The best knowledge in diagnosis, the best care, great attention to detail, saved my dog from a birth anomality with his nail. Thank you very much Dr Jennifer Kelsey. read more

If I could leave a negative review, I would... DO NOT TAKE YOUR LOVED ONES HERE. They tried to charge me $12,000 for an unnecessary sergery on my 7 week old kitten! They wanted to chop off his weenie, and it turns out it was just blocked under the skin. They are only concerned about money and nothing else. read more

Dr. Judge was so helpful during our visit. She took the time to thoroughly explain what was going on with our dog and answered all of our questions. The front desk staff was also really kind and helpful. read more

DO NOT take ANY of your pets to Animal Specialty & Emergency Center (ASEC) under ANY condition. Just a couple of blocks down the street (across the street from Public Storage) there is a VCA West Los Angeles (opened 24 hrs-after hours of course for emergency's only) for urgent care with friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff, with prompt Customer Service with attention and love for your pet. We went next door to VCA where a vet examined and diagnosed our dog in our presence, and proceeded to treat him without putting her under - at a much lower cost and greater safety and care for my dog. My dog had an emergency as you can see in the photo that was taken while in ASEC parking lot. Since my dog was bleeding on the side of her face and the blood was dripping all over the place - It was pouring rain and freezing cold not to mention my birthday as well. I pulled my car up to the front entrance - hoping that one of the more than 10 or so staff members would get up and help assist me with my dog. Instead they all looked at one another and made me stand outside in the rain for several minutes. The uncaring, incompetent staff members figured out which waiting room I could bring my dog in until the vet on duty could speak to me about what was occurring and what my options were. Eventually after several CUSTOMERS not STAFF MEMBERS but customers helped me out 30 mins had passed before one of there highly unprofessional staff members, told me they wouldn't offer there services because I supposedly disrespected the staff because I was emotional and upset for having to wait in the rain and then after waiting in one of there rooms for nearly 30 mins. The employee told me to just go across the street to the other VCA Vet. THANK GOD I DID!!! I will be following my entire ordeal in a detailed review shortly (on this site and several others). How dare they treat a customer the way they treated me but more importantly how dare they do this to my doggie. Unacceptable. GRADE RATING: F STAR RATING: 0 out of 5 RECOMMEND: No ATTENTION: ALL ANIMAL LOVERS & PET OWNERS....Please, Please, Please don't take any of your pet(s) here under any condition - my suggestion would be to take your pet(s) down the street to VCA West Los Angeles for any non-emergency/urgent care. The staff and doctors at VCA are wonderful, caring, knowledgeable and understanding. read more

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VCA is the best, I brought our Mojo in with Heart Failure and they have been amazing with his care since July 2020. They won't give you unnecessary test and offer seeing a tech instead of the doctor, which helps with the cost. They assisted in finding the lowest cost pharmacy for his medications. They are kind and compassionate. Mojo is doing well and he doesn't need to go back for three months! Thank you VCA Cardiologists and Emergency team you are all the BEST! read more

VCA ASEC was a godsend recently when my dog ingested a foreign substance and was extremely ill. I had initially taken him to VCA urgent care in Marina del Rey which ended up being a waste of time and money (to no fault of theirs) only because I ultimately still had to bring him to ASEC. My initial assumption was that there would be a huge wait time here, which wasn't true. Once there we were seen promptly. The staff was incredibly empathetic and efficient. I cannot speak to their pricing model, but I would highly encourage everyone who is able to get pet insurance. Having Trupanion + the care of the veterinarians here made the whole scenario substantially less of a nightmare than it could have been otherwise. Thank you to the team's kindness, competence, and expedience. read more

Let me begin by saying this staff by far are amazing. They are so caring to pet owners needs and questions. They actually take the time to try and find the best answers for you without instantly saying "A doctor needs to see them" They're calmness and care is what made me rush my 3 week old Diego to see them and there couldn't be any better or safer hands I would want him in. The vet tech and Doc answered and calmed my worry heart. I can't thank this place more from the bottom of my heart. read more

