Vca Animal Hospitals

[gracegirl]

Hello GT experts. I've always had the benefit of being near a great vet and also having relativly few (or minor) health issues arise with my pups. I've never questioned the care my animals have received. Unfortunately I have moved several times since I've adopted G+F and we've had three different clinics in the years I've had them.

 

The office we go to currently started caring for our family animals when I got my first pet rabbit at age 12...20 years ago. The vet we see there is my uncle's college roommate. I trust him, but the clinic is 30 minutes away with no traffic (45-60 with rush hour) and is closed by 5:30pm. So running a quick urine or fecal sample over is actually not so quick. Also, with our recent discovery of Fenway's kidney damage I kind of want to get a second opinion from an internal medicine expert. They have those on staff at VCA Alamedia East. I also suspect that my current vet is a tad high on their prices.

 

I've been considering a change in vets to the VCA Alamedia East hospital near my house....also close to my boyfriend's house (we don't yet live together). One part of me hesitates to make this change now, because depending on where we eventually end up buying a house this particular office might no longer be the easy drive it is now. But they are also the closest 24 hour e-vet. And they have specialists on staff there.

 

I guess I'm just looking for guidence and opinions. I've not heard great things about Banfield (inside PetSmart) as a whole. I'm wondering what type of reputation VCA hospitals hold, or if it's more based on each individual clinic.

 

VCA Alamedia East is also on the list of GT recommended vets as they see a lot of the greyhounds here retired from the local tracks (when they were actuive tracks).

 

Ack! I don't know. What would you do...or what questions would you ask before switching? Help, please.

[DaisyDoodle]

Don't know how well they know greyhounds, but that is where several Animal Planet tv shows/series were filmed.

 

If you go there, please get a pic of Dr. Fitzgerald for me.

 

It's a huge place. If I lived in your area, I would certainly give them a try. I'd definitely ask for the resident greyhound/kidney expert.

 

ETA link: http://www.vcahospitals.com/alameda-east/our-team/veterinarians.html

Edited March 28, 2011 by DaisyDoodle

[dante2zoe]

I don't know about your VCA, but we have one near us. Goose is a blood donor for them. I haven't had any pets treated there, but have been impressed with the care and attention Goose has received. He gets a thorough annual screening with them and they are very pleasant and friendly. They have a rather large surgery practice at mine and there are always people waiting in the lobby and they don't appear to be frustrated with the care their pets are receiving. Good luck!

[Guest Tes623]

I love the doctor at the VCA clinic here but their prices are much higher than other local vets that I've used in the area. The doctor is greyhound savvy and does a lot of work the the local adoption group. The only time I go there now is when I'm having a problem with one of my dogs that I would want his opinion on. Otherwise I take them to the local vet for annual shots, etc.

[gracegirl]

I love the doctor at the VCA clinic here but their prices are much higher than other local vets that I've used in the area. The doctor is greyhound savvy and does a lot of work the the local adoption group. The only time I go there now is when I'm having a problem with one of my dogs that I would want his opinion on. Otherwise I take them to the local vet for annual shots, etc.

 

Interesting observation...thank you. I was looking over past paperwork and the UA, bloodwork, office visits, etc at my current vet are more that what I've paid in the past. I'll inquire about rates for basic care before I make the switch. I realize that the cost for a specialist will be higher.

[lukasmom]

I have been taking my fox terrier to a VCA vet in the Chicago suburbs for over 15 years. They are pretty high tech and I have always felt like we were getting excellent care. But now that I have two greyhounds I have found that our "offical" vet of my adoption group has much, much lower prices. He has a very small practice and not all of the fancy equipment that the VCA vets do. And he does send some of his patients to local VCA for more testing and ultra-sounds when necessary.

[Sambuca]

I've heard it depends on the clinic. I used to work at a doggy day care that a vet at the VCA clinic owned (he used to own the vet clinic as well and sold it to VCA, but continued to work there) and you couldn't pay me to use them. But then, I just found him to be a complete a$$. I also didn't hear the best things about him or the clinic. The vet I use is a goo 30 minutes from me and a bit more expensive than other vets, but I LOVE them and would use them myself if they would see people. For me it's worth it, but I understand that not everyone has the same bond with their vet.h

[greysmom]

We've had several formerly independent clinics go under the VCA umbrella in the last few years. Both specialty clinics I've taken my greys to have been fairly well-run, the docs have been knowledgeable, and they've been good with our dogs. Being there for specialty exams, I've not had a problem with the cost. I have not visited a regular vet that is VCA. I believe VCA is just a management company, and that each clinic is still mostly independent, but I have no idea if that's the case.

 

VCA - Northwest Veterinary Specialists clinic is also the closest E-vets to us and I've taken first Cash (bad vaccine reaction) and Dude (osteo dx, amp and cancer treatment) there with no hesitation.

 

Alameda East is the vet clinic featured in the Animal Planet production of "Emergency Vets" which started back in the late 90's. Dude's ortho surgeon who did his amp is Doctor Steve Petersen who was one of the vets featured in the first two or three years of the show. He has an interesting perspective on being on the other side of the camera, but said he enjoyed working at the clinic and that the vets are all top notch.

