VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center Norwalk, New York

Treated my dog on Thanksgiving morning quickly and professionally. An exceptional staff!

Where do I begin with how thankful I am for VREC?! On Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, my lab had a freak accident I could’ve never imagined and fell awkwardly on the stairs and broke her jaw. Her jaw was not only broken but has peaking through her gums and was hanging outside of her mouth causing her excruciating pain. When we arrived at VREC, the receptionist Wendy was so kind and helped check us in right away. Immediately after, the technician, Morgan, came out to get her from the car quickly and Dr. Gromen came to speak with us and create a plan to manage her pain until she could get in with a specialist, as the recommendation was that Onyx needed a dental specialist to try and save her facial structure best and that was not available until 48 hours later at a different hospital due to the holiday. She did a small procedure to help keep her comfortable until the specialty surgeon could see her. We knew we needed to take her to VREC because they were the best! Once she left VREC, she no longer cried in pain and the medication was managing her painful condition. If we did not go to VREC, I don’t know how we would have survived the weekend. She received her surgery Monday with a dental surgeon we were referred to and it looks as though she never even broke her jaw. If it wasn’t for the quick and critical thinking of the whole VREC team from the wonderful reception staff, to the assistants and technicians, the doctors, surgeons and hospital managers who worked as a team to help save my baby girl, I don’t know where we’d be right now. I am incredibly thankful for everyone at VREC and can personally vouch that if your pet is having a critical emergency, they will make the right call to help your pet!

Our 10-year-old beagle was attacked by an unknown animal in our backyard at 2AM recently. We immediately rushed her to the VCA in Norwalk to get her treated. They were responsive, attentive, and gave her everything we needed in an emergency situation. They were very transparent with the cost of things and even recommended we hold off on certain treatments due to them not being entirely necessary in the moment (which we appreciated, since it would have set us back several hundreds of dollars). Even in the middle of the night they were incredibly friendly and helpful! Rushing to the veterinary emergency room in the dead of night is every pet owner's worst nightmare but they made it as easy as possible. Thank you!

Reluctantly came here since my regular vet had closed for the day. My cat had vomiting and fever from an unrelated infection (UTI). Cat was given subcutaneous fluids on 10/29 and immediately developed a huge abscess in the injection area. Had to go to my regular vet to get abscess drained and more antibiotics administered. Very costly and dangerous mistake on their part. Unless it’s a dire situation, avoid this place.

Apparently they made a mistake and mixed my pups ashes after he passed. Paid for cremation individually w paw print and would take a week. A week later they don’t have my pups ashes. Worst experience ever.

Would like to thank the team that helped my cat Leo who was in need of a feeding tube; Dr. Mclingey, Laura & the two front receptionist Wendy & Greta. They were all very helpful with teaching us on how to distribute medication, inserting food but they were all also very understanding of our financial situation. This was a very empathetic, responsive & kind team. Thank you again.

Brought my dog in as an after hours emergency and the whole staff was wonderful, kind and took the time to explain everything that they wanted to do and why. I can't say enough good things about this facility.

Dog had pneumonia...$7800 bill. Most of it was them wanting to “keep her under observation”. $1500/day. They will charge as much as you can bear...nothing to do with operating costs. Medicine: 2 drugs. Our vet told us to go here to refill prescription. $570 per month. Checked at Walmart Pet, $125 for the same brand, dosage and pill count. One always has to be wary around vets. Response: "honest approach with everything we do" - Do you seriously think that your canned dog food sales pitch is "honest approach"? Are you guys doing subscription model like Netflix now?

