Seattle Veterinary Specialists

Horrible experiences a number of times.
The worst was recommending a surgery for a dog that had a spleen rupture. They recommended surgery for a biopsy. It’s a hemangiosarcoma!!! The owner was devastated and did the surgery. The dog bleed to death on the table!!! $ 12,000 and BTW your dog is dead!
They scare pet parents into having tests, surgeries and handing you a quote to sign. They make us feel guilty.
SVS is nothing more than a money making machine.
We need an emergency vet that cares more about our pets then our pocket book.

We waited a few weeks so our american bulldog could get his TPLO surgery from Dr. Engen (we heard he was DA BEST, though I’m sure all of their specialists are qualified!). The staff there are VERY nice, friendly, and accommodating of my dog-​reactive dog. Everyone perked up when we would go in for checkups, therapy, everything. It was nice to see everyone loved and took care of him, and he clearly was a flirt despite all the pain meds he got! We are now doing PT with Stephanie and it is very worth it. I highly recommend a few sessions to help your dog get back on track post surgery :)

Honestly, this review is long overdue.
My first experience with SVS was in the mid 2000s when my first English Bulldog, Jumbo, whimpered in pain when I got home from work.
I was convinced that he got something similar to «wry neck» from sleeping too long on an IKEA chair in a weird position. When I rushed him to emergency, I was referred to Dr. Sean Sanders for an MRI.
I was thinking to myself that I can’t afford a surgery anyway, why would I want an MRI? But the ER doc guilt-​ed me into making an appointment with SVS.
So, I brought Jumbo in to meet with Dr. Sanders. He was super nice and gave Jumbo a neuro exam and told me what I suspected. He said that there’s no reason to get an MRI now because if he truly needed surgery, you would need another MRI right before surgery anyways, so don’t bother for now. Instead, he prescribed some muscle relaxant and told us to come back if Jumbo didn’t get any better.
At this point, I felt both relief and guilty since I came in expecting to dish out more than $ 1K for an MRI, but is walking away with the charge for an office visit. On review of the x-​ray, Jumbo did appear constipated because he couldn’t «bear down» to go with his neck pain. So, with Dr. Sander’s blessings, we let them perform an enema on Jumbo.
So, three hours later, I get a call. «Your dog wouldn’t poo, we are giving him a second enema.»
Thankfully, that did the trick and Jumbo was happier when we picked him up. Much to my surprise, not only did they only charge me for «one» instead of «two» enema, their service charge for the enema is much much less than the quote I got at the original ER place that referred us.
I am thankful now that the first ER referred us to SVS. In fact, I thought SVS was so much better I will not be returning to the first ER.
Fast forward to 2016.
We brought our dog Cocoa in because she was shaking with discomfort and loss of appetite.
She was quickly diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and giardia, so, she stayed on respiratory watch.
The folks at SVS were very professional. They actually gave us two estimates showing how much things should cost in the best case scenario, and the high end cost if things do not go smoothly.
So, we prepaid the best case scenario and left Cocoa in their care with them telling us we can visit her anytime as long as we called ahead.
So, later that night, we returned to tuck Cocoa in and see how she was doing.
Cocoa was totally sleeping like a baby as the video I attached showed.
The area where they kept her had a nice vibe to it. The nice ladies actually laid a blanket down on the floor so we could play with Cocoa as long as we liked before putting her back in the cage for the night.
They did not rush us at all and really let us take our time to feel comfortable with everything that’s happening.
I can go on and on and on. In short, I would recommend SVS to anyone that seek care for their dog without any hesitation.
P. S. I am editing the review because I forgot to mention that I actually got a refund when I picked Cocoa up! They didn’t end up having to do as much as they thought they needed to do on the best case scenario, so they gave us money back! How awesome is that?

