We all know how important it is to have primary care doctors for ourselves, but it’s equally important for our pets! And just like finding a doctor for yourself can be difficult, finding a vet for your pet can be a struggle as well, depending on what kind of pet you have, where you live, and what kind of needs you pet has, so we’re here to help! Just like your primary care doctor knows you and your health history, a good vet should do the same for your furry friend. Keep in mind that a vet should do/be the following:
- Answer any questions you have
- Treat you and your pet with kindness and respect
- Ask you questions about your pet’s personality and behaviors to understand them better
- Accommodate your pet to the best of their abilities if your pet is anxious or has issues with vet visits
- Always be open with you about what they’re doing/how your pet is doing
- Follow up with you on any concerns you have
Differences in Purpose and Care
Contrary to popular belief, the differences between veterinarian clinics and veterinarian hospitals go beyond the size of the facility. While the size impacts what the establishment can offer, it’s the differences between their capabilities that count. A clinic will have veterinarians who can perform routine check-ups and some specialized services, but a hospital will have in-house labs and spaces for longer procedures/overnight stays. Both have services that are equally good, but a hospital is a better choice for an emergency pet situation because diagnostics and surgeries can be done in house on short notice there.
Note: Always check a veterinarian’s website for more information about their services, as well as for full details about hours of operation, lists of their staff, and their accreditations.
Veterinarians in Columbus
This list includes Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, and Specialized Clinics (cats only, cats & dogs only, etc.).
Knapp Veterinary Hospital
Address: 596 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus, OH 43214
Overview: The Knapp Vet Hospital offers comprehensive care covering everything from preventative care to dental services, and emergency surgery to pet boarding. Founded in 1948 by Dr. J. Harold Knapp, the practice was one of the first animal hospitals in the Columbus area.
Specialty Services:
- Behavioral Counseling
- Boarding and Baths
- Nutrition
- Surgery
- Pain Management
- Wellness Exams & Senior Care
- Dental Care
- Parasites & Prevention
- Vaccinations
- Radiology
- Euthanasia & Pet Memorial
- Refill of pet medications and foods
When to Arrive: At least 5 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time (they take pet weight and vitals before the actual appointment).
Anything Else: New patients must fill out new patient forms online 24-48 hours before the appointment or print out a copy to be given to the vet before the appointment.
OSU Veterinary Medical Center
Address: 601 Vernon L Tharp St, Columbus, OH 43210
Overview: The OSU Veterinary Medical Center is part of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University, and it provides not only medical care to animals, but an active learning environment for students of veterinary medicine. It is the largest comprehensive veterinary medical center in Ohio and the surrounding states with 60 licensed practitioners and 14 veterinary specialists. At the research center, scientists research treatments for a variety of pet ailments and diseases.
Specialty Services: The OSU Vet Medical Center is open 24/7, 365 days a year.
Specialized care is available for service animals, equine patients, and farm animals:
- Anesthesiology & Pain Management
- Behavioral Medicine
- Canine Rehabilitation
- Cardiology & Interventional Medicine
- Clinical & Anatomic Pathology
- Comparative Ophthalmology
- Dermatology & Otology
- Diagnostic & Clinical Microbiology
- Diagnostic Imaging/Radiology
- Emergency & Critical Care
- Internal Medicine
- Neurology & Neurosurgery
- Nutrition
- Oncology & Hematology
- Radiation Oncology
- Surgery (soft tissue/general and orthopedics)
- Theriogenology & Reproductive Medicine
- Availability of an onsite licensed social worker and the “Honoring the Bond” program which assists clients with treatment planning and end-of-life decisions and provides compassionate support at no additional cost during diagnosis and treatment.
When to Arrive: At least 5 minutes prior to appointment time; for a walk-in appointment, wait times shouldn’t usually be more than 15 minutes as well.
Anything Else: Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are strongly recommended for any kind of visit. Bring your pet’s medical records with you to appointments if you can.
Beechwood Veterinary Hospital
Address: 4590 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH
Overview: The Beechwood Veterinary Hospital specializes in care for cats and dogs (if you have any other type of pet, see any of the other vets on this list!). They opened in 1952 and are a part of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), meeting all of their standards of practice. The clinic area is modern, yet welcoming, and the hospital part is full of state-of-the-art equipment to ensure the best treatment possible for your dog or cat. Prospective/interested patients are encouraged to visit and tour the facilities before their first clinical visit. Hours of operation vary each day, and the clinic is closed on Sundays. See their website for up-to-date operating hours.
Specialty Services:
- Blood Transfusion
- Dental Care
- Emergency Care
- Endoscopy
- Internal Medicine
- Laser Surgery
- Pain Management
- Radiology
- Reproductive Services
- Surgery
- Ultrasound
- Vetscope
- Wellness Care/Immunization
Additionally, Beechwold provides the following services for your cat or dog:
- Bathing
- Boarding
- Dog Training
- Microchipping
- Pharmacy
When to Arrive: At least 5 minutes prior to appointment time to check in.
Anything Else: New patients should fill out the New Patient forms ahead of their visit and bring them to the appointment.
For breeders, the Beechwood Veterinary Hospital founded the Canine Frozen Semen Bank, which provides the progressive breeder access to high quality frozen canine semen preservation and on-site semen storage.
Upper Arlington Veterinary Hospital
Address: 2447 N Star Rd, Columbus, OH 43221 (soon to be 1515 W. Lane Ave.!)
Overview: The Upper Arlington Veterinary Hospital is a hospital that not only focuses on the care of your pets, but on working with the community to help other pets and animals as well. They primarily treat cats and dogs, but if you check with them, you may find they can treat other pets as well. In addition to their veterinary services, they work with local shelters and rescue groups to help rescue, foster, and adopt animals in need. In addition, they provide externships for students of the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine to continue to work and learn in a supported, real-world environment.