NEARLY LOST PET'S ASHED AND HAD TO DEAL WITH VERY RUDE STAFF MEMBER - thankfully someone there was kind enough to help us resolve it. Had to use this facility for an emergency for our pet, unfortunately we did make the decision to euthanize our beloved pet. The vet was very kind the visit was very quick as we were aware of his irreversible condition that was followed by our primary vet. We decided on cremation and 2 days later (a few minutes after we received the call that everything was ready) we picked up our little guy's carrier and inside a remembrance box (with what we understood his ashes were included inside the box as there was no mention of an urn or box - just the green remembrance box). Fast-forward nearly 7 months and we receive a letter stating that his ashes will be spread since they cannot hold on to them forever and we should call immediately if we have questions. So we did, and in panic since the letter was dated 2 days ago and we just received it (the vet is 6 min away from us). The staff member we fist spoke with was kind, but when we arrived the woman at the front desk was RUDE, DISMISSIVE AND MEAN. All my girlfriend asked was to check the record about when we were contacted. The woman said there is no main record and call another time (in a very mean way) - but yet we told her that we in fact were already told previously that the record exists and the original call was noted so all of a sudden they cannot let us know about whether they tried to reach us? It was important for us to know if was not us that missed a call. The woman acted like it was such a hassle and transferred the call. This staff member has the respect to at least let us know that it was in fact NOT OUR FAULT. The other woman was so rude and did not want to help at all. We could of lost the ashes and even blamed ourselves for that. It was so disrespectful and such a horrible experience. We will for sure never chose to visit this facility due to the staff members that we need to deal. I bet the vets are great but the women in the front are not.

I can’t say thank you enough to the VCA in Norwalk. I have nothing but great things to say about the professionalism, care and compassion the nurses and doctors have here. Unfortunately my vet was not open on the weekends and we had kittens late on friday night. By Sunday one of the kittens was not doing well, we decided on taking them all to VCA. The nurses were great with the kittens and the doctor was better then i could have asked. Came outside personally to my truck to tell me the kittens heart rate was dropping along with his weight and he had a very low survival rate. After giving me time and discussing my options we did not want the kitten to starve to death or pass on slowly, since it could not eat- we made the tough decision to say goodbye. The nurses made us imprints of her paw prints and gave us many affordable options on what to do with her remains. thank you everyone at VCA for you hard work and help through this difficult process ???? you were loved chicken

Brought my cat in a few weeks ago. He had been vomiting and seemed unwell. I was concerned because he wasn’t eating or drinking, is elderly and was lethargic. The doctor was very nice however I don’t believe my cat was properly evaluated. He was never weighed and no one bothered to check his ears. I would think these two things among a few others would be part of a basic evaluation. I made the decision to have blood drawn and my cats WBC count was elevated. No one bothered to explain to me what exactly that meant and after spending 3 plus hours waiting in the parking lot in the blazing sun, I neglected to inquire further. I was made to feel something terrible was happening to my cat. You see after receiving that info I was told my cat should have X- Rays- Urinalysis and that ultrasound may be recommended. Well over $1,000 - I couldn’t think straight. At one point I phoned the front desk from my car and asked to check out- Christine- the receptionist was so rude!…she told me I could not take my cat because he wasn’t ready to go!. I had just spoken to the Dr. and I was literally sitting there for hours… feeling like they were holding my cat hostage. To make a long story short, I followed up with my vet and my cat had a double ear infection which would explain the elevated WBC count. He had been in pain. The reason I took him to the ER was to relieve his pain. But no one diagnosed his ear infection. I’m baffled as to how this could have been missed. I ended up leaving that day after having the vet give fluids and anti- nausea meds. After following up with my vet - my cat was Given drops and he is now better. Honestly, this was not the first time I left this hospital with extreme disappointment and empty pockets. My visit on this day cost me $600.00 but my visit a few years prior to this cost me over $2,000 in tests with a misdiagnosis. That is another story. I would use this hospital if my pet was loosing his life and it was an emergency and not for any other reason.

Top notch veterinary care for your animal. Doctors, assistants and office personnel are all extremely professional, supportive and caring. This is where we go whenever one of our animals has an emergency.

Do NOT go here. They just charged us twice as much as we were charged for the same procedure at another VCA. Extremely greedy. Don't trust them with your pets.

