Vca Canada Western Veterinary Specialist And Emergency Centre

We've seen Dr. Fung twice for different emergencies with my cat (once for vomiting and once when he was having trouble breathing) and each time she has been wonderful. She takes the time to explain the next steps and spent time answering our questions. The front staff have also been friendly and courteous every time we've been in :) Read Less

My pup received excellent care for a minor emergency last night. From the moment I phoned before going, to the moment I left after our appointment (a span of 2 hours), every experience with this centre was excellent. Receptionists and the vet (Dr. Mirescu) were friendly and very helpful. Read Less

I appreciate any vet that doesn’t make me feel like they’re capitalizing on my love for my pets by guilting me into spending thousands on unnecessary procedures. I brought my cat in when she had stomach issues, and rather than going straight to imaging, the vet urged me to try a few new foods. Problem solved! Read Less

Ridiculously expensive place.I had a kitty in for "cherry-eye" surgery and it cost me double of what I would have paid at another clinic, I've later found out.Service is lacking.If you can take your pet elsewhere, do so. Read Less

Unfortunately, my elder dog deteriorated rapidly - late on Good Friday. The clinic wasn't busy, and staff met me at the door. They were ALL very VERY kind, understanding, and made my sad situation as easy as possible. Me AND my dog were treated with the utmost care & respect. Dr Longmore was gentle, efficient & caring. My dog's last moments were peaceful. Thank you. Read Less

Amazing experience with the doctors, amazing experience in person, but I live far away and trying to get a prescription faxed somewhere local is a nightmare. My dog is terminal and we're just doing pain management now. Last time I called for a prescription, no one passed the message on and it took 4 more calls to get the prescription signed and faxed. This time, I spilled the pill bottle and lost a couple of pills down the drain so I'm out before I planned and they seem to have no ability to tell me when they might actually fax the prescription off. Super frustrating to have to fight with the people who have made tens of thousands of dollars treating her to keep my dog from having pain during her last months. Edit: Apparently they assumed this is no rush because "all shoppers drug marts are 24 hours." Uh, no, they aren't. Read Less

I have had to take my cat to this hospital on 2 occasions. If i can ever avoid it, I will. When I went to visit my cat (she had to stay for a week) and was told they are too busy to bring her out to me for a visit in the quiet room so they brought me to the back to see her through a cage door. She was miserable to say the least. There was so much noise and things going on with animals everywhere and she was just scared to death. She was in a small cage with a litter box in there with her and the blanket I had left for her was gone (I was told they lost it). I was not allowed to take her out of the cage myself to try and calm her. I was furious. I took her out of the cage anyways and took her home to care for her myself. My cat ended up being just fine and is still with us today. It was heartbreaking to see her being treated that way and the fact that they lost her only comfort from home (the blanket) told me this isn't the place for my baby. Read Less

McKnight referred us here because Western has the tools to scope a bone out of my dog's esophagus. However, they don't staff specialist regularly, instead on-call basis. Since they didn't have anyone until next morning, they tried to persuade us to perform the procedure next morning and have the bone stuck in her esophagus overnight. We were warned of all scary things that could happen and the extra $700 emergency fee if we call the specialist to come right now. They said C.A.R.E operates the same and do not have anyone in house. Eventually, the specialist can't even make it the next day, so we took our dog down to C.A.R.E, Turns out CARE has specialist staffed and completed the procedure immediately! Western had have friendly staff, but we didn't appreciate their approach of operating their business. If they can't scope right now, they shouldn't have promised McKnight over the phone and brought us down. Read Less

