Great team that was compassionate when the worst news you can get has to be given. My cat was sick to stomach for a while and vet couldn't figure it out so referred us to CanWest. Specialized Medical Imaging was done and stomach tumours found. All options for treatment were given in the kindest way. Prescription given which gave back normal life to my sweet girl for a while! Thankful for the extra 3 months with my baby. read more

My pup had a medical emergency as a result of her CKD and I had to make the decision to say goodbye to her. The vet and the staff were fantastic and gave me so much time and patience as I finally made the call. When it was time, they had a nice, quiet room where they allowed me to sit with my dog for as long as I wanted until I was ready. It was a supportive and gentle experience during what was a really horrible thing to go through. They proactively reached out to my vet to let her know my dog had passed and sent me a card signed by their whole staff a week later. Based on this experience I would recommend this facility strongly. read more

I've needed the expertise of Canada West pet specialists 3x. I'm thankful to have access to animal specialists so close by. My dogs have been very well taken care of and I trust the veterinary team led by Dr Nick Sharp. He operated on one of my dear dogs year ago and saved her life. I was always be grateful. read more

Please avoid this place at all cost! I got referred from Vancouver Animal Emergency in Vancouver who were amazing by the way but the Internal medicine doctor left the country so i had to go to Canada West. When I first walked in the larger lady at reception 30-40's was rude and didn't even say hello that should have been my first clue. 2nd reg flag was going in for my initial consultation which I called before because I wanted to do a certain blood test and it has to be within a certain window and when I called Internal Medicine they said my time wind be fine only to come to my appointment to have Dr.Adelman say I had to re schedule it. My dog is anxious and the whole point was to do everything in one trip and not have to come back. Next problem was he got a ultrasound and they clipped his skin and told me about it but when I went home I found out they clipped his skin on the other side of his body and didn't tell me. I have learned that Canada West tries to get through as many patients as possible and don't actually care about your animal. Please avoid Canada West and if you have to go anywhere go to Vancouver Animal Emergency or Boundry Bay where the are actually friendly and care about your pet. Also I was comparing prices that Vancouver Emergency charged me and to what Canada West did and Canada West is so much more expensive. PLEASE AVOID CANADA WEST at all cost! read more

I called this vet on the long weekend as my canine had been off and on eating vomiting, diarhea and somewhat lethargic for 3 days. They suggested she needed to be attended to and not wait. I brought her in at the suggested time of 9am, they took her out back and I waited and waited. Several other patients - actually all other patients went ahead of me without any follow up. I checked in at the front every hour and they told me she was next to be seen. After 5 hours of waiting I asked to get her back and left. I brought her in for an assessment at their recommendation - not for her to spend the day in a crate. If they didn't feel it was urgent enough they should have been polite enough to advise me to wait a day or go somewhere else. I appreciate the triage process but my dog sat in the back in a crate for 5 hours - and still no one could assess her. Without a bathroom break or water it seems - she barely made it outside afterwards for a pee break. I am certain this hospital takes care of the patients as needed, but this process from my perspective needs review. read more

Took my 16 year old cat here as directed by my veterinarian for emergency services (vomiting, sudden lethargy and not eating/voiding. Called first as they asked and was there within 20 minutes. They were very welcoming and supportive, and gave me a comprehensive intake form that did not slow down a physical assessment by one of their vets. A real plus was they were prepared to examine her immediately. They asked many pertinent questions, including history and then did their exam all within 15 minutes of our arrival. They kept me informed of what was happening, and after the exam, discussed options and gave recommendations. We opted for the least intrusive but informative testing and in home treatment while waiting results. All the staff were so wonderful and the space calming and comfy. We received an email in the afternoon giving us great news. great communication, caring, extremely timely and effective treatment. Thank you all!! No question that should we have another emergency we would entrust our furry family member to Canada West. read more

Very lovely and kind doctors and staffs. Medical fees were expensive, around ~$4500 total, but only cause I didn't have pet insurance so the other reviews likely did not have either. I could not pay in full so the doctor allowed me to pay it in parts every visit. Sorry I can't remember the names of the doctors. But everyone there took care of my cat Summer (15 y/o) with a lot of love and care. The veterinary clinic felt like a second home, it was comfortable and made me feel like I could tell them any concerns without judgement. Unfortunately Summer has passed away but the staff were very supportive and helpful during the process.. It's very hard on them when they have to tell the news. I hope the doctors take well care of themselves.. It's awesome they are 24hrs though. They have air purifiers on at all times, anxiety blankets, water, hand sanitizers, cleaning wipes, clean washrooms.. they also have a quiet room for when you want to have some time with your pet. I definitely recommend Canada West Animal Hospital read more

