VCA Animal Hospitals - Gaithersburg, VCA Veterinary Referral Associates

VCA Animal Hospitals - Gaithersburg, VCA Veterinary Referral Associates
VCA Animal Hospitals - Gaithersburg, VCA Veterinary Referral Associates 15021 Dufeif Mill Road Rockville, MD 20850
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Consumer Feedback

(3 Reviews)
Service
3 star average for Service
Environment
5 star average for Environment
Expertise
3.5 star average for Expertise
Staff
4.5 star average for Staff
Recommended
3 star average for Recommended
Does this veterinarian give unbiased advice?
Absolutely! I always get sound, helpful, and completely unbiased advice!
Did you spend a lot of time in the waiting room at this veterinarian's office?
No, my appointment started at the scheduled time
Did this provider's staff seem to respect him/her?
Definitely! They staff spoke very highly of him/her
Is this business handicap-accessible?
Absolutely, even the bathrooms are handicap-accessible
Does this provider maintain a professional appearance?
Absolutely! You can tell that he/she really makes an effort to look professional
by Anonymous xxx.xxx.189.4
September 03, 2013
I have been a pet owner for 30 years. I have had my share of visits to the vet for dogs, cats and macaws. About two years ago my then 5 year old female tabby cat began to have seizures. This began out of the blue with now other warning symptoms. It was a Friday night and I had heard of this new Animal hospital called VCA, so I thought to try them out. I immediately suspected my cat had some kind of infection causing the seizures. I relayed my observations to the veterinary doctor on call at the VCA hospital. Immediately she began to dismiss my observation that what I saw was a seizure or that it could have been caused by an infection. She began to run through a list of tests that would be needed. At this point I got the clear impression she was picking up on my deep concern for my cat and I felt she was playing it up to extract the maximum from me. I went along with it. An hour and a half later she was at a loss as to the cause and began to call for other tests without being able to articulate any logical reasoning for the tests. BTW, she never could articulate reasons for the initial tests either. I got very frustrated at that point, not believing a word she was saying and I left with my cat. At this point they had billed me a thousand dollars and insisted on immediate payment.

The next day I managed to take a video recording of one of her seizures. I went back to VCA to show them. Much to my dismay the same doctor was on call. I showed her the video and she immediately agreed it was a seizure. She also gave some consideration to the possibility of an infection, but immediately began to talk herself out of it. I insisted she treat it as an infection since she had no other ideas. So she gave me some antibiotics, another $170 for the same medication I could get elsewhere for $20.

This veterinary doctor appeared totally inept. In fact, her assistant seemed much more knowledgeable than she did and I could see in her face she did not agree with what was happening. I felt as if I had been robbed. I knew I would never come back to that place

I started the antibiotics immediately. In total my poor cat went through hell for a few days. She had seizures so violent that she ripped her own toenails out of her paws in the carpet. Of course when I saw this I moved her to a bathroom without carpet. By Monday she was much better.

Looking back at my experience at the VCA Animal Hospital I am convinced that they are the worse place to bring your pet ESPECIALLY in a moment of need. They were inept and seemed to only care about racking up the bill. They completely ignored my observations, which makes no sense--it's my cat after all. I got the sense the veterinary doctor there felt her ego was assaulted by my offering my observations and suggestion it was an infection. it seemed for that reason only needed to contradict me. It was very surreal, I expected much more from such a grand facility. Their grossly inflated prices would barely be excusable IF they provided first rate care, but since their performance across the board is horrid the cost is not warranted.

When comparing them to others in their field, I would say they are by far the worst I have ever seen. I highly recommend everyone stay away from VCA Animal Hospital.
by Jim xxx.xxx.225.53
June 24, 2013
I loved that they thoroughly explained the risks and benefits of my pet's treatment. I felt much less nervous about starting my pet's treatment, when I knew what to expect. The office was easy enough to find. They make an extra effort to get to know their patients and find out what they need. They always remember me and make me feel very important. They were one of the kindest, most caring staff I've ever dealt with. It didn't matter how many times I called with a question or concern, they were always happy to help me.
by Anonymous
June 13, 2011
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