This amazing team saved my dog's life. VCA ASEC immediately recognized symptoms of a snake bite, confirmed with a blood sample, and began antivenom treatment. After 2 days in ICU, baby is home now, curled up next to me. I am forever grateful. Thank you. P.S. get your dog a rattlesnake vaccine. read more

A lovely Sunday morning hike turned into a super scary situation when my 7 year old pit bull was bitten by a rattlesnake! I came straight to VCA Animal Specialty after calling to make sure they could see my baby right away and was so impressed by the following: 1- facility is super clean and modern 2- reception staff was incredibly kind and efficient 3- communication- I received multiple phone calls from the attending veterinarian over the 2 day stay to let me know how my pup was doing and what the current treatment plan was 4- clear about costs- was it free? Of course not! You are talking about a 24/7 emergency center. My dog got excellent care from start to finish and it was expensive but she would have certainly died without it. I will be eternally grateful this facility exists and while I hope to never have to bring another pet here I would do so if there was a critical emergency. Here is my baby resting comfortably at home after her life was saved. read more

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

My 14 year old PomChi Homer developed a large mass on his liver. His vet of 10+ years referred us to ASEC for a specialist to figure out the best care and options for treatment. I was nervous bc I had heard of bad experiences w VCA facilities. Too corporate, impersonal, cold, rush you into expensive procedures - those were some of the things I'd heard and read. My experience couldn't be further from that. Dr. Yoshimoto saw us first and was very respectful of my desire to avoid surgery and focus on Homer's quality of life. It turned out the mass wasn't even really suited for surgery anyway. We also saw Dr. Chow and Dr. Tasker on subsequent visits as they treated his mass. The vets were so kind, great listeners, truly cared about Homer and above all, really well versed on the condition Homer was dealing w and options for him. They gave me all the info I asked for, responded to emails promptly and were always attentive and sensitive to my concerns. Dr. Tasker esp was very kind to Homer and I appreciated it very much. They are expensive. That is for sure. However, it turned out to be worth it to me. The staff review costs closely w you before anything is done. If your pet needs care beyond your local vet clinic, ASEC is excellent. Their state of art facilities and top notch vets (my experience is in internal medicine) gave me peace of mind through a tough time. I highly recommend them. read more

We had an amazing experience with the entire staff over at ASEC's Oncology Department. It was a whirlwind week of tears and devastation for our pooch Zula, but Dr. Downing had a superhuman compassion for us and our situation. Stunning how much she and her staff cared for us and helped us through the most difficult time we've ever had; it's easy to forget that aside from being incredible doctors, they're also inundated with the grief and struggle that accompanies the folks they see, often coming in on some of the worst days of their lives. Dr. Zabalaya sat with us while we said goodbye to Zula, and offered--how else to put it?--an angelic safe place for us to grieve. She sat with unending patience and warmth and spilled compassion on us and our sweet one. We're so incredibly grateful. Even after our week of heartache, we received an incredibly thoughtful, heartwarming, handwritten card from Dr. Zabalaya (I've attached it below) expressing her sympathies. Amazing. And to all the staff that assisted us along the way: we're grateful for you. read more

VCA ASEC - An incredible, handwritten letter sent to us by the extraordinary Dr. Zabalya, after she helped us with Zula... - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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ASEC has always provided excellent care for my dogs. However, since the Internal Medicine Department replaced Dr. Trevedi with Dr. Betty Chow, my assessment as changed. This review is for Dr. Betty Chow, and NOT for Dr. Eric Chow, or the Emergency Department. Dr. Eric Chow saved the life of my dog, and after the surgery, sat with my husband and me for almost an hour explaining the prognosis. He was wonderful, and we were beyond grateful for his care. I have brought my dogs to ASEC for years. Scott Anderson, one of the original founders, performed brilliant ACL surgeries on both my golden retrievers. Recently, Eric Chow, as mentioned above, was equally brilliant when Joy, my 11-year-old golden, needed emergency surgery. We have seen Dr. Downing for Oncology, who was wonderful, and we loved Dr. Trevedi for internal medicine. I very much wanted to like Dr. Betty Chow who replaced the practice of Cohen and Trevedi. I brought Joy in for an internal medicine check which included an ultrasound. Dr. Chow insisted that any dog having an ultrasound would have to be anesthetized. Joy is the sweetest most compliant dog imaginable - my primary vet calls her an "Angel". I did not want Joy to be anesthetized for an ultrasound - she is geriatric and has serious medical issues, and I didn't want her unnecessarily traumatized. But Dr Chow was adamant that It was ASEC-VCA policy that any dog having an ultrasound, be anesthetized. Dr. Chow responded to me without a hint of warmth and refused to budge. I ultimately refused the ultrasound. When I took Joy to my primary vet, she recommended another hospital that does not require anesthesia for ultrasounds, especially when a dog is very sweet, non-aggressive, and always compliant. The bottom line is that Dr Betty Chow has a very professional and no-nonsense attitude and probably knows her stuff, but she has a terrible bedside manner, and was absolutely rigid in her assistance that Joy be anesthetized before the ultrasound. There was a complete lack of emotional understanding or empathy in her communication with me. My assessment of ASEC is that the emergency, surgery, and oncology departments are all great. However, I would never go back for internal medicine. There are other very excellent animal hospitals with wonderful internists, and it is not worth it to feel uncomfortable with any vet. read more

