VCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center

Reviews

• CC

  Claude

  5 days ago
  5.0
  This was my first time interacting with VCA since I had to bring my cat for overnight monitoring and fluids. I was really nervous, especially seeing some of the older reviews, but all of the staff was very kind, prompt, and patient. They walked me through what they'd be doing, let me know I could call to check-in throughout the night, and answered all my additional questions. I left him overnight, everything went well and he was checked out in the morning. A staff member helped me bring in his carrier the night before, and promptly got him ready when I arrived to take him back to the vet. They were all very nice and my cat was prescribed a "very good boy" and that they "hope he feels better soon." Which thankfully I can say he is doing a lot better now :) My one con is that even though it's technically the cheaper ER hospital in the area, it's still a bit pricey, especially since you have to pay up front if you don't have care credit or any other credit card available. I was already told how much the night would cost at the vet prior to heading over, and they made sure to show me the itemized invoice so I didn't feel blindsided by the costs. However, that's something to keep in mind if funds are tight. Overall, I'm glad I was able to trust my cat in their care during this really stressful time.
• TR

  Tori Rosay

  Jan 5, 2026
  1.0
  Hope VCA Mission Valley actually reads this - our experience was so disappointing on Sunday 1/4/2026. We took our cat in at 3pm (afternoon) to be seen because he was throwing up blood. We waited until 7pm - he was never seen, we finally left with him and went to the VEG Mission Valley, where he was seen in under 30 mins. We understand that emergencies do take precedence and they did have a couple of dogs that did come in that needed emergency care. But what we don't understand is letting people endlessly WAIT with no end in sight - we did eventually find out that they were under staffed, with only 2 vets on duty in this huge VCA facility with at least 12 people with pets waiting (also hours and hours) who were never going to see a vet that night (because it's not humanly possible with just 2 vets) This situation is a lack of training and lack of consideration for pet parents - which could be totally avoided with proper communication so pet parents can make INFORMED decisions about the care of their pets. With just a simple message board at the front door area, Current Veterinarians on Staff: 2 - Current Wait Time: 4-5 hours. I've seen other clients do this and it helps pet parents make informed decisions about care. But to just leave people hanging for hours and hours without information is not satisfactory care. The staff here was friendly and they were trying their best to do their job with the lack of proper veterinarian staffing and resources. Do better VCA.
• EK

  Ellie Klee

  Dec 23, 2025
  5.0
  We were referred here from our dog’s usual vet for perineal hernia repair. We are so happy with the care our little guy received. The entire staff is knowledgeable, attentive, and communicative. During his overnight stay we received several updates, including a picture, and in his post op recovery we received incredibly prompt responses anytime we reached out with questions. Highly recommend and will be considering them our first choice for any future specialized or emergency care.
• JB

  jessica b

  Dec 18, 2025
  5.0
  Always a good experience for a bad situation. We had visited this hospital when it was still located near hotel circle, but last night was our first experience at the new location. The staff is the same excellent team but the building is a definite upgrade to match. We arrived around 1:30am. Jacob greeted us at the door and was a really pleasant, warm person. He got us quickly into the system and called for additional staff to take our cat back. Jamie came out, took a quick history and appeared very engaged. She took our cat back so they could get started right away. Jacob kept us very informed on how our cat was behaving/doing. I also have always appreciated that the staff will keep you very up to date on the costs of their treatment plan so there are no surprises. Within the half hour/hour, Jacob had placed us in an exam room and Jamie brought our cat back to us. Jamie was actually able to do quite a bit of work in the short time the had our cat in the back. I was pleased that they were aware our cat was likely to run out of patience quick and triaged the situation so they could get him out of his carrier and get everything done as fast as possible, to avoid stressing our cat out more. This hasn’t been the usual experience with prior vets which has lead to increased meds/sedation and increased charges. I think the team’s attention to detail saved us quite a bit of money. Dr. Rozanski came back and gave us an overall review of the visit. She was able to confirm the same things Jamie told us, explained some concerns and options we could discuss with our primary vet and helped come up with a medication management plan to help our cat recover. Overall, I couldn’t imagine a better experience. Even in the middle of the night with more pressing emergencies, the staff maintained a caring demeanor and made us feel important. Our cat’s situation may not have been life threatening, but it was still scary for us knowing he was in pain. The staff is definitely the reason we continue to choose this hospital in our time of need.
• PP

  perla pantoja

  Dec 9, 2025
  5.0
  Dr. Thompson and Dr. Nadolski went above and beyond in caring for Pluto. They are both extremely knowledgeable and professional. They took the time to explain everything clearly and answered every single question I had. Even when I didn’t fully understand something, they patiently explained it further until I felt confident. They took such good care of Pluto, and I am very grateful for the way they handled both his condition and our concerns. We feel very fortunate to have had their support and will continue to trust VCA Emergency Hospital for Pluto’s care. I would also like to compliment the staff, especially Jessica, the technician assisting Dr. Nadolski. She was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Jessica took the time to walk me through the entire estimate, line by line, and explained every detail clearly. She knew exactly what each item meant and was able to answer every question I had—her explanations aligned perfectly with what the doctors had already discussed with me, which gave me even more confidence in Pluto’s care. Jessica also checked in with us regularly to see if we wanted to visit Pluto and provided updates whenever we asked. Her kindness and attentiveness made a difficult situation feel much more manageable. Additionally, the front desk staff were very warm and kind to my fiancé, myself, and Pluto. Even as we were leaving, one of the staff members said, “Bye, Pluto,” and that small gesture meant a lot to us.

Frequently Asked Questions About VCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center