simply not acceptable. I went online and read all the great reviews for Gandy Animal Hospital, so I decided to give them a call and held my breath. Get this... After introducing myself my first question was, do I need to make an appointment in order to see a doctor ... response was... "" typically its always best to schedule an appointment but whats most important right now is your dogs condition, tell me a little bit more about whats wrong with your dog Coco"" lol can you guys believe that ?!? I couldn't believe what I was hearing after having called several other hospitals with mediocre customer service at best. Do you really mean my dogs needs come first before business ?!?! WOW! So I rush over and the first thing I notice was how clean and organized the front desk and waiting area was. Two young ladies that genuinely seemed to enjoy their job and working with animals. And calm happy clients in the waiting area engaged in friendly conversations with each other. Dr. Heinen was the vet that attended us and did so wonderfully. Patient when listening to my concerns and thorough in evaluating my dogs needs and explaining what services would be required. Bottom line, I left there with something priceless in a situation such as this... peace of mind in knowing that my four legged kid was in good hands. I'm glad to report that my Coco is back home and has even began to play with his toys again :) more

We moved to Tampa in February from San Diego. We have 2 dogs and a cat. Our neighbor recommended Gandy Animal Hospital and we are very thankful. What a beautiful facility, clean and very modern. They were able to get us in on short notice, did a complete workup on everyone and really took the time to make us comfortable. The staff upfront is awesome! Very personable and educated and they actually listen to us when we have questions! We saw Dr. Heinen and liked him very much. He seemed to like what he does and didn?t make us feel rushed, even though the place was very busy. Our female dog is a bit shy but had no problems being checked out. When we took our cat, he peed inside the carrier and they took him back and washed him and the carrier. Now THAT is customer service. I really felt like they are committed to the health of my animals without trying to make money off me. We saw the size of this place and thought right away, ?this is going to be expensive.? But ironically, their pricing was not only fair, especially having moved here from California, but I price shopped quite a bit and they were much more affordable than all the other places I called and no cutting corners. THAT WAS AWESOME FOR US! Everything they suggested sounded reasonable, and they even discouraged me from some medicines they didn't think the cat needed. I'm so glad we found a good and honest vet. My pets are my babies! Keep up the great work Gandy Animal Hospital and you have us for as long as we are here! more

This team of veterinary health professionals are the BEST I have ever had the pleasure to deal with and by far one of the best in Tampa. They have recently helped us care for our very sick 11 year old min pin and my 7 year old persian. I am forever indebted to everyone at this animal hospital. My pets can continue to lead wonderful and happy lives because of what I know now that my previous vet never even took the time to explain to me. Now my new rescue addition comes to visit Dr. Heinen and he always takes the time to go over everything and make me aware of any and all options that are available. I never feel pushed or tricked into having things done. And my dogs? loves the staff there. My dog loves going to this vet. This is a team of well informed veterinary professionals who are always aware of the new cutting edge procedures and programs but also are seasoned and confident in their diagnostic abilities. They provide you with estimates and when I began early on with them and called around, they always seemed very competitive and even after procedures were done, they never forgot about us. Their customer service and sincere caring is bar none! They called several times to check up on my pets and even the doctor called a few times. I have never walked out of there feeling like I didn?t understand what was going on with my pets. I also have boarded my pets there many times and I appreciate the sense of security I have when leaving them for a stay when I go out of town. I know they are great hands when I leave them for boarding. The staff is always friendly and attentive I am not sure what the previous reviewer is talking about at all and it?s a shame that just anyone can write a review nowadays and it being completely false and almost libel. I can?t remember the number of phone calls I would receive from them prior to doing anything for my permission, even for something minor! I happen to be an RN in Tampa and umbilical hernia?s are real. They happen in people and they also happen in pets as well and are exteremely painful. I am glad that the person above is more concerned about the dog?s appearance than its health. If you simply do an internet search on this procedure its shocking that pet owners can be so ignorant and claim that they know what they are talking about. It?s upsetting to see that hospitals like Gandy have to deal with such people that think they are so smart, when they are just being ignorant or cheap, when other places out there are truly taking advantage of people. I will definitely let the hospital know about the kinda stuff people like this guy are writing about them and hope they do something about it! FYI? for the previous reviewer!!! Educate yourself!!! An umbilical hernia can become strangulated - meaning that the intestines in the abdomen have become twisted and tangled. As a result, blood circulation to them is cut off. This can be a dangerous situation. Once the blood vessels are affected, however, the clinical signs change drastically. The area will become swollen and painful. Without adequate oxygen and nutrients, the intestinal tissues initially develop cramps just like your leg does when you cross it and it 'goes to sleep.' And if the flow of blood is completely lost, cell death occurs. The pain then becomes severe. The animal will probably develop a fever, become lethargic, and go completely off food and water. As these tissues break down, the toxins from bacteria that normally live in the intestine make their way into the rest of the animal?s body. As the tissue dies, the affected area turns into an abscess and many different harmful metabolic waste products are flushed throughout the animal?s body. All of these substances (bacterial toxins and metabolic waste products) seriously affect the various organ systems of the body. Liver and/or kidney failure are quite common in these situations. Without treatment, the animal will usually die within 24 to 48 hours more