Firstly, VCA is a scam and I avoid them like the plague. The people who own the chain run it like a business more so than a vet. But my dog has 2 obstructions and over the weekend I had to make sure the partial instructions didn't become full obstructions. I was trying to hold out for surgery with her regular vet till Monday. My dogs state seemed to be worsening so I went to the nearest er which was VCA ASEC on Saturday night. The nurse and front desk were super nice. Dr. Wolf was not helpful, pretty checked out and I just got the sense he was giving me his canned speech about all the reasons they need to keep my dog for observation, about how mistaken my vet was, about how I have to start all over again with VCA. Convenient since it's so expensive to do that. All I wanted was to know if her partial obstructions became full obstructions so he took an X-ray and 2 hours later he told me he couldn't say for sure and that my dog would need to stay overnight, then get an ultrasound the next day and then see their surgeon for 10k. What a joke of a doctor, honestly. A doctor who isn't there to treat but to just run up the bill in any way possible all while coming across completely disinterested which is such a fitting choice for a vet who works at VCA. This was Saturday night and I told him my dog was going in for surgery at our regular vet Monday morning. I just wanted to make sure she was maintaining till then. So he lied to me about being able to give me an answer after the X-ray and instead just tried to get me to keep her there by trying to scare me. Not ok. So not only did I pay 1000 to not be told the answer I was told I'd get after the X-ray but I just got more of the ring around by Dr. Wolf who also questioned my vets assessment, saying my dog might not even have a blockage but then confirming after the X-ray she did have a blockage. When he couldn't give me an answer and said he'd have to keep her longer for observation ($$$$$$$$) it was like someone telling me "you could walk outside and a piano could fall from the sky, killing you and your dog, there's no way to say for sure". Just an awful way to run an animal hospital, trying to snatch as much money as possible from people who are scared for their animals, knowing on the weekends the regular vets aren't open so they got you where they want. Sick. Again, rest of staff was nice and helpful, Dr. Wolf should maybe consider something less face to face with people. Not a people person. Not really even an animal person it seems. Avoid VCA at all costs. read more

Giving three stars for past good service, but this place really disappointed me this time around and deserves one star for this visit. To be fair and to say something nice, perhaps my dog's issue wasn't in the emergency category, but we had no way to know what this huge lump coming out of our dogs ear was and it was about to be the holidays. This visit was a follows: I brought my dog in for an Aural Hematoma and they didn't do the right treatment. I don't know if the vet was newly minted or inexperienced in this condition, but I went back to my regular vet today when the issue can back two days later and was told that he didn't even consider what ASEC did as treatment. I know they did work on her because I took the dog in at 9 am and took her home at 3 pm, and they gave me a report on their findings and the treatment provided. Initially I was just annoyed because they sedated the dog to do their work and she was out of it for 3 days, but at least I assumed the care was correct. First, this is not a normal recovery from a "mild sedative" and my vet said sedation is not required to drain a hematoma, only for surgery. Second, my vet explained much more about the issue to me in 5 mins than ASEC did in over 5 hours. Third, I truly don't think that ASEC knew how to treat this issue; apparently when you drain a hemotoma you need to bandage the ears so they don't have the opportunity to fill up again-this was not done. You are also supposed to check for an ear infections, which also was not done. Three days after this visit I had to go to my own vet to drain the hematoma again. It took 25 mins, the whole visit was one hour, and her head is wrapped after drainage, there was no sedative and she was tested for an ear infection. The bill was 1/3 less than the $600+ ASEC charged me, the dog was not traumatized and all seems to be good for now. As a very long time customer here with multiple dogs for over 15 years, I'm so disappointed that this visit turned out so poorly. I will think twice about any future emergency issue before bringing my pet in. Not sure if this is because VCA took it over or what. Note this is about the emergency room not the specialists who can be very good. read more

We saw Dr. Carley Saelinger today, and I so so highly recommend VCA ASEC for speciality cardiology care after our experience! I was a very nervous mom, and the veterinary student who checked us in was so patient, thorough, and caring in gathering my dog's history, symptoms, and behavior. The front desk staff were similarly professional and kind, and responded promptly to questions and made sure I knew what was going on in terms of logistics (billing, pick up, post-visit reports). Dr. Saelinger was also so knowledgable, and had great bedside manner -- like I said, I was so nervous but she answered all my questions kindly and was so thorough in her work. She communicated well with me about our options and was transparent about pricing and what was going on medically, so that I didn't get any surprises and could make informed choices. Today was the *first* day my dog has had a diagnostic test he had to be still for without sedation. He's a dramatic, sweet rescue Husky who usually squirms and gets very nervous at the vet, but they made him comfortable with treats and love! I am so glad to say he's a happy and healthy boy after our visit today. Thank you to everyone today for treating my little man so well and taking such good care of him (and honestly me, too!) -- I appreciate it more than you can imagine! read more

