Colorado Veterinary Specialists Review

We received excellent emergency care for our border terrier who was in real distress. Possible outcomes were clearly explained to us along with price estimates. They are excellent caring vets and equally excellent at communicating with human pet parents. They also transfer records quickly to our regular vets so followup after emergency care is clear and complete. I do not hesitate to bring our pets here if an issue appears after hours and on weekends. Our elderly terrier was diagnosed, treated, and is back to normal, thanks to CVS & Animal ER. They also called to check on her a couple of days after she was discharged.

My family has taken our pets to this location three times now. The doctors and nurses are so caring and knowledgeable. They know how to comfort not only the animals but also children who come exhausted in the middle of the night and worried about their pet. The staff at Animal ER was able to accurately identify what the problem was with each incident and prescribe treatment to bring our babies back to 100% health. In one case, our primary vet, who knew our dwarf rabbit better, gave the wrong diagnosis. Animal ER saved our bunny's life with the correct diagnosis and effective treatment for seizures caused by a parasite. Thank-you, Animal ER for excellent service and caring. Two paws up!!!

I was given conflicting information that resulted in a higher bill, weeks of treatment, and unessesary stress on my dog.
I was encouraged to bring my dog in through the ER and told he would be transferred to the specialist for rhinoscopy (he had foxtails imbedded in his nose that had developed infection). I was charged a transfer fee to the specialist and told that the specialist had an opening the next day.
The next day, the specialist said she wouldn't be available for a week and the appointment would be a consult - and I would be charged a consult fee. I pushed back about the misinformation, but she was firm and dismissive.
Then after the consult, she wasn't available for the rhinoscopy for another week!!!
So my dog had to live with this infection and discomfort for yet another week! This place plays games with your money and your animal. They really don't care. I should have listened to the poor reviews on here. I'll never take my dogs here again and wouldn't recommend their care.

Good service and good veterinary work, but very expensive.

I took my best friend, Benjamin, in late Friday night because he was acting strangely - as though he was hallucinating, trembling and wanting to be in my lap (he's a Shiba Inu...not a lap dog no matter how hard I try). It was terrifying!

I called first and found them very helpful. They told me what symptoms indicated that I should bring Ben in right away. So...When we arrived a couple hours later, they were INCREDIBLY kind - Ben was very upset and becoming combative - and just as thorough.

Having taken my pets to other veterinary ERs, I thought CO Veterinary Specialists & Animal ER's prices were incredible! Benjamin's resting comfortably and I'm glad to have found these folks.

I would have given 5/5, but the facility could have been a lot cleaner.

Dr. Hess was a wealth of fact based information. She was direct and informative. Her estimate was accurate and pricing was fair. I will be back!

We had to take my daughter's dog in last night. Staff were great and even though only one of us could go in (COVID), things went smoothly. Called on our way in as we forgot our masks since we left so quickly and staff was extremely nice about that as well and gave my daughter a mask.

Can thank them enough! Dr Herman took the time to listen and answer my 100+ questions. He constantly communicated with me and my spouse as we navigated what to do about our sick pup. Thank you Dr Herman and all of your wonderful staff.

Caring, dedicated and responsive staff. Fair pricing

The staff here is incredible! They were super informative, reasonably priced, and treated our pups like they would their own. We were terrified when we had to leave our dogs overnight and they were so good about giving us updates throughout the entire process... literally every time I went to call to check on them, they beat me to it. Highly recommend!

Great place! Great people! Literally saved my dogs life. Can t thank them enough! If you have an emergency with your pet don t go anywhere else!

Avoid at all cost. They sedate your dog for no reason and charge you a ton, give you random meds, caused my dog fever, asked me to stop giving him the meds because it will cause fever, really? And charge me another 300 for the fever

Our dog was seriously sick and they saw her right away and took very good care of her would highly recommend this vet

I m a dog sitter and I ve taken many dogs to this particular location and have never had a bad experience. The staff there are always very helpful they get to you soon as they can and they are very honest about options. They re also very fair in their pricing and do not gauge you on any follow up care or questions after you leave.I will continue to take dogs in my care there for emergency visits when necessary.

Very skilled and friendly staff. The receptionist, doctor, and nurse were very attentive to us and our cat.
Thank you for your work!

Dr Lewis and her staff are the most caring and compassionate people i have ever met. I am so glad to have found them.

Really great people who are caring and reasonable. By this, I mean they don't recommend procedures or tests that aren't needed given the circumstance. I have a very old cat and we wanted to make her feel better but we weren't going to do anything crazy like surgery or MRI/ultrasound. Ultimately, we made a best guess on her situation given the blood work done and treated her. Happy to she is much better now!

