Veterinary Specialty Center Tucson

Reviews

• AE

  Ashleigh Escalante

  6 days ago
  1.0
  If you're in the difficult position of having to take your beloved pet to the ER, trust me don't choose this one. I was separated from my pet the entire time I was here. I was given several quotes without any guidance or information and met with the cold indifference of a fast food franchise worker by both the vet and vet tech. I had to say goodbye to my childhood friend this day, but I couldn't let that place be the last one he was ever in. I later ended up taking him to another ER that was less than 10 minutes away from this one, where we were met with the warmth and empathy of people who clearly cared about him. We were never separated, they made sure we were comfortable and provided reassurance and clarification every step of the way. No matter what your pet is going through, they don't deserve to go through it here. I will always be sorry that he was subjected to this facility on a day that ended up being his last. Other notable details: The exam room wreaked of cat pee, and normally I wouldn't even mention that, but the quality of care was really just as bad. They literally at one point said "give us a number." I'm trying to do what is best for my dog, and they were trying to make a sale. In hindsight, I'm astounded by the absurdity of it all.
• BE

  Barry Emmons

  Sep 29, 2026
  5.0
  Excellent care friendly and caring staff, they took our cat in for a CT scan in only one day. They quoted costs and actually came in lower. Highly recommend
• BH

  Bruce Herdrich

  Sep 24, 2026
  5.0
  We recently had our female English Setter (Star) spayed and a mass removed from her mammary chain at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson. The surgery staff was awesome. They told me what to expect before, during and after the laparoscopic surgery so we could take care of Star at home. I was instructed to check Star's incisions twice a day which I did. This was a difficult task for me because the incisions were so precise and the dissolvable stitches were inside. There was nothing visible on her belly which I thought was great! I can't praise Dr Balsa and the surgery team enough for the outstanding job and care they provided for Star.
• RL

  Ronna LeBrun

  Sep 24, 2026
  4.0
  Dr. Fulton took very thorough care of my baby girl Torta. She is a 3-legged dog who tore her CCL and meniscus (suspected) and so I brought her in for an urgent exam since she can’t risk another leg injury. Was so worried about my girl, she’s my best friend in the whole world. Luckily when I went, there was a very short wait time. I know emergency vet medicine is a pretty brutal job, from front desk to techs to the DVMs themselves. Dr. Fulton and her tech were so compassionate and understanding and they treated Torta so well. I read every detail of her discharge notes and was so grateful the thoroughness of Torta’s exam. I chatted with the custodian for awhile, she was a very nice person also. Met with Dr. Moore and his tech Rocky for surgery consult; I liked them very much and Dr. Moore had good reviews. They said Torta had a good prognosis for after a TPLO surgery. After reflection, I opted to go to a differnt surgery center due to it being Dr. Moore’s last week there; he told me it would be a different ortho doing the recovery part. With a tripawd, I know that the recovery will be maybe more critical and more brutal than the surgery itself. For continuity of care, I opted to go where it would be the same doctor doing both surgery and recovery. Torta just got out of surgery today at the other place and i pick her up tomorrow. Hoping for the very best. Im grateful for the people at VSCOT. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is there is no ADA blue square button for hands-free opening of the emergency door. This was a little disconcerting, as with emergencies carrying bigger animals, you do not have the luxury of opening a door with your hands. The front desk staff might not have noticed, I had Torta in a clunky stroller and was having a hard time getting her in the door. The door kickstand is available, but it’s not readily apparent and I was by myself. Please, if the building owners read this, please install an ADA-complaint door. I can’t imagine having a pet emergency and also being a wheelchair user or on crutches. If you’re carrying a critical pet, you also do not have the luxury of trying to get your phone to call for help if the front desk doesn’t notice you coming up right away, if they have to be on the phone, they can’t drop everything to get to the door. I have worked front desk before for a vet clinic and I know how tough it is to be the front lines. Thank you all for doing what you do. Prices are high, because overhead is high. You do have to pay quite a lot up front. If you can get and afford pet insurance for your pet before something happens, it really is worth it. They are not a charity and vets endure much verbal abuse for not giving free care. However, no other profession is expected to give free care, and unfortunately our furry family members can’t be given exceptions. It is a tragedy, and it’s understandable that many people are forced to choose between care for their best friend or financial ruin. Sharing a bond with a pet can be the most rewarding and most brutal thing of your life. For anyone who is reading this who had to make that heartbreaking final choice, please know that even by bringing them to emergency vet in the first place means you are a good pet parent, you did everything you could, and your baby knows that. Animals just know. It’s true that if they gave free care or made exceptions “just this once” they would go bankrupt. They wish every animal could be treated for free, in a perfect world. Nobody dedicates themselves to veterinary medicine for the money, they’d go into human medicine if that were the case. They go for the love of animals. Especially techs and front desk, who often are paid far lower than they deserve. Vet medicine has an extremely high burnout and suicide rate. Kindness and patience with the vet and staff goes a long way; remember they are human. You never know what they are going through or what trauma they have just had to see…
• RC

  Richard Collier

  Sep 9, 2026
  5.0
  I took my cat to VEG, they ran tests and found his kidneys were not functioning. They kept him for 24 hours, giving him fluids and medication to see if he could recover. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to recover. The staff was wonderful. The only concerns I had was when I went in initially, the Vet wanted to do an x-ray along with labs. I understood the labs but I think the x-ray was unnecessary. Additionally, while they kept him overnight, my wife and I both visited him and when I was there in the very early morning (3am) he was laying in his own poop. I cleaned him up myself as best I could though I didn’t say anything to the staff. My wife came later that morning and did mention it to the Vet. They apologized profusely and had him cleaned up just in time to put him to sleep. Overall, the care was first rate. I think if you’re bringing your pet in, you should consider what tests would be best as I think the x-ray for my cat was unnecessary. Bear in mind, they are expensive, but I have to say again the care was first rate and we’re happy with how they treated our dear cat.

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