VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists

Friendly staff, clean facility, offered options. Good experience during a health scare with pet. If you need an emergency vet, I would try VCA.

I took my dog in on a Sunday after she hadn’t eaten or drank for 2 days and was very lethargic. She was seen by Dr. Ashley Sigurdson and I was told that she needed a whole battery of tests. I paid for the tests and they told me they’d call me in a couple of hours. Dr. Sigurdson called and said that my dog had a foreign body obstruction and Pneumonia. She recommended an Endoscopy for $ 2000. I declined. She then told me that I should consider «humane euthanasia» because she was «very ill». I declined. I told her I was coming to get my dog and would take her to my vet in the morning. When I arrived, Dr. Sigurdson proceeded to tell me that my dog would die overnight if I took her home and I needed to leave her at the clinic overnight. I refused. She then told me again that my dog would probably die overnight and then proceeded to describe how terrible it would be and «it’s not as romantic as you think, it’s pretty awful» and recommended again that I euthanize her. I declined yet again. They brought her out to me, I took her home. My vet saw her in the morning and diagnosed her with heart disease and prescribed Lasix. No Pneumonia and no foreign body obstruction. I’m happy to report that she is 100% her self again. Dr Sigurdson is by far the most incompetent vet I have ever dealt with. I beg you, PLEASE take your animals ANYWHERE but here. I am so glad I disregarded her instructions. It breaks my heart to think of how many dogs have been put down because of incompetent vets like Dr. Sigurdson. Absolutely horrific experience.

VCA was the third vet we took our kitten to in the span of about three months. Our first visit to VCA was a consultation with their internal specialist, Dr. Ferguson. We ended up leaving our kitten with them overnight for a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, her condition was very advanced by the time we saw VCA and we were back about 10 days later, on a weekend, seeing the emergency room vet and putting our kitten down.
Things we loved about VCA:
1. We were able to get in for an appointment within a week. Many vet specialists have limited hours and aren’t staffed every day of the week. While Dr. Ferguson was out one day, her colleague called to follow-​up. She was well versed in our kittens condition and very helpful.
2. They gave us a detailed list of costs before they did anything and let us pick and choose which tests and procedures we wanted to do. When we decided to wait on a particular test, they didn’t pressure us into doing it but still gave us all of the pros and cons of each test and procedure. I was also shocked that all of their estimates were slightly higher (less than $ 100) than the actual charges. I was fully expecting them to come back saying we owed more money, not getting a refund. Compared to the other vet specialist we visited, their prices were very reasonable.
3. When they suggested an expensive medication, they gave us their quote and then asked if we wanted to call around and find a cheaper supplier. Other vets we had visited in the past charged us money to have a script called into a pharmacy even if we had seen the doctor that day.
4. While our kitten was there overnight, one of the techs texted us pictures and updates on how she was doing. These pictures are treasured moments in our kittens last few weeks with us and as a nervous pet mom, they were invaluable.
5. A tech or vet was always calling us as soon as they had any information or test results for us. Our ER vet even called the vet specialist on her day off to consult on our case and ensure we had all the information we needed to make our final decision. They were the first vet who was able to give us a diagnosis. While the diagnosis came too late for our kitten, we were grateful to finally have an answer.
6. When it became obvious that our kitten was not going to make it, they were amazing and supportive. Everyone was extremely compassionate. They gave us all the time we needed, but never left us waiting. We cannot thank VCA enough.
Things I would change about VCA:
1. I wish the number that came across my phone was always the main line instead of the individual phone someone was calling from. I would sometimes ignore calls because I was at work and it was an unknown number. It’s a small thing, but I can’t answer every single call while I am at work, and I would have answered if I knew it was the vet.

Here’s what you can expect if your greyhound manages to get into a bag of extra large Greenies and eats 15 of them before you find out.
Call Great Lakes Veterinary Hospital because they’re the only emergency vet on the east side of Cleveland. Someone named «Sarah» tells you to definitely come in right away so that they can do an examination and make the dog throw up if necessary. So you load up your pooch into the car and make the 25 minute drive.
You arrive at the hospital. No one there is named «Sarah» or remembers you calling. You tell them what’s going on, you wait for a while, and then they take you back to a triage room. You tell yet another staff member what happened. She goes off to consult with the real vet — not sure what exactly her qualifications are. She comes back into the room 15 minutes later and says that they won’t do anything before you call Poison Control.
Even though they told you to drive your dog over.
You try to call Poison Control. Turns out the animal poison control is a for-​profit hotline that will charge you $ 60 for a 10 minute consultation and isn’t even a 24 hour line.
At this point, realizing that VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Hospital is run by a circus of incompetent troglodytes, you and your dog leave, get back in the car, and drive across town to Animal Emergency Clinic West, where they act like actual veterinarians and give your freakshow of a greyhound an x-​ray and you find out that all she needs is some Gas-​X.
Friends don’t let friends go to VCA.

The VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Hospital at 4760 Richmond Road
Warrensville Heights, OH 44 128 is the just about the worst facility in the entire world. These people are soulless and will take total advantage of your desperation without remorse. I should have seen this coming the moment I walked through their door. Their private sitting/​examining rooms and swanky lobby boasted flat screen TV’s, contemporary furnishings and ultra modern décor. Having been a dog owner all my life and a visitor of many different vet offices/​pet hospitals across the country, its really quite easy to understand just why VCA’s prices were so outrageously expensive. If you go to VCA great lakes on Richmond road you can be sure that their exorbitant overhead will be passed down unto you. The final costs of your pets medical bills will pay their unnecessary décor and overpriced staff– many of which sit around watching TV, texting on their phones, and complaining about customers attitudes loud enough so others could hear them. You will most certainly not be paying for a thorough examination of your pet, appropriate/​proper medication, or at the very least sympathy towards your particular situation. Regardless of their behavior towards me, I didn’t come there expecting charity or handouts of any kind. I simply expected quality medical care for what I like most people consider a family member. At the end of the day I had to go back to that disgrace of a pet hospital less then 48 hours after my dogs $ 900 operation (following their advice) because he was completely lethargic; as in not moving, eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom. At this point I was charged an additional $ 238 for a «re-​examination fee» as well as the full price for new medications he was to receive on account of the fact that they couldn’t get it right the first time. Two days after that I discovered an infection in my dogs mouth in between his teeth and gums. A wound they completely overlooked in not ONE but TWO «full body examinations,» both of which I payed for. Overall I am completely disgusted with this place, its staff, the manner in which I have been treated, and the manner in which my pet has been cared for. For the amount of money this facility charges to perform simple medical procedures as well as live saving operations it is beyond unacceptable to allow customers and pets under their care to be treated this way. The one and only thing VCA Great Lakes managed to do correctly was to take my dog in right away without any hesitation. Then again this was not tough decision for them considering I had already called ahead of time notifying them of his critical condition as well as the kind of medical attention he would likely require. Drenched in blood from head to toe I carried my 70lb dog right into their ritzy waiting room as he bled profusely all over their fancy floors in eye sight of other high paying customers. It was shortly after he was taken to an operating room that I began to be treated like an ATM machine. Do yourself a favor drive to the next state if you have to, just don’t go to this awful establishment. It’s a factory not a pet hospital. They will play on your emotions and the love you have for your pet using it as leverage to perpetuate their shady operation and justify their over priced facility.

We had to make the heart wrenching decision to put down our dear cat Butters. While that decision is never easy, the staff at VCA was compassionate and caring. Had it not been for them, the entire ordeal would have been that much worse.
Thank you for all who helped us, and my wife and I would most certainly recommend VCA to anyone!

I took my dog here after she got overheated on a hot and humid day. She cooled down quickly, but began to have focal seizures. Yes the facility is nice, yes it is nice that they can do things like run blood work on site. But there is a charge in addition to the exam charge for something like taking a blood pressure reading. Absurd. Still would have given 4 stars, but they remove the animal and take them to a back room. There is no way to know how they are doing or if they’ve improved or deteriorated. Oh and, you do NOT get to see or visit your animal until the bill is settled. (Sketchy). They also lose a star because the very young doctor who treated her tried to diagnose her with a life-​long seizure disorder and recommended an MRI for a brain tumor. My dog has had NO seizure activity since leaving. If I had listened to the vet, she’d have been on anti-​convulsants for the rest of her life, and I’d be out an additional $ 2,000. Great service if you are in an emergency and need an animal stabilized, but DO NOT TRUST ANY DIAGNOSIS. Send tests and results to your vet for diagnosing.

I have had several different experiences here. Some have been better than others. In general, I have been very underwhelmed by the quality of the overnight and weekend emergency vets and the care they have provided. That said, there are not a lot of good options for overnight and weekend emergency care in Cleveland. At the same time, I have generally been impressed with specialists including the Critical Care doctor who cared for a senior golden that was diagnosed with a simple GI upset by overnight vet but who I euthanized after a less than 72 hour free fall that ended with his blood not clotting and a likely diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (which was later confirmed). I thought that bill was outrageous, and, adding insult to injury, they charged me to euthanize my dog which I have never had a vet do at the end of an expensive hospital stay that ended sadly. (My previous experiences were with ²⁴⁄₇ vet hospitals that provided general and specialty care in SF and DC.) I swore VCA off after that experience and still wish there was a better local overnight facility. All of that said, I have been super impressed over the past year with the knowledge, compassion, and care of VCA’s oncologist — Dr. Elpiner. I recommend her highly and trust her judgment to make the right call for my latest senior golden dealing with cancer. She is also very good at communicating results and action plans to me and other specialists involved in my dog’s care. I guess I am a reluctant client overall but a huge fan of Dr. Elpiner.

I had to bring my dog, Lucy, in after she suffered injuries from a severe trauma. The doctors and staff members were incredibly responsive, they gave her the best care possible and made sure I was always informed about what was going on. They felt like extended family during a very difficult time. I couldn’t have been more impressed with their service, professionalism and treatment of my pet.

