The people at this clinic are wonderful! They were extremely compassionate, concerned, and helpful! Theo was the first staff member I spoke with and he was very professional and caring! He listened to my concerns and gave me some options for care. I then met with Dana, who triaged my dog. She was helpful, concise, and very caring! Dans concluded my dog was stable and then she recommended my dog meet with our regular veterinarian for treatment. I was extremely impressed by their ability to quickly assess the situation and advise me accordingly in an ER environment! read more

Dr. Barker is both compassionate and competent. Recognized that my Son's dog was suffering from a neurological disorder not conjunctivitis as misdiagnosed by Dr. Thornton at Rivers Vet. read more

We had a wonderful experience at VEG with our newly adopted senior dog, Jax. He was coughing and gasping for air and at one point he stopped breathing so we headed to VEG. Jax was seen immediately and Dr. Summers and team were extremely compassionate and informative. Jax needed X-rays and it turned out to be a collapsed trachea. He's taking the medicine prescribed (along with some natural treatments I found online) and the coughing has been drastically reduced. I will go to VEG if any of my 3 dogs need urgent care. It was affordable and I never felt stressed out because everyone was so supportive and friendly. read more

VEG ER for Pets - Jax - the patient - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Over it was not worst experience but the tech poked around in my dogs leg for a bit and could tell i was getting upset. Went to get another tech andd she was in and done in no time. The doctor was kind of rude but all in all the got the job done. read more

I had an emergency with my cat and it was a very difficult time. In the end she needed to be put down. They were very knowledgeable, empathetic and kind. They had a lot of patience with us. I especially was happy to be able to be with my cat and comfort her through every step of the process that she went through. I do recommend this business. read more

I have heard many stories of unsympathetic, expensive, and all around stressful experiences with emergency vets in the Pittsburgh area. I took a chance on this one hoping for a better outcome and was blown away by the compassion that was shown to me and my dog at every turn. I called ahead and was seen immediately when I arrived. Although I did have to put him down, I was allowed to stay with him every step of the way through testing, and the doctor, techs, and receptionist all went above and beyond to keep me medically informed and keep me and my dog comfortable. This practice made a hard decision at a stressful time a million times less stressful by their conduct, professionalism, and streamlined payment system. The staff were beyond accommodating, compassionate and patient as well as extremely competent and transparent with my dog's tests and treatment options. There is a free coffee, tea, and snack station, lots of comfortable seating, and multiple clean bathrooms. The overall cost of tests and euthanasia options was very reasonable, all things considered. The parking garage was decently priced (nowhere near downtown prices) and it along with the clinic were easy to find. This area of East Liberty has many nearby food options and a Target across the street. These little things compounded with the incredible staff made this experience much easier. I can't recommend this clinic enough, and would even recommended driving a few extra miles if you're able to just to receive such thorough and compassionate treatment for both yourself and your pet. read more

This 24/7 emergency vet has filled a very much needed space. The staff works like a well oiled machine and is incredibly kind and knowledgeable. They even treat exotics! We were even able to stay with our pet while waiting for test results. read more

We had to let our 20 year old kitty down just a few days ago. The staff at VEG were patient, kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. We typically go to the Cat Clinic for most of our needs, but they referred you to us. We had a feeling that things for Guido were not great, but we got results very quickly that things were even worse than what appears. When the decision to let our sweet kitty go, everyone there was patient, and let us have a room to ourselves for as long as we needed. This was both for before and after our boy had to be put under. The service was expensive, to be sure. But one should always understand that caring for pets means putting money up for their best interest. It was worth every single penny. Thank you so much to all those that helped us and little sweet Guido. Much love. read more

I cannot say enough great things about the care, compassion, and professionalism displayed by the entire staff. We brought our guinea pig in as she was not her usual self. From the moment we walked in, they did everything in their power to care for her. This place is special, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in the unfortunate position of needing emergency care for your pet. Thank you. read more

Amazing and compassionate care. Staff helped us thru a very difficult experience..highly recommend...they really care! You can stay with your furbaby the whole time..I recommend VEG to anyone who loves their pets. read more

