Bottom line, if you come in with a pet that is critically ill, and you are not ready to pay 1000 dollars just for a consultation and blood work (just to start understanding what is going on), do not take your dog. They will not treat them, and he will pass away on a cold flat metal bed as people stare at him wide eyed. I payed 300 dollars initially for them take a look and that is all they did, wish they would of been more proactive not because of the money that drives the business, (consent to treat the dog they had), but because in this world we need more professionals that are not only about the bottom line. From a business model what I share is only wishful thinking, but matters of life and death should not be reduced to business transactions. Best wishes to everyone with a sick dog.

!BEWARE! VCA does not have you or your pets best interest in mind. They are an unethical enterprised designed to separate you from your money!My cat Tiger died under their care because basic standards of veterinary care were not practiced. They promised prompt care and appeared concerned but as soon as I paid them $2849.51 and left the office, all care stopped.I signed a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order before I left for the afternoon and when my cat died they called my wife, at 2:00AM and asked if she wanted them to try and save him. They cash in for another $475.00 knowing full well of our written wishes.Dont get duped like I did these people are untrustworthy and a cancer to the community putting your pet and wallets at risk.

Have been taking our pets for 11 years to VCA Encinitas and had been quite happy with their 24/7 service. However, VCA decided to terminate that location as a hospital requiring after-hours emergencies be taken to this facility in Carlsbad. Low and behold 6 months later, one of our huskies got bit by a rattlesnake late in the evening (fortunately he had received a rattlesnake vaccine shot a few months earlier) forcing us to rush him to the Carlsbad location. First, because of Covid the facility was locked down, so we communicated via their intercom only to be insanely told we had to call in by phone to check-in. Then not only did they have no record of our pets requiring us to fill out paperwork before they would even bring the dog in, they were bureaucratic and short, and absolutely wasted critical time before finally taking our pet in for treatment. No excuse for not having a shared history of our pets between locations, no excuse to delay admitting and treating an emergency.In the future we will be taking our pets to the VEG emergency facility on El Camino Real in Encinitas.

Their care is great but theyre chronically understaffed. On multiple occasions Ive had to wait on hold for 15 minutes or longer.

We just completed radiation with Dr. Proulx and thought he was amazing! He knows his stuff and has a lot of experience, which is why we drove down from north Orange county to have our babys radiation done with him. The downside of this hospital is that it is an emergency vet, so expect to do a lot of waiting, but overall I think they do a great job! I would definitely do it again if I had to. Having a great doctor that you trust is worth more than any amount of driving or waiting that you have to do. I highly recommend Dr. Proulx!

My English bulldog would be dead if it were not for the quick services this establishment rendered. I want to thank everyone here from the front desk clerk to the surgeon that saved Honey Buns life. They pulled off the impossible, my dog should not be alive. I’m an rn and a 8404 corpsman and I know how unlikely a positive outcome was for my best friend. No matter what I write will not do this place justice. Thank you -Alex

There isnt a more caring team of doctors, nurses, technicians, assistants and front office staff. Recently Ive been working with the oncology team. They provide Willow with the love that she needs to get her through her cancer treatments. Thank you!!!

I’ve taken both of my dogs here and I will continue to take them here always. The staff & doctors are awesome, best service I’ve ever received honestly. Beyond caring, and very helpful, plus super funny. One of my dogs had a infection in his back, they were so comforting, and helpful even when I was “ugly” crying he’s recovering amazingly, and my other dog got stung by a bee and they took her right in! She’s doing so much better. I’m so grateful for this staff & doctors!

I took my cat here they fixed him I mean my cat means the world to me and to have him fixed is awesome. he ate a dart and now he’s better than ever

I am very grateful to Dr Ogilvie and all the other staff here for their kindness and their expertise which have prolonged the life, and the quality of life, of my ancient three-legged cat. Their excellent coping strategies during the pandemic have prevented any interruption in his regular visits to the clinic without risking me or my cat. His health and happiness are a joy to me in this difficult time.

‼‼ATTENTION‼‼Would highly NOT recommend coming to this hospital unless you feel like throwing away your money this is the spot ahaha.Complete joke coming. I called to see how long the wait time for the night and was told 2-3 hours. Once I arrive they telling me that the wait time is 5-6...Once they took my pet in they tell me they were going to run some test that it would be really fast. I arrived at 11pm.. . My pet did not get released till 5:30am just from getting a urine sample. Then they tell me I was going to be charge a certain amount on the phone. Once I get to the door they increased it to another hundred. Really unprofessional staff. To top it off I get send home with medicine saying about pills... I received a liquid medicine and when I call to ask what I should do they tell me we will give you a call back we are too busy rn...THESE PEOPLE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PET!!! THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY!!