VCA ASEC - The pup in question! He did great at VCA ASEC! - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My husky has been seeing Dr. Yoshimoto since she was a puppy for her kidney health and I would 100% recommend him. In 3/2020 I adopted a husky puppy with an atrophied kidney and was referred to Dr. Yoshimoto to monitor her kidney health. From the start, Dr. Yoshimoto was very helpful with navigating the situation and gave me a plan of action to ensure my husky was at her best. Since then, she sees him 2x a year for regular check ups to monitor her health. Throughout her time as his patient Dr. Yoshimoto has been very responsive to any concerns I have. There have been times where my primary care vet prescribed medication to my husky and Dr. Yoshimoto has always been quick to respond to my inquiries as to whether that medication is safe for her to take. I always hear back within the same day with a safer alternative or with the OK to go ahead with the medication. My experience with him has been nothing but stellar, and he will continue to monitor my husky's health for as long as he is able to because I know she is in good hands with him. read more

Over a year ago. , MOE ,my little senior Chihuahua's heart became a problem and his regular vet can not manage it. I looked for all vet in LA to Orange County that has a Cardiology department and this facility has the one with soonest available open appointment . I actually got this vet info from another vet clinic who gave me all the vet clinic that has a cardiology dept. This place is not near to me about 16 miles away,but this place was closer to my work , so I know the area well . They have ample parking lot and easy to get to. Efficient and friendly. They took MOE , did all the necessary lab and diagnostic studies, it's not cheap ,they started him with different dosage of the meds plus 3 more meds a total of 5 . At first , the return visit was every 4 weeks then 2 months then 4 months . He improved a lot. He stabilized. He was back as a happy little boy doggie. But an unfortunate event happen May 13,2023, my little MOE was killed by a coyote. I cried ,sobbed so much that my eyes were so swollen for days. I called the vet clinic and informed the assistant for the Cardiology dept of the bad news and I donated all his meds to the Lange foundation as recommended. On the day MOE supposedly return appointment, the Cardiologist Dr Barncord called me and expressed her condolence. She said they loved little MOE and was happy how he was improving. Thank you Dr Barncord for your words and expertise and VCA Cardiology for all your care and services for Moe. Thank you from bottom of heart. Thank you. read more

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

I'm so grateful to Dr Gomez supporting us yesterday in my baby's transition yesterday I took my dog Mushu to another Vca a few days before and the dr said he was fine. Yesterday we knew he wasn't ok and rushed him to this hospital. Dr Gomez was able to find out my baby's condition. Kidney failure and a bad heart. I couldn't let him suffer any longer so I thank Dr Gomez and the rest of the staff for their gentleness and support read more

Do not bring your pet here if you want to see them alive again. I write this review with a broken heart after bringing my beloved cat here on 8/11/2020. What a huge mistake it was. Never did I think in a million years that this horrible place would kill him, because ultimately they only care about money, not animals. It's predatory to say the least, charging pet owners astronomical fees knowing they would do anything to save their fur baby. I don't want to get into all the gritty details, but basically, I took my cat here because he had fluid around his lungs and needed to be drained. The emergency vet, Dr. Ong immediately said that he needed an echo for his heart and she was "85-90% sure" that it was heart failure WITHOUT even doing an echo first. Naturally, hearing heart failure multiple times scared me so I let them do the echo on him and drain the fluids. But, before they even progressed on any treatment, they demanded payment upfront. That should have been a telltale sign for me, that all they wanted was to rip me off. Keep in mind that this is during COVID and I am not even allowed to go inside the hospital to see my baby. Everything was done over the phone, the billing, the phone conversations with the vets, and the diagnosis. Also, they really mess with your emotions, and push having your pet spend the night so they can "keep an eye" on them at all times. And they charge you for everything single little thing. I have an itemized receipt of the fluid draining, the echo ($678), a chest x-ray I didn't approve of, tons of meds pumped into my baby which I also didn't approve of, oxygen tank, catheter and more stuff which was 3 pages long. One thing that really pisses me off is that I specifically told them to NOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT CONSULTING ME FIRST. And guess what? They totally ignored my wishes, pumped him full of drugs, and performed an additional chest x-ray ($236.50). I find it alarming that on 8/12 they gave him 3 doses of Pimobendan when they only gave him ONE dose on 8/11. WHY? By the way, there is a low end and a high end to their bills which I find criminal because really, how can they have a RANGE WITHOUT A DIAGNOSIS? You just care about money. What can we do to these poor animals to make their owners pay up? When asked about why there was a low end and high end, the receptionist actually laughed. Well, glad that seeing my cat in misery makes for a good laugh for you. Heartless and horrible. My cat was released to me all drugged up and in worse condition. He passed on 8/16/2020 in a horrific manner and I will NEVER trust this place again. Total cost for his death - $3,261.97. VCA ASEC SHAME ON YOU. read more

So grateful for this place. We went to the other VCA urgent care on Sepulveda. We were told to sit in a car and it would probably be 7,8 hours before we could be seen. Dr Michelle Zhang saw our dog within the hour and was very caring and knowledgeable. She put us at ease right away. I don't wish to have to come back to an urgent care soon but if I do, that would be the place to go! All the staff was very professional and helpful! read more

