Yes, they were very thorough, kind and patient. I've taken my dog to 3 other vets who couldn't find any issues. This clinic had a solid idea and referrals. Their facility was very accommodating and even offered espresso/coffee while waiting. Their prices were reasonable, especially after feeling ripped off by Metropolitan Vet. read more

I know that one bad review probably won't hurt this clinic, and honestly, that is not why I am writing it. I'm writing this because I hope another pet owner reads my experience before trusting this clinic with their animal and takes the time to look carefully at the reviews and make an informed decision. Please don't assume that the negative reviews are simply people being difficult or impossible to please. These are real people, just like me, who love their animals and trusted this clinic to take care of them. I brought my cat in because he was walking oddly and had a fever. After the examination, the doctor told me she couldn't find anything wrong with him and couldn't understand where the fever was coming from. We were sent home with antibiotics for my cat. I was left believing that they had thoroughly examined him and that there was nothing obvious causing his symptoms. The next day, I decided to carefully examine my cat's body myself because I was still very concerned about him. I was shocked to find open wounds and scratches on his head. (Photos attached )These were not hidden or impossible to notice. I was very surprised that after a professional veterinary examination, I was told they could not find anything wrong. I paid for the examination and additional testing because I trusted the clinic to properly evaluate my cat. Unfortunately, I ended up finding the physical injuries myself after being told there was nothing wrong.I went back to the clinic because I wanted someone to take responsibility for what happened and, more importantly, they giving me options for how to properly address the problem with my cat. The money was never the point for me. I wanted accountability and for the clinic to acknowledge that something had been missed. I spoke with the assistant manager, who asked me to give her a couple of days to look into the situation and talk to the Manager and get back to me. She never did. I had to physically return after 12 days to the clinic again because I never received a call or any follow-up. When I finally spoke with the manager, he gave me one explanation that how this could've been missed... After a long conversation he told me that he was not going to give me any refund because doing so would mean admitting that the clinic/vet had made a mistake. That was extremely frustrating and disappointing to hear. As a pet owner, this experience has been incredibly upsetting. I trusted this clinic with my cat's health, and I expected a thorough examination and proper follow-up. Being told that they "didn't find anything wrong," only for me to find open wounds and scratches on my cat the very next day, is something I find extremely difficult to accept.The lack of accountability and communication is what has disappointed me the most. I want to make one thing very clear we were never doing this to get a refund but the least they could've done after failing the physical examination...What we wanted was accountability.There were several reasonable options the clinic could have offered after the situation came to light. For example, they could have offered to perform another thorough physical examination to make sure there were no additional wounds or injuries that had been missed, or they could have offered to clean and properly treat the wound to help prevent it from becoming infected. Even simply taking the time to examine him again and make sure he was okay would have shown us that they genuinely cared about making things right. I truly hope sharing my experience helps another person avoid going through the same frustration, disappointment, and worry that we experienced.Please read the negative reviews. Don't automatically assume these people are lying or exaggerating. Behind those reviews are pet owners who love their animals just as much as we love ours.We trusted this clinic and we felt let down. read more

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Review of Summit Veterinary Referral Center I'm extremely disappointed with our experience at Summit Veterinary Referral Center. My wife brought our cat in because he was very low-energy and limping on one of his back legs. We were charged for an initial physical examination, and because he had a fever, he was given antibiotics and sent home. About 24 hours later, my wife decided to examine our cat herself because he still wasn't doing well. She discovered scratches on the top of his head, wounds underneath his front paws, and an injury to one of his toes on the back paw--the same leg he had been limping on. Finding these injuries ourselves was extremely upsetting. We brought our cat to a veterinary referral center expecting a thorough examination, especially because he was showing obvious signs that something was wrong. My wife contacted Summit Veterinary Referral Center and spoke with a manager. The manager asked her to send pictures of the injuries, which she did. We were told they would get back to us in a few days. Two weeks passed, and we still had not received a response. At that point, my wife decided to go to Summit Veterinary Referral Center in person to address the situation. To be clear, she wasn't simply going there demanding her money back. Our concern was that we were charged for a physical examination that, based on what we discovered afterward, we do not believe was performed thoroughly. It is frustrating because, when you walk into a veterinary hospital, you expect the priority to be the health and well-being of your pet. Instead, our experience left us feeling like there was someone at the front to greet you, someone to sell you services, and then the medical care itself did not meet our expectations. I say this because during our experience, one of the nurses even asked us what our budget was for spending on our cat. That question really bothered us. When our pet is sick and hurting, our first concern is getting him properly diagnosed and treated--not figuring out how much money we are willing to spend. I understand that veterinary medicine can be complicated and that not every problem is immediately obvious. But discovering multiple wounds and an injury to his toe after an examination, followed by two weeks without a response to our complaint, has seriously damaged our trust. We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We simply believe that if we were charged for a physical examination, we should have received the service we paid for. We also believe concerns about our pet's care should have been taken seriously and addressed promptly. This was our experience, and I hope other pet owners take the time to ask questions and make sure they understand exactly what examinations and services are being performed on their pets. read more