See all

If I could give negative amount of stars I would. This may be a long read but I encourage you to read it fully. If I could go back in time, I would have never taken my dog to Dr. Emma Hall. My dog went in for a lung lobectomy as he had a mass in one of his lungs. Dr. Hall called me a bit before the surgery to go over everything and also telling me of side-effects, but she reassured me that they were all rare. After surgery, Dr. Hall called me and said that it went great. They weren't able to get all of the cancer (which I expected), however she told me that she spent a "large amount" of time looking for my dogs lymph node. My dog is an older guy, so I don't understand why she would risk all that time looking for it, even though none of the many expensive scans that we did showed any cancer in there. She also never even found it in the end. A couple of days after surgery, every time I called, the nurses told me how well my dog was recovering and even stating "he is doing excellent". Then everything went down hill. My dog had a chest tube in to drain the fluid that was being produced due to the surgery. After a day, Dr. Hall ordered for the drain to be taken out, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL PRODUCING FLUID. I will never understand why she did that. Right when the tube was taken out, my dog went downhill extremely quickly. The fluid that the drain was removing was now starting to accumulate into his chest cavity and soon, it reached his lungs. The other doctors are amazing, trying everything possible to remove the fluid from his chest and lungs. However, he was too far gone. Some of her colleagues even suggested that the tube was removed too quickly as well. One doctor even tried to put the tube back in but it was unsuccessful. So not only are we out thousands of dollars, but we also lost our sweet dog as well. Dr. Hall first spent a large amount of time "exploring" my dog trying to find his lymph node, which led to a large amount of inflammation and fluid accumulation but then she even went further by removing his chest tube. Ever since the day of surgery, I have never received a call from Dr. Hall, giving me any closure or information of what could have went wrong. Not even giving me condolences over my pet WHO WAS HER PATIENT. She always had other people doing the phone calls, even though she was the one who did the surgery. My biggest regret will always be putting my dogs care in the hands of this place. read more

We're superrrrrrr disappointed with both the emergency department and the billing team. We initially chose this hospital with the expectation that it would provide quality care but ended up it felt like they were more focused on extracting MONEY rather than ensuring our cat received the care he needed!!!! This was the first time our cat has ever been so scared during a urine test, and we wonder what happened in the examination room since owners are not allowed in. The vet we met was nice, but he mixed up terms related to feline diseases which raised concerns about their expertise... orz I ended up paying $799 and only received an $18 refund for the urine test that was not conducted. What struck me as odd is that $18 for a urine test seems considerably cheaper than market rates, but this low price ONLY seemed to apply when I was asking for a refund. I was previously informed (by the vet) that the bloodwork and urine test together would be around $300 (I even got the audio record of this conversation) However, when I requested a refund, they split the costs into various items and only offered an $18 refund. I found the billing process to be highly confusing and misleading. The practices have left me feeling taken advantage of and frustrated. Overall, I am DEEPLY disappointed with my experience here. The opaque billing process and questions about the staff's professionalism make it hard for me to trust this hospital with my pet's care. read more

I called ahead with my pet's exact symptoms and asked if I should drive from Whistler (1.5 hours each way) or continue with the care the Whistler vet had given me for the 2 days they were closed. The Canada West vet recommended I come, and said they would be ready for me. Despite my being on time, they took my pet but left me with no update for 2 hours. When I asked what was happening, I was told that 3 other more critical cases were put in front. Why was I told to drive more than 3 hours if my pet was NOT an emergency? No Canada West vet had seen him yet, nor was one expected to see him for at least another hour ... I opted to reclaim my pet and drive back before midnight. We were there at 6pm - it was now 8:45pm. Though they had my pet for 2 hrs and were aware he had been in the car 1.5 hrs before that, they didn't give him a litter break. On top of the medical stress, he had to pee in his carrying case! read more

my dog is still crippled from this hospital and will never get better over 40 k soent on his sergeries

My husband and I are extremely happy and satisfied with the compassionate, professional, and kind treatment received for our dog Missy, rhodesian ridge back cross, and our son's rottweiler /lab, Blue. Dr. Emma Hall is a lovely lady, and a gifted, devoted surgeon. She did surgery on Blue recently, due to an infiltrative lipoma in his front right leg. Dr. Hall was able to remove 80 % of the lipoma, spending 4 1/2 hrs in surgery. She apologized and expressed her disappointment at not being able to remove all of it. (though no apology was needed. She did her utmost best.) The lipoma was intertwined with muscle and close to some vital nerves, and considering this fact, she did a phenomenal job. Blue was well taken care of during his post op recovery stay also. He is doing well. Our dog Missy had surgery today for removal of a large tumor on her liver. It was a very successful surgery, with complete removal of the tumor. Missy is doing well as I type this, staying overnight in ICU for monitoring and post op care. A biopsy was done, and it will take 5 to 10 days to receive results. We highly recommend Canada West Veterinary Specialists Clinic in Vancouver. They are the BEST ! Thank you so much for your devotion, expertise, and excellent care Dr. Emma Hall. Thank you also to Reception and Pre and Post Op staff, for your kind, professional care, update phone calls, and friendly ways. Regards and a big thank you from Marion and Chris Lindsay, and our dog Missy, and son's dog Blue. read more

Canada West Veterinary Specialists - Blue, lab/rottweiler. - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