I called after my vet recommended I take my dog there on a Sunday afternoon after a bicycle accident. They told me to bring her right over. I called from the parking lot and they told me they would not be able to see her since this was not an emergency. I responded that I had called ahead and they said to bring her in. Well, they made an exception since someone had given me bad information. My vet told me there might be a long wait so I was prepared. The doctor called me after about 2 hours and luckily my dog was okay. Just some swelling that could be treated with medication. An x-ray was not needed unless I wanted one which I declined. I spoke to the technician that would send me an text with a quote. She went over the pricing and I mentioned to her the doctor did not think she needed x-rays. She sent over the estimate on my phone and I was instructed to reply yes which I did. Another 2 hours later the doctor called back and told me that after reviewing the x-rays there was no breakage or damage she could see. Imagine my surprise they had done x-rays after telling 2 people that I did not want them. I asked to speak to the manager and she was not available and she would call me back the next day. No call - I called back on Wednesday and was told she would not be in until the following Monday. Just got a call and they offered to give me the x-rays at 50% discount. What a racket! I ended up paying over $250 for something I declined. I hope my dog never has another emergency but if she does, I will certainly not bring her here. The services were fine but nearly $900 after said and done.

I have had better experiences here in the past. However, this time, the experience was horrible! All the way through it was very, very poor. Examples would be the awful communication throughout the whole process. Even with the changes due to Covid, it should not be this bad. It was so bad along with the very high prices, that I took my dog elsewhere and got much better service for much less, and I experienced much more caring people. At VCA, we would talk to one person then someone else would call back and start all over. The phone calls were dropped numerous times. The timelines for treatment were either not offered or were horribly incorrect. They would say my dog was ready and then it would take a long time still. The doctors themselves were fine, but the staff was not good at all. Not sure what has changed, but I will go to Mohnacky from now on. There must have been a change in leadership as it was much better in the past. The otter issue was the billing process. They gave us a range of possible costs for the surgery, and then they asked for a deposit that was higher than the lower estimate, which led me to feel like it was going to be higher than the low amount,,,,,and it was! Why ask for so much of a despot upfront? I’d be fine to pay the low estimate but not higher. The whole thing felt like they were just thinking about the money and the profit, kind of a “money grab” at a very bad time. There was enough stress with my dog’s injury, so dealing with this very poor service during the tough situation, was really bad, and unnecessary as it came down to the staff but in sync, courteous, caring, and coordinated. After we got Lexie back from Mohnacky and saw her finished care, it was clear that VCA was not at all a good choice for her issues. Her incision was clearly much, much better treated elsewhere. The stiches were much better as was the overall care and and finished product. Again, VCA was so bad, that I would not recommend them, and will hope to never go back

A lot of inconsistent information was given to us throughout the entire visit. I understand it’s an emergency hospital but all pets should be cared for equally after waiting the 6 hour wait time.Tried to give a second chance for them to redeem themselves with the absolute minimum given. So I’m here on google.Very disappointed , no follow through on Lisa’s part “looking into the inconsistencies”

Our experience with CVS has been great. We deal mostly with the Oncology department for our sweet dog George. Dr. Carter and Dr. Ogilvie and all the techs have exercised great care when treating our boy for lymphoma. He loves coming in to see the team every visit. My husband and I find comfort in knowing that our dog is in good hands. Due to covid-19, we are no longer allowed any face-to-face interaction with the staff, but I still feel taken care of even through phone consultations. They answer my every question and are happy to explain everything. Dog cancer is a very scary thing to go through but we are lucky we were recommended CVS for care.

Although we appreciate the Vet and Tech’s care for our pet, they really need to improve their process regarding the Financial Coordination and train all of their employees to follow the same protocol. Consumers have the right to receive accurate financial estimates approved by pet owners through written consent or email confirmation before proceeding with care. We were given wrong information regarding the estimated costs 2 different times and the final bill also included charges that didn’t even occur that were then removed upon our review and request for removal.Prior to deciding to have our dog stay at CVS after a surgery with our vet, we needed an estimate to see if we could even afford the 24 hour post-operative care. We were quoted around $400 for the 1st 24 hours over the phone. Once we dropped the pet off we received an emailed estimate of over $1,000 which was much more than what were expecting given the verbal estimate. Nonetheless, we felt we didn’t really have much of a choice since our dog was already taken in. We approved the charges for the 1st 24 hours via email and paid a deposit. Upon the recommendation of the Vet, we were encouraged to keep the pet in their care for monitoring for another 24 hours. Knowing our financial constraints, we again called to get what the estimate would be for the next 24hours and were also quoted what the costs would be for only 16 more hours to see if we could afford either option. The financial coordinator reviewed our bill and confirmed that after our first 24 hours, our total was $885 which was below the deposit amount we paid as they didn’t run some of the labs or give certain misc. meds that were on the first estimate. We were then given a verbal estimate for our first 24 hours + additional 16 for $1047 and then a quote of our first 24 hours plus an additional 24 hours for $1177.42. We verbally approved the additional hours and were told we would receive the new estimate via email within the hour. This was around 7:00 pm. We never received the new estimate and did not approve or receive any new requests for a deposit like we did the first 24 hours. When we were contacted by the Office Manager the next morning (12 hours later) our bill was over $1600. We were extremely surprised that the total was already over the 48 hour quote at only 36 hours. We confirmed that it was higher than the verbal quote we received and that we still never received the emailed estimate to authorize. They told us that the coordinator is not going to call us in the middle of the night with new charges. Mind you, the start of the next 24 hours would have been 8:00 pm not the middle of the night. Furthermore, it’s a 24 hour hospital that we had been calling several times per night and received updates mid-night from Doctors. I would imagine if there was another financial need such as an emergency treatment in the middle of the night that they would be required to contact the owner to get authorization of both the service and the associated costs. We feel that they should have honored the verbal amount given since they never emailed the new written estimate and we never authorized the new amount other than the lesser amount we verbally approved. Furthermore, our Vet tried to speak with the CVS vet and they did not want to speak to them as we were approving to discharge the animal. They also refused to give us the food that they told us over the phone we could ask for a few cans of to take home. We felt like we were suddenly being treated poorly because we chose to discharge our pet due to financial constraints and were in disagreement regarding the bill. It was a very sour ending to an already stressful and expensive situation where all we wanted was to give as much care as we could reasonably afford for our pet and trust that we were given accurate information to inform our decision to extend care. Please improve in this area so that owners have correct information and so that there is a approved paper trail with consent in the case that the verbal total is not going to match actuals.

