Shittiest business ever demanded to ground to save my dog's life otherwise they're gonna let them die or else. My second option is sign. I'm already the Humane Society they could pay the vet bill if I can't afford two grand and I wasn't gonna let my dog die so being selfless, I did sign the paper of the biggest hardest thing I ever did and then after that, they tried to charge me with abandonment and send the byelaw after me. I had to go to court to prove that I wasn't neglected after all they just decided to drop it all yeah it was the saddest time in my life. I don't recommend this anything vca and the city of Calgary. If it's VCA avoid it with your pet no good if you wanna lose your pet that's a good place to do it. read more

I brought my cat in the week of a family tragedy and was completely incapable of coping with his illness on top of everything else. The staff was incredibly compassionate, understanding, respectful and kind, and worked to find funds to make our cat's emergency surgery affordable, without which he would have died. Our greatest fear was either having him die or not being able to afford to keep him alive, as he is my daughter's cat and she is currently hospitalized. Telling her of the death of her cat was unfathomable to us, and I will never be able to express our gratitude to everyone at Western Veterinary Specialists. read more

Paid 3 grand for a botched surgery that ended up killing my dog, great service. Definitely not the place to take your dog. read more

One star is too many. TLDR; I paid $1815 for 2 sets of X-Rays and an overnight IV fluid. She was at this "hospital" for 13 hours. If you'd like to pay 3 to 4 times what you think would be reasonable, come here. I took my dog in for bloating in her stomach area. She ate too much what we think horse was poop. A set of X-rays and an exam later, the Vet recommends that she stay overnight for observation, an some fluids by IV and a follow-up set of X-Rays in the morning. $1815 dollars for 2 sets of X-rays and an IV. This place is solely focused on maximizing your bill by whatever means necessary. The other reviews on here about extortion are completely valid. PS - Sundre Pionneer Vet has 24/7 emergency services and they aren't racketeers. https://pioneervet.ca/emergency-and-after-hours-services/ read more

Thank you Dr. Kathryn Shandruk for the good care of my Smokey. I appreciated both the extensive exam as well as the equally extensive written and verbal reports. read more

Our dog needed cataract surgery which went very well & we were pleased with the outcome & ongoing care. The surgery & subsequent check ups & medications were extremely expensive. He requires eye drops daily to maintain his vision. At our most recent visit to refill his prescription, we were informed that the opthamalogist had left the practice & wasn't being replaced. No further refills were on file. Directed to find ongoing care elsewhere. We feel that this was unprofessional & demonstrated that it is all about the money, not care. A more caring approach both from the clinic & the specific staff member who left would have be informing us when the resignation occurred or before and referring us to another local specialist with a transfer of our dog's treatment files. Extremely disappointed. read more

My pom had ate a pig ear treat that was too big I normally take them away before they become too small however I didn't get to this one on time. He was convulsing not seeming like it would pass on its own so I brought him into the VCA Western. The ladies who greeted me and took my pom in were pleasant and understanding however the Veterinarian, Dr. Radu Mirescu, was despicable beyond rude and condescending. He refused to give an explanation or written diagnosis when asked about rationale of his recommendation. He laughed at me while I asked to review the X-ray alongside him stating I wouldn't understand (I work as an engineer on the oil &gas sector reviewing many X-rays of metallics so was curious if the abnormality would be apparent and if not I was seeking to understand what the X-ray results were). I was told that it wasn't his responsibility to explain what he was seeing or diagnosing and I was to trust him. Upon maybe back and forth insulting phone conversations I being skeptical of the care being provided i returned to the clinic asking to see my pom in person which he was definitely shaken up however having no convolutions I then asked if there was a liability waiver so I could take him home and see someone else in the morning. Dr. Mirescu got into my face yelling that he knew what he was doing then I was threatened that he would take him to the humane society, that I should and will be reported to the SCPA and that I wouldn't be allowed to take "it" home. The comment of my pom being called "It" was horrendous and extremely shocking. Fortunately one of the kind admin ladies was in the room throughout the duration I spoke to her after he had left she did noted this was typical behaviour of Dr. Mirescu and recommended me to see another veterinarian at this clinic and offered a few other clinics. I ended up signing the waiver taking him home beyond words at the lack of bedside care and very limited professionalism of Dr. Mirescu. read more

