VCA Animal Hospitals Bewertungen 105

We just spent 18,000 on our pet for surgery. One day is fine and three days later he died. I don’t believe a word they told me. I believe they made up diagnosis. I truly dislike everything about this place. It’s a clip joint praying on your wallet instead of really helping your pet. I would love to sue them but unfortunately I signed for these procedures under intense emotional time. Don’t trust these people. They are a corporation out to make money from your emotions. Say angry that they literally killed our pet

I have been a client of VCA San Diego for over a decade, back when it was at the Hotel Circle location. That VCA was an outstanding hospital with a staff that genuinely cared. I trusted it with the most critical moments of my animals' lives. That hospital no longer exists.

VCA moved to a shiny new building on Mission Valley Road. The facility looks great. The care inside has gone in the opposite direction. The staff that made this place trustworthy is largely gone, and what replaced them failed my dog when it mattered most.

My dog Herb was admitted on March 11 as a direct referral — liver disease, a platelet count of 7,000 (normal is 140,000+), and a swollen hind leg. He walked in on all four legs, was eating, and was alert. Two days later, he was discharged for at-home euthanasia with new internal bleeding, a painful abdomen, and a body that was shutting down. He entered your hospital with a fighting chance. He left dying.

The ER and Internal Medicine departments (Dr. Daniel Cahn) operated like they were in different buildings. The ER doctor had Herb's full records Wednesday night and discussed them with me. By Thursday morning, Dr. Cahn told us repeatedly he didn't have access to those same records. In the same facility. Critical hours were wasted while my dog declined.

Every question we asked was met with "I don't know." Not "I don't know yet, here's what I'm going to do" — just "I don't know." Multiple doctors brought up tick-borne disease as a possibility despite a comprehensive negative panel completed a month earlier that was in his chart. It felt like no one had actually read his file, and recycling an already-eliminated diagnosis was a substitute for having a plan.

Herb's primary care vet at Kensington Veterinary Hospital had successfully treated the same liver condition three months earlier. They knew what worked. Dr. Cahn never called them. The vet who saved Herb's life was a phone call away, and the internist managing his case couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone.

We prepared six individual meals for Herb's stay — his specialized diet was documented at intake. The Internal Medicine team fed him processed kibble and canned tuna in front of us, then noted he had loose stool. We did their job for them, packed and delivered his meals, and they couldn't be bothered to open the container. If they got that wrong while we were watching, what happened when we weren't there?

On our last visit before discharge, Herb was brought to us with dried, caked vomit on the gauze wrapping his IV catheter and dried feces on the catheter line. He smelled of vomit. This is a dog with critically low platelets and an IV going directly into his bloodstream. When I raised this with the tech, he said: "We are really slammed today" and "We are only able to deal with what is in front of us." The vomit was in front of him. On his patient.

When we picked Herb up that evening for his final trip home, they said they'd bathed him. He still smelled of vomit. That was the last thing VCA did for our dog.

New building, same logo, none of the substance. The care is apathetic and transactional.

When VCA Hotel Circle earned its reputation years ago, pet owners in San Diego had fewer options for critical and emergency care. That is no longer the case. There are more and better options today, and one that stands out is VEG Emergency. Please, for the safety of your pet, do not bring them to VCA for internal medicine or emergency care. Your pet deserves a team that fights for them. VCA is not that team anymore.

Full account at vcaexperience.com

I had a 4 month long severe flea infestation and brought my cat to be seen. I specifically asked if contact kill Advantage 2 might be better until the infestation was over, than bite to kill Revolution Plus, but the vets are trained to sell not listen. Suffice to say, the infestation kept going and my cat suffered needlessly until I thought for myself. Never again with a large corporate vet. They cost me thousands and my cat misery.

3/29/26 Terrible deadly experience. We brought our 4 year old Shitsu in with a bee sting. We got there approximately 10-11pm. They said it was a snake bite. Their main concern was getting a credit card to charge us $6-8000. They started an IV but said they could not draw blood because the veins were too small. We left the puppy there and called 2 hours later but they still had not drawn blood. When we got home another one of the dops got stung but we gave this one Benadryl and its fine now. All the vet had to do was LISTEN. We told the vet several times about bees in the yard but were told it was a snake bite. I guess they can't charge $6-8000 for a bee sting. The puppy died because they did nothing. Had the vet listened to us instead of worrying about the money our Shitsu would still be alive. We're interviewing lawyers because the vet needs to be held accountable. if you know any.

