I am beyond impressed with Veterinary Oncology Center. The entire staff has been nothing but professional, kind, and thoughtful to my family and my dog as we have gone through chemo treatment. The doctor of the office has always answered my questions and requests same day, and personally met with me at each appointment. Their thoughtful and personal touches really set this office apart. If you are looking to start with a vet oncologist, I highly recommend you start here. read more

My husband and I had to take our Ellie bear to Dr. Sabru because she has oral mast cell and melanoma cancer. Ellie is 12 years old and we were really concerned that the treatment would be limited even though it hadn't spread to other parts of her body (as far as we know). Dr. Sabru and her staff were fantastic and worked with our schedule since we had to drive from Wenatchee. Dr. Sabru is thorough, kind and assisted us with scheduling surgery and radiation. She followed up with us the next day and discussed the next steps. We can't thank her enough for all the help she has assisted our family, especially during a difficult and stressful time. read more

My dog was diagnosed with cancer and I took her to Dr. Sarbo for a consulation. She told me to leave her for monitoring. When I came to pick her up, my dog was limp. She said she gave her chemo without my consent. I DID NOT CONSENT TO THIS NOR WAS IT EVEN MENTIONED TO ME THAT MAY POSSIBLY EVEN HAPPEN. She then said her spleen could burst so I needed to bring her to the ER for overnight monitoring. After that, she called me insisting I continue giving me dog chemo because it is good for old dogs and she will live to be 20 years old. People are buying this because they are emotional and distraught. She is a dishonest liar taking advantage of people desperate to help their animal, She tortures animals for her own profit ($600 per treatment 2x week). Going to her was the biggest regret of my life, she is just pure evil. read more

When our dog was diagnosed with lymphoma it was devastating, since the expected survival rate is typically two months or less. Our vet offered up the only 2 canine oncologists in the greater Seattle area and we were fortunate enough to pick Dr. Sarbu and her staff at the Veterinary Oncology Center. They arranged for an appointment right away and Dr. Sarbu spent a good couple of hours doing an initial exam and talking to us about the disease, typical symptoms and progressions, treatment options, etc. It is so important to have a doctor that takes the time to explain the situation, answer your questions, and work with you to identify the right plan to treat your pet. You feel powerless in situations like this, but having expert advice and actionable information really helps. Over a 6 months chemo treatment we saw how caring and loving Dr. Sarbu and her staff were to our dog and lots of other pets. They were always super helpful, cheerful and accommodating. I'm happy to report that it's been 7 months and our dog is in remission. read more

I went with my beloved dog for follow up scans after moving here. I was not too worried but everyone was so kind. If it had been baD news it would have delivered gently. Every single person was nice and thorough. The nurse person explained his old scans more thoroughly than anyone ever had and they gave me new info about the old pathology. The doctor was lovely and helped me to figure out next steps in a way I felt really good about. The price was about what I expected a little less actually. read more