I've been twice in a year, unfortunately. The first time my 17 lb dog was attacked, bitten & viciously shaken by a large dog. She had blood in her eye and teeth marks in her face. She was seen right away and we were told she was lucky it hadn't been a couple of cm in any other direction or she would have lost at least an eye. I opted for antibiotics in case she got an infection in her eye (you can't buy another one of those!) but declined other treatments - received no flack. The second time she ingested 1/4 lb of fudge - they induced vomiting, and allowed me to take her home with constant monitoring, with the recommendation (that I followed) of subcutaneous IV to deter issues with her liver. Neither time was I asked to pony up money in advance - maybe for the more acute cases?? It's pricey, but any emergency vet will be. They're understanding, kind and always give me options without making judgment. I'll be back (if I have to). read more

VCA Canada Western Veterinary Specialist And Emergency Centre - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We have had a few dealing with this practice over the years. I would not recommend that anyone use their ER department. The level of professionalism is low throughout and their communication is awful. I believe there may be a level of incompetence there that could have fatal consequences, and also suspect that they will recommend expensive and unnecessary procedures. This is all through personal and direct experience with the place. If you want to save your pet's life, take them somewhere else. The oncology department, on the other hand, is great. I wish we could give separate star ratings for the different departments. read more

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was that the initial exam fee was a little excessive($198) which is way more than other emergency clinics. I had a very bad past experience with a different VCA vet office in this city but my cat was really sick and needed urgent care to I had to take him to the closest clinic to my house, which was Western Vetrinary Specialists. Dr. Longmore was very nice, knowledgeable and truly cares about the health of the animals he treats. This clinic was transparent with fees and costs, offered at home suggestions that i could do on my own to help my cat to hopefully save $$. He truly had concern for my cat's health and overall a very positive experience. read more

I brought my ferret in as she was dying and Sadly I had to have her euthanized on Wednesday night. All of the staff were so incredibly warm friendly and Very compassionate to my pet and myself. It's extremely expensive there but I find it well worth it. I am glad that I was able to take my pet there for her final moments and have such support through it all. Yesterday I received flowers some beautiful roses from the clinic! What an incredibly kind and special thing to do for your customers After a loss! Thank you so much read more

We had to make the heartbreaking decision to let go of our beloved cat (Mr. Seven) of only 9 years. After months of him being sick and opting for surgery in the hopes that he could be saved it did not work out in our favour. Through out our experience with the Western Veterinary Centre, there was nothing but compassion and respect for myself and my husband and our furry family member. We appreciate it beyond words for the work that you do and for the passion and love of the little ones that come through the door. Thank you to Dr. Debra Henderson for the multiple phone calls. And also to the grief counselor Judith Blythe. Your sweet voice and thoughtful words were very much appreciated. Sincerely, Christine and Bryan Smith read more

Ridiculously expensive place. I had a kitty in for "cherry-eye" surgery and it cost me double of what I would have paid at another clinic, I've later found out. Service is lacking. If you can take your pet elsewhere, do so. read more

Seriously....this place makes all young dogs have needless parvo tests before they will do anything! They like to charge for tests that aren't necessary. My dog barely had any related symptom that would be associated with parvo but they still made me do the test even thought he'd been in their care just over a week before!! read more

Ridiculously expensive! They diagnosed my dog with low ocular pressure and instead of giving him eye drops to remedy this, they erroneously gave him drops to lower the pressure even more, which could have made him go blind. The eye drops were one med and the prescription from the vet said something else. What a horrible and dangerous error!!! Waiting for the director to call me, but will be starting legal action. Some people there might be very good, but it only takes one incompetent worker to cause serious harm to your pet. I would not go here. read more

I'm disappointed in the cost and lack of expertise at this vet clinic. I paid over $2K in total to get blood work on my cat, along with medication and checks. The reason I had to go here was because I needed an eye specialist. The original diagnosis was completely incorrect. After further work with a vet (another clinic), the diagnosis revealed that it was due to an allergic reaction, which was originally stated to not be a factor when I had my cat diagnosed at this emergency clinic. I'm very disappointed that I had to pay excessive fees, go back for numerous checkups, and that I did not even get a proper diagnosis. It's frustrating. read more