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My dog got sick very quickly and a trip yo our vet was escalated to this hospital. She had been vomiting and not responding to pain med's, her little life was fading. I was not ready to lose her, but the quality of her life was one of intense pain. The vet was very compassionate and was also concerned and felt she had sepsis. The cost was astronomical. Nearly 3k$. I wish there were places that recognized ppl cannot afford that much in this economy. That is the reason for 4 out of 5. We are seniors and this will take us years to pay. read more

We brought in our dog who was in severe pain, dehydrated, and unable to walk. The staff confirmed that he was sick and had an elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and was unable to walk without pain. Upon check in the registration asks if we would consent for pain management and possible fluid administration totaling $600-800 prior to seeing the physician. We consented because we knew he was in severe pain and had not had fluids in a day. To my shock and deep frustration we waited 2.5 hours before finding out they had not initiated any treatment and were waiting to receive payment before treatment. I had thought they would make him comfortable while awaiting test results and further consent. I expressed my disappointment in their lack of treatment and how I had expected them to at least make him comfortable while he waited for a thorough exam. Upon voicing my frustration the physician abruptly left our exam room and we never were able to speak to her again except through the front desk worker as an in between. Would a hospital make your loved one wait for payment before starting treatment? I will never bring a pet back to this location and I will be sure to spread the word about their lack of professionalism, inability to triage, inability to be an adult and speak directly, and lack of a standard of care. This facility may look nice and state they have multiple providers on scene, but they lack the ability to follow through when it matters. read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This review is specific to a consult with a neurologist (Dr. Malte Schwartz) at Summit - not their emergency services. After multiple panic-filled visits to our regular vet while our French bulldog was exhibiting signs of IVDD (a degenerative disc disease), they suggested having a consult with a neurologist. I spent hours researching local neurologists for dogs, requesting quotes and asking on IVDD specific Facebook pages for Frenchies who the best in the area is. Hearing the potential costs of MRIs and surgeries put my stress level through the roof, but I was willing to do whatever it would take to ensure my baby had a good quality of life moving forward. From researching 4 separate neuros in the Seattle/Tacoma area, all prices came back generally in the same range - Neuro consult = $200-250. MRI (with sedation) = $4-6k. Surgery = God help us. The scheduler for the neuro department was my first point of contact. She was very kind and patient with all of my questions/concerns. She got us set for a consult much sooner than I had expected. Getting to Summit was not difficult and the facility is spacious, clean and welcoming. The front desk ladies were very friendly and answered any questions I had in the moment. I can only imagine how stressful their jobs are considering how many scared and emotional pet parents they come into contact all day long with emergencies. The vet tech that collected us and brought us to the exam room was very kind and social. She eased some of our worries while we did the initial intake and exam. She treated our Frenchie with love and I could tell, for once, our girl was NOT stressed or scared while at the vet. She took Nilla to the back for further examination and returned her after about 15 minutes, just as happy as can be. Dr. Schwartz came in soon afterwards. He spent easily 45 minutes with my husband and I. He was extremely thorough in covering Nilla's history, recent events/symptoms, his professional opinion on her condition and suggestions on next steps. He saved us from spending thousands of dollars on an MRI during this specific visit as it may not provide the results needed right now - but may need in the future should she start showing signs of pain. I appreciate that he put our girl first rather than pushing us to spend thousands during that visit. I will for sure recommend Dr. Schwartz and this facility to any of my friends/networks. A really great experience and I am so appreciative. I left feeling like a weight had been taken off of my shoulders and felt emotionally lighter knowing we can trust the plan/process for our girl. read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - Frenchie Nilla - Patient of Dr. Schwartz, Neuro. - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I am a frequent YELPer and if I had read some of the reviews for Summit, I might have chosen somewhere else - but instead I was referred by a friend I trusted, and I am so glad we chose Summit for our dog's emergency. Our darling 5 year old dachshund mix suddenly became paralyzed, and after going to our local vet who put her on pain medication, we took her to Summit who did an MRI and determined she has IVDD. The staff was caring and helpful and explained our options - euthanasia, permanent paralysis, or spinal surgery with a Neurosurgeon which they said would give her a 50-50 chance of regaining movement. In other words, 50 % chance that she would remain paralyzed after the spends surgery. We also had 15 minutes to make the decision because she was already under anesthesia and with this type of surgery, waiting to put her under again would have made her chances of walking again even less likely. I say this to explain how difficult it is to feel good about these types of situations and to feel like you got the best care. We do feel like that! Dr Finnerty was her neurosurgeon and the staff in neuron and the admin staff were great communicators, kind and helpful, and did not sugar coat anything. We got financing (did not have pet insurance) and since that time, we have had acupuncture, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, PEMF, and a variety of clothing and devices to help her regain mobility. Unfortunately she had another injury due to her nerve damage, and 8 months later we were back at Summit for another major surgery - this time a rear leg amputation with Dr.Hofeling. Some people might think we are crazy, we had not even paid off the first surgery yet, but this doggie has a strong will to live and is doing even better than before after the second surgery. The staff and care at Summit was stellar. The healing process after both surgeries was swift and uncomplicated. Yes, our pup will be a tripod doggie now, and also have a little cart for out door adventures. Summit is responsive whenever we have a question, but our new local primary vet helps us most now that the emergencies are over. I would not hesitate to refer someone to Summit. Each pet guardian has to decide if they can manage the cost and aftercare, and I can tell you those two factors are substantial. But if your dog or cat has an emergency, the vets at Summit are top notch and can walk you through your options with kindness, patience, and compassion. The surgeons we worked with are truly masters. I think the negative posts come from a "bad" experience of dealing with an emergency or loss, which is not easy, sometimes the place becomes the villain. However, I do not hesitate to recommend Summit if you have a surgical emergency. read more

