They saved my dogs life! We went in thinking it was time to say goodbye to our sweet boy! An intern hearing our story and wanting the experience offered to do a stomach surgery to remove a massive object from our dog. Seriously it was so big we don't even know how or when he ingested something so large. They kept us in the loop the whole time and were extremely sympathetic with our situation and didn't put any pressure on us for whatever path we took. I would absolutely reccomend this facility to anyone looking for excellent care. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - Feeding tube post surgery - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

If I had followed the guidance I was given during this visit, I truly believe the outcome for my cat could have been very different. I am sharing this so other pet owners know how important it is to trust their instincts. My first experience with Florida Veterinary Referral Center (May 2024) was outstanding. Dr. Glander provided exceptional care during my cat's CHF diagnosis--thorough, compassionate, and highly communicative. Because of that experience, I trusted this facility without hesitation. My most recent emergency visit was completely different and deeply concerning. I was referred urgently for sudden hind leg weakness, with concern for a possible saddle thrombus. The initial ER veterinarian, Dr. Tucker, recognized the severity immediately and recommended urgent diagnostics. After a shift change, care was transferred to Dr. Dinah Fuelling, and this is where my concerns escalated. There was a delay of several hours before basic diagnostics were completed, despite the urgency of his condition. During that time, my cat had clear hind leg weakness, instability, and was repeatedly falling--something observed by my family and acknowledged by staff. Despite this, I was told no abnormalities were observed. Equally concerning were the overall communication and bedside interaction. I was visibly distressed and emotional throughout portions of this visit while trying to advocate for my cat. I asked multiple detailed questions regarding his condition and treatment plan. My experience was that these concerns were met with limited engagement, and at times I perceived frustration and dismissiveness in the responses I received from Dr. Feulling. I was also told that his lab work--including kidney function and electrolytes--was normal. That did not align with what I was seeing. Because of that, I made the decision to seek care at another emergency hospital. At the second facility, his condition was immediately recognized as serious. Imaging confirmed acute congestive heart failure exacerbation and cardiac thrombosis requiring oxygen, IV medications, and hospitalization. I was also informed that his creatinine was elevated and that he was showing signs of impaired kidney function--something that is critically important in managing cardiac patients. This was not a subtle difference in opinion--it was a completely different clinical picture. The second ER team listened, explained, validated concerns, and treated both my cat and me with compassion and respect--exactly what any pet owner should expect in a crisis. I understand emergency medicine is complex and fast-paced. However, what I experienced--from Dr. Fuelling-- was a deeply concerning disconnect including the combination of delayed diagnostics, dismissal of observable symptoms, and the overall lack of alignment between my cat's condition and the care decisions being made. In this case, I experienced what I believe to be a combination of poor clinical judgment, delayed care, dismissal of clear symptoms, and unprofessional communication under Dr. Fuelling's care. Given the significant difference between my first and second experiences, I cannot confidently recommend this facility based on my most recent visit. My intention in sharing this is simply to provide an honest account so that others can advocate for their pets and seek additional opinions when needed. For transparency, I have included portions of the cardiology discharge summary and lab results referenced above. read more

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Same as others mentioned, there was a shift change and I was told that my dog would not be given the vet's attention for a couple hours. That should have been my clue to exit. I was told surgery was the safest option for my elderly dog. I decided to call my regular vet who said he could do the surgery if needed so I paid my $600 and left. Turns out that surgery was not necessary after all and my dog is now fine. I would not recommend going to this place unless the situation is very dire and your regular vet is not available...even then I would probably try to find a different ER. On a positive note, the staff here were very pleasant and kind. read more