After my dog had ingested mushrooms from our backyard and showing symptoms of bloody diarrhea, vomiting and seizure like shaking, we called this emerg vet on a Saturday night. We were told to hang up and call the ASPCA poison control which turned out to be a 59$ US phone call only to be told to infact take the dog into emergency. What a waste. Advice to others just take your pet in directly, avoid the poison control centre call! We took in our 6 month old puppy and were given a cost estimate of almost 1900$ for an overnight stay to monitor him and give him fluids. Well, I can do that at home and in my opinion he would be much more monitored. We did however agreed to take all the meds and to have a blood panel done for 3 consecutive days. We were told 3 days could rule out anything and check enzyme levels. I asked if there would be a charge EACH night that we brought him back for the blood work. The Dr. replied with "no, not if he sees me". So I asked if she was working the next night, she said "yes". So I said "perfect, we will bring him in tomorrow night to see you" The next night we drove the dog back into emerg for his follow up blood work. We called from the parking lot due to COVID restrictions and asked if we could see Dr. Fung. The same Dr as the night before. They said she wasn't working. Although she told us she would be there. We were offered to see another Dr. that was on staff but because it was another dr. We would be charged the exam fee $175$ and the follow up blood work 190$. A bit disappointing since we were told otherwise. We turned around, said no thanks and took him to our regular vet the following morning for the follow up blood work. I feel there no real concern for the animal only the itemized cost estimate which is ridiculously overpriced. I feel there could have been some follow up not just calling for a credit card number over the phone. I don't recommend this place. read more

If I was able to give this place no stars I would. We took our dog in last night for back issues and wanted X-rays done. Our regular vet was not available so this is why we went here as we were concerned our dog was in pain. Meeting with the vet she wanted to keep him over night and to run X-rays to see if it was cancer, wait what!? She said she wouldn't be able to do the type of X-ray to check his back with out calling in a specialist and for that it would be $2000 on a Sunday night... So to keep him over night and to do a cancer scan it would've been $800. Was also told that keeping him over night would provide observation services, I highly doubt it, chances are he would be put in a kennel and checked the next morning. Sorry don't think so. I get this place is an emergency pet hospital but to tug on people's heart strings and put fear in during an emotional period is unacceptable. Our dog did make it through the night and were able to see our vet the next morning and got the xray done without our sedation. Our reg vet told us that the chances of cancer in this case (back pain symptoms) is very low. Still shaking my head. read more

I don't have great experience with pet care, as this is my first pet, but I tend to agree with a lot of the sentiments expressed here. This place was EXPENSIVE. But, I understand this is because they are a 24-hr facility of specialists- they did explain this to me more than once. We went in with a sick doggie and several assistants and the doc felt an obstruction in my dog's tummy. The x-rays didn't show anything though. They basically sent me home with a $600 bill for an x-ray and quick consult, which hurt the wallet and didn't really give me any answers. The next day I went to my family vet, and they said the mass everyone was feeling appears to just be my dog's spleen? I guess this is because they are an emergency clinic and maybe they jump to worst case scenario more than they need to. So, all in all, I would say the service was pretty friendly and the place was very clean and welcoming, but it was pricey and perhaps misinformed. I'd probably go back if it were an emergency but I'd prefer to see a family vet if I can. read more

Our 4 month old puppy was hit by a truck outside out house and broke her femur. It was too displaced to just cast so we were referred to Western for orthopedic surgery. The staff was fantastic. We arrived Sunday night and were quickly greeted and met with the vet on duty. They showed us to where our puppy would be staying and walked us through the potential costs. Surgery was to happen the next day and they clearly communicated what to expect as well as a potential range of costs (gulp). The next day I called after they were scheduled to be done surgery and was told that the doctor would call me as soon as they could. Dr Terri Schiller called soon after and was able to tell me as much detail as possible that I could understand, addressed a couple concerns they had and let me know they would be in contact the next day with an update. Sure enough, the next day in a timely fashion Dr Schiller contacted me and said the things she was concerned about were addressed and we could come pick up our puppy in the morning. When we got there to pick her up, Dr Schiller came out to meet us and we were quickly meeting with the discharge vet who walked us through the next few weeks of care for our puppy. When we went to pay, we were given a detailed bill that was significantly less than they originally quoted us (not that puppy orthopedic surgery is cheap, but way better than the worst case we thought it may be). Absolutely had as good of experience as one could have when your puppy get hit by a truck. The entire team that we interacted was professional, efficient and communicated far better than I anticipated. read more

