Carolina Veterinary Specialists Winston-Salem

Reviews

• CH

  Callie Hart

  1 day ago
  5.0
  They took great care of my dog while she was hospitalized for a kidney infection. I felt that she was triaged appropriately when we arrived, and our wait time was reasonable. The vets and technicians were very compassionate and communicated with me throughout her stay. My girl was in really bad shape when I dropped her off, but they were able to give her great medical care and an effective treatment plan. She's been recovering well at home since I picked her up. I'm extremely grateful for the care and kindness that they showed my pup.
• CL

  Cat Lindsay

  3 days ago
  5.0
  There simply aren't enough words in the English language to express what Carolina Vet has meant to our family. Our 7 year old german shepherd mix, Banjo, was diagnosed with a rare cancer called insulinoma. It's an incredibly uncommon disease, and when we arrived at CVS, we were terrified. We were walking into one of the hardest moments of our lives, and from the very first phone call, every single person we encountered treated us with kindness, patience, and compassion. For starters, Dr. Cogar is nothing short of extraordinary. Not only is he an incredibly talented surgeon, but he is one of the most honest and thoughtful veterinarians we've ever met. He took the time to explain every possibility, every risk, and every outcome without ever making us feel rushed or dismissed. During Banjo's surgery, he personally called us from the operating room when they encountered an unexpected complication. In the span of just a few minutes, he guided us through one of the most heartbreaking decisions we've ever had to make with honesty, empathy, and so much grace. There is no one else I would have trusted with our boy short of going to a research hospital. To Becca (who somehow managed to keep us smiling even on the hardest days), thank you for your warmth, your encouragement, your humanity, and for making us feel like Banjo wasn't just another patient walking through the doors. Rachel, thank you for caring through Banjo through surgery with such incredible tenderness. Knowing he was surrounded by people who genuinely loved him while he couldn't be with us brought us so much comfort. Kim, thank you for taking such wonderful care of him in the ICU. Recovery after major abdominal surgery is no small thing, yet Banjo came home comfortable, happy, and so clearly loved. We know that doesn't happen by accident. And to every receptionist, technician, assistant, nurse, doctor, and staff member whose name we may never know, thank you. Every interaction reminded us why this hospital has the reputation that it does. Every phone call was answered with kindness. Every question was met with patience and understanding. Every person treated Banjo as though he were their own. Banjo came home with a (at least) 12 inch incision and a long road ahead of him, but he also came home wagging his tail, eating, and recovering beautifully. We were given more time with the dog who means everything to us. That is a priceless gift. Cancer is terrifying. Specialty surgery is terrifying. But Carolina Veterinary Specialists somehow manages to make you feel like you're never facing it alone. Thank you for your expertise, your compassion, and for the countless hours you dedicate to families like ours. Most of all, thank you for giving our best friend the chance to keep making memories with us. We will never forget what you've done for Banjo.❤️
• LL

  Luis Fernando Landivar

  4 days ago
  1.0
  Came from emergency vet with instructions to this vet, they didnt do blood test, didnt give fluids requested of by the emergency vet, met with rude intake technician with no name tag and no introduction (which makes sense now) and wanted take my dog to surgery after one look, even with low platelets, which means she has a high chance of bleeding out in surgery. The only job they had been given was to watch her and give fluids requested by the emergency vet. Dont come here, inexperienced and unprofessional personnel here, maybe not all people, but definitely the people in charge. A waste of time and money
• DB