VCA ASEC - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Replying to my yelp complaint and telling me to email Jared is pointless. I spoke to Jared the week this happened and he didn't care. Said you guys have bills to pay. Yeah so do I and when I had this bill you weren't willing to work with me. Jared didn't help instead just said we are going in circles. The one that told me this is how we do business and we aren't changing. I went on to complain to corporate Jared boss and also got no where. So no I'm not going to email Jared. Her health Lady my dog was not a priority to ur hospital, you were letting her bleed out until I paid $13 k and you were very clear about wanting ur money now. I wasn't a priority either and neither was she. I lost more than half my hair from falling out based on the added stress ur hospital caused me and Lady because given her medical situation wasn't enough. Your hospital made everything worse!!!!! Know that calling corporate to complain about your experiences at both locations gets you no where. Instead they try to get yelp to delete your complaint. So what's the point of yelping your honest reviews and experiences if they are going to get taken down. And keep in mind all VCA locations may have different names but they are all part of one huge corporate company that doesn't care about you or your pets health. Instead they only care about making money. And since I was specifically told by corporate it's unfortunate the staff aren't even hiding or fakkn that's it's all only about money. Even after I paid $13 k, the staff member brought my dog before scheduled surgery and I asked if she could bring me a blanket so I could have her sit on my lap. She brings it to me and hands it over without care or helping me. Yeah I see u care all right, only about money. The client sitting next to me that just paid $7k on this visit not other ones according to her had to help me with the blanket. All VCA are afflicted with each other it's the same company. So when you call and complain about more than one bad experience they don't care. VCA is just a big corporate monopoly that only cares about money. I was specifically told by corporate. Pets die and owners gets new ones. And it's just a business what they do. Meaning that don't care about you or your pets. All they want is ur money. read more

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Last night they turned me away, said they were full. They treated my cat the day before and I had to go else where and pay another emergency fee. The day before they said bring her back if she seems worse and you won't have to pay the visit fee again. Well, they turned away a cat that has tumor in her intestine. I get it everyone is maxed out these days, but all they did was take me in a room and give me a list of 10 places to call. Don't offer the recheck if you're gonna turn me away when my pet is in need. read more

This review is for Dr Ross. She is very good in explaining the problem and compassionate about the situation. I took the dog here for emergency and I live 18 miles. I would drive here again to see Dr Ross in case of emergency. read more

The care so far all the doctors and staff have taken for my pooch has been very through concerning and with loving care. Of course their prices are high.. read more

The doctor and team at VCA was incredibly supportive during a very challenging time and provide excellent care and sympathy. They treated Skippy as if he was a very special visitor in a short amount of time. Thank you! read more

VCA ASEC Review This office has many highly capable doctors and I would recommend them for short term urgent situations. However, long term, they are not great at follow-thru and prepare for financial gouging. My wonderful Sophie has been diagnosed with kidney disease (at most 1-2 years to live). We have been seeing Dr Cohen for a long time, trying to manage her condition with medication and thru a nutritionist, her diet. In Dec/Jan this year, he ran out of ideas on how to keep her stable and said he would reach out to a kidney specialist for us, brief them of the situation and pass the baton. To date, its been OVER 2 MONTHS, and still no name/referral despite my repeatedly asking (email, voicemails, receptionist) where are we at (almost there), please give me the doctors name (no response). 2 months of time that we could have been treating/managing Sophies condition - time lost because of Dr Cohen's lack of patient care and follow-thru. Am I pissed? Of course, anyone would be. This made me think of the other items that Dr Cohen dropped the ball on: *During a colonoscopy, I requested that they take off a small subcutaneous cyst while she was sedated. How many minutes extra would that take really. Out of surgery, he said he didn't do it - that he ran out of time. *During an exam, I mentioned she was having trouble with her rear leg. His response was we'll keep an eye on it (never to be mentioned again). Went to another hospital for something else a week later and the Dr there discovered it was a cruciate tear right away. *After one of her many tests, Dr alerted us that her numbers weren't looking good. Again at another hospital, the other Dr showed concern and asked where the UTI test was - there wasnt one. Turned out Sophie had a UTI - but Dr Cohen didnt test for that - and that could give altered readings. Am I losing faith? Yes. Then as for the price gouging, I pretty much accept and pay for everything she could need. (Spent about $19k last year alone!). I draw the line of acceptance when they charged me $125 to take her blood pressure (12/10/19)!!! Prescriptions are way more expensive at the hospital vs anywhere else. Sometimes they even charged a pharmacy fee to fill the prescriptions for their own patients. I was told they have a great reputation. We are not being taken care of. I'm pissed, poor and disillusioned. read more