We went in to be seen when our dog was having a major IBD flare up. She had been off of medication and fine then suddenly up multiple nights crying. We basically came in to have medication prescribed to get her through the night and hold her over until we could see a specialist again. We were assigned to Dr. Ross. Wow. Not great bedside manner. We had been up for nights with our dog and she told us very dismissively "there are much sicker dogs here than her." Not helpful. She was condescending. She refused to prescribe the medication and said we had to wait to be seen by an internist. Our dog had been on that medication before. We left with no prescription and she had terrible episodes every night until we could be seen by another vet. This is not the way to support clients and their dogs. read more

This hospital came highly recommended by my vet tech friend and I'm so glad we came. My little Maltese swallowed two tampons () and ended up with a stomach and bowel obstruction. We came in at 10 pm and the staff here was so nice while I was a total crying mess. I was convinced he was going to die. They did an ultrasound first thing in the morning, which was how we found out what he had swallowed, and did his surgery the same day. He had to stay a few days inpatient in ICU. Take a look at what they pulled out of him, and know that is pure skill. I wouldn't go anywhere else if your dog is in crisis. The staff here are angels. read more

VCA ASEC - This place is staffed with angels, I swear. - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I like them. Some awesome doctors here. Our dog has a heart tumor and the cardiologist was great. She gave me an anatomy and physiology lesson that really helped me understand what was going on. Been here for a bunch of other things in the past with dogs that have passed and they were all very nice read more

Low on necessities for saving animal lives. Don't have confidence in the doctors. You pay upfront for overnight stays even if the animal dies before that?! read more

On Monday, I called my dog's vet because the cough he had had for the past couple weeks was getting worse. On Tuesday, we went in to see the vet and after many tests, he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that had spread all over his body. On Wednesday, he passed away. If you had told me a couple weeks prior that I'd be saying goodbye to my best friend, I wouldn't have believed you -- the entire situation was a tremendous shock and deeply painful. But there was a bright spot in his passing: Dr. Wu. My dog was transferred to this hospital from our regular vet's office because VCA ASEC has more emergency services that my dog needed. That turned into such a blessing! Over the course of 24 hours, I talked to Dr. Wu on the phone a LOT. She called me frequently with updates on my dog's condition, was profoundly patient and thorough when explaining the science behind what was happening to his sweet little body, and had the most compassionate way of communicating hard truths (and soothing me when I paused to cry!). If my dog had to leave this physical realm, I am deeply grateful that it was under her care. Because my dog was in pain, struggling to breathe, and didn't have any viable options for treatment, we decided that putting him down was the most compassionate thing to do. Dr. Wu was deeply kind during that process (my first time experiencing it with a pet) and allowed me to spend as much time as I wanted with my pup before and after the procedure. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Wu. One day, when I'm ready to welcome a new furry friend into my life, I look forward to making her our new vet. I've seen many vets over the years; there's no one better. read more

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

Fabulous specialists. A few of the intake people are a little sour, but I'm there for the expertise of the docs. Prepare to spend $$$$.

I called before arriving and Valerie was so helpful in answering my questions. Everyone who helped me during my cat and I's visit - Evelina, Shann, Dr Vu, Terra and the man who reviewed aftercare instructions with me were incredibly kind. Dr Vu and her team did an excellent job managing my aggressive cat. The lobby has a cozy vibe, not sterile or depressing like many other vets. The exam fee is a slightly higher than other emergency vets I've gone to, but this hospital is open 24/7, and the staff's kindness assures me that my pet is cared for, so really can't complain :) read more

After waiting over 5 hours without being seen at the fancy place down the street, I phoned ASEC and they said they would see my beloved Sophie right away. She was 15 years old and had bad arthritis and significant dementia, and had taken a turn for the worse. It was 3 am and I was sad and exhausted. Lisset on the front desk was so kind and helpful. Dr. Jeffrey Lowenthal saw Sophie right away and reviewed options with us. He offered medication to treat her symptoms of difficult eating and pain, and let me be the one who suggested it might be time to bid her goodbye. Every step of this most wrenching process was supported by Dr. Lowenthal and the ASEC staff. My friend who accompanied me said "he's an angel". The contrast between two VCA-affiliated emergency hospitals was stark. I'm eternally grateful to Dr. Lowenthal, Lisset, and the rest of the ASEC staff for getting me through a painful goodbye to my beloved companion and reassuring me afterward that I made the right decision. With their support I was able to take the time I needed to give Sophie a loving sendoff. She will live forever in my heart. read more

Dr Balfour is simple the best. He operated on our two dogs and the care was excellent! Thank you so much again VCA ASEC for all you do! read more