I am so grateful to this group of doctors and assistants, etc for saving our Labrador Retriever. He had an 8−½ pound tumor removed that started out in his spleen and they are almost always cancerous, but his turned out to be benign. They did the surgery as quickly as possible. The reason it got that far is because it actually looked like he had just gained weight in his abdomen. When I took him to my former veterinarian, the first thing she wanted to do was to put him on a diet. But I encouraged her to do an x-​ray, and it turned out to be a splenic tumor. I thought that their prices were reasonable for everything that had to be done. Our dog was getting close to 9 years old. Anyway, they were very friendly, they genuinely cared, they did a great surgery, and he had a good check-​up a couple of weeks later. I had a couple of questions a month later, and they were happy to help me. There is nothing more that I can add, I think they are great, and I’m very thankful that they are available ²⁴⁄₇.

I took my 17 year old Pomeranian to this vet hospital because he had cancer and was getting so weak he could hardly stand. They gave him food and then ignored him. When he started choking on the food they continued to ignore him until it was too late. He was laying there struggling and clawing trying to breathe, his lips and his tongue turned blue, his normally bright eyes turned dull and glazed and they continued to ignore him. By the time they tried to help him and cleared his airway he was so exhausted his heart gave out and he could not be revived.
They killed my sweet little BABY with their negligence and neglect. Not only did they kill him, but he died a horrible gruesome, grotesque and painful death. I will never be able to forget watching his pain and struggle trying to live. THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE!!!

I’ve been meaning to write a review for SVS for years, and just never got around to it. In a nutshell, SVS is the absolute best. I have an almost 14 year old Cocker Spaniel who has had way more than her fair share of health concerns, and SVS has saved her life on multiple occasions. We have seen Dr. Jenny Bottorff, Dr. Huang, Dr. Misseghers, Dr. Perry, Dr. Vince, and a few others for less involved matters and every doctor has been amazingly attentive, compassionate, and skilled. Now that my dog is sort of in doggie hospice care, we see Stephanie for physical therapy to keep her mobile for as long as possible. Stephanie is so sweet, patient, and knowledgable — my old dog has pretty much made a tradition of pooping or peeing at every therapy session (so embarrassing!) and Stephanie never bats an eye.
For the reviewers who complain about the wait time, until you are in a dire emergency, you may never be able to fully appreciate the reasoning behind having to wait. I work at a local vet clinic and having been to SVS for a variety of issues, I have seen how the wait time varies depending on the urgency of the matter. This is so important to me because I know the animals that need attending to most urgently are top priority. I have had to wait 2 hours before, which is totally cool, because the night we had to very suddenly say goodbye to our young cat, the staff’s response was immediate and my little guy was seen by a doctor within moments of us walking through the door. As tragic of an experience as that was, the staff and Dr. Bottorff were so caring and let us take as much time as we needed to make the difficult decision and be with him. I just cannot thank SVS enough for all that they have done and continue to do for our furry children.
Also, as a side note for those with cost concerns, do consider pet insurance. Every cent spent at SVS is well worth it, but unexpected emergencies are a little easier to handle if you have pet insurance to back you up.

Stanley went back on Tuesday for his complementary physical therapy appointment with Stephanie. It was excellent. Stephanie was wonderful, showed me new exercises to help Stanley along, and even was understanding when we were a few minutes late. We made some follow up appointments and it turns out that for hydrotherapy (especially underwater treadmilling) they’re probably the best price I’ve found anywhere in the Seattle area. So Stanley and I will be making the trek to Kirkland from Burien on a regular basis for his physical therapy sessions until he can figure out how to walk again on his own (and even then we will probably go back every now and then just because it never hurts).
Also, Stanley figured out how to escape his pen and pull himself down a few steps last night. I called their main desk in a panic, wondering if I needed to bring him in right away and the wonderful woman on the phone, whose name I’m sad to say I don’t remember, was absolutely beautiful and talked to a vet tech to find out what I should do. She then relayed that I should just keep an eye on Stanley for the next day to see if he has bad pain or deteriorates in function and if he does either of those, I should bring him in again.
So overall, I know that they’re expensive upfront but they really care about the pets that they treat and they will go above and beyond to make sure everything is OK, which is exactly what I, and I’m trusting most dog owners, want in an emergency vet/​specialist vet. If Stanley or his siblings ever need a specialist or just a really well trained emergency vet, we’ll be going over to SVS.