September 26, 2021 At 10PM on the evening of Sept 13, 2021 I had to bring my 21 year old cat to this clinic for a UTI, as the regular Hospital on 4th Street NW was closed. I would have thought that the first order of checking in a cat with blood in it's urine would have been to take a urine sample. These unprofessional and uncaring people, made him wait in a kennel for over 3 hours, before finally taking a sample. Well unfortunately he had an empty bladder by then, having urinated well beforehand. However, they had already doused his lower body in alcohol, but of course were not able to obtain a sample. He was given an antibiotic injection and an injection of pain reliever. He was finally brought out to me, past 1:30AM soaking wet and shivering in his carrier. These uncaring people could not even dry my cat off or even attempt to make him comfortable. Worst of all who makes a 21 year old cat wait over 3 hours to administer an antibiotic and pain reliever? This place does not even deserve 1 star, they should be ashamed of themselves and please don't tell me that they had other "patients". That's a given but the lack of compassion and caring that my cat experienced was beyond disgraceful for an animal medical facility. I would never recommend this facility to anyone, save your money, and your pet and go elsewhere. M. Zarusky read more

My dog Samson had a parathyroid adenoma. They recommended surgery. I asked the "surgeon" how many of these parathyroidectomies she had performed. She said "It's a simple procedure" (meaning, this is my first one). Well, she took out a normal lymph node, not a parathyroid gland. Unnecessary surgery is on par for this place. Just don't go. Stupid me, I let them take out a thoracic sarcoma that wouldn't have killed him, it was the nasopharyngeal melanoma that did, they just didn't mention or know about it. They are all about the money. They play on your emotions. I dropped my dog off today. It is the very last time they will see one of my pets. Ignored her for 4.5 hours while she suffered before admitting they had no clue why she was there, even though she spent the weekend in their ICU with hematemesis. #completelyuselessgosomewhereelse read more

I was referred to this clinic by a family member. My dog was scheduled for an ultrasound and possible biopsy of a mass in her bladder. Possibly cancer. I had dropped her off at 8am and not only did they keep her all day telling me that they see booked patients on a triage basis but they also didn't even let her out to the bathroom in the 10hrs that they kept her, knowing she is sick and has to urinate more frequently. This is the worst experience I've ever had with any veterinary clinic. I would not recommend anyone to go there. They don't care about the pets well being only about money. Terrible terrible place to go read more

i rushed my two year old boxer almost three to the vet hospital and they took him in and came out after taking him inside telling me that i needed 2000 down for his starting of his treatment almost talking like they instantly wanted to just charge me more and more money as they would come out he wasnt inside even one hour only i spent outside the hospital to find out i had to pay them 14000 for his treatment and that his bill was exactly that high so unfortunatly i had to surrendar him cause the cost was unreal of his vet bills this was emotionally very tiring that was a few days ago i said good bye to the pet ive had scince he was 5 weeks old and we have a connection they pretty much i feel like they are over expensive and do not care about the animal and the owner either they are all into them self do not take your loving pet to this hospital the uncaring staff will trick you into sending them in almost 3 years old a couple months his bday on the sept 2nd 2018 he was born and now i had to for saving his life due to illness this hospital and also the vet called westhills animal clinic refered me to this hospital also another place that tried to scam me for his surgery of being nuetured they gave me from the 1st apt to only maybe for three months i got diffrent prices from them about the price of his surgery four diffrent times the est invoce said 1100 then 1400 then it final blow came to 3800 for the surgery and wich i couldnt afford so ended up going to calgary spay and nueter any of the places specially this hospital that stole my best freind and my baby hes like my blood child to me the bond is tight to be tricked into the price of the help he got was unreal then to have them tell me they did all this already and that wasnt even one hour in the hospital they took joey my boxer away from me cuase i didnt have 1400 for what the cost of his treatment was and never still to this moment dont know what was wrong with him and they wont tell me even though i surrendered him cause they wouldnt start his treatment until i signed the papers or else handed them 2000 down on his treatment they robbed me of my child two days ago and now my heart is shatterd i would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and will be trying to find out if anyone else wants to see the malpractice or negligence lawyer also i am consulting one as of nowand would never want to see anyone go through what i did with my baby boy dont visit this place they are very not good if you want to be played for a fool over priced under knowledge definatly DO NOT TAKE ANY PET TO THIS PLACE ITS NOT GOOD MALPRACTICE AND NEGLIGENCE IM LOOKING INTO WITH A CALGARY LAWYER AS WE SPEAK DONT TAKE YOUR BABIES TO THIS EVIL PLACE THEY TOOK MINE RIPPED HIM AWAY FROM A LOVING MOM AND DAD THAT LOVE HIM AND MISS HIM SO MUCH THEN TELL US THAT WE ARENT ALLOWED TO EVEN KNOW IF HES OK OR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HIM THIS IS A REAL OUTRAGE I CANT WAIT TO SEE THEM IN COURT I JUST WANT MY BOY BACK AND THEM TO RESPECT THE ANIMIAL AND THIER OWNERS GREED IS WHAT THEY SPECIALIZE IN AT THIS MONEY HUNGRY OUTFIT ONLY IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS DO NOT TAKE THEM HERE read more

