Hillside Animal Hospital

New to the area, and I have been slacking on finding a vet for my pets. Finally after getting a recommendation from a trusted dog park buddy, I decided to give Hillside a shot. Took my super anxious pup here for the first time today, and I was really impressed. Everyone on staff… receptionists, vet techs, and Dr. Claire… was friendly and understanding of my dog’s anxiety and treated her well, even when she gave them sideways eyes. Dr. Claire explained everything clearly and they even recommended that I not get two of the vaccines that our vet in Virginia basically forced on us because they wouldn’t be needed in this area of the country and in the city. Getting an appointment was super easy and quick, too. Not 5 stars because it did come out to be a bit expensive, but if I’m getting good care I’m willing to pay for it. Also, would love to see one or two additional late days on their schedule to accommodate those who need after-​hours appointments, but it’s already a plus that they are in on Saturdays and have one late day. I plan to take my cat here for her check-​ups too.

They’re terrific. I adopted a pit mix from Gateway Guardians next door and Hillside does such a wonderful job with him. Dr. Ed and his staff truly care about these animals and are top notch at what they do.

So pleased to have found Dr. Ed, Dr. Betsy, and the entire staff. Last October they broke the bad news to me that my dog has lymphoma. I am so grateful to say that she is doing wonderfully and gets her chemo here every week. She is a very frightful dog and they allow me to come to the back with her to receive her treatment. Such a great staff. I recommend them highly for all aspects of small animal care.

We have been going to Hillside for going on two years and really have enjoyed our care there. Some have mentioned their prices are slightly higher, but so is their service. Recently, I discovered that they accept Pet Assure, which gives a 25% discount off all in house services. We literally bought a membership a couple months ago and have saved hundreds from vaccines, to vet visits, teeth cleanings, etc. So, if you want to excellent service but are pinching pennies– I highly suggest getting Pet Assure, which you can get on special from living social here:
Thank you Dr. Ed, Betsy and Claire for taking such good care of our fur babies!!!

Hillside Animal Clinic is the absolute best. Our cat was recently diagnosed with multiple life threatening conditions. Surgery was not an option due to his age (19yrs). We finally had to make the extremely difficult decision to send him over the Rainbow Bridge after we were informed he had also gone blind and was in a fair amount of discomfort even with pain management. My husband and I met at the clinic and was shown into a room that can only be described as warm and peaceful. The registered tech, Carolyn, brought him in and along with us said a long and sad goodbye. Dr Betsy finally came in and described the procedure. My husband held him and he went so peacefully, I wasn’t aware he was gone until Dr Betsy confirmed it with a smile saying he was ok now. We have never experienced the level of compassion shown by both of these professionals. The care shown during his hospitalization and his passing was truly amazing. I would not hesitate to take any of my pets to this clinic, not only for the great care shown to the animal, but also the respect and compassion shown to their human counterparts. Dr Betsy and Registered Vet Tech Carolyn are the best as are the whole Hillside staff. We thank them.

I drive 35 miles to get to this clinic, for one reason only… They are the best clinic in St. Louis. Dr. Ed, Dr. Betsy and the entire team are absolutely fantastic. One of the few places left in town that truly feels like you’re visiting your extended family. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Love Hillside! When we brought our new puppy home, Hillside was recommended to us by numerous friends. The staff is always super nice and helpful on the phone and in person. We never really have a problem scheduling appointments. When our cat got suddenly sick, we were able to bring her in right away. I would recommend Hillside to anyone!

We have taken our toy poodle to see both Dr. Betsy and Dr. Claire. They are both wonderful! When our little guy had some serious health issues come up, Dr. Claire was extremely knowledgeable and she took the time to explain the science in layman’s terms. The staff always gets us into an exam room right away when we arrive. Dr. Betsy and Dr. Claire have never made me feel like they were judging me for my pet-​parenting and I never feel like they want to rush me out the door without all my questions being answered. Dr. Betsy suggested we get our dog’s teeth cleaned and it was a pretty big decision because of the cost, but she did everything she could to keep the costs down. I never feel like they are just trying to get money out of me. I would recommend Hillside Animal Hospital for any small dog.

I called and left a message before 730a. By 8a I already had a call back and an appointment scheduled for less than 2 hours later. The staff was considerate, caring and helpful. Dr Betsy took the time to explain the possible diagnosis and treatment options. By mid afternoon I had a diagnoais– she herself called– a prescription and my baby was on the road to recovery. 100% satisfied and thankful.