Top notch care in vet and specialty vet care. Also, they are open 24 hours. I went there for an ultrasound of my Pomeranian. Everyone was professional and pleasant. Especially liked Dr. Hess who worked on my girl.

Dr. Laura Russell is a kind, caring, warm-hearted person at CVSG. I unfortunately had to lay to rest my 16 year old cat and she was very empathetic and caring during the process. She gave us the necessary time to say our good-byes (privately) and explained everything that would be done. She is definitely in the right field - can't think of anyone better that I would want to go to! Thank you, Dr. Russell.

Our primary vet Greenwood Village Vet recommended CVSG when we found out Buddy s spleen had burst. They told us he needed an emergency splenectomy and that they were well equipped to handle the surgery and had excellent staff. Because Buddy is 15 years old, we were worried about how he d handle the anesthesia and the invasive surgery itself.
The staff was AMAZING and kept us informed pre (10pm) & post-surgery (6am & 10am) and said Buddy was strong and so sweet... Talk about relief! We were so so impressed by the caliber of education, kindness, thoroughness and accountability of their staff that it was hard to believe we d been so lucky to had found them!

We treat all 3 of our dogs like our golden children, and would not have trusted just any ER to take care of our little Buddy s life at such a critical time.

THANK YOU to Doctors Beth Lewis, Carolina Rosell, Margaret Wigley and Steven McIntyre. Thank you to Kerry Russell and all of the vet techs that helped our baby and offered a loving touch while keeping a sense of urgency... Y all SAVED Buddy s life!!!!

We ll be FOREVER grateful for your flawless work , because of you Buddy will enjoy his spoiled life longer with us!

Love,
Paula & Dustin James

The level of caring and expertise at CVS is second to none. Having been to multiple vets and specialists in the south metro area, I can assure you the these doctors and support staff put your animal first. My lab retriever is young and has severe vestibular disease and an autoimmune disorder. Dr. Laura Russell, DVM (emergency medicine) actively listened to me and genuinely showed compassion and respect to my dog. Her thorough examination and straight forward approach to my animal's care was excellent. Dr. Beth Lewis, DVM (surgery) was extremely compassionate and knowledgeable. I have the utmost confidence in these doctors. Here's what you need to know: these doctors spend time with you, clearly love what they do and love animals first and foremost. These doctors care more about quality vet services than money. Their fees for services are not inflated... How often can we pet owners say that about specialized veterinary care?

Consultation with vet/surgeon was very in depth and explanation of how surgery may or may not help with joint isssue. Decided to postpone any surgery until justified by increased limping, etc.

Fast, friendly, and fees were appropriate for an emergency visit! Would definitely recommend.

I was very happy with the care this clinic provided to my very sick pup! They took him in and diagnosed in an hour. His stay was two days and I was constantly informed on what was going on multiple times a day by a doctor taking care of him. I was also given an estimate prior and was updated throughout his stay when costs went up. The cost stayed within the initial estimate! Very grateful for this clinic!

This clinic Rocks! Dr. Lewis is phenomenal, and the support staff is just that, very supporting..from the front desk to the techs and surgical assistants. They took extraordinary care of my nZimba. We luv CVS!!

An absolutely fabulous place to take an injured or sick pet. Everyone clearly cares about taking care of animals.

My appointment was for 7;30 a.m. they told she would be done at 11:00. At 12:00 I finally drove to the office to get my dog. Normally this would not have been so bad, but my dog was in for an echocardiogram for the second time. She has heart problems. I was very alarmed because for all I knew she may have had an attack and died and they were afraid to call me and tell me. That was not the case, but it did alarm me which could have been prevented with a phone call stating they were running behine.

Amazing experience with a cat with a UTI and some other issues. Service was professional and prompt and my boy is doing better already (we visited 2 days ago). Fair pricing too, for being an emergency vet.

Dr. Hess is great and has helped me with my Frieden many times over the last 4 years. I do have to admit that the prices are very high, so it is my last resort, but when I need her expertise, it's worth it.