VEG ER for Pets - Emergency Pet Hospital Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

THANK YOU!!!! Thank you to Dr. Wells and crew!!! You all CRUSHED IT this morning with my sister's cat!! Everyone was so knowledgeable, nice, and patient!!!! We cannot recommend this practice enough to anyone who owns a pet!!! read more

A year ago when I brought my elderly dog to be euthanized, I thought the care was great and the price reasonable. However, I had a much different experience this week with my son's new dog. He brought his dog in on Sunday with a laceration on his foot. The dog was anxious and the vet couldn't examine him, so based on a blurry photo they recommended surgery that would cost $1400. They charged my son for the surgery, then left him in the waiting room for hours with no follow-up. When I was finally able to get there several hours later and saw the picture, it looked to me like something we could handle at home. When I told the receptionist that we just wanted antibiotics so we could leave, the vet quickly came back out, and eventually agreed to provide the antibiotics, pain killers, and anti-inflammatories. The total bill was $500, including $195 for the "exam" and $300 for meds. I know emergency vets need to make money, but this was a serious case of up-charging and price gouging. They never suggested that treating at home could be an option (which is working out fine; we took him to our regular yesterday just to be sure); they charged us for a full exam when all we got was a quick consult; and overcharged for the meds. The week's supply of antibiotics they provided cost $200 or $28 / day. Our vet recommended keeping him on antibiotics longer and the ones they prescribed (human antibiotics) cost $6 / day - - but then they directed us to GoodRX which provided a coupon that lowered the cost to $1.40 / day. They didn't have to charge full price for an exam that didn't happen, and knowing that we were going to see our regular vet in the next couple of days, they could have provided a few days worth of antibiotics if all they had were this insanely expensive option. If you have to go there, be really mindful that they are a corporation and don't have an on-going relationship with you like a regular vet would; as a result, they are very profit driven and may recommend treatments you don't need and overcharge for any meds or other services they provide. If you can wait things out and go to your regular vet, you'll have a much better experience. read more

They are absolutely amazing! Disregard the negative reviews! They found critical findings to my dog's injury after AVETS failed me twice. They saved my dog! read more

I want to start by saying everyone who works there is beyond kind. They go out of their way to make you and your pet comfortable while you're there. The amenities are like nowhere else and I like the fact that you can be with or see your pet at all times, as it's an open office. I also really appreciate that they're able to care for rabbits. It's very difficult to find vets for rabbits let alone an emergency clinic. So I really appreciate that they know how to care for rabbits for it seems like minor issues (not surgeries). All this being said, they really need to have more than one vet on at night. They have tons of techs but they can't really do anything except keep you and your pet comfortable while we wait for the vet to evaluate and give instructions. I brought my bunny in at 2am after not having eaten for several hours. I gave him meds and sub Q fluids at home to try to help with typical GI stasis and none of it helped. When we came in they took vitals right away. So this seemed good, like things were going to move fast. Unfortunately the only vet was in surgery for over 2 hrs. We waited for 5 hours for him to be evaluated! I felt so helpless. I know time is of the essence when bunnies aren't eating yet I couldn't get him the help he needed. After 5 hrs they finally did an x-ray and blood test and found that he had liver lobe torsion. This is a critical situation that requires surgery (a surgery that they aren't equipped to do). Only after they did the x-rays and blood test did they find out that he was anemic (because he was bleeding internally all this time) and started giving him some IV fluids. At this point they were switching shifts. The day shift had what looked to be 3 Drs. Why would they not have at least 2 on at night?! During the day people's vets are open so they may be able to get in to see their normal vet. At night they have no one else to go to, so why wouldn't you have at least as many or more vets on at night? I digress, the day vet went above and beyond to call around and try to find a vet who could perform the surgery and finally found someone in Ohio. We made the 2 1/2 hr drive and got him to that vet right as they were closing. They performed the surgery anyway and were working on him until 9. Ultimately I lost him. I feel that those 5 hrs that we waited could have made such a difference in the outcome. Had we known his situation earlier I could have had him in Ohio as soon as the vet office opened instead of when they were closing and he could have had more time to recover (he had made it through the surgery). I would like to be able to count on this hospital in our times of need, but PLEASE GET MORE VETS ON THE NIGHT SHIFT! read more