MUST READ THIS FULL REVIEW. I took my dog I've had for 9 years since he was a puppy. First experience was terrible. My dog was so scared she poop all over the place. That was over year ago. Took him there yesterday. We seen doctor Dennis Doyle he gave me some meds said he was fine. He eat a bone and they even told me that he will digest the bone with no problem. They never even told me what I should be looking out for if he needs urgent care and I woke up to check on him and he was dead. Never go here. Boycott this place. They just sent me out the door I doubt they even checked my dog. He was happy healthy guy he had a good life. Never trust this place. Never trust they care about your animal. Please. This is the hardest thing to go thro. I loved my dog more then anything. read more

I won't recommend people to take your dog to this hospital. One of the doctor harass us and give her presure try to change our decision to let our dog to stay the hospital for one night and charge $4,000. It is truly undue influence by legal term. read more

It feels weird recommending a vet that I hope to never return to. Amazing emergency vet. I had to take my cat in for bladder issues that required emergency surgery. They took amazing care of my cat in a terrible situation and o couldn't be more grateful. read more

Do not ever take your cat to this place They charged me $2000 for just taking my cat for not urinating check up which everywhere charges $400 I got there at 5:45 pm .and they started the treatment at 8:30 pm more than 2 hours to make the bill and agreements papers so my cats issue got critical They just just care about money and animal health comes 2nd read more

waiting 3 hrs in the EMERGENCY hospital for no reason!! The receptionists who were sitting in the back of room rarely show up in the front during the 3 hrs. They put other people in front us(me and my Children)from 9:50pm to 1am due to "whatever emergence reason". of cuz I don't mind someone cut lines front me for serious issues. But I came here for EMGENCY issue as well, my cat were high possibility broken the paw. No explaining just waiting. Guess after 3 hrs waiting, kids were extremely tired and sleepy and we were finally seen another night shift doctor. We got the answer from her "was not too sure, and needed $700 for just further x-ray etc". They will charge you thousands of dollars for "extra care" even you might not needed. Well, basically charged us $249 for doing nothing but wait 3.5 hrs that night. I mean at least she could tell us it was swelling, break the bone or what. Luckily, I finally booked another vet in Richmond after two days, although it's really far to drive, they provided us much details about my cat situation and the price was not vague at all compare Canada West Vet. Well good luck for people going Can West Vet, even though it takes me 6mins drive there, but I'm not gonna waste my time going there anymore. read more

This was my first experience at a pet hospital and I was very pleased with their service. My puppy had an accident and their ER took him right away. All the staff and the vet, Dr. Teresa Cheng were very caring and nurturing. She gave me options of services and was not pushy. She respected my choices, which I appreciated. The only thing I would have wished would be to be present during his exam and blood testing. I never leave the room during my kids (human) doctor check ups, so I assumed I could do the same with my puppy, but I had to wait in the waiting area. I don't know if this is common practice in all ER pet hospitals since this was my first experience. read more

I have heard Canada West is supposed to be the best in Vancouver. Really !? I took my beloved cat there yesterday as my cat could not walk or climb all of a sudden. I arrived there five minutes before the set appointment time which was around 10.00am. After having filled the medical history forms just like any place, my cat was taken away to an area that I could not see my cat for an initial check up which I was told by this lady who explained the procedures. Then, the waiting time started. One hour passed by, then came another hour. believe it or not, I waited for almost 4 and a half hour hours before another woman told me to go into the room for consultation. I went in anticipating the appointed vet would come with my cat. No. Again, another 20 to 30 minutes before the vet showed up empty-handed without my cat. there, she told me that my cat was under so much stress that a check up for diagnostic purpose was impossible. She went to her computer and asked all the questions which I had already filled up at the reception desk. I just could not hold on to my anger. I told this vet that I was angry, but she kept on asking the same kind of questions that I had already answered. Guess what? after more than five hours of waiting, she did nothing but prescribed a pain killer for my cat. and this prescribed drug is only used as a tranquilizer for human being. This was just like a bad dream ! An appalling disbelieved nightmare! An apology was made for this relentlessly long waiting time, but all for nothing cost me more than $250 dollar. It was not the cost for nothing that has proven this place unreliable, what kind of place is this? I would never want to take my beloved pet to go there. and, I would recommend you to think twice before going there. It was such a horrible experience of just waiting but without any findings whatsoever. read more

A tough one for me to pen, because I lost my dog eventually. Everyone from the front reception up through neurology doctors and oncology were amazing to me and my dog here. Multiple times used the emergency overnight vets, always pretty reasonably priced and far better than other emergency vets I've been too. Very caring, very good at explanations. I would come to visit my dog while he stayed here for a week and everyone who cares for them checks vitals, walks them out back etc love these animals like they are their own. The facilities themselves are incredible, world class state of the art hospital with operating theatres, mri machines, clean modern bright spaces. My dog turned out to have heart cancer and even though it was incurable, I feel a lot of peace that all the departments tried to do everything they could to prolong my dogs life and give him a good quality of life until the end of his days. They were always kind to me, they are truly special people here. I only wish they could be a regular vet place too, because the quality of their Care is unmatched. read more

