Echo Park Veterinary Hospital

Reviews

• ME

  Melissa Estrada

  6 days ago
  5.0
  Dora has been coming here for years, and even though she’s a feisty 13 lb senior pup at the vet, the staff is always patient and calm with her. The front desk is super kind, both in person and when I call as the paranoid pet mom I am. Techs and doctors are great, and the relief vet we saw yesterday was amazing and answered all my questions. Pricing has always been clear and explained. Overall, nothing but good vibes and great care for my girl.
• AW

  Andrew Wang

  Oct 31, 2025
  1.0
  My extremely healthy 2.5 year old dog San died at Echo Park Veterinary Hospital while under anesthesia for a simple broken nail. San was a super healthy pup, we would always take him on walks and to parks. He was full of life, usually the fastest dog in the park, running circles around other dogs. He had been under anesthesia before for his neuter and teeth cleaning and was always perfectly fine. On 10/26, he broke his dewclaw at the park. It was a minor injury, there was barely any bleeding. My regular vet couldn't get us in, so I made the mistake of going to Echo Park Veterinary Hospital for the first time. My appointment was at 2:30 pm, right after their lunch break, and my first impression was that the vet appeared sleepy. The vet listened to San's heart and said he sounded "strong” and gave me the treatment plan. When I saw it, I repeatedly asked if anesthesia was necessary for a simple nail trim. The technician insisted it was. It is clear in hindsight that they just wanted to upcharge me for a simple procedure. They took him away, and that was the last time I ever saw San alive. A while later, the vet came out and told me San was dead. The vet told me it was likely a "pulmonary embolism." This was a complete lie. They let me into the "operating room," and I was horrified. The place looked run-down, and San was on a ventilator, but there wasn't even a heart monitor in sight. Later, I was given the medical notes, all written after the event with parts scratched out. The notes indicate they tried to give him two 0.5cc of dexmedetomidine and claimed one "missed”. Most importantly, the notes show no attempt to administer Antisedan, the reversal agent for dexmedetomidine. My perfectly healthy dog died on their table from a broken nail. I am sharing our story so this doesn't happen to anyone else's family. Do not take your pet to this hospital.
• BW

  Bill Wang

  Oct 29, 2025
  1.0
  My brother’s healthy pup was killed here. Do not come here. This is a clinic with no accountability and pushes unnecessary medical procedures. My brother’s 2.5 year old dog, San, was extremely active, healthy, and energetic, with no significant past medical history. He was strong and smart, always looking for ways to be in the outdoors. I was with San for an entire summer, where he was always running around my community park and backyard, and being social with other dogs, tiring me out as I played fetch with him for hours. Due to this activity, he broke his dewclaw at the park. Seeing that this was a minor injury, my brother took him to a nearby vet instead of his usual provider for a broken nail. For incomprehensible, greedy financial reasons, the staff insisted to put San under GENERAL anesthesia. He never bites anyone, and was most likely scared by this cold, foreign environment. San was then killed in the OR. No tests were performed to identify the cause of death, and the vet simply suggested that an underlying pulmonary embolism was the likely cause. The notes are written hastily, saying that the staff missed the first dose of anesthesia. No times were written down, and no monitoring was suggested in the notes despite the staff literally saying that they “missed” the first dose. My brother and his wife are devastated. San’s death was completely preventable, and only caused by medical negligence and staff inattention. I will never be able to play fetch with San at the park, due to a freak operation for a nail trim. Please reconsider if you need veterinary care for your pet.
• LP

  Lauren Park

  Oct 29, 2025
  1.0
  THEY KILLED MY FRIEND'S DOG Please be cautious before bringing your pet here. My friend took her perfectly healthy dog in for what should've been a simple nail trim after it broke at the dog park. The vet suggested putting him under anesthesia -which felt extreme for such a minor procedure. Tragically, his heart stopped during the process and he didn't make it. This wasn't their regular vet - it was a Sunday, so they went to a clinic that was open. But what makes this so devastating is that this could have been avoided. Many vets, unfortunately, will recommend unnecessary procedures or medications to make more money, and anesthesia for a nail trim is beyond excessive. I've personally had my own dog undergo light sedation before for a similar issue and that is very different from full anesthesia. To make matters worse, the way the staff handled the situation afterward was cold and unprofessional. The notes from his chart were inconsistent -- and when my friend and her husband were in tears over their dog's death, the front desk staff were joking around and laughing. There was no empathy, no accountability. Losing a pet is heartbreaking enough, but to lose them because of negligence and carelessness is unforgivable. Please research where you take your pets carefully. No family should have to go through something like this over a nail trim.
• JS

  Jodie Serror

  Oct 28, 2025
  1.0
  Horrible clinic - if you want your pet to stay alive - do not come here! My friend dropped off his dog for a broken Duclaw and this clinic performed a full anesthesia and the dog never woke up. According to their report, the dog was aggressive in the treatment room. Instead of calling the owner in, they suggested to pursue a full sedation for the treatment of a broken nail basically. The owner did agree to that after confirming multiple times that it was absolutely necessary. It is important to note that this dog is extremely sweet and kind and if he was "aggressive" he was probably just really scared. The clinic then went on to sedate him WITHOUT doing any bloodwork. The vet could have easily done a PT INR test before any surgery to make sure the dog is fit, especially since this dog is not a usual patient there but was a drop-in. My friend was then told he died of a pulmonary embolism - how would they have identified that? It is unclear how that would have been the cause especially as it is usually identified via Imaging (x-Ray e.g.) or Blood tests. There are also no timestamps on the notes, it is unclear if a vet was even present when all of this happened and were the anesthesia drugs properly calculated based on his weight? I also wonder if the risks of this procedure were properly explained. It leaves my friend without a beautiful dog he rescued - if you have a heart for animals do not consider this clinic.

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