My 17 year old Himalayan cat Whiski had been seen within the last week by our regular vets, and had her labs drawn. She was at the point where she wasn't eating at all, hiding in the closet, and the vets referred us to ASEC so that Whiski could have an ultrasound. I was hesitant as I had had a less than stellar experience with this veterinary office 20 years ago. Yes, I know that was a long time ago, but didn't want a similar experience. At any rate I was very worried and decided to take her there anyway. I was just so impressed by not only the expected professionalism, knowledge, but the warmth and compassion of Dr. Melissa Ong as well as the techs. She is so understanding, so sweet, and there for the pets and their owners. I decided it was best to,put Whiski down because I didn't want to,put her through procedures that would most likely not really extend her life. Dr. Ong brought my baby to me wrapped up in a blanket to hold and pet for as long as I wanted. She purred the whole time. Needless to say I was crying then and crying now typing this. It has just been around a week. When it was time she was put down but surrounded by love. Dr. Ong and ASEC sent me a personalized sympathy card afterwards. Many thanks to ASEC and Dr. Ong. You are very special and much appreciated. ----------- Please don't blame ASEC for the costs of services they offer. Emergency medical and veterinary offices are never inexpensive, and of course when you lose your pet on top of it it is even more difficult to deal with. read more

No one wants to say good-bye to a pet who feels like your child. VCA ASEC did everything they could for my sweet great dane. They were kind and gentle with her. Even during a pandemic, they let me come in and see her before the two major procedures she underwent to save her life. They were communicative, and gave me the information I needed at every step to make the hardest decisions. They completed an impossible surgery with success, but my girl was a senior and had complications during recovery. I have no regrets. They gave her a chance. On her last night, they called me and told me with all their kindness that it was time, and she got to pass with her loved ones by her side. read more

VCA ASEC - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I can't say enough about VCA ASEC! Everyone from reception to the attendance that greet you and take your dog to the back and then hopefully bring them back to you... To the remarkable miraculous talents of Dr. Somerville! she was never anything but honest with us about our dogs prognosis which didn't look good... Small intestine and stomach cancer... We dropped him off for surgery and said goodbye because there was a chance he would have to be put down. We got the call that there were some things she could do! we were still guarded in terms of what to expect, but her skill and expertise gave us extra time with our beautiful boy Finn! ‍ She called him "the miracle dog!" But I have to say she also of course is part of that miracle without her there would've been no miracle! So thank you again, VCA, ASAP and Dr. Somerville for allowing us to have some very very precious extra time with our dog. read more

Dr Kelsey performed a TPLO on my nearly 9 year old Husky and did an amazing job. My girl healed very well and from the onset the stitches were barely noticeable. Great doctor read more

They just try to suck as much money out of you as possible. I took my dog chai here, after 3 hours the doctor finally addressed the main symptoms she had after brushing them off saying it's normal and doing multiple other tests on her. Which costs lots of money - I even denied some of the tests because they were not needed or helping address her symptoms in any way? I sat in my car waiting for her for 5 hours, multiple pointless tests that I soon came to realize were definitely not needed after talking with my vet. Don't waste your time here read more