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Dr Tae is Amazing. I lost my little Taylor early this morning & she was so sensitive with us. What an amazing lady. I will not take my pets anywhere else. Thank you so much Dr. read more

I have been waiting for 4 hours for my pup to have X-rays, they said it would be an hour. I am not happy with the lack of communication. There is none what so ever!! I have had to ask the front desk what is going on 3 times now. They say they are waiting for the radiologist to read her X-rays. I am finally in a room waiting to hear about the X-rays. I was told it would be 15-20 min. It's been 30 min and I really don't see the light at the end of the tunnel! read more

I called for a referral. The person who answered was Pleasant and helpful. Hopefully no won't need their services, but if so they did give me a good first impression. read more

Taking your animal to the emergency vet is never fun, especially late at night. The times I've been to Summit, they've been professional, kind, and honest. They're are good at their job and I can trust their judgement. They're honest about their price point being higher in comparison to other vets. However, they don't force owners to choose the expensive route and instead give owners options based on budget and pet's stability. They truly respect the owner's judgement and choice. read more

We had to come here under very sad circumstances; nonetheless, our experience was amazing. Our 5 1/2 year corgi had gotten extremely sick over night. She was transferred here from a different ER vet, and by morning, she had deteriorated rapidly. Dr. Stobnicki had admitted her, who was amazing. She talked with us a while and gave us an entire list of probable things that could be wrong. She ran through the treatment plan with us and was very thorough. She even called me in the middle of the night to give an important update (which I appreciated so much) and made me feel like she really cared for Winnie. Dr. Riordan took over Winnie's case and was extremely empathetic and so pleasant to speak to. She explained our options thoroughly and knew what she was talking about. Ultimately, we had decided to let our sweet girl go peacefully as we didn't want to gamble on her life and make her suffer even more. Although we will miss her immensely, I am beyond grateful for the amazing care she received from all of the staff here. If I ever have another emergency with one of my babies, I will not hesitate to come back. read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - Our beloved Winnie - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This business is NOT somewhere I would take anyone's pet! They sedated our cat to the point she almost died, and continued to tell us it just wasn't working to overcharge, over Medicate and quite frankly give terrible service! We paid thousands of dollars and got a dangerously over medicated cat, a huge bill, 8+ hours of waiting AND the vet never came out and addressed us. He texted my husband and it cost over $250 just for him to communicate through text.. and tell us he thinks she needs MORE sedation!!!! When I called the next day I spoke to River who has TERRIBLE customer service and another gentleman who was very rude and unhelpful also!! BEWARE!!! read more