  Dr. Thomas S. Browder

  Jul 12, 2026
  1.0
  I called on a Saturday evening just to get some basic information on things and was told that I could not make an appointment (made sense) and that the wait could be from 4 - 6 hours. When i questioned that time amount, I asked, "well if I came right now, what would the wait be?" and the man said he just didn't know. I got to the clinic around 11:30 and was actually taken back in only 10 - 15 minutes. A vet tech came in and I told her what the issue was. She took my dog "to the back" for about 10 minutes and came back and reported that they had done a quick exam and there did not appear to be anything major or urgent going on. She offered to give me some medication for nausea to last a couple of days OR the could do their diagnostics which would including imaging as well as bloodwork and a more thorough exam and it would be around $1000. I followed that up by asking how long would that take and when would we have results and she said in about an hour. That was at 12:45 and I consented for that scope of work to be done. Finally at 2:40 AM, the doctor came in and reviewed one gastro image and said that she saw no blockage, etc. They did not take an image of his front left leg and I had specifically reported that we were concerned over a limp that he had developed over the past month. It was late and I was ready to go and so I was told to just wait in the treatment room and they would bring my dog in shortly. After a 15 minute wait in the treatment room and still with no dog in hand, a woman came in and escorted me to the front desk to check out It felt very much like they were wanting to secure payment BEFORE I got my dog back. The $1,000 quote that I was given had for some reason grown to $1,429!!! I told the lady that I had been quoted $1000 and that if it had been just a bit higher than that, I would have let it go, but a jump of over $400 was well outside the boundaries of the $1000 quote I was given. I was told that I could take it up with the doctor if I wanted to and I said, "So now I get to negotiate the financial details of something that had (in my mind) already been discussed and agreed to?" I finally just paid it in disgust and told the front desk lady that I didn't appreciate the false quote nor did I care for the fact that I still did not have my dog back. I was sent back to the treatment room and after another 5 - 10 minutes, I got up and went back to the front desk and demanded my dog be brought out. A gentleman at the front desk went to the back and came out and reported that the reason it was taking so long was because my dog was in treatment. I told him that I had not been told about any treatment nor had I consented to any treatment. He looked puzzled and returned to the back and then the vet tech (the one with the fake quote) brought my dog out. I would only take my pet here if it was an absolute life threatening emergency. I expected to pay a premium, but I didn't expect to be lied to. My vet got all the records and said that in her office, $400 would have covered it and that she hears these types of complaints about this place all the time. I was surprised because I see at least one of the vets on staff there as a patient and he does not impress me as the type to do this sort of thing. He was not there that night though and apparently the doctor that is present is in charge of fees and so forth. This is a corporate group with many locations and just like in other areas of healthcare, the owner is not a veterinarian nor is he on site. It is clearly being run with the primary goal of making as much money as possible. I'm all about everybody making a profit and in the middle of the night, I expect that to be a little higher than normal, but they lied and misrepresented things to me and that is just wrong. I would not recommend going here unless there absolutely is no other option.
• KH

  Katelyn Howell

  Jun 22, 2026
  2.0
  I am extremely disappointed with the lack of communication and follow up from this practice. A few months ago, my dog was referred here for elevated liver enzymes. We worked with Dr. Simmerson, who was always kind, compassionate, and reassuring during a very stressful time. I appreciated the care she showed us during our visits. Following her recommendations, we pursued extensive diagnostics, including ultrasounds and a liver biopsy, but never received a definitive explanation for why my dog’s liver enzymes were elevated. While on prescribed medication, my dog later developed a severe stomach ulcer that ruptured, causing an internal bleed and requiring an ICU stay with blood transfusions. Thankfully, she recovered. Most recently, our regular veterinarian sent updated bloodwork to Dr. Simmerson on June 12 because my dog’s liver enzymes remain elevated. Since then, I have called multiple times seeking guidance and have repeatedly been told that someone would get back to me. No one has returned any of my calls. Between the diagnostics, specialty care, and ICU hospitalization, we have spent over $6,000 throughout this process. I understand specialists are busy, but for a specialty practice charging premium prices, I expected much better communication and follow through. I genuinely liked Dr. Simmerson, which makes this even more disappointing. After everything my dog has been through, a return phone call regarding ongoing medical concerns should not be this difficult. Update: After posting this review, I received a phone call from Dr. Simmerson that I found extremely disappointing and unprofessional. The conversation began with Dr. Simmerson telling me that she was upset with me. I attempted to explain that my review was never intended as a criticism of her medical care. I specifically stated in my original review that I found her to be kind, compassionate, and reassuring throughout my dog’s treatment. My concern was solely regarding the lack of communication and follow up. Unfortunately, the conversation remained focused on defending the communication process rather than discussing my dog’s ongoing medical concerns. I attempted to explain why I felt the communication had been inadequate and to redirect the conversation back to my dog’s condition, but I was repeatedly interrupted and ultimately told that Dr. Simmerson no longer wished to continue working with me. What was most surprising was that, despite my concerns about my dog, I was never asked how she was doing. As a pet owner, I was simply seeking answers and advocating for my dog’s care. I expected a professional discussion. Dr. Simmerson did state that she would follow up once more with my primary veterinarian and send over my dog’s records. However, the overall tone and nature of the conversation felt confrontational and only reinforced the concerns I expressed in my original review regarding communication.

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