Parking: huge parking lot and spaces right up front are handicap where in the event of an extreme emergency it is likely you could pull straight up to the front door so long as someone is not parked in the handicap space.
They even have an ambulance. If they have an ambulance I wonder if they are the official vet for K9 Police officers I noticed a police station near by.
Huge waiting room with typical emergency room chairs a flat screen with cable TV. Free coffee Kurig type machine, vending machine for snacks, huge clean restrooms with multiple stalls.
Lots of exam rooms and an ER.
I like many reviews before me am here for Kitty kidney failure on a 15 year old cat. Tonight prognosis is not good. We are giving the cat fluids to see if his blood count panel numbers start to head in the correct direction. If there is no movement in numbers then there is no hope and Fat Baby is dying.
The Dr. was awesome. I want to attempt some care before giving up while trying to reduce some costs. Dr. and I came up with a game plan after the initial estimate was completed to reduce some of the costs but could still monitor my kitty, give him fluids and meds, and then reevaluate in 24 hours.
2 day overnight care kitty kidney failure is aprox $ 4500. That’s in addition to the $ 3k we spent over the past 2 months going to different primary care vets. We should have just come here in the first place. I will know for future animals.
This facility also does blood transfusions. Other vet hospitals do not. This facility has an onsite radiologist and internist so you don’t have to wait for sending labs and X-​rays out for review.
Staff is kind and professional in an emotionally heartbreaking experience.

If I could give this place six stars I would. Professional, caring, thoughtful. When I had to say goodbye to my friend, they handled the emotional situation very professionally and humanely.

I wish I could give them 10 plus stars. TuKaLook was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 10. Sean Sanders, Dr. Michael, Dani Powers, and the neuro team did a 5 and ½ surgery on my TuKaLook. I knew going in that Dr Sanders could not get it all (The tumor). The pathology report came back and his tumor was benign. I was allowed to stay right there. and it was incredible. He was only in the hospital for 3 days! Since it was benign. I then drove across the State to WSU (SVS made all of the arrangements) where TuKaLook had 18 doses of radiation.
These are the most caring Dr’s and staff I have ever seen. No, I am not rich. We make sacrifices for that «Unconditional love».
Because of SVS my precious TuKaLook lived another 1 and ½ years. The wonderful cards I received from Sean Sanders, Dani Powers, and another one from all of the staff were so comforting. as was the beautiful sympathy orchard they sent to me. I still call and talk to Jeremey. TuKaLook’s favorite Vet tech. as he says «We are here for you as much as we are here for the pets».and that they are.

They ruined our mastiff. Horrible facility! Never take your dog there. We had to put him down as they performed 2 surgeries infected the first time and left hardware in his leg the second surgery. Two years later our dog got diagnosed with cancer and Summit in Tacoma really tried to save him. He was only 3 ½. Now in contact with department of health so they can help me to take those doctors licenses. I will fight for our family until the end. They cannot get away with a neglegence. Absolutely horrific facility. DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG!