I want to share something very important with every pet parent. When you walk into an emergency veterinary hospital, before anyone even looks at your pet -- even if your pet is in crisis -- the very first thing they do is hand you an iPad or clipboard full of legal paperwork to sign and pay for care their computer estimate as predictable treatment. You are rushed, you are terrified, and you have no time to read or understand it. Even if you could, the paperwork is written in legal language so complex that neither the nurse nor most of the staff truly understands what you are signing. They are simply repeating what they have been told to say. This is a systemic problem in veterinary emergency care. Once you sign, you are locked into charges and treatments you may not agree with. And if things go wrong, those same papers make it nearly impossible to hold anyone accountable. When I came to Florida Veterinary Referral Center with my beloved Boo-Boo, I experienced this first-hand. The nurse who pushed the paperwork on me was cold and dismissive. When I asked questions, she refused to answer. When I questioned the charges, she became upset. My dog was fighting for his life, and all they wanted were my signatures and money upfront. I don't want to go into all the painful details, but I will say this: things were promised to me that were not done. Choices I made for Boo-Boo were ignored. And ultimately, he passed away there. I will always carry the pain of how he was treated -- not just medically, but with a lack of compassion and respect in his final moments. I am not writing this to attack one hospital alone. I am writing this because I want other pet parents to be aware of the system itself. Emergency veterinary medicine has become more business than healing. Too often, it feels like profit first, compassion second. My advice to every pet parent: Research in advance. Find out which emergency hospitals in your area have reputations for compassion and transparency. Ask questions about paperwork before you ever need them. Know what you might be asked to sign. Stand your ground -- you have the right to understand what is being done to your pet and what you are agreeing to. I cannot bring Boo-Boo back. I cannot change what happened to him. But I can honor his life by telling the truth and urging others to prepare. Our animals deserve better than to be treated like numbers on a chart or dollar signs on a bill. Boo-Boo was not just "a dog." He was my child , my soulmate. And he deserved to be treated with dignity, love, and respect. Every animal does. read more

went for an examine for our 12 yr old gold retriever just because she's older & I thought she needed to get a check up. The Dr looked her over, but no X-Ray (for a baseline). We asked to have her ears checked...but apparently to have them actually cleaned costs another $45. So they looked w/ a flashlight & checked the debris closest to the exit points & that showed no infection. She hasn't been hearing normally for a few weeks. I was a little naive to know to monitor to be truthful. They took bloodwork of some sort & said she was fine. I should've asked for a printout in case she became ill while traveling. I just wasn't thinking I suppose. We called the hospital & are going in in about 1.5 hrs. Goldens are very expressive & I've never seen her look so sad. I'm scared for her. She's never been sick before. Prayers. read more

Amazing service and great care for my little one. Dr. Booth was amazing! She was attentive, called me multiple times and always answered my calls. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

The vet and his staff were so kind to my sweet labrador last week. Their level of care and concern is awesome.

I brought my dog in and was waiting over an hour when another person brought their dog in and was put in the room next door. For some reason the vet tech went into their room first and ended up caring for their dog first, who was presenting with very similar symptoms as my dog. I brought it up to the front desk and I overheard the vet tech say that if a dog is in distress then it gets priority, which is fine with me, except I heard the owner explaining the other dog's situation and it was in no more distress than my dog, but no one had even bothered to see what was going on with my dog. I ended up leaving and taking my dog elsewhere because I felt we were not treated fairly. The vet tech ended up calling after I left to see if I wanted to come back, but she was completely unapologetic and borderline rude about the whole situation. read more

This place was great Dr Weston explained everything clearly and showed she cared for my pet. His over itecstaybwas an experience. He had a spa evening. Needed cleaned up I would recommend them to anyone. Staff was very friendly. read more

Do not take your animal or business to these people. The front desk is EXTREMELY cutthroat on collecting their money before any reasonable discussion or simple question. No time to think! Pay us now, pay us now!! You are there because you are having problems with a creature you love. Zero compassion. Very combative. read more

I go in with my dog who is lethargic and vomiting and am told it is change of shift. I was told my dog would not be seen for hours, as the vet was going to see the inpatients first. I am in healthcare, the ER, in fact, the vet could have spent 5 minutes with us and ordered some labs or something so we were not waiting for hours before anything was done. Will NEVER go back and will NEVER refer anyone I know there! read more

I gotta say, these folks were awesome last night. After seeing all my emergency vet options near me gone because places are closed, and then being turned away from Blue Pearl for being full, I took my dog Gizmo to this place when he seemed really alarmed all night and super hyper, even after taking him on a bunch of walks. Turned out it was a rough stomach and they gave him the meds he needed and now he's resting and seems fine. They treated both of us like family, we were second in line (as opposed to blue Pearl which seemed to be packed and they were just turning people away left and right.) Explained the meds carefully. Best of all they called to follow up a few minutes ago. It costs $160 minimum for the doctor visit and then ++ depending on what's happening (I have nationwide pet insurance, if you have a senior dog and don't have that I'm not sure why). Go here if you can. read more