This is a review I hoped I would never write, and I'm sorry the circumstances brought you here too. I can't believe this is even "a thing." A veterinary oncologist? Really? I'm glad that this is an option nowadays, even though treatment isn't really ideal in my cat's case. My sweet, gorgeous ~13 year old Bengal cat was diagnosed with carcinoma 3 days ago. 4 days ago, I took him to a vet in Bellevue. I had noticed he had been hacking - no hairballs - a few days in a row, but it went away. Then I noticed he didn't have much of an appetite. This guy used to be 18.5 lbs & he lost 5 lbs. Some cats eat to live, but my cat LIVES TO EAT. I used to say "When he doesn't want to eat, I will know he is dying." *&%$ how I wish it wasn't true. The night before I took him to the vet, I noticed his stomach was pulsing in and out - very deep with each breath. The vet in Bellevue did an x-ray and noticed fluid around his lungs. He said I needed to go to an emergency clinic & have the fluid withdrawn and monitored. He said it could be heartworms (since the cat had previously been in Texas), congestive heart failure, a tumor, asthma, or bronchitis. I took him to ACCES in Renton (who were so caring & awesome, by the way). They drew out the fluid & sent it off for testing. They did a rapid blood test to check for heart disease - negative. Since the fluid was around the lungs and not in the lungs, it ruled out asthma or bronchitis. This left 2 options: malignant or benign tumor. Dr. Beth Guerra warned me that sometimes the fluid would come back negative since the cancerous tumors don't always give off cells in the liquid, but we would see. Sure enough, the next night I had one of the worst phone calls of my life. My beloved little furry companion has carcinoma. I was informed carcinoma isn't nearly as treatable as other cancers like lymphoma, but I was informed I could see a veterinary oncologist to see the options we have. The next morning, I called the Veterinary Oncology Center to find out what we could do for my baby kitty. I already knew that treatment probably wasn't a good idea for a cat who HATES vet visits with every fiber of his existence. As I waited, I read some of their stories about people's dogs who were being treated for lymphoma and how well they tolerated the treatments, but they only got about another 6-8 months after the treatment was over. At the appointment, Dr. Sarbu was professional, informative, knowledgeable, and caring. She went over the radiologist' x-ray report & informed me there were about 3 lung nodules shown. She told me how difficult carcinoma, a skin or organ lining cancer, was to treat. The 2 drugs would only give him about a 20% chance at life for a few months. She discussed the possibility of putting in a chest tube to drain the fluid from his lungs when it built up & administer drugs - hoping that it would give him enough time to allow the drugs to work. She told me the fluid could come back in a few days or a few weeks; there was no way to tell how long it took to build up & no way to tell how long it would be before it came back again. Weighing the options, knowing how much my cat LOVES food and HATES vet visits, knowing that 20% just aren't great odds, knowing I didn't want his last few months to experience any diminished quality of life, and that the fluid would make him uncomfortable while laying on his back or side, I decided to forgo treatment. Dr. Sarbu didn't make me feel guilty over it. I've had a few friends who had other vets guilt trip them over forgoing treatment, implying they did not care about their pet, etc. I didn't experience anything like that with Dr. Sarbu. She was apologetic that the prognosis wasn't good, and she tried to reassure me that I did all of the right things and forgoing treatment wasn't unreasonable at all. She told me that he was obviously well taken care of, well loved, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it and nothing I did that caused it. She even shed a tear when I sobbed, trying to explain I had him since he was 8 weeks old & had trained him to lie on his back. I asked "does he even know?" (that he's dying) She said he didn't know, but he knows when he doesn't feel good and it's hard to breathe, and he'd display the same signs of distress I had already seen. She told me how to watch his breathing patterns and that right now, he seemed just fine. She explained that when the fluid comes back, it can create scar tissue with separating the ribs and create other pockets for fluid to build up. She gave me diuretics to give him when his breathing becomes heavier. The next day (today), I noticed a change in his breathing. I gave him diuretics, and it seemed to help. Now I play the heart crushing, waiting game & prepare to say goodbye to a really awesome cat. All in all, I'm glad I went to see her and found out the options. If nothing else, the info & diuretics were worth the trip. read more

The highest level of professionalism you can expect. When other vets were recommending amputation Dr. Sarbu advised otherwise after invasive bone cancer (not yet metastatic ) was discovered. Our dog lived for 2.5 years after that fully ambulatory the whole time which is well beyond expectation - our primary care vet called her a "miracle dog" some time later since he had never seen a dog live that long with bone cancer. I have since learnt from other specialists that amputation, while sometimes required, almost always reduces the immune response and will to live, and as one might expect, reduce life expectancy. Dr. Sarbu will not follow predictable and age old recommendations ( that may not always be the best ) but use what recent research has proved effective and also use common sense alongside it. Can't recommend her enough. She is also usually responsive on weekends and emergencies when necessary. She has also has good connections with other specialists if other issues arise ( which invariably do ) during the journey with cancer. read more

Dr. Lumnita Sarbu and her staff have provided care for two of our Rotties - bone cancer in each case. Our girl, Karma, gave us another year of great times and throughout that year, Dr. Sarbu continued to support our needs - not only professionally but as a friend. When Karma made her journey over Rainbow Bridge, Dr. Sarbu was there for her and for us. She understands the human side of caring for animals and "their people". Our boy, Lu, was diagnosed this past January. Dr. Sarbu is providing Lu ongoing care and "Lu's people" with support, advice and friendship. Lu visits VOC for his chemo treatments - he honestly seems to look forward to entering the clinic and greeting the staff - you can tell by his demeanor that he feels at home! Very gratifying for his human family to see him so warmly greet Dr. Sarbu and her staff. Our highest praise for VOC! read more

