VCA Animal Medical Center of Southern California

Reviews

• SM

  Salem Martinez

  Apr 1, 2026
  1.0
  I truly am not one to write a bad online review but my experience here the last two weeks has been nothing short of atrocious. I brought my dog in for what appeared to be a bad bout of diarrhea. They gave him a full blood panel and tested for pancreatitis and when they found nothing, gave him fluids and some new food and probiotic. When he didn’t seem to be acting more normal and developed a limp, started to pee more often and in larger quantities, I took him back. This is where things take a turn that I find to be absolutely unacceptable. After preforming an exam and doing an xray, the vet once again said that nothing was wrong, and brushed off my concerns by saying that he’s “just getting older”. After the xray the vet didn’t even come back in to explain what next steps would look like or to see if I had any questions—I had to request her to come back in when I realized I was just getting handed the bill. When she came back in she was incredibly dismissive of my questions and seemed annoyed to be talking to me at all. When she said she didn’t see anything on the xray I asked what the other potential causes could be she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “I don’t know”, before rushing out. No true explanation, no timeline of when to come back or be concerned, or what potential next steps would be if his symptoms didn’t get better. It essentially felt like she thought I was being dramatic for bringing him in at all. Flash forward 3 days and my dog started having accidents in the house and his lower region became incredibly swollen. Thankfully I followed my instincts and went to a different vet, who immediately suggested we test for a UTI. They were kind, thoughtful, took the time to explain everything that was happening, and laid out potential causes, treatments, and didn’t make me feel like I was bothering them by taking my dog in to see them. I actually can’t get over the moment the vet shrugged her shoulders and told me she had no idea what could be wrong with him and seemed to have no interest in finding out all the while seemingly blaming me and the fact that my dog is a bit nervous. All the while my dog has been in excruciating pain for the last two weeks with something that could have been easily diagnosed with a urine analysis, which, by the way, would have saved me well over $1,000 is diagnostic testing that was not relevant to his symptoms. Really disappointing, and really scary to think what might have happened to my dog had I not gone somewhere else for a second opinion. I truly wish there was a way for me to get my money back because I cannot think of a worse experience for my dog and I. The front desk staff were always friendly and Dr. Youngblood is really awesome, but this experience with a different vet will ensure I never return here again.
• JL

  Josh Langer

  Jan 27, 2026
  5.0
  My golden retriever ate a plastic bag and ultimately needed emergency surgery for a blockage. The staff at VCA was amazing, communicative, thoughtful, and clearly loved and cared for all of the animals, especially the inpatients. The primary vet called twice per day to provide updates, and with 10am-10pm visiting hours we got to spend a lot of time with him as an in-patient. While I was visiting with my dog, so many of the vet techs came up to say hello to him and knew the exact progress he needed to make for next steps. We are so thankful to the staff at VCA and grateful that our dog is back home with us.
• SR

  Stephanie Roberts

  Dec 1, 2019
  1.0
  I walked into this clinic with a sweet little dog that was mostly unconscious and was dying. His owner had lost her home and had been living in a tent under an overpass. As I began explaining the situation to one of the receptionists, another one loudly interrupted saying, "You still have to pay!" I never imagined, let alone suggested, they treat the animal for free. I was there to pay since owner couldn't and the tiny dog really needed help. We were there over 2 hours trying to save the dog, and ALL the time two of the five or so receptionists were continuously ordering us around and behaving without a shred of care or compassion for what was happening. It was unbelievable. In my opinion they shouldn’t be working in the "health field" since animals deserve compassion too. Two weeks later when I came to pick up the dog's ashes so I could deliver to the homeless owner, the - still rude - receptionists would not give them to me. They said they could only give them to the owner, yet the day we checked-out and I paid the entire bill including the individual cremation, a receptionist witnessed the owner authorize me to pick up the ashes. This is why she wrote my phone number on the account. Yet no one would take a moment to "find" the receptionist who knew the dog's owner had authorized me to pick up the ashes. Instead they just kept telling me, "It's our policy, we can only give them to the owner." They were like robots. They only repeated this, and in an aggressive-like way. They kept repeating this over and over. It was stunning. For 4-5 days I kept calling continuously trying to resolve the matter so I could come and pick up the ashes. I asked repeatedly to speak to the office manager, yet they would never put me through to her. They'd say she would call me, but she never ever did. Why wouldn't the manager speak to me? Why couldn't she – or anyone there – have discussed this with the others and found the receptionist who knew the owner had authorized me to pick up the ashes? What was so disheartening about their behavior is that they seemed to take pride in it. They had no interest whatsoever in communicating with me to actually solve the matter (to find the receptionist who knew the owner had ALREADY given her okay for me to pick up the ashes), but instead were defiant and authoritative when they kept saying, "we will only give them to the owner." After several days, they finally said they would give them to me if the owner called them to authorize it (or more accurately, to RE-AURTOURZE it). But the owner had no phone service, so I had to go back to the tents under the overpass to find the owner. Finally I located her and got her to call them to tell them – so then I went back to the clinic and picked up the ashes. Then I had to go back again to the overpass to deliver the ashes. All this effort on my part was wholly unnecessary. The owner had told the receptionist on the day we checked out that I was going to be picking up the ashes. Yet they ignored this and wouldn't even verify it with the receptionist who witnessed this. I don't understand why people like this are in the animal welfare business – or maybe I do, and maybe it's just for money. These were without question the rudest, most unprofessional mannered women I've ever come across at any clinic anywhere. At times I thought it was some sort of cruel secret video game or something. If you take your animal here and it goes routinely, then it might be an okay experience. But if there is anything that goes "off" or needs human communication, problem solving or extra attention, you could be setting yourself up for a lot of extra worry and sorrow --- and when we're already trying to help our pets, I don't feel having rude, incompetent staff is helpful at all (and instead, this is when we most need genuinely professional and compassionate support).

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