Veterinary Emergency Service West

Although they were very busy we were able to get my dog in for a visit. Staff was very friendly and professional. Supplied me with written instructions to make sure I understood. I suggested further exams and test but the vet said they would not give a true picture. By doing this they saved me money. Would definitely recommend this clinic.

This place is great — hopefully it’s a service you never have to use, but it’s nice to know it’s here.
My dog needed a blood transfusion and the staff was so sympathetic. The vet was great at explaining things and what to expect. I was able to call at any time of day and night (and I did) to check on her and I could tell that everyone loved her and was taking great care of her.
Like most ER vets, it is expensive, but it is cheaper than other ER vets (places in Southfield and Madison Hts). Like I said, hopefully you’ll never need an ER vet, but if you do, you should be here.

DO NOT GO HERE!!!
First of all let me say that I do appreciate there was a emergency clinic I could rush to. That being said these people are horrible. The vet asked me basic questions and was beyond awkward with his interest in my pet. He laughed after every sentence.
So they wanted to do a bunch of testing on my cat as they were unsure what was wrong. They brought an estimate of what it could cost. I told them only do blood work and go from there. Next thing I know I’m paying a little above the maximum charges. I asked why they charged so much. Turns out they did everything on the slip and charged me for it. All the while my cat is worse off that when she came in. Very weak and lethargic.
Basically since they are an «emergency» clinic they have the right to charge you doubt to triple the amount it would normally cost.

I brought my cat here yesterday. I originally took him to another vet, who x-​rayed him and told us that he had a bladder blockage. We decided to take him to VES West, because the bladder drainage would require him to stay overnight, and we wanted him to be at a place that had 24 hour care so he wouldn’t have to spend the night alone with an IV and catheter.
They took us in immediately and were so nice and patiently explained everything to us, from the procedure itself, to aftercare and how to prevent these problems in the future. This is something that I really appreciate.
I have had a real problem in the past with feeling that vets are trying to «up-​sell» me, and this was not the case here. Also, the estimate that they initially gave me ended up being spot-​on.
They said I could call whenever I wanted to check up on him, and I did several times. All of the staff were always super nice and patient. It seemed like every single person I talked to was incredibly knowledgeable and able answer all of my questions. I called with a question shortly after bringing him home, and woman on the phone was very kind and reassuring.
A few other little things that I really appreciated: I noticed that they cut his nails! I don’t know if this is a standard or required for safety or something, but I thought it was really nice. Also, when I went to pick him up they let us go in the back and put him into our kennel ourselves, so that he would be more comfortable.
It is expensive, but I was more than willing to pay more for 24 hour care, and honesty I am so glad I did. The peace of mind that I had knowing he wouldn’t be left alone was more than worth it.
Overall, I’m just really glad I found this place and I’d definitely bring my cat here again in an emergency. My cat is pretty much my child, and this was a scary and difficult time for me, but the people here really helped me feel better about the whole situation.

DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE! These people are sick! They care only about how much money you are willing to pay!
Two of our dogs had gotten into a fight last week. We brought them here and it was the worst mistake. First, they made sure to charge us $ 2000.00 before they even did anything.
The one dog was in critical condition and they just seemed so relaxed and every question was in regard to money not the future of our dog’s life. They wanted to keep her and charge us an arm and a leg so we called another vet. That vet called VES and specifically asked if our dog was safe to transport. VES said YES! So we did because the other vet was less than half the price. On the ride over our dog was bleeding from the mouth and other places and died in the car!
When I called and asked VES why they said she was safe to transport they said the other vet never called and asked for permission!!! I was sick to my stomach when I heard this. Yes, they did and in fact VES faxed over our dog’s chart to them!
For my other dog they said they cleaned an old wound that had dirt on it on her paw and guess what we found out when we brought her to our regular vet??? That her foot was actually broke! Our regular vet also had to re open her wounds to re stitch them due to the very very poor job the VES did on her stitches.
I don’t know how these people can stay in business. Please do not support them. My husband and I are heartbroken this week and it’s all due to a poor choice we made in going to VES! They need to be shut down.
They take advantage of people when they are in their most vulnerable state of mind. They love every minute of taking advantage of people and their money. I mean at the end of the day what do they really care about you and your pet as long as they have money in their wallet, right?
My other vet said for the services they did they would have charged us $ 500 and VES charges us $ 2000.00. I mean that’s just disgusting! And our dog didn’t even survive.