Our beloved Doxie mix rescue began to limp in her back legs. We took her to our local vet who told us Marla had torn ACLs in both rear legs and absolutely needed 2 separate surgeries to stabilize her ligaments, first one leg, then the other. Besides the immense pain and recuperation time for Marla, the surgeries would cost in the $10,000+ range. We took Marla for a second opinion and got the same advice. I have known Dr. Balfour for many years and he had treated my prior dog but I had not seen him for many years because we moved further away and have only needed routine checkups, for which our local vet has been fine. I know Dr. Balfour is an incredible surgeon so we made the decision to use him. During the initial exam, Dr. Balfour gave us the option of trying an anti inflammatory for one month prior to putting Marla under the knife to see if she could be comfortable without 2 surgeries. After 2 weeks, Marla's limping completely went away and has never returned. That was 2 years ago! Because Marla is and older dog and also now very comfortable, we have opted not to do the surgeries. THANK YOU DR. BALFOUR for your HONESTY and commitment to providing your clients with OPTIONS when possible!! WE SOOOOO APPRECIATE YOU! read more

This was a devastating choice for our sweet newly adopted puppy. He has parvo and we took him here for treatment. They said he was doing well and that they were treating him. We learned 3 hours later that our dehydrated puppy was just sitting there getting sicker because they were trying to money grub over 3,000.00 per day. We offered a substantial payment plan and Dr. Wooster accepted the plan only to receive a higher estimate and to learn too late that they WANT THEIR MONEY IN FULL even if the puppy will die. The doctor also would not give us a referral to another vet that was more affordable until after everything was closed at 6 pm. At that point, the puppy was much worse and we are not sure if he will live. We are beyond heartbroken and their cruel, heartless attitude was driven by only money and more money and sadly keeping our pet for hours that we could have sought outpatient care but they wasted that precious time and might have cost my puppy his life. They even lied about the referral page that they emailed us at 6 pm and then it was too late to take him somewhere else. Dishonest, greedy and not an ounce of compassion. What a mistake we made for our precious puppy we just added to our family after the loss of our family dog of 12 years. We are double heartbroken and would advise others to steer clear of this hospital and go to place where there is compassion and honesty. I wish I could turn back time..... read more

Very friendly, helpful and CONSIDERATE with the Pet Parents. The Doctor and staff patiently explained and answered all our questions and the next steps needed to be done. read more

If I could leave 10 stars for this staff I would!! My dog, Frank, came in on a Sunday after being attacked in my neighborhood by an offleash dog. Like most pet owners I was terrified and scared and just wanted my dog to be ok. I had taken my dogs to this emergency clinic one other time when they got into dark chocolate cocoa powder (yes dachshunds are mischievous little characters!) and had a great experience that time as well, so I decided to bring them back to this VCA. The staff was very friendly and very communicative and explained the situation- Frank would need stitches but in the case of dog bite wounds it takes a few days for the would to "declare" itself. I brought him home that night and continued to take diligent care of him. A few days later his wound started smelling terrible and the skin around the wound started turning black. I knew something wasn't right. I took him in and he immediately went into surgery where they found more damage than originally thought. Dr. Somerville came out and explained what was going on with Frank. The area had become pretty infected and there was more extensive internal damage than they could originally see until they got in to clean out the dead tissue. 5 hernias and a puncture in his intestine, which called for a small section of his intestine to be removed. Dr. Somerville was very honest in telling me that Frank was not out of the weeds and that he had a 50/50 chance of pulling through. Understandably so, this was devastating news for me to receive, especially right before Christmas. I was heartbroken. Dr. Somerville used a technique in which she left the wound open to allow the skin time to heal and the wound time to declare itself before stitching Frank back up. I was in the hospital 2x/day for over an hour each visit. The staff was always so polite, always remembered me and were so kind and empathetic. I could tell that the people working there genuinely love animals which is exactly what you would hope for in a situation like this!! Dr. Sundby, Dr. Regalado, Dr. Biggo and obviously Dr. Somerville were literally life savers during Franks vet stay (which ended up being about 10 days, including over Christmas). When I would go back to visit Frank I would see the staff loving on the animals who were there for whatever reason. I am so beyond grateful to have had such a nice experience with the caring staff at VCA during this hard time. From the front desk staff to the doctors this 10 star review is for you all! THANK YOU, THANK YOU for saving my baby!! read more

