VCA Veterinary Referral Associates

Reviews 3

NI

Nicole Halperin

Our family has had several experiences with the VCA over many years now, and given that it is so expensive, we wouldnt be going back if we werent really thrilled with the services they provide. There are hardly adequate words to describe how much we appreciate the work they do, and what theyve done for our family. It should be noted that they are an emergency facility almost entirely. Several reviewers have said that they are all about money, and I simply could not disagree more. Are they expensive-- yes. But they have always worked very hard to make sure we were informed about our options, and have on several occasions recommended that we get work done at our regular vet because it would be cheaper and just as good. Given that the reviews tend to be either 1 star or 5, and that the people with lower reviews all claim money as their main complaint, I would guess that they either A- didnt understand the information the vets were giving them as far as risks and recommendations, and/or B- didnt like what they were told. Like any health care service situation, you have to be your own advocate, but I would be ecstatic if I could find a doctors office with staff as dedicated, for humans. This is a place where they care deeply about animals. Out first experience with the VCA was when our eldest dog managed to snap up a human sedative. We ended up at the VCA after being transferred from another hospital and they were able to save our 11 yr old puppy because they had one of the only respirators for dogs in the United States. It was very experimental and she was subsequently written up by one of her primary vets in a journal article he was writing on his research, but if it hadnt been for the VCA, she would have been gone. Instead she is now 18, and apart from being older and a stiffer, still a very happy puppy. When it came time for her to come home from the VCA, all the nurses whod looked after her came out to say goodbye, and when we came back years later for a different problem with our other dog, the nurses and vet who had written the paper recognized her and came to say hi. She had been in the intensive care unit for almost 2 weeks, so theyd gotten to know her. They called her, the miracle dog. Our younger dog has had liver problem all her life, and went into acute renal failure years after wed been to the VCA with our first dog, so of course thats where we took her too once our vet said things were getting bad. She was a very sick puppy, and while the VCA was able to give us more time with her, she did eventually have to be put down. And that was a very difficult decision they were invaluable in helping us to make. Our vet basically said to think about the things which she loves the most, and when she stops being excited by those things, her quality of life probably isnt there anymore. They were able to give us a room where our whole family could be with her at the end, her VCA vet cried with us and let us have our time with her alone, then came back to the room when we called to say we were ready. While she was still in their care, the vets and nurses let me stay past the regular visiting hours (which I probably shouldnt say), even though I know I probably was in the way. Both our dogs happened to be very very sick when they were there and so were almost exclusively in the ICU. The ICU is $250 /night, but our dogs were in a cage large enough for a person to fit in (I know because I would sit in their with them), its quiet and there are very few other animals there too. They were hooked up to heart rate monitors on flat screen tvs, just like in a hospital. Theres at least one nurse there in the room with them at all times. So thats what youre paying for. Even in the general care area, there is just a large number of vets to animals, and the vets they have are some of the very best, with great resources available to them. Some things are worth the money.

MI

Micha Mi

Ive been to VCA over the years for different medical reasons, seeing different specialists. So far, my experiences have been good. I felt the veterinarians gave competent care, were honest with me, and I was happy with my experiences. This was with the radiology department, cardiology, and emergency. The latest trip to VCA was to see the internal medicine specialist. This is where I had the worst experience at this practice. All the veterinarian seemed interested in was creating fear and charging me for as many procedures as she could tack on. My dog had had a comprehensive exam just two days prior with her regular vet, this included comprehensive lab work. Not your general, young dog standard panels but in depth, tests. Despite this, the internal medicine vet wanted to have us get the same exact tests done again with the excuse that in two days, things could have changed. Despite the fact that we were seeing her for a non-emergency condition. She wasnt happy when I stated that I preferred to get these tests done at my regular vets office. She saw problems that were entirely unrelated to her speciality and not picked up by any of the other veterinarians that weve very recently seen. Even I could see that my dog didnt have red eyes or ears. I dont need to be a vet to see that her ears and eyes were indeed her standard color and nothing was off, requiring additional tests. This was pretty much the standard, the entire consult appointment was conducted in this manner. The vet also felt that my dog couldnt have a condition that reflects her symptoms simply based on the fact that the condition is rare. A blood pressure test was administered without my consent, they just did it as part and parcel of the exam so I gave little thought to it. Later, when the bill came around, it was suddenly revealed that this blood pressure test was an additional $40 that wasnt quoted to me when I asked how much the consult exam would run. The consult exam in its self was very expensive. After shelling out all that money, absolutely nothing was addressed or accomplished. I wasted a great deal of money for nothing. Now, I have to go see another internal medicine specialist. The money for that initial appointment would have been better spent on a veterinarian who has my dogs best interests at heart while doing their job.

LY

Lynne Siegel

I am a registered nurse, work for county government, almost ready to retire. not all that wealthy, but had enough on my credit cards to just about cover the expenses. I guess that was the estimate this large corporate welfare veterinary specialty practice does. They figure on how much they can top off, from your very last dime, then they dump you. After that, they cant even be bothered with a call, a referral for follow-up care when your dog is dying of cancer, or even home hospice care from another service, if they arent the ones making a profit off of you. In fact, they will send out a few extra tests that werent even neccessary, when your dog was already diagnosed with an incurable cancer cell, just to extort another few hundred bucks out of you, in case you couldnt get in there again for them to kill your dog on their own cold metal table. No thanks. Ill never be back there again, in spite of the fact I LOVED Dr Saylor to pieces, he was the greatest surgeon around 7 yrs ago when the place was "The Barns" and not under corporate B.S. the way it is now, charging $325 a vial for meropenem antibiotics, when I was able to pay the same amount of money for 5 vials by ordering the RX via the regular pharmacy, after arguing and having major struggles with the front desk staff who didnt want to call the vets to have the medications called in. This place is definitely not where I would go for any future pets problems. I would cross state lines to Pennsylvania, or DC, or even go to New York to a teaching hospital, if need be, after getting my dog stabilized by a HOME VETERINARIAN service, which i now know there are some AWESOME ones, providing the BEST care around, which I would NOT be paying ridiculous OVERHEAD prices. I was able to provide hospice care for my best friend, Star, after 10 1/2 yrs, she deserved the BEST, and she had a very peaceful passing at the foot of my bed, in her own bed, rest in peace my love. For all of you who consider going to this practice for cancer care- please join us at the canine cancer group or pet cancer groups on facebook, there are plenty of other places we can refer you to, for better care, where you wont be billed for your feelings of vulnerablility.