A few years ago we had an incident with our dog and were referred to Canada West. I can't stress enough how amazing the people who work there are. If you have been referred here then chances are your pet has a serious health issue which can be such a stressful time - the Can West team do their best to ensure you and your pet are well taken care of. It is expensive but you pay for the service you get which is incredible. Who can put a cost on love? They gave me more time with my dog than we thought possible and I will be forever grateful to everyone there! read more

Our 10-year old pug developed cataracts and suddenly went blind as a result of diabetes. We liked everything about this vet hospital. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The ophthalmologist Dr. Pierce is awesome! So is the vet tech who assists her. We felt very confident that our pug would receive the best possible care. It has been 4 months since the surgery and our pug is still doing well and has his sight back. He had to wear a cone for quite awhile, and he is still getting eyedrops, but it was all worth it. We are so glad we decided to get the surgery done. Their is another vet in New Westminister who does cataract surgery but they were very backed up and we would have had to wait months (during which time his eyes wold have got worse). We saw Dr. Pierce in early June and our pug was able to have his surgery the following week. read more

Canada West Veterinary clearly has a skilled staff and it's a busy place. Our cat was diagnosed with cancer yesterday and today she is to be euthanized. The vet told us 2:30 then changed the time to 4:00. It is now 5:30 and we haven't any idea when we will see / say goodbye to our cat. If I had seen multi emergencies arriving unexpectedl, I would understand the delay. There are no such emergencies. Notwithstanding the imperative of an emergency, if a person is having to deal with the loss of a loved pet they should never be made to wait like this. We've paid $2200. to these people and we're being simply disregarded. Not excusable, not good enough for a professional outfit. read more

There aren't really words to describe my experience at Canada West - the emotions are still rather raw, 6 months after the fact. To be clear, I think the crtitical care & support staff are absolutely wonderful. They did the best they could for my dog when the scenario I'm about to describe inevitably escalated. I had a frenchie, JL, that I brought to Canada from Paris. He was the most hilarious, sweet, well-mannered dog I've ever known. As with many brachycephalic dogs, his breathing was an issue, especially as he grew into adulthood. We had his nasal passageways operated on initially to try and help, to not much avail. He struggled particularly suring periods of high heat and too much exercise, and our vet recommended we explore the option of having surgery on his soft palatte to remove excess tissue. We were referred to Canada West, and went in for a consultation. Initially both the high cost of the surgery and recovery were prohibitive, so we left the surgery for a year and revisited it this past spring. During our second consult we were told of possible risks - there was a very small chance that our dog would have to have a temporary tracheostomy (breathing hole in his throat) as sometimes it can be difficult to get the dog off the ventilator, but at least it would only be temporary. We agreed that at this point we should get the surgery for the dog to help his comfort down the road (despite the fact we've never had any major distress problems) and so we booked the surgery. After insane complications, multiple tracheostomies, (the final one permanent) my dog died in my arms. Turns out his trachea was so narrow that a) the surgery would never have done anything to alleviate his breathing issues in the first place and b) the trauma of all the surgeries, pneumonia as a complication, etc is what eventually killed him. Canada West does NOT do their due diligence on your pet prior to performing invasive, life-threatening surgery. We spent about $30,000 in ~6 weeks to Canada West for nothing but absolute heartbreak. There is absolutely zero doubt in my mind that had we not opted for their recommended, "safe" surgery, my dog would still be with me today. He was only three years old. Get a second opinion and get whatever exploratory work you can have done before you put your pet's life in their hands. read more

Canada West Veterinary Specialists - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

In my opinion, this place does not even deserve 1 star. I brought my beloved cat to them on a recommendation from another vet. My cat was having problems walking and peeing outside the litter box. When I first saw the vet at Canada West, his first words after seeing my cat walk was: "I've never seen anything like this". these guys are supposed to be the foremost experts in all of western Canada. What came next was the battery of tests they performed on my cat. After about 3 tests that cost a total of $2600 they still did not know what was wrong with my cat. They thought it might be neurological so they asked for a few more test to be done. Next round of tests cost $800. They still did not know what was wrong with my cat. Now they wanted to do exploratory tests on my cat. When I asked them if there was anyone else around for a second opinion, the vet there said I could see his colleague whose office is down the hall from his. Did they think I was really going to trust the opinion of another vet from the same place? I asked him that I would like to see another neurologist from another pet hospital. They told me that they are the only ones in all of BC. You've got to be kidding me. I did ask them if they took insurance claims, and they just rolled their eyes. Cash or charge up front only, no insurance claims. When they finally realized that they could not squeeze any more money out of me, they stopped all contact with me. What a poor decision on my part to take my cat there. My opinion is that if you like to get mediocre care and spend lots of money, then by all means take your pet there. Otherwise, stay far away from this place. They only care about how much money they make and not the well being of the animal. I have seen stories on the news about severely injured animals being taken to this place and the owners having to go public to try to raise the funds to pay for their treatment at this place. read more