I loathe having to give this place one star. DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE. Here's our story, our cat was limping, we took him to this 'business', they charged us about $700 for an X-Ray, told us it was cruciate ligament rupture with bone fragments around it. Then they said he needs surgery, it will be $4500 to do it, but we would have to speak to the surgeon first at a cost of $160 just to speak to them. So, after some web research due to a massive lack of trust, we found that we should be going to our vet for a 2nd opinion. Our vet told us, after these clowns finally sent the x-Rays, that he did not need surgery, that the images did not show bone fragments and that the quote was ridiculous. These greedy, so called, vets at the Western Veterinary emergency clinic would have put our beloved cat through unnecessary surgery, at great cost to us, for no reason other than to profit from vulnerable people. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO THESE PEOPLE. My anger is beyond reasonable expression. Oh and if you phone them, don't accept being put on hold, they just ignore you, I saw it happen while we were in their reception and it happened to use too. They are a bunch of useless, uncaring fools. read more

How can this place have bad reviews? I've been here more than I ever thought I would. My dog developed a grade 2 mast cell tumor on his face in 2 hours. My vet told us that the chances of this lump being cancerous are slim. They don't happen there often or that fast. He was given antibiotics for two weeks before he even bothered doing an aspirate on it. We were never even offered it. Well obviously the antibiotics didn't work because antibiotics don't cure cancer. Once we got to Dr Glenna Mauldin she told us that his snout is a common area and it does come on that fast. So to the guy who said Western was wrong for wanting to be safe and check, I would have trusted them. I have trusted everything Glenna has said through Higgins 3 mast cell tumors and 2 benign growths. She found the third one while he was walking away from her and she notice a couple pieces of fur standing up. It was the size of a few grains of sand. Because she caught it so fast we were able to treat it with just prednisone. She is an amazing woman and has helped my dog stay with us past his 6th birthday, he got his first when he was 3. Given that my dog has been through so much I obviously worry a lot. I call whenever I see a bump and they get me in right away l, never dismissing my worry. I call because he's gotten into the garbage and they give me advice over the phone. I call because his chemo is giving him more tummy aches than usual. I call because I didn't notice that I was low on chemo and they have it ready right away. I cancel or change appointments last minute without a worry. I walk in with Higgins and they all know him and talk to him by name. Even the emergency crew will come out and give him pets. He loves going there. In fact we joke that he pops out new tumors because he misses them. Western front end staff can't answer your medical questions because they're not doctors or vet techs. They are administrative assistants. They probably have an idea of what the issue is but if they give you the wrong advice there's liability issues that arise. That seems pretty common sense to me. They are not playing bejeweled, they are sending out blood work, responding to email , doing invoicing and maintaining files so the animals who cannot talk for themselves don't get the wrong treatment. There is a lot more that goes on there than you walking in the door. Yes they are expensive. They are emergency and specialist. It was $300 just to get my dog fixed and microchipped at his normal vet, do you really think it's going to be the same at 3:00 in the morning on a Sunday to run diagnostics by people who have multiple masters degrees and doctorates? Just because you're hurting doesn't mean that they should not get proper pay. Get pet insurance. I have gotten 10 times what I've paid into it. If you're willing to have insurance for yourself and your car why wouldn't you on the four legged members of your family? They bill direct to insurance and have NEVER given me a hard time about paying. The office manager Cathy has no idea how much I love her. Every time I speak with her she asks how Higgins is, because that's priority, not how much money they get. Oh and about the survey, they do read them. I received an email from Cathy thanking me. It didn't have my name but like I said they remember their clients. I love these people so much that if I ever won the lottery I would set up a account to help animals who need emergency care at Western and trust them with whatever they say needs to be done. We all like to believe we know what's best but sometimes we need to trust the experts and these are experts you can trust read more

