VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital and Referral Center Albuquerque, New Mexico

DON'T BOTHER IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY!!! January 13th, 2022 around 7:30PM I brought my mini dachshund in because he had not been eating or drinking for 5 days. He was shutting down. After some of my own investigation I noticed he had blood in his mouth, something was wrong but I didn't know what, this is why I brought him in to VCA. I was hoping to get some antibiotics and to re-hyrdrate him through the night, thinking maybe it was an impacted tooth. They turned me away at the door saying it's not an emergency. They were extremely rude and said triage 'might' see you, or they might not, they did not. I am now hoping my dog makes it through the night in time to see his vet tomorrow morning, even though their voicemail says in case of emergency call VCA. Over the last 15 years I've spent over $20,000 dollars here between my 2 dachshunds who have both had IVDD along with surgeries etc. I was very disappointed. NEVER, EVER AGAIN!

Took my boxer in on Jan 4th around 10 pm. He got into an altercation with another neighborhood dog in our backyard, his ear was sliced pretty bad. The vetinarian didn't even look at our dog and said he would be fine to take him to his primary vet. Tech went on to state his injury was only cosmetic not life threatening. WHAT A FREAKING JOKE! Front desk staff members where not pet friendly. Needless to say we will NEVER EVER go there again. BEWARE of this place. As per the reviews it seems they are more eager to euthanize your pet than to actually help them live. TLC took our dog the next day and patched him up..

-5 stars. if you want to get yelled at for asking urgent questions right next to your emergent sick upset pet, go here. Appalling treatment by the front desk tonight. I walked out of this mess. Embarassing for ABQ. Made my poor cat cry with her yelling.

This place is very sad and completely built on making money without accountability or quality of care. Brought my cat here for care, spent enormous amounts of money to save him and was given a range of diagnosis which were ever changing as they searched for the reason and they piled on the costs. In the end he most likely had pancreatitis, as he had before and they completely missed it, despite treating him for it several years ago and telling them that we thought he had it and all tests being indicative of it, if that is not negligence or malpractice than what is. They overmedicated my cat, would not provide contact with the doctors who had treated him because it was after 6pm and my cat died with no answers and having known if I would have taken him somewhere else that cared, and remained in contact that he may still be alive. If you value your animal, quality of care and giving your animal quality care to have a good life or a chance at surviving then go someplace else. I know the management will reply to this review with their automated response, despite my animal and friend dying under their care and that should say everything about them and how apologies don't take the place of actually caring, listening to what patients owners are saying and following through with tests based on medical history, symptomology, not jumping to conclusions and owners observations- requests, which could save the animals life.

This place only cares about money. They have no compassion nor do they care about your pet. It’s all about $$$$$. They get you when your most vulnerable and thrive in seeing you at your lowest. Your animal is nothing but a money sign. During the worst part of our life we were taken advantage of. I would never recommend this place. They simply don’t care about your pet.

Thank you, VCA, for easing our beloved Sophia to the next phase. Caring, professional, straightforward about her needs. She is over the rainbow bridge now. We miss her so much. Thank you for making her transition so merciful. I regret I cannot recall the doctor’s name, but she was wonderful. Carol Gerard, human of Sophia

Reprehensible is the best way to describe this churning for fees, at the expense of your pet, business…fees that would shock any reasonable person, poor standard of care, incompetence. If you love you pet, stay away.

Bring your animal to Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center of Albuquerque that is just down the street instead of here if you need an emergency vet. I brought my cat in that was in late stage renal failure and was told he was not in critical condition and would probably not be seen. My concern for my animal was brushed aside and I was told to just take him to my regular vet. If I had waited instead of bringing him to a better facility my cat would have died painfully and alone instead of comfortably and surrounded by loved ones.

Expensive and not worth price fee just to look at the pet. 180.00. Not very compassionate. Not good nutrition info. Prescribe too many unnecessary drug were not needed for what my pet went in to get get care.

