Carolina Veterinary Specialists Matthews

Reviews

• FF

  Foodie

  1 day ago
  1.0
  My dog suffered head trauma, immediately had a seizure with foaming at the mouth, and afterward appeared unable to see. Banfield evaluated her and informed me she had severe head trauma and required immediate neurological evaluation. The veterinarian at Banfield personally called Carolina Veterinary Specialists ahead of our arrival, explained my dog’s condition, and was assured that she would be seen immediately upon arrival due to the severity and urgency of her neurological symptoms. I rushed there believing my dog was actively being transferred for emergency specialty care. That is not what happened. When I arrived, there was no urgency, no preparation, and no acknowledgment of the seriousness of my dog's condition. Despite a prior veterinarian-to-veterinarian call describing head trauma, seizure activity, and sudden blindness, I was left sitting in the lobby with my neurologically compromised dog while staff appeared completely unconcerned. I repeatedly had to advocate for my dog and remind staff that she had suffered head trauma and seizure activity. Only after pushing for help was someone paged, yet we still continued waiting with little communication and no meaningful action. After approximately an hour and a half of waiting, I was finally informed that it would likely be another 3–4 hours before a doctor could even evaluate her, much less a neurologist. At that point, I realized we were losing valuable time during what Banfield had already identified as a neurological emergency. While still sitting in the lobby, I began calling other emergency hospitals myself because it became clear that the assurances made before arrival were not accurate. I ultimately found CARE, where the difference in response was immediate and alarming. CARE understood the severity of the situation, took Maggie directly to the back upon arrival, and arranged for neurological evaluation the same day. I understand emergency hospitals triage cases. I understand delays can happen. What I do not understand is why another veterinarian would be assured that a dog with severe head trauma, seizure activity, and sudden blindness would receive immediate neurological attention if the hospital lacked the staffing or capacity to provide that care. If Carolina Veterinary Specialists could not appropriately evaluate or support this emergency, that should have been communicated honestly from the beginning so that we could have gone elsewhere immediately instead of losing critical time. I am sharing this because no pet owner in the middle of a neurological emergency should be told their pet will be seen immediately, rush across town terrified, and then sit for hours without proper evaluation or clear communication. In emergencies involving head trauma and seizures, time matters.
• AS

  Alexa Stephens

  4 days ago
  5.0
  We brought our Chihuahua here for a medical emergency. They rushed him in and started treatment immediately. Dr White compassionately explained every single thing through the day long event. All staff comforted us and let us spend as much time as we needed with our pup. He ended up crossing the rainbow bridge on his own. Thankful for the staff for listening and tending to Bon the way they did, to fight for him.
• NI

  Nick IB

  May 13, 2026
  1.0
  After looking at other reviews, I see that our issue wasn’t uncommon. Despite the great care from the medical professionals, this hospital genuinely attempted to squeeze every last drop of money from us. Our dog was treated for severe stomach issues, to which required surgery. The doctor came to us and told us despite the amount of issues, he was on the mend with potential to go home in a few days. The doctor then told us an incredibly high “deposit” we “needed” to pay, ($10k now, up to $18+K later) and told us if we couldn’t pay, to do one of three options, Care Credit, Scratch Pay, or “call family and friends for the money”. After stating we did not have money for a brand new car, the doctor immediately brought up euthanasia, despite previously telling us our dog was on the mend. We elected to put our dog down because the hospital left us no other option. It wasn’t until our dog’s heart stopped beating post-euthanasia that another member of Carolina’s Veterinary Specialists came in demanding a form of payment, to which we were then told that we can provide any comfortable amount to deposit and can simply call their billing department to set up a different payment plan. CVS, you are FOWL for that and we absolutely will share this information with as many people as we can. What makes our situation even more surreal is that the doctor documented this exact engagement on our animal’s health chart. Potentially seeking legal in the future. CVS talked us into killing an animal that did not need to die.
• CB

  Cristina Bonilla

  May 3, 2026
  1.0
  I brought my dog in after he ate several tampons, which multiple emergency vets I called beforehand clearly told me is an urgent situation requiring immediate treatment. When I arrived here, I was told the wait time was 6+ hours. My concern was that the longer we waited, the higher the risk for obstruction or complications. I asked about inducing vomiting, which I was told could not be done until we were seen, and that my dog would likely need X-rays first. Given the urgency of the situation, I chose to go to their sister emergency hospital instead. There, I was taken back immediately without even completing full check-in. The staff assessed the situation right away and induced vomiting on the spot. My dog vomited the tampons quickly, no X-rays were needed, and the issue was resolved safely and immediately. I am extremely relieved I made that decision because waiting 6+ hours in this case could have led to a much more serious outcome. I understand emergency clinics can be busy, but when multiple ER vets classify a situation as time-sensitive ingestion, there needs to be faster triage or the ability to stabilize patients sooner. Unfortunately I don’t recommend this place
• SB

  Shelley Bryan

  Apr 17, 2026
  5.0
  I have never felt so much care from a vets office before. Dr Mauler and her tech (I wish I could remember her name!) were the sweetest and most kind people during my experience. When my cat Winchester suddenly became blind I was referred to neurology. During our visit they seemed to genuinely care for my kitty and took their time explaining what was going on. Dr Mauler even called me on a weekend to give me results of his MRI and answer all my questions. Every phone call and email was answered promptly and with concern. Unfortunately, we did have to put him down. Their compassion afterwards was unmatched. I don’t have the right words to describe how amazing they were/are but the heartfelt messages and gifts were way beyond anything I expected. You can tell those 2 ladies have a passion for what they do and truly care for the animals they see. I wish I could give way more stars than 5. These ladies are angels on earth. Dr Mauler, thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

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