Our fragile 16 year old mini Italian greyhound suffered injuries in a dog attack resulting in a huge life threatening laceration. They were so caring and were able to very carefully suture the injury, which was pretty impressive considering how paper thin her skin is. She did well and survived thanks to their skill and care! On top of that, I was pretty upset over the whole attack and they were very calming and supportive. So grateful! read more

while traveling away from home, my dog started gulping and swallowing consistently and acting very agitated. Brought her to the emergency vet where she was seen by Dr. Turner. The staff was very professional and brought multiple ideas of what could be causing. They administered medication and had great bedside manner with my dog. They also gave me pamphlets on a potential Gene mutation known for my dog breed. Great service and comforting to know they are available 24/7 I hope I don't have to be back anytime soon! read more

They were wonderful with my nervous dog! Didn't push any unnecessary tests etc. I was very pleased with the experience.

I was extremely worried. My Pup had a blood transfusion Tuesday. An auto-immune disease was killing her red blood cells. We arrived in Florida on Thursday for business. Not great timing I agree. Nonetheless, we needed a Vet because she was constipated and I was afraid she would become septic since it had been 3 days. She was bloated and in pain. At 2am I called the hospital. Sweet voice said we are here when you decide you need to come in. My husband and I drive the 5 minutes to get there and we're welcomed and checked in. The front desk person was very quick to get the correct information and exhibited such tenderness towards us since obviously I was scared to death of losing our Pup. After she took the info, repeating back to us what we said since I was rattled, she gently took our baby and went back to see the Dr for the exam. The Dr came out and discussed the exam findings and the additional diagnostic information they needed. She was very calm and listened intently to us. I cannot say enough good compliments about them. Very attentive, gentle and respectful while knowing I was close to tears. I will never hesitate to use this veterinary service. Also, the cost was very reasonable which surprised me. Finally, the place was clean as was my Pup when they brought her to me since she had messed on herself! read more

I totally do not recommend this facility. I brought my dog in early morning with severe diarrhea of vomiting. (she hadCushing and a diabetes). after doing bloodwork and giving her fluids and meds to take home, I called several times after that saying she was still having severe diarrhea just pouring out of her nonstop and they kept saying give me antibiotic time so later that evening I brought her back she's bleeding from her rectum, lethargic, almost death like state and they turned me away saying they were at full capacity. The person at the front desk, never even went and asked anyone in the back if they would help me.. I explained that I was there early that morning, which cost me $1300 and they still would not take her in. The doctor there said she was not in ketosis state that it was probably a G.I. ulcer. They did not even refer me to another facility or have any compassion whatsoever. So I took her to another facility that I found were the veterinarian said that she was definitely in ketosis severe state that he needed to keep her there for a few days to . After only being home for less than two hours, we got a phone call that my dog died from cardiac arrest. this place has no compassion. It's all about the old mighty Dollar. They are heartless. read more

I was referred here by my vet on a Friday afternoon and was promptly greeted, my sick kitty was taken back immediately for evaluation and I can't say enough about the compassion of the entire staff! I hated that people who had been there before me had to wait extra, but I appreciate their understanding. Dr Booth sat with me and explained everything, Franklin was extremely pleasant, the receptionists very helpful and even though we had to help Kitty across the rainbow bridge, our experience was amazing! I highly recommend them. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center was absolutely wonderful in guiding us through such a difficult time.  The compassion, thought and empathy shown by the staff was present through our entire visit.  A very special thank you to Dr. Ashley Caro who took care in explaining to us exactly what was happening to our beloved maltese poodle. She was so emotionally aware in helping us to make a heartbreaking but humane decision.  Our "Big Boy" did not suffer and was treated with sympathy and tenderness.  Thank you to Dr. Caro and the entire staff. read more

The specialist are in it for the money. They can't even call you or go over the diagnosis or even give you the meds. 6 thousand dollars later. I already knew what my dog had. Still haven't called me. I am suppose to follow up in four weeks. Guess what past that. Still no call. That would probably cost me 240 bucks for what. Terrible place. read more

