VCA Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals

Reviews

• SW

  Shari Woody

  6 days ago
  5.0
  They were very honest and caring. And we were in /out in a timely manner.
• HB

  heather berry

  Jan 5, 2026
  1.0
  My parents took our dog here in the middle of the night after he was having nose bleeds and violent sneezing episodes that came with more blood. The day before, he had sneezed up something like flesh or tissue, which I collected in a Ziploc bag to take to our usual vet, praying they could get us in the next day. When my dog was clearly uncomfortable and sneezing more blood in the middle of the night, we decided it’d be best to go ahead and get him checked out. My parents brought him in at 3am and gave the Ziploc bag with the flesh-like specimen to the night vet, asking that it be sent off for testing since it looked so concerning. The night vet said no, she wouldn’t sent it off because that’s not necessary. Our dog didn’t have swelling, his bloodwork was normal, so next steps would be to “keep an eye on him” until they can do maybe a CT scan or rhinoscope 2-3 days later. She sent them home with 3 days worth of an anti-inflammatory, no answers, and in the chaos and exhaustion of the night, my parents forgot to request the specimen back. When I showed a photo of the specimen to our actual vet the following day, she said it appeared to be part of a cyst or polyp, and she wanted to send it off for testing immediately since it could be a larger issue. She was quite concerned and quite grateful that we had collected the piece of tissue or whatever it was so that we could find out. After DAYS of trying to get the specimen back from VCA River, they finally admitted they didn’t have it anymore, it must have been trashed. They THREW IT AWAY. Now we cannot know what is wrong with him and if it’s more serious without dropping $4k on a CT scan. We brought them exactly what they needed, a piece of a cyst/polyp/tumor/God knows what, even requesting it be sent off, and we were denied. We got no answers, no peace, and were charged $800. Not to mention a potential $4k+ down the road for more extensive treatment/testing that we will not be getting from them. That is no way to take care of anyone’s pet. It’s incredibly disappointing that we sought help in a stressful time and were met with such ignorance and dismissal. They trashed our biggest chance at finding out what was wrong with our boy. All this to say, if you need immediate help for your pet, I suggest you go elsewhere. I wouldn’t trust them with my pet’s health , let alone their life.
• SM

  Stephanie McAllister

  Jan 1, 2026
  5.0
  My pup got into something she shouldn’t have. VCA had me call poison control while waiting in the lobby. They induced vomiting while i spoke with poison control. Ultimately, poison control said my pup would be okay without treatment. Despite the fact that they had already administered care, they completely waived any exam/treatment fees, which likely would have been over $500. The staff was caring, kind, compassionate and attentive. We are so grateful for their care and generosity. Hopefully, we don’t have any make ER visits in our future… but we know where we are going if we do!
• MK

  Molly Kopuru

  Dec 21, 2025
  5.0
  I brought my dog to VCA River for CT Scan and biopsy due to breathing issues. The internist Dr. Holford is very knowledgeable and explained our imaging results and next steps in detail. Her staff have been so helpful. We had to travel a few hours from out of state to get the scan and Cameron worked diligently to try to get us prescription refills locally so we wouldn’t need to drive back for them. The office is also coordinating further treatment based on results and went so far as to reach out after hours with the biopsy results so we wouldn’t have to wait. Strongly recommend this clinic for your pet’s specialized care if it’s needed.
• BR

  Benjamin Rogerson

  Dec 6, 2025
  3.0
  Had a kitty with a urinary issue that proceeded to get worse throughout the night, decided to get him checked out after hours around 10pm. Experience and overall ability of this facility is something you should have faith in, especially if an actual animal emergency presents itself. Up front receptionist team was more than compassionate and had a lovely decorum, you can tell they care about the space for themselves and the animals. My only problems in my experience came from the veterinarian on shift that night, Kaitlyn Weber. While I’m sure she’s more than qualified, she definitely was either having a bad day or has that new graduate ego, but she literally didn’t bother to even read the intake form we filled out indicating he was neutered recently. Granted he was operated on later in life so some remnants were still there and present, but after arguing with us for about 5 minutes trying to convince us he needs to re-neutered, she says she’ll go back and check again. After confirming he was indeed neutered, she didn’t even come back in herself to confirm and instead sent the sweet lady from up front to tell us. On top of this with prescribing gabapentin 50mg (for an almost 15 pound cat lol) along with an antibiotic for a cat that showed no visible signs of stress at all, she really drug down the whole experience. There was no reason to do that other than to get the 35 more bucks for a 7 day fill of Gabapentin. (30 day prescription is usually around 15$) I don’t hold anything personal against her but I know the kind of damage a veterinarian can do to a family with that lack of care and consideration, and with that kind of pride/ego, to a family that may actually have to make a very VERY important decision about the well being of a family member, and that is something I just cannot stand for. I don’t ever even write reviews but this is one of those things I have seen impact many and wish to warn people against when I can. If you do ever have an emergency I’m sure they would be more than able to help you out, but just keep in mind that they are 24 hours and the time you go could reflect the quaiity of care. Makes sense to me a lot more now as I’m sure other vets were happy in bed and have been there for a much longer tenure. This is my right as a consumer to share my opinion on my experience and it is your right to read it.

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