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5/14/22 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
I would not entrust a goldfish to Dr.Ford (internal medicine). In multiple discussions, she talked in circles, never directly answering as we needed guidance in deciding whether to undertake a surgery. She fixated on the fact that our dog ate raw, rather than worrying about detailing how incredibly risky his underlying issues were. As soon as we said OK to surgery, it was basically just Ok great, lets get your money... They were supposed to send a current quote but didn't, then billed us for someone else's account & finally billed way higher than was mentioned a few months before (an initial, expired quote). His surgery was successful (Dr. Sakals was good)... then he died the next day from the complications. Dr. Lauzier was the only one to give a straight answer about his chances (when we had to decide to let him go). If Dr.Ford had communicated how Dr.Lauzier did, we would have kept trying other avenues before the surgery. 5k in tests and over 7k in the final 48 hours.
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8/29/21 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
Don’t go here if your pet is critical they are slow and won’t save them. Will not recommend and will never come back.
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6/4/20 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Amazing doctors and staff, very understanding and their kindness towards both the owner and the pet is priceless. Compare to other Vet clinic, their fee is fairly reasonable and worth it. I would totally recommend them, even worth a detour!
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7/11/18 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
I've submitted a review here on Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic but the review did not show so I am trying again and hopefully it will show up here. To make the long story short, it is quite obvious that their best interest is money. Their new location might have fancy equipment and large space but they do not have the adequate ability to treat animals. They have poor attitude when it comes to handling conflicts with clients and hospital relations. They have been around for a long time and also hated by many for a long time too. I think it was only because they were the only emergency hospital on the block for many years so people had no choice but to go there for urgent care but many walked away with huge disappointments. There are more animal clinics open for extended hours and more emergency hospitals are available now so they are not the only emergency hospital that opens 24 hrs in Vancouver now. The management which has no people skills but poor attitude really needs to grow up.
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2/27/17 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Took my dog to the clinic about a week ago, turned out my dog has a Grade 2 Soft Tissue Sarcoma, a surgery was done by Dr. Marco and his team to remove the tumour. I have nothing but great things to say about this clinic and the staff here are more than amazing. They made me felt welcomed and that they truly care about the wellbeing of my dog. The follow up services after the surgery were just as wonderful. The surgery was a great success which removed a tennis ball sized tumor, and my dog had to stay in the clinic for 5 days. Dr. Marco was very attentive to my dog while in his care and kept us well informed of my dog's situation throughout. Dr. Marco didn't even charge us any fees for the follow up check and the meds, as he just want to see my dog healthy again. My dog loves Dr. Marco! I will definitely recommend this clinic to all my friends. =D
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6/1/15 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
I brought in my 19 year old cat to be put to sleep. He was arthritic, lost much weight, had chronic diarrhea and was incontinent. On the intake form I stated the purpose of my visit was "euthanasia". I was charged a $125 "emergency fee", an $80 "initial consultation fee" and then a $112.25 euthanasia fee. Both the technician who performed the initial exam and the vet encouraged me to submit him to a "full work up", which I politely refused. I felt great pressure to submit him to further "tests". When I began explaining to the vet that he was quite old and had a good life she stated: "age is not a disease". Ultimately they accepted my instructions and the procedure was performed competently and with compassion.
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2/22/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
Took our 15 year old cat in on Feb 20th and the front desk staff and vet couldn't have been more pleasant and polite. Our cat had to be euthanized - we had her sedated and on oxygen, but elected not to have the x-rays and bloods done due to the cost and lack of probable treatable diagnosis. There's a lot of griping over costs on this site. It IS VERY expensive, but i have no idea of how much this stuff should cost , so i cannot say if this clinic is expensive or not. A Vet has many years of training and staffing a clinic 24/7 is expensive. Is $250 for an x-ray reasonable? I don't know. $250 for blood tests? I may check. The clincher for me was the prospect of a further $2500 for my cat to stay overnight and be monitored. I just couldn't afford this, so I made the painful decision to euthanize her. I suspected her violent spasms were the sign of a terminal prognosis anyway, so i keep telling myself i did the right thing.