 

Dude really likes him, if that means anything! Some serious boy love going on there! Yes, he is as cute in person as he is on TV!

[Hubcitypam]

I really liked the vets and staff at the VCA I used to go to, but the cost was about 50% more than I am paying now. They were certainly not the pricest vet in the area (I think that title goes to Eastlake), but more than most.

 

The staff actually used to apologize to me and would sometimes override things. They said the VCA computer system held them hostage in automatically charging things like an almost $5 hazardous waste fee even if no hazardous waste was generated during the visit -- as well as assorted other additional fees and charges..

[Guest katethegreyt]

I took my cats to the local VCA clinic for a long time (they were recommended by the SPCA when I adopted one of my kitties and they had GREAT hours), but have been taking my greyhound to a closer vet who babied me through my pet rat's pneumonia (he's also an exotics specialist and seems to have several sighthound patients), so I can't vouch for greyhound-specific treatment.

 

I loved the main vet who dealt with my cats at the VCA clinic, and we had a couple of health scares that she handled beautifully. I'm one of those "annoying" owners that does hours of internet research so that I understand what's going on when we go in - they always answered all of my questions, were willing to work with my requests and usually were 100% in line with my newfangled research results = )

 

I'm not sure if all of the clinics are as good, but it's worth a shot for their super great hours.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

I've had good experiences and bad experiences. Like someone else said- they VCA name is more of just an umbrella that provides a brand, bulk buying power, and a standardized computer system. You're going to have good vets and not so good vets... sometimes even in the same practice! On a whole, they seem to hold their name to a fairly high standard.

 

I would look for references on the specific clinic rather than the "brand" in this case. (Banfields ALL suck though. All of them. Seriously. I think they go out of their way to practice bad medicine.)

[Guest CampWhippet]

Expensive. Seems to me the same care can be found for less in any town.

[DaisyDoodle]

Sorry, when I first replied, I didn't realize this was a chain situation. I have never heard of VCA and have never been to, or even come across, a Banfield location. That certainly would make me question using the place as well.

[greyhoundlov]

We've had several formerly independent clinics go under the VCA umbrella in the last few years. Both specialty clinics I've taken my greys to have been fairly well-run, the docs have been knowledgeable, and they've been good with our dogs. Being there for specialty exams, I've not had a problem with the cost. I have not visited a regular vet that is VCA. I believe VCA is just a management company, and that each clinic is still mostly independent, but I have no idea if that's the case.

 

VCA - Northwest Veterinary Specialists clinic is also the closest E-vets to us and I've taken first Cash (bad vaccine reaction) and Dude (osteo dx, amp and cancer treatment) there with no hesitation.

 

Alameda East is the vet clinic featured in the Animal Planet production of "Emergency Vets" which started back in the late 90's. Dude's ortho surgeon who did his amp is Doctor Steve Petersen who was one of the vets featured in the first two or three years of the show. He has an interesting perspective on being on the other side of the camera, but said he enjoyed working at the clinic and that the vets are all top notch.

 

Dude really likes him, if that means anything! Some serious boy love going on there! Yes, he is as cute in person as he is on TV!

 

That used to be my favorite TV show!

[seeh2o]

The ones here in LA are know to be very very $$$$$$$ and a friend of mine always feels like they are pushing unnecessary labs, meds, procedures, vaccinations, etc. at her which she turns down. On the other hand, I've heard of some great vets who work at the one closes to my house. We're lucky, we've got a lot of choices around here.

[greyhead]

http://aevh.surtos.com/

 

Their web site shows them to be impressive! They have a cast of thousands, so the key is probably figuring out which vet would be best on a regular basis, and I'd be asking which are most comfortable that they know something about greyhounds.

 

We used a VCA when we first moved to our area and didn't like it. We had a cat in renal failures, and the vet was newly graduated, having mostly ER experience at that point and that limited ER perspective. By which I mean she was tactless and unaware that CRF could be treated successfully for the long term. (After vet shopping I found a guy who believed he could actually help the cat, which then lived another four years.) So there, stupid newby vet!!!

 

I do think the quality of a VCA will vary by location, as others have already said. Personally, I'd dislike dealing with the corporate aspects of that kind of "umbrella." But I might make an exception for Alameda East.

[rycezmom]

VCA's are under management by the corporation. The quality of any given location is determined by the vets working there. The company sets the prices but they also maintain and supply the clinics with upgrades and equipement etc. It makes it hard to give regular clients a break on the bill and makes collection easier for the clinic. My vet always figured out a way to get me the cheapest cost for the most exams/x-rays etc. He gave up his position as head of his clinic to get out from under them and did not renew his contract. He now see patients there two days a week to be able to see his regular peeps that he has cared for for years. The rest of the week he goes to various vets to do their orthopedic stuff. If I need him for something that needs immediate attention I call him on his cell phone and go to where ever he is. He saw our little Esme who broke her leg on the practice track at one location but we took her to a different clinic/location to do her surgery there, the same day. He was able to give her trainer a big reduction in price and followup without having to use the VCA price. This is one of the reasons I love my vet. He knows that I've probably put all three of his daughters through private school and paid the alimony for his first two wives over the years. He knows my wallet as well as I do. AND he better stay married to wife #3 cuz I already told him I'm NOT paying for her!