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

My dog died after surgery at this place. He was the greatest dog - and the lack of humanity and decency was abject in my opinion. My dog was like my son. The most concerning part I feel was the organizations lack of empathy that I experienced. It is a long story but I wanted to express a few of the most outstanding issues: -After surgery the staff (without doctors orders) took away his water. They thought he was drinking too much. They did this not in concurrence to doctors orders. My dog had kidney issues making him want to drink and he was thirsty after surgery. He also may have been dehydrated and low on blood. I can only imagine how desperate he was wanting to drink after they took his water. I felt so desperate requesting them to give my dog water. But I never got a clear answer that night if they did give him water. I dread thinking that my dog was parched, desperate without water. -When my dog was dying, after the surgery, when they released my dog, a Doctor came out to turn over my dog. As my dog lay dying in the back of my car, she said - "I have to go out for the night or My shift is over. I have to go" (I paraphrase) - It was something along those lines - I can't remember the exact words. The impression I got was that it was very urgent to her that she had to go. Regardless of passing over my dying dog that she predicted was going to die in a few hours - that was how she acted? It was immature, inconsiderate and, well it felt cruel in my opinion. The lack of professionalism and empathy is beyond the pale and I believe that doctor should be working as a gardener because she shouldn't care for living animals. I actually take that back, there is nothing wrong with being a gardener. I wish that she really re-thinks her career and at the minimum learns and experiences some empathy, and hopefully matures a lot in my opinion. Perhaps she had a bad night or said something stupid. But that was my Son dying in the back of my car. -The day after surgery, while in their care, my dog then suffered a stroke(or he feinted) while they were walking him. It seemed to me like they did not know what to do after speaking to the doctor from what I gather and the discussions I had with the doctor. They gave him fluids and put him back in his cage from what I understand. Did they did not give him the proper treatment after what they described as stroke? -I had to ask the doctor who performed surgery to check is blood count. After completing the test at my request they determined he had a low blood count (volume of blood). I asked her to give him a transfusion. I remember she told me she did not know how to do it. After some research at her hospital she learned that they could perform it. I then had to take him back to their dreadful place of business where it took what I remember an exceedingly long time to complete the procedure. I spoke to another veterinary hospital and they told me the procedure should be fairly quick, within a 2-4 hours. I believe he was there an extended period of time. My dog was dying. It was unfortunate because it didn't seem like they treated him like a dying dog. It felt like there was no sense of urgency or caring to help Buddy. -Was the stroke (or feinting) caused by the lack blood or dehydration? Should they not have checked? Should they not have given clear answers? I am troubled because I had to make the recommendation for the blood transfusion. -Their administrative staff - I was not impressed. But I believe that it is a culture of the hospital. I do not blame the young individuals, but I believe more so a culture of the hospital is cold in my experience with the organization. -This place reminds me of a big hospital, or the DMV, where you can't communicate effectively and your concerns go unheard, and I feel there is a lack of caring. They are a cold business that should be defunct in my opinion. My son just died. I wish they treated customers who just lost their loved ones like people who, just that, just lost their loved ones. I feel like the management style is one that is Heavy Handed and with a lack of empathy. But sometimes people like that don't understand how to treat others. The doctor who conducted the surgery was nice at the time and did spend time with me. But the rest of it as I outlined seemed unsuitable for this type of business. read more

Dr. Linder is wonderful! After taking my dog Charli to other doctors, taking X-rays, trying different medications, we could not diagnose her and she continued to limp, limiting her activity. I truly thought that this was something major but after Charli's visit with Dr.Linder, she found the issue immediately and her treatment plan for Charli worked better than I could've hoped. She's very knowledgeable and caring, always taking the time to listen to my concerns and answer my questions. If you're dog is having any orthopedic issues, I highly recommend you see Dr. Linder. read more

I brought my dog in the middle of the night, she was bleeding and clotting, not eating. They did $1800 worth of diagnostics and ZERO medical care whatsoever. This place is a racket. Do not come here. read more

After initially hoping to avoid surgery for our dog, he ended up needing TPLO surgery. We chose VCA ASEC because our past experience with their facility was positive and we were very happy with the level of service we received. Dr. Balfour performed the surgery and we could not be happier with the results. First, his communication was excellent and he fully prepared us for what to expect and answered all our questions. After surgery he was responsive to our questions as well. In the end, the recover was not as bad as we expected and our dog was back in action sooner than we thought he would be. I highly recommend Dr. Balfour and his team for their professionalism and level of care provided to both our dog and us. While I hope we don't have to go back for any more surgery, if we do, I would not hesitate to go back to VCA ASEC. read more

