VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Center Chico, California

Worst excuse for an animal hospital I’ve ever had the misfortune to bring my pet. Never I mean never go to this joke of a place.

The nurses and front desk staff here are very pleasant and helpful. However, my experience with the doctors has been quite the opposite. After being told we could come in for an emergency appointment for my dog today for a ruptured tumor, we waited in the exam room, unattended, for 3 hours. When the doctor finally arrived we spent probably a total of 2 minutes talking, in which time he told me he would not be seeing us today, even though we’d already paid the reservation fee, it was well before closing & the clinic was empty. The doctor wouldn’t even look at my dogs, still actively bleeding, tumor & was very rude in asking us what we even thought he would do. Then proceeded to leave the room without telling me anything about a refund for the $155 that I paid to be seen by him today or any advice for me about my dogs still bleeding tumor. Overall, it seems more beneficial to take your pets literally anywhere else. The doctor made me and my dog feel uncomfortable, unwelcomed, and very frustrated

I know current availability and wait time for vets is extremely frustrating and disheartening right now, especially when your pet is having an emergency. However, I know this isn't the staffs fault. VCA Chico was finally able to see my cat after we hadn't been able to find a vet that could see him for two days. We called all over from chico to south of Sacramento. When we did get in, our cat was well taken care of by the staff. They were very helpful and sweet to him. They explained to us what was happening and came up with a good treatment plan for him that has been working. I suggest going right when they open if you can, but keep in mind that they triage. Even though we were one of the first people in , other animals came after us that were in worse condition than our boy. They needed to be seen first in these cases and that was okay.

Beyond ridiculous wait - 6+ hours. No communications during or after wait. No thanks, never again.

The staff, drs and everyone else who is associated with these scam artist are heartless and cruel. Never have I ever experienced the ridiculous poor customer service as I did here. I wouldn't wish this place on anyone. Its a shame that this is our only option for emergency care.

My 16 year old diabetic, blind dog woke us up on Sunday with seizures. We knew it was inevitable but never wanted to let him go. Called VCA because thank God they were the only vet open and let them know we were coming to euthanize our baby They let my husband and I both be with him while doing the injection and we very grateful for this. They were all very nice and compassionate. Thank you VCA.

Pure profit enterprise. They care nothing for your animal, but plenty about your bank balance. Disgusting. Every person here should be ashamed.

First time here. My puppy Sage had Parvo 2 days ago. I caught it early they took her in at about 1pm and she returned home the next day at 2pm she's still not out of the dark yet but they have taken very good care of me and her with all questions. Yes it is very expensive here and sometimes you have to wait a couple hours because they are so busy with so much but I wanted my baby to live you get what you pay for in life. Thank you so much doctors and assistants for saving my puppys life.

Their vets are top-notch and their surgical facility is pediatric level, but I've had so many problems getting incorrect information from the front staff or the vet/kennel techs that I've moved to another vet for non emergency visits. The …

Brought my germane shepherd in for a broken hind leg above the paw below the joint it was sideways clearly broken put a splint on it before I came they said we can splint it Up and send u home can’t do x rays or surgery till it heals 500 later I got a splint and they said it might be broken total rip-off

Unfortunately, a lot of the negative reviews on this site were my experience. We were told to come here as it's the only emergency vet clinic in Chico. We were referred by our usual clinic, Evers. Wait time: 6 hours. Got there around 5 and didn't come out till near midnight. Not to mention, we had to pay about $225 to even be put on the waitlist. They only had 1 doctor working the day shift and 1 working night shift, so we had to wait for the night shift vet to come. We watched lots of people be told to come back when they open in the morning. One man had a dog with some strange neurological issue that had caused his fairly young dog to stop being able to walk. He waited for a while and kept telling them she wasn't doing well and getting worse. Then, out of frustration and worry for his dog, he left and likely drove out of town for a better service. They then assessed our cat and said it would cost around $1,600 for a procedure for his jaw. They offered no payment plans. Most expensive vet service I've been to, and I've had animals all my life. Might as well have driven to another town by the time it took for our cat to get seen. Would've been less expensive, too.

Can you put a price on the life of your beloved family pet, the one who has been with you for years and whom you've given so much love and affection? No? Well these people sure as hell can, do not expect to be shown anything but the door unless you start making it rain hundreds on the staff here. I know for a fact that It cannot cost $2000 to give a cat a saline IV for 72 hours, but if that's what your animal needs, that's what it will cost at a minimum. God help you if your pet needs any significant treatment and your last name is not Bezos.

Very expensive and after years of high fees they stopped their emergency night services.

We had to put down our beloved dog and they responded immediately and allowed us to come in that night. We really appreciated their level of urgency and care towards us and our dog. Our visit was prioritized due to the nature of our visit. We really appreciated what they did for us and how they handled it. ???? Thank you guys for helping Snickers cross the rainbow bridge peacefully.

Very friendly and very professional. Excellent first time customer service. Covid-19 friendly. They made sure to keep us up to date with pricing and exams before and after that my dog needed. Thank you so much to Dr. Howarth and his assistants for taking so much care of my dog while she was in your hands!

I dont generally leave reviews but after seeing what VCA did for our girl Xayah I wanted to share. My doggy needed a very specific surgery on her knees that we were lucky enough to find a Veterinarian Surgeon at VCA that could do it! They were very upfront with us the whole time and gave us time to get everything together before the surgery. Caroline was extremely helpful in scheduling and informing us about the surgery, all of the people at the front test were also helpful in answering our questions and making sure we got help. Dr.Speena did a amazing job and the area is now healing well! She did get an infection but as soon as we went in for it Dr.Speena was willing to help and it cleared up quickly. Not to mention he was willing to help us over the phone and email for any problems. The surgery was pricey (not much more then other vets tho), which I see is a huge complaint about VCA but in my opinion it is worth it. Great care and great results! My dog is finally happy again!