I don't know what the, ""Great Vet in South Tampa"" reviewer is talking about!! They ran unnecessary tests, and tried to perform a completely ridiculous surgery on my 10 year old chihuahua for his belly button, of all things, which they called an umbilical hernia!! And then they make you feel like an irresponsible owner if you are reluctant to shell out for the shockingly overpriced service. They never mentioned this ""hernia"" until he was under anesthesia to have his teeth cleaned, and he had been there several times before. Luckily I saw past their sales pitch and said no. He has an ""outty"" belly button that is adorable and never caused him a moment of discomfort in his life. I believe they would have charged me over $1000, not to mention the pain and suffering my dog would have had to endure due to their greed. They are looking to make money first and worry about the welfare of your animal( and your wallet) a distant second. I have moved away and regret ever bringing my dog there. I now see how a real vet should operate his practice. more

What I like most about this vet is that they don't try to force a bunch of unnecessary stuff on you like lots of other places do. They don't push the latest doggie toothpaste or try to talk you into new brands of flea treatment or supplements your pet doesn't really need. Same holds true for surgical procedures. You go in and they treat your pet for what's ailing them, simple as that. And they actually do it right! They also have very reasonable prices. Every time I've ever compared quotes between Gandy and other vets, they come out the less expensive, everything from vaccines, teeth cleanings and flea stuff. And in south tampa, everything seems a bit more expensive. This is a major plus for me, as I have multiple pets and have to be as financially frugal as possible. I usually see Dr. Gladnick but sometimes I see Dr. Heinen, and I know that my pets are in good hands with them. They know their stuff, have nice bedside manners, nice and clean building, and you can tell that they have your pet's best interests in mind. more

Brought our two cats here a few weeks ago, after transferring from another vet and we couldn?t be happier. My younger cat just needed shots, but my older cat, Mittens just wasn?t acting right and I noticed her losing weight and she was always sleeping. The previous vet was so focused on running tests for things we didn?t even mention. He was insisting it was something with her thyroid or her liver. He refused to listen to what we were trying to explain to him about our cat?s personality, eating habits and overall health. We saw no improvement with the medications he put my cat on and the cat was getting worse, and we were looking for a new vet and found Gandy Animal. Dr. Gladnick was straight forward and thorough. She examined the cat, gave us a solid second opinion and we felt confident in her abilities. It wound up having nothing to do with her thyroid or liver, it was something in her mouth and that?s why she wasn?t eating and that?s why she was losing weight and sleepy all the time. We followed through with her suggested treatment plan and Mittens did wonderful and is back to her old self. The prices were fair, but the quality of care is excellent and the staff is really amazing. They were friendly, knowledgeable and continued to educate us about what we were dealing with. Within our first visit we sincerely felt well taken care of and felt that everything was going to be ok. Thank you Dr. Gladnick and staff for the wonderful care and we are definitely going to be moving all our pets there. Nice to see some caring doctors still exist. more