Dr Lang is an amazing and caring veterinarian. She truly cares for my pets and goes above and beyond to keep them healthy. Dr Parra is extremely knowledgeable and and thorough. I know my dogs are in great hands in the treatment of their CHF. read more

We arrived very stressed and concerned for our dog's wellbeing as he had a laceration resulting in the side of his body being exposed. Upon arrival the team jumped right in and took an assessment then immediately told us his injuries were non-life threating taking a weight off of us. They communicated their treatment plan in an effective way and we were able to take our dog home that same evening after surgery. The team answered all questions we had in a thorough manner. We are very happy and thankful with the level of care and service we experienced. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

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Amazing, they always take great care of my dog. Definitely more expensive but that's typical with an Emergency Vet. They also never try to push anything on us just to spend more money. read more

Good thing both visits for my long boi haven't been dire emergencies so I was able to drive to Estero for treatment. Appreciated the constant communication; updates while waiting. Thank you. read more

I was in town visiting family and my dog got injured. I was able to get in to see a vet within an hour of calling at about 5:30 on a weekday evening. The tech who came out to get my dog from the car (COVID procedures) was incredibly friendly and helpful, and the doctor was quite knowledgeable and easily identified my dog's injury, stating that she was sure that there was no need to pay hundreds more for x-rays. Within 12 hours of starting the prescribed medications, my dog was already vastly improved, and 2 days later she is near fully healed. The appointment writeup was sent via email and was incredibly thorough. I cannot say enough good things about the knowledge, friendliness, responsiveness, and helpfulness of this veterinary practice. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - COVID procedures. Spaces are numbered and include the office number to call when you arrive. - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

I was very satisfied with the care my dog received at your hospital. We had to wait for quite a long time - and during that time we had a private room to wait in and communication from the staff was very good. When I had to call for follow-up questions and concerns someone was able to help me quickly. You helped my dog and made a good care plan for her recovery. read more

I have been referred to this facility to evaluate our Yorkie, to this end I called on 11/25/24 left voice mail message which was never returned, called again on 12/2/24 and was told that someone will call me back, they never did so I called again on 12/6/24 at 8:31am spoke with Tenia only to be told that the scheduler was off until Monday. Does this mean that no appointments can be scheduled? Nobody else in the facility is capable to schedule an appointment? Asked to speak with the manager and was told that she comes in at 9am. At 8:57am Lori, manager, called me, the next available appointment to see Dr. Amy Land is for 12/31/24 that would be 35 days later from when I started my attempt to schedule an appointment. After I explained my ordeal, she said she would speak to Dr. Lang to see when my Yorkie could be seen. So far 12/6/24 came and went and never heard back from Lori. Now that I have learned that this facility is owned by outside investors I will go elsewhere besides if this is how they treat humans can you imagine how they must treat our pets? Thanks but no thanks! read more

I do not recommend this place at all I brought my dog here to get an ultra sound of her liver because her liver enzymes were slightly elevated the initial vet technician I talked to was very sweet and the doctor came in with 2 other women and spoke to me she was nice (that's why I'm giving 2 stars) I left the office after 610 dollars for just an ultra sound and being seen just to get in the car and go 10 minutes down the road with my dog by my side to see they had shaved her stomach for the ultrasound and she had cuts and razor burn when I called I was put on hold for about 20 minutes and transferred 3 times and hung up on once which was really inconvenient because by this time I was at work when I finally got through to someone and explained what happened all she said was "we try not to cut them when shaving them" that's not reassuring at all fast forward we go back in because that's what they told us to do and I get there about 9 the doctor that was Dr.Caro was extremely rude to me and unprofessional she took my dog back and told me no I checked it looks self inflicted, when I told her it's not I watched her in the car on the way to where we were going we were in there for less than 10 minutes she questioned me and said "yeah you watched her you kept your eyes on her the whole time and didn't look away" you could visibly hear in her voice how annoyed she was with me at that point I had enough because there were spots on her that she had cuts I know she didn't scratch and they just didn't want to take accountability for something they did her attitude definitely sucked just like their skills at this practice! read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - Razor burn - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