$400 For a heart worm test! Vets won't be happy until no one will be able to take care of a pet because of pure greed. Also due to a rabie vaccination the same girls that quoted the test price missed the most recent record and made me pay 100$ dollars for a shot that was still good for another year.

I took my Grandmother's cat in to a VCA vet in Redding,California and I should have never trusted them a second time. The first time they put me in a small room attached to their office and I sat there for over 6 hours and they were actually closed and were vacuuming and getting ready to go home and since the room I was in had a door to the outside I just left. The vet never came in at all. The nurse came in for maybe a minute max and just asked why I brought her in and told me the vet would be right in. After two hours I told them my friend whom I am a caretaker of and who has type 1 diabetes and was with me at the vet, needed to get back home for their insulin dose and was told the vet would be in right away, they never showed up. A week later the owner of the facility called my Grandmother apologizing and told her next time she brought her cat in that she'd be the first to be seen. That was a lie. I took her cat in again and was put in the same room after waiting to be called in from my vehicle after an hour and a half( this is after they told me to be there at a certain time and I was even 10 minutes early). The vet did come in this time and she checked the cat out for maybe 1-2 minutes then she told me I had a few options. She said if I wanted they could Clean her up and give her a dose of antibiotic which would cost $150 or we found could have a full blood panel done which would cost $500. I told her the $150 is all we could afford so she said ok someone will be in to get her in a little bit and left the room. About 45 minutes later a young girl comes in and takes the cat and says she'll bring her right back. Another 45-55 minutes until she brought her back. They gave me a receipt and a half Tube of ear drops and sent us on our way. I made the mistake of not checking the receipt before I left. They charged my credit card for $491 which was not what the vet had told me it would cost and I made very clear I could not afford more than $150. Then my Grandmother who is 89 years old saw the receipt and thought it was a bill she needed to pay so she wrote a check and sent it to them. So they got paid over $1,000 for doing nothing! They didn't even clean up the cat as they said they were going to do. Now I have to deal with arguing with them until they refund that money and if they don't I'll be taking this to my lawyer. I'm tired of dishonest people and they totally took advantage in this situation. I'm not at all happy and I'm warning everyone I know that this vet is one they don't want to deal with. There has to be a vet out there somewhere that is competent and honest who won't take as much money as they can from you but this vet is definitely not it.

If I could give 0 I totally would. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE if you care about your animal. They don't give two craps about our animals! All they want is their money and they don't tell you anything. Then they made me pay more money to get my pet back! It was robbery!!!!!!!!!!! Never experienced anything like it.

Left one vet due personality clash. Uniacke Lakes Animal Hospital Nova Scotia Nice and pleasant welcome. Convinced me to have tests and vaccinations done. On further inspection, vaccinations not due. Hounded me constantly after first visit by phone, email and text for upselling. If could give a negative number rating I would.

After years of compassionate care for multiple pets, my pet died and when I went to cancel th My VCA care club account which just auto renewed in January, I was informed I owed for the balance of the year, over $1,500.
This is so outrageous and not compassionate as a service organization, I have already spent thousands of dollars caring for my pet and now having to pay for services never to be used is crazy.
The manager reached out and corrected the balanced owed for the services provided to my satisfaction.

I would rate this place 0. They killed my cat. They didn’t help my sick kitty which ended up in his death I brought him a month after moving because his symptoms weren't getting better so I figured it was more than the move. I took him in the vet said he had a cat cold didn't clean him up by getting gunk off his eyes or nose sent is home with weak meds he went through two doses the initial and then a stronger dose. Still vet didn’t seem worried he used all second dose had an appointment the day he died. We called the vet to tell them he has passed and cancel the appointment and tell them they sucked and they called us a week later asking if he was going to come in and i also received an email saying “how can you tell my cats name loves you” like this have been extremely hard we don’t need to be more bothered by them. I saw a video of a vet cleaning out a sick cats wyes and nose which didn't tale place at my appointment. The bill was 371 for what then more for meds that didn't work and now a cremation. I jusy wish they did their job id still probably have my cat. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE OF YOU WANT THEM TO LIVE!!! Because my cat was sick and lived in a house with my bunny my bunny also passed, i lost two animals in one day because this vets office and their lack of initiative to help my cat like how do you not even clean him. I’m crying watching a video if a vet caring for a sick kitty when this vets office did nothing.

I had my dog in VCA in Fishers,Indiana and i would think that $10,000 we would get some kind of results, instead we get lip service saying they want more bloodwork and another ultrasound . this is bullshit !!. This hospital is doing nothing but overcharging for everything . So yes, I'm not happy.