This place on Faraday in Carlsbad, they call themselves 24/7 emergency and at 1:30am they turned me with sick cat away and told me they only care for dying animals. My cat was very sick with bloody urine and vomiting in pain. They just turned me away and I had to search for another emergency Hospital miles away who would take care of my cat. Pretty disgusting. Unreliable unprofessional and unresponsive exactly how this place is.

I unfortunately had to rest my son (dog) last Thursday. The staff here did the best they could to accommodate me and my family during our loss. They walked us through the process and were very sympathetic to my sons needs. I received a personal gift from their establishment yesterday from Dr. Carter and her staff that brought me to tears. I hope I dont have to use them again but if I do ever decide to bring another pet into my life I will be contacting them for my medical needs.

Thank god for CVS Carlsbad. Our dog got a foxtail stuck in his nose and was sneezing blood everywhere. Seven vets turned us away because they were too busy, but CVS Carlsbad squeezed us in. And they were able to find the foxtail. Im just so grateful they were able to see our dog. They are super professional, super nice, great bedside manner. Thank you thank you thank you CVS for taking care of our baby and hearing the desperation in my voice when I didnt know where else to go.

On 2/23/2021 I called VCA Carlsbad, as I have in the past without a problem, to request a doctor to see my 8 week old puppy that was having continuous bloody diarrhea. My regular vet could not work her in and my go to has always been VCA. The woman who answered the phone told me they could not see my puppy. She said, “we are a level one trauma emergency vet and only see emergency problems”! I said, “a puppy with bloody diarrhea is not an emergency” and she said no it is not but I can give you the names of other vets that might be able to see her. I was shocked and disappointed. They are a 24 hour emergency hospital for what? As she put it level one trauma? What? I have never had a problem with them seeing my senior dog on a short notice, including just a few months ago. I was able to get in with Surfside Animal Hospital for tests and treatment and the service was amazing. I will never use VCA again. I will no longer be able to trust their judgement when they feel bloody diarrhea is not an emergency.

I enjoyed the experience with everyone at the VCA. Everyone greeting me and Louie with such warmth and care! from the reception area to the assistants and technician to Dr. Sean Collins. He was so personable and explained everything for the care of Louie and what to expect for his future.

I hope to never have to take another pet to a specialist or ER again, but if I ever do, without a doubt I will take them here. They are reasonably priced, extremely helpful and above all compassionate. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Maher and the entire staff. I took my 2 year old cat in after getting some concerning blood tests and even in giving me the news I did not want to hear they were extremely caring and I felt they would support us through every step. They put up with all our questions and even when I had to leave a message they got back to me the same day if not the same hour to give me an answer. Even after she passed they went out of the way to send me a card with a hand written message. Thank you.

This is a letter I wrote to the staff.Last night and Thursday afternoon my dearest little dog Al Capone a.k.a. Pony Was in your care. I want to thank everyone involved with his care. He has been by my side for 14 1/2 years it was a very special little dog in all the right ways. Please let them know how much I appreciate everything that was done To determine his condition, knowledgeably and professionally and what was done for him at the end of his life. Thank you for allowing me to hold him as he passed on. It meant the world to me. He meant the world to me. Please make sure this message gets to all three doctors and assistants that cared for and treated him. Maybe you could forward this email or print it out and post it or hand it to everyone involved. My heart is broken, but I want everyone to know how grateful I am for all they did.

The feel I had, from the moment I entered the building, was one of confidence and relief. When the technician, Dr. Proulx and Dr. Carter met with me, I realized these people truly care about our pets (and their masters, too). Thank you for explaining all options!