VCA ASEC - Christmas at VCA with Dr. Sundby - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here after having a bad experience with another "emergency" vet. The staff were so kind and understanding, and did not force any extra treatment that they felt were unnecessary. Moved a little slowly, but kept us updated. Expensive, as all emergency vet clinics are, but they wave the exam fee if you have to do a follow up within 24 hours of the first visit. When we came back in the morning the techs even carried our dog around because he was stressed, and managed to get his front nails clipped. Happy to report our dog is doing much better. read more

I waited a few months before writing this review.. My cat was suffering from internal organ failures (most likely due to cancer) after battling with months of weight loss. Despite all of our effort, on one night in February her health took a turn for the worse. She lost consciousness and had seizure. I called the VCA emergency hospital at around 12 AM. They told me to bring her in and I hurried there. When we got there, they rushed over to help me take my cat in the back to have the doctor take a look at her. A minute later, she came out to tell me that she had passed. It was absolutely heartbreaking but they were super gentle and understanding. They gave her a shot of muscle relaxer so that she wouldn't twitch anymore. The doctor brought her body into the room to give me time to say good bye to her. They gave me a hug when it was all said and done. They reassured me that they will take good care of her body and that I don't need to worry about dealing with anything. They got me. A few days later I received a postcard with Mimi's paw print and a condolence. I cried like a baby. A small act of kindness meant so much to me. Thank you for being so compassionate and kind. It made a small difference for me during a very difficult time. You (both the technician working at the front desk, and the doctor) clearly care about the animals. You guys rock. read more

TL;DR: Mostly great, but consider a second opinion if you get bad news. We've been there with our senior corgi quite a few times. The front desk people are amazing (especially the late night staff!) and efficient. We've been there a number of times on emergency visits, and for minor things they've been great. (Tick removal at 1am? They're the best.) Our dog is a rescue who was irresponsibly bred, and as such has had a number of health issues. She had a large tumor on her side when I adopted her, and ASEC performed the removal last year spectacularly. My one caution (and it's honestly a big one!) is that they operate primarily as an emergency hospital. They're in the business of high-volume treatment. They're good, but if you get a disappointing prognosis, I'd suggest a second opinion-- just to be sure. Our experience: A few months after tumor #1, said corgi threw up blood one morning. ASEC saw her within hours and found a tumor in her stomach. Heartbreaking news-- they said because of its location (at the pylorus, supposedly), that it would be inoperable. If we did operate, she would only have 1-3 months. So, there was nothing to do but to make her comfortable. I was torn, but went ahead and got a second opinion from a veterinary cancer group nearby, and it turns out the tumor was not on the pylorus, and was in fact extremely operable. Her current oncologist did a more thorough ultrasound, and while she said it was an understandable mistake, it was also a preventable one. It's been three months since her surgery, she's on a low-grade chemo, and is doing great. Just had a follow-up ultrasound with no sign of regrowth or any other issues. So to sum, ASEC is great for emergency care. They're friendly and caring, and we will certainly be back. The one surgery our dog had there went great. But, they're not perfect, and it's always worth getting a second opinion. In this case, it saved our dog's life. So just be careful. read more