I recently rescued a Mastiff from the shelter, he had been in our garage and found some decon that we didn't even know was there. I called 3 emergency vets that all referred me to an animal poison control, after sitting on hold for 25 minutes I called in to this animal ER. The receptionist was amazing, told me to bring him in and even called back to remind me to grab what I could so they could identify it.
My massive pooch is nervous around strangers and other dogs so when we got there we were hanging outside waiting for another patient to finish, the receptionist again noticed us and helped us in without incident. The tech was amazing, super calm and kind, really worked to calm us down and didn't skip a beat when I asked if they had a muzzle just to make sure everyone stayed safe. He explained everything and made the whole process smooth.
My only issue was with the doctor, she didn't agree with my choice to pay and start the treatment immediately instead stating that I should bring him back at 48 and 72 hours to see if it was even needed. I appreciate that she was trying to save me money and save him the hassle of taking unnecessary medication. She did tell me there wouldn't be any side effects even if he didn't need it so I just wanted to be safe.
The worst part was, after she left and shut the door, I could hear her and all the other employees discussing us. She very clearly didn't approve of my choice and had some strong feelings about us in general. I appreciate those on the staff that tried to take up my side and defend my choice but overall it was kind of sad to see that the doctor had no regard for us as her patient.
Overall, the support staff absolutely makes it worth it. The receptionist and our tech were absolutely amazing.
As to the rest, I support that the doctor is entitled to her opinion and I respect the knowledge she has to back it up, but he is part of my family and I don't want to risk his life.
Also, the clinic might want to invest in thicker doors or remind the staff that the doors are thin enough that the patients can hear them.

The staff is professional and very knowledgeable. They saved my dog, and did it with care.

We had to bring our dog here when he got his foot stuck in a storm drain and was bleeding profusely from his foot at 10pm one Saturday night. They were super helpful and quick. The only thing that keeps me from giving them 5 stars though is that the office was kind of dirty- there was fur all over the floor and I had to go back to the office later to get an invoice they said they'd email to me.

The staff were awesome. The vet, Dr. Wiggley was amazing. Very down to earth and kind. I would recommend Colorado Veterinary Specialists and ER hands down!!!!

The staff was very knowledgeable and compassionate during a stressful time.

Very happy, friendly and caring staff. As a clueless new pet owner, I felt very reassured and relaxed by the time I left.

I went back and forth about writing this for a few days but I think people should know what this facility is excellent at, and what it s not. It s great for emergencies and HORRIBLE (borderline negligent) at critical overnight hospitalization. They totally lack the necessary equipment, attention to detail, procedures, and I suspect staffing as well.

The Good:
Wonderful, knowledgeable staff who truly care about their patients. I always felt as though my fur-babies were treated with kindness during treatment and received a thorough evaluation. Prices for outpatient ER care are also fair and they do their very best to get patients triaged according to need. They have truly been life-savers for us many times.

The Bad:
Hospitalization care is seriously lacking and I will never use them for this again. My pet was prescribed oxygen, meds, and an overnight stay. I brought food, a blanket and a toy to keep him company. I was not allowed to leave the blanket. Okay I understand. Then I go to see the chamber with my pet inside to say good-night and noted the following.
1.) No Oxygen sensor inside the kennel to show saturation levels.
2.) No water.
3.) A temperature/humidity gauge with bad batteries.
4.) A towel over the iron grate to sleep on. Terrible!
5.) Ice packs at all the edges because it overheats. (I pray he didn't cook in there)
6.) No electronic monitoring/alarms of any kind to notify staff. No timer for writing readings down.

Sadly, my pet would not survive his overnight stay and we ll never know if he truly ever had a chance. He was euthanized before I could make it back to the hospital after receiving an urgent call that he was actively passing about 8 hours later. I drove like a madman to get there in under 10 minutes at 5am. I do understand their decision as I believe he was in pain but I wanted to be with him if I could. Or maybe he was already dead and cooked in the oxygen chamber. I will never know.

The Sad:
I have always received calls from this hospital to check on patients they have seen or answer questions. Not this time. No call, nothing.

My Hope:
That someone from the hospital will see these comments and make appropriate upgrades so future patients are safer. This facility has all the right groundwork in place to be an outstanding care organization. They do so much perfectly to fall so short on inpatient services is a shame.

If CVSG makes appropriate updates to their inpatient critical care unit and allows me to tour, I am happy to update my review.

It's always a nerve racking process to have to go to the vet ER. I had some issues with my dog and brought him in for an exam. I preface this review by stating this situation is ultimately my fault. What do I mean? I have control of what procedures and medication I choose to use or not use. The bill came to $600 and we did a couple of unnecessary procedures and we certainly didn't need all the medication provided. Overkill. Buyer be smart. They are a business, yes they help our pets, but it's a business to make money.

It's your right and responsibility as a consumer to ask questions and be diligent on procedures...do you really need it? Do you need that medication for $100? In my case, I didn't ask and I made a terrible mistake by not slowing their process down and being cognizant of what I was spending my money on. This is my fault and it sure doesn't feel good to be played. Everybody was really nice because they just made $600 off of me in less than 2 hours. We didn't need 1/2 the meds/procedures they set us up with. I feel foolish for not saying anything.