My dog busted out of the yard of friends who were watching him when we were out of town. A good Samaritan brought him to VCA around 9:00pm. They contacted me, stayed late for someone to pick him up and didn't charge me a thing. What an awesome experience! Thank you VCA!

Staff member evaluation of a animal with potential broken limb was her looking at the animal from not closer than 2 feet without touching the animal and exercising the limb and checking if the animal is in distress. I’m sad to see them close the 24hr emergency option but also I’m glad to see them not being able to disappoint even more patients/clients. UC-Davis is the better choice.

The quality of customer service drastically changed after we paid over a grand to have my dog's teeth pulled. They basically forgot about us and it took over two hours to get my dog discharged after his treatment.

My beloved dog was bitten by a rattle snake on a Saturday, there were no local vets handling emergencies in our area, so we drove the two hours to Chico to this fraud of an animal hospital. My boy stayed over night and our bill was $2900. As far as we could tell, nothing was done, except a fentynal patch was put on his leg. We begged for the labs, so we could take him to a better Vet but they were never given. Our new Vet, who was amazing, had to do all new labs and surgery to save my boys life. He is appalled a the treatment my boy received here, as were we. Thankfully we found a real vet who isn't in the business of money grubbing and he actually helped my boy heal. These people should be closed down as they aren't in the business of saving lives. They are only concerned with collecting money. I regret every penny I spent here. Take your pets anywhere but here. I intend to file a formal complaint that will lead to an audit. These people are vile.

There at 7:30 am and told to "expect" a 6 hour wait. Yes 6&%&%! Hrs. (My bad, took 4.5 hrs.) Doc spent @15 and called me right back to come get him. She was good, fast, kind and Listened too. The wait time is outrageous and the price should afford another Vet. Time and money. You will wait and you will pay. $140 prepay before anything is done. For our best buddy ever, we love you and you're welcome. $1050..

At 10pm my dog was attacked by a racoon. I called so I could bring her in for a hurt leg and any other injuries. I was told that they were full for the night, and would give me a phone number for Sacramento! I live just 5 minutes from their clinic, and they won't look at my dog. They said I could make an appointment at 7am.

Not personable. Not tentative. Not available for emergencies 24/7. Even with a scheduled appointment, they will make you wait an hour until they take your pet. They are not personable making it tough to feel as if they care for your pet. If you have an emergency during the night, they will send you to Roseville. Find another Vet. I know I am.

Wonderful service tonight! Brought my dog in at 1:30am and was done and on my way home by 2:30am with a happier dog and meds. Dr Hicks explained what was going on with our 2 year old lab and set my mind at ease. Thank you Valley Oak!!

First time I took my cat their I payed over 300 for testing at night didn't bother giving any antibiotics instead told me he probably had cat aids and lukimia and sent us home with a very sick cat. Then on Monday took him to our vet that right away said he has a bad infection why didn't they give him any medicine. So I basically paid over 300 and my cat could of died. Today I drive from corning to take my mom's not very responsive cat I call tell them I'm their just so they could tell me they close at 9 when their sight says open 24 hours. So now it 10.30 and I'm in yuba over a hour Away when I could of drove to the Redding area since I live in corning

I called in to make appointment to have my dog euthanize today she's 20 plus years old. Because today is memorial Day they wanted to double the charge because of emergency hours of their standard euthanasian. It is despicable of them to use this holiday as an excuse to upcharge their clients. And her respect to all of our armed services I request immediate band and non use of this facility anymore.

They would not take a kitten who was suffering beyond belief and euthanize her. I was paying so that wasn't the issue The kitten struggles to take every breath and is flailing about because she is so severely ill. She is crying when she can gather her strength. She has a deformed paw too. They say they won't see her because she is a stray. Tehama county does not deal with people in Corning city limits and I live in Corning. I have no where else to go. I guess she will suffer until she dies. They don't care. It's terrible to watch. I love their humanity...or lack thereof.

This clinic is run like the huge corporation it is. You rarely see the same vet twice and they keep pushing you to buy their products from dog food to flea remedies which all come with highly inflated prices and are not good. During the pandemic they don't let you come in with your pet. My dog is very allergic to wheat. The tiniest bit will make her itch until she is raw and crying for two weeks. I tell them not to give her any of the biscuits but they do anyway because I am not able to be with her to stop them. I'm done. I'm going to find a vet who knows me and my dog personally and who treats us with kindness and respect rather than a means to an end.

My spouse and I are extremely thankful for valley oaks after they saved our fur baby. We called several vets, who did not prioritize by emergency, and advised to book us 10 days out—even after advising of the serious issue at hand. Dr. Smith assisted us along the way with several different options we could take. She answered our questions throughly and made sure our ???? was in the best care. Overall, things turned out well and we were so happy to bring our baby home. PS our dog swallowed this toy and they were able to do a painless procedure to assist him.

Had an appointment here for my pup to get his shots. I waited 30min after appointment time. Had to wait my car when its 95 degrees out. To receive a phone call asking questions that I could have answered when making the appointment. Then waited another 15min as my pup was over heated, so I left with out shots being done. Don't ask people to come 10 min early if your going to make them wait 30min to receive a phone call and not even take the dog Very disappointed and will never be going to this vets office again.