VCA Aurora Animal Hospital

Reviews

• LM

  Lilly Moon

  5 days ago
  1.0
  ago ⭐️ One Star — Money Over Medicine I’m updating my review after a recent visit, and I want to be very clear: this hospital cares more about money than the well-being of animals. The ER doctor, Dr. Bobbi Burket, misdiagnosed two of my pets, resulting in over $1,000 spent on unnecessary treatments that did nothing. When I took my pets to another veterinarian, the actual problems were completely different and finally treated correctly. An emergency clinic should not be guessing while charging outrageous fees. My most recent visit on Tuesday, February 3rd around 10 PM confirmed everything I already suspected. The receptionist working at that time (black hair, lashes) was rude, dismissive, and spoke to me like I was an inconvenience instead of a terrified pet owner. There was no compassion—just attitude and indifference. From the ER doctor to the front desk, this place prioritizes billing over basic care and respect. I will never return and strongly urge others to take their pets elsewhere, especially in an emergency.
• GG

  Gigi88

  6 days ago
  1.0
  I couldn’t agree more with all the negative reviews . This place use to be great. It has gone down hill. Is all about the money. Discussing needless to say. I truly believe you are better off not taking your dog here. The bill will drill a hole on your wallet so big that you will be paying years for it. I chose to leave and it was the best decision I made. My dog is well and happy. Get ready to pay for tests because they are so incompetent they need to do every test there is to figure out what is going on. And still they can’t. I went in knowing what my dog had and they still wanted to run all these non sense tests with no guarantee that they will figure out the issue. The thing was I knew the issue. Only place in the world you get pay well for being incompetent. They will take advantage of you because they know how much you love your pet and that you are vulnerable. All I have to say is run faster than the speed of light. The specialists are still good but the regular ER vet seems to google for responses. You can do that yourself. No joke. And they are nice with you if you pay their absurd estimates but if you question it you are a fly on the wall. I kid you not. Run run run. Plenty of vets around.
• LB

  Lily Bisbikis

  Feb 2, 2026
  2.0
  UPDATE: would like to leave a special shout out to VCA manager, Dana. She did a fantastic job handling this situation. I commend her for her efforts to track down our recorded phone calls, the staff who worked that day, and for talking with staff to fix this situation. If I could leave zero stars, I would. My dog was recently diagnosed with cancer, and my community highly recommended VCA Aurora Oncology. I made an appointment, paid the $100 deposit (which already felt strange and a bit shady), and completed all of the paperwork they sent me ahead of time. After that, I kept receiving calls from VCA about the appointment. I was reassured multiple times that there wouldn’t be an issue accommodating us, as my dog is reactive toward other dogs. This is something we deal with at vet visits, so I made sure to be very clear about it. Out of all the documents I received, none explained what to do when arriving. This is a legitimate hospital with an ER, multiple entrances, multiple buildings, and a small shared parking lot. I ended up stuck in the ER parking and had to call to ask where I was supposed to go. The woman on the phone was not helpful at all. “Oh well you can park anywhere.” “Well look for a long sidewalk, or pathway”. Speaking very slow and unsure. Eventually, I figured out where to park and which entrance to use. I again explained that my dog is reactive and that we need to avoid other dogs and go straight to a room. I was told that would be fine and that I would receive a call when it was safe to come in. When they called and said we were ready, there were dogs everywhere—dogs in the lobby, dogs walking in, dogs walking out. I immediately brought this up and was told “ Well, we don’t know who is outside”. I found that pretty strange because you can see who is walking out out of your Lobby with their animal. Once we got into the room, the nurse began asking me all the same questions I had already answered on the intake forms. When I asked why, she said, “Your story might be different,” which I found odd. Then she took my dog away to do an exam with the doctor, without me, and without explaining where they were going or what would be done. The doctor later came in without my dog. She did not explain where he was, what she did during the exam, or even acknowledge my other concerns until I brought them up myself at the end. I had to ask why I wasn’t present for the exam and why my dog hadn’t been returned. Honestly, I have no idea if an exam even took place. On top of that, they had me fast my dog for 12 hours, No one ever explained why or even mentioned why he had to do that and it sounded like it was pointless because they didn’t do anything. The doctor was not helpful regarding my dog’s condition. She couldn’t provide estimates for treatment or surgery. I had already sent over my vet’s cytology and X-rays, and she admitted she basically didn’t know how to read the X-rays. She talked at me for about 30 minutes, but I didn’t receive a real second opinion, a treatment plan, or any meaningful guidance. After the appointment, I was told to wait in the lobby—with all the other dogs—while they processed payment and brought my dog out with paperwork. I paid, was told “thank you, have a good day,” and had to ask, “Where is my dog?” I was told they would bring him out. I sat there for at least 10–20 minutes, surrounded by dogs, with no updates. I had no idea where my dog was or what they were doing with him. Eventually, they brought him out and casually told me I could leave through the side door. Why wasn’t that option offered from the beginning, when I clearly stated my dog is reactive? This place is a joke. It honestly felt like a scam. To make matters worse, after charging me $300 for essentially nothing, they had the audacity to ask me for a donation. On top of all this, I had gotten so many calls before our appointment. They emailed me a bunch of documents. None of which explained the process Of how the appointment is structured, No arrival directions. I would never recommend this vet to literally anyone.
• NJ

