Veterinary Specialty Services Review

The doctors at VSS are absolutely outstanding. My 130 lb. American Bulldog had both of his ACL's done there and my overly-curious cat had two chunks of kong toy removed from his intestines. In all three instances the doctors (not techs!) called regularly with updates and my animals were clearly in loving, concerned, compassionate hands. Heh, if only humans could receive this level of concerned care ;)

I have brought both of my Chihuahuas here for emergency and specialty services. The doctors and staff are always wonderful and helpful. And the true testimony is that my dogs love them too.

Love these people 2 surgeries later would recommend it to anyone. They truly care.

The best doctors and staff in or near St. Louis. Would recommend with any emergency, any time.

Had to take my dog there on an emergency. Staff was very nice and took good care of my dog. Dr took time to explain everything to me so I felt comfortable leaving him there overnight

All I have to say is: BEWARE. Took my dog in "after hours" because he'd been not acting like himself and had reoccurring diarrhea and vomiting for a few days. Once we got there, we waited an hour to be seen, though the lobby looked like a ghost town. Once we finally saw the vet, they ran every test she could think of to see what could have possibly been wrong with my dog, gave him some fluids, a prescription, and told me he was perfectly fine. This visit cost $600. Completely outrageous. I left there without a solid answer, and feeling totally taken advantage of. If you're going to charge a premium for your services, then be up front about it. They were totally sneaky, and incredibly rude when I confronted them about it. 10/10 would not recommend.

Over the years have taken several dogs here when an emergency arises. Always courteous and so much they can do to help. You leave feeling they always did more than just looking over your dog be it a surgery, shots, they have the ability to do so much.

All of my experiences with Veterinary emergency services have been positive

Everyone was very professional and were able to clearly explain everything. They were pretty busy at the time, so it was about two hours to get in and out.

I have never, ever in my life been more pleased with a veterinarian office in my life. I am new to the area, and my little dog (9lb) snuck under the fence and got attacked by 2 large breed dogs. In my panic, at 830pm, I couldnt find an emergency vet by typing just that in google so I called the first open vet I saw. they were closing in 10 minutes but sent me to VSS. I rushed in, not thinking to call first. when I arrived all I could say was my dog needs help now! he was so injured i could not get a good view of what exactly was hurt. They immediately rushed us to a room and got a vet in the room with us. they gently wrapped him up in the bedding in his crate and carried him to the back to check him out. they came back and told us they were wanting to do an xray to check for internal damage, and his wounds definitely needed stitches and potentially drains. They gave me an estimate of $1,300 to do xrays, keep him overnight, all meds, put him under, clean and repair the wounds, and place drains. The next day I picked him up, and the bill was only 1,000. Before stitches got removed he had a blood clot push out of one and I called to ask about it and they had me email pictures then a vet called me to discuss it. We went in once to remove the drains, and then to remove the stitches and they did not charge me anything else. I called multiple times with questions or concerns and they handled it wonderfully. When we went back in for the stitches to be removed he was feeling better and has been anxious about people and dogs since the attack, he was not very nice to the vet tech that came to get him, but she just let him bark and stooped to his level to show him he wasnt a threat and he ended up going to her willingly. They NEVER judged me for him getting attacked or his bad attitude. they treated me with respect and genuinely cared about the well being of my little man. hands down, if I need an emergency vet in this area I would go there time and time again. The price was beyond reasonable for emergency services, and the compassion they have for animals was off the charts. Thank you VSS for saving my best friend

It was our first visit here. Everything went smoothly and they seemed genuinely focused on caring for the pet. The doctor and staff were very professional and explained the care plan very well. They did not rush through things and made sure that all of our questions were answered.

We will definitely be going back!

Friendly staff and top service! You pay for the 24h service but it's really worth it!

They were very unferstanding and nice under the cercomstances that we were under.

Our Maine Coon got into a massive accident and had to have surgery. I called VSS after seeing the nearest emergency vet, and they were super helpful over the phone. When we arrived they examined our cat as soon as we arrived to see the severity. Doctor Eisele told us about the procedure, gave us multiple estimates, and was extremely helpful. She called us as soon as the surgery was completed, and again for an update. The staff was very helpful as well! Luckily our cat is doing well despite the surgery and traumatic event. I can t thank Dr Eisele enough!

Showed up at 2:30am for an allergic reaction with my dog. The lady that came and got my dog was fantastic. She didn't let him scare her and he was skiddish but felt comfortable going with her. Being half asleep I couldnt find his collar and they let me borrow a slip leash to use. Would recommend and use again.