This place does not place care first. They only have dollar signs in their eyes. Our Frenchie was experiencing some problems as a pup. The problem was known as elongated soft pallet. He had developed a bit of pneumonia. Our vet at Yaletown Pet Hospital (another cash grab clinic) barley checked him and referred him to Canada West. I knew the deal upon reading reviews here first but still took him. They took him into the back to run some x-rays. It came back that he had a touch of pneumonia and wanted to run further blood tests. As they came out to tell us this they kept our dog in the back almost as ransom. I asked to see a bill for the test so far. $700.00. The predicted surgery and overnight care would cost close to $4000.00!! When I said that we would stop there and see what the antibiotics would do the doctor was very condescending claiming how much of a "specialist" he was. I stuck my ground and we got our dog back when we paid our bill. I further investigated hospitals outside of Vancouver finding a very good one in Bellingham, Washington. The vet there spent over 20 minutes on the phone with suggestions, one of them being extending his antibiotics more than Canada Wests recommended 10 days to 20 days. And if that didnt do anything they would do the surgery for $1100.00. A quarter of the price. Sure enough the extended antibiotics did the trick. Our Frenchie got better and has not seen a sick day in 1 year. Do not believe any good reviews of this place. Unless your pet is in immediate need then seek help elsewhere. They have a monopoly on the lower mainland with no laws regulating what they charge. In my eyes they should be prosecuted for endangering animals with unnecessary surgery's simply for profit. STAY AWAY. read more

We brought our dog here today after he was attacked by 4 large dogs. (He is a small dog.) The care shown by the staff was amazing, and the care is impeccable. ( Way better care than we get in hospitals.) It is definitely expensive - very expensive, BUT they give the best care possible. Ever person we met was helpful, kind and very clear in their communications. I believe if we had gone anywhere else, our dog would have died (he was so severely bitten that his lung was hanging out.) The staff from the receptionist to the er doc to the surgeon were professional, efficient and kind. I don't know what will happen with our dog, but I know he is in the best possible hands. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

My dog Kingston has been to Canada West Vet's for 3 episodes of IVDD. The first two times we were able to heal Kingston through conservative treatment. 3 weeks ago, Kingston was showing symptoms of IVDD again. He was trembling, his back was arched, his stomach was tight, and he was clearly in pain. I called Canada West and they took Kingston in right away. Dr. Sharpe had a look at him and his documents, and recommended surgery. He did not push it in any way but highly recommended. He said we could send him home and start conservative treatment (with pain meds), but that if he regressed in any way that I should saddle up for surgery. After four days, I noticed he was still in pain. Although he wasn't regressing, there was no progress so I took him in on Saturday, they kept him overnight and put him on morphine. On Sunday, Dr. Sharpe had a look at him and recommended we move forward with an MRI on Monday. During this time I visited him frequently, and it was clear that the staff was taking excellent care of him and truly cared for his well-being. They were also happy to answer all of my 10,000 questions. After the MRI, it turned out that he had multiple ruptured disks and multiple disks that had potrusions (not sure what that means but it isn't good). Surgery had to happen. So we booked him in for Tuesday. They performed the surgery and it went very well. They had originally quoted me $9,500 but the total ended up coming out to about $8,100 including the 7 nights he stayed there, the drugs, the IV, and the physio therapy. They also performed a free CT scan because they thought there may have been an issue with his neck. My boy is at home recovering now, and he's recovering really really well. The team at Canada West did an incredible job and have provided Kingston with a better future. I'm forever grateful for everything they have done for my dog and the measures they took to reduce the cost of a very expensive procedure. read more

My dog had lymphoma a couple of years ago and we were referred here by our regular doctor since it is pretty much the only place in bc that has canine oncology. It was one of the most painful times in our lives so far and everyone here were so helpful and generous. Our doctor (who is no longer there) gave us all the possible options and possibilities and did not just push the most expensive option. We did choose the complete treatment and it was totally worth it. It was very physically tough on our guy but he handled it well and was treated extremely well by all at Canada west. It is very, very pricy, I am too embarrassed to say how much, but if you can afford it, your loved ones will be in very good hands here. (9 of 30) read more

I'm really surprised to read any negative reviews about this animal hospital. I'm currently dealing with my beloved cat who's mammary cancer may have returned. Dr Saam (oncology) is nothing short of amazing, probably the most detailed, caring and informed vet I have encountered. As well Dr King who did our cats second mammary removal surgery was incredible. Being her second surgery we had something to compare the experience to and Dr King was by leaps and bounds the superior surgeon. Our cats stitches looked as neat and tidy as sutures on a human and were so much better than the vet we had used in LA. But the real kicker for everyone who says Canada West is expensive? The surgery was half the price of our LA vet. Dr Saam in consultation with other specialists at the clinic was also able to figure out what was causing our cats constant runny eye and occasional wheezing (our regular vet had dismissed this as incurable viral herpes) She showed us our cats CT scan so we could see what the issues were and explained in detail what we were seeing. It turned out that our cat was also suffering from mycoplasma and chlamydia, both undiagnosed by our regular vet and treatable with a series of antibiotics. We get regular phone calls, emails and updates while we are going through all of this as well. As well the comments about minimums and not taking insurance are all false. They dealt with all our insurance forms to make it so much easier and helped me understand the pre-approval process. They just plain care about giving your pet the best care possible but will also give you all the options and associated costs with absolutely no pressure. We are so grateful to have been referred here. read more