This place should be investigated. Incredibly corrupt business practices. They held my cat for 7 hours, couldn't find anything wrong. They insisted on billing me for a second option. no conclusive evidence. i get called to come get my cat. waited an hour. got sent home. vet called me and told me to come in. waited another hour. They took my property away from me with my bill for this hour. This was after the vet told me i should have her stay all night for just another $2000! Felt like they wanted me to give in. mind you this is after i paid $1100 for them to do nothing and tell me nothing. I was actually getting ready to call the police and report my property as stolen. again never come here. read more

*This business is a C- rating and is not a BBB Accredited Bureau Please read all reviews before bringing your pet here. I wish I did, so far I've already read 4x review that said after a few days post surgery their pet passed. Initially, I was just so happy that I found a place that would be able to save my girl. She's was a 12year old beautiful Pitbull, that was just all about living. Our vet at Banfield informed from her X-ray that she had a mass on her spleen that needed to be removed and recommended us to a few places. I went with Summit because all other locations were not taking new patients and Old Growth was not yet opened. Below are some of my timeline: 19 Mar 25 0900 oncology consultation $245 + what you see in the estimates. 9 Apr 25 Surgery consultation $210 14 Apr we decided to go forward with Ivy surgery, with the advisement of Dr. Loomis that she was be able to live a few months to years. if no surgery she would pass even sooner with pain. 23 Apr 25 3:15 Ivy had to go in for a blood draw but collapsed at Summit. After ER fees they only found that she was weak, low in iron and GI tract had fluids. They were going to house her for $2800 but we wanted her home so it was $970. If she was strong enough she would go in for surgery on Tuesday. 29 Apr 25 @0700 Ivy was dropped off for surgery for Splenectomy/Abdominal Lymph node/Mass excision. $11,322 30 Apr 25 she remained in the hospital for recovery, which Dr. Loomis said went well for her age. 31 Apr 25 she was release from hospital with meds. 31 Apr 25 at 11pm she was given meds 1 May 25 @0605 my purest love of my life passed in agony and gasping for air in my arms, she cried one last time, gasped for air, looked up at me and collapsed. I immediately rushed her to my nearest ER where I was informed she did not have a heart rate upon arrival. I called the clinic and spoke to the doctor, described her symptoms before she passed and she said it could have been a blood clot... Just 48hrs after surgery she passed away, were we advised incorrectly on her surgery? Was the surgery too much for her body? Was she too old? Was she too weak? Could we have forgo the surgery and our baby would still be here?...doctors are supposed to advise with the professional and honest assessment, was this done? I don't care what I spent, I want my baby back. If I had to euthanize then it should have been on me, not her going through a painful surgery and dying... It's too late for me, but for those that have fur babies they love please AVOID AVOID AVOID this place. My Ivy died on my birthday 1 MAY 25!!!!!!! How sad is that!!! I will never forget her SIP Ivy girl. Please submit another review to Better Business Bureau https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/tacoma/profile/veterinarian/summit-veterinary-referral-center-1296-22673262/customer-reviews read more

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I have taken my pup to Summit Pet Emergency three times and she got excellent, professional care on every visit! Most recently she her kidney tests were evaluated by Dr. Riordan, who was great! Dr. Riordan provided excellent test analysis later as well upon the recommendation of my pup's usual doctor. I would recommend Summit to anyone who needs specialized treatment for their pet! Thanks again, Dr. Riordan! read more