My elder cat had a seizure, paralyzed in back legs. I knew it was bad. A vets sat with me, explained everything, allowed me to sit with my girl as long as I wanted​ read more

My experience at the Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) was phenomenal! It was a weeknight, and I had just come home from work. Sadly, I discovered my hamster Mika had escaped from his habitat. When I found him, I noticed that he was limping and in pain. I immediately called my regular veterinarian, but they did not have an appointment for several days. I did not want my sweet boy to be in pain, so I called around several emergency vets in the area. Unfortunately, none of them would see small animals. I thought I would be forced to give up until I came across VEG! When they agreed to see my hamster, I was nervous but knew I needed to do something to try and help him. From when I walked in the door to when I left their animal hospital, Mika and I were treated with kindness and respect. Finding any place that shows care and compassion for the smaller animals is rare, so immediately, I was put at ease. We were triaged immediately, and the veterinary nurse caring for Mika was kind and knowledgeable. She even sat on the floor with him when she checked his vitals to ensure he felt safe and comfortable. I also appreciated that she talked to him as she worked. Once he was triaged, they immediately took him to a room reserved for small animals. I could stay with him the entire time, which meant a lot to me. Shortly after, the veterinarian came to check on him. Again, the veterinarian was knowledgeable and caring. She was so gentle when handling my little guy. I was then presented with treatment options. I found the checkout process easy and stress-free, and I felt the amount I paid for the services provided was more than fair. When I left, everyone wished Mika well and even held the door for me to carry out his large enclosure. As a bonus, when I went to give Mika his medicine, I discovered that it had been measured in prefilled syringes. That made my life and Mika's life much easier when administering the medicine, which I appreciated. Also, I was sent a follow-up email to check Mika's condition. While I hope I never need an emergency veterinarian again, I would say they are the best in Pittsburgh and recommend them to anyone needing care. Thank you again for everything VEG! You made a very stressful situation manageable. read more

They saved my dog's life. They are incredibly understanding and they will do everything they can to save your pet.

My ferret had not been feeling well for the day, and had a little cough and had also coughed up some mucous and seemed a little less active than usual. I called, asking if they took care of ferrets, to which they responded "of course we do." I was there for 8hrs and only received sone x rays and lab work. The vet there admitted to me she isn't familiar at all with ferrets and had to research them before ordering lab work. I should have left then but I wasn't thinking straight because I was so worried about my ferret. She had looked at his X-rays and initially said they were fine, then messaged an "online exotic group," who said my ferret may have swallowed a foreign body or had gastroenteritis. Per this online group, there was "high suspicion for obstruction." The vet tried to perform an US, but also admitted she couldn't do those well either. She told me I had a few options. I could get my ferret scoped, but the scope they had was large and there was "some studies" showing that size was okay for ferrets. My other option was exploratory surgery. My last option was euthanasia. I was distraught and was feeling upset with the whole interaction and wanted to go home with supportive care for the moment. Also, I'll admit, the price of doing any of those was unaffordable to me. I also felt extremely uncomfortable with the two differentials being so far apart from one another. She reminded me that he would rapidly decline in the few days and again highly recommended exploratory surgery for a possible obstruction or euthanasia. She gave me pain meds and I went home with him. I'm fairly positive they dosed the incorrect amount of Ketamine for my ferret for the x rays as he looked much worse when I left, was shallow breathing, drooling, vomiting, more clumsy than typical. He truly looked like an overdose when looking back, but initially I thought that he was actively declining from a foreign body. Not even 24hr after that visit, my ferret was completely back to his normal self and has been eating drinking and voiding as normal since this visit. Just imagine if I listened to this inexperienced vet and allowed them to perform a scope (which honestly believe with that size had high risk of perforation), exploratory surgery, or euthanized him. When I had asked this vet at VEG if there was other in the area who were experienced in ferrets/more affordable, she told me the only one was about 3hr away. That is also incorrect, as I've talked to others, who have kindly shown me experts in the area, especially those who are experts in ferrets. (one of which I have an appointment with) On the positive side, their facility is very nice and appears high tech. It was very clean and organized in there, and in all honesty the staff seemed mostly nice. And I can't attest to their care on more common animals such as dogs and cats. All I can say, is if you are looking for someone with help on exotic pets I would ABSOLUTELY avoid coming here. I find it unprofessional to say your facility has vets well versed in emergency care of exotic pets only for that to be completely incorrect. read more