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8/16/13 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
My comments are solely on the attitude of the receptionist, who, as a front desk person has an important role to play. She came across as cold, curt, condescending, and unsympathetic. Worst is, I think she has a duty to provide as much general information on basic animal care and general education as is reasonable for someone in her position, and she totally fails at it. If a distraught person comes in with an a badly injured pet and has to get her pet euthanized, and then asks a question about the predator, she should be given a more detailed and respectful response than the predator is "vicious"! No animal is vicious to begin with! And the receptionist's duty would be to inform the person on proper measures to protect their pets from predators. It would not have hurt, either, to show some compassion!! Education is key to preventing such tragic and horrendous things from happening again, and it IS the role of the staff--incl receptionists--to provide it, esp. if the owner cares to ask
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3/25/13 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Bon Bon's (16 yr old dog) health had been deteriorating fast. We picked her up from her regular vet after she got a whole day of IV fluid/medication. She got really sick @ home & we rushed her to the clinic. The staff took BonBon in right away even before I have filled out all the patient information. The staff clearly informed me that there will have an emergency charge & I was alright with it (the emergency charge was waived later bc BonBon had been getting treatment in the day already). Dr.Craigdallie was the vet who was treating BonBon and she was very sensitive to our feelings & informed us clearly about BonBon's situation. We really appreciated the help we got from the clinic and we got all the privacy time we needed (spent like 5 hrs at the clinic so we can be w our dear BonBon in her last hrs). The staff & vets there worked overnight to provide emergency care to our family members & they deserved our appreciation even if that means apply emergency fee for the late hour service.
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SYSTEM: 2 negative duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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3/9/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Many years ago my Doberman needed an operation and the bill was astronomically unreasonable. My family managed to decrease it by $500 (which tells me they were being greedy.) Then I see the story below which confirms my belief. They demanded $2000 up front and would not treat Rumble and even offered euthenasia. Even though the owner offered to come in the next morning (because the banks were closed that night) with the remaining $ VAEC turned them away. This part of the story did not make it in the news. http://www.canada.com/business/Nearly... Buy insurance and take your pet elsewhere.
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1/5/12 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
Our Lab X was in bad shape and were not to thrilled with the treatment the previous day at the Killarney Animal Clinic. We took our dog to the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic and although it was expensive the staff did a remarkable job to keep our dog alive. Our dog had 2 tumours and lung congestion. Dr. McEwen's prognosis was poor for our dog but she gave us the chance to see if our dog improved at the Hospital. Our dog did improve enough to bring her home. The Doctor explained if the big tumour by her stomach burst our dog would die peacefully without pain and that is exactly what happened. At least our dog was able to go home and we were to get our last hugs in before she passed. Our dog died in her terms and not by an injection. Thank you Doctors and staff for caring for our dog over the busy New Years.
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12/11/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I am surprised to see so many bad ratings here, though not surprisingly, every bad review incorporates the cost of the visit into their comments. If you were to go to a hospital as a human without healthcare, you would pay an emergency fee of approximately 700$, and yet a fee of 150$ for your pet is too high? The Dr's here are wonderful, and for the 24 hour knowledgeable service with Dr's I trust with my pet's life, I have no problem paying an "emergency fee" when necessary.
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5/9/11 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
This is a bad place and you should avoid it. Your pet will not receive any compassion or professional care here. They are only interested in making as much money as possible. I took my cat to this vet because she was ill and no other clinic nearby was open. She was in a lot of pain. They made me wait 3 hours while they chatted at the back and put later walk-ins ahead of me. The receptionist was extremely rude and condescending. Finally I got to see a vet and after a less than 5 minute examination I was told that I should wait until the morning and visit my regular vet. She barely looked at my cat. I was given some pain killers and antibiotics and told to see my regular vet. I then had to wait another 45 minutes for the receptionist to make up the bill. I was charged over $440. The longest time spent on my case was in adding up all the charges. I found out at my vet that the medications were wrong and my cat would have become much more seriously ill or even died from her infection.