First, I will mention that I had to take my dog in for an emergency (bloat) and he was treated and is doing fine. However, the low rating is based on the highly deceptive billing practice of this vet.
I brought my dog in at 8pm and after he was examined, the vet came back with an estimate sheet of what the service would cost. The sheet provided a comprehensive breakdown of all the costs involved in care and provided a range of low to high. Just to make things easy, the estimate was $ 1,500 — $ 1,700. You had to make a deposit on the minimum amount for treatment to be provided. On the right side of sheet, a time is given for the entire stay that the quote is good for, which for me was 1pm the next day.
The initial treatment relieved my dog of bloat and turned his stomach back around, but we could have opted for a permanent surgical procedure to prevent this from happening again. Since my dog is very old and there is no way to tell if this condition would happen again, I opted to wait and see. I spoke with my vet, who is excellent, and she was also ok with that course of action. I then called VES back and spoke with a female vet who was working at the time, and she gave me additional information on the surgery. I advised her that after discussing with my vet that I would be holding off on the surgery and would like to pick up my dog. She said the dog was doing very well, there were no problems and to come back at 8pm so they could observe him for 24 hours.
I came back to the vet at 8p to pick up my dog and found out that I was being charged an additional $ 500 from the original deposit. I was told that my estimate did not include the medications and because he had to stay over 12 hours, I was then billed for extended stay at the facility. There was no indication that there would be a charge of this amount on the estimate sheet and if they knew they were going to keep him 24 hours, why wouldn’t that be included? I expected to potentially have to pay $ 1,700 based on the initial range, not $ 2,000.
The vet who I spoke with in the morning was behind the door and made the tech discuss the charges with me. She never bothered to say a word to me when I was questioning why that wouldn’t be included in the estimate or why it wasn’t mentioned to me in the morning when I called to see when I could pick up my dog (which was before 1pm). In fact, she told the tech that I was confused about the surgical quote she had provided (even though that had nothing to do with extended stay charges) and it was a misunderstanding on my part.
I have very little respect for providers that cannot discuss these types of misleading practices with their customers. I would highly recommend finding another emergency vet to take your pets to if you have a choice. If you do not, please be aware that the estimate sheet may not be accurate if there is an extended stay (be sure to ask how long they plan on keeping him/​her instead of what they have quoted on the sheet… in my case, the fudging of that time cost an extra $ 300). As a pet owner, we are going to pay whatever it takes to help our furry family members, but this was really a step too far.
Two thumbs down for deceptive billing practices and a vet that could not exhibit professional behavior and discuss it with me.

I brought my sweet kitten, Squeaky Peaches, in this past Wednesday at 11:30pm. She was experiencing severe respiratory distress. This VES location was easy to find and quite clean. The staff were efficient and professional. They took their time assessing her situation and prescribed a comprehensive course of treatment. I felt confident in the vet’s assessment. Very pleased.
Others have commented on the staff requiring money before proceeding with treatment. Well, this is a business, not a charity. I don’t think this is a fair criticism. This is no different than the receptionist at a physician’s office immediately asking for your insurance information. VES staff were more than willing to make medically — appropriate adjustments to the treatment plan to fit within my budget. We signed off on the vet’s treatment plan and paid at the end of our visit.
I’m pleased to report that our kitten is breathing — and squeaking — again without trouble.

If you can avoid emergency vet care, please do. It’s not cheap! I rushed my unconscious dog to this clinic when he stopped breathing. The main focus of the assistant seemed to be getting my money. The first thing they tell you as they wheel your pet away is that they only take cash or credit and if you can’t pay, you’ll have to call someone who can foot the bill for you. If that’s not an option, they’ll give you the number for Care Credit to make sure you pay before you leave. It’s $ 90 for them to even look at your pet.
I saw the vet for about a minute when he asked some basic questions about my dog. It seemed they weren’t going to do much until I signed off on the procedures I was willing to pay for. I wasn’t allowed to see my dog while he was receiving treatment (the assistant said it was against the law for me to see him in the back room, but she offer to unhook him from oxygen to wheel him out to me… um, no) and I never saw the vet again. Compare this to my vet, who let me sit with my dog while he was receiving oxygen and fluids.
Although the estimate they gave me at the beginning was close to $ 1000, the actual amount was about half that, but only because I transferred my dog to our own vet as soon as they opened.
This isn’t a touchy-​feely clinic, so don’t expect to be comforted while your pet is in a life-​or-​death situation. And, don’t forget your credit card.

Chilling out with my fuzzy baby on my lap, I decided to send back some love to the place that made my kitteh all better.
About a year ago the saddest thing happened. I had just adopted a black kitten boy, whom within the first few months of his life had a cyst in his eye which burst. I don’t like to think about the amount of pain my baby must have been in, so knowing that Veterinary Service West was able to take care of him on a Sunday was a huge relief.
There was no way of keeping the eye, so when we dropped him off for his surgery we knew we would have a one eyed furry child on our hands, soon. Can you believe another vet whom shall remain unnamed recommended putting him to sleep over this?
The few hours this surgery took were crazy stressful, I was worried sick and a total mess. Turns out he did fine, but would require some additional love and care as infection was still a threat (especially this close to his little brain). Nothing bad ever happened, and I believe that since he was so young loosing one eye made adjusting very way for him. I wonder if he would know/​knows any different by now.
My BooBoo is a total mommys boy, he follows me around and needs to be by me any time. He is my cooking buddy, waits for me when I am in the shower and prefers to sleep right by my head. I cannot thank Veterinary Service West enough for the help they gave to us when we needed them most. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, and truly looks out for your pets and your best interest.