Place is great and really treats your pet with care. Gave my dog a bed and blankie while we were waiting so she would be more comfortable and you get to stay with your pet the entire time. Staff was absolutely amazing. read more

I had a bad experience with a different emergency vet place and left. I took my dog here around 3:30 a.m. I was met quickly by the vet on staff. My dog was attended to ASAP. I was able to stay with him the entire time. How refreshing to find an emergency vet facility that actually cares about your pet. It was so reassuring to me to be able to stay the whole time while my dog got his foot laceration sutured. Everyone was professional and super nice! I would recommend VEG without any hesitation. Thank you to the entire team! You all rock! read more

Veterinary Emergency Group Utterly appalled at the experience I had at the new Pittsburgh location. I took my guinea pig, Brilinta, to VEG on 3/28/24. We were there for a total of 4 hours, though we were told upon arrival there was only one animal ahead of us. I suspected Brilinta had either a bladder stone or a UTI, so I requested a urine screen and x-rays. First, I felt that all the employees viewed Bril as a novelty, rather than a patient. The way vet techs spoke about her made me feel as though they felt she was a joke. It was apparent not many people there knew how to handle guinea pigs. I feared they were going to let her fall off the exam table, and I had to reach for her several times as they just expected her to stay put. It took them three attempts to get her weight. They first placed her on a small scale, were confused as to why it wouldn't measure her weight, then went and got what appeared to be a container a food truck would put french fries in. They then placed this container on the scale and tried to put Bril in the container- this also did not work. They then went and got the traditional scale seen at a vet and this worked. They did an ultrasound to look at her bladder. Three technicians were trying to figure out how to hold her. I did not feel comfortable that they knew what they were doing with the handling of Bril. The vet failed to get a urine sample on her. They then left her covered in ultrasound jelly until I asked if it was a good idea for her to be licking it off, at which point they gave me a towel for her. In the meantime, it is relevant to point out this is an open concept vet hospital. AKA, most patients are not in rooms. There are exam tables lined up in the main room, so everyone is able to see and hear what is going on with other patients. Before Bril was able to get her x-ray started, an elderly gentleman came in with a very ill feline. The techs proceeded to lay this critically ill cat out on the first table, in front of everyone. I was able to hear that the cat was 11 years old, diabetic. The techs were shouting out he had a blood pressure of 50, dropping temperature. The vet asked the man if he wanted CPR done as the cat was in such poor shape. The vet techs were struggling to figure out how to get the oxygen to work for the cat. Techs were yelling across the hospital that they didn't know why the oxygen wouldn't work for the cat. This just heightened my mistrust of the staff as they openly struggled to work machinery. So, as I was waiting for an x-ray for my guinea pig, I got to witness a cat actively dying, an elderly man sobbing about the condition of his companion, and seemingly incompetent staff trying to save his life. A time later, two vet techs came to take Bril for her x-ray. I got to watch through a closed door. They seemed very confused as to how to position her. I was honestly terrified they were going to snap her little legs as they were whipping her around, holding her like they were having a pig roast. She was shrieking, of course. Heart-wrenching. After minutes of this, they realize the X-ray was not even taking photos! They get another tech to come in and help them. With three technicians, they still were not able to determine why the machine wasn't working. After 15 minutes of having Bril poked and prodded, we ended up with one x-ray image. The vet's interpretation of the x-ray was that there was no stone. She suggested we attempt a urine sample again. The cat is still actively dying on a table in front of me, Bril hasn't had any water in hours, I tell her I do not want her to try again, I am ready to leave. I say that I want antibiotics to just pre-emptively treat a UTI. I pay my bill (almost $700!!!) and the vet tech brings me a bag of pre-filled medication syringes. I ask her what the name of the medication is. She tells me she doesn't know, that she will have to look. She explains the dosing schedule to me, then I say ok, can you get me the name of the med? She still looks confused and then ends up going and retrieving a stock bottle to show me. As a pharmacist, I take medication safety seriously. After all the errors and struggles I witnessed during my 4 hours in this vet, I truthfully did not trust giving my Bril this medication. 100% useless, expensive vet visit. I am honestly traumatized from what I witnessed at VEG. I would never trust them to care for any animal of mine, big or small. Truly SCARY! Icing on the cake, I requested a copy of her x-ray. I sent the x-ray to a different vet, and she thinks she sees a stone read more