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3/28/11 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
Charge $200 ($75 exam fee, $125 "Emergency fee")for exam even if it takes 5 minutes. Often neglect to inform patients of the emergency fee in advance. They always push the most expensive option first and don't tell you options that cost a fraction of the one they are pushing. Estimates are full of double billing for time and charges for drugs, supplies are ridiculous. If you balk at the exorbitant cost they make a point of saying "Oh so you can't afford that?" in an attemopt to make you feel guilty for not paying. They completely take advantage of the fact that it's the middle of the night and you are tired and worried about your pet. I think it's unethical and honestly disgusting and probably results in pets not getting the care they need because owners can't afford the cost and wait to get care for their pets.
This clinic is out to milk customers for every dollar and the owner should be ashamed. I have spoken with many vets and pet owners who feel the same way.
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2/16/11 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
The staff, doctors and techs here are all fantastic; very knowledgeable and open to referring to your regular vet, or other vet services. Not only have I had great, caring service when I had to bring my cat it, but also sometimes I've just called and gotten great advice as well, over the phone. People have to understand the term "triage" though, if other patients are seen before yours its because there are more critical patients, not "they don't care about your pet". Its like in human medicine; you wouldn't expect ER doctors to drop everything and stitch up a small cut while another patient was in a massive car crash, or having a heart attack. The costs are high, especially compared to a regular vet visit, but it makes sense. They need to get enough income to continue providing their (amazing!) service, and I'm sure in any business where volume varies greatly, they must price accordingly to be certain they can cover their own costs.
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1/27/11 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
Have gone over the years with various pets. Of course the most urgent cases are tended to first and obviously there aren't a dozen vets waiting around without anything to do, so this clinic isn't fully staffed. I respect this. The vets here recommend seeing regular vets whenever possible and if treatment can wait until the next day without any discomfort, that's fine too. These vets don't see dollar signs and practice medicine for a love of animals. The receptionist, however, is a cold fish, so wasn't impressed by her chilly demeanor. The only reason why I rated "Punctuality" not a perfect score is because whenever our loved ones have emergencies, doctors can never be on time. :)
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1/6/11 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
After a long and healthy life my four legged friend passed suddenly on a holiday week-end. I called this emergency clinic and asked if I could bring the body in and have it sent for private cremation. They kept asking me on the phone....over and over...if I was aware that they were an emergency clinic and it would cost $150. I paid them the $150 so they could move the body from the carrier to the freezer, thankful my four legged friend was not around to hear about how much they "love" animals at this clinic. On a scale of 1-10 for compassion I give them a 0. Really disturbing that all they were concerned about was getting paid for their emergency fee for what was obviously "not an emergency". Pathetic!
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1/5/11 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
My cat was nipped by a dog on new years day, and my vet was closed. He had a small laceration on his face and one under his chin. Having worked at both the Toronto and London Vet Emergency Clinics,I was prepared for a long wait and a large bill. But no one bothered to even check on him while we waited for 3 hours,and a few less critical cases were seen before us. Turns out he had dislocated his bottom jaw and was in a lot of pain. They put a feeding tube in him so he could get through until the dental surgeon was open on Tuesday (holiday Mon). They did a poor job cleaning his wounds, he was covered in urine, and the bandage around his neck was so tight it left his head swollen. They also charged me more to do this than the dental surgeon cost to fix his jaw ($1600 for a feeding tube?!) and my bill was wrong twice. Gave me syringes that would not fit in his feeding tube as well. I was shocked at how bad this clinic was. The dental surgeon was great though!!
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12/31/10 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
I'm absolutely shocked by the poor reviews! I have been to this clinic three times in the last year and have nothing but great things to say about the care we received. They did provide options at different price points. Insurance is sooooo worth it...to be able to provide the care your pet needs when they need it.