Took in my 4 month old puppy due to vomiting, dizziness, and dehydration. They took her in immediately and gave her fluids, as well as put her on a heating pad. They told me that they had no idea what was wrong with her and needed to run a handful of tests that would be around $5,000. I unfortunately could not pay that as the puppy was un-insured. The doctor said that if we could not pay, she would not make it during the night, she was suffering, and that we should even consider euthanizing her as my two daughters in distress were being heard through the phone. How could she conclude to such horrible outcome if she did not even know what was wrong? As I ended up paying $700 for the fluids and antibiotic, we took her home under the very clear words of the vet that we would see her pass away during the night and she would not make it another day. We all took turns looking over her to wait for that moment...............its been FOUR days and I pay extremely close attention to my dogs and she is doing better than ever.... I mean like she has more energy than she has ever had in her life. It is clear that they obviously would rather put my dog down because "it was suffering" to get us to pay another thousand dollars instead of us taking her home.

Never went to a dog hospital late night but grateful that this place was open and that the staff were friendly and informative. They were able to figure out what was wrong with my dog and the after steps. If there's ever an issue in the future, I'll definitely be back.

VCA doctors and techs were very responsive to my pet’s needs. . Surgery was successful! Directions for care and follow-up were very clear and helpful.

I brought my senior dog, Josie in last week who was vomiting and would not eat. Our Vet was closed and had recommended VCA. We were so worried, as she was not drinking and was told by our vet the situation was dire. Everyone at VCA, Dr. Livingston and Dr. Walsh and all the techs were amazing. They took such wonderful care of Josie. They were so kind, and responded to our many phone calls with patience and detail regarding her progress. We had been struggling with Josie’s many issues for years and they were able to diagnose her and offer a dietary plan that would help her on a daily basis. They are amazing and I am so very grateful. I also loved that they did a complete diagnostic on her before jumping to conclusions and never pressed us to have her stay longer than needed.

Took my father dog Lazzy because she had ear infection and I was frustrate already because I was calling different places close to home and they only do appointment and because she never been there I have to wait 2 weeks to 1 month but I call vca and they told me right away to bring her. I didn't care the 45 minutes drive all I needed was for her ear to be check out and they did right away. The think love the most is that they check on Lazzy to see how she was doing and that's let me know they car about Lazzy. Thank you so much for you dedication with animals and you love thank you.

Doctor / Vet needs to be more compassionate when she talks to the patients family. She is absolutely rude and insensitive when she talks to the family. She needs to have some patience and be empathetic. As a doctor you may know and maybe you are an expert but when the family is asking you questions , she has no patience . We are paying for the test and have every right to ask questions. If you don’t have patience then it’s not good for the family. We didn’t have a good experience and I don’t recommend taking your pet here.

I never leave reviews, but the beautiful experience I had dealing with VCA after my 17 year old pug Spunky passed this last Sunday was so beautiful, I wanted to share. From the initial phone call inquiring about cost for a private cremation, where the front desk receptionist was genuinely sorry for my loss and told me to bring him anytime ( he passed away at home) to showing up the next day, where the most beautiful person pet our little guy and said how sweet he looked and gave us all the time we needed to say goodbye.. well, I was truly inconsolable but she was just so loving and eventually wrapped him in a blanket and as i kissed his forehead, asked what I owed them, she said “Don’t worry about that now, we will reach out.” Really?! It’s been 3 days and today I got a phone call from them, not asking for money but letting me know I could pick up Spunkys ashes whenever I’m able. Same day we receive a condolence letter, beautifully written with a card insert, a little heart infused with wild flower seeds to plant in remembermce of Spunky... I’m literally in awe of the beautiful experience provided by this company, at one of the hardest times in my life. I will always be grateful. ❤️

The people were nice, however after leaving we realized maybe not reliable and accurate. Our cat had been sick, so on our vets request we booked an ultrasound. Not only did they NOT contact our vet with the results, which is what we asked upon leaving and stalled the progress forward, they did testing which was not an accurate reading. The test did not zone in on the one area that needed to be given specific attention, so it came up as “normal”. Fast forward two months, we were planning to have our vet perform a biopsy due to the results. Thank goodness the vet did blood work prior bc if she had just gone off of the ultrasound, the surgery performed would have harmed the cat. Two months ago if we had better results we would have been able to treat our pet for their sickness- so we spent almost a grand for results that were ineffective and could have caused a great deal of harm. I do Understand why our vet didn’t recommend this place when we had to schedule the ultrasound- if they don’t trust a doctor then it definitely sends red flags