Perfect and Beautiful When our dog reached the end, Dr. Sarbu recommended several good home euthanasia options. But we didn't seriously consider them, we wanted it to be with someone she already trusted. Dr. Sarbu and her staff performed the procedure with a level of warmth and compassion that was overwhelming. Years ago when I had my first dog put down, the vet was kind, and skilled, and I considered him good. But the genuine human empathy shown here was beyond anything I'd expect outside immediate family or closest friends. read more

It's been 5 years since I lost my baby. It still hurts to think about how much she suffered at Dr Sarbu's hands. My girl was 15 Pekingese, she developed lumps on her neck and the vet said it was lymphoma and gave her 3 weeks. I went to Dr Sarbu to see if there was anything I could do. She suggested Chemo and I was very reluctant. Dr Sarbu took advantage of my grief and devastation and said chemo works best on elderly dogs and she sees my girl living to be up to 20 years old. I believed her. Five grueling, painful, stressful months later, my girl was a shell of her former self. I was taking her weekly for treatments which were $600 a pop (no pet insurance either). We spent a total of $10k which I really didn't even care about. My girl got to the point of not eating and I was feeding her with a syringe. Then she got to the point of not walking, just laying there peeing herself. When I gave up on the weekly appts knowing I was going to let her go and put her down, Dr Sarbu called me yelling at me to bring her in for a treatment which I know would have killed her. This was a horrific, incredibly regretful experience I cannot forgive myself for. My girl hated the office, she would shake upon walking in the door. Many times I picked her up she was beyond thirsty and had to pee so bad she went in the parking lot as soon as we got out the door. Horrible place that takes advantage of your mental state. Not only that, the first visit she said she would keep her for the day and work on her, she gave her a chemo treatment which I never authorized and told me to bring her to the ER because her spleen may burst. My sick baby spent the night in the ER - none of this was disclosed to me. read more

I am very grateful to Dr. Sarbu for caring for my golden retriever. I'm happy with the approach we took to treating my dog's cancer and I felt well informed about all of our options. My dogs care has been ongoing, but Dr Sarbu works to make it as financially reasonable as possible for which I am very grateful. She is quick to respond to questions via email when she is out of the office and has consistently been there to address any concerns or questions I have. Her staff is welcoming and friendly and it such a relief to know my dog is in good hands. read more

This is the best veterinary practice I've ever been to. I wish I could give more than 5 stars. If they were a regular veterinarian, I would continue going here from kirkland, with all of the transportation issues that come with not having a car. My cat Louis was diagnosed with lymphoma by my emergency vet, who referred me here. He was my therapy animal, and my absolute everything. So I was very particular and sensitive about him and his care, on top of being a nervous, protective mom. During our consult, Dr. Sarbu sat down on the floor with us. She was very open and honest about treatments and prognosis, survival time. Every step of the way she made sure I understood, patiently answered many questions, was able to give him an injection the same day to help shrink the masses in his tummy. I heard many times from them how sweet and handsome he was, what a good patient he was. I was always told what specifically he'd had done, how that would effect him, what the next steps were. She responded patiently to my many emails. Louis was more important to me than words can describe, and I absolutely would not have left him there 8 hours a day once a week if I didn't know that he was being cared for, loved, and treated compassionately. Everyone I met there genuinely loves and cares about their patients, in a way that can't be faked. And they're just as kind and wonderful to the people. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Sarbu and her team. Quality of life was my only concern, and it's her top priority as well. I knew and trusted that we were making the best decisions for him. They made a horrible heartbreaking situation a little easier, and I can't thank them enough for taking such amazing care of my kiddo. read more

i had a somewhat mixed experience here. yes, dr. sarbu & her staff are all wonderful and dr. sarbu is very knowledgeable and wants to do what is in the best interest of the animal. she was extremely thorough in her diagnostics, using xray and ultrasound to get a full picture of our dog's systems. however, she thought our dog, who was in stage 4 renal failure, was a good candidate for chemo and he wasn't. it's true that his kidneys were going to get him before the lymphoma would, but we let her give him a dose of chemo and his kidneys crashed. we lost him a week later and i feel like we would have had another few weeks if we hadn't agreed to it. i may be wrong and it may have turned out this way anyway, but my gut tells me it was a bad decision. my favorite part about this clinic is there are no exam tables. everyone gets down on the floor to examine the dogs in huge dog beds. read more