In terms of emergency pet hospitals, this is the best in the area. Unfortunately they exploit the fact that they are basically the only option for ½ the city by jacking up prices after their only competition closed their doors not long ago.
Best option? Wait if you can to see your regular vet. You will literally pay a 500% markup of already expensive vet care just to be seen after hours here.

No one ever wants to end up in an emergency vet’s office. But… if you have a furry family member, it’s bound to happen.
This facility is nice. Nicer than some «people medicine» offices. There was no animal smell. The staff was friendly, worked quickly, and made me feel at ease in a stressful situation. I saw them interacting with people whose animals were in much worse shape than my kitty, and they were nothing but helpful and sympathetic.
If you are ever in need of emergency veterinary care, I would highly recommend this facility.

I’d been here a few times before and thought the care and service was more than adequate. But those weren’t emergencies.
Last week, I woke at 3am to find my perfectly healthy 4-​year old cat, Peanut, having trouble breathing. I rushed her to VCA and was horrified to discover she had congestive heart failure. I didn’t even know this was possible. I was understandably confused and scared.
The 2 doctors I dealt with at VCA were knowledgeable and competent, but lacking in empathy and patience at times. So was a guard dog receptionist who thought yelling at me was the best way to get me to stop asking to see my cat. It wasn’t. And I didn’t.
I don’t know if they were understaffed that night, but they left me alone for a couple hours in the waiting room, unable to communicate with anyone as to Peanut’s status. She was my baby, and I was worried sick. When I finally got to see her she was clearly still in distress, terrified (there were dogs barking right across from her cage), and had been suffering for hours. I’m still having nightmares thinking about that.
It’s an extremely difficult decision to end your pet’s life when you have days or weeks to decide, let alone minutes or hours. When I wasn’t able to make that decision fast enough, I felt like they moved on to other patients. And they didn’t have certain equipment (like to do an EKG) or medications necessary to evaluate and treat her. I was told I needed to wait 2 days to see a cardiologist. In Akron.
«I’m starting to fear I’m at the wrong place,» I told the doctor at one point. His explanation was that they couldn’t have every medication on hand. Why not?
I’m not saying that it’s their fault that Peanut died that day, but in my opinion they added to her stress instead of reducing it. And for a cat, with heart issues, that can be deadly. Sadly, it was.
By the time my regular vet finally convinced the VCA doctor to try a mild sedative to help manage my terrified cat’s stress levels, it was too late. When Peanut went into cardiac arrest she unintentionally bit the doctor, who started screaming at her. It was awful. The last thing my baby heard as she died was someone yelling at her.
Breaks my heart…

Great place, very honest and not that expensive for your anmials. You got to come check them out. Staff was very friendly. The Doctor was very honest and and gave us great advice on how to take care of our pup.

I was very impressed with everyone working at the clinic. I a cat in distress and needed to be seen immediately at 6:45 am. Called while on our way and they were prepared for us even though a emergency came in at the same time.
Our result was not what we would of wanted they were very understanding and even gave us time with him and a ribbon and paw print. I would recommend them if you need a clinic.

Took my cat there. Was in room in back and could hear employees yelling at the animals. Questioned staff about it and they tried to justify it! Really! My cat and I left. Don’t leave your pet alone here.

The Pros:
* 24×7×365 care. In cases of emergency, it’s nice to know VCA is available.
* A few years ago had an elderly cat suffering from pancreatitis. Specialist internal medicine doctor was amazing.
The Cons:
* Bedside manner of some emergency nurses and doctors not great. Had my sick kitty in an exam room and the nurse was practically shouting, which was very upsetting to my cat. I would expect a vet or vet technician to be sensitive to how they’re affecting an animal.
* Decided to go against the ER doctor’s recommendation of admitting my cat and the nurse and doctor then became very rude. I would expect them to be understanding of the tough decision facing owners on whether to admit a pet.

I had to bring my dog in to the emergency clinic around 11pm because she was having seizures. I was a crying mess, and they were all so understanding and nice to me. When the doctor came into the room to talk to me I felt like she really took her time and understood that I was upset and worried. An assistant talked to me as well, who was just as patient and understanding. My dog had to stay overnight, and when I left I really felt like I had left her in capable hands. The doctor called me the next morning to update me, and I was able to call later in the day and talk to an assistant about how she was doing. I feel like the staff took exceptional care of my dog while she was staying there, and when I came to pick her up they gave me a long letter from the vet explaining my dog’s health situation, and a hand out on seizures. The care was very expensive, but I understand that it was an emergency (thank goodness for Care Credit!). I hope I never have to use their emergency services again, but if I do I have strong confidence that they would do an excellent job providing the best care possible for my dog.

the staff is very professional and knows what they are talking about.
the hours are great 24×7, and the staff explained everything that was going
on with my dog in a succinct manner versus two other vets I had been to.
Will visit again.