SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SMALL ANIMAL CLINIC

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The LSU Vet School's Small Animal Clinic is a teaching hospital, and it has all the good things and not-so-good things that teaching hospitals generally have. It is the place to go for the most up-to-date specialized medical or surgical treatment, not for routine things that a private practice can handle much more cheaply and personally. I've found the level of care generally excellent. However--like other veterinary teaching hospitals and specialty clinics--it is expensive and time-consuming (because your pet must first be seen by an upper-level student, then examined again by one or more senior vets) than most private practices. You may not see the same doctor (or vet student) on repeat visits, and so may have to communicate everything about the case again. This is not a criticism of LSU; this is how teaching hospitals are.
My vet often calls the LSU Veterinary Hospital for free advice about my pets, and she refers me there for problems that are outside her expertise. And twice I have taken pets there in the middle of the night, after other local emergency clinics misdiagnosed their illnesses. In some cases the care has felt a little impersonal, but for the most part the people there have been very warm and caring, even crying with me when a pet died. I do think that it's important for any vet school hospital to teach its practitioners to pay attention to costs, and to understand and accept that often pet owners can't afford everything they recommend.
DON"T expect services to be cheaper than private clinics because you're letting students "practice" or learn on your pet (as I've heard a number of people say). That's not how it works, and senior veterinarians, as well as students, are involved in each step.
DO consider the vet school for specialized diagnosis and care, with the warning that it will probably be expensive. I highly recommend them for these services. I'm very happy that they're here as a resource, and thank them for the excellent low-cost cat spaying and neutering services they offer through monthly Spay Days.

The clinician (a very recent vet school graduate) was professional and very knowledgeable. He chose the right tests to quickly diagnose our dog's illness. I deeply appreciate the kindness he showed when giving us very bad news about our beloved dog having terminal cancer. I also appreciate that he talked over all the options, the cost, and the likelihood of success of each of them, putting no pressure on us but instead offering compassionate support for our decision. He was very empathetic and respectful.
I would not hesitate to use the after-hours emergency services they offer again. We did not have to wait, and the pricing structure was reasonable compared to other emergency vet services (which are generally much higher than regular vet services).

I had gone on an errand and as I was driving through the gate of my fenced-in yard, my 2 1/2 year old Catahoula mix, Riley, slipped out of the open gate and went across the street. I went to get a treat to get him to come back, and as I was walking back to the road, he saw me and began crossing the street to come back to me and was struck by a truck.

I knew it was near closing time for my usual vet, Dr. Smith at Dodge City Veterinarian Hospital, but I got Dodge City on the phone and they said to bring him, that they'd wait. But Riley passed away quickly, within minutes. I was so weak with shock and grief and I decided I didn't want to bury him; I wanted some part of him to keep, so I wanted his body cremated. I called them back and they referred me to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Clinic. I called them, and although Riley hadn't been a patient, they said they'd help.

I picked my darling up and put him in the back of my Jeep and drove the 35 miles to the LSU Small Animal Clinic. When I got there, they brought out a wheeled cart (Riley weighed 60 pounds). I carried him from Jeep to inside the clinic (they offered to have someone help, but I didn't want help) and placed him on the cart, and they rolled him away.

When his ashes were ready (about a week), I went to pick them up, expecting nothing more than a bag of ashes. But they gave me his ashes in a beautiful carved box, along with a poem about pet loss. But the clincher was the round clay imprint they'd made of his paw with his name stamped into it. When I saw it, I started bawling. They'd given me a piece of him I hasn't asked for (didn't even know to ask for) and definitely didn't expect. I was so moved by it that I'm crying about it now, a year later, as I write this.

Everyone at the LSU Small Animal Clinic was amazing, graceful, professional, and sympathetic. They didn't look at me sideways for coming in the door crying my eyes out, carrying a huge dog. They gently consoled me when I started crying when picked up Riley's remains. In short, they made my ordeal of handling his remains as I was out of my mind with grief as comforting and graceful and something like that can be.

I work for a veterinary hospital, but I bring my bird to LSU because there are doctors who specialize in avian medicine. My doctor was very knowledgeable and thorough, answering all my questions and pointing out a few things that I was unaware of. I would definitely recommend the school to anyone who owns exotics. It was a bit pricier than I had expected, but I got what I paid for.