Pros: open 24 hrs/​day, easy access off of 405 on the Eastside, ER doctor was great!
Cons: Surgery coordinator; coordination of inter-​speciality visits and needs for pet is difficult/​inconsistent/​frustrating.
It is my hope that this review encourages positive changes in consistency, empathy training and conflict resolution.
If you want the reasons for the above pros and cons, read on:
Our shetland sheep dog injured his leg on a Sunday, we brought him to the ER here to be evaluated. The ER doctor, Dr. Sunshine, was pleasant and helped us with the exam. After exam and X-​rays, she confirmed that he had an ACL tear, which apparently is common in dogs. She also did blood work during this visit and informed us livery enzymes were elevated. We were advised to return for afollow up with a surgeon to go over options for the leg and also investigate why liver enzymes were elevated and what this may mean for treatment, healing and long term effects. So far, everything went well and we felt like all is good with the plan.
Then the sh*t storm of incompetence rolls in…
Monday morning comes, we start making an appointment with the surgeon. It’s coordinated via emails and phone conversations with their coordinator Sam. She finalizes the appointment for us to consult with Dr. Misseghers with a phone and email confirmation. We take this information to our regular vet and he confirms that we’re in good hands with this surgeon. We arrive at our appointment and are surprised to meet a different surgeon. Before proceeding with the consult, we ask for the doctor that we were confirmed with. This apparently is unreasonable for my husband and I to request: staying consistent with what was confirmed verbally and written. The second surgeon is visibly agitated, finds the coordinator Sam to sort this out. Sam comes in with a defensive apology of how she assumed it wouldn’t matter to us exactly which doctor as long as it’s a good doctor and so when she made changes to the schedule for us, she didn’t think that would make a difference. After the rambling defense ceased, we didn’t waiver in our request to see the original doctor we were scheduled with. Still a problem since the original doctor is booked with other patients at this time. I told Sam I didn’t mind waiting, we took the entire afternoon off for this appointment so if the doctor will see us and our dog then we are willing to return. She disappears for enough amount of time for us to think in the exam room, realize the red flags, called another surgical office, schedule a consult there the same day and she hadn’t returned yet. So upon checking ourselves out of the room, requesting our dogs records and images, Sam and the original doctor comes out. At that time, it was more of saying goodbye, holding up polite pretenses with Sam and getting ourselves out of there.
We couldn’t help but think, «if they can’t even get their act together when scheduling, what is going on in the back when they have my dog with a scalpel?»
To some people, like my husband and I, we treat our dogs like they are our human children. When we planned on seeing a specific doctor that’s what we plan on occurring. When a scheduling mistakes occurs, own it, apologize and move on with a solution. Defensive excuses doesn’t cut it and makes the entire organization look bad and uncaring. The situation was poorly handled. Hopefully, no one else had to go through this or will go through this. During a time of concern for your pet AND having to deal with this really is unnecessary.
The other issue that we were trying to deal with is the elevated liver enzymes– we kept trying to see if we can have the ultrasound for his liver at the same time we were there for the consult. No confirmation either way on this subject from them.
On a different note, we are happy to report that our dog was taken care of through a concerted effort between our regular vet and the other surgical center for animals in Shoreline. It was a happy ending after all and we are so grateful to both our vet and the people in Shoreline (read my other review for those details).

My pup has been a patient here for about 2 ½ years now. She has refractory cluster seizures from distemper, and in understanding how difficult this disease is to manage; the neurologists at SVS have been great. They are always very accommodating to us by mailing medicines, seeing us at spaced intervals, and helping manage my dog’s seizures over the phone since I have problems with mobility. The front staff, nurses, and doctors have been great. They really listen, and work very well with me on coming up on my dog’s treatment plan. I highly recommend them without any hesitation!

The nurses there were caring, the doctor? I wonder why he is here if he doesn’t care about our fur babies?
Dr. M. Vaughan, i don’t even care to remember his name. I was charged $ 150 + for a consultation with this so called ‘specialist’. He spent less than 5 minutes motionlessly but not even professionally to talk about stuff that even any layman can say. I don’t think he even laid an eye on my fur baby whom was the reason i came in this place.
You called yourself a Specialist?

