VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center

Reviews

• SM

  Silvia Murillo

  Aug 15, 2026
  5.0
  This is the second time I've brought a community cat here for emergency treatment, and once again our experience was excellent. The front desk staff and cashiers were incredibly helpful and reassuring, especially when you're frantically trying to check in a critically ill pet. This was also the second time Dr. Kanuka was our emergency vet, and I can't thank her enough for how thorough, calm, kind, and understanding she is. She clearly explains what is happening, what procedures are needed, and what can be done to make your pet more comfortable. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our community cat a few days after his ER visit due to his worsening condition and congestive heart failure. But I know Dr. Kanuka and the staff here did everything they could for him and made him as comfortable as possible. Before coming here, we had spent hours going from one urgent care to another VCA clinic in Lakewood, which refused to see him because he was a critical patient and they were already overloaded with cases. They wouldn't take him or even examine him. When we called VCA Lawndale and explained what was happening, the person who answered immediately told us to bring him in and that they would take him straight to the back. When we arrived, that's exactly what they did, and treatment began immediately. I wish I had just brought him here from the beginning because I've never had a bad experience with this hospital. When I found out Dr. Kanuka would be our doctor, I immediately felt more at ease because she had also helped save one of my other community cats from panleukopenia last year. That cat is healthy and alive today thanks to Dr. Kanuka, Dr. Kim, and the veterinary technicians who cared for her in August 2025. Thank you to the doctors, vet techs, front desk staff, and everyone at VCA Lawndale who have been so kind and helpful to my family and our pets. I'm incredibly grateful for the care and compassion my community cats have received here.
• JN

  John Nazari

  Jul 24, 2026
  1.0
  VULTURES! My Ex wife and my son brought my dog here after being struck by a car. Obviously emotions were running high (and vulnerable). Buddy unfortunately had passed before their arrival at the hospital. He had gone from barely breathing to not breathing at all, eyes lifeless. In desperation they took him in anyhow where they were told they would attempt cpr. I got a call about 15-20 minutes later asking if he could be admitted as he was my dog. I said "only if he's still alive, please don't continue unless he's actually alive." I asked if he was alive and they wouldn't answer (even though my son had already told me) Some time went by and I got a call from my ex asking if I can call to give her permission for directive for after care. I reluctantly did. When I finally arrived about an hour after their arrival, they had done a nice job making him presentable, but his body was cold and stiff. He had obviously been gone for some time. I agreed to the cremation, but had no idea at that point that they had charged a total of $600. $400 of which was for resuscitation, which i specifically said no as he was already gone for some time. Talk about insult to injury. How unethical that they even pretended to take care of a dead dog. The Dr should have been straight with my son and ex-wife rather than giving false hope so they can make an extra buck. Its no wonder this location is rated so much lower than all the others. Avoid at all cost! They just want your money and don't care who they hurt to get it. Note: currently waiting to hear from the management regarding this issue. Still haven't heard back from them directly, but they took the time to reply to this review. That's how little they care. I did hear back from the manager "Rich" who basically just wanted to argue about semantics and this review. He really tried to justify trying to revive an already dead dog by blaming my ex-wife and son for bringing him in. (How was my son supposed to know after 5 minutes they are brain dead.)He then claimed that they actually tried CPR for 15 whole minutes until they got a hold of me. As mentioned I told them please don't work on him if he's already passed. Do not revive he is gone. Rich basically blamed us and subtly insulted me. I so wish the owner or at least the GM sees how bad the service here is and makes a serious change. Southbay needs 24hr care and you would think it wouldn't be hard to be successful being the only 24-hour care in the area but obviously there is just a huge problem with the culture in this office. It's sad to see businesses profiting off of people's emotions. I seriously hope they make a real change for all those hurt by them.
• JP

  Jennifer Palomino

  Jul 14, 2026
  5.0
  Everything was great for Donna. She was very well taken care of overnight The location was clean and the team was super professional and friendly. We were seen the same day that our vet inquired about their overnight care.
• PD

  Peggy Dean

  Jul 14, 2026
  5.0
  excellent care at affordable price. for the best emergency docs prepare to wait a reasonable time
• MM

  MsLaura

  Jun 27, 2026
  1.0
  I brought my pug to VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center because he had a very high fever, wasn’t eating, was weak, and was becoming dehydrated. Earlier that day, he had already been seen by my regular veterinarian, where bloodwork was done Since they couldn’t determine the cause of his illness, they recommended I take him to an urgent care facility. The only reason they referred me was because they did not have the equipment to perform X-rays or an ultrasound. They had already done everything they could at their clinic and wanted my dog to receive the advanced imaging he needed. When I arrived around 12:00 PM, the receptionist told me the wait would be about two hours. I completely understood because it’s an urgent care, and I appreciated that they took my dog into the treatment area. I assumed he would at least receive IV fluids to keep him hydrated while we waited, especially because I specifically told the receptionist he wasn’t eating, was weak, and needed an IV. I was willing to pay for whatever treatment he needed. As the hours passed, I repeatedly asked for updates. Around 3:00 PM, then again at 5:00 PM, I was told my dog was doing fine and that I would be seen soon. Finally, at about 7:00 PM, we were taken into an exam room. The veterinarian came in and immediately asked what was wrong with my dog. I was surprised because it seemed she hadn’t been briefed on why we were there. I had to explain everything from the beginning while feeling overwhelmed after waiting seven hours. When I asked if my dog had been receiving IV fluids during that time, I was shocked to learn that he had not received any IV treatment at all. That was extremely upsetting because I believed he was at least being kept hydrated while waiting. After briefly reviewing the bloodwork from my regular veterinarian, the doctor told me my dog “might have leukemia (CANCER)” before performing any imaging, such as X-rays or an ultrasound. Hearing that was heartbreaking. She then recommended additional testing, including more bloodwork, X-rays, ultrasound, and other diagnostics, with an estimated cost of around $12,000 just to determine what was wrong.😑 I understand that diagnostics are important and that emergency veterinary medicine is expensive. However, after the lack of communication, the seven-hour wait without IV fluids, and hearing such a serious possibility mentioned before additional testing was done, I no longer felt confident continuing care there. I decided to take my dog home. Over the next two days, I focused on keeping him hydrated, monitored him closely, gently massaged his abdomen, and followed supportive care at home. Thankfully, he eventually passed a large mango pit in his stool. Once it came out, he quickly improved and made a full recovery. He did NOT have cancer. What scares me the most is thinking about how many pet owners may feel pressured into making heartbreaking decisions because of an initial possible diagnosis or because they simply can’t afford the recommended costs. I kept thinking that could have been me. If I had accepted that my dog might have cancer without seeking another opinion or waiting for additional answers, I might have made a decision I would have regretted forever. Thankfully, in my dog’s case, that wasn’t what was wrong. Looking back, I understand that an X-ray may have helped identify the obstruction, and that is exactly why my regular veterinarian referred me there—they did not have the equipment to perform those tests. However, my experience left me feeling that communication was poor, my concerns were not taken seriously, and my dog waited far too long without the supportive care I believed he would receive. This was my personal experience, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend this facility based on how my dog and I were treated. I truly hope no other family has to go through what we experienced.💔😢

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