This place is amazing. Wonderful staff who all obviously love animals. You are greeted warmly by front desk staff as soon as you walk in. Virtually no waiting time. Veterinarian was so wonderful, treated my dog so kindly and explained everything fully. I would highly recommend these guys! read more

The care my dog received from the vets was great. Unfortunately, the front end staff (receptionists) created a very negative experience. They did not understood how insurance worked; reassured us they'd sort us out in the morning and made us make a tough choice to pay a deposit upfront (which we did). However, the next day we unfortunately found out from a different receptionist & the insurance that by doing that deposit, it essentially left us ineligible through the insurance company to arrange direct bill between the vet and the insurance. What a nightmare. Additionally, the lack of empathy and sympathy a receptionist showed us on several occasions over the weekend (I'm sorry we interrupted your game of Bejeweled) was worse then the financial mess-up. The vet care is good but the front staff aren't and we have since found a better vet hospital in Calgary. read more

We were referred here by our normal veterinarian when our cat was having difficulty breathing through her nose. Initially we saw Dr. Henderson and then after some diagnosis she referred us to Dr. Mauldin and his team. All the doctors were fantastic, especially Dr. Mauldin's radiation team, they were all so sweet and amazing people. I have to agree with other people about the front end staff. Anytime you call on the phone they sound absolutely miserable and it's very obvious they hate their jobs. They are snarky and indifferent and treat you like an idiot for asking questions. They also don't know anything about medication / procedures, basic services the clinic offers or basic medicine. They always just offer to forward me to the doctor's mailbox instead of answering questions. I was asked to fill out a survey after my experience and laid out all my concerns, I'm sure it just went into a trash inbox somewhere as nothing has changed. For how expensive the services are here you'd really think they would try to find better mannered people for client-facing positions. read more

Took our dog here for ACL surgery. They give you a low estimate and a high estimate - don't know why they bother with pretending it may be the low estimate. Came to $4800... Then the dinged us on the credit card for another $137.00 for who knows what. Disappointed that these places take advantage of people who will do anything for their fur babies so they aren't in pain. I will go somewhere else next time. read more

I also cannot understand the bad reviews here. We took our Irish Wolfhound, who had osteosarcoma, here in the middle of the night to be euthanized. The staff was sensitive, friendly and all around amazing. We had a very positive experience despite the terrible circumstances that brought us there. A grief counsellor followed up with us after which I couldn't believe. The expense was no more than it would have been had we taken her to our regular vet. Animals and especially veterinary care, is expensive. Either get insurance or don't get a pet if you can't afford the costs that come with their care. read more

I didn't want to even give them a 1. 20yrs breeding and showing internationally and I had to take a pup in after a fall. I normally avoid anything VCA because this corporation is all about money. They misdiagnosed my pet originally and an entire day later I left with a 2000$ invoice. Predatory is not the word. They treated my pet without authorization... regardless of the fact they want a signed consent prior to treatment and payment up front which is explained by email AFTER they have your pet in their possession. They then tried to hold the dog for ransom. Police were called as well as bylaw and they were told to release my dog and instead of returning my dog they try to extort money for unauthorized treatment. This can happen to anyone. Don't go to this place. VCA cares about a 600 billion dollar industry and not you or your pet. No wonder the staff turnover is frequent. Everyone was new the day I walked in and they were introducing themselves to each other. I hated this place in Ontario and it's no better here in Calgary. VCA your predatory methods are illegal! Bigger bills doesn't mean better service. Canada needs to regulate this industry. read more

