VCA A Plus Animal Hospital

Reviews

• CF

  Christian Fassbender

  Jun 8, 2026
  1.0
  I took my cat to VCAA Animal Hospital for what was supposed to be a routine checkup and microchip appointment. During the exam, the veterinarian told me they felt a concerning mass in his abdomen and immediately started talking about expensive testing that would cost thousands of dollars. I told them I needed to talk it over with my wife first and asked about financing options. That's when the conversation went completely off the rails. Before a single X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, or any other diagnostic test had been done, they started talking about euthanasia. Not as a worst-case scenario after testing. Not if a diagnosis came back confirming something terminal. Right then and there. I was told my cat was likely in significant pain because of this suspected mass and that if we couldn't afford the testing and treatment, putting him down was something we should seriously consider. I was honestly stunned. How do you go from "I think I feel something" during a physical exam to talking about euthanizing someone's pet when you haven't even confirmed that there's actually a problem? I left that appointment upset and decided to get a second opinion. The second veterinarian was shocked when I told them what had happened. They did bloodwork, X-rays, and an ultrasound and found no abdominal mass whatsoever. None. In fact, they even joked that whatever was felt during the first exam may have simply been a buildup of feces or something similar. Other than the hyperthyroidism my cat was already being treated for, they found absolutely nothing that suggested he was suffering from a serious condition or living in severe pain. That's the part that still makes me angry. I understand that vets aren't perfect and mistakes happen. What I don't understand is why euthanasia was even part of the conversation before any testing had been done. That's not a small thing to bring up. You're talking about somebody's family member. You don't start talking about putting an animal down based on a guess. To me, it felt like fear was being used to push us toward thousands of dollars of testing. Maybe that's not what they intended, but that's exactly how it came across. When you're telling someone their pet may be suffering, may have a serious mass, and may need to be euthanized, people panic. That's exactly what happened to us. My wife and I spent days worried sick over something that turned out not to exist. What makes this even more disappointing is that we were already clients and had been bringing our two dogs there as well. After this experience, we'll never bring any of our animals back. If your pet receives a serious diagnosis here, get a second opinion before making any major decisions. In our case, that second opinion completely changed the story and probably saved us from spending thousands of dollars chasing a problem that wasn't even there.
• MC

  M Cat

  Jun 2, 2026
  5.0
  The vet Dr. Vranken and Belle were fast and efficient but i could see the bad news about my kitty (it’s not their fault but they were very empathetic!)
• CW

  Courtney Whitehorn

  May 28, 2026
  5.0
  I've been going to VCA for many years now and each time I am settled and happy to go. My corgi is always well looked after and always comes out with a smile on her face. The staff are incredibly kind and friendly and always make me feel better when I go!
• RT

  Ray T

  May 12, 2026
  5.0
  Calm, quiet, clean, and fresh office/environment for people and pets. Courteous and friendly staff who clearly and patiently went over the details about our pet’s health issues with us. The experience was calm and at ease for our pet and us.
• EP

  Evan Pearson

  Apr 26, 2026
  5.0
  Dr. Vranken and the rest of the team were extremely caring, transparent, communicative, and helpful during a difficult time with my dog, Grizelda. I will only be going here in the future and would recommend this clinic to anyone.

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