  Nikki Jacobson

  Jan 28, 2026
  1.0
  We brought our dog Jax in July of 2022. He was diagnosed by them with stage 4 Lymphoma. They said he only has a few weeks, or we could do chemo. We went spent $10,000 on Chemo, and were told Jax would still only have 9 months to live even with the Chemo. Of course we wanted all of the time that we could get with him, so we went with their diagnosis. After $10,000, we couldn't afford it anymore, so we opted to stop. They made us feel guilty. Let me tell you, I went on-line and researched and researched to keep this boy alive. I found a regiment ON MY OWN! All natural, and guess what...it is 2026, and he is still with us. He was diagnosed at 6, and he will be turning 10 in April. If anyone is going what we went through, I am happy to share the healthy treatment that we have Jaxie on.
• TL

  Tiger Lily

  Jan 27, 2026
  1.0
  My heart is broken for my precious cat. The lack of empathy, humanity, accountability and professionalism displayed by oncologist, Kristen Shuster as well as the head manager of the VCA is disgusting. My cat has been battling cancer for two years and has had several treatments here during the course of that time. It had been as positive an experience as it could be while dealing with cancer - all without issue until now. Due to the tumor, my cat’s front left arm had a slight and steady limp for about 4 months prior to the start of sessions with Shuster - the limp was stable and never progressed. On the morning of the injury that happened during his visit with Shuster, my cat’s slight limp was still stable. After the short three hour session with her, he was unable to use his front arm at all - it was completely dragging with complete loss of mobility. I only found out about this after seeing him struggle to get out of his carrier when we got home. No one - neither Shuster nor the tech that brought him back out to me - said anything to me about his arm losing mobility before we left the VCA - passively deceitful. I immediately called the VCA when I got home with him and was transferred to oncology - spoke with a tech. Was told this is normal and his arm is probably sore from treatment and that I should wait a couple days. I complied, but I wish I hadn’t. But the damage was already done. When I spoke to Shuster a week later via phone call, I had so many questions for her. She should have handled this situation with concern and intent to understand. Instead, I was met with a defiantly callous and arrogant attitude. She told me that the tumor probably grew and caused his arm to lose it’s mobility. She admitted that the IV needed for his session was placed in the arm with a limp as a last resort and that manipulation and stretching of that arm was needed for the IV to enter properly. Critical thinking skills will tell anybody that a tumor won’t grow enough in three hours to cause a slight limp to progress to complete limb immobility. Critical thinking skills will also tell you not to use a limb that’s already in a weakened state if it needs to be manipulated or stretched. A normal stretch for a healthy limb with full mobility could cause damage in a limb that is actively suffering damage. Shuster knew he didn’t desperately need that session right then and there. He wasn’t going to pass away imminently if he didn’t receive it. I asked Shuster why she didn’t consult me before using the already weak limb. I would have gladly taken him back home and come back another day when a healthy limb could be used. Shuster ignored my concerns and impatiently told me if I was going to continue to grill her and if I don’t trust her judgment, then I should seek a different oncologist for my cat - truly heartless. During our call, I never once cussed or raised my voice at Shuster. All I did was tearfully plead for understanding and answers that I now know I’ll never get. I’ve spent over 20k at this VCA over the course of the two most depressing and anxiety ridden years of my life fighting for my cat’s life and this is the treatment I get from her?! Lovely bedside manner. . . We ended the call and she told me that the head manager of the VCA would reach out to me. It quickly became clear to me the purpose of the VCA manager’s call was not a genuine care and wellness check but, a damage control tactic for Shuster and the VCA. The manager had me recount my experience with Shuster and tried several times to get me to say/agree with her over the phone that I “understood it’s not Shuster’s fault.” When I refused to play that game and say what she wanted me to, her tone grew cold and she told me my cat was no longer welcome at the Aurora VCA despite his need for remaining treatment sessions. This situation was handled horribly. Cancer is already mentally and physically draining on the pet and pet parent - be kinder and do better.

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