This morning I had an appointment to bring my dog in for a new consultation with an orthopedist that I have never met for a possible ACL tear. Here is my experience starting with the initial phone scheduling until I left today: I was referred by my vet to see them. I called to make a new patient visit the people on the phone were nice and yet not very forthcoming with information about the consult other than they would have to find a doctor for me and call me back. I got a call back and set up a visit with Dr. They said I would get a confirmation email which I did but it did not have the name of the doctor only the time. I arrive today early. I go to fill out the new patient paperwork (I asked if it was online before they said no). I asked if I could email my chart notes from My other doctor and a staff person had to go through all the business card on the wall just to find an email for me to send records. They really didn't seem to care if I gave them records or not. There were about 7-8 people behind the desk. Not a single person looked up And acknowledged my dog, which is the reason why I was there. All the other vets and techs I have been to took time to at least say hello or meet the dog. I was immediately taken to a room before I was even finished with the paperwork. We when into the first room and ago the tech was never cold and matter of fact. Didn't try to say hello the the dog or even ask me any questions about what is going on or what happened or anything. She just asked which leg and that she was going to take the dog to the back to do vitals and an exam. At this point I started questioning her. Why would I have a doctor who I have never met examine my dog BEFORE I speak to him. She said "well this is our protocol and this is what we do". She was very flippant and slightly dismissive about it. I continued to question her as I myself am a doctor and I would NEVER exam a patient without a full history of the patient FISRT. They had no record or notes on him and no history at all and I had not met the doctor. She continues to say "this is our protocol and this is what we do here" to which point I said I'm sorry I don't think this will work I am leaving. She then said if you like I can go get the doctor and you can meet him. This was NOT at option she first gave me it wasn't until I was upset and leaving that she said she could get the doctor for me to meet. No I'm sorry this is not the standard of care I expect. No one there cared about my dog at all. No one there seemed to listen and when I called back to speak to a manager the receptionist on the phone never one time said "I'm sorry for your experience". She wanted to be right. She spoke over me. She wouldn't listen and then said she was there and heard everything to which I said to her "were you in the room behind the closed door with me and the tech?" She finally said no she wasn't. So I then said "how did you heard our conversation if you were not in the room behind the closed door?" This was a horrible experience all around and the front desk didn't care of do anything to try to make it better then only wanted to be "right". We as pet owners go through a lot of stress when our animals are sick or injured. We do not need a staff of people who are cold and rude telling us our experience. This was not of the standard or the caliber I expect of a VCA clinic or of any health care office of animal or humans. We all get on autopilot at work sometimes but everyone there was like that. There was no one that went out of their way to make this a good experience and in fact they tried to make it worse by telling me I was wrong. The only person that was kind was the person on the phone the second time who didn't work for this clinic and worked for the phone band system for all VCAs. She listened. She apologized. And she did things to make this better. The clinic and the staff could learn a lot from her. read more

VCA Asec is the Best. I brought my 1.5 year old puppy because he had been throwing up a lot. Dr. Claudine Auld took such amazing care of him. She treated him like he was her own dog. She was so caring and explained every step to me. It really made me feel at ease. If your dog or animal is sick, you can completely trust this animal hospital. This has not been my first visit here and every time ,and each time my dog always receives great care. read more

I have had several run ins with this veterinarian hospital. It's lucky for the animal hospital I don't have time to write about all the terrible experiences. I however, I will make time to write about my latest experience with my cat Claude(name changed) because not only was the Animal hospital not able to diagnose the Urinary Tract Infection but they told me male cats dont get uti's and their is nothing wrong with him. Im not sure what upset me more the fact that they told me their was nothing wrong with him or the horrible unprofessional attitude of every person that worked at the hospital. All that was not cool but the next thing that happened will and should blow your mind. When I got Claude home I noticed that he had some sort of terrible smelling, very sticky, stinking residue on his fur. This (for lack of a better word) stuff had been smeared all over Claudes rear 30% and it was impossible to rinse off because I tried to rinse it off and I tried to scrub it off. . Nobody at the hospital had said anything about some sort of topical solution to help his UTI probabbly because they said their was nothing at all wrong with Claude. Why would they without telling me apply some sort of solution to Claudes fur. Furthermore the stuff they put on my pet stunk terribly and it was very very greasy and sticky. I couldn't get that stuff off for at least a week. I know it is almost unbelieveable but those people at the animal hospital put something on my cat that was very sticky and gross smelling and would not rinse off. I didn't mention before that I live in the neighborhood of the VCA and a couple days later I sort of cornered one of the interns from the hospital and they admitted to me that they were working when I brought claude in and that the sticky gross stuff was something they reserved for clients who refused to see things the animal hospitals way. I was supposed to meet up with the Animal Hospitals employee and he was going to find out some more info on this mysterious stuff and exactly what it was. I just hope somebody will read this review and will have had a similar experience and together maybe we can have those responsible dealt with appropriately. read more

Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Oncology are all wonderful; pleasant and professional, I trust their judgement and medical care. S. Kahle Keene read more

