Summit Veterinary Referral Center Tacoma, Washington

Our only issues with Summit is the check-in communication processes in place to protect their staff from COVID. We spent a lot of time waiting to talk to someone and there was a lot of crossed wire on their end. This processes was …

The person I’ve talked too is not very helpful.

The tech that swooped into my vehicle to retrieve my 2 1/2 year old black lab that was in the middle of a horrible seizure was like a super hero to me. The emergency room doctor, Dr. Miller was on the phone with me from Luna's side within 15 minutes with an update, questions, and options. She was empathetic, honest, and direct. I appreciated her ability to communicate exactly what was happening while providing compassion and patience. The neurologist spent a lot of time on the phone with me. He spelled out the possibilities in order of feasibility, potential outcomes, and what to expect next. He listened intently while I word vommited the events leading up to her illness. Luna didn't make it despite all of their amazing efforts. My heart is broken. Dr. Miller asked her assistant to connect me with a university that will perform a necropsy to help determine what happened. She was fine, and then she wasn't. The assistant was great! I can't get Luna in for a few days because it was a Saturday and a holiday weekend. Dr. Miller said they would preserve her. I just got a call from a horrible woman that said (I'm paraphrasing) I need to come get my dead dog because they're having space issues. I explained that she (the dog) is being preserved for the University of Oregon. The woman told me I needed to come get her tomorrow. The college is closed tomorrow for Martin L King Jr Day, lady! She said no later than tomorrow. And that was the end of the call. It was abrupt, rude, and without thought. You can do better!

DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET HERE. I called and informed them that my dog ATE A RAZOR BLADE and before even referring another facility the receptionist told me they aren't taking patients and "can't just put her in the hallway". I understand not …

Every single person we interacted with at Summit was incredible and kind. Our six year old cat was with them and diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They took wonderful care of him while he was hospitalized. They were incredibly communicative with us and helped us through a very difficult time and decision. I cannot thank everyone that works there enough for everything that they did for us and what they do every single day.

The care we and our cat recevied here was beyond excellent. Everyone we worked with was kind, professional, and caring. Thanks for your excellent service during a difficult time.

I’ve never met such an uncaring group of veterinarians. I brought my pug here and after waiting for seven hours of her being left alone all they recommended was to put her down. We succumbed and had her cremated, no one bothered to comfort us or ever called to say she was ready to pick up and they had trouble finding her ashes after days of waiting. Please don’t bring your pet here.

Cannot say enough good things about this veterinary hospital. We dealt with the ophthalmology group and they were all so knowledgeable, responsive, practical and caring toward our newly adopted dog who had to have eye surgery. I live an hour away and will return for any hospital needs for my dogs. Excellent experience. Highly recommend.

I brought my dog in after being boarded because she was in distress with breathing..Many tests were performed...She stayed in oxygen kennel throughout her 3 days stay..They saved my dogs life..She was believed to have a bacterial phemonia ..Very thankful for the whole crew..Very caring great vets here..I am very thankful...Thanks for saving my loveys life..????????????

Our 3 year old French bulldog had the very unfortunate diagnosis of a herniated disc requiring emergency surgery. He had no use of his back legs and was in tremendous pain. Initially we had hoped to go to WSU but they were full and our local vet referred us to Summit Veterinary Referral Center. During our 2 hour drive I was frantically researching the reviews and hoping for the best. Within 10 minutes of our arrival we got a call (because we had to wait in the parking lot) from Dr Demuth who had already evaluated Maverick and he explained what needed to be done in order to help him. He was very compassionate, informative and knowledgeable. Our little guy had to stay 3 days and although we could not visit him they sent us pictures and called us daily. Dr Demuth gave us the option to check in via email or in person 2 weeks post op, we opted for email and Dr Demuth reviewed the videos we sent and responded promptly. Maverick has had a full recovery and I would not hesitate to take him back there if he ever needed.

Twice we have needed help with a medical emergency with one of our Shih Tzus and both times they have stepped up and went above and beyond. On Easter Sunday 2020 we had an eye injury and the optomlogist came in personally to heal our Lilly and then today they took on another eye injury that involved Cutie when we couldn't find any one else for a week of trying. I can't say enough good things about the staff and Summit Veterinary. Thank you for your compassion and commitment to healing our pets.

I've used many vets over the years, but Summit has to be the most professional and caring I've ever used. I rushed my cat in with congestive heart failure after she had radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism, and they immediately took her in, stabilized her, and did thorough tests with a cardiologist. She's home and happy now, and though we don't know yet if the heart damage is permanent, I'm thankful for every day with her and highly recommend Summit.