The whole staff was very nice and caring. Dr. Proulx was very thoughtful and kind with my dog, which is very appreciated! He also was mindful of not doing tests he didnt feel were necessary and expensive. Great experience here.

My dog has been seriously ill and the radiation oncologist at VCA Calif Vet Specialists treated her with the utmost care and compassion. Given the dire nature of her situation, the services were provided very quickly and the people at CVS exercised the utmost in compassion both for her and for me. They provided me with all of the necessary information to make the best decision for her care and as a result of their excellent work and quick response, she is alive and well. I cant thank them enough!

Cannot speak highly enough about the service I was provided here. As new fur parents we had lots of question/concerns and the staff was so incredibly patient I almost couldn’t believe it! I genuinely felt they had my pets best interest at heart and their happy and helpful attitude made our traumatic experience as easy as it could have possibly been. Highly recommend!

This emergency hospital is the best. The doctor that looked after Hope, kept me informed the entire time she was there.The nurses and office staff I spoke to were courteous as well as professional. When I picked up my little one, I left with a copy of all procedures and results that were done.California Veterinary Specialists is a compassionate, caring, and professional hospital.

My senior kitty ate one of her Christmas toys, and we wound up here on Christmas Day. The front desk staff was helpful and courteous. She was taken right back on arrival, and the doctors were able to get her to vomit up the toy - despite her uncooperative attitude.Their pricing is in line with ER vets across the country - not cheap, but what I expected.

MY DOG SADIE AND I STAYED IN SAN DEIGO, FOR RADIATION TREATMEANT.OUR TIME THERE WAS MADE VERY PLEASENT, BECAUSE OF THE DOCTORS AND STAFF AT THE VET CLINIC . THEY ALSO GAVE SADIE 2 YEARS AND COUNTING. I OWE THEM MORE TIME WITH MY SADIE GIRL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

VCA California Veterinary Specialists have great staff and are all very courteous. They are caring and responsible which really helped us to make the best treatment decisions for our pet. They are great and even worked well with us for pickup and drop off during the social distancing guidelines. If you find yourself in a position needing specialty care for your fur baby, you cannot go wrong with them.

It was my first time here. They all were very nice and professional. My pet was very happy when I picked her up. That says a lot about how she was treated while she was there! I would definitely take her back here and we look forward to it! Thanks so much!

Very much appreciate the attentive and kind care of our sweet cat, Peanut Butter, for treatment of lymphoma. We are very hopeful he has a lot more time with us and are grateful for the staff at VCA California Veterinary Specialists. Our oncologists and the technicians are wonderful and Peanut Butter always comes back feeling better & more energized (and smells like hes been cuddled by the ladies at the hospital) :)

This really is the best vet specialist in all of San Diego county! Dr. Ogilvie and Lee Van Horn we’re both amazing to work with. We feel so confident having them care for our fur baby. Even in the middle of a pandemic, the entire staff made us feel comfortable and important.

I was very desperate to get my sweet boy in and they informed me they will take my boy in, but it will be a long wait because of some critical dogs that came in before me, I did not mind the wait because I knew he was in safe hands. This is the best care I have ever received for my boy, they called and updated me on everything and gave me everything to handle his pain. Such amazing sweet staff. I definitely recommend.

Kelly at CA Veterinary Specialists was infinitely helpful and kind. After finding a dog at night, we opted to see if she was microchipped. From the moment we walked in Kelly was nothing but eager to help. Thank you so much Kelly!!! This place is so welcoming with very friendly and professional staff! Highly recommended

Excellent doctors. Cost prohibitive treatments and grossly overpriced medications (~5-10x what actual cost is). Late on appointments and slow to process discharged patients (but not slow on collecting fees). It would be terrific to be able to treat and save our pets without having to go into $6K- $20K worth of debt.

From the front desk to the oncology department everyone has been competent, super caring and comforting to both my dog and me. Dr. Prui is thorough, sensitive, trustworthy and his explanation of the issue and the treatment options are explained in a way that is understandable. During a very difficult time for my dog and me I have felt like I was in the best care. Really top notch.

Highly recommended!!! We have used this hospital twice now for two knee surgeries on two of our dogs. The personal attention and information from the surgeon was top notch and I couldnt have asked for better treatment for us and our dogs. The pricing is capped and all inclusive, so what you are quoted is what you pay (or less but not more), this also includes follow-up appointments. The best pricing plans Ive ever experienced anywhere. We couldnt be more pleased or happier and will continue to use this hospital for all of our specialized veterinary needs.

Always a pleasant experience when bringing Scooter in for appointments. Every one is always so friendly and genuinely seem to care about each animal that comes through their doors. Dr. Osman and all the specialists/interns/physicians are very thorough in explaining everything that is going on with procedures/follow up care, etc.

