Evolution Veterinary Specialists Lakewood, Colorado

Fantastic staff! Very reassuring when we brought in our 4 pound puppy who found something on the ground that contained pot. They quickly diagnosed the problem and shared information around how to proceed. If we ever need these types of services again, we would definitely return to Evolution.

NEW UPDATES: Found at the end of this review! WARNING: Do not use the veterinary clinic!! I am appalled at how expensive this …

You guys saw my beloved pitbull last night. Did NOT even bother to diagnose her at all. Just did blood work and sent her home. Let me guess because she's a PITBULL???!!!!! …

Visited on a Friday evening, they were upfront about cost (140$ arriving before 8pm) and allowed me to wait in my car. They have a locked door which I appreciate, you push an intercom to be quickly in. My dog and myself were treated so kindly, I will go back here if we need!

This is going to be long, I apologize. Today I took my dog in for a bowel obstruction after he ate a wash cloth yesterday. While trying to advocate for my dog and understand treatment recommendations Dr Laura K. Heaton was extremely rude. Given a substantial estimate I felt it was normal and appropriate to ask for clarification. I work in healthcare as a professional firefighter paramedic for nearly 20 years and this is the normal standard of care. I just got off a 72 hour shift and made this clear, I was asking questions possibly because I was extremely fatigued and hadn’t eaten yet today. I was also obviously concerned for my dog. My wife has a graduate degree in nursing leadership and has spent the better part of her career in emergency medicine. My point is we are familiar with healthcare. The doctor explained she wanted an ultrasound to verify her diagnosis (after already taking X-rays). I asked for an estimate for the ultrasound to confirm a diagnosis and then go from there. This estimate was $4000. The ultrasound itself was $500. The remainder of the estimate included 24 hours stay (why?), “various medications”, IV, blood work, etc. When I asked about just doing the ultrasound first- I’m paraphrasing here but she told me “either agree or take your dog to a low cost clinic who may not be able to treat him in time”. ???? I explained to her my background in healthcare and that an ultrasound does not cost $4000 for a human and a lot of the add-on’s were unnecessary for confirming a diagnosis. She stated “human healthcare is very expensive, I had $100,000 in bills”. Basically calling me a liar. I don’t understand why I was being billed for up to 24 hours hospital stay for an ultrasound and a time sensitive condition based on her assessment and threat of what would happen if I went somewhere else. This is insanity. As I was leaving I heard another staff member say while speaking to another patient that they had no one available to do an ultrasound and it might be better to come back Tuesday. Is this why they were billing me for 24 hours of hospital stay? The tech and front desk staff were extremely friendly. The tech told me the physician was not a part of their full time staff but a fill-in. I understand staffing shortages in these times but that’s not an excuse for subpar care. This is why I just worked a 72 hour shift. This review is for Dr. Laura Kathleen Heaton license number VET.0011373. I strongly question anyone who employs a provider with such lack of empathy, bedside manner and a poor social skills. Also for what it’s worth, it had nothing to do with money. I took my dog to Veterinary Emergency Group on Colfax in downtown Denver. Their estimate was higher and further from my house but the provider was extremely patient and able to answer all of my questions. They also allow you to stay with your dog up to the actual surgical procedure. EVS ushered my dog off to the back and made me feel sort of like a prisoner.

I brought my dog, Willow in on a Sunday evening after suspecting she had a leg injury. It was a long wait to see the vet and eventually get treatment (as expected at an emergency vet) but I was frequently given updates by staff on approximate time remaining. Everyone I spoke to was extremely caring and concerned towards Willow which made me really feel like she was in the best hands possible. I was also given updates on pricing as soon as anything changed and all of the staff were extremely informative and kind despite it being well after midnight. My pup is relatively young and this was my first emergency vet experience, I am so grateful to all of the staff for walking me through everything and really making Willow and I feel comfortable the entire time. I am very happy with my experience here!

When we had a scare with our cat, everyone at EVS was extremely kind and helpful.