My husband and I are new puppy parents, and we were in a panic when our boy had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. We took him to VCA ASEC and had an amazing experience! Pelena, Brandon, and Dr. Kimberly Vu were all incredibly kind and highly communicative with us. We appreciated the great COVID protective measures in place (you call when you arrive, they take the pup in, they call multiple times throughout the appointment and to coordinate check in/payment) and thought the price was extremely fair given the high level of care we received. We were in and out in 90 minutes (which included an hour wait to make sure our pup responded well to medication). We plan to take our boy back for future emergencies and would strongly recommend to friends - 10/10! read more

Just wanted to give a shout out to Dr. Kang, Dr. Cohen and Dr. Trivedi (and the ER doc who admitted him, I forgot his name!!) for diagnosing my little dude with Addison's. He had been acting strange and weak for a few months until he really declined and wasn't interested in eating or drinking. They acted right away and kept him for a couple of days until they could figure out what was going on. They would call me every shift which I appreciated since I couldn't go see him. Even though I'm a nurse, I appreciated that they broke down the info so it made sense. My Ringo is doing so much better and they saved his life. I can't thank them enough!! read more

They took great care of us when our family dog was passing away. Very kind and helpful. Gave us a chance to say goodbye and handled everything with dignity. read more

My dog was peeing blood this morning so I brought her in. They got me in right away and took care of my pup. I spoke with Dr Washington and he was extremely thorough, helpful, and accommodating. He explained all of my options and was extremely helpful and put my mind to ease. Dr Washington saved the day I'm very thankful for him. I also want to add that Travis at the front desk was so kind. He really helped make the entire experience from start to finish stress free and I'm very happy he was there today. read more

All the vets and staff are all incompetent here at Animal Specialty and Emergency Center on Sepulveda Bl in West Los Angeles. As stated in many many previous reviews, this facility's objective is to take advantage of the pet owner at their vulnerable state and want to recommend unnecessary treatments which will do absolutely nothing for the pet's health and wellbeing towards wellness. Having had a such a negative and tragic experience here which resulted in my pet's suffering and demise, in my good conscience, I cannot recommend this facility as you will live to regret it with an unfortunate health deterioration of your pet and ultimately leading to death. Do NOT take your pet here, I do NOT recommend. read more

All for being an emergency hospital with 7+ hour waits to see a vet and absurd pricing. We need vets around who have the pets well being in their best interest, not the money. read more

My French bulldog had a mass that was found in one of her x-rays and my vet recommended that I see a canine oncologist. After reaching out to the Yelp community, a kind yelper recommended Dr. Sue Downing at ASEC. The staff at ASEC were very warm and understanding. I was so surprised that when I came in for an unexpected appointment with my dog, that the staff member who had met my dog only once remembered her name. That's how I knew that this was a very caring group. Unfortunately, I didn't use ASEC very long as my dog's lymphoma made her so weak and sick that I decided to make the hardest decision to date by putting her to sleep. However, the staff were there for me and my mom as we said good bye to my dog. Although we didn't have an appointment with Dr. Downing when I brought my dog in, she made time to talk with us about the process and was there every step of the way. They gave me the option of being there while my dog was euthanized and did everything in such a kind, considerate, and intentional manner. They brought my dog a soft blanket to lie on, something I hadn't considered to bring which provided my dog comfort instead of lying on a cold floor. Also, my dog was in too much pain to be carried onto the table so Dr. Sue and Melissa went on the ground with me and performed the euthanasia on the floor. It was such an emotional roller coaster with my dog's passing. We were balling our eyes out but they gave us tissue, offered us kind words, and provided us with the space we needed. They also shared resources on cremation services. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better staff to help my dog in her last few days. Pros: -compassionate staff -free parking in front of the building -separate dog and cat waiting areas -complimentary water -vending machines, magazines, and res in the waiting area Cons: -N/A read more

Been standing outside for 25 min with my sick dog while they don't answer their phones. I can see them playing on their cell phones but not answering the landline to do their jobs and help a pet. If my pet wasn't sick I would have already left. read more

