My family's dogs were former patients of South Denton Animal Hospital and saw Dr. Cody for years…read more Throughout our time there, we repeatedly felt that our concerns were dismissed with comments like, "Dogs can just be weird sometimes," or, "Don't worry, these things happen." When I first adopted my dog, Clementine, a Chihuahua/Terrier mix, she began having severe episodes of bloody stool--sometimes passing only blood with no stool at all. As a first-time dog owner and a college student, I was understandably worried. I immediately took her to Dr. Cody with photographic evidence and asked whether I should change her food or if there was anything I could do to help. Dr. Cody told me that dogs can have sensitive stomachs and assured me the issue would likely resolve on its own. Although I left feeling uneasy, I trusted his professional opinion. The problem continued, and I couldn't stand watching Clementine struggle. Against his advice, I switched her to a food formulated for sensitive stomachs. Her symptoms resolved almost immediately. While I was relieved that she was finally feeling better, I couldn't understand why such a simple recommendation hadn't been suggested from the beginning. Similar experiences continued throughout the years we brought Clementine to South Denton Animal Hospital. At the time, the clinic's affordability and my trust in Dr. Cody kept us there. After graduating from college and moving away from Denton, I established care with a new veterinarian. The difference was remarkable. Appointments became thorough rather than rushed. They took the time to listen to my concerns, discussed preventative care, explained their reasoning, and worked with me to develop treatment plans when needed. It made me realize how different veterinary care could be. Our other dog, Scooter, had seen Dr. Cody since he was a puppy. Scooter was a mixed-breed terrier who generally appeared healthy, so most of his visits consisted of annual exams and vaccinations. During those appointments, we routinely asked questions like, "Is his weight healthy?" and "Does everything sound normal?" We were consistently told that everything looked fine. As Scooter got older, he developed a persistent cough and began showing signs of labored breathing. We brought him back to Dr. Cody, who attributed it to allergies and again reassured us that it would likely resolve on its own. No X-rays were taken, and no additional diagnostic testing was recommended. When Scooter's coughing continued to worsen, we remembered how our concerns about Clementine had been dismissed and decided to seek a second opinion from a newly opened veterinary clinic near my mom's home. During Scooter's very first appointment there, the veterinarian listened to his heart and immediately asked whether we had ever been told he had a heart murmur. We were shocked. Dr. Cody had listened to Scooter's heart during countless annual exams, yet this had never been mentioned. After X-rays and additional testing, Scooter was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea and Stage C congestive heart failure. By that point, his disease was already advanced. Rather than preventing or significantly slowing its progression, treatment focused on managing his symptoms and keeping him comfortable. His new veterinary team worked tirelessly for him. They monitored him with repeat X-rays, adjusted his medications as his condition changed, and gave us clear explanations every step of the way. Within a short time, we noticed meaningful improvements--his coughing decreased, his breathing became easier, and he had more energy. Sadly, despite their efforts, Scooter's heart disease had already progressed too far. Just six months after his diagnosis, we made the heartbreaking decision to let him go. He was only 11 years old. Many small terrier mixes can live several years longer, and I can't help but wonder whether an earlier diagnosis could have given us more time with him. While no one can know for certain what the outcome would have been, I believe that taking our concerns seriously, investigating his symptoms sooner, and performing appropriate diagnostics may have allowed treatment to begin earlier. I understand that, in hindsight, we could have changed veterinarians sooner. We carry that regret every day. But we trusted Dr. Cody because he was our veterinarian. We weren't medical professionals--we relied on his expertise, reassurances, and judgment. It has been about a month since Scooter passed away, and writing this review has not been easy. I'm sharing our experience because I don't want another family to find themselves wondering whether their concerns should have been investigated sooner. If you choose South Denton Animal Hospital, I encourage you to advocate strongly for your pet, ask questions, and seek a second opinion if your instincts tell you something isn't right.

The vet recommended surgery for a hairline fracture, even suggested to amputate his leg if I can't…read moreafford surgery. This man was not kind only looking for money. My kitty 1 week in is already walking after he told me it would be 8 weeks if he got better. He should be ashamed.

I have been going here with my two cats since 2014. I always get great service, friendly staff,…read moreconvenience, and professionalism. You can tell that they care and love their job and all animals. I wanna shoutout to Dr. Cassie Epstein for being the primary doctor majority of the time for my two furbabies and being gentle and awesome with her care. Definitely would recommend this place.