Excellent care! Our golden retriever had to have a Cruciate ligament repair in her knee. The pre-op appt. with Dr. Osmond gave us a clear understanding of what our options were. He answered all our questions and we did not feel hurried. The operation went well and our post op instructions were very clear and thorough so that we would know what to do and what to expect every week. Our girl just hit her 8 week appointment and is doing tremendously well. After this follow up appointment I had some follow up questions. Dr. Osmond called me back and was very willing to answer all my questions in a kind and patient manner.I would also like to mention that every person we encountered - from the receptionists, to the Vet Techs, additional Vets who talked to us - were very kind, patient and understanding.I cant thank the team at CVS enough for the care they have given to our dog!

More than 10 years ago, Dr. Proulx treated our dog Winnie with radiation for a mast cell tumor in her right hind paw. Winnie is now 14 years old and has lived a long, healthy, happy life (and is still going strong) because of the care and expertise that Dr. Proulx provided all those years ago. Were very grateful that Dr. Proulx gave Winnie a second chance to have a long, healthy, happy life! Marc

My pup Buddha received radiation therapy at VCA California Veterinary Specialists. Normally Buddha is so scared of new people and very skittish, however the team at VCA were so kind and wonderful to him he was actually excited to go in for treatment each day. It was gave me much peace of mind leaving him there each day knowing team would treat him with gentle love and kindness.

My dog was in respiratory arrest which is a scary thing. If you are reading this in the future this is the Covid 19 time. They took her from me and she was gone. Within minutes they called me with a plan which was full steam ahead...which was great, but I had to share some details of her treatment so far, as this diagnosis was recent and aggressive.The vet immediately got on the phone. The exchange was great as it eliminated all the initial leg work they have to determine what was going on. What was great was that without opening my mouth, the vet had the exact same diagnosis and prognosis as our vet. That was reassuring.The end of the story is that they were kind, understanding, knowledgeable, and very compassionate during a horrible time for our family. Our dog did not make it, however, we did get to bring her home In comfort and say our goodbyes.

My vet recommended this hospital and I can say this will be the place I go to for any future emergencies. From the front desk to the vet nurses and doctor were all so friendly and really take pride in what they do. They walked me through everything and were so professional (as I was a crying, stressed out mess). I highly recommend taking your pet to this hospital as theyll receive the best care there.

The doctors and staff are compassionate, caring and knowledgeable. We have full confidence in their ability to take good care of our dog. They truly care about the well-being of your animal. Thanks to everyone!

I was impressed by the vets and staff here and how much they care for the pets. If you have a cat that has cancer, get them there as soon as possible, dont delay. An early skin cancer can be dealt with. The only negative is that they are so busy that you may have to wait for an appointment or treatment (though its probably quicker in non-covid times) so get your pet there ASAP before it is too late for them to help them.

From the first phone call to the discharge and follow up, very helpful and professional.I brought my dog in for a rattlesnake bite. Caring and competent doctors and staff.

This is the place your vet will send you when they cant deal with their injury,, its too complex, requires detailed surgery, or theyre just outta their league .... CVS IS the specialists, but cost the same as my normal vet, so I just cut out the middleman and go straight to the specialist!!! They rockl

Every single person at VCA, from front desk staff, to vet techs, to the doctors are all simply amazing! Their empathetic and kind nature really comforted me after my dogs diagnosis of cancer. They thoroughly explained my options, and it was obvious that my dogs health and comfort was of the utmost priority to them. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to this team!

I was extremely pleased how quickly they took in my cat Elvis for evaluation and diagnosis. We suspected he had a urinary obstruction and they quickly communicated with me their findings and were reasonably priced given the emergency services they offer. However, they have failed terribly with providing the lab test results to more accurately determine the diagnosis. They said the lab results would take 24-48 hours which is reasonable. Unfortunately, its been five days since our emergency visit with no information regarding the lab results. Ive called three times and each time they simply took a message, said they were extremely busy and that someone would call me back. What started out as a good experience has turned into a frustrating & disappointing experience. Particularly since I paid $78 for a lab test and I have no indication of my cats health. They simply failed to follow up with me and it appears they are too busy to care.

A pet is like a child to a lot of people, and you want to make sure they are getting quality care. After trying to go to three different veterinary offices, I was finally kindly referred to CVS by the last attempted office. What a world of difference just from the moment I set foot in there. I had no doubt that my cat would be taken care of respectfully. Staff is very friendly and helpful, and their waiting room is very welcoming. You may wait a bit, but that depends on urgency of your visit, and the flow of patients. But at least your beloved pet will be taken care of!

One of the best experiences Ive ever had with vet. These guys are amazing and were able to accomodate my dog even though they were on a packed schedule. All the people I interacted with include the surgeon who did my dogs surgery, were all amazing, super knowledeable, and felt genuinely loving towards my dog. I highly recommend them!

If I could give you guys higher than 5 stars I would! Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend!

The Doctors and staff were so nice. We had the horrible task of having to put our cat down and they treated us with care and dignity. The room where we were able to say goodbye was very peaceful and we were able to hold our boy in our arms during the process. Ive had to do this other times and its usually done in a harsh exam room. Its never an easy decision and the team at VCA made it as peaceful as possible.