Stay far away from this place. I had to bring my Labrador in due to a fever and some swelling on the side of her face. My regular veterinary office had two emergencies already, so they couldn't see her until the next day. They charged me almost $4000 and told me she needed a surgery that would START at $10,000. They told me she needed her whole ear canal removed and other things. I came and picked my dog up the next day (they told me they had to keep her overnight,) and AFTER I paid the extra charges they made me wait 2 hours to get her. Makes sense since she looked 100% worse!! I couldn't believe it! The doctor told me to have a "Quality of Life" appointment with her regular veterinarian. I was devastated. I couldn't believe that over night I was maybe going to be saying goodbye to my best friend of 12 years. My vet got us in, and within 10 minutes discovered she had an abscess behind her ear that was causing 100% of her problems. We had it drained, cultured, cleaned up and within about 2 hours she looked almost completely normal. This place was going to take advantage of the fact that I would do anything for my animals and pay any price. They charged me an astronomical fee in 2022 for another dog who needed an emergency surgery, and I didn't balk at the price. I just paid it. You would think a place that you should be able to trust with your beloved pets wouldn't be a scam and a rip off. Literally go anywhere else but here. If zero stars was an option, that's what they would get. Look at the pictures I attached. They speak for themselves!! read more

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OK, it's time to write a review for Summit. I waited and waited because I wanted to be sure our beloved dog was really truly healed. We came to Summit a few months with an emergency when our beloved dog suddenly stopped walking. Our regular vet had tried a few things but after agonizing days without improvement, they sent us to Summit. As we sat in the lobby, panicked, we read some of the Yelp reviews of people who had lost their pets and wondered if we made a mistake. We wondered if we should get our dog and leave. A few months of hindsight now, I can safely say going to Summit was the very best thing we could have done. We waited longer than I would have liked in the lobby that first night (and the next day, waiting for an MRI) but I truly believe now that Summit properly triaged their patients and I know they were seeing cases worse than ours. In the end, the vets that we saw were very patient and thorough and spent all of the time we needed to talk over every possible diagnosis and treatment. The primary vet who worked with us was neurologist Dr. Jerry Demuth and I cannot say enough about how patient and kind he was with us humans and our baby. He answered our questions patiently, even on the weekends. We always worry that unknown veterinarians will try to take advantage of our distress and fear when our pets are ill or injured. Summit gave us high-end and low-end estimates and had us give a deposit for the low-end cost, but we ended up getting a refund because our cost was even lower. I never felt like they steered us toward more complicated, costly, or unnecessary tests or treatments. Finally having our issues resolved and our girl has some pep in her step, I'd like to thank the staff and Dr. Demuth in particular. I'm sorry about what other pet parents experienced but I would recommend Summit without hesitation. read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - The coffee bar for patient parents patiently waiting. - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Excellent care of my very ill great Dane. Special shout out to the LVTs who cared for her around the clock in the ICU and in isolation. Pricey, but so is everything else these days.​ read more

Nothing to say but good things. You're most likely only here because a friend Needs help. After my initial call the ball got rolling and we had an appointment time. Checkin was a breeze. The triage team were fantastic. The admitting veterinarian was very compassionate and explained our options. The surgery team was very communicative and kept us informed of his progress. Post surgery was a breeze and very informative with instructions for after surgery care. Definitely would recommend. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. Waited 4 hours with my poor 13 year old sick cat and she still hasn't been seen. Got there and was told the Dr. just got there and there was only 2-3 patients in front of us. 2 hours later, still waiting with no update. The lobby cleared out twice, if not three times and still sitting here!!! Checked with the front 3 different times and keep getting told the same thing. No one communicates with you. Multiple other people who arrived after us were seen and left within an hour. Ended up wasting 5 hours out of my day just to leave! Terrible experience. They do not care about your animals! Wanted a $700 deposit and told us to leave her there and they'll call us later. If we were going to do that, why'd we wait in the lobby for 5 hours?! read more

The staff here is always fantastic. My boys have been here more times than I'd like, but I won't take them anywhere else for emergency or specialty care. They are the absolute best and worth every penny. read more

Avoid this place at all possible . Management sucks , no professional follow up . Charges for services that were not explained at a very scary time . We won't ever go back read more