On one of the worst days I've had, this place made it even more difficult and exhausting. My 13 year old cat suddenly was in incredible pain, the likes of which I hadn't ever seen before. I get him in the car and head to an animal hospital because hey, it's 4, it's an emergency, and something is clearly very very wrong. I called ahead! Talked to a woman at the front desk, gave them the cat's a symptoms and background. She told me to come to the hospital to be seen. Might take an hour, but I would be seen. I get there. I check in. Now a person at the front desk says they need to check with a doctor to see if I can even be seen at all! *hold for groans* luckily I can! They take my cat back in his carrier but quickly return, saying that he's hissing at them. I say yes, he's in horrible pain. What did you expect? And simply, if I was allowed to be the one that picks him up he would not hiss. They say that's not allowed for liability reasons and that they looked at the cat through the case and decided he's fine. He probably sprained something and I should go to a different non emergency vet. I beg, I plead, sure I'm a bit of a jerk, but guess what! They say fine we can see you! In THREE hours if no one else comes in. Mind you, the entire waiting room is just people picking up their pets. All this to say, horrible service at the front desk for someone to say I should bring in a cat in pain if they won't even look at it. Horrible service to turn me away when I'm trying to help this poor creature in pain. And quite frankly? A horrible waste of over an hour as I have to lug my cat to the VCA in Mar Vista to vets who actually have ears and are willing to let me take the cat out of the carrier for them. Hey guys! If you did a 2 minute exam on the cat you would have heard a heart murmur. A heart murmur so severe that it forced a blood clot in the cats arm (not a sprain) and created a situation that was so painful that the cat had to be put down. So on the day that I had to put down a cat I loved for 13 years I'm left with the look on this VCA doctors face telling me I'm CRAZY for thinking this is an emergency and that I can't be seen. Reading the other reviews I guess they just didn't think the cat would be able to work up a 10k bill so they told me to beat it. Yeesh. Thanks so much. UPDATE: Pro tip - go to the bottom of their yelp page and you will find hundreds of other 1 star reviews that they've found a way to hide either deeming them "not useful" or they violate yelp's terms of service (they probably curse angrily at this place). It's not a reach to say hundreds of 1 star reviews of a vet is pretty damning... read more

After almost a year of my dog Coco's passing, I would like to leave a nice review for Dr. Sue Downing, our oncology vet. She was so patient, kind, and sympathetic to our dog's unexpected illness. Within 2 months of diagnosis, we had to say goodbye to her. It was so so heartbreaking. It was also incredibly expensive, I didn't have pet insurance, and I didn't realize how much the bills would rack up (about $20k). Dr. Downing gave us suggestions and helped walk us through the cancer journey. I was fixated on trying to feed Coco only "healthy" foods despite her appetite diminishing, and Dr. Downing reassured us that her eating anything would be okay. On her last weeks, I hand fed her freshly fried chicken. Looking back, I'm glad Coco was able to enjoy something. Unfortunately, I had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to Coco when we found out her cancer returned and spread. We had set a home euthanasia appt for a week later and had to make it through the last week. Every couple of nights, we brought her into ER and asked for subcutaneous fluids and nausea injections. It wasn't a true emergency but I was desperate and helpless, and the ER people were still so kind and accommodating. Dr. Downing was on vacation at the time, and when she returned, Coco had already gone to heaven. She called me and expressed her condolences. If your pet is under the oncology department, I was told euthanasia at the hospital would be free. I couldn't do it because every time we came to the hospital, Coco became so alert and was shaking. I knew it would be too stressful for her, so we chose to do it peacefully at home. 1 star off because of our notoriously expensive VCA is. If you are reading this, please please invest in pet insurance. I'm lucky to have had donations from friends and my own savings but I'll never make that mistake again. read more

For some reason I saw 2 comments by management here, first one was deleted and I only can see the second comment. The unacceptable risk was that Dr Yoshimoto did not came to visit my dog as he promised. It would took him only few minutes to evaluate my dog reports and situation but staff were not able to find him for the whole time I was there. The unacceptable risk is they did not offer any help to save my dog as he was an existing patient for few months. The unacceptable reason is the ER Dr did not evaluate my dog lab report and I had to tell him myself that the dogs hemoglobin level is going down. My dog passed away one week later due to the unexplained reason. I know you just care about your business and reputation, but I had to leave this comment for other dogs owners to be aware and alert. read more

I came in at 2 am because my dog had THC poisoning from eating something off the sidewalk. My dog was checked in a picked up in a timely fashion. Both reception staff and Dr. Lee were excellent -- courteous, kind, and patient. She walked me through her suspected diagnosis, checked with me during each stage before she administered additional treatment, and explained everything calmly in our phone exchanges during the visit. Additionally, Dr. Lee was very accommodating in trying to understand the situation and recommended alternative routes of moving forward with treatment that would best benefit my dog and my financial situation. She walked me through each step of the way, though I could not be there physically due to COVID. After spending the night in the hospital, I picked up my dog in the morning and was met with a happy recovering pup and a set of detailed discharge instructions. In the following 24 hours, other doctors followed up to check up to make sure my dog was okay. My phone calls were answered quickly as I followed up with additional questions following my visit. Though I had a small issue with billing due to a communicational misunderstanding, the hospital staff was quick to help resolve it. Though the situation was terrifying for me, Dr. Lee & the staff at VCA ASEC walked me through it with professionalism and grace. Highly recommended. read more