Great care for our elderly dog who was going through Vestibular disease. So grateful for them!

Awesome, love VSS and the Staff, my baby Papillon needed surgery for enlarged spleen, everything was perfect from the consult to the operation, post op and home care. Follow-up and attentions to detail is excellent, never had to wonder. Very large staff here and large place, this is not your typical Vet but an Animal Hospital. Baby is doing well a month after. Photos on the wall of others before me attest to the excellent work and make you cry as you can see the impact that the excellent care has had on the families of pets. Highly recommended.

My diabetic dog started vomiting and quit drinking one Saturday morning. We got him to his regular vet office right away, and after x-rays and no answers we were referred to VSS and Dr. Karagiannis. I'd heard that it could be a minimum of 2K for care at a place like this. I was pleasantly surprised to discuss a multi-day care plan and find the estimate less than that amount. After all, this is a 24 hour ICU with a vet who specializes in critical care and emergency medicine and that's what we needed. My dog was stabilized, received testing unavailable anywhere else and the care plan was changed when needed. We were communicated with on a regular basis and able to visit daily. The team was professional and kind. Best of all, the problem was identified, a non surgical option worked and saved my diabetic dog from possible surgical complications and saved us money.

My 13 yo Cocker Spaniel had a lot of fluid buildup around his heart on May 10( Mother's Day) and our vet sent us to VSS for specialized care. Dr. Saunders is the cardiologist there and she was able to drain the fluid. They kept him overnight and then released him on Monday. Dr. Saunders put him on heart meds. We had a recheck on the 19th at which time he had to have another tap. Today was a recheck day and we had excellent news. His meds are working and no fluid buildup! I'm so glad that VSS was there for us. Sebastian was my dad's dog. Dad passed away January 2019 so Bas is very special to me and I'm so happy that they were able to help make him feel better.

They took awesome care of my sick cat and made sure she received the material treatments she needed

They are doing an amazing job at taking care of my sweet baby theo

First off.... these people take advantage of the love we all have for our animals and charge whatever they want because of course we will spend whatever money to make our babies well again. Not only did they try to take advantage of my love for my cat who needed desperate emergency services trying to get me to pay 1,100$ but at the end of her visit they charged me $300 for simply cleaning a wound and wrapping it. Which I could ve done myself. Then come to find out the anabiotic they gave me for the cat, On the label the directions clearly state .4 every two hours. Had I not called I would have never found out That I m only supposed to be giving it to her every 12 hours.The reception insisted that her label says every 12 hours and that apparently I didn t read it right or whatever she tried passing the blame to me but they are irresponsible and negligent PROFESSIONALS only out for cash. my cat is not even six months old and that could have caused an overdose or death or complications with her neurological issues which I informed them many times of. I m so thankful I caught the professionals mistake (which after paying that much money I should not at all have to do) because had I listen to the label I may not have had a cat for very long. Like I said they did not believe me when I told them my label says every two hours so I was brushed off and ignored and told she ll be fine just give her another dose in 12 hours. she may be fine however would she have been fine if I did not call myself and ask? Or would I have just given you $300 of money I do not have because I am a college student for you to kill my cat with an incorrect dosage and incorrect Dosage times.
Picture of prescription label under photo section please take a look and seriously consider another place before you take your fur baby to this clown shop.

Excellent service at reasonable prices. Definitely the best 24 hour vet I have used.

My cat was supposedly treated by the veterinarians at Veterinary Specialty Services in April of 2016. I say supposedly treated because of the neglect, abuse, and unnecessary treatment my four-year-old cat received in her final days. After consultations at other veterinary offices, it was determined that my cat, Lucy, had heart disease. According to Lucy's general care veterinarian, VSS would be the best place for Lucy to receive treatment. I should not have followed that opinion. During our visit, the heart specialist at VSS asserted that Lucy had a good prognosis, they would just need to keep her to monitor her vitals and provide her with consistent care. I would have been apprehensive to keep her there had VSS given me a different prognosis. Ultimately, the doctor provided me with false hope to line the pocketbook of VSS. Less than 36 hours in their care, Lucy's health rapidly deteriorated which required me to make the tough decision to have her put to sleep. While holding her and through my tears I was apologizing to my little Lucy for leaving her there if I had only known. The doctor who administered the medicine to put Lucy to sleep argued with me immediately following the procedure instead of apologizing or sympathizing at all, she told me that I was made aware that this could be the outcome.

After reviewing the itemized bill, I noticed a number of items that were not previously brought to my attention (i.e. additional testing, body scans, and removal/reinsertion of feeding tubes) that resulted in the further distress of my cat. Whatever you do, please do not bring your animals to VSS.

You are a true lifesaver, I thank you for the excellent work.

Their covid related processes leave a lot of be desired. I have a referral from my vet to see a cardiologist at VSS. They won't even schedule the service for at least a week. I am not talking about the appointment itself. They won't even think about the appointment for a week. Frankly, this is no way to run a business. They are blaming this on "COVID" procedures, but scheduling an appointment doesn't take that much. Open a calendar, see an open spot, put the patient information in - which we have been a patient of theirs in the past, so that shouldn't be difficult. They need to change their patient intake procedures.

They are the ONLY 24 hours clinic I will use. Everyone here is helpful and always take care if you in the best way possible. Link loves them and we are thankful for all that they did for him.

They were great, they weren't just chasing after money with unnecessary treatments or tests. Very thorough and I felt they really cared for our dog.

This place is just fabulous. Our Greyhound had to have cancer surgery and this is really the only place we would have wanted him to be. Can't say enough good about it, and I have no connection with these folks except as a patient. It's not cheap, but the best never is.

We got a new puppy and he, unfortunately, was diagnosed with Parvo but the people at VSS were amazing. The took a referral from our vet and were waiting for us in the parking lot when we arrived. Us humans had to wait about an hour while they assessed how he was. They gave us options and estimates (that were a little less than reality but close) and they took very food care of him and were punctual with their morning calls to give us updates and the techs were very patient and understanding whenever I would call in the evening. My dog is released and doing wonderfully and I credit VSS entirely for that. I can't thank them enough

They gave excellent care ro my Cosmo. They always kept us in the know. They are very expensive, but it is a specialty hospital.

Awful place. Waited 3 hours for a "vet" to tell us she does not specialize in our animal and take his heart rate. A guinea pig, really?? Paid 94 dollars for her to tell us she doesn't know anything about our pet and take his temperature. Stay away. The Harvester clinic care took care of our pet for 8 hours and charged us 80 bucks. Stay away!!!!

expensive BUT they really care about your babies and take good care of them

They are good but expensive. For after hours, they don't take appts so your wait could take 2 to 3 hours. They take animals in order of severity thus the wait, if your animal is not critical. But they are emergency services after hours, open 24 hours. We've taken 3 dogs there over the years.

They took my dog immediately after a very bad accident and several doctors consulted and reviewed his case before they made any decision when treating him. The staff is very busy but very friendly and focus solely on you, I feel. They're trained and I will continue to use the practice. I wish they had payment plans but other than that the facility is immaculate, the doctors are skilled, and everyone from reception to techs are fantastic.

My heart may be broken but the compassion they showed our sweet boy and us. Was incredible.

Not a good place to take your rabbit for an emergency. Not sure if they have anyone on staff that is familiar with rabbits but there was was no one there when I took my bunny in. Everyone was nice but it wasn't medically helpful.

Great caring staff. Always friendly and happy to see you.

Doctors are all amazing, each a specialist in their field. The technicians are dedicated and caring. Receptionists are patient and courteous. The staff does everything they can to diagnose, treat, and make your pet feel as comfortable as possible.

The staff and the doctor was extremely caring & very polite also explained every thing. My only complaint is would be the price but with that said I would most definitely drive back down to the city again if I needed to take my dog Zeppelin back to the ER at Veterinary Speacialty Services again without a doubt

The team genuinely cares about your pet and despite being very busy at times, the staff makes the best effort to help out.

One of the best and most caring Veterinarians in St Louis. Everyone is very considerate.

Well make sure if your pet needs a neurologist see one there. Avoid a regular surgeon its out of her scope of knowledge and skills
You may never see your dog or any pet again

Brucey, my pit/boxer mix, just under two-years-old, was diagnosed as epileptic prior to me adopting him. For the first month and a half, everything was great. Then he took a bad turn. VSS worked on him with near-constant care (thank goodness they're open 24/7) and went to great lengths to diagnose and treat him (MRI's, etc.) It was unfortunate that even with their excellent care, they could not stop his seizures. They are so highly recognized that when I contacted a holistic vet in the area (for herbal or holistic remedies) they referred me back to VSS. I can't thank VSS enough. They truly went above and beyond and I know they did all they could. Their compassion, even at the very end, will never be forgotten.

My vet at Tesson Vets referred me to VSS to get a second opinion on my 15 year old chihuahuas heart murmur and "heart failure"...come to find out the Vets at Lemay Animal Hospital IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED MY DOG! so my dog had LESS medicine..LESS medication complications AND he looks sooooo much BETTER!!! I ABSOLUTELY.RECOMMEND VSS for ANY MAJOR MEDICAL CONDITION FOR A.PET!! i paid $924 for my dogs labwork chest xray and a heart echo and cardio vet....$$$ but my baby is worth EVERY PENNY!!! The place is busy and hopping...saw is my vet on a tues and he got me to go in to VSS by that friday

Dr. Lee is amazing! It s hard to find a vet able to treat rabbits (especially in the middle of the night). Very quick treatment and extremely helpful with all of my questions. I m extremely grateful for his help along with the other vet technicians!! My bun is very happy this morning :)

My dog had to get stitches in his face after getting attacked by another dog and the wait was a little long but they had some emergencies come in so it was understandable. They were very gentle with my not-so-nice pup and the price was very doable! Definitely will go here first if i ever have a pet emergency

My cat had urinary blockage and was deemed critical. My regular vet + VSS acted fast and treated him properly. This place is right off 141, so it can be busy. Owners are expected to wait in their cars while their animals are being looked at, so yes, wait times can be a while. Anyone who owns a pet knows if they need medical attention, it can be costly. I feel they are very up front and although it sucks to drop that kind of money, it needs to be done if you re committed to keeping your pet healthy. Every single veterinarian that cared for my kitty was informative, empathetic, and updated me every single day without fail, and I appreciate that so much. If I had waited to have my cat seen, it is very likely he could ve and would ve died. I m so so thankful for VSS!!!!!!!

Have taken several animals there over the years... They know their stuff and have great bedside manners!

They take our pets' health very seriously. The doctors are very patient and take the time to explain things and answer questions without rushing. I feel that they truly care about each individual pet and owner. We have a special, rare issue with our puppies. The doctors are very attentive and seek outside guidance from veterinary universities as needed.

Brought out ~8 week puppy here tonight after our normal veterinarian recommended doing so.

Despite social distancing measures, there was fantastic communication and care from the doctor who took care of our puppy. Very pleased with the service we received. Really made a scary situation as good as it could be.

The PRICE was far lower than we expected to pay as well. Definitely takes some stress out of the whole ordeal as well.

Thank you all at VSS so much!

Have had nothing but great experiences during tough times with VSS

Extremely long wait time just to see my dog while he was in recovery, sat for over an hour. Staff complaining about other staff not answering the radio ever. Just seemed a bit unprofessional.

Quick appointments. Caring staff. Explained my dogs heart problems and treatment. Tests are not cheap but my little guys life is important to us so we save up for visits and monthly medicine. Follow up tests reassure us that his condition is not getting worse. Peace of mind is worth a lot.

I feel the staff took very good care of our sick dog and kept costs down with an understanding of our concerns regarding expenses. They were very nice and compassionate!

Our kitten was treated immediately and though the bill was expensive, it justified the late hours and efficient service. However, I have to give three stars due to the attitude of the lady who presented our bill. When hearing we got our baby kitten from a breeder, she said "nothing wrong with breeders" stressing "nothing wrong" and reiterated the phrase later on, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I don't understand why we should be judged only because our kitten was from a cat breeder. We never purchased cats from backyard breeders and do love rescue cats as well. Breeder cats have the same right to be loved by human beings. Since when rescuing a pet has become the bar of becoming a pet owner? Don't all pets deserve loving care from the staff?

They were amazing and comforting in a scary situation.

Just looking through reviews trying to find a good safe vet and this place has THE MOST horrible reviews ive ever seen. So many posts about them killing peoples animals. Will NEVER come here.

We can't thank Dr. Marshall and VSS enough for their diligence in diagnosing and treating our dog. He was suffering for several days with passing out episodes and was diagnosed with heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, medication will treat him and he will be fine! We are so grateful to have these answers and for you taking care of our precious SugarBear he is SO loved! Thank you!

Very caring and sensitive, everybody was so sincere

Very compassionate and quick to care for our cat baby. Highly recommend to anyone.

My dog had surgery here, everything was fine and went smoothly. However, I brought him back a week later because he was having an issue with his eyes and throat. After waiting for hours, I was told there was nothing that could be done and felt I was treated 2nd class. I brought him to a different hospital. He had an upper respiratory infection, given antibiotics and steroids. Now he's better. Very disappointed in the service second time around

I couldn't be happier with dr. Smith and the staff for all they have done for my dog who was diagnosed with lymphoma 3 yrs ago shes doing great

Just got home from taking our boy here. This place was amazing and very informative and caring. We would definitely recommend to anyone. We would like to thank all the staff there that helped our little man.

The doctors and nurses were wonderful. They gave me a chance to tell Ace goodbye and they treated him with compassion.

I tecently rescued a wild bunny who had been hit by a car and was acting strangely. I took it in and the vet explained what he thought had happened to it, as well as what could be done. I agreed that euthanasia was the best choice and they even let me sit with the rabbit as it was being put to sleep. Thank you all so much for your prompt, professional attention!

The staff here are wonderful, caring and extremely helpful. Like most we came here when our dog was seriously ill and they helped him get well giving us many more years with him.

Absolutely amazing staff.. even though Andy did pass, they did everything humanly possible to try to save her. I understand they don't specialize in birds, but they did an amazing job for what it was worth. Super amazing staff and caring. I love them all.

I've been very disappointed with this clinic for a while. Despite making appointments the wait time is generally and hour+ not to mention the multiple botched surgeries and misdiagnosis.

If you're going to spend the money and drive out to the middle of nowhere I would recommend just going to Columbia's Veterinary college instead of getting shafted with unnecessary costs and poor service.

Best place to go when your fur babies are in need of specialized services or when it is emergency. They were wonderful when it was time to say goodbye. They were there for our babies but also foot us thru that moment

Had an emergency visit during the Covid shut down. The medical staff here, performed tasks efficiently and kept me informed throughout the process. I stayed in my car and they took my dog inside for his visit. If I need emergency vet services again, we will go back to this location.

A 4 star to Dr. Fesser as she did honestly try to help even though she hardly sees rabbits. My 2 star rating stands for the service provided by the techs (except for one working last Tuesday night that I spoke with on the phone, she was so great) and a lady who sits at the front desk and speaks to people in a condescending tone (like with Blue's owner). I felt like a burden more than anything. I had questions they could not answer, which is fine, but please go about it in a nice way! How am I to know you don't have the answer until I ask? I have a rabbit on the brink of death, the office agrees to see my pet without hesitation, but was then treated like my pet didn't matter or that I should just call another vet whenever I had follow up questions and Dr. Fesser was not around. She left me a voicemail to see how my bunny was doing and asked me to call back, so I did....and I get the lady at the front desk with an attitude essentially screening my call, then telling me to call my regular vet. So rude. With such a tragic experience that my pet is going through, this did not make things any better.

Skilled staff and friendly environment but wait times can be horrendous.

Got in right away,took our dog and made her as comfortable as possible. Ended up doing surgery,and now she's all good!

Our pit was hit by a car and need to have his elbow surgically reset and everyone we spoke with highly recommended them and I absolutely see why now. Thank you guys for all the care and help you gave us during this.

They are great for emergency services! Sooo very thankful. They are open 24 hours which is also great BUT they are very, very expensive.

I'm just getting around to posting this....in October 2016, my senior dachshund suddenly had a slipped disk. My choices were to operate or put him to sleep. Being a full time (unemployed) student and new to the STL area, I considered the ladder due to financial concerns. Dr. Fred Winnger took the time to talk with me and present both options in a calm and practical way. I ultimately decided to move forward with the hemilaminotomy and wanted to express my gratitude to Dr. Winnger and the rest of the team that took such good care of my boy. The nurses patiently explained his at-home care instructions so well to me the day I took him home (and there was a lot to do!). He is healthy and somehow more mobile now than he was before his surgery! He is a thriving, happy boy and he wouldn't be here without the team at Veterinary Specialty Services. Thank you. :)

While the services are excellent, the wait time for emergency service is ridiculous..however no other option for emergency service

The good vets dont seem to stick around. They were dishonest about what to charge me when I took my cat for a check up. I specifically asked, several times, to make sure check up was free (outside of purchasing vaccines or medications). I was charged for something that was not mentioned. I will not go back.

Best Specialty and Emergency Hospital around. Excellent compassionate care.

Very friendly and helpful staff. All 3 of my dogs have been patients at both vss locations. All well cared for.

Thank you all for being so kind to us and letting us take time to say our goodbyes to our fur baby. It meant a lot. WE will love and miss him forever.

Dr. Kate Sycamore is outstanding! Really cared about our dog personally I get. However, they are expensive.

We brought our dog in around 7:30 in the evening and received excellent care. The doctor called me while I was in my car and gave a thorough explanation of her assessment and diagnoses. We received the medications that Bella needed right then and did check out over the phone. It did take a little bit of time after everything was done for the tech to bring her back out. But I'm sure they were busy because the parking lot was full. We would definitely visit again if Bella needed something after hours.

They took care of our dog with a liver shunt surgery. Staff was very patient and helpful with our many questions.