It's tough reading some of these negative reviews. I have been bringing my cat Shima here for over a year. She's 12, has cancer and has been on chemo. No doubt, it has been tough to watch. Shima's oncologist is Dr. Sue Downing and we see her once a month. Dr. Downing is very calm, patient and caring and like any caring person, it's clear she hopes to help Shima, and has. Shima was throwing up several times a day and near death before starting treatment, she's bounced back and has had an almost normal year. Though it won't last as long as Shima deserves, she's been able to get some more time in her beautiful life and for that we appreciate what Dr. Downing and her staff have done. I maybe wait for less than 5 minutes total before going in to our room, and after when they check us out with our meds. I have called in the day I've need prescriptions refilled because I've forgotten and they've helped me out. Shima has had issues that required new meds that I was able to get very quickly. I have never been dissatisfied with them and in fact only impressed. read more

This place is amazing! Everyone at the front was so kind and caring. I needed an emergency cardiology visit for my new kitten. I called maybe 30 places all over Southern California and they were the only ones who got us in immediately. Everyone else wanted to hospitalize him and then wait a couple days until they could find a cardiologist. I talked to someone on the phone and they said he could be seen two hours after I called. Dr. Ong was so kind and sweet, listen to all our concerns and was incredibly smart. I appreciate everyone there for taking such good care of us and getting us in an out so quickly. You are all amazing. read more

We took in our 8 year old Poodle mix for a medical emergency and were extremely pleased with the level of care and service provided by Dr. Kim and her team at VCA. Special thanks to Dr. Barncord for recommending us to VCA, I also recommend if you're looking for top quality care for your pet(s). read more

VCA ASEC - Zoe - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I read all the negative reviews, and a few of the positive reviews. I had an appointment today with my Kuma kid; an almost 5 yr old AKC Pomeranian. He is my baby. I knew I needed to go, I also knew I needed to make my own assessment of the place and the doctor (Dr. Cohen) I was referred to see from my veterinarian (whom I trust). I have my AS degree in Veterinary Technology, and have been around my share of vet hospitals. In many of the negative reviews, people mentioned that the doctor does the exam in the back (pet and owner separate). What they don't mention, is that one of the assisting doctors on the specialist's team come to the exam room to get the history from the owner... after reading the referring vet's recorded of the pet in question. It's true, they prefer to have the pets separated from their owner to put them in a different environment so that they can get a clear read on any heart murmurs they may or may not hear. While I understand why they would want to do this, I however am not ok with an exam on my guy(s) being performed out of my site. Procedure I agree upon sure, but the actual examination of my pet... no. When the female assisting doctor told me she was going to take Kuma to the back so Dr Cohen could do the exam, I declined... Thankfully, they didn't argue the issue, and the doctor did come to the exam room where both I and Kuma were waiting... waiting to see if the request/demand was honored... Yes, you have that option to decline your pet being taken away from you to be examined. But what you as a pet owner MUST realize, if your pet is uncontrollable in your presence, especially if you are not trained to restrain an animal during examination... then please let them take them back to be examined, there isn't enough room in some of those exam rooms for proper restraining the pet safely for both the pet and doctor. Another thing people put in their negative reviews was that they take the pet back and don't bring them back after the exam (what I took it as)... if you must let them take the pet to the back room... make sure that they know, and be stern about it, if it makes you feel comfortable, that they BRING the pet back immediately after the exam... when the doctor comes back to discuss a game plane with you. You will get an estimate prior to any procedure being done. Remember that is a separate fee than the exam fee. Last thing mentioned in the reviews would be the hospital holding your pet "hostage" till you pay. Be understanding, they have other pets to tend to in the back treatment room, it can get crazy up front at the reception's desk. Also, be serious, do you know that there are some people that get their pet and while reception are waiting for the chart... the owners duck out of the building. The hospital isn't holding your pet hostage till you pay the bill, depending on the pet's procedure(s) needed... they are tending to other pets, getting your beloved pet ready to go (clean up is needed at times) and heading your way to deliver the pet. Keep in mind, you wouldn't like it if you gave service to someone, then had to go through legal services to collect. Just because you sue and win, doesn't mean you will collect the money from the owner. They will give you your pet, just pay your bill and you will be on your way soon. They only reason I would agree that it's a "hostage" situation... would be if all you authorized was the exam and they never brought your pet back to you after the exam and billed you out prior to getting your pet back... even then... it's stretching it a bit. I felt comfortable after meeting and talking to Dr Cohen. Especially since I am in my 8th month of pregnancy... I didn't get much sleep the night prior to my appointment... I swear my thoughts wouldn't shut up and let me sleep... so many different scenarios running through my head. What could be said, what might be done, if I would get screwed over or not... all the negative warnings that other owners wrote. I am glad to recommend this specialist to you. I only met Dr Cohen, not any other doctors... so just be mindful and go with your gut feeling. Ask questions, don't be afraid to say no... just remember, if they need to take the pet to the back to be examined outside your view, you can always be firm that they come back to you IMMEDIATELY after the exam. And by the way, I thought I would go into this appointment knowing I would be having either a procedure scheduled cause they would have had to put him under anesthesia and kept overnight... a procedure that would've cost near $4,000. The doctor didn't even recommend that procedure, he recommended starting with an ultrasound and go from there... I left with my Kuma kid with good and hopeful news and a bill that I paid of a little more than $300. read more