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

I am completely dismayed and disappointed at the complete lack of communication from VCA ASEC - specifically the office of Sue Downing. My primary vet performed a fine-needle aspiration and the pathologist made a preliminary diagnosis of Soft Tissue Sarcoma. At her recommendation, I called oncologists right away. On Tuesday, November 7th (almost three weeks ago), I called Sue Downing's office and requested an appointment. They said they needed to collect records from my primary vet and would call me back to schedule. By Friday, November 10th, I heard nothing. I called Sue Downing's office again. The woman with whom I spoke seemed to have no way to check that this was in process, and treated it as though it were my first time calling. She said she would aim to call me back to schedule by end of day, or Monday, November 13th at the latest. Today it Monday, November 27th, and I have never heard from anyone at Sue Downing's office. They clearly have NO interest in setting an appointment or treating my beloved dog, and won't even do me the courtesy of calling to tell me as much. THANKFULLY, I called Veterinary Cancer Group in Culver City at the same time. They scheduled me right away, and put me on a waitlist for an earlier appointment should something become available. Eventually they got me in about a week later. They received all documents from my primary vet, showing me Sue Downing's office was the issue (as my vet was clearly being responsive). I had an oncology consult and surgical consult the same day and we have a treatment plan in place. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE WASTE THEIR TIME CALLING SUE DOWNING'S OFFICE. Call Veterinary Cancer Group if you want timely and professional care for your animal. read more

We thank the stars we found the VCA Animal Specialty Emergency Center! Our beloved dobie, Moshe, suddenly became extremely ill and we stumbled (with much last minute research), onto the kindest, most considerate, and knowledgeable staff we could have hoped for. Moshe spent three days in ICU with the most loving care. The Vet Tech's were gentle and methodical and gained Moshe's trust easily. He was always happy and willing to go with them because they showed concern and held mutual respect for one another. From the moment we arrived in emergency, and with each proceeding follow-up visit, we were greeted by friendly professionals who conveyed all pertinent information in a timely and direct manner. Procedure options and costs were presented verbally and in contractual form. We're so grateful for Dr Kristin Barncord, and all the staff we encountered there, for their kindness and obvious care in making every effort to give Moshe the best chance at life. We were informed of all possibilities and knew our lovely pet was living out his last days at home. We came home with proper medications and, during this time, the staff contacted us to ensure we had all we needed. Our calls to them were always received cordially, returned quickly, our questions answered expertly. Such excellent service from the ER for domestic and exotic pets - it's a very busy place! In our experience we met highly professional staff, all experts in their field, who treat everyone, furry or not, with utmost consideration. I highly recommend the VCA ASEC at 1535 S Sepulveda Blvd, in LA! They helped us immensely through a most difficult time. read more

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

This review is specifically directed to the Internal Medicine department. I've had incredible experiences in both the oncology and cardiology departments. The Internal Medicine department frequently struggles with strong customer service and responsiveness to clients. Since the onset of the pandemic, care and communication has dramatically decreased, leading to curt responses, difficulty accessing a live person via the phone and inconsistent expectations around changes in meds compliance. At times, I will have to follow up 2-3x's to ensure my meds is available for pick-up, sent to the correct pharmacy and then wait up to 30min for the prescription to be filled at the site. Pertaining to the Veterinarian, Dr. Cohen, has referred to my dog as "chunky," condescended to me over the phone when discussing meds (because in person services with clients have been suspended) is terse and sarcastic in responses and has limited availability to see patients. Unfortunately, even requests to receive follow-ups from the clinic manager has been challenging as a tech shared "the manager felt a response from them wasn't needed" or alleged dates in my dog's chart alluding follow-ups were made, but no record on my voicemail or missed call logs are available to confirm. I understand that all sectors are struggling during these unprecedented times and that staffing is challenging. But it would be helpful to receive considerate and affirming communication when you've placed your furbabies in the care of those that should ethically try their best to be responsible stewards in their profession. read more

I have been to ASEC before. I probably spent $10k, but they saved our dog like 12 yrs ago. I was in a crisis, and I myself am a Veterinarian, and our baby went into heart failure. I have received the most loving care and professionalism from their staff at ASEC. I was refused treatment at ACCESS Culver City. ASEC has always treated my pets with love, kindness and dignity. I am so appreciative to Dr Vincenta and Dr Disler, and I apologize if wrote names wrong but they have helped me through a horrible 24 plus hrs with our loved one. I am so appreciative to everyone at ASEC, esp each receptionist and Maurice(Mo), for letting cry and just being there for me. It has meant the world to me for ASCE to provide that loving care when I can't be there to provide that pet comfort read more

I had to put my beloved 8 y.o. rottweiler down at 10PM last night. Our regular vet sent us there. She had sarcoma and was bleeding out. They were wonderful and compassionate. My sweet Duchess has crossed over to the rainbow bridge. read more

One of the worst experiences I've ever had. I strongly suggest not going there but if you do, avoid Dr. Sara Crespo-Szabo. I took my dog who had a respiratory illness for quite a while to see her on Feb. 11, 2024 and she looked her over and advised I needed to perform $12,855.94 in tests before she could even diagnose her. I asked if there were something less invasive that could first be done and she said this was the best course of action. She was cold, didn't interact with my dog much and was the most insensitive doctor I've ever experienced. She also said in her exam that her "anal glands full and easily expressed". She had them removed 1.5 years ago so clearly she didn't even do a proper exam. And in the end I still had to pay for that horrible consultation. It took me two days to get copies of the exam and I still haven't gotten a call back from a supervisor after asking on numerous occasions. I ended up taking my dog to an amazing internist who looked over the notes, took some x-rays, did bloodwork and was able to diagnose her for $1,900. read more