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We had an emergency situation with our 18 year old Bombay cat and had to visit this emergency pet clinic late in one evening. We were welcomed here and made to feel comfortable in a stressful situation. Our vet named Dr. Hayley Booth was friendly, courteous, professional and very knowledgeable. She asked all the right questions and treated Ralph the cat as her own. We have two Frenchies and our Bombay cat. All three are aging so if there are any other emergencies we will certainly go back to this pet emergency hospital. read more

I had a pretty bizarre experience there last night. My 15 year old cancer stricken dog needed assistance in helping him pass peacefully. My primary vet wasn't available and her office said that I should go to the emergency clinic in Estero because this is where my dog had his ultrasound six weeks ago. Needless to say I am a mess since this dog is my whole family.... I called at 3 PM and talked to this wonderful girl named Amber who really kind of talked me off the ledge and I said to her: how long are you there? and she said: "until 4 pm. I will be back tomorrow morning if you want to bring him in then. But if you want to bring him earlier, we are here for you.". And then I decided that I was going to take one more night to say goodbye and then bring him in this morning. But then when I came home from work at 7 PM last night he just was so miserable and I thought: no I'm doing this tonight because then at least I have tomorrow to grieve. So then I take my dog and drive these 15 miles to Estero only to have the receptionist tell me that the wait time is three hours and she was just not nice at all. You could tell that she tried to muster up some empathy but it wasn't working... I stood there at the entrance with my dying dog and was totally overwhelmed and she basically sent me to BluePearl back to Fort Myers . She didn't even ask the vet if there is anything he or she could do for us. She sent me, a crying mess with a dying dog, away with the words: drive safe! At first I thought oh that is a sign, maybe my baby is not supposed to die tonight, but then I thought I have to do it and went to blue pearl. They turned out to be very nice and helpful and were able to give my doggie a dignified and peaceful end. Knowing now that the euthanasia process takes like ONE MINUTE I think it is shameful that the staff in Estero didn't even attempt to help me last night.....you need to do better! read more

Every time over the years that we have gone to FVRC , they have made us feel so comfortable and are so compassionate about their work and your pet. Everything. Communicating. Helplfulness, Thoughtfulness, Expertise read more

Our dog was playing with a toy that got wedged between his jaw and teeth. We were unable to release the toy and he was starting to panic and bleed profusely. We needed to take him to an emergency vet immediately. We had used Blue Pearl in the past and were not happy with the clinical feel of the practice. We had an unpleasant experience with our cat and will never use their services again. We were grateful that we had found Florida Veterinary Referral Center when our dog had a previous emergency. We took our pet there and they quickly resolved the problem. We were able to take him home within less than an hour. The staff at FVR demonstrated compassion from the vet tech, clear communication from the veterinarian and staff members, and next day followup . The cost for the visit was also reasonable. read more

Excellent source for emergency pet needs. Always have been excellent and professional. They have treated several of our animals for well over a decade. read more

Dr. Parra and the staff were amazing. We got an appointment quickly and were seen on time. They took such great care of our dog. Dr. Parra spent a lot of time with us, answering all of our questions and explaining everything. It was just what we hoped for when we made the appointment. read more