If I could give this place a 0 stars, I would.
My dog has had seizures & cluster seizures for over a decade. I am quite used to the drill. I have been to numerous ERs. I knew something was different with my dog. I took her to the closest Emergency Department (which is sometimes necessary) because I knew what I normally do to get seizure activity under control was not working. Normally, she is controlled with a cocktail and sometimes has break through seizures every 3 to 6 months. Sometimes her seizures can be brought back under control at home.
Where I initially took my dog was not to this place. Unfortunately, the place I took her to does not have a neurologist on board or a MRI to utilize. They were quite wonderful and called Seattle Veterinary Specialists to try to refer my dog to the neurologist they had on board at that time (Dr. Powers). She expressed she could see Bella between 10am and 1pm. This day already had it’s challenges outside of what was going on with my dog, but I borrowed a car (mine was in the shop) booked it down from Snohomish to Lake City (to pick up my dog) and then to Kirkland to see the neurologist. I was there by around 10:30am. Well within the time frame the neurologist stated she could see my dog.
After checking in, I was brought into a room and initially interviewed by a, what I assume, vet tech. She was quite nice. Then she stated that «he or she» will be in to see my dog. I was confused and questioned. I thought the neurologist was female. She agreed that she was, but I first had to be seen by an Emergency Room doctor (add $ 100 to the bill). He came in and did his thing. Told me what I already knew, that my dog was having neurological problems. No, REALLY??? Why did the emergency veterinarian from Lake City refer me over to the neurologist???
He then stated that he’d go do an estimate and return with the estimate. He didn’t return, but had someone else return with the estimate. I was looking at the time and it was already noon. Ok, we had an hour left of the time frame that I was given. I questioned if the neurologist was still going to be able to see my dog and gave the reason why I was asking. The look in her eyes was an «oh no». Then she rambled off that «Oh, they make time to see dogs.» I grudgingly accepted this. They took my dog back.
For whatever reason, I didn’t feel good about all this. I called from the parking lot and asked to be called when the neurologist was going to see her so I could be present for the consultation. No different than coming to the lobby and retrieving me. The person I spoke with agreed.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN (about 10 minutes to 1pm, the end time of when the neurologist stated she could see my dog)… I get a phone call from the Emergency Room veterinarian. He stated to me that the neurologist no longer had time to see my dog. Then the he decided to tell me that he thinks my dog should be taken off all medications (including the daily ones that normally control her seizures) and thinks I caused all of this by trying the as needed diazepam (which sometimes is given to humans after they have had a stroke for seizures, see below) to control what I thought (at the time) were break through seizures. He in fact laughed at me over the phone when I expressed concern about taking her off all medications, that the diazepam given at the other Emergency Room was the only thing that calmed my dog to a point that she wasn’t consistently pacing, panting and drooling, and not being able to be seen by the neurologist. He then said, oh you can make an appointment for next week. In the meantime, all I could think to myself was if she continues in this behavior and it can’t be controlled, her brain may overheat and she may die (very possible with cluster seizures, since this is what I thought it was at this time, although not the typical grand mal that I have seen in the past).
I stated that I was coming back in to retrieve my dog. I did and left.
About the only good thing I can say about this place is that after I expressed I would not pay any of their Emergency Room fees (that all of the time and exams were pointless), they stated they would waive them. It was not only a waste of time, but the demeanor of the Emergency Room veterinarian was quite upsetting. No one should EVER have to deal with the treatment I received here. Especially when they are already in a fragile state of being upset with what is going on with their fur family. Maybe they should teach some of the veterinarians and staff to have a little compassion?
Good luck to anyone who brings their animal to this place.
Oh and by the way… No thanks to this place, I found out that my dog had a stroke. If dogs are anything like humans that have strokes. F-​A-​S-​T Response to Stroke Symptoms Saves Brain Function.