I cannot say enough positive things about this place. First off, we’ve had to go to an emergency vet one other time, and it was horrid. So, I was super nervous. Today we went in with our fearful, reactive dog (muzzled and with medicated), because she tore up her leg. She needed stitches. The folks here were so kind and understanding with her and with us with her behaviour. We work hard with her with behaviour specialists, but she still just has a hard time with people and dogs. They listened to us and helped make her as comfy as she could be. They were communicative and kind throughout the whole process. I hope to never have to revisit, but if our pup gets herself into an emergency spot again, this is exactly where we will go.

Had to bring my little guy in for an emergency consult- they treated him immediately. Dr. Hill and the two techs were thorough and helpful.

I was all prepared to give EVS 5 stars based upon my initial call late Sunday night to get a return call within 10 minutes. The tech was very informative, providing all appropriate information. I scheduled an Urgent Care visit for the next day. Once completing the intake form, I realized an ER visit was better for my dog so I could go in with her. There was no problem changing the appointment type. The receptionist, billing clerk and Vet Tech were all wonderful. While my dog and I were waiting in a room, two critical care cases came in so she was kept and I left for lunch to return 2 hours later. I received a call from the ER Vet, he explained his initial assessment of what needed to be done, I agreed to the price and waited for his call. When I took my pet in, she was walking fine, no problems with head or balance. ER Vet explained he cleaned her ears as much as possible but they are mostly closed up, injected antibiotic, prescribed medicine, then sent a vet tech out to review discharge instructions. Part of the instructions were to watch for head tilt. By the time we arrived home, our girl had 45 degree head tilt, imbalance, and unable to walk straight - only in circles. I called and spoke with the ER Vet, he advised that in cleaning her ear he might have gotten deep in the inner ear and impacted her vestibular. WHAT? He said it should clear up in 5 to 7 days. This dog went in fully functioning, now can't balance, walks in circles, head is tilted 45 degrees to the left, she can barely eat, could only see large objects, now since left eye points down and right eye up, she is unable to maneuver around. We must be with her 24/7. We are now forced into evaluating her quality of life after 3 days we have not a glimmer of improvement. I called today to see if there was medication they could give for vestibular. The vet tech was going to ask the ER Vet when he got in. 10 hours later. Still no call. I would not go here again.

Great care. But by far the most expensive vet I've ever been to. And I've been to a lot. I had to go on advice from my main vet. Something she can't do. But still 5 stars. Seems like they know their specialist not much compassion on the pocket book. Other than that great experience.

The team here was so helpful and caring. We originally came in to get stitches for our pup (which they did a great job doing) and they actually discovered an underlying health condition that our regular vet hadn't identified. Recommend this place 10/10.

Passing through Denver in our RV. Our 90 Lb travel companion was not well. The team at Evolution Vet were kind, attentive, communicated well and really showed a lot of compassion for our middle aged dog. It was literally a referral from several other vets who were just unable to see us for days due mostly to the COVID staff shortages, and when 2-3 other vets recommend the same place to go, it really means they all respect Evolution Vet Specialists. I understand now why. We were a cold call asking for help. No question we will use them again if we are in deer , as it was not a simple issue and they were great. Thanks Evolution :)

I came in on Christmas night with a dog that ate a box of Chocolate. They were professional and kind. I appreciated that Evolution provided an estimate for the services. They did a good job of providing both a low estimate and a high estimate. They kept me informed regarding how my dog was doing and did a good job providing me with information on what to watch for when I came home. They were professional and I believe my dog had very loving care.

Very kind and caring staff. Very helpful at a very difficult time.

We had a great experience at Evolution yesterday. My dog, Nico, broke his dewclaw and needed to be seen right away by a vet. We normally go to Banfield for care, but they are booked until the end of Dec. I called 5 other Banfields around Denver/Aurora and they were all booked solid. One of the Banfields I called told me about Evolution and I'm so glad they did. I was expecting long wait times and it was the opposite. We were helped right away and didn't have to wait long for the vet to see Nico. Everyone we interacted with was so nice and friendly and I felt very comfortable. I'm so glad we could go inside the facility with him. At our ER vet in Ohio, we weren't allowed inside and he was stuck there for hours waiting to see a doctor and ended up getting dehydrated. I highly recommend Evolution for anyone who needs immediate care for their pet. Thank you to all the staff there!