Dr Ogilvie was great and patient. After coming to the window (COVID distancing) to introduce himself he took my dog for her exam. He called back and spent close to 45 minutes (yes, forty five) discussing our case and answering all my questions. My dog started chemotherapy that same visit meaning he and his staff stayed late for us. It was a four and a half hour visit and exhausting. When I got to my pharmacy 50 min later they told me they didn’t have any prescriptions for my pet. At this point I was fatigue and emotionally spent. When I called the vet I was not nice to the gentleman that answered the phone. He stayed so calm, professional, and nice. I called the next day to apologize. So far so good. Our journey with cancer has just begun.

Brought my dog in with intestinal issues on a Saturday. Excellent, fast response and service. Great staff: Very informative, presenting all options for exams, expenses, etc., up front. Cant say enough good about these folks.

Excellent and efficient procedures to process our arrival during the virus crisis. Once the tech picked up Tyler from our car, the vet called within 15 minutes to explain diagnostic plan. We were able to pick him up within 2 hours confident that they diagnosis was accurate.

We had to put our 13yr old black lab mut-ha to sleep Saturday. She had a stroke early in the morning and couldn’t even move her head. I called ahead and given the covid issues, was given instructions. They performed a ‘humane euthanasia exam’ and determined we were right to put her down. No expensive blood work, CT exam, or brain surgery was even suggested. I really appreciated that. They had a tent outside to perform the euthanasia. The female doctor was very carrying and did an amazing job. I don’t like to give reviews, I think they are over-solicited but I just got a sympathy card in the mail from the vet that has brought me to tears. Wow! Class act. Thank you VCA Faraday, you are a first class business. I will recommend your services to friends and family-hopefully for living pets.🤞 thank you again.

We have been so impressed with the care and concern that Dr. Carter has given our boxer, Sadie. She is wonderful and Sadie has done very well under her care even though she has cancer. We are grateful to have her as our vet!!

Dr. Osmond appears to be an excellent vet surgeon and communicates very well re the animals status, diagnosis, and prognosis. The front office staff is more often than not disorganized and confused. This hospital is extremely expensive as well.

Dr. Ogilvie took the time to explain the procedure process and made sure my fur baby was in good hands. Couldn’t recommend them enough! The RVT Lee and reception staff were fantastic as well.

The very best place for diagnosis and care of your much loved pets

I recommend VCA Vet Specialists, super happy with the communication with our Dogs procedure. I wish all places were like this. We drove 1.5 hours to this Carlsbad location and worth every penny.

The staff and docs are very caring. Dr. Ogilvy, the oncologist who is taking care of our beloved pet dog, is empathetic, professional and personable.

Dr Proulx is a wonderful doctor. He was very patient in explaining all the options, showing compassion and understanding. He guided us through picking the best option for our dogs conditions. He arranged frequent follow up after treatments to make sure our dog is doing OK. He was very flexible in accommodating our schedules. His expertise, sensitivity, and professionalism make him the best veterinary doctor we ever seen.

I love VCA and you will too. They have provided great care for a couple of my dogs, both with serious medical issues. The vets and vet technicians both have been very friendly, compassionate, and understanding. Wait times can sometimes be long even if you have an appointment but please be understanding and patient. VCA is an emergency care clinic and, as such, they must triage and prioritize; the care you get will be worth any wait. Thank you VCA for years of wonderful care for my loved animals.

Just say no...there’s so many other places that will value your business and treat you and your pet with the respect deserved considering the prices you’ll pay to receive treatment.Be on time! If you’re new and arrive 9 minutes late, you’ll end up waiting another hour because as the lovely receptionist informed me...they book two clients per time slot so may the promptest client win!!! Hahha good luck! So disappointed as the doctor I wanted to see came highly recommended by a friend as well as yelp.We waited over an hour to see him for a consultation...

I found everyone here to be very caring the follow up was wonderful it was a great experience and I feel like my dogs in good hands a big thumbs up

Dr. Proulx took a lot of time to explain our dogs medical options to us in a very objective, easy-to-understand manner. Hes a very intelligent man with wonderful people skills.

VCA saved my dogs life. They also kept me calm and were so empathetic to my state of mind. From Monica at reception to the amazing doctors, I cannot say enough about my positive experience despite the circumstances. 💕👋🙏

The Staff was very professional. They took great care of our puppy and will be our #1 Choice for emergency vet care for sure!

Thorough, compassionate, caring, professional are just some of the adjectives I use to describe the care and service that VCA gave to me and my pet. I highly recommend and I will take my pet to them as long as they are in business.

Dr. Carter, Dr. Prue and all the staff are just wonderful to my service animal. He is doing very well and is quite happy in the world.

The staff are so thorough and caring for my pet. I appreciate their dedication.