My +18 year old cat - my emotional support animal - finally got too sick to go on. Dr Wood & Dr…read moreEpstein were so kind during the last couple of years of his life. I am still missing him terribly but the Drs & Staff here made things a little easier. I am forever grateful to them all.

I took my senior cat here a few weeks ago to get a dental cleaning and had a great experience from…read morecall to discharge. I live in Celina so it's quite a ways for me to drive to Denton but our regular vet had quoted us $1k-$1.2k for a dental cleaning for my 12 yr old cat. They said he had some tartar build up on his back molars and a bit of gingivitis in his gums and it will get worse if we don't get a cleaning done. Our pet insurance does not cover dental cleanings so it would be out of pocket. I was recommended Guardian pet Hospital from a cat rescue group on Facebook. When I called the receptionist was very friendly and quoted me $300. A phenomenal price considering what our vet was charging us. My cat went to get a pre screening done and everything was good to go! He got his cleaning done shortly after, appointment times weren't an issue and he did so well under anesthesia. The staff is very helpful and very kind and the price came out being even a little less than what they originally quoted me! I highly recommend coming here not just for the reasonable prices but also for the great experience and friendly staff. I am highly considering transferring all our pets to Guardian pet hospital even if it's a longer drive for us!

AVOID GUARDIAN PET HOSPITAL!!! I boarded my diabetic dog with Guardian recently, and there is a…read moreSEVERE ANIMAL NEGLECT PROBLEM with this group. As my dog is diabetic (and has been for 2 years now), her feeding and insulin routine is of the utmost important to regulate her system. First, I was told they would accommodate her feeding/insulin schedule when I initially called, which is on a rolling 12-hour basis. However, when I was dropping her off, they then decided to tell me that they could not actually accommodate the times and it would be about a 8 hour cycle between feedings/insulin with a 16 hour gap. This destroys her medical routine, and leads to huge degradations in her energy and health. Then, the onsite staff were very rude to me about how to treat her. I have been following a 2 year routine now with my vet, but the staff told me their on-site vet knew better and they tried to change the medicine for her. What?!?! Finally, I included hand-crafted bags with measured food for each of my dog's meals. But after I picked her up, I noticed that they did not feed my dog during one of the meals as I had one of my bags returned to me!?! This means they completely skipped feeding her one morning/night which is first, entirely unacceptable, and second, extremely detrimental to her health and survival!! When I called and asked about it, and after being on hold for 20 minutes, I was given every excuse in the book (maybe we fed her food we have here (breaks her vet's prescription), or maybe you are delusional and you gave us too much food (it's not that hard to count 10 bags for 10 meals), "but yes we definitely fed her". Absolutely ridiculous, again, avoid these people at all costs!!

The vets here at PONDER absolutely the best!!!! We would not take our cat and dog anywhere else!!!read more

I love the staff, I drive 45min to take my animals here. Everyone is very caring and make you feel…read morevery welcomed. They are also very affordable.

We have been here twice for two separate pets and the staff has always been so kind, compassionate,…read morecollaborative and patient. Feels like they truly care for each pet. Took so much patience with my nervous dog and made sure she felt super comfortable before working on her. Will always come here in any emergency!

We are sooooo grateful VEG ER. Our sweet 10 y/o black lab was not feeling well and had a HUGE…read moreswollen ear. They took him back immediately, got him comfortable and provided superb care. If you need emergency care, this is the place to go.

The best vet pet clinic in the world! Excellent service. Impeccable handling of the animals, and a…read morestaff that is understanding and responsive! Highly recommended! Our pets are in safe hands! Thank you so much for your great service!

I would not recommend the veterinary services at Community Outreach. We brought both of our dogs in…read morefor cytopoint injections and wanted to discuss prescription dog food. We were told by the tech that each dog needed a separate vet visit, costing us $50 per dog. During the appointment, the vet discussed the prescription diet with us and stated he would prescribe it. However, when we later contacted the office to obtain the prescription, the experience with the front desk was extremely unprofessional and frustrating. I then received an email from the clinician stating that only one of my dogs had the prescription diet documented in the chart notes, but that the prescription "should be enough" to cover food for both dogs. Despite the fact that we paid for two separate vet visits, they refused to provide a second prescription for our other dog. The office then tried to justify this by saying the second dog had an ear infection and therefore "needed" the appointment anyway. The ear issue was simply an incidental finding and not the reason for our visit. We came in for prescription diet management, paid two exam fees as instructed, and still did not receive appropriate prescriptions for both dogs. This felt incredibly dishonest and like we were charged unnecessary fees without receiving the service we were told would be provided. Our pets are family, and it's disappointing to feel like profit mattered more than proper care or customer service. I highly advise pet owners to look elsewhere for veterinary care.