Specialty Services:
- Dentistry and Periodontal Surgery
- Diet and Nutrition
- General Surgery
- Health and Wellness
- Internal Medicine
- Pain Management and Laser Therapy
- Radiology and Ultrasonography
- Spays, Neuters, and Declaws
When to Arrive: 5-10 minutes before your appointment.
Anything Else: The practice will be moving into a new building this year, so check their website or call them for information about which address to go to!
Health and Harmony Animal Hospital
Address: 1117 W 1st Ave, Columbus, OH 43212
Overview: Unlike many veterinary offices which are closed in evenings or on weekends, Health and Harmony Animal Hospital offers a variety of hours to ensure that you can get your pet the help they need without needing to take time off of work. They also focus on making the experience as stress-free and enjoyable for both owners and pets, offering tea and coffee to human visitors while stocking treats for four-legged patients, as well as services and areas to alleviate stress on pets.
Specialty Services:
- A variety of exams including
- New Puppy/Kitten Exams (includes behavior prevention discussion)
- Annual Wellness Exam with individualized vaccine schedule
- Senior Wellness Exam
- Medical Illness Exam
- Health/Behavior Exam
- Orthopedic/Neurologic Exam
- Consultation/Second Opinion
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Exam (with Dr. Kim West only)
- Pre-Surgical Exam
- Integrative Medicine
- Pet Acupuncture
- Herbal supplements
- Diagnostics
- Surgery
- Dentistry
- Behavior Counseling
When to Arrive: 5-10 minutes before your appointment time.
Anything Else: They don’t offer declawing services, believing them to be inhumane and unnecessary, and they offer options and information to owners that are alternatives to declawing.
They have a page of resources for pet owners on a variety of topics from behavior to registering pets, and more.
Great Southern Animal Hospital
Address: 2685 S High St, Columbus, OH 43207
Overview: Upholding a mission statement to “provide care and compassion to our patients and offer exceptional service to those who love them”, the Great Southern Animal Hospital has been providing veterinary services since 1953. The practice focuses on preventative care, including regular wellness exams, vaccinations, and parasite screenings.
Specialty Services:
- Regular examinations
- Vaccinations
- Parasite control
- Blood tests, dentistry
- Soft tissue surgery
- Ovariohysterectomy (spay females)
- Castration (neuter males)
- Declaw
- Mass removal
- Cystotomy (bladder stones)
- Dental Procedures (routine cleaning and surgical)
When to Arrive: 5-10 minutes before appointment time.
Anything Else: Operating hours vary by day, and the hospital is closed on Sundays.
Elemental Veterinary Center and Spa
Address: 1250 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201
Overview: Sometimes a pet needs a check up, sometimes a pet needs surgery, and sometimes they need a spa day! Elemental Veterinary Center and Spa is a modern facility that combines a variety of care for pets, led by Dr. Jane Flores, a former professor at the Ohio State University Veterinary School and licensed general veterinary practitioner and pet acupuncturist.
Specialty Services:
- Wellness Check Ups
- Vaccinations
- Grooming
- Pet Acupuncture
- Dentistry
- (Contact them for a full list of services)
When to Arrive: At least 5 minutes prior to your appointment time.
Anything Else: Hours vary by day, and they’re closed on Sundays.
Cats Only Veterinary Clinic
Address: 3416 Riverside Dr, Columbus, OH 43221
Overview: We all want the best for our pets, and sometimes specialized clinics can help us to feel like our paw pals are getting the best possible care. If you own a cat, you may feel that their care is sometimes pushed aside in favor for dog care, or you may not like taking Fluffy to a vet with lots of dogs because she’s easily scared. Maybe you yourself have a fear of dogs! Fortunately, this cats-only clinic alleviates any fears you or your cat may have, and they have 30 years of experience to back their expertise. Realizing that cats often are more anxious about vet visits than other pets, they do everything they can to ease their patients’ anxieties.
Specialty Services: Cat-Only Care
- Examinations and Consultations
- Vaccinations and Preventative Care
- Behavioral Counseling
- Surgery
- Dental Wellness Care
- Diagnostic Services
- Boarding and Grooming
- New Patient Examination
- Reevaluation of Existing Problems
When to Arrive: If your cat needs a diagnosis, but has not been to the clinic before, a 30 minute New Patient Evaluation will be performed. You will be informed of this upon making an appointment, and you should arrive 10 minutes prior to the appointment time.
Anything Else: The clinic has a resident cat, Dr. Bob, who will greet you upon your arrival.
Other Options
Obviously, there are many animal hospitals and clinics in Columbus, and we can’t list all of them here without losing your patience! So here are quick blurbs about some other options in the area.
Village Animal Clinic:
An animal hospital
Med Vet:
An emergency clinic
Ohio Holistic Veterinary Services:
An animal hospital that focuses on integrated herbal medicines, veterinary chiropractic, and pet acupuncture.
Village Gate Animal Hospital and Pet Resort:
Pet hospital that caters to all kinds of animals and includes a pet salon, doggie daycare, and boarding areas.
German Village Veterinary Hospital:
Animal hospital that focuses on cat and dog care.
Fifth and Kenny Animal Hospital:
Animal hospital that focuses on small mammals, but particularly dogs, and also works with local shelters/rescue organizations.
Hamilton Road Animal Hospital:
South-easternmost veterinary practice in the Columbus area offering a full range of examinations and services, featuring an online portal where you can easily access and print your pet’s health records.
