Sunshine Animal Hospital

Reviews 6

DI

Digital Picker

I recently got my dog treated since I didnt have a history of her previous shots or health. Her previous owners gave her away without thinking to give out the health history so this has caused us to start with a new baseline. My mother has been going to Sunshine for years, specifically to get her dogs teeth cleaned as this is a cheaper establishment that does fine work. The reason I brought my dog there was on recommendation of my mother to get her teeth cleaned, theyve been in terrible shape for awhile now. The reason for my 4 star review is because I got a bit inquisitive with the vet DVM. Scott Kastner and asked him what my Informed Consent is regarding the vaccines he was going to give my pet. He said this was the first time anyone asked this question to him. I then asked if he knew the ingredients that are in the vaccines and he said he did not. I dont know how long he has been at this place, but to just give out vaccines without knowing the contents is a dangerous habit to get into. Antibodies are not the only ingredient in any vaccine, for human or animal. There was the thymerosol scare many years ago in human vaccines so it is important for owners to also know what goes into their pets. What if there is a bad batch? Or an ingredient newly found to be harmful to the immunology of the animal? A doctor who does not know what hes giving his furry patients is a problem. I give this establishment 4 out of 5 stars. Two stars for bedside manner, two star for reasonable prices. I knock them one star due to ignorance of ingredients in their medicine. I understand that vets are not pharmacologists, but they should have any and all information regarding treatment available for patients, especially vaccines. Regarding their bedside manner, Dr. Kastner is a kind man and seems to know his stuff. He is very good with animals, my pet seemed to like him right off the bat. I did ask about certain heartworm medicine and also flea & tick medicine. Dr. Kastner gave me great recommendations. Iverheart Max for heartwrom and K9Advantix, Nextgard and Soresto for flea & tick. All in all, I would recommend this establishment. Just be sure to do your homework first and prepare all your questions you have. I was mistaken in my understanding of a disease that dogs can contract and Dr. Kastner corrected my understanding which helped me better make a decision for my pets health.

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Nick V

My wife and I had a cryptorchid chocolate lab—only one of his testicles descended by six months of age. Unfortunately for our poor, little guy (Henry), there was no indication of the location of the “missing” testicle. Oftentimes, this testicle partially descends into the inguinal canal (groin area where there isn’t much hair), and a bulge provides a clue as to where the testicle is located. Henry had no such bulge. Every indication for Henry was that the testicle was still in the abdomen, which had my wife and I worried about a more complicated procedure involving a “blind” search for a hidden testicle followed by a long, painful recovery. We researched vets, particularly those who would allow us to use our Spay, Inc. discount for neutering, and Dr. Kastner seemed to be the best option. He provided us with a lot of time and information prior to the procedure, and he was very patient as Henry’s over-protective parents worried about which vet to pick. We’re happy we chose Dr. Kastner. Immediately prior to the surgery, and despite prior evidence, Dr. Kastner searched long and hard to find a sign that the testicle was in the inguinal canal before going into the abdomen. A small sign gave Dr. Kastner the impression that the testicle had atrophied and was present in the canal. His hunch proved correct, and Dr. Kastner’s skill prevented the more complicated (and presumably painful) surgery. Henry’s recovery went well except for a minor infection, but a short visit to a very accessible Dr. Kastner remedied the situation quickly. If you’re a protective parent to a dog that means the world to you, you’re in safe hands with Dr. Kastner.

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GI

Gina Hawk

Sunshine Animal Hospital has been extremely wonderful for the dogs in our family. Dr. Kastner is very communicative on issues and concerns. For any possible test, he explains in great detail and makes sure that it is a test that you want to have done. He does not go overboard on testing like many vets would. He has been very conservative and narrowed down exactly where to start when my dog was sick. I think any other office would have told me that I had to have 10 tests done on my dog and charged me tons of money. I have been so appreciative of his willingness to help. He really cares about helping his animal patients. Christian is one of the assistants for Dr. Kastner. He is also wonderful. My dog was nervous. She is a large dog and looks scary to some people although she is a gentle giant. Christian got down, talked to her, and allowed her to give him kisses. My dog was thrilled and immediately calm to be in his care. When we began going to Sunshine four years, I couldnt remember my dogs rabies vaccination information. They called my previous vet in another state and got all of the information for me. I feel like the entire staff has gone above and beyond every time I have needed their help. I highly recommend Sunshine Animal Hospital.

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RE

Reesa H.

Dr. Kastner and his staff are some of the warmest, most caring people Ive ever had the pleasure of dealing with. One of our cats had a mystery illness, and not only did Dr. Kastner work diligently to find a diagnosis and treatment options, he took the time to explain things that the specialists at Hope Center were recommending. Throughout a very stressful, long-term process, we felt that Dr. Kastner and his staff were every bit as invested in our pets wellbeing as we were, and now that shes recovered we continue to see him for her maintenance prescriptions and regular blood tests. Weve also taken all of our other cats to this clinic, and have received nothing but excellent care at reasonable prices. One of the techs tells us how much he likes one of our cats every time were in, whether its for a problem or just to pick up medication. Dr. Kastner and his staff are great about returning emails, explaining test results, and simply providing a calm, caring environment that my pets dont feel fearful about being in. I cant recommend this clinic highly enough to anyone looking for a great vet.

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A

A Private User

Our family has gone to Dr. Austin since he opened. Rose, Sweetgum, Jackson, Cassidy, George, Alice were just some of his patients from the Ryan family. Hes neutered them, cared for them, and seen them for their last visit. Since 1969, Ive lived in Virginia, New England, California and Florida, and can tell you that Dr. Austins practice is one of the last (or the last) of its kind, a highly competent caring vet practice that charges a fair price for excellent treatment. Especially in NoVA, where salesmanship seems to outweigh quality vet care. You will get the best care, latest medicine and smart young staff (mostly - sorry Dr. Austin:-) from the best vet schools. Im moving back to NoVA, and looked to see if Dr. A is still in business. Im grateful that he is.

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SH

Shawn Leister-Frazier

We just moved into the area not too long ago, and I decided to have our 10 year old pug mix get a check up. I saw that Sunshine Animal Hospital had very high reviews and decided to check it out for myself. Well Dr. Kastner and the staff at Sunshine Animal Hospital live up to their reputation. They are very passionate about working with animals, very knowledgable, and let us know in advance what any additional costs may be before making a decision. Other vets in the past usually surprise me with a whopping bill at the end of the visit, and this is absolutely not the case with Sunshine Animal Hospital. When my dog suffered a stroke recently, they were incredibly quick to respond, and helped out tremendously in his recover effort.

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