Our rescue dog had been neutered by our regular vet and 4 days before his stitches were to be removed, we noticed that the sutures looked as though the skin was pulling away from them. Our regular vet recommended just waiting to see them, but that didn't sit right with me so we decided to go to the ER late Friday night. We've been to Blue Pearl North many times and even when the outcome was good, the experience was always chaotic and stressful. We took a chance on VEG since it was closer and had many positive reviews. We were so impressed! All staff were pleasant, organized and kind. The set up was great with small sections cordoned off so the pets have smaller, quiet spaces with pet beds availble. The techs and doctors came to those spaces so that you weren't constantly moving amongst other stressed pets. I called ahead and was able to fill in the paperwork before we even arrived which made it so much easier. We were triaged immediately. Even though ours was not a life or death situation, our concern for our dog was never dismissed. That's important to me since my dogs don't have a voice. Dr. Mckinzee Barker was professional, thorough and apologized several times for the wait. We appreciated that, but it truly wasn't that long - in and out in about 3 hours; they were very busy, and they were clearly managing several severe cases. They do everything they can to make you comfortable while you wait. There is a free coffee, tea, and snack station, lots of comfortable seating, and multiple clean bathrooms. It's an emergency clinic, so just like a hospital ER there is likely to be a wait and the costs may be more than a standard vet visit. It is worth it to know that my dog was well cared for and in a better situation when we left than when we arrived. The clinic and parking garage were easy to find (near Target in East Liberty). Having had dogs all my life, I know that there is aways going to be a chance visit to an emergency vet and I'm so glad we found VEG. read more

In our tenure of being pet owners, we have had to use different emergency vet services over the years when our regular vet was closed. We have been to AVETS, Banfield, PVSEC, and MedVet over the past 20 years of being pet owners. While we didn't have a particularly bad experience at any of those locations, I'd also say that we never had an exceptionally great experience either. That all changed last evening when we had to take our senior dog to VEG. For me, the immediate triaging and assessing upon entering the building was the first part that stood out as being different. This calms pet owners instantly in knowing that their pet is at least stable while waiting for additional diagnostics and treatment. I also really appreciated that the quote for services is sent via text message so you can privately discuss the plan and cost with absolutely zero pressure from VEG personnel. They start conservatively and then go from there in their assessment plan. Dr. Thomas and every veterinary assistant and vet tech that we encountered last night was AMAZING! We thought that we were going to have to say our goodbyes to our beloved Daisy pooch last night so we were emotional upon arrival. We were treated with respect during the whole process. The veterinary staff moved themselves around to get a blood draw from our dog instead of having her move to them once she was finally calmed and laying between the couch and the wall. The facility is extremely clean too! They have comfortable couches in the private rooms and got us an extra chair as soon as we got there since our son was with us too. I 100% recommend VEG to anyone who needs Emergency Vet Services. read more