Just remember folks....they are a business and use slick tactics to get your money. Be smart when going here and ask to disclose everything as you are moving through the process so you do not end up with an outrageous bill for $600 ...for nothing. Please protect yourself.
Oh ya, they didn't find anything wrong with my dog.

I m updating my review because I want to make sure that people know the truth about this business. This business takes down all bad reviews and is dishonest. They responded to me in any way shape or form. If I could give this vet 0 stars I would. They missed a HUGE issue making my cat unable to walk and I left with what they called vertigo medication and an $800 dollar bill with recommendations of more tests costing 100s of dollars. Less than 48 hours later I went to a cat specialist who told me her inability to stand and head tilt was due to something completely different then what I had been told and when I called to tell them what the specialist found they claimed it must have happened within A day (equivalent to the chances of finding a zebra walking down colfax Avenue) and to make sure they double check when they looked into ears of furry animals for infections. the receptionist was horribly rude and actually HUNG UP on me!!! I will NEVER go here again and waste money would not recommend to anyone ESPECIALLY FOR CATS!!! The service and bad experience was pitiful

They were so kind, skilled, knowledgeable and at the ready during off hours on the weekend. My dog's face had swollen and her eyes were almost completely shut. We had no idea what was causing it. They said it was an allergic reaction and most likely an insect bite or sting. They gave her a steroid and antibiotics intravenously and more to take home so her airway wouldnt become obstructed. They called the next day to check on her progress. They were kind, calm and easy going and that helped me to stop worrying. I knew Sadie was in good hands!

They were thoughtful, professional and handled our little 9 month old Shitzu, Murphy with great care. When our regular vet is not available, it s comforting to know we can depend on them both day and night.

We love the folks at Colorado Veterinary Specialists. They are always excited to see our pups and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable in all aspects of Veterinary Care.

Went in to have a broken toe looked at on our 7 year old pointer. After Dr. Lewis evaluated him we were given multiple options on treatment plans. Once we decided what route to take they were very supportive and helpful. Highly reccomend Dr. Lewis and her staff! And 24 hour care is a big plus!!

Our dog sliced his foot/tendon on metal edging right before thanksgiving and had surgery. These guys were great. They truly cared about your animal and made it a easier situation for you then it could ve been. Very nice. Tysm

Aside from a brief wait, they took great care of my dog! Excellent staff and service.

Excellent everything. Dr. Lewis and the entire staff at CVSG have now done two TPLO surgeries on our dog, Jazz. They were quick and efficient while also making sure we understood everything we needed to know for aftercare. They worked with our vet here in Casper (no one here does TPLO). Would definitely recommend them and will take our dogs back if either ever needs anything else done.

We were very well taken care of and so was our cat, Columbine. Received phone calls with updates, and was provided updates whenever I called (which feels like a ton in hindsight). Everyone was so very sweet and supportive.

They took great care of my cat during her recovery after emergency surgery.

The people here were so helpful when my mom's dog was not feeling well. My mom had a lot of questions and made a lot of calls and Sam was so patient and caring and informative to help put her mind at ease during this stressful time.

Ellie started what I thought was seizing and there were no doctors on call at my normal vet office do they told me to run her over to CSG. When I got there they immediately took Ellie to the back and talked to me to understand what exactly happened. Given this was her first seizure they suggested I keep her overnight and explained exactly what they were looking for. I talked to them two times that night and they called at 6:15 in the morning as promised to give me an update. The good news was there wasn t another episode so I took her home that night. Professional, kind, informative, and empathetic are a few adjectives to describe my experience with everyone on the staff not just the doctors. Great experience even though it was a scary one.

These guys are awesome. They performed emergency surgery on our kitty. Drs. Lewis and Hahn and all the staff was awesome!

Our cat was badly injured with a compound fracture in his femur. His leg was broken in three places. Dr. Lewis did the repair using multiple hardware and graphing. He is home now and doing well. Dr. Lewis did a great job explaining our options and allowing us to make the best decision for us. They have called everyday to check on him. Our cost also included all of his follow-up care which was wonderful. We were very happy with the service, care, and especially the professional work that Dr. Lewis preformed.

Our little Yorkie Bandit have a severe eye infection and CVSA ER took great care of him. We had to wait in the Parking lot due to Covid 19 but Bandit is on the mend. Thank you

We had a great experience here. They were fast, attentive and caring! Everyone explained everything in great detail. I felt the price was very fair, I would highly recommend them to anyone!