I have been going to Dr. Heinen now for over 15 years and when he opened his Tampa office we followed him (we live in palm harbor) and I will never have my pets seen by anyone else. The knowledge, compassion and understanding he shows for his patients and their owners is bar none the best, especially compared to what my friends say about their own vet experiences. He spends time with us every visit, answers every question, calls me back if I didn?t understand something. He really goes the distance for my family of pets. Something I wish my own medical doctor would provide me. LOL! My husband and I do not have children, our pets, 4 dogs and 2 cats are our children. My husband and I travel extensively now being retired and I board my pets with them, allowing my husband and I to enjoy our time away without having to worry if they are in good hands. The staff is kind and friendly and you can tell that they enjoy working there, which having worked as an HR director for over 25 years is very important. The facility is always clean. One time we were delayed in our return from a trip and the office was closing soon on a Saturday and we weren?t going to able to make it there before they closed and we didn?t want to leave our pets any longer than they had already been there, 2 ? weeks. Dr. Heinen had his staff open the office for us 3 HOURS after they closed, so we could get our pets. The facility is top-notch and yet my experience has shown me the prices are very fair and reasonable. Their prices are comparable to the online pet stores so I buy my meds through them. I hope Dr. Heinen never retires and keeps taking care of my babies. Thank you for everything you have always done for us. more

I think they're great. I took my dog in when I found some lumps on his underside. When I went to Gandy not only did they check the lumps, but they went above and beyond and asked me about any other problems he was having a gave great advice on how to care for my pup now that he's getting older. Everything from how to choose a good food to help him lose weight to the proper treatment for his arthritis. They were great, and the whole visit took less than a half hour and cost less than $50. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.? Pros: Service, Prices and Great Staff Cons: None so Far more

I just wanted to share my surprisingly great experience at this vet. I recently switched over to this vet as my previous vet did not have the facility to care for my sick Chihuahua, LuLu. The assistants were wonderful with her and the doctor, the male, was so understanding and knowledgeable about my Lulu?s condition. Its been a few weeks so far, but everything from the doctors, the staff and the facility were wonderful. I used to have to hunt down my vet to even get a call back and for what services I needed and the quality, it was surprisingly fair and affordable. You guys definitely have me long term if the care stays the same. Thank you for taking care of my Lulu. Pros: knowledge, price, facility is beautfiul more

Gandy Animal Hospital is the best hospital in south tampa. I've been taking my pets there for over six years and i have never had any problems. Dr. Heinen and Dr. Gladnick are amazing they are very professional and very friendly they take very good care of all the animals. The manager there Heather Leseney has been very helpful when ever Dr. Heinen or Dr. Gladnick are busy with other patients Heather is the person i go to she's very professional in what she does if i have a question about what kind of food or meds i should give my pets Heather always has an answer. I will never leave this hospital. Pros: Awsome customer service Cons: There are none more

I have been living in the tampa area for over 20 years and recently moved to south tampa and my other vet was just way too far for me to drive. I have my ozzie a 5 year old sheltie mix and 2 cats, perky and pookie. After going to my previous vet, i really didn't want to change, but i had an emergency with ozzie, my husband was away on business and he wasn't acting right and throwing up and i looked online for places close to me. i saw the reviews for this place and i was worried, but ozzie was getting worse and he wasn't acting right and it was the only place open late on a friday. I am so glad i went. when i got there the receptionists who were very nice got me into a room and a assitant started to help ozzie, another person helped me with the paperwork and the doctor came in quickly after. I have to say, this was the best vet I have ever met. You could just tell he knew what he was talking about and that is very important to me. He calmed me down and told me what i needed to do to get my ozzie better and he had a pretty good hunch what was causing ozzie to act the way he was. I had to leave ozzie there over the weekend. I picked him up on Monday and he was a completely different pup. It turns out that ozzie had something called cushing's and he needed to be on medication and some other stuff. Its been almost 3 months and we just had his last checkup and he is doing amazing, even better from before. I suspect he had it for awhile, but the vet didn't say if my vet had missed something or not. The meds are a bit expensive, but i called around and i guess it was about right. I have since taken my 2 cats there and got there vaccines up to date and they only charged me 50 bucks per cat for a visit and all its shots. I always used to pay over 100 dollars per cat! Needless to say, i am glad i gave this place a shot and Gandy is definitly my new vet from now on. I am not sure about the other reviews, but my ozzie, perky and pookie are doing great and to me that is what counts! Pros: prices, clean buidling very nice staff Cons: too busy, which they were open sundays more