Do not recommend, took my toy poodle there for help with pregnancy, try to quote me 5k-7k for a 6lb dog and the Spanish lady lied, try to tell me it's there policy to fix my female after they do a C-section at a crazy high price.. a basic C-section is at most 1,500 so quoting 5k-7k is wild by its self but wanting to fix my female and telling me it's policy is crazy and not correct.. it was just her opinion because she doesn't like dogs breeders, even tho my dog is very very spoiled and well took care of. She didn't like that I called her out saying it was a lie and then they kicked me out and said they wouldn't treat my dog even tho I never raised my voice or acted anything but professional the whole time. I got a speech of how she's from NY and she told me it wasn't about the money even tho the prices say other wise. I just didn't understand how I wasn't allowed to say no to fixing my dog and saying that not ok telling people that u have to just because how your personal feelings are towards breeders. Then 4 women coming over to kick me out as if I was being disrespectful or rude was not ok.. Personally business is business but in business your personal opinion shouldn't matter and they shouldn't lie to people about there dogs because of there opinion.. thank god I have enough experience and knowledge to know she was wrong and I was ok with leaving but I think being kicked out is completely unacceptable .. don't go here folks read more

I called them and told them that my kitty was unable to walk we didn't know what happened before I could even get out everything I needed to say they were like bring her in now I took her in the veterinarian was absolutely amazing it took them a little while to get her back there but the veterinarian was great he talked to me he explained things to me what I didn't understand and I told the nurse he went they went back and got him he came back and explained it again to me I don't know his name he was a young man they said he's not there all the time but he was absolutely amazing if I ever have to take another animal God forbid who any place again it would definitely be this place and pray to God that he's there because he was amazing the staff there also was great the girls at the desk was great you know they they kept asking me do I need anything do I want anything to drink do I want anything to eat do I need this do I need that which I really appreciated and keep up the good work vag you guys are great read more

Two days ago I had a dog in my care that was not mine and a freak accident occurred. Of course it happened after midnight so my only options were er vets. I specifically drove past a vet much closer to me to go to med vet. Long story short after spending 4 hours there then sent me on my way at 4 am on a 40 min drive to go yo VEG because I couldn't give them a $3000 at 3 am. I told them I have the money I need to call my bank but it's not open. Well they couldn't wait for a few hours and sent me out the door with the address and said they can work with your financial needs. I was infuriated, scared that the isn't going to make the drive down to VEG. I never heard of the place. I was a mess. I went in to VEG loooking half crazy. I'd been crying for hours. I was on a rollercoaster of emotions, still haven't spoken to the owner of the dog. Everything that could go wrong did. I explained the financial issue and I just needed to wait til my bank opened. By this point it's 5 am. They were so very understanding and really were interested in getting her back on oxygen and see what was going on. They said we can discuss finances later and after we talk to the owner. The place itself was interesting. You can stay right with your pet while they work on them. And you can stay with them afterward. Right with them. I've never seen such a set up. I could ask questions as they went along so I didn't feel kept in the dark. I really wish med vet would've told me alot sooner about this place because it would've been a much shorter drive. And those 4 hours we lost bantering over contacting the owner and finances were crucial to her recovery. And VEG informed us of a secondary condition with her heart that ultimately contributed to her passing later that morning. I was such a mess I lm embarrassed to go back and I can't even recall any names. But I'm sure if they read this they'd know who I was talking about. It's a different kind of animal hospital for sure. They say it's set up. But I really liked it. And I appreciated them so much. Sadly she did pass later that morning but I saw the effort right in front of me that they put into her care. I want to thank the overnight shift for all they did. The morning vet wasn't quite as comforting as the first vet I spoke with but I'm sure that job is not easy. I still had a good experience overall despite the sad ending. Thank you for being patient with me and for doing what you could. read more

l usually wait three days before l take my dog to the vet. l felt this time it was an emergency. l checked in and sat down at 4 o'clock and wasn't seen until eleven o'clock. l was told after l told the doctor her symptoms she explained her plan. Blood work, ct scan and check up. l agreed. The price would be, get this, 1,687.00 l could not believe what l was told. I left at 11 thirty with no answers and a script of a pain killer. Just so you are aware it's 200.00 dollars to walk in.l should have waited another day to see my other walk in animal hospital on Penn ave. lt would have cost me two hundred for everything. read more