My dog had a medical issue that developed on a Saturday afternoon, after her primary vet’s office was closed. I was really happy with all aspects of the experience with EVS. Every staff member clearly loves animals - they comforted her while I filled out the paperwork, gave her treats, etc. A staff member immediately triaged her to determine the severity of her issue. I was warned there would be a wait, and it was approx. 3.5 hours before she was seen by the vet. However we spent that time waiting in a private exam room which was amazing. Dr. Butler worked quickly to give my dog the care she needed, explained exactly what she was doing, and gave me an estimate of the cost of each part of the procedure before moving forward. The prices were super reasonable for an emergency visit. I hope I don’t need to come back, but I would come straight here in an emergency!

Worst experience ever. Went in for vaccination and an ear infection- $400 later (because you must pay to even be seen, with no guarantee they will treat and or give care to) left with anxiety medication?, no vaccine, and was told they could not perform care because our dog was acting "inappropriate." (Which a dog with an ear infection being poked and pried in the ear seems like normal behavior?)But I guess that is besides the point. Decent place, with lower than decent service.

I was told that me and my partner were “terrible pet owners” because our dog was too destructive and got hurt. I’ve been turned away when I called ahead to make sure he could be seen as it was an emergency. We were double charged because they accidentally opened two accounts for our dog and when we called to ask for help they told us it would take “a few days” to look into. They “lost” 800 dollars from us. They’re beyond over expensive and absolutely horrible to you. The only people who tried to help were at the front desk. Don’t take your animals here.

Worst experience of my life. If you love your animal DO NOT COME HERE, BECAUSE THEY DONT. I went into the ER at 3a this morning with my dog. She has CHF and had alot of fluid around the lungs, when she was admitted they did an x-ray and saw how much fluid. They Suggested she stay overnight at a $3-5000 Expense. Unfortunately I can not afford that, so I opted for just to have some medicine and take her to a different vet, to my knowledge they had given her a dose to get the fluid off her lungs. I was here for 4 hours and they refused to do anything for my baby until I paid! When I couldn't pay for it I waited for 2 hours in the room by myself for them to come get me to pay for the x-ray, and then wait another 20 minuets. When I asked why I was waiting so long for them to get my dog, she said it's because we are waiting on the doctor. I had said for what I'm leaving? And the response I got back was to see if she actually got medicine. At this point i had been there 4 hours and my baby had fluid on the lungs, they REFUSED to do anything until I paid. They refused to give me my dog! I asked multiple times, AFTER the doctor came out to tell me they ACTUALLY DIDNT GIVE HER ANY MEDICINE to get my dog. When I threatened to get her myself they surrendered and brought her out. If you do want to spend the few moments you have left with your fur baby I beg you NOT to come here. All they want is your money. ..On an uplifting note, the other vet (Kittridge Veterinarian) she went to they gave her medicine immediately! and she is being supervised for a much more reasonable price. She is doing better, now that she is the hands of someone who will actually help and not price gouge.

Pet Lovers Beware! Do not bring your beloved pet to these people. I brought my dog in for an emergency visit. 4 hours later they tell me my dog needs a x-ray to see what the problem was. Over $1000 later they tell me that according to the x-ray they would have to operate to save my dog's life. I agreed. Another $5000 later they operated and removed my dog's bladder stones supposedly. They assured me my dog would be fine. She was not. These people messed up the surgery. They cut something they shouldn't have inside my dog. Then they tell my my dog won't ever walk again. She went in for bladder surgery. They messed up a simple operation. Charged me over $7000 dollars. Then tell my my dog won't be easy to take care of because she will never walk again. ... ... ... So the best option would be to put her down. My dog was only 11 years old and was literally running around the yard a days ago before she was sick. Now she can't even walk? After a simple bladder surgery? So we put her down. Euthenized her. 11 years old. Over a couple bladder stones. Obviously these people have no compassion. No empathy. They should not be vets at all. Never in my life will I trust another vet with my beloved dog's life ever again. I hope people read this and learn how horrible these scam artists are. How expensive they are, and how unprofessional they are. $7000 to save my dog only to kill her. Now I have no dog. Can you imagine if this was your child?

