Dr Betsy Hershey is the best veterinary oncologist around. If your pet has cancer you must go see her. She has top of the line treatments and knows everything about cancer and how to fight it. She isn't just another vet that is gonna bleed you dry with false hope. She is honest up front and tells you how it is and what your options are. read more

Saying that Dr Hershey and her staff are absolutely amazing is an injustice to the dedication, compassion, and expertise that every single person here at IVO encompasses. Dr Hershey is by far the best in her field of veterinary oncology. She is truly a godsend! read more

Integrative Veterinary Oncology - Front desk - Veterinarians Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I absolutely love Dr Hershey and her staff. She is a straight shooter and doesn't give you any bs. If you need an oncologist, she is the one to go to. Years ago I had a yellow lab that had cancer. Dr Hershey was terrific. She is not a vet where the cash register is always ringing. But, she is not inexpensive either. Fortunately I have not had to see her in recent years. read more

Dr. Hershey and her staff are incredible. I've been coming monthly for the last year because my dog Parker was diagnosed with skin cancer. Luckily it was just surface and cryotherapy monthly has kept it that way and not from spreading. Her staff know exactly how to handle Parker because he can be difficult to handle, and they always so sweet and keep me updated! Sadly my other girl, Luna got mammary cancer and we were able to fully remove it and has done well at her check ins. They work well with Luna's primary vet as well when it comes to communicating about her mast cell tumors and other medical needs to be sure we are monitoring any possible signs of another cancer since she is elder. I truly love this staff and how well they continue to take care of my fur babies. I'm so grateful for them and highly recommend. read more

If I could not even rate this place a one star, I would. Before they even see the patient, they charge you $300.00 up front prior to the appointment, which I had no issue as I understand they get no shows, and someone has to pay for that mansion that they lease or own and call it Oncology Office. I typically do not leave reviews, but this has taken me a couple of months to mold over and here we are. Initial visit, you do not meet the Oncologist, but the technician and a student. With a few minutes of being asked the same questions over and over, they proceed to take my fur baby in the back for an exam, so they said. Less than 10 minutes later they bring her back and proceed that depending on the treatment plan we choose that my baby may have 6 months to at least 2 years left due to the Mast Cell Tumors, that had by the way been surgically removed (size of a dime) by our regular vet prior to this visit. Obviously, my hubby and I were shattered and left me heart broken. I was in a shock and was wondering how they determined all that based on the 10 minute or less exam. I asked them if somewhere something stated that the cancer had spread internally, then the technician back tracks by stating that they don't know. They just based the information on the Culter that was tested and being that it was a grade 2 tumor. Again, how do you assume that the cancer has spread internally. They did not know. They were trying to sell me treatment plans that would consist of dropping off our baby once a week for chemo treatment that can cost at least 1200.00 each week, which I would have had no issue paying if this place was honest, but they are far from it. Then the tech proceeds to tell me that we could do an ultraound and possible biopsy of the liver to determine if the cancern has penatrated her body. Now mind you, this was after the fact of me questioning them. At that point I decided that that was not the place for us. How do you determine life span and treatment plans without evidence of it being internal. I visited another Oncologist in Gilber (drove an hour) to have our fur baby examined. They immediately before our visit, suggested that since we are traveling that far to consider having an ultrasound done, so that we can determine what the next steps would be. Results in, our baby does not have internal cancer at this time and will not be needing any type of harsh treatment that is unnecessary. The new place wasn't just about getting to your money but actually caring about your fur baby. As I'm sure you all know, we would spend any amount of money to ensure our fur babies are well. So, you either get people that try to stiff you out of money or that they really care about the animal and their families. I want to be reimbursed, but I'm sure that will not happen. read more

My regular vet diagnosed my FIV cat with renal lymphoma. She consulted with Dr. Hershey at IVO, who agreed to take the case and start chemo. Even though she was booked for a month, she got him in the next day. We truly appreciate the collaboration between our vet (Dr. Ryan at Blue Cross) and Dr. Hershey. The location itself is gorgeous. It's a large southwestern building with a quiet, calming courtyard. The reception area feels like the lobby of an old Arizona hotel. It's full of comfortable couches, a fridge full of water and a Keurig machine, etc. to make the wait more comfortable. It's almost like you're are in someone's home. They also have an adoption room with kitties to watch. The treatment room we were in was equally relaxed - less like a clinic, more like a safe space with low swivel chairs and a small exam table off to the side (not the central focus of the room). The receptionist and technicians are kind and attentive. They were all casual and professional. Dr. Hershey is immediately likeable. Instead of putting my boy on a cold table, she sat on the floor and hugged him before examining him. She was very clear with her diagnosis and treatment program, and took the time to answer all of my questions. I know my boy is in good hands. She didn't guarantee anything but let me know what the process would be, and what we should anticipate in terms of benchmarks and goals. Upon discharge, I was given an excellent folder of information. It was clear, concise and written in non-technical language. It included not only Dr. Hershey's card, but also the cards for all of the staff - making it clear that it's a team effort. While I don't like the reasons I have a cat in treatment with Dr. Hershey, I do appreciate that she is there and highly recommend her! read more

