VCA Dakota Ridge Animal Hospital

Reviews

• AH

  Ashley Henshaw

  Mar 23, 2026
  1.0
  Years ago, I left this clinic a 5-star review. Today, after what we experienced, I am beyond disappointed—and heartbroken—to say that review no longer reflects the reality of this place. We had to say goodbye to our dog today, and throughout this entire ordeal, it became painfully clear that VCA Dakota Ridge does not prioritize compassion, urgency, or even basic follow-through for the families and pets they serve. A little over a week ago, I brought my dog in. He was in clear distress. He received a brief exam, and instead of urgency or concern, we were sent home with nausea medication, a blood draw, and told to “call if he gets worse.” Within hours, he couldn’t breathe or walk, he was falling over crying. We called immediately. Instead of help, we were told they might be able to have a tech speak to us—or we could call back tomorrow—or take him to an ER. No guidance. No urgency. No ownership. We rushed him to the ER, where we spent thousands of dollars—after already spending hundreds at VCA Dakota Ridge—just to get him the care he clearly needed in the first place. And what makes this even harder to process is that the warning signs were there from the beginning. When his original bloodwork was finally uploaded to the portal 4–5 days later, even I—with no medical background—could clearly see dangerously elevated creatinine and BUN levels. Those results were alarming. Yet when we spoke to the clinic, we were told it “looked like some slight jaundice,” with no mention whatsoever of his kidney function or the very real possibility of renal failure. That oversight alone could have saved us days of heartache, unnecessary suffering for our dog, and thousands of dollars in emergency and specialist care at the wrong type of doctor (we were told seek cardiologist advice). Days later, the original vet finally called to review bloodwork—after he had already been hospitalized all weekend and we were on our way to a specialist. We proceeded with two specialist visits, where we learned he was in renal failure. All records were sent back to VCA. Wanting confirmation for peace of mind, I called to schedule a simple follow-up blood test. I was very clear—we only needed confirmation of end-stage renal failure. When I arrived, I was told he would need yet another full exam (which would have made FIVE exams in one week, one of which was conducted there exactly a week ago), plus hundreds more dollars for a full panel—completely disregarding the multiple recent exams and specialist findings already on file. At that point, I broke down in tears. The only person who showed any compassion that day was a vet tech, who advocated for us so we could avoid yet another unnecessary exam and instead do a smaller panel. She is the only reason that visit was tolerable. We were told results would take 24–48 hours. Days later, with our dog actively suffering and an in-home euthanasia scheduled, I called for results—desperate for confirmation before saying goodbye. I was told the results were in, but the doctor was “too busy” to speak with me and would call “soon.” She never did. I called back again, 3 hours later, in tears, one hour before our goodbye appointment, begging for answers. The receptionist sounded annoyed, showed no empathy, and rushed me off the phone. After “checking with the doctor,” I was told—through a third party—that yes, he was in Stage 4 renal failure. That was it. No call. No conversation. No compassion. No closure. It has now been hours since we said goodbye to our dog, and we still have not heard from the doctor. We have trusted this clinic with our pets for years—three other dogs, in addition to our little guy we put down today, and a cat. We have been loyal, consistent, and have spent thousands of dollars here over time. And when it mattered most, we were treated like an inconvenience. This experience felt less like care and more like a system focused on pushing exams, charging for services, and avoiding accountability when a pet is clearly suffering. We will not be returning
• LH

  Laura Hicks

  Jan 8, 2026
  5.0
  Only great experiences with this Vet Hospital. The front staff, techs and Veterinarians are all wonderful.
• DC

  David Creque

  Nov 14, 2025
  5.0
  We've been here many times we'll most recently with our very sick German. Shepherd, and they were very compassionate. And informative and Caring.
• MK

  Megan Kay

  Nov 13, 2025
  5.0
  I am so glad I found VCA Dakota Ridge! They have been extremely helpful and caring with my 2 dogs for all of their needs over the years. They have made several referrals to better help us as we have new things come up from 24hour vets to Internal Medicine Specialists and I trust their advice and have not been steered wrong. You can tell they love what they do and all of their clients.
• DR

  Desarae Rowan

  Nov 6, 2025
  5.0
  I have been bringing my two dogs here for a while and we have always had a wonderful experience. My precious 13 year old baby boy had chronic pancreatitis and after a long battle, we had to send him over the rainbow bridge yesterday. Throughout his life here in Colorado, everyone at VCA Dakota Ridge was so great about getting us in, following up after appointments, and continuity of care when we would have to go to a different location for the emergency room on occasion (EVS in Lakewood is absolutely incredible as well). When we went in for a consultation yesterday, I wasn't sure about anything. I was sleep deprived and felt like no decision was the right one.. Dr. Carrier and Corey were absolutely incredible in helping me with all the end of life decisions and everyone at VCA made the process incredibly simple while experiencing such a terrible life event. He never suffered, he was never scared, and I was able to be with him to hold him and talk to him while he left us. I decided to go with private cremation and the prices were very reasonable considering the euthanasia and consult were included. I can update this review once I receive his cremains as well. I just genuinely cannot express how accommodating everyone was and allowing so much time for family to come by and call to say goodbye to him. I cannot thank you enough for the kindness and heartfelt care that we experienced as he is my soul dog and he will forever hold my heart. I highly recommend this wonderful place. **Update** I received Mallard's ashes within a week and it was a truly beautiful arrangement. His paw print was flawless and the wonderful staff gave me a card. This is such a great place and you can tell that they really care about each person and animal that comes in. Thank y'all again so much for making this emotional experience manageable.

Frequently Asked Questions About VCA Dakota Ridge Animal Hospital