I am really disappointed with Western Veterinary. I brought my cat in before Christmas because she had been limping for a few days and then stopped using her left front leg completely. Western did x-rays and found there was no fracture or break. They also shaved her leg to ensure she was not bitten by my other cat. Blood work was done and her calcium level was on the high side so they suggested another round of blood work be done because high calcium could mean cancer (yes - dropping the C word really makes a pet owner open their wallet). We agreed to do the 2nd round of blood work and were told this would let us know if she in fact had cancer, turns our you can not diagnose cancer from blood work alone. We were sent home with some pain medication for her leg and told they would call with the blood work results. We got a call a few days later and they confirmed her calcium was elevated. The recommendation made was to bring her back in to see an internal medicine specialist to start exploring why her calcium was high. It has been 5 weeks and my cat is still limping. I feel Western forgot why we brought her there in the first place and starting doing procedures that were not needed. This visit cost us $1200.00 and did not even help or fix why she was limping. I feel completely financially taken advantage of. I will not be returning to this vet. Read Less

Great vet clinic! My girlfriend has needed to bring her aging pooch here on a few occasions and they're always incredibly friendly and explain health concerns with your animal in a way you can easily understand. They also offer coffee while you wait. I've even brought a lost dog here in the middle of a cold winter night and they gladly received her here! Read Less

I was referred to Western Vet by my primary vet for a hip consultation. I have nothing but good things to say about Western Vet through the consult, x-rays and 2 hip replacement surgeries for my puppy. I think the diagnoses and plan was correct and just what he needed. I have seen amazing improvements after the surgeries already. He is no longer in pain and is dying to fully test out his new hips (can€t just yet because of activity restrictions post-op). Everyone who works there is super friendly and helpful. Dr. MacDonald is very knowledgeable and personable. She took her time and answered all of my questions. She made sure to call me daily to check up on my dog during the 1st week post-op after both surgeries. Bernadette is amazing and you can tell she is great at her job. My dog still absolutely loves to go here even after the many needles, having to stay for several days, and 2 big surgeries. That is a huge testament to how compassionate and loving they are towards all the animals that come to the clinic. Yes the cost of coming to this vet is high, but it is a specialty clinic and for emergency services. You get what you pay for, and what you get is high quality, specialized care. I would highly recommend Western Vet and the hip surgery team to anyone whose dog has hip dysplasia. Read Less

I brought my Boston Terrier in with facial swelling and breathing issues. The vet tech immediately brought him to the back. When the vet (intern) made it out to see me, we talked about giving him Benedryl right away. We also discussed steroids if needed and the need for x-rays. She went into the back. After a while she returned with an estimate. $900-$1350. This would include the possibility of overnight care and an IV. So fine, sure, I'll sign. Just go take care of him. About 20 minutes later, she came and got me to show the x-rays. They seemed ok. I asked if the benedryl seemed to be stopping the swelling. They hadn't given it to him yet! By this point, it's been 45 minutes. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have taken him to Fish Creek and saved hundreds of dollars. There seems to be too much focus on the payment. And providing me my invoice in a file folder suitable for a marriage certificate seemed the cherry on top. Save money on the posh additions/decor... In the end, I'm happy my boy is ok but I feel a bit like I've been taken for a ride. Read Less

Glenna Mauldin is amazing at what she does. I have gone through cancer twice with my Maltese and we were at 3 other vets prior to coming to western, all the other vets told us there was nothing they could do with my puppy's tumors, they couldn't be removed, basically it was just a matter of days for the cancer to take over her body. Coming to western veterinary was the best choice for us. Glenna made it possible to get the tumors removed and my Maltese seems back to healthy little self, this wouldn't have been possible without the amazing staff of western veterinary. Read Less

My dog was severely injured in a hit and run and after I called for an animal ambulance the only thing the driver said was to Bring my pup here. I honestly did not think she would make it considering the injuries she sustained but the expertise of the staff combined with the speed of the Calgary vet service saved my dogs life.I understand people are concerned about the price but I personally can't put a price on my pups life and cannot thank the staff of this vet enough. Im forever thankful for the support this vet offered and would recommend them to anyone. My mother in law recommended this place as she has four Boston terriers and I will deffinetly be bringing my bull mastiff back if she has any issues. - a satisfied and happy pet owner Read Less

We recently had an emergency with our rabbit that ended with our sweet Jinx needing to be put down. Through the entire process they were compassionate, friendly, and caring. They knew we were dealing with a family member and not "just an animal" and made sure we were kept informed so when the time came to make the decision we knew we were doing the right thing for our friend. I've had several experiences with my small animals being taken there in emergency situations and they are unfailingly kind. Thank you for everything you did for Jinx, he is at peace now. Read Less