I recently took my 6 year old sweet golden retriever to them, she had been diagnosed with Lymphoma, but was still happy and active. During her first infusion of chemo in her right rear leg two of their techs told me she really fought the injection and they had to hold her down for 20 minutes and ended up damaging her rear knee ligament and the next day it completely tore leaving her unable to walk without assistance and in great pain. After that she would barely eat and even though they had me bring her back several times and gave her fluids and injections to stop her nausea, she would not rally and they were clueless as to how to help her. She died 10 days later. I will never know if the chemo killed her or the pain caused by their staff, but I would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

The technician was terribly rude on the phone. I asked for detailed information and she said they had already wasted 25 min and she hung up the phone. read more

Yelp removed my review for this horrific vet, so I'll post another one. I used Doctor (and I use that term loosely) Hersey in 2013 for my sick doberman who was fighting bone cancer. To this day she remains one of the worse vets I've ever encountered. Her practice is about her making money and she'll gladly take the last dime out of your wallet to peddle false hope. Hersey was unethical in her treatment of my dog by injecting her with cancer drugs not intended for her type of cancer. She lied to me by telling me it was in trials and showing "good results." She bragged on vet boards (confirmed by other vets) about what she was doing and even when her peers counseled her to not, she continued to use the drug off label. (here's the drug she used for osteosarcoma: http://novavive.ca/product/U.S.A./immunocidin-canine) Her actions caused a large oozing tumor to open on my dogs leg and that was when she washed her hands of treating her. She claimed it was the "bone that burst through the skin," which was medically impossible. She lied to me about what she was doing and used my dog's cancer as a guinea pig for her own glory. Had she discussed her plan, I may have consented, but she went behind my back and endangered my dog's life. When her experiment went wrong, she didn't even take responsibility. When I expressed dissatisfaction with her treatments, she claimed I wasn't financially capable of caring for my dog. This is after she'd been soaking me for over $1500 a month for alternative treatments and multi-level type gimmicks. For anyone reading this who is going through a cancer diagnosis with your pet, my heart goes out to you. It's one of the hardest things to deal with and you need a doctor who works with you -not against you. This person may care about animals, but she nearly killed mine and for that you all deserve a warning. My dog could have had a new limb sparing surgery at Colorado State, but because of the sores Hersey caused, she didn't get into the program and she died a few months later. Don't use this vet. read more

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I cannot begin to express the thanks I have for Dr. Hershey and her staff. Everyone there has been totally responsive throughout our journey with a small dog with stage 4 liver cancer. We didn't think there would be any hope when our Veterinarian first discovererd the disease. Our dog is still going after three years of chemo under Dr. Hershey. We think the results from her were virtually unbelievable. Regretably, we had to take her off chemo a few months back and the end is unfortunately near, but she had 14 good years. Thanks again to all at IVO. read more

Our 3 year old dog was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My wife and I were going through a very difficult time. They were able to get us an appointment weeks earlier than any other oncology vet office in Phoenix and believe me we called them all. The doctor's and entire staff were very supportive during this difficult time. I highly recommend them, but hope that you never need there services. read more

When you are dealing with your dog having cancer for the first time you would expect that your staff that answer the phones would have some level of compassion and help explain to us the protocol of our appointment. Unfortunately, NONE of that happened today. We were told to drop our dog off by 8am AND WHEN THEY GET TO HIM they will call us and let us know a game plan....WHAT?....and then when we called back to explain that we were uncomfortable with this...the only response we got was, okay we will cancel your appointment. Mind you we were referred to this place from a wonderfull vet hospital and never have met anyone here and we are to just drop off our dog and wait at home! BULLSHIT! I am sure Dr Hershey is a wonderful doctor but some of her staff need to check their poor attitude! read more

This team is so awesome!' I cannot say enough praise. They are coordinating directly with my vet regarding my dogs leukemia. They check in regularly and I couldn't be happier, under these conditions. read more

Please don't ever work for this woman and her shady business. Their checks bounce and they are UNABLE by their bank to have direct deposit, due to lack of funds. USE CAUTION. read more