As a pet owner who loves her pet, choosing a vet in times of need can be very nerve-wracking. You read reviews that are good and bad and wonder which ones are true. When it comes to their pets, owners can be very finicky. To every pet owner out there, trust me when I say that these people are the best ones I have come across. I have a six-pound little pomeranian-chihuahua named Tara that has had congestive heart failure and a collapsed trachea in the last few months. I have been to a few other clinics since that time to get my pooch taken care of. I had brought her in for emergency to another clinic originally, when she was having trouble breathing, so she had to stay overnight. The person who took her in assured me that they would make her feel comfortable because she would be scared. When I called in the morning and asked how she was doing, the attendant told me that she had been crying in her cage all night. They left a dog with cardiac issues alone and scared in a cage by herself and didn't even take her out to comfort her or tend to her all night! I finally found Canada West when one of the vets recommended them because of their cardiac care facility. From the first moment walking in, one of the ladies working in the back noticed her and came running to the front desk to hold her. She has since been nurtured, cared for and attended to more thoroughly than I have ever seen in any clinic. She is never left alone to be scared. Everyone there seems to really love dogs, and I have seen them being caring to every single animal that comes in their door. They have been so caring, conscientious and thorough since I first brought her in. The vet that I've been seeing there, Marco, is extremely thorough and spends so much time talking to me about Tara's issues. There is always a follow-up email within the week to check to see the progress with any new routines or medications. Whenever I call, they make every effort to address my concerns and get me answers as soon as possible....and they always call back. What prompted me to write this review is that today I had called because I had lost the prescription for a new medication I was given when I was in. I also had some questions about this medication...I was a bit nervous about giving it to her because of some things I was reading online (good old Dr. Google). The lady who answered said that the cardiology team was not there but she would try to find out what she could and get the prescription sent to the nearest pharmacy. She called me back promptly with my questions answered and had sent the prescription to my pharmacy. She called back again when the pharmacy had the drug on backorder, and so she wanted to send it to another pharmacy that had the drug but wanted to make sure I was ok with going there instead. She called me three different times to help trouble-shoot everything and make sure that I felt ok about giving the drug to my dog. I know they are a busy clinic and she spent time out of her day to help out a concerned pet owner and resolve the issues. She could have easily told me to call back in the morning when the office was officially open and the cardiac team was there. But she didn't. She took care of it herself, with compassion and patience. Tara is an older rescue dog that I got about 7 years ago...and I don't know how much time she has left. Yes, it's expensive sometimes. But so are other clinics...you can't get away from that when you have a pet. I would rather spend my money on a place that cares for my pet with professionalism and compassion, and who will make sure that whatever time she has left is comfortable, happy and that she is as pain-free as possible. They are fair and always tell you the costs ahead of time. My dog is worth it, and it is what I signed up for when I got her. Thank you to the team at Canada West. read more

Canada West Veterinary Specialists - Tara Bear! - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