A professional and respectful experience from beginning to end. All staff was kind and courteous, and Dr. C was thorough, thoughtful, and helpful. I especially appreciated his verbal input, the repetition from the assistant, and the written instructions with multiple treatment options for the situation. If going to the emergency vet can be a good experience, this was it.

These ladies are so caring and thoughtful. When I had car trouble on the street they're on they brought me multiple large bags of quality dog food as well as a warm coat, blankets, harness, collars and leashes for my dog. He's a very spoiled animal already but it was much appreciated.

Kind, efficient, and empathetic. We used Summit to manage our dog's euthanasia process. They will give you your own room to spend as much time as you want with your pet before the procedure, the staff explains all the options available, and the procedure with your pet is very gentle and painless. Afterwards, there is no rush to leave, you can spend as much time with your pet as you want before you depart the premises. I highly recommend this hospital if you have to make such a difficult decision and are wondering where to go.

I took my Cat O.G. here and was supper impressed with the doctor and techs. The front desk and internal medicine scheduling was also fantastic. Very informative, knowledgeable, kind, and just a great experience. Also, for an expert/specialist level of treatment, the prices were extremely reasonable considering your getting world class vets. Highly recommend for expert level care.

From the front staff to the ER/ICU team and on to the Internal Medicine team I knew my sweet boy was in good hands. I was consistently updates on his condition, testing performed and what the next steps would be. Everyone cared deeply about him and his recovery. Thank you for being there in our time of need.

Two of my dogs are currently patients of Summit, one with the Opthalmologist, Dr. Kice, and the other with Dr. Stewart in Neurology. Both of these doctors have been amazing and have gone above and beyond for my dogs.

UPDATE: This spring we had to use Summit's emergency and surgical services. They were exceptional! I would give ten stars if I could. Their staff are incredibly caring, professional and knowledgeable across all specialties (and we've used several so far - cardio, neurology, surgery, oncology, emergency). My dog Chops has been seeing Summit cardiologist Dr. Nadolny for dilated cardiomyopathy for the past year, and my other dog Shiloh has seen Dr. Nadolny for a minor heart issue and has also met with Summit's neurology team. Every experience we have had at Summit has been exceptional. The staff are kind and compassionate (to both pets and their people) and extremely knowledgeable. I greatly appreciate the detailed report provided after each visit. In fact, the communication provided (in person and through the report) is more thorough than any I have ever received from a vet office. Even with the COVID restrictions and how busy I know the staff are, I never feel rushed. Dr. Nadolny and her team take the time to answer all my questions, and I leave Summit feeling knowledgeable and therefore capable of providing the best possible care for my little ones. I have not used Summit's emergency services since I live an hour away; however I did go to a local vet emergency this summer, and the incident required immediate follow up with the cardiologist. Even though they didn't have an opening, Dr. Nadolny stayed late so my girl could be seen given the special circumstance. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the great care we've received. THANK YOU!

Brought my cat here for an echocardiogram to follow up on a potentially enlarged heart. They were able to get me in relatively quickly compared to all the other cardiology specialists I reached out to, for which I was very grateful. All the staff were very kind and professional and they explained up front how the visit would proceed with all the COVID precautions in place. (They have clearly thought a lot about how to keep their clients and staff safe and it shows.) I appreciated the time the staff took getting my cat's medical history and listening to my concerns. Dr. Nadolny who performed the echocardiogram was awesome: very friendly and personable. I would definitely recommend Summit Vet and was very pleased with my experience there.

Dr. Heiser is the best! We chose to do an elective surgery on our 8 year old dog and could not be happier with the investment we made. Dr. Heiser is extremely knowledgeable and helped us feel very comfortable with identifying all risks throughout the decision making process. He was very patient with me in both explaining every single detail clearly and super understanding when I was emotional at times. Dr. Heiser is an absolute gem in both the human element and skill set as a surgeon. All stitches were beautifully sewn which will make for a nice recovery. Larry the anesthesia specialist was very helpful as well and super kind to us throughout the process. He patiently answered all of our question upon arrival and discharge. Thanks Summit Vet for helping our friend walk more stable again!

Unorganized, unprofessional, I will never put my pets in the care of this team who are so careless. Very disappointed with my experience, glad I found a better fit vet. I would not recommend this bussiness to anyone.