On 11/20/21 my dog, Maddie, was dropped off at 7:45 AM Florida Veterinary Referral Center to get a CT scan to look at a growth on her thyroid. Aside from arthritis she had no outward appearing health issues. We picked her up a little after 6:00 PM as directed via phone call from the clinic. When we got there Maddie collapsed and couldn't walk. My husband asked if we should wait in the lobby a little longer while she was monitored and the three vet techs trying to carry Maddie to us said no. Maddie's eyes were bulging, she was panting, and her tail was not wagging. She did not know who we were. As it was clear Maddie could not walk after repeated attempts from the staff trying to hoist her up, my husband asked a second time if Maddie should stay, possibly overnight. We were again told no. It took my husband and I with three employees to get Maddie in our car. At this point I was so worried I sat in the backseat with Maddie on the way home, petting her and attempting to calm her. I could tell she didn't know who I was. Fifty minutes later, when we got home, Maddie was not any better than when we put her in the car. We had to get two beach towels from inside our home to make slings and get her to our front door on a dog bed. Then we had to pull her on tile across our house to our bedroom. I put a towel under her head and one under her back feet so she was comfortable. I was in the bath and my husband was watching television in our bedroom. Maddie's panting had quieted, we thought she was falling asleep. Thirty minutes later my husband was SCREAMING Maddie's name. She had died, alone, on our bedroom floor. He had called the clinic. There was no sympathy, no apologies. We were just told to bring her body back. At this point I was absolutely hysterical. Her eyes would not stay shut. I could not get her legs to bend or her paws to bend. My husband couldn't handle her dead body on his own. We had to drag our dead dog, our baby, who was alive and symptom free that morning, across our house on the floor as rigor mortis set in. My husband had to drive our car through our lawn and up to our front door. It took us four tries to get Maddie's body in the car. I had to get in the backseat and pull her through as he was at the trunk with the seats down pushing her body. This is the body of my dead animal that I think of as a child. At this point I am wailing and can barely breathe.We drive to the clinic for the third time that day, and when we get there, two techs come out with a stretcher. Again, they are unable to handle Maddie's body alone so we have to help move our dead dog. I am experiencing the worst pain I've felt in my entire life. I am crying in the parking lot as my husband goes inside with Maddie's body. The first thing that occurs is not an apology, sympathy, anything- it is immediately a hand out asking for $389 for cremation of Maddie. We had paid the practice $2,800 that MORNING already for Maddie's scan. The next day, Dr. Lang calls. Justin relays our story. She says Maddie SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED if she COULD NOT WALK TO OUR CAR. She told Justin she would review the lobby camera footage. Justin calls the practice. The office manager offers absolutely no help (after he has been on hold over a half hour). He asks to talk to the owners of the practice and is put on hold again for over 20 minutes and is told THEY DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU. Justin talks to Dr. Lang on and off 3-4 phone calls. Still nothing from the owners. On 11/12 Justin calls the cremation company DIRECTLY to have Maddie's body transported there. Amazingly, the price is $59 lower than what your practice as going to charge us. We are not surprised. All we want are answers if clinic procedures were followed regarding discharging patients and acknowledgement that our dog passed. In the last few weeks we have paid nearly $4,000 to the clinic. As business owners, don't you think we are least owed the dignity and respect of a phone call? Do not take your dog to this practice. I hope Maddie's story will save some lives. I miss my girl more than I can ever describe. read more

Florida Veterinary Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Estero, Florida

We had an appointment set up for weeks. The referring vet sent over the labs, images, medical history, etc. The referring vet had spoken to them about medications prior to the visit. Since it's about 45 minute trip and didn't want to be late, my wife left extra early to be there on time. Got there 1/2 hour early, only to be told the appointment was canceled by the office manager because they were unable to reach my wife yesterday. Did they call back, No. Did the text, No. Email, No. Check with referring vet, Again No. Apparently they are now owned by outside investors who only care about making another buck, not taking care of animals. Sad. Very sad. We have asked our primary vet for a different referral. Regardless of their Dr's abilities, we are not going to support outside investors who only care about money. They are not getting our $ and know that we will share their insensitive and uncompassionate policy in reviews like this. read more

Arrived to the vet with a mini pig having seizures, along with vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea. Two women came to the car, to simply be nosy and look at the animal and say "oh yeah we don't see pigs"! I had stated she was a pig before they wasted my time walking over. As a vet I feel like you take an oath to help any and every animal in need of medical attention. Sad that these people call themselves... "animal lovers" or "veterinarians". This place is a joke, all they care about is money not animals. Thanks so much for wasting my time and jeopardizing my animals life. read more

Do not take your pets to this office. The right hand has no clue what the left hand is doing. The front office staff is rude and pretty much useless. The have no clue what customer service is. The do not keep you informed and dont do what they say they will do. I question the capability of the entire staff. Vets included. read more

They charged us 1200 to examine our dog and drain fluid from her neck area and they never diagnosis her with anything. I wouldn't recommend. I believe they took advantage of my wife and her emotions. read more

This was my first time at the vet hospital. I was very pleased with the entire staff and how quickly my dog was assessed and treated. The efficiency and how quickly my dog was seen. I recommend. read more