Our family would not have been blessed with 12 years with our sweet boy if it weren't for the internal medicine team. I cannot thank them enough for the care they gave my fur baby - the kindness, compassion and attention to our family and his needs. We are forever grateful. Highly recommend them read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I've had two separate experiences through summit, and both were not good. A couple years ago my dog had surgery with them after being diagnosed with elbow dysplasia at just a year old. They are impossible to get ahold of. It took over a week just to get an appointment set up. But once we were there I was impressed with the amount of time the surgeon took with me to explain everything and answer any questions. We pursued the surgery, and followed all post op instructions including physical therapy. Weeks went by and he still acted like he was in pain. When we revisited for our follow up and I expressed my concerns, the surgeon told me that unfortunately the surgery isn't always successful and basically there was nothing else she could do which was devastating. At that time I had also expressed how my puppy was showing signs of possible hip dysplasia too. They did X-rays and everything came back normal. Fast forward to 2+ years later, my dog still shows signs of pain and lethargy and isn't behaving like a "normal" dog. I've had multiple blood tests and imaging done through his normal vet and everything has come back normal. My vet recommended doing a CT scan so I contacted summit to get that scheduled. At the consult, I explained to the surgeon his symptoms and requested a CT scan of his rear end which seems to be where he shows pain. The surgeon recommended doing a full body CT scan to rule out any neurological problems that may be going on as well as gastrointestinal issues which he has regularly. I agreed and was quoted $4,000 for the scan which was over $1000 more then a scan of just the rear end. It was worth it to me though to be able to get everything looked at and hopefully rule out any possible issues. On the day of the scan, the doctor called and said he would like to do additional testing including X-rays, blood work, and a couple other things. He didn't disclose it would be another $1000. When I found that out I refused because I can't afford that at the time and he had already had all those tests done at his regular vet. He got an attitude and said "the bloodwork is only $200 so it's not like it's that much." Unfortunately in my world $200 is a lot of money. I refused and he said "well we already did those tests. I guess we won't charge you for them". Everything came back normal. I was told the results for the CT scan would take about a week to come back. After not hearing anything for a week, I gave them a call. No one answered, I left multiple messages, no one got back to me. Another week went by, and I talked to someone at the receptionist desk and they said they would leave a note and the doctor would get back to me. Another week went by, so now a total of 3 weeks since his scan and nothing. I was still calling, leaving messages and never getting a response. I left a final message saying if I didn't receive a call I'd be driving 45 minutes to the clinic and demanding a refund and going elsewhere. I got a call 10 minutes later. Everything came back normal, except severe arthritis in the leg he had operated on a couple years ago. the doctor said he's stumped and wants to do more testing. This place really does not care about you or your animals. They want your money. I will not be returning to this place ever again. Their customer service and care is not to the standard I want for my animals. read more

We have used Summit for the past 2 years. Staff, especially those working behind the scenes have been amazing and have extended much kindness during the times we have visited them. My fur baby, because of his breed, was prone to mass cell tumors and as much as we hoped he wouldn't get it (he was quite a healthy pug), he eventually began to get them on his body. During our first visit in 2021, Dr. Milan took care of Guinness through surgery. He was very communicative post-surgery and I was often surprised at how fast Dr. Milan responded to my emails when I had concerns or questions about my dog. Early this year, the tumors came back and we had to do another surgery. My husband was in contact with another surgeon (I forgot his name) and he was very helpful as well. I wanted to also note how amazing the ER team was as we needed to bring our fur baby for emergency care. read more

I will never go here again they will do whatever they can to give you a bigger bill when they changed the estimate by 100% I said no, after speaking to my vet the next day they agreed and will not send anyone there again. Still cost $700 for them to do little more than observe. I would give it negative stars if I could read more

Unfortunately, I have been here before and I find myself here again. The staff is very friendly and accommodating to emergencies - they were able to bring my cat back to be examined pretty much right away upon my arrival! It's nice inside with a good seating area for us humans. Plus, I know they provide the best care for anyone's fur baby The only thing I wish was better was the checkin process: 1. When you pull up to the ER spots in front, you need to send a text which will reply with a link 2. Click it and fill out a form 3. You have to get to like, question 7 or 8 until it asks "is your pet experiencing any of the following major conditions", on which I replied yes and was given a number to call 4. They answered right away but I STILL had to fill out another registration form... I'm thankful for their help but in a dire situation I don't want to fill out any forms (at first). I'm sure if your pet was seizing or throwing up blood or something you could just run in and yell for help, but in my situation forms were slightly annoying. read more