Dr Hershey and her staff are great! Not only is Dr Hershey a brilliant Doctor, and well known in her field, her life is dedicated to animals & pets. Ive taken my pets to her many times. Shes brilliant, thorough, & kind. She knows her craft so well, im always thankful i brought them to her after. My family really believes in her abilities and rescue efforts. We have since adopted 4 animals from her rescue/rehab efforts. I have 3 from her and my sister has 1. I just cant recommend her enough! read more

My dog apollo had a soft tissue sarcoma and she did an excellent job helping my dog overcome cancer and they have been nothing but awesome and straight forward about everything, thank you so much for saving my baby read more

THANK YOU Lori for being so CARING, concerned & for treating our dog as if she was your own. I cannot say it enough, Lori IS AMAZING! When she answered my call she knew how dire the situation was and went above & beyond to help us. I called in a state of panic due to the increase in size of our dog's tumor & although that particular day they could not fit us in, she consulted with Dr. Hershey (who reviewed the files from another vet) and gave us incredible advice. The next day our dog's condition began to dramatically decline- Dr. Hershey was able to fit us in and we could not be more appreciative. It is so comforting to know that your best friend is getting the best care possible. My heart felt appreciation goes out to everyone at Integrative Veterinary Oncology. Your kindness will never be forgotten. read more

Doctor Hershey belittled me with her arrogant demeanor. She was the Doctor who felt she knew all! I heard her in the next room being loud and condescending to a client. I was correct with my boy feline having bone cancer. Sadly, it was too late to save him as the tumor had shot to his lung. People know their pets. She had no emotion or heart. Ill never forget this horrible experience! Steer far away from this one if you Love your pets. read more

Monday I had my first experience with Dr. Hershey. My Westie highland terrier who is 15 years old was diagnosed with cancer the prior Tuesday. The team at this facility worth their hardest to get my dog in. I met Dr. Serchen at 10 o'clock and she started administrating medication in treating my dog by noon. The staff is friendly professional i'm very caring. The facility is like an old town hotel. When I had conversation with Dr. Hershey just her knowledge impressed me on how she spoke about the cancer my dog has. I left there feeling relieved and trusting that she would do the best for him. If you think you're going to need an oncologist for one of your pets please take the time to look into getting into Dr. Hershey. She's not easy to get into so be patient. read more

I took my 9 year old beagle diagnosed with nasal osteosarcoma, a very aggressive cancer. From the first visit, I ended up having to call off work because they ran 2 hours behind. I was at their mercy since I knew she had to be seen. We got her on a treatment plan and her prognosis with this treatment plan was 8-12 months. We knew her cancer was aggressive, but had some hope and that she'd be comfortable. Well, she's a week and a half into treatment and her eye starts bleeding badly. I call them concerned and they said it was a sign of the cancer progressing, but give the treatment a chance to work. They said she didn't need an emergency vet visit. At the RR vet because there isn't much we could do. We get into the weekend and this is when her hunger comes to a screeching haunt. Mind you, she was a typical beagle that ate everything under the sun, but she wasn't eating ANYTHING. I called first thing Monday concerned about the eye and not eating. I get a message back from the vet tech saying to give her wet food and smelly, appealing food. Hello, when I said she wasn't eating anything, I meant ANYTHING! Spoiler, she still wasn't eating and again, we are encouraged to give treatment a chance. I called her regular vet for an appetite stimulant and she still wasn't hungry. I called the oncologist again with my concerns and they still wouldn't see her before her May 13th appointment. Frustrated, I told them she was losing weight and not herself. They said we could get an Iv treatment and steroid shot and made it sound like it could give her a boost to keep treatment. I asked to have it done at my regular vet since it was closer and less $, so they at least got that arranged. I took my dog in and she dropped 4 lbs in a week and was seriously underweight. My vet was not happy we were encouraged to keep going for this long and said they didn't prepare him for just how bad she was. He told us what we needed to hear and that was to put her down. We took her home wanting to do in home euthanasia a day later since she seemed to be feeling a bit better form the IV treatment. Well, our sweet girl started to die on our floor and didn't even make it to the vet less than a mile away. I called IVO and told them she passed. I gave back the meds today and it would have been nice if the vet tech said "Hey, sorry to hear about Sophie." No, that didn't happen. I wasn't expecting miracles. I knew her cancer was bad, however, I feel like some bad calls were made and I feel like we really didn't get the quality of care our girl deserved and she ultimately suffered for it. It was devastating watching out dog die in front of our faces when we bugged them all week something was off. They didn't offer to see her until there was too little too late. As if dealing with the cancer wasn't awful enough, our experience here was less than impressive. We brought our precious girl here because she was so highly recommended in our circle (I'm active in the rescue and therapy dog community.) and I was just disappointed. Not because she didn't live the approximate prognosis given, but because we got zero guidance from them on stopping treatment to let her go the way she deserved to be let go. We are heartbroken over keeping her going longer than we should have. read more

