Veterinary Referral Associates

Reviews

• BQ

  Bianca Q

  6 days ago
  1.0
  In the beginning of April, I took my dog here because he had his very first seizure. They gave him two different types of medication. One of the medication side effects was neurological issues. I had to give him the medication for one week but it made him completely worse, he ended up developing pancreatitis. So I had to take him to his vet to get treated. I was told by the vet to stop the medications. It’s been a few months and my dog is not the same. He doesn’t get happy as he used to, we now have to be cautious with his fat intake and now he’s bumping into walls and much more. Now he needs care 24/7. I don’t trust them anymore, and it’s so heartbreaking seeing him like this.
• VD

  Vanessa Dai

  6 days ago
  2.0
  I brought my cat into VRA two weekends ago, and she was diagnosed with high-grade T-cell lymphoma. She was well cared for by the staff and the ER doctors, and I was pleased with their care. I spoke to Dr. Lechner in Internal Medicine and Dr. Fritz in Oncology the next day. Everyone seemed confident and assured me that my cat was stable and would do well with chemo, which left me feeling hopeful and happy. Unfortunately, I later reached out to Dr. Fritz about three times and never received a response. I had some general questions and also called to seek help for my cat's immune system, as it looked to me like she was starting to have a herpes flare up due to the jumpstart chemo. Still, I received no response from a doctor. I went to VRA the next day to talk to someone in person, the staff tried their best but couldn't help me directly, so they left Dr. Fritz a message. I called back the next business day, and the staff acknowledged that a message had been left for her and promised to leave another one. I still received no callback. It wasn't an emergency when the weekend started, but as she grew sicker, it became one by Monday night. It turns out that my cat did not respond to the jumpstart chemo and was declining. I needed to know how to support her immune system and keep her comfortable during this time. I thought maybe I could get some antivirals, some general support, or just get my questions answered...anything! By then, my trust in Dr. Fritz was gone, so I ended up reaching out to my personal vet for help to keep my cat comfortable. We ended up letting her go on July 1st. It was very peaceful, but very sad. One could say that I should have brought her back into VRA as an emergency, but my trust was already lost. I wasn't going to waste what was left of my dying cat's energy there, which is why I brought her to my regular vet instead. I don't blame VRA or Dr. Fritz for the decline in my cat or her death, the inpatient staff took very good care of her. I just want to bring awareness to the fact that you're not always going to get the support you need here, and it will be disappointing. In this case with Dr. Fritz, I'm not the only one who has experienced this lack of communication. Should I have another cat diagnosed with cancer in the future, I will not be bringing them back here just to be ignored and unsupported by Dr. Fritz and her team. This hurts so much on top of losing my cat. You know the saying "like icing on the cake"? In my situation, it's diarrhea on a pile of 💩. My cat didn't deserve to be ignored like this, especially by a highly reputable oncologist. You chose a profession to treat those who don't have a voice, yet you actively chose to ignore her. I have since heard that Dr. Fritz will seemingly only respond if your questions are directly chemo related. If you use her, I strongly suggest you somehow figure out how to incorporate the word "chemo" into your messages and cross your fingers. I'm only leaving two stars because the front desk, intake, and emergency staff were great.
• HS

  Hannah Stang

  Jun 28, 2026
  1.0
  AVOID THIS ER CLINIC. I brought my cat here in a severe neurological crisis after a seizure. While she was in the back room away from me, the staff performed an entirely unauthorized cosmetic procedure—shaving her mats—without my knowledge or consent. Forcing a terrified cat with extreme vertigo to endure the physical restraint and loud vibrations of clippers caused an immediate medical regression, and she was sent home in significantly worse shape than when I arrived. To make it worse, the vet actively shamed me for the knots and told me I "should do better," completely ignoring that my regular vet has her documented history of lifelong grooming issues. When I questioned her decisions, she became defensive, dismissive, and lacked all empathy. I am currently at home trying to keep my traumatized cat stable until I can get her to her regular vet tomorrow morning.
• LE

  L Estes

  Jun 24, 2026
  2.0
  I will start by saying that I chose to take my dog to VRA because he was quite sick and needed a specialist urgently, and the nature of seeking specialists is that appointments take a while. VRA was the first available, not my selection. VRA managed to diagnose my pet and keep him alive, which is a fantastic desired outcome. However, his complex medical case was subsequently fumbled in spectacular fashion. Ongoing potential complications and risk factors were left unexplained, additional treatment modalities which potentially would have caused him fewer side effects and prevented future emergencies were never offered, and communication between VRA staff and his regular vet was inconsistent and imprecise. Billing practices are questionable, and predatory to pet parents seeking to keep their loved ones well. Some clinicians at VRA are wonderful, caring practitioners. The technicians and assistants are lovely. Some clinicians are not. Regardless, those clinicians involved in my pet's care did not successfully meet desired treatment outcomes over a period of 8 months of care and four or five visits-- two of which were preventable emergencies had all risk factors been considered. I sincerely hope that if you choose VRA, your pet has insurance. You will be back for more visits, and you will receive a high/low cost estimate that they will adjust after you have paid for the visit. I wish you the best of luck if you choose this practice for your pet's care.
• LN

  LOS NAVA

  Jun 22, 2026
  1.0
  I am extremely disappointed and heartbroken by my experience with this veterinary hospital . After the devastating loss of our beloved dog, King, we made the decision to have him privately cremated so that we could bring his ashes home and keep a part of him with our family. This was an important part of our grieving process and something we specifically requested and paid for. Unfortunately, due to an apparent paperwork error, King was cremated communally instead of privately. We were later informed that his ashes had been mixed with those of other dogs and could not be separated. As a result, we were denied the opportunity to receive his ashes as promised. Losing a pet is one of the most painful experiences a family can go through, and while mistakes can happen, this particular mistake is irreversible. We trusted the veterinary office to handle our beloved companion with care and to follow the arrangements that were made. The fact that such a significant error occurred has added tremendous emotional distress to an already heartbreaking situation. To their credit, the staff did provide us with a full refund for the private cremation, a paw print necklace, and a small painting of King. Those gestures were thoughtful, compassionate, and genuinely appreciated. I do believe they were trying to acknowledge their mistake and show kindness during an incredibly difficult time. However, while I am grateful for those efforts, they cannot replace what was lost. No refund, gift, or apology can give us back the opportunity to bring King home as we had planned. The hole left by not having his ashes is something our family will continue to carry. What was particularly disappointing to me was that I asked for a written statement explaining what steps would be taken to prevent this from happening to another family in the future. I was told that providing such a letter would violate their guidelines, and my request was denied. While I understand that businesses have policies and procedures, I was hoping for some reassurance that meaningful changes would be implemented following such a devastating mistake. Overall, this experience has left me with a complete loss of trust in how end-of-life arrangements are handled at this facility. I would strongly caution other pet owners to ask very detailed questions and ensure everything is clearly documented before proceeding, especially when it comes to private cremation and aftercare services. I am sharing this review not out of anger, but because pet owners deserve to know that end-of-life arrangements should be handled with the utmost care, attention to detail, and respect. Families place enormous trust in veterinary professionals during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. While I appreciate the compassion shown afterward, the mistake itself was one that can never be undone. We loved King deeply, and not being able to bring him home as planned is something our family will carry with us forever.

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