For anyone who has been referred to Canada West through their vet and have been reading all the mixed reviews, feeling worried if they should take their pet here... first of all, let me say, I was in the same boat. Please take heart that I am not a "paid" or "fake" reviewer writing this. I was reading previous negative reviews how people here wondered if all the positive reviews are fake. If you check out my profile, I have been reviewing restaurants and venues way before I wrote this review, so you know I am legitimate. My dog was having seizures once every month or once every 2 months. However, in April, he suddenly had 3 seizures in that month alone after I fed him a new dog food called "Health and Wellness Grain-Free". My other puppy did just fine on this food. I read online that rosemary (a natural preservative in many dog foods) can cause seizures to dogs that are sensitive to it. PS, a tip from me: if your dog has seizures, immediately apply an ice bag on his back, it keeps him from overheating and cuts the seizure time in half. It's a trick I learned on the net, just google "ice pack to stop canine seizures". VISIT 1: -------------- At first, felt really nervous about Canada West because of the mixed reviews online. My dog was not in a state of life-and-death, but he was in a serious condition since he was experiencing seizures. I was booked for a consultation with Dr. Nick Sharp. It was $230 + tax for about an hour consultation, so coming here is expensive. However, Canada West is a place to bring your pets if their conditions are more serious. The girl on the phone was so nice and she was Japanese. Since I am part Japanese, I felt at ease talking with her. When I went in person to Canada West, I wasn't sure what to expect. But my worries were put to rest when I met Dr. Sharp in person. He was professional, polite, and a very thoughtful person. He is a neurosurgeon there and other pet owners have told me on Facebook that he is one of the very best. Read Tamara B's review below if you want to know more about him and the clinic. I had a chart of my dog's seizures ready for him, and a video of my dog's seizure for him to watch. He checked our dog and also took him outside to observe his walking gait and behavior and asked us questions. He wrote up a report about my dog and his suggestions for the next steps. They did some tests on him that day and I was sad to see that the results showed that his liver reading was mild to moderate elevated (I guess it's called elevated liver enzymes?). I do recommend Dr. Sharp for your pet, he seems very professional and knowledgeable. He explains the options and has a price list beside everything so you don't get any "surprise" fees. Everything is laid out on paper to you clearly. He emailed the results to us with his suggestions, thoughts, and also some information on possible liver diseases that might match my dog. I don't have pet insurance by the way, so I would be paying full price for everything. Like I mentioned, the prices here are very expensive, but they offer critical care and emergency services that regular vets do not. I am considering doing a crowd-funding or fundraiser for my dog if prices go beyond what I can afford. You also need to put down 75% deposit fee. This is their way of avoiding clients from bailing on bills. The prices are hard on me, since I'm paying back student loans and I am not wealthy by any means. I used a credit card for all the prices so far so I will have to slowly pay them off later through work. My only concern to Canada West is that when I go pick up my dog, the receptionist trusts me and has my dog given out to me easily by staff. I think there should be a pet owner ID system set up, to prevent the possibility of thieves from coming in and pretending to take up someone's pet. After our first visit, I researched tirelessly on the internet for a natural cure for his liver because I learned that the liver is an organ that can self-regenerate and heal itself if it's not too far damaged. Tips on the net suggested changing a dog's diet immediately to a nutritious low-protein or easily digestible protein diet will help immensely on his liver and health no matter at what stage of damage. I switched my dog food from kibble to real home-made recipes I found on the net for dogs with liver damage. VISIT 2: ----------------- Two weeks later, my dog had his bile acid test done and results showed his liver was back to normal! Maybe the diet is working? But the ultrasound showed that he had intestinal erosions/ulcerations so this is my next concern now. I will be updating this post review as I go along on my next steps with Canada West. What I absolutely love about Dr. Sharp is that he doesn't push products/meds on you and respects if you want to try holistic/alternative ways first. Anyway, Yelp says I've hit my 5000 characters limit for my post here, so I'll have to continue my review as a new one next time. read more

Canada West Veterinary Specialists - Canada West Vet Hospital - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

My puppy idol wasn't feeling well and other vets had told us it was just his hips because he was a german Shepard. Within 10 minutes of going to canada west they informed me that he probably had cancer, which he did. If I didn't bring him there that night he would have passed away. Even though we had to put him to sleep, we had the time to say bye to him. They even wrote me a letter and signed it saying how sorry they were for our loss. By far the best vet I've ever been to. read more

DO NOT COME HERE FOR AN EMERGENCY FOR YOUR PET Why can I walk into a HOSPITAL for an emergency but I can't walk into an EMERGENCY VET HOSPITAL? It makes NO sense. This has been the most unprofessional and insensitive experience I have ever had. I will NEVER recommend this place to anyone. When I arrived at CanWest Hospital I had to call the reception in order to have someone come outside to grab my dog - I was on the hold for 3 minutes. *IN AN EMERGENCY YOU DO NOT HAVE THREE MINUTES!* We had a brief conversation over the phone and a lady comes to take my dog. At this point I have handed off my dog without giving full information of his problems and history. I received a call back 40 minutes later from the vet to talk about options. She said this is an emergency surgery but he wouldn't be able to have the surgery until Monday/Tuesday. They wanted to keep him here for 2-3 days then do the surgery. ($8000) It makes NO sense for them to not recommend me find somewhere that could take him immediately. Talk about a money grab?! If its an emergency it needs to be addressed immediately! I found another Vet Hospital that would let me GO INSIDE to do a consult/exam and would do emergency surgery immediately at the 1/4 of the cost. They sent me updates via text about him throughout the night. THAT is the kind of service I am looking for when there is an emergency. To be honest I decided to write this review not only because of my own experience with my pet but because I watched how everyone else was treated and the stress/impact it caused. Watching a frantic women run up with her limp dog and how long it took for them to pick up the phone and grab the dog and it was the most heart wrenching experience and I don't wish this on anyone. Please do not go here if your dog is in a time sensitive emergency. read more

Had my first medical scare with my Pom Reggie. I been a bit of a mess worried all day and the staff today were so lovely. Dr. Imlach and her assistant were were very kind and knowledgeable. Thank your for making this experience easier for me. read more