There is so much to unpack here that I am almost lost for words. Our 5 year old dachshund had a rapidly developed neurological condition that turned out to be between her 2nd and 3rd vertebre and we had no idea what caused it as she had not taken a spill or had a specific injury... We are from Chicago. My wife was stranded in Hillsboro Oregon, two and a half hours away from your clinic, and I in Chicago. Maddie first limped with weakness, that rapidly deteriorated in five days to total immobility and terrible pain requiring neurosurgery. My wife was literally falling apart because Maddie was rapidly deteriorating. Everyone at your clinic dropped what they were doing and fit us in. The after hours staff actually made it possible for us to come that evening 2.5 hours to your clinic. We ended up waiting until early the next morning to be safe driving. Maddie had an exam confirming our suspicions, and we spoke directly with the neurologist who gave us an understanding of what was happening and a course of treatment. We were terrified because these little dogs are like our children. They literally go everywhere with us. The Neuro was so confident of her exam diagnosis she indicated they wanted to confirm with an mri and go right into surgery without having to sedate her twice. I have to sing praises also to the Vet Techs and the front of house staff whom gave us updates and sent us text message photos with those updates. It calmed us down a lot that we could see Maddie sleeping peacefully after the surgery instead of the horrible pain she had been in. We got a call before and after the surgery from the Neurologist whom explained what she saw and the treatment she gave. I flew out today to help, and they advised the best course of action for her recovery and follow up visit. We so appreciate the handholding we got and the fine work by your entire practice. I would not hesitate to reccommend your services. It FELT like we were treated extra special because of our being from out of town but the more I think about it, I am sure it is the way you treat all your patients and patients' families. You and your staff are a blessing to our family.

This was my first visit to summit and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The cardiology department is very knowledgeable and did their best to make me feel comfortable with the information they provided. Covid protocols were in place so I can’t review the whole facility but so far so good!

We are so thankful we were referred to Summit, our dog Is alive and happy because of their great work. I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Stephanie Loomis, she is smart, kind, and answered all our questions and emails promptly. Great place with a great staff!

As always I was very happy with our appointment at Summit Veterinary. Staff was outstanding with attention to my Boston Terrier Charm. Very kind and positive when they came out and got her and also when they returned her to our truck. Dr. Kate Finnerty was thorough when she was explaining her diagnosis of Charm's neck and spine. She gave us a game plan to go with and totally reassured me that she would see Charm immediately if she started experiencing pain again. I have really, really liked Dr. Finnerty the 2 times she's diagnosed my dogs, Apple and Charm. I continue to hold Summit Veterinary in high esteem and will never forget how Dr. Obrasinski saved Apple's life when her larynx closed up.

The staff at Summit Veterinary Hospital are knowledgeable, caring, and informative! They do a great job of communicating at every stage of treatment. It is a wonderful place to go if you are in need of a high level of care for your pet!

In March 2020, our dog was diagnosed with lymphoma. Our primary vet gave us a referral here. We came in and were treated so well. They throughly went through all of our options for our dog while not denying the sad truth of what lymphoma means to dogs. We were so fortunate to be in a place where we could give him the best treatment available. My boy Odin made it through chemo. He went into remission and for a while had no signs of cancer. During every visit, we felt safe leaving our dog in their care. In Feb 2021 he came out of remission. Again they told us our options from there. We tried different treatments, when a new treatment came out, they were so generous and we tried that. It worked only briefly. Through every check up, I knew they truly loved my very weird and sweet Odin. We got a year and a half we wouldn't have had where our boy was happy, playful and seemingly healthy thanks to the wonderful team at summit. Lymphoma is not curable and today we had to say goodbye. As sad as I am, there are no words to express the gratitude to the team here for the time they gave us with him, with no discomfort to his life. If we had to do it all over again, there is nothing we would change. I'll never regret a dollar we spent, it was more than worth it. They care and love all their patients.

They saved my baby 9 years ago, my mini dachshund Annie had a ruptured disc and was paralyzed from the waist down. She had surgery here and the entire staff was fantastic throughout the whole process. She has not had any issues since and is now 15 yrs old and still running around like a pup. :)

Sitting here in the parking lot, having just finished talking with Dr Brim. What an absolutely, professional and amazing Veterinarian. Our little dog broke out with an unexpected skin rash that was getting worse day-by-day. Called Summit Veterinary, were told to bring him in, Alexa was so kind and gentle in taking him inside. Dr.Brim personally called us to explain the situation, answered all our questions, and put all our worries to rest. Nothing but the highest regard and compliments for everyone working here. Wish our human doctors treated us as well. Five ❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍????