Very great staff, helpful and friendly, they promptly get your pet in. Free coffee and tea is nice while waiting for your pet. Staff let us call for any questions day or night while our pet was admitted.
Our dog was referred here for bone cancer surgery. I called for an appointment and I indicated a referral was on its way, and was told the surgeon was not available, and that the process was when the referral arrived, it was reviewed by the referral coordinator and appropriate vets and they would call back. They never did. When I finally called them, a week later, they said they thought I was going to go to another vet hospital since their surgeon was not available - I said no such thing. The bottom line is, I have a dog with a very serious illness, time is of the essence and, once they received the referral, they did not bother to follow up in any way or call me, and used a lame excuse to justify doing nothing. I would never take a pet to this place.
Dr. Adam Bentley was great to us when I brought in my pitbull/boxer puppy with a minor concern. Staff were friendly and accommodating. I didn t find the prices too outlandish for an emergency clinic that s open all hours either.
I would definitely recommend this clinic for emergencies and specialty care!
Don't bother taking your pet to this "emergency" clinic. We waited for TWO HOURS for care in the middle of the night on a weeknight and NO Vet came to attend to us so I left. There were no other patients in the facility at the time. The place was empty.
Their attractive emergency receptionist was lacking in professionalism and provided terrible service. When we did finally see a Vet two days later, he was run off his feet. He was knowledgeable and kind but clearly overworked. They need to hire more Vets and more qualified front end staff who know what they're doing. If at all possible, take your pet to your regular Vet during business hours.
This place will rip you off. You might as well burn your money then expect this place to care for you pet. They will try to sell you on all their tests without telling you anything. Specifically Dr. Henderson wont bother helping you until you pay her over $2000. She will take your money and refuse to help your animal unless you comply. She will prey on your emotions and give you some professional responsibility BS to try to sell her diagnostics. She should be ashamed of herself.
I wasted $700 and all I got was pain killers that didn't work. My other vet fixed my dog for $100. Avoid this place at all costs.
Amazing staff and Vetrinarians- they did a great job keeping the price affordable by only doing totally necessary things! Thanks soo much!!
Visited this location with our dog for an emergency situation and the staff here were incredible! They triaged the situation and continually updated us of everything that was ongoing. Staff is extremely mindful of the owners and allowed us to visit our dog who was being held over night. They are really empathetic and go out of their way. I'd highly recommend coming here for your emergency vet needs. They also do follow up and schedule anything your pet may need like blood work, followups and more as needed keeping you in mind. Lastly, they had a small donation box where you can bring in food and pet supplies to donate to charity
Overall great spot!
Our little dog leo received the best care here from multiple vets. The techs were so good with him to get his vitals and with us when it came to listening to our concerns/history of the issue. We first came in at about 12:30am today and despite them being so busy they were able to get Leo looked after with some diagnostic tests. We were able to identify the problem and talked with the vet about further options. Dr. Ackert was very honest about treatments that were necessary (eg. Getting him fluids overnight) but was willing to let us take him home for the night so long we brought him back for his repeat x Ray's this morning. She also clearly laid out the costs and what would be done to him in the back. This morning we also received amazing care from two lovely girls at the front and the tech getting his vitals again. The vet that came to let us know about the results of the second x Ray's was absolutely amazing (I unfortunately had such a sleep ridden brain that i didn't catch his name). He answered all my questions and concerns and made sure to let me know what to look for in terms of Leo's health going forward, both good and bad
Yes the place is costly but you are paying for what I have no doubt in my mind is the gold standard of care. Thank you so much everyone!! - love leo and his doggy parents.
This is the best hospital in the city for complex animal care. They have the most advanced hospital equipment available and thats not just my personal opinion, but a matter of fact. Our dog was in an emergency situation and was sent from McKnight to WesternVCA by ambulance. He stayed in critical care for 5 days and the doctors were so wonderful to deal with. I truly believe that if it can't be done at Western VCA then it can't be done at all. The team communicated thorough, factual, and realistic expectations to make sure that we understood all aspects of his treatment. We have Trupanion pet insurance which made billing easier as they can direct bill.
The only negative reviews that I have read on here are all related to dollar amounts, which is essentially a moving target at any clinic because they do not know the specifics of what work needs to be done until they get in there. Estimates are just that- an educated guess as to the approximate cost. In all of my experience at Western VCA the estimated costs have been accurate and without any surprises. If you think pet insurance is too expensive then you certainly cant afford 100% of the true dollar amount of a vet bill that gives the comprehensive care that your animal needs. Veterinary care is an expensive endeavour in general, but can be especially so when your animal needs emergency or life-saving treatment. This is not to the fault of this hospital.
Great vets and the techs are incredibly knowledgeable
While everybody was very friendly, I have yet to receive the medical report or receipt for my trip. I was told it would be emailed and they seemed reluctant to print a proper receipt for me at the time of payment. This seems pretty weird to me. I still have not heard back after emailing them to ask where my record and receipt was.
My poor little guy blew a knee ligament. VCA got him back walking. It's been just 2 weeks and a good recovery so far. But pro tip - buy some pet insurance! These guys do good work but nobody works for free. Surgery is expensive.
Awesome service on short notice for a distressed pet. The staff were genuinely concerned and knowledgeable, and the vet was exceptional. Quality care with excellent support and followup.
Would not recommend. Dishonest staff that quotes one price and then charges a much higher price. Our dog actually came out terrified so not sure what happened. Anyhow we are not pleased with their service or pricing. There are many other vets with great reviews.
Reading reviews would have saved us being taken advantage of. Avoid these guys unless there is no one else open
Horrible experience. Money hungry threaten to take your pet. Took . pet to his vet strait after he was in . I was robbed to say the least! Treated horribly.
I went here October 1 night with my cat. We waited for about 20 minutes and the veterinarian thoroughly checked her and provided advice. He told me there s nothing to worry about and didn t charge the full check-up fee!
I genuinely feel that this place practices extortion. My dog came in here for some minor care, and instead of an honest assessment, they just souped him up on hugely expensive codeine, which put him in an awful state, and raked me over the coals on every conceivable price. But, they've got him in the back, and I can't get him until I pay, for what truly felt was a racket. Now, I'm not saying that they don't know how to properly care for animals, just that my experience left me with a real feeling that they didn't follow good, honest protocols with my dog. I left this place terribly short in the wallet, and Jeb left in considerably worse shape than when he came in. There are several great vet clinics in this city. I would advise against making the mistake of trying this one.
We recently had our dog in for a TPLO surgery which seemed to have went well. We payed a lot of money for this and as such we had hoped that my dog would have received the best care possible. I am very disappointed in how the follow up was handled. We were suppose to bring her in two weeks post surgery for a follow up appointment, which was stated by the Vet tech and the Orthopedic surgeon. When the time came to book the follow up visit there were no appointments available at the time they had asked us to come in for the follow up visit. The next available appointment would be a month post surgery. UNACCEPTABLE!!!! The follow up appointment should have been booked at the time after surgery before leaving the clinic, but that option was not given to us. Reception was very unhelpful the first time we called stating they would call back. They never did! So I called them back to see if anything was available or came up so we could get our dog in. When I called the second time no one knew what I was talking about. So obviously no one did anything and we were disregarded. It should be part of their job to follow up with their patients and to make sure they are getting the appropriate care required. I do not feel this clinic actually cared about my dog. They just took our money and sent us on our way. I am very disapointed. It would have been nice if someone had actually shown that they had cared.
As all of us pet parents know it is a traumatic experience whenever a pet is hurt, sick, etc. I have unfortunately had to bring my two cats in for seperate issues in the last year. One was for a specialist appointment with an Opthomologist and the other was an emergency with my youngest kitten. I can say that both visits where more pleasant then I expected, the staff are wonderful, the doctors are caring, the atmosphere is calming and clean. I'd recommend Western Veterinary to anyone.
Shocking experience. If you have no background knowledge on animal medicine, please do not pick this place as your DVM. They overcharge and over drug your pet. My dog got into a porcupine mishap. He had about 8 quills. A very minimal case. Of course, naturally, I was impressed by the aesthetics of the location and initially thought I was in good hands. The doctor was thorough in obtaining a medical history and very professional with nice charisma. However, when the nurse came in, she simply handed me the estimate and asked me to sign it with no explanation of any of the items. The bill was 3-4x what it should have been. A quill removal, especially as minimal as this one, should have cost around $200 at the most. (A past 200+ quill removal cost me under $150. I was expecting sedation, anti-inflammatory and maybe a take home drug for bad cases, but this was not one of them). This bill was estimated $700-$934 with 8-10 unnecessary drugs. I told her what drugs are necessary in this case, and asked her to explain this bill and the medical reasoning behind this, because it was ridiculous and that she knew it. She blushed and didn't say anything. I asked her for my dog back (luckily, they had not sedated him yet) and when she gave me the leash I apologized for the inconvenience, and that I simply couldn't afford nor agree with their medicine. Instead of acting professional, she just shrugged and turned around. I later called several other locations all of which gave me an estimate of $200. I ended up going to my regular clinic (Fish Creek). Beware. They are either overcharging and simply listing extra drugs on their bill or they are doing things to pets that are not medically necessary. It breaks my heart to of had this experience. Animals are all good souls. Their lives should not be messed around with, nor should their owners, as pet care is already expensive and this is further pushing owners to not get regular care for their animals.
We have had the best care for our rescue cats at Western. Compassionate, thorough and efficient. They have also been gracious regarding our accoint payments as we are a rescue and have to fundraise for everything. Prissy, Fred, Robert, Little Ed all received the best care possible. Elizabeth, The Last Chance Cat Ranch in Lethbridge, AB
Our dog Pearl a female rottweiler was admitted to the clinic earlier in the week because she was extremely sick. Surgery was required to fix her stomach problems. From admitting Pearl to picking her up was a very professional and friendly experience. They did a great job and she is home recovering now. I would recommend this clinic to my friends and family.
Unethical practices used to scare us into our treatment. They used the death of another dog, a week prior at their facility, as an example of what COULD happen in a similar scenario. Continued threats of signing a waiver of release when asked to take our dog back after 12 hours of monitoring with no issues or irregularities. Had to wait 3 hours for an update on dogs condition. Shouldn't have to feel scammed or threatened when asked hard questions about validity of their diagnoses.
The specialists here were able to save our tiny dog Daisy which was attacked by a bigger dog. She had three broken ribs and needed special care, she's back on the mend now.
Thanks to amazing vets like Dr. Madden and the entire staff we wouldn't have our Daisy right now. Thank you so much to your whole team!
Even the front end staff were super friendly and expressed empathy, you can tell everyone who works here loves animals.
Are the best vets in all of Alberta. My family and goofy Cash love you all so much. Thank you!!
Great care but is far more expensive that smaller vets.
The staff (who i believe have mastered the dark art of invisibility as only one staffer ever appears at a time and only for brief encounters) took excellent care of me and my injured pup. From helping me decide if ER services were needed to explaining the treatment and then patching up puppy my anxiety level was well managed and minimal. Thanks sorcerous vet team!
I've already reviewed it once but since my greyhound has been there for the last 10 days (again) I don't think it hurts to say once again just how great ALL STAFF at Western are. From the receptionists, technicians and Vet Specialists. You will never find more dedicated people to care for your beloved fur family members.
Excellent and understanding people there. Had our bunny in for GIS and would highly recommend. Great front desk staff and great doctor.
They patiently waited for me to pick up my dog's ashes and footprints. Thank you for allowing me to grieve
When the time came to do the right thing for my terminally ill kitty, they treated us with such compassion and it really meant a lot during a very difficult time. Would recommend this clinic to anyone.
We have visited the Western Veterinary Specialist clinic 4 times between our two dogs over the last 2 yrs. The level of care and service has always been exceptional. The staff are professional and very caring given that most visits involve both pets and owners who are anxious due to a sickness/illness or accident. The clinic is an emergency clinic and as such they prioritize cases based on severity. This means you sometimes have to wait but it is for good reason as they have assessed that other pets are sicker than yours. We have met several of the doctors at this clinic over the last two years and have nothing but praise for all of them! An emergency clinic is not a place you want to ever have to visit but it is comforting to know that such a competent and professional clinic exists in Calgary for those unfortunate times when you need to take your pet to them.
I took my dog here yesterday on an urgent basis, and not only did they not look at the main issue we brought him in for, they also prescribed us something that did not provide my dog any kind of relief. I brought him to another vet today and he was shocked when i told him what meds were originally prescribed to my dog.
$205 for an exam and one prescription is absolutely rediculous, and they didnt even solve or address the problem.
If you love your animals, please take them somewhere else. It's just not worth your time.
After a very negative experience at the 17th avenue location, we were (luckily) re-directed to this location for our matter and the front desk staff were very welcoming and friendly! Thank you to the lovely ladies for making us feel more at ease.
Very good and courteous service. They have a very experienced vet doctor: her name is Lorenza
I just wanted thank everyone here at the VCA Canada Western Veterinary centre. I ended up having to bring my fur baby in unexpectedly and they were quick, kind, and compassionate. Long story short, we ended up sending my guy off to doggy heaven. The veterinarian (I'm so sorry I forgot his name!!) That helped us to coming to that very hard decision had no problem going over my little guys diagnosis multiple times in order for us to understand what was going on and how to move forward. I highly recommend this facility for any emergent problems.
Extremely unhelpful reception, exceptionally rude. I have been there 3 times for late emergencies and there has only been a single time where one of hte younger reception was kind and helpful with information. The other older women were just absolute insensitive hags who cared about adding on more cash grab problems. My dog had epilepsy as a pup and now that he is older it started again. One night during an unusual seizure attack, I rushed him to their facility. Not only did they do nothing but let him sit in a cage the whole time "while they monitored" him, they alwso brought him back out after just injecting him with valium AFTER an hour of observing which was absolutely useless but expensive!! My dog was returned to me after about a 2 hour stint and I was slapped with a $980 bill claiming their observation and the cost of administering the valium was not only expensive but needed. I was then "given" a tiny vial, about 8ml vial of valium and a syringe and told to just give it to him if it occurs again, though "it wont help much but will calm him down at least." I said given in quatations as I was charged for this vial of useless medical waste they had. The staff are uncaring, unprofessional, and horribly insensitive during hte late hours when you are actually having an emergency and I had to leave my other dog there for an over night "observation" once that cost me another 1200 claining x-rays were mainly teh cause of the cost when I wasnt even shown one. I dont know about the day time shift attendants but hte evening attendants are completely useless and unhelpfull. They only keep saying "bring your dog here" even if i describe all symptoms they just want to "observe" them for themselves even when I tell them I can't afford it. Humanity is definately going to the $#!ts if this is any indication on how "medical professionals" are going to be in teh future, where the only help you recieve is opening your wallet so they can steal more from your.
Some of the best emergency care I have ever received in the city has been through this clinic. I had a very sick puppy years ago and recently lost my cat and every time have been met with kindness and support for the decisions I needed to make. An absolutely wonderful group of caring people. Thank you for being so good to me and my furry family members
I brought my Boston Terrier in with facial swelling and breathing issues. The vet tech immediately brought him to the back. When the vet (intern) made it out to see me, we talked about giving him Benedryl right away. We also discussed steroids if needed and the need for x-rays. She went into the back. After a while she returned with an estimate. $900-$1350. This would include the possibility of overnight care and an IV. So fine, sure, I'll sign. Just go take care of him. About 20 minutes later, she came and got me to show the x-rays. They seemed ok. I asked if the benedryl seemed to be stopping the swelling. They hadn't given it to him yet! By this point, it's been 45 minutes. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have taken him to Fish Creek and saved hundreds of dollars. There seems to be too much focus on the payment. And providing me my invoice in a file folder suitable for a marriage certificate seemed the cherry on top. Save money on the posh additions/decor...
In the end, I'm happy my boy is ok but I feel a bit like I've been taken for a ride.
Saved my kitty...brilliant vets and great workers.....
Don't go here unless you wanna pay double what other non vca 's 24hr clinics charge. Like what a joke this place is, you shouldn't be profiting this much over people trying to help their pets in a dire situation. Will tell everybody I know with a pet to not go here for anything.
Please if you love your dog do not take them here. I wish I read the reviews before I took my dog here. All the one star reviews are true. I called in 3 times to check with the receptionist to ensure they had all my dog details before coming. Our vet recommend us to go here to see a specialist therefore they said they sent them our dog information to them already. When we arrived they said they did not have any of his information. The Dr. told the receptionist to call us back to ask for his information. I would have liked if they were professional as in show my sincerity that they have reviewed my dogs information before taking him in. I told her I emailed everything then the receptionist said oh the other reception filed it away - why would she filed it away when she told me she will enter in his file. This part was annoying because I called them 3 times (2hrs before I arrived) to make sure they review my dogs file before we came.
My dog was barking (healthy) at other dogs (while we had to wait outside for them to come 15 minutes )and literally 2 minutes later the vet called us and asked if we ll like to proceed with critical care as my dog heart stopped within 2 minutes of entering into the vet? This makes me question this vet. If you already asked us prior to arrival in case anything happened to our dog do we proceed to critical care and I said yes. Then why are you calling me to tell me my dog s heart stopped and if you can proceed. Please if my dog s heart stopped and hes in danger then hurry and save him as I have already gave you my permission. I sincerely dont think that his heart stopped and they just wanted that money. It s unfortunate that we cannot go inside to see what they actual do to our pets because of COVID-19.
Then 5 minutes later the Dr called to say they have saved our dog and hes fine looking around (which he was like that before he went in to see you guys). It is true what all the other review says about this place. They will give you recommendation and treatments that cost up to 5k+ on the first visit. If you don t go with their treatment plan then they threaten you (facts). I did not trust them so I took my dog home. He was having hard time breathing when he came back. The next day he vomit fabrics which I have no idea where he could have shallow it. We sleep with him everyday and keep an eye on him 24-7. There is no such fabric in our household. We re reporting this to AVMA for this negligence.
Our dog came here for ophthalmology surgery and we noticed the sutures from the surgery was still present. Won t take appointments to see our dog so had to do a walk in. Ended up waiting almost 3 hours in the parking lot.
Understand that staff are busy, but need a better system of informing owners wait times or a way to drop off dogs and come back.
Very caring and helpful. Kept my costs down. Travelled a long distance for my dog's cataract surgery. Definitely would recommend them.
We have had to take several of our bunnies who have been in extreme crisis to them after hours. The service has inconsistent. But some are argumentative and heartless. I almost missed the passing of my little boy because the receptionist insisted I provide payment details first. Even though we are on record with them and have been in numerous times over 13 years. My recommendation is that if you have a pet in major distress call them 1st if you can to let them know it is in emergency condition. I only use these people if I have to as they are the closest after hours care available.
My experience with the vet hospital was excellent. True, I did have to call in myself for follow up sometimes. I found the staff to be generally very compassionate and the Doctors and Technicians to be very knowledgeable and excellent with animals. Two emergencies and several scheduled treatments and surgeries. We ended up losing the battle and Eddie passed away. I will always be very grateful for the people at Western Vet. The care provided here is better than it is at the human hospitals (Alberta Health Services should take note)
Took care of my cat when she was sick and kept me well informed on her progress.
My dog was hit by a car and brought immediately to VCA. They rushed her in and started right away with a full exam. Our little girl was degloved and her foot didn't look like a foot. Dr. Hoang created a treatment plan that was fairly cost effective (no skin graphing) and after 3 months, my girl is back to normal. The staff are great and my dog was super excited to see the team every time she walked in the door. Thank you!
PS GET TRUPANION PET INSURANCE FOR YOUR PET!!
Great with our dog. Very helpful, caring, and not pushy.
the staff were so thorough and professional, I felt confident in their skills and their chosen treatments for my pup. Would definitely recommend this 24 hour emergency service. So thankful for everything they did for us.
They were very gentle with our very anxious cat, and took our financial limitations under consideration. Front desk was experienced and very kind.
I have had to take my cat to this hospital on 2 occasions. If i can ever avoid it, I will. When I went to visit my cat (she had to stay for a week) and was told they are too busy to bring her out to me for a visit in the quiet room so they brought me to the back to see her through a cage door. She was miserable to say the least. There was so much noise and things going on with animals everywhere and she was just scared to death. She was in a small cage with a litter box in there with her and the blanket I had left for her was gone (I was told they lost it). I was not allowed to take her out of the cage myself to try and calm her. I was furious. I took her out of the cage anyways and took her home to care for her myself. My cat ended up being just fine and is still with us today. It was heartbreaking to see her being treated that way and the fact that they lost her only comfort from home (the blanket) told me this isn't the place for my baby.
Went to this ER clinic on Wednesday do to my spouse and I issue with our hamster. Now firstly, I completely understand that not every single vet is specialized in hamster care. In this case, he wasn't and pretty much told us what we already knew. This is not the reason why I'm giving one star however. They took away the hamster for approximately 10 minutes and stuck a bunch of needles in her, which made her symptoms worse. And on top of that we overheard the nurses and the vet laughing about the fact that they now have a sick hamster to deal with. On top of that we got charged 235 dollars for pretty much giving us food to feed her. Don't come here for little pets because they're completely useless for it but they will be more than happy to take your money and laugh at you. Thank you.
They took such great care of our fur baby and our family during our crisis with our beloved departed Col.
Horribly rude staff. The make dr was very confrontational and I never got any treatment for my sick dog. FFF---
Me and my mother ended up going to another vet clinic. I do not recommend this clinic at all.
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