Dr. Smallwood and staff were all so very kind and welcoming! I got my Italian greyhound's knee…read moresurgically repaired and they were very knowledgeable about the physical therapy we would do special to him being such a sensitive breed! He enjoyed the treats and all the sweet care he got. Definitely recommend.

Dr Smallwood was able to rehab my dog back to health after a tough surgery for a huge tumor. She…read moreused acupuncture, cold laser and water therapy to great success. Now I will have many more years with my beloved Colby. I am amazed at the effectiveness of these alternative treatments. Highly recommend Dr Smallwood and her team at Garden Ridge!!!

Our experience with Ponder Vet Hospital tragically ended in the loss of our cat due to what we…read morebelieve was a failure to properly diagnose a life‑threatening condition. This began in October 2025, when we brought our cat in for urinary issues. We were told by Ginnie Crawford he was experiencing emotional stress and had a UTI. The symptoms temporarily improved but later returned. Because of the cost of this clinic, my daughter sought care elsewhere, where a different veterinarian again diagnosed a UTI and prescribed a different antibiotic. On Friday, when our cat once again was unable to urinate, we returned to Ponder Vet Hospital. The same veterinarian again (Ginnie Crawford) diagnosed a UTI and emotional issues. Ginnie stated that Dr. Norwood also reviewed her diagnosis and agreed with it. By Saturday, our cat still could not urinate. Since Ponder was closed, we followed their voicemail instructions and took him to Denton County ER. There, he was immediately diagnosed with a blocked urethra and a bladder full of sediment. At that point, his condition was so advanced that we were forced to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize him due to his inability to recover and have a reasonable quality of life. What made this experience worse was the response from Ponder Vet Hospital afterward. When I returned on Monday to explain what happened, I was told they were sorry our cat died but that everything had been handled correctly. There was no acknowledgment that the blockage had been missed and no meaningful empathy shown by the staff. We spent over $600 at Ponder Vet Hospital, only to then spend another $1,200 at the emergency clinic and ultimately lose our cat. I requested a refund for the vaccines administered on Friday as a gesture of goodwill, given the outcome, but the clinic refused to work with us in any way. This clinic showed a troubling lack of compassion, accountability, and thorough diagnostic care (especially the mean old blond lady behind the counter). Based on our experience, we will be taking our 3 other dogs elsewhere and strongly encourage others to carefully consider alternative veterinary providers--especially for serious or recurring health concerns.

So. I woke up to my 12 year old female English Bulldog whom had a huge lump on her neck. It was…read morealmost Softball size. Just below her right jowl. Obviously, it was not there yesterday. She was drinking water and not interested in eating her kibble. I knew she needed a remedy quickly. I was grateful for an 1:30pm appointment with Ponder Veterinary Hospital. We arrived 5 minutes early and they took us into a consult room immediately. So I had faith that we were in good hands. Dr. Ferry was very kind and gentle with Sloane. He took 3 blood samples from her swollen neck. And excused himself from the examination room. Said he had to look at the slides under his microscope. Sure, no problem. It seemed like it was going to be a short wait. So I'm sitting there. With my 12 year old dog. The love of my life. Finally. 47 minutes later. He returned to the exam room. Hallelujah. And proceeded to explain that either she has experienced an explosion of cancer cells. Or maybe she was stung by an insect. I am not upset with the $185 bill. Which did include an antibiotic and an anti inflammatory. However. The amount of time that I should have been aware of. Was not communicated with me. Picture sitting with your 12 year old dog. For close to an hour? Dr. Ferry had great bedside manner. But...if you are waiting for a swift diagnosis. I would suggest that you go somewhere else. It was a beautiful veterinary hospital. Opened in 1975. I finally said to the Veterinary Assistant. I can't recall her name. She was very nice. However. Came in to the lobby with the two meds. Was giving me directions for a different medication. I had to correct her. I also said she to her that I am not a Bitch. But the way I was treated today was very cruel. Not only towards me. But to my 12 year old dog. I told her that we were really treated shitty. She rolled her eyes. Did not even attempt to apologize. I really hope that she and Dr. Ferry can get their act together.