I, also, am not a huge fan. Took our rescue boy here once, seemed fine, took him again to get a health certificate for flying and it was awful. My main issue was with the doctor we saw, I wish I remembered her name. The assistant wasn’t great either.
My dog is very very skidish– we rescued him from an abusive home where he ended with a broken leg and malnourished at the little age of 4 months. Because of this he has a hard time trusting people he first meets but we are working with him. He has NEVER once bit anyone, or had any form of aggression toward another human or animal, he even goes to doggy day care several times a week. He will bark if he is scared, but if you step toward him he runs away. Typical of a rescue dog who was abused.
The vet was not compassionate. They muzzled my dog for no reason other than the vet AND I QUOTE «did not like the way he was looking at her». UM EXCUSE ME? Do you welcome your doctor with open arms? I highly doubt it. He’s a scared dog, treat him with love and respect and he’ll give you a million kisses. I should have left as soon as she said that to me but we needed the health certificate to fly home for the holidays. We have since switched vets.
If you don’t have dogs who are nervous they would probably be able to go here with no problems, but if they have any sort of social anxiety– save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else. Millis Animal Hospital loves my boy and doesn’t feel the need to muzzle him.
**I would like to add I worked at an animal hospital for well over a year, I know how animals should be treated**

I’m not a huge fan of this pet hospital. I took my dog here for the first time, and they acted like they’ve never met a nervous dog before. She was barking at the new people and the weird smells. She never once lunged, growled, nor did her hair stand up. Those are all signs of aggression, but simply barking is not. All of the staff, including the vet and vet techs seemed terrified of her. They made her wear a muzzle. They never even once offered her a treat or anything of the sort to calm her down.
She had been to a different vet many times (we left them for various reasons), and was never made to wear one. She also goes to doggy daycare, where she’s sweet and delightful. When she first went to doggy daycare, she was nervous and barked. The workers there completely understood, and were calm about it knowing that it was just nerves and not aggression.
The main reason that we tried Hillside, is because Dr. Betsy was recommended to us by a friend. I requested her, and was told that’s who we’d be seeing. When we got into the examination room, we ended up seeing a different doctor with no explanation. I called later in the week to ask about this, and they said that Dr. Betsy went home sick that day. I understood, but still feel like I should have been informed while at the office of this information.

I used to live in St. Louis but moved away some years ago. Was back visiting family and had an emergency infection issue crop up with my dog over Thanksgiving break. Given the distance it would take to get to my old vet in Webster Grove and not even knowing the status of my old vet due to the length of time in between visits to STL, my wife and I set about to find another as soon as possible.
We found several positive reviews for Hillside and gave them a call. It was last minute around the holidays so I was stunned when they said we could come in right away. I was really stunned when we arrived and they didn’t make us wait for hours since we didn’t have a pre-​arranged appointment.
Suffice to say, the staff was great and super friendly. The doctor who attended to our dog was completely knowledgable about what was afflicting him and set me at ease about the emergency visit. We were good to go after a thorough examination and rundown of his condition and received prescriptions for what he would need. (As an aside, the medication cleared up his infection and helped heal the area, so he’s back to 100% which is another vote of confidence in Hillside’s ability).
Other thoughts: Facility is very clean and the staff welcoming. There is a very clear love of animals at this vet, and a dedicated intent to provide compassionate care despite some of my dogs eccentricities with vets. They put my dog at ease right away, and thus me as well.
*Additionally, the price was extremely reasonable for the services rendered, especially given the emergency nature, as were the prices for the meds. Keeping in mind that I currently live in NY’s Westchester County I might have had my brain’s reasonableness on pricing for vets broken but it was a lot lower than I was expecting it to be*
If I was in STL again with an emergency pet issue I’d go again, but I hope my dogs stays healthy and I won’t have to.
(I gave a 5-​star rating for this place because my experience was outstanding. Please be very aware that it is based off of only one visit, with an update to this review unlikely due to the low odds that I will need an emergency vet in STL again in the near future. But based on my in-​a-​pinch needs and high standards for vets, I have to say you should really check this place out!)

I didn’t feel they cared much about my dog. They didn’t do anything wrong. They just all just seem insensitive and rushed. I am now with Another vet.