My 95lb rotti husky had one knee done in Calgary and one in Edmonton. That was in 09 and 10. She's 12 now and still going strong! She's 95lb I didn't think she would last this long without problems. She is still a big puppy thanks to you guys! Worth every penny to have tplo surgery. Read Less

Great support right away when our two girls got into chocolate cookies and I brought them to Emerg concerned about the toxic effects.. They gave us all the information, potential issues and recommended course of action and did everything to make me feel comfortable. After an overnight stay at the Centre, the girls were ready to come home. Cannot say enough about the kind, supportive treatment... Read Less

We rushed into this clinic with an emergency and they treated it promptly and effectively while keeping us calm (I was having a mental breakdown). My cat stayed overnight and got amazing care with constant communication with us. The veterinarians and staff went above and beyond we believe and my cat is good as new! They turned what was an extremely terrifying time for us into a great experience. I owe them my deepest gratitude for saving my little jazz. Read Less

Western Vet is a good spot for times when you can't see your regular vet, or in an emergency. I've had the "pleasure" of visiting twice with a sick dog and they are very kind and helpful. They also will take care of mailing in pet insurance claims from their location for you, taking one more thing out of your hassles! Read Less

We've been two WVS twice, once when our boy cat was in kidney failure and the other when our girl cat ate a plastic button sized object. All the people that rate this place low is because of the cost, GET REAL... This place is a last resort for pet owners that need the best care for acute conditions. Surgery and complex procedures are not cheap but they do it NOW. No vets that say they can't fit you in today when your cat has a chunk of plastic lodged in her stomach. WVS will call surgeons to come in. The staff have always been friendly, surgeons and ER doctors exceptional given how busy they are. Our girl cat is still alive because of these people... Read Less

I had to make an entry to share what amazing care and attention ALL of the staff here have provided on multiple occasions! These are people who truly care for all animals and it shows. If anyone would like any references please don't hesitate to contact me as I would have no hesitation recommending them to look after their adopted family member. Read Less

My cat Azzie died there last night. As horrible as everything was, the staff and the vet were nothing but understanding and professional the entire time. Although trying to save a pet is very expensive, I never felt overcharged or like they were trying to "upsell" me anything. I ended up spending more than $1000 less than they quoted because my kitty passed on unfortunately quickly. I sincerely want to thank the staff for making her final moments comfortable, she was a very good cat. Read Less

My best friend, Q, was treated by Dr Glenna for his lymphoma. She gave me an extra year and a half with him that I am more grateful for than I can express. The staff there showed so much kindness and compassion throughout the whole journey, and such love and respect for my baby dog that even though his treatment couldn't have been much fun for him, he still trotted in to the clinic with his tail wagging and a big doggy smile on his little face. I can't recommend this facility and the staff any higher. Read Less

When my husband called me at work to say the doggy daycare called and our Bella was suddenly not able to stand up I immediately said take her to Western Veterinary Hospital and so glad we did. She was diagnosed with a GI bleed and was extremely ill. Later we found out it was a gastric mass. We're waiting to find out if it's cancer (likely it is), but they've given us the chance to have our time with her before we will have to say goodbye. I thought we were going to lose her the day we brought her in. The care has been phenomenal from the entire team! Thank you from the bottom of our heartsRead Less

I experienced nothing but the best - and more - from the reception staff, vet techs & specialist veterinary care from Western Vet. My dog Basil spent a little under 3 years with the Oncology staff for lymphosarcoma treatments. Not for one second did I feel I was being given bad advice nor pressured to continue any treatment. Dr Mauldin & staff gave Basil more time & just one more remission. Many remissions & just about 3 years later my Basil died. I am so thankful for everyone at Western Vet who helped me through that, going above & beyond. Now that I have a new puppy, I hope that I won't have to go to Western Vet, or at least for a very long time. But if a crisis or illness happens, I will be bringing my puppy to be treated by the vets there. A whole hearted recommendationRead Less