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10/24/10 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
I've been to this ER vet probably 5-6 times in the last 5 years. Went there for issues such as stomach aches, scratched cornea etc... I am grateful that there is somewhere where I can take my dog at 2am!! People need to understand that this is an ER. Like any ER hospital, it's the most critical patients that get attended to first. If my dog was in a critical situation, I would only hope that they would see him first. The last time my dog scratched his eye, we had to wait 2 hours b/c there was an older dog that was dying and another one that was hit by a car. I had no issues waiting what so ever. The vets are conventional but they get the job done. I don't mind paying the extra $$ either as they provide and essential service.
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10/23/10 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
VERY very expensive because it is a 24 hour clinic. It's good that they have vets in the facilities at all times. Seemed helpful when I called in to ask about my pet's condition. Staff are not bad. Don't really know what happened to my pet when it was hospitalized but I don't think the experience was not too pleasant to my beloved pet. Use them only for emergency. If it is not too urgent then go find another vet because they are ER people for pets, not really caring vets. The expense is not worth it.
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10/13/10 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
I was surprised to read all the bad reviews below, but I guess most people only write reviews when they are unhappy. This clinic is great, they are open 24 hours a day and the staff are friendly. When I called about my cat they told me that I could probably wait to see my family veterinarian in the morning but if i was worried I should bring her in. It turns out she had a UTI and I had to wait for a bit while a few more animals were rushed in ahead of me, but I understood that whoever was sickest was seen first. I was just glad I had a place to go at 3 am when I was worried about my kitty. The staff were friendly and professional and the vet was awesome. It was more expensive than my normal vet clinic, but I guess when you provide 24 hour care it is inevitably more expensive. I would go back again in a heartbeat, when you have an emergency, this is the only place to go!!
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10/5/10 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
One of the wost veternerian there is. My puppy had a very severe dirreah. I took him in, not to mention that they kept us in the examine room for 3 hours waiting and telling us that " there are other animals that are in more urgent care" and equivalent of saying your pet is not as important and does not need to be taken care off, the vets really didn't know what they are doing. All they care is the money that goes in their pocket, for pets that needs to get hospitalized, they just lock them in a cage and have them bark until they have no energy left. Pet owners, PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR PETS THERE!!!
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9/18/10 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
I would never, ever take my animal to this clinic again! They don't have any follow up and the owner only cares about the money not the care of the animals.
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3/26/10 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
It is reassuring to have a 24 hour emergency veterinarian office in Vancouver. The people who have answered the phone are professional and informative and refer to the professionals when needed. They have been kind enough to offer free advice over the phone and only have you come in when needed. The staff are good people who have shown my dogs a lot of support and care over the years.
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3/26/10 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
My mastiff x ate a full package of chocolate brandy beans.I called & asked what to do.The tech did a toxicity equation for his weight & amount he ate(i had the wrapper).She said to rush him there because he would have heart arythmia and it was fatal.She said it would be a $150 bill.I rushed down only to be put in a room to wait for 1/2 an hour,my dog freaking out & panicking. Finally an assistant came & said they were going to induce vomitting.They took him into another room but couldnt do the procedure,so i had to hold my dog while they put apomorphine in his eye,& they left the room so i had to tend to my dog while he was vomitting.I called them in when he was done & they forcefed him alot of charcoal.My poor dog went through so much stress but i was happy that he was ok.The vet finally came in for 5 minutes,said "oh,the toxic equation was actually only at the point of diharea,he would have been ok" the tech did the equations wrong. 3 hours and $330 later...no apology either.
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3/24/10 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
We took our cat here after noticing a huge laceration on the back of his leg and he could not put any pressure on it. This happened around 3am and this vet was really our only option. After visiting this vet we were informed that there wasn't any major damage and all we needed to do was clean the wound. Hours after, our cat could still not walk and was in obvious pain. We then took him to his regular vet. There he was diagnosed with a broken leg and a broken hip. I was appalled by the gross misdiagnosis of our cat and will never return.
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9/4/09 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
My dog came here with terrible breathing probs, she was 15+ year old lab. Gasping for breath. Doc told us we shouldn't 'treat old age as a disease' that maybe she needed a simple operation. (Not sure any operation on a 15+ dog is simple, but I'm no vet.) Kept her overnight, couldn't figure out what is was, sent her home the next day still gasping for air, she spent a tortured 24 hours before we took her in on the brink of death to be euthanized the next morning. Very disapponted that they didn't counsel putting her down before the 24 hours of agony, and $1200 bill. She was a good dog and deserved better. Nurses were fabulous, though.
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7/10/09 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Dr. Chartrand is stuck up and closed minded about animal diets and nutrition. She works in ER, she shouldn't be grueling pet owners about diet issues especially since diet had nothing to do with our emergency!!! She handled the emergency just fine but a nicer demeanor would've made my experience much more pleasant.
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6/3/09 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
Had an emergency involving a small bird, called ahead to see if they saw small birds, was told yes. Drove an hour, while my poor bird had siezures the entire time. While in the waiting room heard my poor little guy being "handled" by the attending vet. Was then told he didn't know very much about small birds, he then sent us to Night Owl, we were charged an just over $200.00 fee and had wasted over 2.5 hours there, plus the time it took for us to drive to the Night Owl. Granted we would not have been able to get in to Night Owl if the vet had not called, being that it was a Sunday, but time is of the essence when you are dealing with small animals. I can't believe all the time that wasted. In the end there was nothing that could be done at this point. He died. Over $400.00 and grueling hours later. I really wish I had been told the truth over the phone, it was the whole point of my calling ahead.
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1/5/09 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
Very professional and very thorough. We found the staff to be sensitive and caring and the facilities included all the important technology needed for this kind of a clinic, e.g, X-Ray, blood testing, Ultasound, heart monitors, etc. This is an expensive clinic but if you need emergency help, it's the only place to go to.
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10/6/08 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I can't say enough good things about this place. They charged me half of what my "normal" vet charged for 3 xrays and emergency care. They had top of the line equipment and were so kind when our cat was so sick. I wish that they did regular vet care - I'd recommend this place without reservation.
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9/24/08 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Very displeased. I was treated in a condescending manner. I thought my dog had bloat a medical emergency, and she did not. I was charged a hefty bill, and they didn't do anything other than an xray. Another time a cesarean middle of night with a stuck puppy, had a vet that admitted she hadn't done a cesarean since vet school. My dog ended up with a huge infection and several dead puppies. A pregnant **** even with a healthy pregancy, can need urgent care, and I wasn't given good care. The procedure cost 3X as much as a cesarean at my own vet hospital. I don't find their equipment to be very up to date for the calibre they purport.
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4/12/08 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
Having spent several sleepless nights in their waiting room, I think this might be one of the most heartbreaking places on earth... and they go out of their way to make it the best they can. While their triage system means that you may be waiting a while, I'm ALWAYS happy to be left waiting, since that means that my pet isn't as bad off as someone elses. (It's when you get called in first that it's really time to panic...) They took excellent care of my ferret, even going out of the way to call my regular vet to check on things they weren't sure about -- which I *really* appreciated, since it's rare to find a ferret expert in this city.
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3/30/08 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
An excellent place to take your animal in an emergency (they don't offer regular veterinary services) - the staff are friendly, polite, and compassionate, and the doctors are professional and make sure you understand the issues your animal is having, as well as the various options for treatment.
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4/7/07 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
This hospital is excellent. They only do what they are good at - Emergency medicine. It can be scary going to a place where you dont' know anyone and your dog is in a crisis. But they are honest and will offer you the best. "The best" can come with a hefty price tag but it really is quality for what you are getting. Around the clock critical care. They only charge for what they do and to think they all have to stay up all night they should get paid so we, the owners, don't have to worry. They will be honest with you and upfront about what should be done, what can be done and what is best. Also how much it costs. You can tell they treat all the pets like their own.
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