I have been moving around quite a bit over the past three years and finding a reliable vet is very important to me since my little man is getting older. I have been taking my dog to Hillside for over a year now and I am so happy to have found them.
Staff:
Everyone from the person who answers the phones, to the techs to the Drs. are so nice to both me and my dog. My dog has some stranger anxiety, especially males, and everyone is accommodating and patient with him.
Online services:
Hillside has an online hub for pet records and appointment scheduling. I LOVE THIS! Each year our groomer asks for updated vaccinations and it can be a pain to get because you never remember during office hours. With Hillsides online hub I can sign-​in and get my pet records and also see when his vaccinations and pills are due. The system is also set up to send out reminders for dental, health, vaccination and pill updates and scheduling.
Treatments:
My dog has had issues with a benign but fast growing tumor on his eyelid. He had it «removed» once when I was in California and it cost us major money. 6 months later and the growth was back. Scheduled the MUCH cheaper surgery here at Hillside and 8 months out no regrowth and the Hillside staff did a better job all around.
Take your pets here. I guaruntee both you and your pet will leave happy.

Since moving back to St. Louis two and a half years ago, we have been taking our dog Louie to Hillside. Dr. Betsy is so gentle and nice to Louie as are the vet technicians.
Late last year, Louie started acting extremely weird. Acting scared and Unilocaling for no apparent reason. We knew he was hurting but didn’t know from what. This immediately sent me into a frenzy.
Hillside was extremely accommodating and told me they would see him first thing in the morning, since this occurred late at night. Dr. Betsy was so compassionate as I broke down in tears in the Vet room. I was so scared that something was wrong and this was the first issue we have ever had with this dog. She made me at ease as she checked him out and came to the conclusion that he likely tweaked his back/​muscle. She prescribed some pain killers and ordered a lot of rest. The next day, Louie was pretty much back to normal.
I appreciate her calling the next day as well to check up on Louie and find out how he was doing. It was a scary time and Hillside did their best to not only make Louie better but also ease my fears.
Hillside is a great place to bring your pet as these Vets truly care about the well-​being of your pet.

Moved to the area and researched a local vet for my cat. Pleased with every aspect of my experience, and I am discriminating. I like that they take a picture of your cat to go with the file. I was pretty anxious because there was a chance my cat had gotten infected. Dr. Betsy took lots of time, answered my questions, and took time with my cat. Luckily she was fine. I feel like the staff there is really there for their clients and their animals, and that is very important. I was very impressed to get a hand-​signed card from the vet a few days later with a gift card included. This place deserves your business and is convenient to lots of areas.

I’ve brought my doggie here since I adopted her just over a year ago. I’ve been impressed with the staff and especially the vet (Dr. Marziani) since day one. I’ve never had any trouble getting an appointment, keeping an appointment, nor waiting too long for an appointment. Additionally, I’ve gotten in last minute a few times for those more urgent animal situations that are inevitable to occur. Dr. Marziani is very knowledgeable, helpful, and nice. She takes her time with you and your pet and it is evident she not only knows what she is doing, but really cares about your pet. My puppy was my first dog and she helped walk me through the process and has great recommendations for me (in fact, she introduced me to the Greater St. Louis Training Club and I went to them for my dog’s obedience training!). The administrative staff & vet assistants are also nice, patient, and knowledgeable. They also send reminder cards for your pets needs and have many specials with heartworm and flea treatments. They keep customers in the know via Facebook with other specials, too. I couldn’t say enough good things about Hillside. The only downside, which comes along with any good vet, is that it is a little pricey. When I took Libby once for a cut, it was about $ 100 which included the exam and medicine. Again, I think this will be the case for any good vet so I didn’t ding them for that. We will be customers for life and I would highly recommend!

Been taking my dog here for a few months now. The pooch has some considerable health issues, so in that time they’ve treated her for an ear infection, done surgery on her to remove mast cell tumor, started chemo on her for remaining tumor cells. I have nothing but good things to say about Hillside Animal Hospital, and particularly Dr. Betsy who has been everything we could ask for in a vet. Though the whole staff has done a great job and I know my dog is in good hands with all of them.

Great animal hospital, we have been taking our dogs here for years and have never had a problem and think the price is right

I have been taking my puppy here regularly for immunizations and checkups and I really like it. It is right off of Manchester Ave and a few seconds away from the Humane Society. They have their own parking lot. Their building is clean. Everyone is really friendly and genuinely loves animals. Most of the time, they have their own cats and dogs roaming the building who are so well behaved. They also have kittens up for adoption in another area. I felt really comfortable leaving my puppy there for half the day to get neutered. They do participate in the $ 10 neutering.. . which is a lifesaver. Do call a few days in advance for an appointment because they have a lot of patients. But the best part is there is little to no wait when you come in. If your appointment time is at 10:00, they will take you at 10:00.
The one thing I did not like is their love of Purina. Purina is not a good food brand at all but they sell their food. They do sell a high quality brand as well though. So overall, I definitely recommend Hillside because they will take great care of your pet.