ISU Small Animal Hospital

Jennifer VanLangen

I wasn’t planning on spending a few hours at Iowa State University’s Emergency Vet Hospital last night, but I’m grateful they are so close and available for emergency situations. My 6 month old puppy, who grabs anything and everything with his mouth, picked up a discarded tobacco pouch on our walk last night. He’s so quick. While I tried to immediately get it out of his mouth, he swallowed it before I could retrieve it. A quick internet search showed that this was a time sensitive situation. I discovered that even a small amount of nicotine can be poisonous to dogs and potentially fatal. So my boy was immediately taken to ISU Emergency Hospital for treatment. They induced vomiting to remove the tobacco pouch. He was monitored and given fluids and medication. A few hours and nearly $400 later, we were able to go home. Just a reminder to others….PLEASE discard used tobacco pouches in the trash because even used ones can still be harmful to pets that may get ahold of them. I’m so thankful that this situation was not any worse. I’m just a little more tired today (with less sleep last night) but happy to have my pup safe and sound at home without any complications. Everyone I encountered at the ISU Small Animal Hospital was very kind, compassionate and professional. They did a great job with my puppy, Finn! I would highly recommend their care to others.

May 6, 2026

Olivia Harley

I took Pepper to Iowa State University Animal Hospital since it was the closest place to Nebraska with family living nearby, rather than driving all the way to Kansas City. When we arrived, they immediately took her back to put her on supplemental oxygen while I completed paperwork. Within about eight minutes, we were taken to our room to discuss options and pricing. We decided to do an echocardiogram, which cost around $500, since she needed sedation for the exam. At that time, Pepper was doing well and responding to her medications. However, the next day, she suddenly stopped responding to the meds. The doctors presented three options: 1. Attempt to shock her heart back into a healthy rhythm, even though this involves temporarily stopping the heart. 2. Put her on a ventilator if she stopped breathing, which would have cost around $10–15k. 3. Wait to see if additional medications would work. After exhausting all medications, I chose to try shocking her heart back into rhythm. The staff were very upfront about the risks, explaining there was a chance she might not come back. They administered general anesthesia so she wouldn’t feel it. Despite four rounds of CPR, there was nothing more they could do. The staff created a clay paw print as a keepsake for us. While I wish my little baby was still here, it comforts me to know she can breathe and play freely without struggling in heaven. I deeply appreciate everything the ISU staff did for Pepper—the care, love, and attention they gave her. Pepper had congestive heart failure at just three months old, so her chances of living a long life were unfortunately low. Even so, I don’t regret trying every option. Though it was costly—about $2,500—it was worth every penny to give her the best care possible. Thank you to the ISU team for trying so hard for my baby

Jan 17, 2026

Lauren Anson

Brought our 12 year old cat in the middle of night. Ultimately we ended up saying goodbye to him in the early morning but the care we received was courteous and professional. From the receptionists, to the student doctor, to the vet. Everyone treated us and our situation with so much compassion. Thank you for making the situation as comfortable as possible for us.

May 11, 2026

Renee Broocks

We were referred from our neurologist for SRT radiation for our pittie Glitter who has a pituitary tumor. She completed radiation this past Friday & we are so extremely grateful for our experience through the process. The oncology and radiology team here are so incredible & I have nothing but positive things to say for all the staff here. Dr. Kozac and every single vet student we worked with are amazing. Glitter is normally very anxious at the vet and by the end of the process, she was completely comfortable with the staff which made my anxiety through the radiation lesson so much. They all truly cared about her so much and you could feel it. Dr. Kozac explained everything in a way which I could really understand and made my decision to pursue SRT Radiation so much more easier. We will forever love and feel so grateful for the staff here for the care and love they showed Glitter!! We live 3 hours away, but I would easily do the drive again in the future because of the care Glitter received here. Attached is her photo of her graduation from radiation!!

Nov 22, 2025

Stephanie Easley

I just finished writing this absolutely massive and incredibly detailed review only to find out that apparently a red box when you’re writing a Google review means that you have too many characters… So now here we are with a much shorter less detailed review… I cannot talk highly enough about my experience with Iowa State. From the receptionist, taking a phone call from me in Minnesota where I said I was going to be there the next day And they dove into the massive snowstorm they were getting and how it would be best if I were to arrive the night before so that I was in and safe. Going as far as letting me know that if I needed to sleep in the wedding room floor that they would make sure I was comfortable… to the vet Who absolutely warmed my heart when I realized that they were incredibly honest when they could not lie to me when I asked them to just lie and tell me that they gave my dog a hug before he went into surgery. Truly, this interaction made me trust them and the care they were providing! Because I very much said, go ahead and lie to me I am ready to be convinced and they could/would not do it. Even all of the students and every single person I interacted with Was positive every person knew who I was, and who my dog was, and they all told me how wonderful he was. My baby had become paralyzed suddenly on February 1 on February 12 we were in Iowa State receiving surgery. On February 14, we were on our way home back to Minnesota. In Minnesota, we have been quoted $15,000 to do the same surgery we were quoted $7000 for an Iowa… And the best part that I did not see coming is it ended up being less than $5000. My experience was an incredible one and thanks to Iowa State. We were able to do a surgery we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. And thanks to the kindness of every single person I interacted with my experience was incredibly positive on a human level and not just a clinical one. Thank you so very much!!

Feb 25, 2025