From the heart and a sincere thank you to Dr Hershey and her staff. I have been going to visit with Dr Hershey for quite some time now and she has seen and treated all three of my Goldens. I live pretty far away but if necessary will make the trip because her and her staff are quality. They truly care about animals and their owners. I love Dr Hershey because she is holistic and Western medicine. If you have a Golden or any other kind of animal you cannot go wrong by utilizing Dr Hershey's services. read more

My cat, whom I got when I lived alone in this state as a teenager and she has been with me ever since (14 years), was recently diagnosed with mouth cancer. I was forced to take her to this oncologist because the one I really wanted to bring her to did not have an opening and thus, I made the massive mistake of taking her to this "veterinary oncologist". Dr. Hershey did not even deign to speak to me on most occasions, I still have never met her or any of her staff for that matter. Even when my cat was acting extremely bizarrely after her first chemotherapy appointment I was met with ambivalence and callousness on the part of that entire staff. I was told that Dr. Hershey returns calls at the end of the day. Well in actuality her terse staff calls you back and absolutely cannot answer follow up questions. So hopefully nothing time sensitive is happening to your animal because they don't care, you will still get a call back at 6 PM. I did not grow up with animals, this cat is my first, I am an adult now and have yet to deal with the impending death of a beloved pet and am unfortunately, learning how to navigate this scenario. In the beginning I cried multiple times a day and was so unaware of the options in which could be taken to help my poor, sweet cat. Not once did I get off of a phone call with this terrible office and not break down into tears because I just knew, these people did not care one iota about my cat. They were curt, uncaring, and very lacking in communication. After one specific appointment in which I got a call early in the day where this staff stated "Your cat is being difficult we need to give her meds." She was also very rude about that, as if it was a massive inconvenience to her that my cat was sick and terrified. Which now that I know this office is notorious in Phoenix for being extremely lackluster in their care and customer relations makes total sense. This is going to sound very biased but I will swear until the day I die that this is the honest truth, my cat has NEVER even hissed at a person before. Not one vet has EVER had a problem with my cat and she has had multiple surgeries and office visits throughout her life. So I can absolutely guarantee that awful staff probably traumatized my cat and treated her so poorly to where she exhibited behavior she has not once put forth in her ENTIRE 14 YEARS of living. It actually makes me feel so bad that I allowed her to be so mistreated by people who so obviously do not care about the animals they see every day. As such, I got "discharge papers" if that is what you call the brief sentence or two explaining nothing I was given after appointments, after this visit that verbatim stated, "Give this medication an hour before appointments" because they obviously just didn't feel like being compassionate human beings and would rather me just drug her so their life is easier. (Pathetic) Well I called in because the papers had no amount to give her or when to give it to her other than prior to appointments. I was met with such hostility it was insane. The girl was so rude to me, I remember, I got off the phone and I cried for hours, because I just knew they did not care and my cat was going to die because of their apathy. Sorry it is just another Tuesday at work for you guys but this is my family and it makes me tear up and get enraged as I write this because they are supposed to aid in this really tough time and they just don't care. So I stopped taking my cat there immediately and went to the FAR SUPERIOR Arizona Veterinary Oncology in Gilbert. It takes me an extra 45 minutes to get there but I would WAY rather drive there and take the inconvenience, and traffic and days off from work than EVER, EVER, EVER go back to this horrendous vet oncologist. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE. Go to Gilbert, they genuinely care. I see the vet every single time, they staff is so warm and they explain everything in minute detail. They are always available. I am genuinely so upset that I ever even took my cat here. I was vulnerable and just trying to be proactive but in the end I know that it was more detrimental to her overall then just waiting to see an actual vet oncologist who has a vested interest in their patients and their owners being informed and assisted with their comments, questions, and concerns. I have a friend who has been a vet tech for almost 15 years and she told me that in the early days apparently Dr. Hershey was THE VET ONCOLOGIST, and began to be inundated due to the high demand of her services. She communicated to me that it is a known fact in the Arizona Veterinary community that she perhaps got a little too big for her britches and now her practice is no longer about the animals. So once again, don't even bother going here, go to Gilbert. read more

Dr. Hershey and staff lovingly cared for our dog who bravely fought cancer for over 2 years. They provided him with excellent care and became like family. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more