I am beyond repulsed by the manipulative, greedy, narcissistic incompetence that oozes out of every staff member. We took our dog to seattle vet based on the reviews. He had injured himself during a hike. I clearly explained to the vet that the dog was perfectly fine in the days leading up to the hike. And I specifically stated the moment during the walk that the dog showed signs of injury. I was so worried about my pooch. He was an older dog who we all loved. And he was clearly in a lot of pain. The vet expressed concern. She examined our pooch. I was feeling confident she could help. Then she jumped right in to her simpering, used car sales mode. And she was a pro at it. She knew my husband was on a business trip. She could see my 5 year old son’s worry and tears. She knew she had me. She convinced me that something else could be terribly wrong with my dog. Her manipulation of me, preying perfectly on my love of the dog and concern for my son, was absolutely masterful. She told me there was still hope (of course she did. She had to keep my credit card charging). They kept the dog for a couple days. They performed extensive tests: bloodwork, ultrasounds, ct scams (I mean scans), etc. They consulted a surgeon and cardiologist. By the way, none of the scans were of the areas where he was exhibiting pain and discomfort. The vets were «mystified». My pooch’s heart was healthy, he had no cancer, his lungs were fine, he didn’t have a bladder infection (wtf?), etc. Funny enough, none of them bothered to do investigate my suspicion that he slipped a disc on our walk.
At this point, I was so overwhelmed by all the drama these vets had kicked up, and the sleepless nights consoling my son who thought his «best friend» might die, that I was completely at the mercy of these incompetent, greedy jerks. They ran more tests. While at the vet, my dog was on iv meds and antibiotics. He improved (again totally baffling the staff). But looking back, it is so clear. My dog had an injury (all the symptoms of a slipped disc). He was given high doses of pain killers and not allowed to move around much. It makes perfect sense that he would improve. But at the time, the vets weren’t listening to my requests to check his spine. And they had created such a storm of confusion with their random guesses and tests, I became unsure of what was going on with my dog. Maybe it was a rare cancer. Maybe pneumonia. Their latest guess was an insect bite of some sort, or some systemic, undiagnosed illness.
Since he was showing improvement, they sent him home with us. My son was beyond elated to have his wonderful dog home. And so was I. Even our dog seemed happy to be home, though still in significant pain. His improvement diminished quickly. I had to carry all 80 pounds of him up and down our stairs. He got worse. Fast. He was unable to lift himself up to standing. I had to help. Once standing, he would pant from pain. I called the vet. They said to bring him in the following day. My dog remained in the same lying position all night. He didn’t move a fraction of an inch from the pain. In the morning, there was a puddle of drool on our floor where he had rested his head, without moving, for hours and hours.
We arrived at the vet. They were expecting us as I had spoke in length to the team working directly with my dog. They said they were super busy that day, and advised me to check him in through the emergency room. The told me the emergency vet was filled in on the details. At the vet, the emergency doc knew nothing. She suggested performing the same tests again. She took my dog into the back room for an hour. No one spoke to us. No one told us what they were doing to my dog. I still have no idea what was going on. When the vet returned, she said the consensus was he probably had cancer of the throat (wtf?), and a thoracic mri would diagnose it. Yeah right. (It turns out there was no consensus. The emergency vet lied about speaking to our vet)
My dog was clearly suffering. The look in his eyes said everything. I took my son to a playground, while my husband (just back from his trip) handled the arrangements. The vet was combative and completely unsupportive of putting my dog to sleep. She wanted to do the mri. When asked what the treatment was for throat cancer or a tumor, the vet replied major surgery and chemotherapy. Talk about torturing an already miserable dog. My husband said it was time. So filled with the pain of saying goodbye, my hubby petted and consoled our dog as the vet euthanized our pooch. And guess what? The vet, the professional, sobbed and sniffled loudly the entire time. She took a terribly sad moment for my hubby and made it all about her. And then she charged us $ 4500 for it. Disgusting. Appalling.
A day later, our vet called and admitted they handled my dogMs case poorly. She admitted he may have had a slipped disc which could have healed with pain killer, and rest. Wow. Thanks a lot, you terribly human being.

This was the best place we could’ve brought our dog, Chloe, who was newly diagnosed with diabetes. Every doctor and nurse was extremely kind and gentle with her which made it so much easier for us to leave her there for 48 hours while they closely monitored her health. They explained everything to us in detail, and sent us home with everything we needed going forward.
The hospital is well-​run and organized with great communication between all teams (nurses, doctors, and eventually referring us to an internal medicine dr). We were updated frequently on Chloe’s progress. The best part is that you are allowed to visit your pet anytime — they are open ²⁴⁄₇! Although the other reviews about this place being pricey are true — they were always very upfront about the costs, and we were pleasantly surprised when our final bill was on the low end of the estimate You definitely get what you pay for — and at SVS, you will absolutely get the best specialist treatment for your pet.
We are so glad that our vet referred us to SVS — and would highly recommend their services to anyone!