Great experience! Well, err, as great as it could've been given the circumstances. I came here with my rabbit earlier today after a health scare and they treated us both with the utmost respect and care! They made sure he was comfortable and safe and I can't say I'm in a hurry to visit them again, but if the worst happens, they're a great team to have by your side. Cheers, Darian and 'Dobby' Read Less

Our little Ewok (cat) got sick and the other vet hospital we were at said all they could do was put him down because he couldn't be stabilized enough for a surgery he wasn't strong enough to survive. Then Dr Stillion took over. She brought him to WVS and did a wonderful job stabilizing him. By the next morning he was strong enough for surgery. Dr MacDonald took the time to call us during the operation to let us know he was doing really well. She successfully removed the mass on his liver and a few hours later he was awake giving his sister tia (dog) a kiss when we brought her to visit. It's now almost a month after surgery and Ewok is back to his old self. Dr Stillion, Dr MacDonald (sp?) And the rest of the staff at WVS did an amazing job saving our little guy's life. If not for them, our family would be missing a very important member. We'll never be able to express how grateful we are. Thank you from the Simpsons (Brian, Sanja, Tia and Ewok)Read Less

Our dog had two knees busted and our vet sent us to the clinic telling us the charges might be $10k+. After reading some reviews and preparing for the worst we were surprised to hear from the clinic that the costs would be much lower and went ahead with the surgeries. That's why we got insurance when we got our dog. The service we received was definitely worth five stars and started with the initial visit. Unlike at other places nobody talked like a 4 year old to our dog as if she has brain damage. Even on busy days and under stress the people were friendly and took the time to answer any questions we had. We got updates during and after surgery, we got a room after surgery to see her, a vet came and explained everything in detail in ways we could actually understand. Instructions for the following weeks of recovery were great, so we could do our home rehab without issues. Dealing with the insurance was no big deal since the people at the front desk helped us with everything, if they couldn't, they found someone who could instead of telling us nonsense. Thanks for that! Now our dog is her old self and can enjoy the rest of her life without follow up surgeries, worse damage to her joints or pain, which would have been the case if we went for the cheaper options. We thank Dr Fugazzi, his team and everybody else we met for the great service and support during all those weeks. Worth recommending. Read Less

Saved my cat's life! As any pet owner's worst fears we had a sick cat on a late Friday night, they were able to assess, diagnose, and do the surgery within hours of our arrival. Of course the place was expensive but the techs and emergency vet were all very reassuring and knew what they were doing. If we hadn't have brought our kitty in for surgery she could have died from having string caught in her intestines. I do think this is the best emergency clinic that is close to my house and won't hesitate to bring any of my other pets here on an emergency basis. Read Less

I don't have great experience with pet care, as this is my first pet, but I tend to agree with a lot of the sentiments expressed here. This place was EXPENSIVE. But, I understand this is because they are a 24-hr facility of specialists- they did explain this to me more than once. We went in with a sick doggie and several assistants and the doc felt an obstruction in my dog's tummy. The x-rays didn't show anything though. They basically sent me home with a $600 bill for an x-ray and quick consult, which hurt the wallet and didn't really give me any answers. The next day I went to my family vet, and they said the mass everyone was feeling appears to just be my dog's spleen? I guess this is because they are an emergency clinic and maybe they jump to worst case scenario more than they need to. So, all in all, I would say the service was pretty friendly and the place was very clean and welcoming, but it was pricey and perhaps misinformed. I'd probably go back if it were an emergency but I'd prefer to see a family vet if I can. Read Less