All the front desk person cared about my membership to careclub wouldn't answer my questions and when he did they were just bullS*+t lies. The doctor was very nice but that was it didn't feel safe to leave my dog for surgery. I won't ever go back

The 7 Hard Lessons I Learned (In My Opinion)

I’m writing this review for you — a pet owner who cares enough about your family member to read reviews before making an informed decision about your pet’s life and health. I hope sharing our experience helps you avoid what we went through, which would make the nearly $2,000 we spent worth it.

The moral of this story? Seriously consider an independent vet, and think carefully before choosing a clinic that’s part of a large corporate group. CBC News has covered the pressure corporate vet clinics face to prioritize profit, and that context helped me understand our experience.

Our dog had persistent ear infections, severe skin inflammation, and yeast-related symptoms that were repeatedly treated as allergies. He received ear medication, flea medication, and an allergy injection (Cytopoint). We were told it can take time to work, but we saw no reduction in itching or inflammation.

As symptoms worsened, we were told the clinic was too busy to see him for over a week, despite accepting new clients. During that time, we asked whether infection could be involved and whether antibiotics or antifungals should be considered. We were advised against them and told to continue allergy management.

Eventually, we went to an emergency vet (emergencies only). Our dog was given antibiotics, and for the first time, we saw real improvement — especially with the yeast symptoms. We also had him on Open Farm grain-free food, consistent with what we had repeatedly said about his severe grain allergy. We finally felt relief.

We returned to the original clinic only to address his remaining ear infection. I explained the improvement and the grain-free food. The vet recommended a prescription “hypoallergenic” diet described as containing hydrolyzed wheat, stating our dog needed grains for heart health. Trusting the medical advice we were paying for, I bought the food.

After switching foods, our dog reacted severely. When I read the label myself, I saw that while it contained hydrolyzed wheat protein, the first ingredient was rice — a grain — and not hydrolyzed.

Getting Fired?

I returned to explain the reaction and that our dog was worse again. After later reviewing the records, I saw that our dog’s grain allergy had been documented multiple times, yet dismissed as “unlikely.”

There was no apology, no acknowledgment, and no refund for the $168 bag of food. Instead, the clinic arranged a food exchange through the manufacturer. We gave the replacement food to a family in need, as it was not appropriate for our dog.

At that point, the food and nearly $2,000 in treatments had resulted in no lasting improvement. We were back at square one.

I left calmly and said only, “Your actions are dishonourable.”
After that, we were informed management would be meeting to discuss “firing us as a client.” From my perspective, this reflected the corporate culture at play.

Ultimately, it is my dog’s life and health that is directly affected by this corporate culture. I didn’t wait to be fired. I asked a friend for a recommendation and went to an independent vet.

What a paradigm shift.

The new vet reviewed the records (including the “non-compliant” label and the documented grain allergy), prescribed antibiotics and antifungal medication, and explained the infection was too severe for allergy management alone. Our dog improved and recovered.

The 7 Lessons I Learned

Always request and read your pet’s medical records.

“Non-compliant” can mean advocating when something isn’t working.

Symptom control is not treatment of root cause.

Timely access to care matters.

Always read ingredient labels yourself.

Corporate culture can influence medical decisions.

Independent vets can offer clarity and resolution.

Thank God for vets who remain independent and can make caring for their furry patients their main mission.

My current experience with them is solid and great its nice working them to be honest

For VCA RIdgewood, New Jersey.

I currently pay $117.87 per month for a wellness plan, with the expectation that this plan provides value, transparency, and reduces surprise costs. Most recently, I was charged $43 NAIL TRIM per dog ( have two dogs), which was not communicated to me prior to the service being performed. I was only informed of the cost at checkout, as I was about to leave. Had I known the price beforehand, I would have had the opportunity to decline the service.

These add-on charges make it feel as though additional fees are being applied opportunistically rather than transparently.

As a wellness plan customer, I find this experience disappointing and frustrating. Clear communication and upfront pricing should be standard practice, especially when optional services or products are involved. I did sent an email, they replied after two days to provide them more details but since then I have not received any response back after that. This service was done 1-8-2026.