Tonight I brought my cat in because he gets urinary crystals and had shown symptoms all day. The staff were AMAZING! they checked him out immediately, validated he was not in danger and sent us home. WOW! You can even get human urgent care to do that! Thank you VCA staff! I am so very grateful to you! I wish I caught the employees names-I’m sorry! The vet was a large armed gentleman and the lady behind the desk had a cat mask. Thank you for being there for Beowulf and us! Late shifts are no fun a d we really appreciate you!????

I took my kitten there after being referred there by my vet for her symptoms needing emergency care. She is lethargic, had no energy (could barely sit up) and was shivering and after examining her for 5 minutes they said she was fine and sent her home. Her condition remains the same and now I have to wait 4 days to take her to my vet.

The best there is if you need emergency or specialist care.

I saw Dr Carroll for an emergency visit that unfortunately didn’t end well. They got my cat to the back right away. The doctor was very knowledgeable about my cat’s condition and was so very kind to me every step of the way.

On Tuesday morning everything seemed fine when suddenly my dog collapsed and seemed to be having convulsions. I called VCA and they told me that she definitely needed to be seen at a veterinary hospital but they wouldn't see her because they "weren't sure if she was dying". Instead I had to try and get her to a veterinary hospital much farther away. Daisy passed away in my arms, scared and in pain on the way there. I live right around the corner from VCA but they actually had the nerve to tell me that my dog wasn't enough of an emergency for them. At one point the woman on the phone said if she is breathing than I can take her elsewhere. For a place that keeps saying they care it sure doesn't seem like any emergency is big enough for them. Daisy was 13 years old and I have learned that she was having a stroke in my arms. I can't express how many times the conversation I had with VCA has run through my mind this past week. They make me physically sick and I will forever have to live with the question of if my dog could have survived if she received timely emergency treatment.

I can never say enough about the service we received. OUTSTANDING and the best I have ever had. My best friend Lilly Bear passed away in my arm on the way to the facility at 11pm, upon arrival the staff and Dr Brahn were so supportive and kind. Words can never express the love and kindness felt. Thank you.

The VCA staff was friendly from the very start. The receptionist staff showed me how to use the coffee machine right away and got me checked in quickly. The tech who works with Dr. Reis came out to get my dog and explained the entire process and how they were going to handle it. She presented an estimate and gave me a few options. The vet, Dr. Reis, came into the room and went over every scenario that he could think of. Within 4 hours, I received a phone call from Dr. Reis saying my dog was out of surgery and doing well. When I arrived to pick her up, the tech went over all the instructions and told me to call with any questions. The following day, Dr. Reis emailed to see how she was doing. Every person I interacted with was friendly, helpful, and thorough. The price was reasonable as well. I would highly recommend VCA emergency to anyone who needs an emergency vet for their fur babies. They truly care about the safety of the animal, have great communication, and wonderful follow up.

I cannot recommend this vet enough! They care about your animals and make you feel very welcome. Each time we visit is a great experience. They call and ask for an update after each appointment. Thank you Dr. Carrier for taking such good care of my babies.

$650 just to see if my pet is sick is outrageous,was sent somewhere else. So sad that these people don’t really care about the animals.

Presently not accepting new pets even if you have an account here. So they forced all vet clinics into a stressed time where I had to wait for a minor issue for 10 hours at another emergency clinic. Then on another topic they are all about the money up front. I went to them with a different pet before COVID and I fought as hard as I could to keep him alive, but ultimately it was pay big $$$$ or pet dies. Seriously money don't grow on trees and not everyone has an unlimited credit card.

I recently transferred care to VCA after poor experiences elsewhere. First, the front office staff are EXCEPTIONAL: kind, thoughtful. My pets are now seeing Dr. Russman who is wonderful. She is knowledgeable and so kind to my pets. The techs have been attentive and take an interest in my pets. Thank you!