I loathe having to give this place one star. DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE. Here's our story, our cat was limping, we took him to this 'business', they charged us about $700 for an X-Ray, told us it was cruciate ligament rupture with bone fragments around it. Then they said he needs surgery, it will be $4500 to do it, but we would have to speak to the surgeon first at a cost of $160 just to speak to them. So, after some web research due to a massive lack of trust, we found that we should be going to our vet for a 2nd opinion. Our vet told us, after these clowns finally sent the x-Rays, that he did not need surgery, that the images did not show bone fragments and that the quote was ridiculous. These greedy, so called, vets at the Western Veterinary emergency clinic would have put our beloved cat through unnecessary surgery, at great cost to us, for no reason other than to profit from vulnerable people. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO THESE PEOPLE. My anger is beyond reasonable expression. Oh and if you phone them, don't accept being put on hold, they just ignore you, I saw it happen while we were in their reception and it happened to use too. They are a bunch of useless, uncaring fools. Read Less

How can this place have bad reviews? I've been here more than I ever thought I would.  My dog developed a grade 2 mast cell tumor on his face in 2 hours. My vet told us that the chances of this lump being cancerous are slim. They don't happen there often or that fast. He was given antibiotics for two weeks before he even bothered doing an aspirate on it. We were never even offered it. Well obviously the antibiotics didn't work because antibiotics don't cure cancer. Once we got to Dr Glenna Mauldin she told us that his snout is a common area and it does come on that fast. So to the guy who said Western was wrong for wanting to be safe and check, I would have trusted them. I have trusted everything Glenna has said through Higgins 3 mast cell tumors and 2 benign growths. She found the third one while he was walking away from her and she notice a couple pieces of fur standing up. It was the size of a few grains of sand. Because she caught it so fast we were able to treat it with just prednisone. She is an amazing woman and has helped my dog stay with us past his 6th birthday, he got his first when he was 3. Given that my dog has been through so much I obviously worry a lot. I call whenever I see a bump and they get me in right away l, never dismissing my worry. I call because he's gotten into the garbage and they give me advice over the phone. I call because his chemo is giving him more tummy aches than usual. I call because I didn't notice that I was low on chemo and they have it ready right away. I cancel or change appointments last minute without a worry. I walk in with Higgins and they all know him and talk to him by name. Even the emergency crew will come out and give him pets. He loves going there. In fact we joke that he pops out new tumors because he misses them.Western front end staff can't answer your medical questions because they're not doctors or vet techs. They are administrative assistants. They probably have an idea of what the issue is but if they give you the wrong advice there's liability issues that arise. That seems pretty common sense to me. They are not playing bejeweled, they are sending out blood work, responding to email , doing invoicing and maintaining files so the animals who cannot talk for themselves don't get the wrong treatment. There is a lot more that goes on there than you walking in the door. Yes they are expensive. They are emergency and specialist. It was $300 just to get my dog fixed and microchipped at his normal vet, do you really think it's going to be the same at 3:00 in the morning on a Sunday to run diagnostics by people who have multiple masters degrees and doctorates? Just because you're hurting doesn't mean that they should not get proper pay. Get pet insurance. I have gotten 10 times what I've paid into it. If you're willing to have insurance for yourself and your car why wouldn't you on the four legged members of your family? They bill direct to insurance and have NEVER given me a hard time about paying. The office manager Cathy has no idea how much I love her. Every time I speak with her she asks how Higgins is, because that's priority, not how much money they get. Oh and about the survey, they do read them. I received an email from Cathy thanking me. It didn't have my name but like I said they remember their clients. I love these people so much that if I ever won the lottery I would set up a account to help animals who need emergency care at Western and trust them with whatever they say needs to be done. We all like to believe we know what's best but sometimes we need to trust the experts and these are experts you can trust Read Less

We were referred here by our normal veterinarian when our cat was having difficulty breathing through her nose. Initially we saw Dr. Henderson and then after some diagnosis she referred us to Dr. Mauldin and his team. All the doctors were fantastic, especially Dr. Mauldin's radiation team, they were all so sweet and amazing people.I have to agree with other people about the front end staff. Anytime you call on the phone they sound absolutely miserable and it's very obvious they hate their jobs. They are snarky and indifferent and treat you like an idiot for asking questions. They also don't know anything about medication / procedures, basic services the clinic offers or basic medicine. They always just offer to forward me to the doctor's mailbox instead of answering questions.I was asked to fill out a survey after my experience and laid out all my concerns, I'm sure it just went into a trash inbox somewhere as nothing has changed. For how expensive the services are here you'd really think they would try to find better mannered people for client-facing positions. Read Less