The 2 visits with our cat were during the COVID-19 craziness so I never got to meet either vet.....Dr. Osmond or Dr. Benedict. But they both were great over the phone with explaining, empathy and taking the time to make sure we went over everything. I took 1 star away because the costs were extremely expensive. But on another note, we were able to tick some boxes to determine our cats situation.

Dr. Proulx and the oncology team provide compassionate, professional care, diagnostics and treatment.The receptionists and support staff were all helpful and friendly.Everyone made a tough experience doable & even pleasant.

Amazing staff! Took care of our Frenchie right away. Very caring, thorough and skilled at what they do. Would highly recommend.

The Doctors at VAC CVS has literally saved my dogs life. Two years ago my general vet told me there was not much we could do for my 4 year old Golden, Shelby. Now, two years later she looks healthy, plays like a carefree puppy and her tests are all looking near perfect. Thank you!

Dr. Collins is one of my favorite vets! He is warm, gentle and caring with my fur kids. Additionally he explains his findings in a way non medical clients can understand. He never rushes through the appointment thereby allowing his clients to feel he is truly invested in their animals health and well being and patient with all our questions!

My best friend is a pretty little kitty named Star, who unfortunately has cancer :( She has seen so many doctors at CVS since October and truly they have all been wonderful. She was in overnight this week due to fluid build up in her plural cavity surrounding her lungs and Dr. Garcia was able to drain the fluid, making her so much more comfortable. Its absolutely terrifying and horrible having your fur baby go through this but Star has been receiving excellent care and the team is always there when I need them and quick to respond. Stars main doctor has been Dr. Ogilvie and he has been incredible. Hes very calming, supportive and I really appreciate his expertise. I feel very confident in his recommendations and that Star is getting the absolute best chance at extending her life thanks to him. I will say, this is the worst experience Ive gone through in my life and wouldnt wish this pain on anyone, HOWEVER, the team at VCA has made it bearable and I am truly grateful for them.

Took our dog in for coughing that our regular vet missed on their diagnosis and VCA found he had pneumonia. They kept him for the night with intravenous antibiotics etc and got him back to good health. Hard to deal with anything these days with Covid but the staff and Drs were great! Very caring and helpful. Would highly recommend!

We’ve been to CVS several times with always a great experience. Staff and doctors are friendly, great with explaining and making sure you understand not just what’s going on but all of your options. You never are put on the spot to make decisions. And most importantly they are so good with our animals. Hopefully you never need an emergency vet. But if you do please go here.

Although Ive had some issues with the front office staff, the actual doctors (like Maher), and ER staff are awesome. I have an extensive history with this vet office given my senior dogs needs. All vet services are difficult & seem stretched thin right now with covid protocols, so sometimes thats frustrating. But its not really their fault.

I called CVS at 11 PM in the evening and they answered! Our puppy was having tremors and acting very strange and could not control bladder. The receptionist took down some information and went and consulted with the doctor. They sent out the paperwork for us to come in and during that time we had given our pup some food and she seem to recover. Thank you so much for your advise and availability.

We took our pup Sully here after he was struck by a truck. He was in critical condition with little brain activity. We were staying optimistic, but it wasn’t looking good for our dog.He had really bad head trauma, bruised lungs where he could not breathe on his own without the help of being in an oxygen-bubble, internal bleeding, and his front left paw had nerve damage. He was in very bad shape.The vet specialists watched over and cared for Sully 24/7 for 4 days. Each day I would get multiple calls from the vet providing me with updates on how our pooch was doing. Progress and things they were worried about. They were very honest with every call.Sully progressed each day and kept fighting to get through this battle.After bringing him in on a Tuesday night around 7pm, they said he was able to go home that following Sunday around 11am.I wish I could give the vets and facility 10 stars because without their care and help, our beloved dog would not have made it through the night.The staff was so loving and caring towards our pup, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place or team to have watched over and cared for my dog.VCA California Vet Specialists saved my dog, and we are going to enjoy his company and loving-self for years to come.I, and my family, cannot thank them enough for giving my little guy Sully another chance at life.To anyone who runs into an emergency situation with their pet, I HIGHLY recommend taking them to this hospital.Again, thank you so much for saving my dog Sully.

Dr. Proulx and all the staff at CVS have been very helpful and friendly. They have explained all the procedures and expectations completely. During this difficult time they are still doing an excellent job!! I highly recommend them.

We took our dog, Wallace to California Veterinary Specialists when he was diagnosed with oral cancer. We met with Dr Ogilvie then Dr Prouix and found both doctors to be extremely caring towards us and Wallace. They explained our options clearly and helped us make the right decision for our dog; which in this case, was to not treat him with radiation, surgery or chemotherapy, as all those options may have done him more harm than good. Other facilities might have recommended those options if they were more concerned with profits but from the moment we met with Dr Ogilvie and Dr Prouix we knew they were putting Wallaces interests first and treated him as though they were treating their own pet. After our much loved Wallace passed away, we receive a lovely floral tribute and touching gift of a book, which were very much appreciated. Our heartfelt thanks to both doctors and staff...