I brought my cat Javier here for a cardiology consult and echocardiogram after finding out he had a heart murmur and elevated heart-related lab value from his regular vet. Both Dr. Cusack and her assistant Brooke were extremely kind and courteous. Dr. Cusack explained the diagnosis and treatment options thoroughly and gave me good recommendations. Unfortunately my kitty did not make it but I had a great experience with the medical staff and would take my future pets here.

I don't even known where to start. I don't think I could have enough good things to say about this hospital! A week ago we took our cat here and had to make the difficult decision to put her down. Dr. D'Addario and Emily helped us and were extremely compassionate with us during the whole process. When I picked up our baby's ashes though is when I was really blown away! Her ashes came in a beautiful box with a beautiful gold plate with her name engraved on it, seeds to plant baby breath flowers in her memory, resources to cope with the loss of an animal, a hand written letter from Emily, and a mold of our baby's paw print which we will FOREVER cherish. Then later that day I got in the mail a letter written from Dr. D'Addario with the kindest words that warmed our hearts and brought tears to our eyes along with a heart to plant that will also grow flowers in memory of our baby. While this decision was by no means easy Dr. D'Addario and staff really helped make this process as "easy" as it can be. Her kind words and actions will forever be remembered and cherished. The thoughtfulness is unmatched by far and completely blew us away. I cannot thank you all here enough for the thought put into helping us preserve the memory our sweet girl! <3

Last December my 10 YO wirehaired pointed griffon needed CCL surgery (equivalent of ACL on humans). I went to the VCA on the recommendation of my vet since the surgery would be performed by Dr. Palmisano. My experience was flawless despite the pandemic restrictions and the snow. Every single member of their staff is simply first class - courtesy, professionalism, timeliness of appointments and the care they provided to my dog and myself. The surgery was successful thanks to Dr. Palmisano. The recovery is long (2 months) but followed all instructions they provided and my Gus is doing well after 3 months and is no longer a puppy. Every call I made asking questions or worried about any little thing was answered promptly by a person. No waiting time. THey are really extraordinary and open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I couldn't have had a better experience. So if you're located in Fairfield County CT and need veterinary support, I recommend the VCA very highly.

My dog recently needed hip surgery. I've worked in the pet industry for years and Dr. Palmisano was recommended. When meeting Dr. Palmisano I was very please in the fact he was able to answer all my questions. He preforms both FHO and THR surgeries. Most vets do not preform THRs so I was happy he was able to give recommendation based on having experience with both surgeries. My dog had her surgery and the technician Emily was amazing with updating us on when she was going in, in recovery and doc called that night to let us know how it went. I did not give 5 stars only because I feel the front desk could provide a little better customer service. Whenever I called in I felt like I was being annoying with their tone. They did misplace my dogs food container and I waited in the parking lot for a half hour before I decided to leave. No one ever called to tell me they found it. Overall I am pleased with the services provided but wish the customer service but a bit better.

This place is unbelievable. You make a non emergency appointment, they spend 5 minutes with your pet. Your bill will be 3 times what the vet visit would normally be. And they don't tell you this before seeing you. Then they say you can perform a surgery there if needed and it will be included. Problem is that the surgery will be 2x than what you could do with highly trained specialized surgeons elsewhere. Why is that?? Try to reason with the staff. Incredibly obnoxious and rude. Not interested in discussing it. I never leave reviews but this is the worst vet experience I have had in 15 years of owning a pet. Total scam artists. Shame on you.

Yesterday we had to rush our Rusty to VCA because he had a lacrosse ball stuck in his throat. We could not dislodge it and he was minutes away from dying. When we arrived at VCA we were frantic. They rushed him in and somehow VCA saved his life and now Rusty is home doing fine. All this in 24 hours. Special thanks to dr.selgado... she and her team were amazing. We can’t thank you enough.