The care my dog received from the vets was great. Unfortunately, the front end staff (receptionists) created a very negative experience. They did not understood how insurance worked; reassured us they'd sort us out in the morning and made us make a tough choice to pay a deposit upfront (which we did). However, the next day we unfortunately found out from a different receptionist & the insurance that by doing that deposit, it essentially left us ineligible through the insurance company to arrange direct bill between the vet and the insurance. What a nightmare.  Additionally, the lack of empathy and sympathy a receptionist showed us on several occasions over the weekend (I'm sorry we interrupted your game of Bejeweled) was worse then the financial mess-up. The vet care is good but the front staff aren't and we have since found a better vet hospital in Calgary. Read Less

If I was able to give this place no stars I would.  We took our dog in last night for back issues and wanted X-rays done.Our regular vet was not available so this is why we went here as we were concerned our dog was in pain. Meeting with the vet she wanted to keep him over night and to run X-rays to see if it was cancer, wait what!?  She said she wouldn't be able to do the type of X-ray to check his back with out calling in a specialist and for that it would be $2000 on a Sunday night...  So to keep him over night and to do a cancer scan it would've been $800. Was also told that keeping him over night would provide observation services, I highly doubt it, chances are he would be put in a kennel and checked the next morning. Sorry don't think so.I get this place is an emergency pet hospital but to tug on people's heart strings and put fear in during an emotional period is unacceptable. Our dog did make it through the night and were able to see our vet the next morning and got the xray done without our sedation.  Our reg vet told us that the chances of cancer in this case (back pain symptoms) is very low. Still shaking my head. Read Less

Our 4 month old puppy was hit by a truck outside out house and broke her femur.  It was too displaced to just cast so we were referred to Western for orthopedic surgery.  The staff was fantastic.  We arrived Sunday night and were quickly greeted and met with the vet on duty.  They showed us to where our puppy would be staying and walked us through the potential costs.  Surgery was to happen the next day and they clearly communicated what to expect as well as a potential range of costs (gulp).The next day I called after they were scheduled to be done surgery and was told that the doctor would call me as soon as they could.  Dr Terri Schiller called soon after and was able to tell me as much detail as possible that I could understand, addressed a couple concerns they had and let me know they would be in contact the next day with an update.Sure enough, the next day in a timely fashion Dr Schiller contacted me and said the things she was concerned about were addressed and we could come pick up our puppy in the morning.When we got there to pick her up, Dr Schiller came out to meet us and we were quickly meeting with the discharge vet who walked us through the next few weeks of care for our puppy.When we went to pay, we were given a detailed bill that was significantly less than they originally quoted us  (not that puppy orthopedic surgery is cheap, but way better than the worst case we thought it may be).Absolutely had as good of experience as one could have when your puppy get hit by a truck.  The entire team that we interacted was professional, efficient and communicated far better than I anticipated. Read Less

I brought my dog here when I lived in Canada.  They are the best in Alberta. It can be pricey but so are all the other emergency and specialty hospitals. Dr. N. Mauldin is one of the best in the world. Dr. Remidios is one if the first female surgeon in Alberta.  Highly skilled doctors. Read Less

I've been twice in a year, unfortunately. The first time my 17 lb dog was attacked, bitten & viciously shaken by a large dog. She had blood in her eye and teeth marks in her face. She was seen right away and we were told she was lucky it hadn't been a couple of cm in any other direction or she would have lost at least an eye. I opted for antibiotics in case she got an infection in her eye (you can't buy another one of those!) but declined other treatments - received no flack.The second time she ingested 1/4 lb of fudge - they induced vomiting, and allowed me to take her home with constant monitoring, with the recommendation (that I followed) of subcutaneous IV to deter issues with her liver.Neither time was I asked to pony up money in advance - maybe for the more acute cases?? It's pricey, but any emergency vet will be. They're understanding, kind and always give me options without making judgment.I'll be back (if I have to). Read Less