I was in last weekend with my cat, I was nervous and concerned for my furbaby. My confidence was boosted immediately when I saw a man scrubbing baseboards in the lobby. I thought to myself, if all their staff works that hard, I came to the right place! My experience continued to be wonderful, as I was pleasant greeted by the receptionist, Amanda, I believe her name was. I explained my issue to her and she assured me they would be able to help make my cat better. It was very busy when I arrived, but was placed into a room quickly and was speaking to a technician within 15 minutes. My technicians name was Shayna and she was lovely! Very professional and funny! I was told there would be a bit of a wait before a doctor could see me, but if I needed anything to just let the front desk know. The doctor came in after about 30 minutes and wanted to run some tests after speaking with me. Another technician, Sam, came in with an estimate and explained everything in detail to me and asked if I had any questions, and answered them with confidence. The tests showed my cat was dehydrated, but not very bad. I was given the option of hospitalizing her, or trying outpatient treatment. Both options were explained to me and I elected to try things at home. During the discharge process, Shayna was very clear and answered all of my questions. I was so relieved that my cat was going to be okay! I can't recommend this hospital enough!!!

I just moved to Colorado two years ago and After my kitty passed away last week I wasn't sure where to go. My friend called Colorado veterinary specialist around 9pm and we were able to take her in. It was a sad day but they were there for me with kindness. It cost me about 32$ for cremation and$20 for a clay imprint of her paws and name which I was able to pick up today and it's beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a better experience during this time. Thank you all so much.

Great service - responsive and reasonable - both the treatment options and prices.Our new go-to for doggie emergencies - which happen, unfortunately.

Great experience bringing my puppy to be evaluated after dog bite. Staff was great with communication despite having to drop her off and discuss most over the phone due to covid. Timing was quick despite many other cars in the parking lot. Did great job with stapling her wound and communicating next steps both over phone, email and follow up calls.

Although I hope I don t have to, I will return for next emergency situation

Brought my yorkie poo here based in my vets recommendation. My yorkie was hit by a car and there was no obvious trauma other than a broken tooth. They kept her over night to.observe her and did not do extra diagnostics studies because she remained stable. I appreciate that they did not run up the bill when they could have.

Thanks to the staff at CVSG. We took our 8 year old Pitbull in suffering from tachycardia. The staff was exceptionally kind, compassionate and took excellent care of our dog. Top notch staff and facility!

I recently took my dog in because he was having seizures. The staff was great and started the examination right away. They are great at communicating, and provided me with clear detailed condition updates while my dog was kept for observation. They even valled a couple of days after he was released to check on his condition. Great group of people here!

I had to take my 10 year old Boxer there for an injury to his leg after hours. The front staff was great and answered all my questions. However after I picked my dog up when they finished his sutures he was bleeding more than when I dropped him off. They prescribed way too much medication and for two days until I consulted with another vet my dog would not eat, drink, pee or poop because he was so medicated. After following other vet's directions and cut his medication in more than half he was eating and drinking and moving around normal and still had pain management. I took him in for follow up to get a tube removed and Surgeon Lineberger was awful. He said my dog was going to lose his leg and wanted to keep him for weeks to do a procedure and charge me $3,000-6,000. He did not answer any of my questions and said there was nothing I could do for him at home. I took my dog for a second opinion the next morning at Academy Acres and 2 weeks later my dog's leg was almost completely healed for only $52.00 I was able to soak his leg in water and iodine and continue medication and the dead skin fell off and his new skin grew back together. The sutures they supposedly did the night he was injured had all fallen out before the skin was closed and had to be re-sutured. Lineberger jumped the gun and thank the Lord I got another opinion and my dog's leg was spared!

They were quick to act and got my dog in when other places wouldn't/couldn't. My baby had a spiral fracture and needed surgery ASAP. It was easy to tell the staff here are animal lovers. I'm very pleased with the quality of care and prices here. Would return if needed to.

The staff at Colorado Veterinary Specialists & Animal ER are amazing! We have had several fur babies in need of their expertise over the years and I wouldn't trust my babies in the hands of another ER. The knowledge and compassion is apparent with every visit and the communication is stellar. Thank you staff! The Herman's

Amazing place. Dr. Lewis and her staff are wonderful, knowledgable caregivers. They are consistently kind to us and especially our dogs. One of our dogs has been very sick, had been misdiagnosed by other vets. But here, they have really gone out of their way to figure out what is wrong. With their help, our sweet dog is finally going to be okay. We can't recommend their care enough.