I came here with my dog because she had ingested a heated rice bag that contained lavender flowers. I called my vet and they told me to come here. The staff , the male doctor who seen my dog were awful. I've never had anyone treat me so poorly and be so inconsiderate!!! The staff is rude as hell and even the lady who answers phone calls was rude as hell. What type of ER place makes you feel like shit for bringing your dog in??? I felt like they didn't care about my feelings or my dog. They made me feel like it was a burden for me even coming there !!! Have some compassion for pet owners seriously !!! I had an emergency with my pitbull to which I called recently and the lady told me on the phone that my situation wasn't an emergency ... My pitbull leg was infected and swollen !!! The lady told me it's not an emergency and to book an appt... well bitch it was Saturday , I'm not gonna have my dog in pain and wait WEEKS to even get into my regular vet... This place is just horrible with care .. I ended up taking my pitbull to auburn pet ER and they told me my dogs leg was infected , swollen and filled with fluid. They gave us antibiotics and we're so caring If you need to identify me my name is ASHLEY BRUNK DOG NAME IS BAILEY !!!! read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - My pitties leg swollen . Also my Bailey girl golden was seen by summit vet and they were awful to me... I'll never go there EVER - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Our dog was sick and we rushed in a bit discombobulated, the woman in reception (older woman, brown hair, glasses) couldn't care less. She seemed confused as to why we were there, every interaction with her was like pulling teeth. She was purposefully obtuse, unhelpful, snippy, and needs to realize she works at a place where people show up at a bad time in their lives and her attitude is the last thing anyone in distress needs. We just got bad vibes at Summit and drove to a different emergency vet all the way in Auburn where they treated us like decent human beings and they fixed up our dog. If she's the same rude receptionist from all the other bad reviews, why is she still around? read more

My dog's cardiologist is here and they are super responsive to emails. This is a speciality care clinic and yes it is expensive but the service is world class. We have also been here for emergencies and they have an online check in service. This makes it way easier than checking in and waiting for hours. You will then get a text message when it is your turn to come in. Be advised that their emergency room can be very busy. Our dog had to have two emergency surgeries and they were great about his care. Their waiting room is very spacious. When you check in, the tech actually comes to you and your pet in the waiting room. The pet is then only brought to the exam room when they are ready for you. There is WiFi in the waiting room and we have actually used it for work while waiting read more

Going to the ER for a dog or human simply sucks! But let me tell you at Summit you can call and get put in the queue and they will call and tell you when to bring your pet to be seen. Thanks to Jay the floor supervisor he helped me every step of the way even comforted me when I needed it the most. Thank you Summit for always providing exceptional care!! read more

Summit Veterinary Referral Center - My Bella girl - Veterinarians Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

We had to get neck surgery for our dog one year ago, I'm just finally getting around to a review. Their care was excellent. This place is leagues above Blue Pearl or other providers. I'm only docking a star due to the super high cost, but it was in line with everyone else, it's just pet care in general is quickly becoming a for-profit business and not a health service like it should be. read more

