Carolina Veterinary Specialists Matthews

Reviews

• MH

  Michael Haskins

  2 days ago
  1.0
  My cat ate a string and got referred here for an endoscopy. When I got here they decided to do an xray and induce vomitting, which apparently took four hours, meaning it was too late for an endoscopy. By that point it looked like the string had gotten caught on something in the intestine, which required surgery. However, by the time the surgery started, 6 hours after getting the xray results, the string had already passed, which is a relief. My main issue is that the surgery was almost five thousand dollars, when an endoscopy WHEN IT WAS REFERRED BY ANOTHER VET would have been less than a thousand. Multiple months wages gone because this place was too slow or understaffed or didn’t trust another vet. If your cat or dog has digestive issues I would go somewhere else. Everyone was nice and otherwise this vet is knowledgeable but this experience was just terrible.
• AS

  Ashley Skeens

  Aug 24, 2026
  1.0
  The only reason I can give it one star is that the staff was very kind and easy to deal with however, I am disappointed in the care. My dog suddenly became paralyzed in his back legs from IVDD (dachshund), essentially a ruptured/slipped disc compressing his spinal cord. I rushed him there at approximately 7:00 a.m. They tested him for deep pain sensation and told me he still had it and had a 90–95% chance of walking again with surgery. I left him in their care around 8:00 a.m. At approximately 1:00 p.m., I received a call saying they had tested him again and he had now lost deep pain sensation. I was told his chance of walking had dropped to approximately 50/50. Despite this significant neurological decline, his surgery did not take place until around 3:00 p.m. Afterward, I was told his chance of walking was now only about 5%. I will always question why there was such a long delay while his neurological function was deteriorating and whether earlier intervention or other treatment could have made a difference. What also deeply bothers me is that conservative treatment was never presented or explained to me as an option. In that frightening moment, I felt as though the choice I was being given was essentially pay for the surgery or put my dog down. I was terrified and relying completely on the specialists to explain all reasonable options so I could make an informed decision. I was never given a meaningful discussion about strict crate rest and medical management, the potential risks and benefits, or whether it was an option in his particular case. I ultimately spent approximately $9,000 on his emergency care and spinal surgery, yet I felt I received very little postoperative guidance. At his two-week follow-up, I was essentially told he could be free to do whatever he wanted (6-8 weeks I have realized how long he should stay created after spinal surgery). I was left to figure out much of the care for a newly paralyzed dog—including bladder and bowel management, mobility, activity restrictions, skin protection, and rehabilitation—on my own. I did call and leave a voicemail with questions, but it was not returned. I understand that severe IVDD can have devastating outcomes and that no surgeon can guarantee a dog will walk again. My negative review is not simply because my dog remained paralyzed. It is about watching his prognosis go from 90–95%, to 50%, to 5% in a matter of hours while awaiting surgery, not feeling that I was fully informed of my options, and then receiving very little support afterward. I cannot know whether earlier intervention or a different course of treatment would have changed his outcome, but I will always wonder. For approximately $9,000 in emergency specialty care, I expected much better communication, informed decision-making, and postoperative support.
• BY

  Brandon Yeargin

  Aug 22, 2026
  5.0
  We had an emergency visit to this facility with our dog Sadie and everyone was amazing from check in to discharge. Dr Jacob White was outstanding, explaining everything that was going on and the best options. Kept us updated since we had to leave her overnight. Never had to worry if she was being taken care of. Keep up the great work staff!
• SF

  Sandy Ferrara

  Aug 2, 2026
  1.0
  Update: In your response you state his discharge paperwork was completed overnight. This is a false statement. He was discharged at 4am when discharge papers should have been provided, I did not receive discharge paperwork until after my regular vet called 28hrs later. 28hrs is not overnight AND discharge papers should be provided at discharge. Plus I was promised several different times of when it would be provided and had to call numerous times. My regular vet needed the info from the discharge docs. Also, when discharge docs were provided I received a call from the vet to advise they made a typo on the medication bottle they provided me and thus they needed to change the dosage. Oh and the culture they took that I was supposed to be notified of results, again my vet had to call to track down the results. Complete incompetence in your operations and communication. UNLESS ZERO OTHER OPTIONS DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET HERE! Horrible experience last night and today with so much incompetence. I toughed it out and was able to get my dog triaged until we can get to our regular vet but the systems at this place are completely broken. Yes I said the systems/processes as there were two good souls that did show effort - one sweet receptionist and Brandon the vet tech but they are working in a company with broken communication systems and broken processes that leave PETS SUFFERING. As other one stars reviews have stated the front and the back are on two totally different pages - heck different books! Pets/owners sitting in exam rooms get left and forgotten about because “disappeared from board/computer” for some reason - happened to both me and the lady in next room over. They don’t verify the pet correctly so they mix up different pets with similar names for example they almost gave me script for my “Jack” that was for a different person’s pet named “Jax” that wasn’t even there. Luckily I was checking. Their standard line is to blame all their shortcomings on the fact they are so busy and the general nature of being an emergency vet where busy happens and emergent cases take priority - I 100% understand and expect this but the broken processes and communication coupled with several employees lack of concern and urgency are very evident to anyone observing that their processes are broken. If you are there try to find another option. And if you though it out for your furry family member like I did be sure to demand your full discharge paperwork before leaving because the vet will go home without completing and who knows when you will get it. Still awaiting ours so we can pass to our regular vet in the morning to actually resolve the issues with our Jack.
• HM

  H Moore

  Jul 27, 2026
  1.0
  Read the one-star reviews before bringing your pet here—they accurately reflect my experience. This practice appears to be far more focused on generating billable charges than providing compassionate, high-quality care. The communication is completely disorganized. The front office tells you one thing, only for the staff in the back to give you a completely different explanation or resolution. No one seems to be on the same page, leaving pet owners frustrated and confused during an already stressful time. The staff was unprofessional, dismissive, and unpleasant to deal with throughout the process. I left with very little confidence that my pet’s well-being was their top priority. If you truly love your animal and want the best possible care, I would not recommend this facility. There are far better veterinary practices that treat both pets and their owners with the compassion, professionalism, and respect they deserve.

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