Saved my cat's life! As any pet owner's worst fears we had a sick cat on a late Friday night, they were able to assess, diagnose, and do the surgery within hours of our arrival. Of course the place was expensive but the techs and emergency vet were all very reassuring and knew what they were doing. If we hadn't have brought our kitty in for surgery she could have died from having string caught in her intestines. I do think this is the best emergency clinic that is close to my house and won't hesitate to bring any of my other pets here on an emergency basis. read more

This place is amazing. How it has poor reviews is beyond me, I think that people comparing costs to their regular vet are forgetting that this is where you go when your vet can not provide the care needed. This was our case as our vet found a large tumor when x-raying for a heart murmur, our vet said " no one will be able to remove it due to its location, but we can refer you to a specialist to see your options." We were treated so well in all our meetings with our first meeting with the internal specialist sitting on the floor with our dog for over an hour and giving us multiple options including surgery. We completed some tests to make sure it was worth doing the surgery and that there were not more tumors that would make surgery pointless. We were lucky and it was only the one tumor. We then met with the surgeon who spent an hour answering all our questions and letting us know the risks. At every step we asked price and every time came in below the quote. For those that are concerned about cost they are more than happy to provide that info to you. The surgery went great and the level of care is as good as any human would receive. Our dog despite having multiple visits for tests loves going and all the staff are great with him. I can not say enough about this wonderful place that costs a little more than the normal vet , but can do things they simply can't. read more

I brought my dog here when I lived in Canada. They are the best in Alberta. It can be pricey but so are all the other emergency and specialty hospitals. Dr. N. Mauldin is one of the best in the world. Dr. Remidios is one if the first female surgeon in Alberta. Highly skilled doctors. read more

I agree with the review below -- how can this place have a bad review. We've taken our dog there a number of times (unfortunately)... they are caring, compassionate and professional. There is no where else I would take Lucy in Calgary. read more

Took me a while to write this but worst experience when my dog was sick. Turned out he needed a second surgery just 6 weeks later and the Vet laughed about it on the phone to me. Thought it was funny that my dogs intestines were plugged again so soon, what a fluck eh... no not funny when my dogs health and life are in danger AND I am spending another $6k to get surgery. The information given to me when leaving was not enough at all. And the 2nd time the vet assistant told me his stitches would just dissolve so no need to worry about them. Only reason I questioned this is because he had just had surgery, then she's like ohhh ummm hmmm maybe I'll check. Will not go back or recommend this place to anyone. Not compassionate or concerned with a persons emotions, financial position or well fare if of discharging animals. read more

The absolute worst place to take your pet...my dog is very sick and has been recently diagnosed with Cushing's disease and Diabetes. My long time Vet clinic gave me their number and a written notification to call them after hours in an emergency.... Three times in the last 2 weeks I have been rudely spoken to by a few Tech's...especially Debbie just last night. They refuse to answer any questions about my sick dog unless I immediately bring her there for an emergency exam that ranges from $160 to $250. In the meantime, I have spent over $1000 at my local Vet for all the testing. My dog has been at this clinic before and I have paid top dollar for their services. I find this completely disgraceful and unacceptable and I truly hope the upper management of Western Veterinary Specialist Centre and my local Vet take my review very serious. I truly would never ever recommend dealing with them for the wellness, safety and cost of your precious pet! read more

I was in for an emergency visit the night of May 3 and saw Dr. Radu for my dog Cleo. She had become very ill and I untimely decided to let Cleo go at age 13 due to multiple medical complications. Dr Radu's assessment of Cleo was very thorough and he answered all the questions I had. When I made the decision so say goodbye to her Dr Radu was very compassionate, put my mind at ease for my decision and was very supportive. This was a extremely difficult thing for me to do but all the staff involved in the process were very kind and empathetic. I cannot thank everyone enough for making this experience for me as pleasant as possible. I left that night feeling at peace with everything - even though saying goodbye is never easy. Acceptional care my dog and I received. read more

We were referred here because our cat had a lump on her face that needed to be removed & Biopsied. Everyone was helpful, professional & caring. The follow up has been great. Overall a really good experience with this clinic read more