Dr. Sarbu is amazing. No only is she an amazing vet, she is also a great person. She and her staff genuinely care about their patients, including my cat Trixie who has been diagnosed with T-Cell lymphoma and is being treated here. Even though this is an aggressive form of cancer and my cat is young (4 years old,) Dr. Sarbu never put a "time- stamp" on her life nor did she give me a sense of "false hope." Instead she went over the options and addressed my concerns. We were both on the same page when I said that I will do anything I can to help my kitty until it starts affecting her quality of life. All I can say now is that I am glad Trixie is getting treated here and is still happy-go- lucky as she has always been. Only time can tell the rest, but at least I know she is in great hands. read more

Dr. Sarbu is extraordinary when it comes to her compassion and care of her pet patients and her responsiveness and bedside manner with the pet parents. She is an exemplary communicator who works effectively with the pet's entire care team (parent(s)/primary vet/other specialists) without any demonstration of ego or attempts at unnecessary control. In January 2015, my beloved, mastiff, Guido, who was then 10.5 years old, was diagnosed with epitheliotropic, T-cell lymphoma which is an insidious form of cancer that manifested itself in hair loss and skin lesions for which there is no cure. While my primary vet highly recommended Dr. Sarbu of the Veterinary Oncology Center, I live in Kirkland and wanted to avoid the I-405 mess to/from Renton. As a result and based on the strong recommendation of a friend's friend, I chose an oncologist in Shoreline to treat Guido. Despite ongoing communication challenges and a treatment plan which, in retrospect, I believe was more driven by compensation than compassion, I stayed with that oncologist for 11 months and almost lost Guido before switching his oncology care to Dr. Sarbu in November 2015. Dr. Sarbu always prioritized Guido's comfort over the opportunity to bill for office visits and would often consult over the phone rather than having him endure the trip to Renton. She also always found the time to address all my questions and concerns, even responding at 6 AM on a Sunday to an e-mail sent just 30 minutes prior! She supported me as much as my beloved Guido during the end of his cancer fight and for that I will be forever grateful, but we lost our fight in April 2016. I wanted to take this opportunity to let other pet parents know that in my experience over the last 25 years with a multitude of veterinary specialists, Dr. Sarbu is THE best and has set the standards to which other specialists should aspire. read more

Dr. Sarbu and her staff is absolutely amazing. She is professional, knowledgable, caring and compassionate. She helped Marley from first diagnosis all the way through euthanasia. Dr. Sarbu is absolutely the best and definitely bought us more time with our boy. We will be forever grateful. read more

My dog was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2009. Because of the care we got from Dr. Sarbu, first at VCA, then at her own practice, my dog lived until March of 2012. I couldnt have asked for better care of my friend. I work for a vet and I am pretty picky about the way my dog is treated. There is nothing worse than someone who works in the field! But, Dr. Sarbu is great. She explained things when we needed it and I felt always did what was needed for our friend. For the most part, I loved her staff. They always seemed happy to have my dog come and "visit" for the day. My dog was pretty vocal at times but they never said he was a pain. When it was time to say goodbye they treated us like family. Jessica was amazing, so caring and I could tell she really had strong feelings for my friend. Dr. Sarbi also so caring and was upset with us when we had to say goodbye. I feel a strong connection with Veterinary Oncology Center. I have recommend them to clients where I worked. read more

If you are emotional concerning your sick pet this is not the clinic for you. I found it to small, crowded, impersonal, inflexable, overly expensive, with an emphasis on expediency and convienience of the vet. I own four English Bull Dogs and have traveled all over the US. This was my worst vet experience to date. If you are satisfied to drop your dog off and be called when they are done, given no options of care, and do not mind your dog being kept in a overly crowed environment while they process too many pets for one Vet then you may like this place. read more