[krissn333]

We have taken several broken leg pups to VCA Berwyn (near Chicago) to see their orthopedic specialist, Dr. Turner. The man is like an artist with broken bones! I have not dealt with any of the other vets there, but, the staff there is SO friendly and wonderful, and they were really sweet when we'd be calling several times a day to check up on any of our dogs that had had surgery. I have no doubt that the other vets there are top notch as well.

 

Several of the vet techs have ended up adopting from QCGA because they fell in love with some of their greyhound patients

 

I think it would be worth it to see an internist for Fenway's kidney issues...and on TV Alameda East always seemed like a nice place...I know that's TV, but...

[RedFawnMom]

Like others have said, I think it varies from location to location. The orthopedic specialist who did Lucy's amp is at a VCA clinic near Boston, and I was extremely happy with them. If they were closer, I'd use them as our regular vet. The staff were all very caring and attentive and their equipment was much, much better than our local vet. They get a thumbs up from me.

[PatricksMom]

I would guess it depends on the vet. I followed my vet from her old practice to a VCA practice (she's amazing) and have been perfectly happy with the staff, as well as her partner who operated in an emergency. Really, things are much better than at the old practice and the prices are about the same, cheaper for dentals. The one thing that disappointed me is that I thought since they were a network that all the other VCA's would have access to the same medical records for travel emergencies, but they don't.

[gracegirl]

I would guess it depends on the vet. I followed my vet from her old practice to a VCA practice (she's amazing) and have been perfectly happy with the staff, as well as her partner who operated in an emergency. Really, things are much better than at the old practice and the prices are about the same, cheaper for dentals. The one thing that disappointed me is that I thought since they were a network that all the other VCA's would have access to the same medical records for travel emergencies, but they don't.

 

Oh, that's intereting...I would have made the same assumption. I guess you could always call *your* VCA and have the records faxed to the *other* VCA...but it's interesting that there's not a shared system. (In the case here, the VCA I'm considering transitioning to is a 24 hour emergency clinic.)

[Magdalene]

Hello GT experts. I've always had the benefit of being near a great vet and also having relativly few (or minor) health issues arise with my pups. I've never questioned the care my animals have received. Unfortunately I have moved several times since I've adopted G+F and we've had three different clinics in the years I've had them.

 

The office we go to currently started caring for our family animals when I got my first pet rabbit at age 12...20 years ago. The vet we see there is my uncle's college roommate. I trust him, but the clinic is 30 minutes away with no traffic (45-60 with rush hour) and is closed by 5:30pm. So running a quick urine or fecal sample over is actually not so quick. Also, with our recent discovery of Fenway's kidney damage I kind of want to get a second opinion from an internal medicine expert. They have those on staff at VCA Alamedia East. I also suspect that my current vet is a tad high on their prices.

 

I've been considering a change in vets to the VCA Alamedia East hospital near my house....also close to my boyfriend's house (we don't yet live together). One part of me hesitates to make this change now, because depending on where we eventually end up buying a house this particular office might no longer be the easy drive it is now. But they are also the closest 24 hour e-vet. And they have specialists on staff there.

 

I guess I'm just looking for guidence and opinions. I've not heard great things about Banfield (inside PetSmart) as a whole. I'm wondering what type of reputation VCA hospitals hold, or if it's more based on each individual clinic.

 

VCA Alamedia East is also on the list of GT recommended vets as they see a lot of the greyhounds here retired from the local tracks (when they were actuive tracks).

 

Ack! I don't know. What would you do...or what questions would you ask before switching? Help, please.

 

 

Gracegirl,

 

You must live near me, because I'm also not far from VCA Alameda East, and I can give you a personal recommendation--they are a superb staff. Granted, I've a regular vet closer to me (Broadview Animal Clinic off Havana and Galena, also recommended by the CGA--I'm assuming that's your adoption group--if you're interested), but I've taken Dazzle and Summer to VCA Alameda for emergency care, and I've been very pleased with how well they took care of them, and how good they were at reassuring their poor frazzled human. So far, I'd recommend any of their doctors.

 

I can't advise as to their regular prices, obviously. I've been pretty happy with Broadview so far for regular care, and the prices are good there, so I see no reason to switch.

 

When I lived in the DTC, all my critters went to the VCA on East Caley, and they got great care there too.

 

Good luck!

[Guest Shermanator]

I use 2 vets. My greyhound savy vet is @40 miles away from my house. I use him for all greyhound related issues, limping, corns, etc. For reugular stuff like heartworm meds, vaccinations, and minor injuries, I use a local vet. I religiously send each vet the other's med records, so each vet is up to date. I sounds like a lot, but I've been doing it for years. And, its definately worth it. Their fees are relatively the same, but for little things like shots, I don't want to make the 80 mi round trip just for that.