The team at VCA Carlsbad is so very compassionate and caring. Your pet is treated like family and given the best of care possible. Dr Pruix and the oncology team are the BEST! They keep the pets comfort and quality of life at the forefront at all times. You are given all the options for treatments and are supported fully with your decision. I can not thank them enough.

Couldn’t thank all the nurses and doctors enough for saving my fur buddy twice couple of years ago. Once from hops poison and the other from coyote attack. I just now get around to review but they truly deserve 5 stars!!

The vets are outstanding and all staff have outstanding customer service. Highly recommend. Only drawback is they’re the most expensive in San Diego which is unfortunate.

We give this Vet Hospital super high ratings! Mandy is doing so much better, thanks to your expertise!

My injured cat Nero and I were greeted quickly and with efficient kindness when I brought him in one night about 8:30 pm after he suffered a coyote attack. The doctor attended him immediately, assessing his injuries and putting him in an oxygen cage. The doctor then talked to me and told me that things were a bit touch and go, so they wanted to keep him oxygenated overnight and do surgery the next day if it looked like he would tolerate it. The coyote had punctured Nero’s nose and fractured his jaw. By the next morning he was stable, and surgery went well. I took him home afterwards with a feeding tube inserted through his neck and a collar to protect his tube and face. Of course, I was given necessary instructions and appropriate food. The hospital was very helpful if I called with questions or needed additional information. I fed him through the tube for three weeks and limited his ability to jump, then took him to our regular vet for a follow-up, where he was declared well-healed. This particular cat means a lot to me, and without this immediate and timely intervention, I probably would have lost him. I am very thankful to this hospital and to all those who tended to Nero!

Dr. Benedict and the staff took great care of my little Jake. Thank you so much!

We cannot say enough how grateful we are for taking such great care of our Dino. We were comfortable and confident that we were right where we needed to be. Dr. Proulx and his team are second to none. Dino received expert care. We are forever grateful.

The front desk personnel, Technician and the Doctor were all immediately attentive and caring for my sick dog when I brought him in on Christmas Eve (and my regular vet was unavailable.). An excellent Veternary service that we are fortunate enough to have near us 24/7.

The doctors and specialist seem to give a lot of care to the patients, giving me daily reviews on how things are going, they did a great job. The issue I have is with the people at the front desk and non doctors passing on incorrect information to me.These daily radiation treatments take about 2 hours, I was told it would take 4-5 hours on the last day as tests were needed. So I made plans, then to confirm the next days appt, I was told incorrectly and it would only take 2 hours. Lots of bad communication from what I see. I was also told on day of surgery to have her fasted, then after inquiring, I was to feed them a small amount.I do not use credit cards and pay by cash. I go in to pay $5800 on day one as 75% is needed to start, the receptionist would not count the cash in front of me and wanted to take it around back where she was unseen. She only said she was not comfortable counting in front of me. She would not budge and I had to count in front of her while she ignored me.In summary, the specialist and doctors I feel did a good job but lots of issues their help...

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL.I visited little over a week ago with my two bulldogs, I had to wait about 20-25 minutes because the chair-people were apparently busy with other people. When they finally decide to give me attention, they tell me that I need to schedule an appointment. Why couldnt they tell me that instead of making me wait, when I specifically told them that I had no appointment? Anyways, I go ahead and schedule, and come back the next week to a vet with an extremely arrogant and bad attitude. I told her that both of my bulldogs had been randomly puking for weeks now, and all she told me is that I should consider changing the diet.I kept trying to explain why I thought my dogs were puking, and I insinuated to her that I believed they needed to get more tests done, but she was so arrogant and narcissistic that I simply couldnt keep my patience and I just walked out.TO EVERYONE BRINGING THEIR PETS HERE,CLICK THE 1 AND 2-STAR RATINGS! That is the real truth! Everyone else giving this place good reviews is probably a bot, a paid customer, or the staff themselves! This hospital is known for neglect and apparently, many animals have died here due to negligence. They have a vet, Dr. Benjamin Polanski who apparently is infamous for the death of a very famous french-bulldog on social-media.NEVER AGAIN.

The caring shown by the entire staff is remarkable. We flew our cat down from Washington to be treated because there were too few resources in the PNW to get the help we needed in a timely manner. Dr, Proulx has gone above and beyond in treating her and again, the staff here is amazing. Also, it should be noted that they have the most advanced radiation equipment on the west coast. Were so glad we brought her here.

This was my first experience with the VCA CA Vet Specialist facility. The individuals that work in the clinic are friendly, efficient, and keep you informed on what is going on with your pet throughout the entire process. I brought my dog in for some preliminary testing on elevated liver enzyme levels and at each stage the clear communication about the issue and next steps made the entire process a very comfortable one. I was very impressed with Dr. Mahar and those that helped get the needed testing done on my pet. The results and next steps were again clearly explained and I left the facility with confidence my dog was getting the best health care we could have found.