I wanted to personally thank the doctors and staff at gandy animal for the recent work they did on my 6 yr old pup, mckenzie. I have been taking my pets there for over 8 years and I have never been more happy with my vet. I am a mother of 3 and i have 2 dogs and a cat so my house is crazy all the time. dr. heinen has cared for all my pets even before i got married and my husband tried to get me to go somewhere else when we got married. and i am glad we didn't. recently, mckenzie needed surgery to have 4 very serious looking lumps removed. dr. heinen took the time to explain everything that was needed to be done. before we agreed my husband insisted on getting a second opinion which i agreed too just to see what else was out there to make him happy. he had no idea how good i had it. another local animal hospital that my husband used to go with his dog started trying to get me to do services that weren't even necessary and their estimate for the lumps were almost $600 more than my vet. after we left, my husband who never comes with me to the vet said lets go to gandy and see what they say. too sum it all up, my husband met dr. heinen and instantly understood why i come here. not only did he give me a discount on mckenzies bill, he didn't even charge me for the visits after the surgery and additional meds that were needed!. mckenziers is back to his normal self and happy to say that none of the lumps came back cancer. thank you dr. heinen and staff for all you do for mckenzie, nickie, and dickie. best vet in tampa bar none! Pros: Customer Service and Prices Cons: wish they opened late every night more

I have had pets my entire life and when I moved here 3 years ago, I needed to find a good vet that was knowledgable about my dog's skin and ear issues and my other dog's knee and hip problems. I looked online and found Dr. Heinen. This guy is amazing. I've been to specialists and this guy knows his stuff but I don't think he is one. I like the female doctor too, but I kinda always have seen him. He diagnosed and has completely cleared up my dogs ear and skin issues and he taught me how to maintain it so it wouldn't come back. It's been 2 years now and he looks great, he's back to being a happy lab. My other lab whose now 7 had such bad hips and knees and I opted to do the surgery and he is running and playing and I paid about $2,000 less than what I was going to pay at the other doctors place. Dr. H even calls me back when I leave a message and he has called just to check up on my pets. I'm not a millionare but I have never felt like they have asked me to perform things that weren't necessary. All these other reviews complaining about the money they obviously are used to going to places that don't pride themselves on quality and the type of care our pets needs or just flat out cheap. I wouldn't trust my pets with anyone else. Pros: Great Vets, Staff, Facility Makes You Feel Your Pet is Safe Cons: Distance from my home more

I think this practice has lots of expensive equipment they need to pay off - Pros: it was close to me Cons: it is the worst vet I've ever been to... more

I?ve had a number of bad experiences in this place and am currently looking for another vet. The fees they charge are outrageous and I always leave there feeling like I?ve been robbed. Never feel like I have treatment options either. All other vets that I?ve used in the past will outline a number of treatment options but these people don?t ? count on the getting the most aggressive (and expensive) treatment available when passive treatment might be a better alternative. Agree with another poster who says they use high-pressure sales tactics to get you to buy things that you don?t need or want and then they get snippy when you don?t buy the stuff. They also prescribe expensive meds when generic equivalents are available ? even if you ask you won?t get the lower priced medication. The office manager (Heather or whatever her name is) is downright nasty and needs a few lessons in proper business etiquette. Made the mistake of taking in a stray for treatment ? now need to get a part-time job to pay the bill. Hate that place ? bunch of money-grubbing creeps who don?t seem to give a hoot about animals. Compassion rating = a big fat ZERO. more

I just came back from my puppies first visit to Gandy Animal Hospital and wow I was impressed. I was kinda unsure taking my 5 month old corgi puppy there after reading the reviews for the place but I decided to just check it out to be sure. I could not believe how nice everyone was there, my puppy was very nervous when I first brought her in and she soon calmed down after the vets assistant came in and loved on her. Every one was so nice and friendly. They even gave us a military discount. They answered all my questions and the vet was very knowledgeable and gave great advice.The office was clean and neat, didn't even smell of animals. I've been to a few vets office before and they've smelled like a kennel. The only thing I didn't really care for was pushing of the pet insurance but I know that they meant well. Reconsider the bad reviews and just go in and talk to them. You wont regret it. Pros: Nice people,clean, and helpful staff more