I showed up with my 16 year old cat, knowing he had no chance of surviving a tumor and coming to Dr. Sarbu to know what I needed to do to keep him comfortable in the last few months. I was greeted warmly when I checked in and was shown almost immediately to an exam room. I put my cat on the floor to wander around as we waited and he loved the big dog bed in the corner. Dr. Sarbu entered, talked to me breifly, then sat down on the dog bed with my cat to examine him. This attention to his comfort won me over - of all the vet visits he endured, this was one of the least stressful. Dr. Sarbu explained in better detail what I already knew, then outlined options so I could make an informed decision. Along the way, Dr. Sarbu went beyond my expectations to help us find solutions to problems we faced along the way - someone to take care of him while we visited family over the holidays, someone to come to our home to euthanize in his own space. Dr. Sarbu and her team helped us through a painful time. While I hope not to need Dr. Sarbu again, I would in a heartbeat if I had another animal with cancer. read more

I can not say enough nice things about Dr. Sarbu, Jessica and the other staff. they treat you as if the animal is there own. my dog has lymphoma and has never liked going to the vet. but with this place he is so happy to go and see every one. I highly recommend this vet, they are awesome. read more

Best vet!!! When our dog was diagnosed with terminal cancer we were devastated. We were recommended to come here and I am so glad we did. Dr. Sarbu and her staff are amazing. They were upfront about expectations and always laid out our options. Due to the expertise and loving nature of Dr. Sarbu and her staff we were able to enjoy over a year of extra time with our dog. read more

Dr. Sarbu and the entire team are fantastic. They made a terrible situation a little more bearable. Dr. Sarbu is easily reachable by email, even after the office is closed and answers questions you have right away. I hope I never have to use them again, but if I do I know my pets will be getting the best possible care by people who really love them. They go the extra mile! read more

Any cancer diagnosis is very scary and comes with more questions than answers. After our 5 year old lab was diagnosed, and then the diagnosis confirmed with further testing, Dr. Sarbu did a wonderful job of laying out all of our options in detail, and in writing, including cost estimates. She was able to "dumb it down" for us so we could understand what to expect and she always had time to answer our never ending stream of questions. We chose our course of treatment based on what was appropriate for us. Throughout the entire treatment we were very impressed with the level of care the entire staff provided our pooch.. The technicians were always happy to see our girl (and vice-versa) and we never felt like we should be doing anything other than trusting in the care the entire team at VOC was providing. You can really tell everyone on the VOC team truly enjoys the work they are doing and it shows in how they treat the patients and the owners. read more

Dr Sarbu and her team are miracle workers. My dog was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma last summer. She went through chemotherapy and has been in remission and doing fine. They are so kind and caring and do little extras that put a smile on your face at a difficult time. Little flowers on collars, bandanas for holidays ands pet pictures at Christmas. The best care in a caring environment read more

My beautiful Boxer boy was diagnosed with Lymphoma and I was referred by my regular veterinary to Dr. Sarbu at the Veterinary Oncology Center. I had worked with another Oncologist in the past with another one of my dogs but my regular vet had a very strong opinion about the quality of care that Dr. Sarbu would provide. He had the records over to her and the ball rolling before I could blink (thanks to Dr. Freiman at AHOF for this as I was basically stunned into inaction after the Lymphoma diagnosis). My husband and I decided to do whatever we could for our pup and we went through every available chemo treatment option. My dog fought hard and loved going to his appointments and was always happy coming out so I know they took good care of him. His side effects were limited to nausea which Dr. Sarbu helped me manage. The practice is well organized and run. I received detailed discharge papers after each visit outlining the treatment that was done, medical observations and the medication protocol to follow at home. I also greatly appreciated that Dr. Sarbu responded quickly to an email during non-office hours when I had a adverse event happen. All of the office staff and techs are kind and sincere and I never ever felt any hint of attitude. Everyone here feels the angst that the human clients are experiencing and they respect the value of life of each and every pet. We did lose our baby but I take comfort in knowing we did all we could for him and that there is no other Veterinarian that could have done more to save him. Thank you Dr. Sarbu. read more