VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty

Reviews

• SK

  Sammy Kernen

  6 days ago
  5.0
  Despite not having the outcome any pet owner would wish for, I am very thankful for the care my cat and I received. My cat had an illness come on out of nowhere, at a young age and it was in her best interest to be put down. I was hysterical, and the Vet and staff handled it as kindly, professionally, and gently as they could. I will always be thankful for the support, care, and information they provided during a very, very hard time. I can't imagine how hard it is to work with animals and their humans during such times and I am forever grateful for there care and kindness.
• KM

  Katherine Moody

  Sep 24, 2026
  5.0
  At 4:30 am, I knew I could no longer delay helping my 19-year-old cat, Charlie, pass. I called VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency Hospital and spoke with Lexi, exactly the person I needed at one of the hardest moments of my life. She was extraordinarily kind, patient, and understanding on the phone, and continued to be just as compassionate when I arrived with Charlie at 5:30 a.m. The attending veterinarian was equally wonderful. They treated Charlie gently and treated me with such care and understanding throughout an incredibly difficult goodbye. I am deeply grateful that, at that hour and at that moment, Charlie and I found our way to Lexi and the team at VCA Capital Area. I will always remember the kindness they showed both of us.
• KL

  Kayli Leary

  Sep 21, 2026
  5.0
  Juno was referred to CAVES for a consultation with the Internal Medicine department when she was in very rough shape. Dr. Nick helped us quickly understand the possible diagnoses and what the next steps could look like. CAVES didn’t hesitate to get her scheduled for an ultrasound with Dr. Dropkin as soon as possible, and the entire team took such great care in keeping her comfortable and supported overnight. While the results of their testing left us heartbroken with a high suspicion of lymphoma, having answers was incredibly important to us. During Juno’s discharge, Dr. Nick took the time to sit with us, answer questions, and help us understand our options and next steps for treatment. The CAVES team even worked hard to help us get an appointment with an oncologist that same day. The sense of urgency for her case was part of what saved her life. We’re truly so grateful for the care, compassion, and support they gave our very special girl during such a scary and heartbreaking time. We plan to make every remaining moment we get with her count. Thank you CAVES!
• AS

  Alana Samuelson

  Sep 15, 2026
  5.0
  We ended up here last night due to a porcupine incident with our dog. She was ushered right in for triage and then quickly sedated to remove the hundreds of quills. They worked swiftly and carefully. Although it was quite the expense ($1500) we didn’t feel that there was anything unreasonable about the charges outlined on the invoice. They asked our permission before performing anything that would add more cost. Our dog was home and resting within 2.5 hours of our initial check in. Thank you to the staff of VCA CAVE! We’re very grateful for the care our pup received
• HH

  Hannah

  Sep 1, 2026
  2.0
  I unfortunately had a very disappointing experience bringing my dog here for emergency care. I completely understand that this is an emergency hospital and that patients must be triaged based on severity. I never expected my dog to be seen ahead of an animal experiencing a more critical emergency. However, my dog had significant, firm swelling underneath his jaw, was not eating normally, had extremely foul-smelling breath, and appeared to have yellow discharge/pus in his mouth. Despite these symptoms, we were at the hospital for approximately six hours and he was never examined by a veterinarian. Every animal I watched enter the facility had a technician briefly examine the pet inside the waiting area, but that did not happen with us. After waiting from 8:20 pm until around 12:15 am, we were finally taken into an exam room, where someone came in and briefly spoke about what’s going on, and said they’d draft a care plan and get back to us. This is the first time someone even looked at our dog. After some more time waiting, we were given an estimate of approximately $1,200 for proposed diagnostics/treatment and were asked to pay $675 upfront. We paid the deposit. Another hour and 10 minutes passed (at this point it’s 2:20 am) and no one had been in to update us or begin any treatment. After six hours without a veterinary examination, we ultimately made the difficult decision to leave and seek care elsewhere. The following morning, I brought our dog to another veterinary urgent care (which was a night and day experience, would highly recommend LEADS in concord). He was examined, had bloodwork performed, was sedated so they could thoroughly examine his mouth and throat, and was diagnosed with cellulitis/a localized infection under his jaw. His bloodwork also showed an elevated white blood cell count consistent with infection/inflammation. He was immediately started on a 14-day course of antibiotics along with medication for pain and inflammation. What upsets me most is knowing that our dog genuinely did have an infection requiring treatment while we spent six hours waiting for him to receive even an initial veterinary examination. I understand that emergency medicine is unpredictable and that more critical animals will appropriately take priority, but I don’t believe a six-hour wait without communication or a veterinarian evaluating a dog presenting with these symptoms is acceptable. There wasn’t even a check in giving me an update on timing, or no one to say, “hey, you may want to go to a different facility since we will not be able to even verbally speak with you for at least 5-6 hours”. I am very grateful that we trusted our instincts, sought care elsewhere, and were able to get our dog evaluated and treated. I sincerely hope the hospital reviews its triage, reassessment, and communication procedures so another pet owner doesn’t have the same experience. I do want to say, we did get our deposit refunded thankfully.

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