VCA Ponte Vedra Animal Hospital

Reviews

• JD

  Juliette D

  Jul 20, 2026
  1.0
  I chose this veterinary practice for my 8-week-old English Cream Golden Retriever puppy’s first wellness visit; this became the most uncomfortable and disappointing veterinary experience I have ever had. Instead of making me feel welcome as a new client, I felt as though I was being interrogated. The vet's communication lacked tact, professionalism, empathy, and respect. The entire interaction felt confrontational and uncomfortable. Early in the appointment, the veterinarian repeatedly discussed puppy mills and explained that many puppies come from them. Although she never directly said that my puppy came from a puppy mill, the conversation strongly implied she viewed her background with suspicion before reviewing the facts. Gigi is an English Cream Golden Retriever from a reputable breeder in California. Her parents have OFA health certifications, and I prioritized health, temperament, and ethical breeding practices. Despite explaining this, I felt like I was forced to defend my breeder throughout the appointment instead of having a collaborative conversation. The handling of my puppy’s vaccination records was even more troubling. My puppy had already been examined by a licensed veterinarian in California and had received her DA2PP vaccination before traveling to Florida. Despite having the records, the veterinarian questioned their validity and appeared ready to revaccinate Gigi only 12 days after her previous DA2PP vaccination. I specifically asked the clinic to contact the SoCal Veterinary Hospital in California to verify the records before administering another vaccine. During the appointment, I was told that the VCA Ponte Vedra had contacted my breeder and confirmed she personally administered the vaccine. That information is false. My breeder clarified that Dr. Luna, the licensed veterinarian from SoCal Veterinary Hospital in California, actually administered the vaccine—not her. The VCA Vet consistently expressed distrust toward breeders, including mine. I did not ask her to contact my breeder; I merely requested that we coordinate with SoCal to send my puppy’s vaccination record directly to them. However, this obtuse veterinarian was determined to re-vaccinate my puppy without considering the potential for further issues. The records should have been carefully reviewed and tactfully verified before recommending another vaccination and mistreating us. Nutrition also became a source of frustration. Without identifying any medical issues with my puppy, the veterinarian strongly criticized the food I feed, Open Farm Gently Cooked Puppy Recipe, one of the most balanced diets for growing puppies, made from clean and premium ingredients. She said it could harbor bacteria, was too expensive, told me not to believe in the marketing, and wasn’t good food for a puppy. She repeatedly promoted Purina Pro Plan as the better choice. I expected advice based on my puppy’s actual health—not broad dismissals of an entire diet. My puppy has a great appetite, normal stools, plenty of energy, and gained about three pounds in less than two weeks before this visit. She weighed 12.1 pounds during the exam. Despite that, the veterinarian called her “she is a little too thin” and said, “You can feel her bones.” No body condition score was discussed, no diagnosis of being underweight was made, and no medical evidence supported those remarks. I often held my puppy, and her statement is completely false—please avoid this place at all costs. Ironically, despite questioning everything, the veterinarian eventually said Gigi was healthy and a beautiful puppy. However, I was never given a written wellness exam report summarizing the examination results, body condition, and overall health assessment. A veterinarian’s role is to provide medical care with professionalism, respect, and empathy. Sadly, those qualities were missing during my visit. It is important to acknowledge that prejudice and bias can be present, including those related to race or ethnicity, and that some individuals may hold assumptions based on these factors.
• KS

  Katie Shepherd

  Jun 22, 2026
  5.0
  The entire team here is absolutely wonderful. My dogs have had the pleasure of being treated by Dr. Darnell and Dr. Wavell and they are incredible. We lost one of our boys in the fall and they helped my husband and I through it and did everything they possibly could to make Bruno as comfortable as possible. They continue to help us with our other, Alpha, and his many allergies. I highly recommend VCA PVB!!
• RB

  Ryan B

  Dec 30, 2022
  5.0
  Very efficient and knowledgeable staff
• TT

  T T

  Sep 12, 2022
  1.0
  My pet was rescued from the Jacksonville humane society and VCA partners with them to provide free wellness checks for your first time there. None of my concerns were addressed, my kitten has been sneezing and I was told “that’s just how humane society animals are”. I received this same response for every concern I brought up. I feel like we were being treated as “lesser than” because my pet was a rescue from the humane society which is so disappointing since a pet is a pet no matter where they come from. The “wellness exam” from Dr. Cinque consisted of a 30 second look at my kitten’s face and then I was told she looks “rough” but “that’s just how humane society animals are”. I was also told she was under weight but then took her to another vet the next day where she weighed a pound more than what I was told at this VCA location. I went in to also get shots but for some reason I was told to come back for another visit to receive them. I was also told she had diarrhea (which she did not, I even brought in a fecal sample) and was prescribed medication that was supposed to be covered by the human society but then I ended up paying for it because I wasn’t given an itemized bill before they ran my card (I did end up getting refunded). It was $150 for a fecal test and the feline leukemia test which is outrageous when I compare to other facilities now. I wish I would’ve avoided this place, it was a waste of time and money. If you rescued an animal I would not recommend trusting this place with your baby, humane society animals aren't valued here.
• AA

  Adrian Adams

  Jul 30, 2022
  5.0
  We absolutely love VCA as our primary vet. Everyone is very friendly and take great care of our dog (who is a frequent flyer because he has no sense of self-preservation.) Dr. Darnell has always gone above and beyond, explaining the science in a way we understand - even drawing a graph of Parvo immunity when discussing immunization efficacy! She has also texted us multiple times to follow-up after a visit. We had one issue where our puppy needed to go to an emergency vet after a seizure, and as soon as Dr. Darnell found out from the emergency vet requesting medical records, she reached out to us to make sure everything was okay and asking if there was anything they could do. They've been an invaluable part of our puppy's life and we would recommend them to anyone!

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