When I take my pet to a vet or emergency clinic, I expect my pet to be treated the same as if I or my family member were in an emergency room at a hospital or having a visit to my MD. This did not happen when I took our cat, Minnie, whom we loved very much, to the VCA Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT. On Monday evening, December 28th, we took Minnie there because she was having (what we thought) was a tooth issue. I expected that my Minnie would be treated appropriately, as I could not go in with her to verify and supervise due to Covid. Her diagnoses was “tooth root abscess of left lower canine”. On the release it said “please make an appointment with your primary care veterinarian for a dental as soon as possible to address Minnie’s tooth root abscess”. We made the appointment for Thurs December 31, 2020. I dropped her off at 7 AM and was told that we could pick her up and bring her home that afternoon. I received a call from our primary care vet advising that he was suspicious of a very aggressive form of mouth cancer and did an xray to confirm. This is something that should have been done and questioned at the emergency clinic. HOW COULD THE EMERGENCY CENTER NOT SEE THIS? IF MINNIE HAD A THOROUGH EXAM AT THE CLINIC, THE VET SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS AS IT WAS OBVIOUS AND SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE XRAY’S TO BE SURE. Therefore, on December 31st, we had to say good bye to our beloved cat, who was only 11. It is unacceptable that this was not seen at the emergency clinic, when, in fact, it was obvious to the naked eye or fingers. VCA did not even express concerns of a possible cancer diagnosis. Additionally, because of Minnie’s pain and my concerns that I’d be unable to administer her pain medicine, I suggested that she stay overnight. This would have been an opportunity for the vet at VCA to examine her more thoroughly and not be in a rush to write it off as a tooth root abscess. Instead, I was told that it would cost me $1600 to $2000 to keep her overnight. Had I known if there was a cancer suspicion, I would have insisted she stay and be given her pain medication overnight until I could get her to our own doctor. BECAUSE OUR OWN VET NOTICED THIS QUICKLY, VCA SHOULD HAVE AS WELL. Even if it was a tooth root abscess, VCA should have done an Xray. As I’m sure you can imagine, these last few days have been challenging and very upsetting to our family. Not only are we left to grieve our cat, we also have to understand why this was handled the way it was.The emergency center was busy that evening, and Minnie was discharged sooner than I would have expected, so this tells me that whomever examined her, was either not qualified to notice the tumors in and around her mouth, or was in too much of a hurry. I haven’t decided if an when I will address this. Maybe when I’m ready. What’s done is done. Nothing that will bring Minnie back to us. At an absolute minimum, I would expect VCA to take responsibility for this. Even still, I will never, ever recommend this emergency center to my family members, friends, colleagues, etc. Nor, will I ever bring a pet there again. I do hope that internally, you will investigate this and look into how and why it happened so that it doesn’t happen to other families. Either way, Minnie would have died, but we were shocked when our vet called us with the CORRECT DIAGNOSIS, that, once again, should have been noticed the evening of December 28th at VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT. This was an aggressive, painful cancer for our Minnie, and she didn’t even have the option of chemo or radiation.

No complaints about billing, thought they were fair. However there seemed to be no real concern for the quality of life of my elderly dog. After my dog became very sick and stayed in the ICU, it took 4-5 phone calls to get a hold of a doctor daily. Once my dog was out of the hospital, neither doctor who attended to her would call me back. Also withheld vital information concerning my dogs cancer that would have changed the way I handled my dogs chemotherapy. When I did get a hold of a doctor, they were rude and implied that I was a bad owner for not wanting to put my dog through chemotherapy even though she was suffering significantly and it had metastasized. I don’t need an apology from Vrec, what’s done is done. I just think if you love your pet the way I love mine and are looking for a team who is going to care about them, this isn’t the place.

They are nothing more than scam artist at this hospital. I was recently there with my 11 wk old puppy and was being charged $6k to leave her for 2 days. The moment I said I couldn't afford it, they offered me a credit card and insisted my …