This place is wonderful– the staff is very kind and take time to ensure you understand your dogs needs and diagnosis. We were referred from Emerald City ER which is severely expensive — this place is reasonable for the kind of care you receive — well worth every dime !!!

I think the best thing about these guys is that they don’t charge any emergency fees!
I took my baby boy (aka my cat) in after he had some weird stroke-​like symptoms, but of course they resolved as soon as we had him walk around for the vet tech. Everyone stroked his ego by telling him how pretty of a boy he is (great, like he needs a bigger head!) and were super friendly and concerned for his well-​being.
The front desk staff are helpful and will spend time on the phone troubleshooting if need be. The vet tech was very nice, and so was the vet! She spent plenty of time with us talking about options, and even though we were unable to determine what caused the weird behavior, she was adamant that we call back if we have any problems. Oscar was being, well, a grouch, and was not at all nice to the staff, but they didn’t seem to mind at all! They just laughed and joked with us as we swore up and down that we’d never seen him behave so badly.
The vet even called back after the lab results were finished and went over them with me, as well as offered some followup advice. It’s obvious that this place is serious about getting animals healthy – they have surgery suites, as CT scanner, and their own ambulance! Their commitment to pet health is really stellar.
The only thing – and I’m still investigating if this is even an option or not – is that they do not run glycohemoglobin A1Cs. This test, in humans, gives an accurate picture of glucose level trends, which I think would be great for cats, as the vet told us that their bodies produce glucose when stressed. Oscar’s level was high, but was it pre-​diabetic high, or high due to stress? An A1C, I think, would help. HOWEVER, I have no idea if other vets even run these/​if this testing is even approved for cats/​etc, so I don’t at all fault SVS for this. Also, they have a pathologist on staff that reviews all blood counts. How cool is that?
These guys are emergent-​only, so hopefully I won’t have to see them again, but if anything happens, I will not at all hesistate to come here!

I’m a very particular veterinary client and absolutely give SVS 5 stars. They were exceptional at every point.
I’m a former vet tech, former pre-​med student, crazy dog lady, and have been heavily involved in rescue for decades. I’m a very particular veterinary client, and I have good knowledge of animal issues and high expectations. SVS didn’t let me down!
After seeing another vet who was totally clueless (long story why I was even there), I called SVS with a few questions. (Actually, I called while sitting in the kennel at the vet, but that’s not particularly relevant I suppose). The person on the phone was friendly and very helpful. We needed to see a neurologist (ok, the dog did), and neurology was booked out for at least a week, so they explained we could come in through emergency, and would be assigned a neurological consult after the initial veterinary consult.
We arrived with a drugged, scared and snappy 120 lb rottweiler who could not walk at ALL, and the staff couldn’t have been better about accommodating our needs, and more importantly, *listening* to what we had to say. I appreciated that they listen to owners and adjust accordingly. They’d brought out a ‘gurney’ for him, but it really was too small and would absolutely make him panic. So instead they had more people come out and we carried him in slings.
Due to the nature of emergency, his resistance to examination, inability to walk, and so on, we were there for a long time, but they checked on us often and were very kind. No less than 6 – 8 people were involved with holding up his slings to try to examine him ‘walking’.
After going home with steroids and tramadol, with the intent to come back through emergency on Monday (still no neuro appts), they called over the weekend — an appt had opened on Monday! Great customer service.
The neurologist was fantastic. He had a great manner with the dog, and was very flexible about working with us to examine him safely. After the exam, he gave us a really thorough explanation and answered all our questions. The neuro exam rooms have great white boards with a large, permanent diagram of a canine spinal system to enable better explanations. He was not only thorough but provided very conservative options and did not push surgery.
Additionally, the clinic is extremely clean and comfortable, and does not generally have that vet clinic smell. Very nice accessible bathrooms, coffee, tea, etc. There is a really nice rehab area as well. I also noticed the floors near neurology were of a no-​slip material, which was really helpful.
There’s no question where I’ll be coming for any specialist needs or veterinary emergencies!