I don't think anyone ever hopes to need to come to any kind of animal hospital, let alone one that is an urgent care/emergency room/after hours setup, but I had always heard that Summit was the best so when my dog Bernie had diarrhea that wasn't clearing up after nearly a week and turned into bleeding from the butt, I felt that Summit would be the right place to go to make sure he was taken care of. I will say that fortunately I hadn't needed emergency care in all of the years of my dog's life, so this was my first experience at such a place, but when they say this place is the "best" - what they MEAN is, it's likely the best of the worst, and the psychological warfare that will be inflicted on you as a client of Summit will be unmatched. The ICE cold waiting room, I believe, is meant to put you into a deep freeze while you await a doctor for hours, spinning out mentally about what's going on with a pet that is your entire world, to only spend ~5 minutes giving you a non-diagnosis and explaining what tests they want to run and how much they will run you. By the time all the hours have passed, you're so mentally exhausted that you just say yes to everything and your $300 bill becomes $700 and 15-20 minutes of running a test becomes 2 more hours. And I would have NEVER done it had the person I spoke to on the phone not told me they could get my dog in at 9:30. And while I understand others come in with emergencies, giving a time implies that's when treatment will begin and from arrival at 9:30, my dog Bernie wasn't even triaged until 11PM, and not seen by a vet until after 2AM and ONLY because I had a full on panic attack in the waiting room after asking for an update from the individual working the front desk (which I will circle back on). All said and done, we finally were able to leave at 4:30 AM. Circling back on the individual at the front desk, after three hours had passed since triage I asked for an update (assuming they had maybe been doing SOMETHING back there in those 3 hours - spoilers: they had not) and in response I was met with straight-faced, smug responses implying how stupid I was for not knowing that would be the deal and it was all totally normal for an animal ER - she said she wasn't keeping my dog hostage and I could take him home whenever but that he was fine back there (alone, scared, anxious and bleeding). All of this was just SO ironic given the "Summit Values" listed behind her - "connecting with heart", "allies in patient care". There was ZERO kindness, empathy, heart, allyship, or patient care in any of my interaction with this individual - someone who should have been an embodiment of the values of this "best in the area" hospital, and she was downright unkind and unpleasant in response to questions that I thought were EXTREMELY fair to ask. My interaction with this individual tarnished my entire view of Summit to the point where I almost didn't want ANYONE there caring for my pet...even after all that time spent waiting for care. And ironically, post panic attack, we were immediately seen by the vet...so I'm not saying to cause a scene but based on what I saw, the only people who were immediately seen by doctors were the ones causing a scene so do with that what you will. The panic attack was just the cherry on top of my already awful day (and week) of having a sick dog, being near hypothermic in that horrific waiting room at Summit, and being degraded by their front desk employee... and while the vet and vet assistant were both very kind in their care of my Bernie, there is SO much Summit could do better in terms of client and patient care, communication, and expediting processes, while keeping pet parents as comfortable as possible knowing their pets are suffering to the point that they came to an ER. And while I hope to never need to come to Summit again for obvious reasons, for the LOVE of god, if none of my other feedback is taken to heart, at least turn up the thermostat just a tiny bit. Being freezing, tired, and sad about your pet is truly enough to drive someone crazy. read more

We've found Summit to be the most professional, most knowledgeable, and most compassionate. Summit is where we go when the regular vet can't manage it and we need the best of the best to give us complete confidence in our options. read more

Took my MaggieMae there cause her face started swelling up so we got her in and they kept her overnight and treated her swelling. They were so nice and gentle with MaggieMae. I'm actually taking my German Shepherd there next month because something is wrong with his hips. Hopefully they will take care of him like they did MaggieMae. read more

Our 4 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel recently had to have surgery for a badly broken rear leg. Dr. Weh and his staff could not have done a better job all the way around. The surgical repair which necessitated a large metal plate and screws, was expertly performed, the puppy was sent home with enough pain control so she was never traumatized. We brought her home the day after surgery, and she never took a lame step. 7 weeks later she is as good as new. Our thanks to Dr. Weh and the staff at Summit for being so kind and gentle with "Wiggles". We could not be more grateful. read more

I have had several good experiences at the ER vet. I always schedule online before I go in on an ER issue and on one occasion they gave me at home instructions via text and told when if/when I would actually need to come in which definitely saved us a lot of money. Will go here again if I have an emergency. read more

Don't let the name confuse you. This is an animal hospital and, in my opinion, one of the very best. We brought our family dog of 9 years here when our regular vet couldn't diagnose why she wouldn't eat for over a week and blood work and x-rays didn't reveal anything. The staff here at Summit were caring, professional, and well equipped to find the cause. Unfortunately, it was incurable pancreatic and stomach cancer and we had to put her down. Dr. Laura Riordan was especially kind, sensitive, and caring in guiding us through the process down to the very last moments. Her sympathy card a week later was the nicest added touch and helped us all. I've been to many vets and animal hospitals over the years and wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend Summit, Dr. Riordan, and the team there. read more

My dog has a rare disease and lately has had 2 seizures which has been scary for us. They are professional and very kind and communicate well. We now have one of their internist managing her disease. Of course it was expensive but we have pet ins. It was ok. Highly recommend. read more