First and foremost, THANK YOU to Dr. Siegel and the team at EVS for saving Stormy's life! I have no doubt that had we not found your clinic over the weekend that our sweet kitty would no longer be with us. While the wait was somewhat long, anyone who has ever been to a human ER on a weekend knows that's typical. I felt the staff were doing everything they could with a huge influx of patients to manage. Once it was established that my cat was stable, we were placed in a room to wait for the doctor. As soon as Dr. Siegel was able to see her, he immediately came up with a care plan for my cats wound. I felt very confident in his decisions and was comfortable leaving her in the care of the team there. Dr. Siegel personally called me several times to give updates and discuss necessary changes to the care plan as the situation emerged. I felt informed and appreciated the personal reach out, as it was clear from my visit that the clinic was somewhat overwhelmed with emergency cases that day. As others have noted, the costs are significant - BUT, emergency medicine is a very highly specialized field and all costs were explained to me up front. Thankfully I already had care credit in place but I did see many signs detailing other ways for someone to obtain funds if necessary. Aside from some initial sticker shock (and mostly being mad at myself for not having pet insurance!), I felt that the costs were expected relative to the treatment plan, which included surgery. I am ever grateful to EVS for being available for a family that just moved to Colorado a few weeks ago and had a very unexpected critical pet emergency. Thank you all again!

10/10 Would absolutely go back to Evolution! While the wait was longer than I was hoping for, the vet staff was extremely thorough with my pup and even helped get me into a specialist at a different clinic since they didn't have what we needed. So kind, were financially fair on services provided, and gave honest advice instead of pushing for unnecessary expenses. LOVE LOVE LOVE this ER and would not hesitate to go back!

My Sammy was a very sick pup when we brought him to Evolution. He was diagnosed with heart issues. We are so very grateful for the excellent care he received and how we were updated as Sammy had to spend the night. We even received a photo! We will always be grateful for all of the staff and for Dr. Lake-Bakaar!

Staff was very kind when I brought my cat in with renal failure. The only thing that irked me about the experience was when they sold me back my dead cat's fur for $12.50. 'Depraved' comes to mind. Response: Ok. Imagine for a moment, that an animal hospital has tools to remove fur. Then, imagine if they could be used by the parent. I fully understand though how you're not responsible for the products pushed in your business by your employees and are just. so. powerless. I'll bring my own next time.

My dog needed surgery for a torn ACL. Her regular vet does not do surgery, and thus recommended EVS. I felt that I was given polite, efficient service from the initial contact, to the surgery check-in, the going home instructions, and the follow up visit. The facility is impressive, clean and modern, with plenty of space so animals don't have to "interact" in the corridors. I had no wait time in the lobby for any of the visits, the staff were very caring and loving to my dog. The surgery has corrected her injury, and she is on the road to full recovery. I would strongly recommend this veterinary service.

I brought my cat here to get some X-ray work done after he had eaten my fake Christmas tree. My cat isn’t easy to handle when he’s scared, in fact he is quite the opposite, he’s a handful. Fortunately enough, these experts were very understanding and very patient with my baby. They gave me a room with some blankets, three different types of cat food and a bowl of water to help calm him down before his X-rays. Everyone was so nice and so accommodating. Dr. Penn, Geoffrey, and Sofia You all will have my business From here on out. Great staff, Great environment, Perfect place to take your pet.

Recently my fiancés family’s dog, Cocoa, was in distress and needed emergency attention. The first place we rushed to said they were not sure what to do and turned us away. We came here and received the best immediate care we could have asked for. Although it was our pup’s time to go, the doctor and staff made the experience as painless as possible and explained everything thoroughly. We couldn’t be more grateful for them that night!

The hospital is definitely well equipped and offers a variety of services. They are prompt in offering attention. I believe they genuinely care about the animals they see. Unfortunately cost may be a real issue for many people. They take Care Credit and pet insurance, also Scratchpay, so that may help. My family no longer uses Care Credit because the interest is extremely high. It depends on your finances and what you can pay back as to what option will work best for you, but odds are most families will not have the amount needed up front for many of Evolution's emergency services. It's beyond difficult to find out that you can't even afford to have CPR performed on your pet.

This place is very unprofessional all they care about is money and not the animal Shame on this place