Had to bring my pup Jerome in today after he wasn't feeling well all day. We originally took him to another hospital that had 10-12 hour wait time but when we called VCA ASEC the staff were not only friendly but extremely helpful in getting him seen quickly. The doctor and staff were all very patient and informative with his care and was honest about what treatment was necessary and what wasn't which helped saved money. Overall the experience exceeded expectations. Hope to not have to be back anytime soon, but this will be our top choice if emergency care is needed again in the future! read more

ASEC - PLACE OF DEATH NOT CARE Only care about your ability to pay and line of credit read more

When my dog developed an ulcerous growth on his paw that rapidly grew in size, I took him to my vet, Dr Shipp's, who couldn't treat it, but recommended MASH, LAASER, and this VCA location. I took him to MASH, which was my vet's first recommendation, and the doctor there, Dr Williams (iirc), strongly recommended amputating his paw! She said that skin grafts wouldn't work; my dog would constantly need new grafts for months, and ultimately, it would fail, hence her recommendation that it be amputated. She said the grafts would cause him agony for 6 months and in the end, be for naught, whereas lopping off his paw would have back to normal in 2 weeks, which I found absurd--he'd be missing a limb! Imagine you go to sleep and then wake up and your foot is missing. It's one thing if you're a human, where a doctor can explain, but a dog doesn't understand what's going on, and all he'd know is that he went somewhere, went to sleep, and when he woke up, his paw was gone. And he wouldn't know why. Her blunt and rather cold manner didn't help, either. I can understand those cases where amputation is clearly the only option, but in this case, it wasn't. I decided to get a second opinion, and took my dog to this VCA. What a world of difference! Dr Linder was certain grafts would work, and it did. In fact, she used Tilapia skin! Yes, fish skin. I was stunned that this was even a thing, but googling it revealed that it's been used since about 2019 and is highly effective. Tilapia skin is full of nutrients, and it stimulates cell growth. Dr Williams at MASH never mentioned this type of graft--I suspect she may be unaware of it. Long story, short--it worked! The paw was saved, and my little guy is back to normal. Dr Linder was warm and caring throughout, and she deserves the highest praise possible. Bottom line: If you don't like what your surgeon is recommending, GET A SECOND OPINION. Thanks again, Dr Linder, and your co-worke read more

VCA ASEC - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California