My dog, Dodger, broke off a piece of one of his nails & was fortunately able to receive same day treatment at VCA's Emergency Clinic. Dodger is a 95lb Shepherd cross who can be shy in new, social situations & has sensitivity with invasive handling. The Team & DVM Leonard were gentle with Dodger and respectful of his needs, displaying a high level of compassion for my sweet pup. They gave him quality care and treated us both with kindness and understanding. I couldn't be more grateful for DVM Leonard & the Team at VCA Montgomery!

This is not even close to an Emergency Animal Hospital. DO NOT... I REPEAT DO NOT COME TO THIS ANIMAL HOSPITAL IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR PET COULD BE DYING. THE STAFF WILL LAUGH AT YOU AND HANG UP on you. Our 13 year old dog is possibly having seizures and they told us that even though the lobby is empty, literally no one in the lobby, that there is no guarantee that our dog would be seen. If you love your animals at all I 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND taking your pet here. We will have to hope and pray that our dog doesn't end up dying... if I could give zero stars I 1000% would.

Our dog was recently diagnosed with cancer and our regular vet referred us to VCA for treatment options. We were supposed to have an appointment on 9-21-21 and we received a reminder call on 9-14-21. VCA then called us and told us our appointment was on 9-14-21 and we needed to reschedule. So far they have not contacted us again to reschedule.

Was trying to find emergency care for my dog on a Sunday and called this location. I was told for the symptoms my dog was experiencing that it was an emergency and she needed to be seen ASAP but it wasn’t emergency enough for their location. All the emergency vets in the area weren’t taking anymore pets since they were all booked up. I literally had nowhere to take my pet. Thankfully I found a vet in Edgewood that was able to see her ASAP. Unfortunately VCA was no help for my pet and sent me into a panic.

These individuals are angels on earth. I am so grateful for them. They truly care for the animals and worked with us financially to find an affordable solution. Please take care of yourselves during this difficult time. You are appreciated. Thank you Shauna and Victoria, sincerely! From the Woods family.

I took my cat Kyri to this location. From our family we would like to say thank you! The level of care that Kyri received was amazing. The Doctors called and updated me every morning and evening. My Kyri is home now. Thank you all so much for the compassion and the care that you all gave. I can't tell you how much it meant to our family.

We have adopted a kitten from East side animal shelter. We scheduled our free first appointment as promised by the shelter and we arrived 10 minutes late. The lady at front desk couldn't spell our last name or get the phone number right, finally after 3 tries she got that right and then went to "search" the appointment and after 10 minutes she found us and said we had to reschedule since the doctor said so. She never called the doctor. When we asked if the next appointment would be free since it was reschedule she said no because it was not under 14 days. We called the Wyoming VCA and they happily scheduled our appointmen t and said even if the date of appointment is after 14 days we will get the first free check-up as long as the appointment is scheduled within 14 days. The woman at this VCA wasn't empathetic at all worst experience. They gave us a time frame of 8-8.30 and told we could come anywhere between that time but I guess it was all a lie. The shelter pays for the examination so they are not even doing it for free.

Our dog recently passed away over a holiday weekend and VCA accepted her until cremation could take place. About a week later we received a lovely card, our pet's paw prints, and a seed pack to plant in her remembrance. VCA was not her vet, but the heart-felt way they accepted her and reached out to us was very respectful. I will be recommending them to my friends with pets!

Hands-down the best place to take your pet! The level of concern, care and time that they take to make you and your pet feel comfortable is beyond compare! I wanted to cry during my pet’s visit because of the level of care and time that Dr. Leonard and her team gave me to discuss the concerns I was having with my cat. They actually took the time to listen and gave me some great ideas to try. And I took her advice and changed my cats food to purina pro plan, and already seeing the positive difference after a few days!! I can’t thank them enough!! Thank you VCA!

Don't call yourself a 24 hour emergency clinic if you're not operating like one. Called at 5:30 am because my dog's face was all swollen, and the receptionist said that I would have to call back at 7am to see if I can get an appointment with the dental group because they can't do x-rays or see him otherwise. Emergency clinics are available for all services, any time, no appointment needed. This is false advertising.