The VCA clinic down the street from my work is great, however...the emergency VCA pet hospital in Loveland is absolutely horrible - I showed up in a snowstorm late at night with my Pup throwing up every 5-10 minutes and they checked him out and then left us.........for hours!!!!
They literally forgot we were there, even with me yelling out "hey, hello? We're here!"
Nobody came to check on us, they literally forgot they had a job to do until the pizza they had delivered arrived.
That's when they realized they had a patient (who was still throwing up and massively dehydrated at this point)
I should've taken that pizza and thrown it in the snow because those selfish workers still had the gall to charge me, knocking a measly 100 bucks off my $1000 bill
Don't ever go to the VCA emergency hospital - they care more about their pizza than your Pup 😡

AVOID THIS PLACE! - SEVERE MISDIAGNOSIS!

Sales driven surgeries rather than patient care!

Pets become part of the family and we lovingly refer to Otis as our "son" or a "brother" to our son and daughter. Where ever we go he goes and we miss him any time we can't take him with us, which is why this was such a horrifying experience.

During the holidays of 2025 we noticed Otis was having acute pain when we touched his belly or back. When his condition didn't improve we decided to take him into the vet. Unfortunately we chose this location.

This was considered an emergency visit (being on the weekend) so prices were substantially higher than a regular visit.

Initial interactions with DVM Ryan Schreyer and staff were courteous and kind. I described the conditions and concerns for Otis and x-rays were recommended.

DVM Schreyer reviewed the x-rays in the exam room and was confident Otis had a blockage in his small intestine along with a foreign body in his stomach requiring surgical intervention.

After sitting for a while a staff member came in with digital documents for me to sign, seeing the price of over $8k, and realizing they wanted to do surgery right away I asked to see DVM Schreyer for more explanation, since there had been no discussion of jumping into surgery right away.

As DVM Schreyer began to explain the necessity of the surgery and that Otis could likely deteriorate to the point of death in the, implied, next 24 hrs, I began to feel like this was more about trying to get a surgery on the books rather than the care of Otis.

As a family we prayed for Otis, gave him hugs and kisses, thinking he could die through the night, but wanting a second opinion because of the feeling that the surgery was being pushed for profit.

We took the same x-rays to other vets the following day and found a completely different diagnosis with no need for surgery and that his condition could be taken care of with some inexpensive medication and rest.

When contacting the Medical Directors about this they directed DVM Schreyer to call (best way for no documentation). DVM Schreyer apologized for the experience and said that ultimately prescribing Otis Hydrocodone was proper treatment for back pain. This told me they weren't willing to take responsibility for the severity of this misdiagnosis and didn't stand behind their initial findings, Hydrocodone would have made the blockage worse. Leading me to also believe the surgery was much the same as a mechanic offering services to increase the amount of revenue from a visit whether it's needed or not.

In my opinion this location should be under investigation from state agencies because I wonder how many other surgeries were performed when not needed, how many family pets died as a result of a misdiagnosis.

I learned through everyone else that went that this company up charges a marginal amount. An ‘exam’ (the vet just looked at the spot, didn’t actually do anything) and medication cost me 122. While on Chewy, I could’ve gotten the medication needed for 13 for 30 capsules when the VCA charges 75 for 14 capsules. The ‘exam’ itself was 80 dollars (mind you, they didn’t examine the dog, just took his weight); and to find out to get his tooth fixed would be 1300-1400 dollars. After I expressly told them I am a full time college student and a part-time worker, I can’t even apply for credit (which they told me to do).
This is compared to a smaller vet clinic who would’ve charged me 200-300 for surgery and less for the medicine.

Visited there today for a simple nail clip & rabies vaccine update. She had an exam only 2 months ago, but I was CB ok with Dr drew doing one since she is a senior. Bella is feisty, so aftef the rabies shot & an exam that lasted about 2 seconds & almost $ 300 he gave up. The vet technicians could have assisted, but he would not even try. Told me that I would have to sedate her & bring her back another time. All this for a simple vaccine & nail clipping(her nails are getting stuck in rugs, blankets,& I’m afraid that they will soon curl into her paw) I don’t want anyone to get bit or scratched, but they are trained- or should be- to handle animals. Don’t go here. The vets don’t stay, so that’s saying something right there. None of the vets here handle feisty-animals very well. Go elsewhere.

I have been here before with my elderly cats. They have all since been relieved of their suffering. Today's, I had a somewhat emergent question and the website says to call for questins,appointments or concerns. I was on hold for 37 minutes and never once talked to anyone... I now will have to either just bring her in as an emergency and get charged an obscene amount of money, or I will have to miss work tomorrow and take her I to her vet to be seen. Either way, I will do for her but I just needed them to answer he phone for some guidance. So much for customer service, I guess. My dog was recently diagnosed with Cushings and now there is a new concern. She is my daughter as I do not have kids, so I am very disappointed when all you had to do was answer the phone...