Let me tell you: whatever you have been reading online is a load of malarky. It was so hard for me to choose a neurologist because reviews on yelp and on the veterinary review website kept sending each other back and forth ("No, Boundary Bay is better, never take your dog to Canada West". "No, Canada West is better, don't take your dog to Boundary Bay".). For a $6,000 life threatening surgery, it was hard to make a choice, but we are beyond confident that we made the right one. Our dog was referred to the neurology department as she was showing beginning signs of intravertaebral disc disease. We were scheduled to meet with Dr. Higgins, who somehow has negative reviews online. I was a bit worried when I came in because of those reviews, but thank God they were all wrong. Dr. Higgins was so sweet, and so informative. He had Cocoa walk around so he could check her neurological function, he ran a few tests and a CT, and he explained all of my options to me very clearly so that we could make an informed choice. We decided to wait it out to see if her body would heal itself. He sent us home with strong pain meds and anti-inflammatories, with the idea that we would come back in a couple of weeks to reassess. Less than 48 hours later, our dog was paralyzed in her back legs. I called the clinic at 10:45pm, sobbing uncontrollably. We ended up rushing her in that night so that they could put her on IV fluids and prep her for emergency surgery the following morning. Let me just say that these were some of the most terrifying days I've had. My dog is basically my kid. Dr. Higgins was so amazing. He called the next morning to let me know how Cocoa was doing, and let us know that they were about to take her into surgery. He assured me that he would call the second that they finished to keep me in the loop, and said that if I wanted to call in between then to hear how she was doing, that I was more than welcome. They even started the surgery before we had paid the 75% deposit, as we were scrambling to get it covered. Everyone was so professional and so kind to us that I was more than willing to spend the $6,000 to save my dogs ability to walk. Over the time that she was there, everyone complimented how wonderful Cocoa was, saying that she was sweet and always wagging her tail. I called every night to check on her, and the vet tech was always happy to give me an update and never made me feel rushed. We got to visit her after her surgery while she was healing, and they were really kind to us then as well. They even waited for us to get there to take her off her catheter and to walk her outside for the first time, which was really nice. For such a hectic, scary few days, they really did everything that they could to make life easier on us. Please don't believe the other negative reviews. At the very least, know that the neurology department is phenomenal and your pup is in good hands if you bring it there. I do feel that some people blamed their pets death on the doctors which prompted a negative review; I also feel that these doctors would have done everything possible to save them, and feelings may have gotten in the way of an honest review. We would highly recommend Dr. Higgins and his staff to anyone needing a neurologist. UPDATE: So, our puppy (not Cocoa) ended up having a deformity in her leg which required surgery. Obviously we chose to come back to Canada West! Our experience with the surgery department was just as wonderful as it was with the neurology department. Dr. King handled all of our questions and concerns with absolute grace. He was so kind to our pup and to us that we felt very at ease almost immediately. He's also brilliant - I knew something was wrong with her back leg but even after our regular vet tools X-rays, he claimed nothing was wrong. I did my research and thought it was something to do with a deformity in her hock, but Dr. King almost immediately knew that she had a deformed growth plate. She had a corrective osteotomy the following week and is doing better than ever! Another huge thanks to everyone at Canada West! read more

I am blown away by these awful reviews. It seems to strange compared with the experience I had here this last winter. My dog was referred to CanWest for a TPLO surgery. I was so scared and nervous as my dog is pretty old and I read about how extreme a surgery it is and how hard it can be to recover from. Right from the start the staff were amazing. The women at the front were always so kind, remembered me and my dog's name, and always seemed to genuinely care how we were doing. The doctor took the time to explain EVERY little thing, showed me diagrams, x-rays, made sure I understood everything that was happening. After the surgery my dog took a long time to recover (I was told he might because of his age, but to keep them informed of every bit of progress). They called me every single day for two weeks and helped me with tips to get him eating, sleeping and generally being more comfortable. The wait times for check ups were minimal, but always pleasant as most of the other people there were in good moods as they also seemed to feel they were in good hands despite the trauma a lot of them were going through with their pets. When our dog was ready we took him back to CanWest to do hydrotherapy there and the women who run that program are absolutely amazing! It was one of the best parts of my week! I really enjoyed coming back and watching him walk in the tank, and it was always such a pleasure to talk with them... you could tell they really loved my dog! Overall the experience was really hard for me, the surgery was rough, and recovery time was slow and difficult... but the staff were wonderful and I highly recommend this clinic. read more

Very helpful staff, especially Dr. Bahlmann. Even with COVID going on, I was put at ease by Dr. Bahlmann and felt my dog was in good hands. She took the time to explain everything over the phone, as no one besides staff is allowed inside. She also sent me follow up and discharge papers, and contacted my dog's regular vet. Great service. Quality Care. read more

My dog's doctors were Dr. Sharp and Dr. King. Both of them were just brilliant, and my dog is turning healthy 11 years old soon because of them. My dog had a rather rare ear problem called "cholesteatoma" and had surgery in 2018 at Canada West. Dr. Sharp diagnosed and Dr. King performed the surgery. My dog almost died from this disease, but because of these two wonderful doctors and other fantastic staff at Canada West, she is healthier than ever at the age of 10. I can't thank them enough. read more

They are truly the best. I wouldn't trust my dog with anyone else. They are kind, compassionate, patient, and have your pets best interest at heart. They aren't like other vets who try to get you to do unnecessary procedures just to make more money off of you. They truly just want to help your pet get better. I'm so grateful to all of their staff. They are amazing! read more