Vca California Veterinary Specialists Murrieta

They are always helpful and courteous. Maggie the bet tech is awesome and my baby loves her. Dr. Fitzpatrick is caring and helpful. Overall the staff is wonderful. Not sure on the VCA purchase but CVS is great overall. Read Less

I called because I was referred by the animal hospital on Cal Oaks. They were closing. So I spoke to a girl on the phone briefly at this emergency location and told her I was so concerned about my dog and she cut me off and just started telling me costs! She didn’t even listen to what I had to say or let me tell her what happened. I understand you might be busy and maybe understaffed but we have feelings and we are also distressed because our pet is ill. There was zero empathy and money is clearly all that mattered at the time. I’m not going to make any generalizations but this was my below average poor experience. I’ll NEVER step foot in this door. I’ll take my pet somewhere I feel that it’s more important than the dollar figure. Phone call 5/31/18 at 4:56 for 2 minutes. Read Less

SO GRATEFUL for a place like this that is open 24/7! It's Memorial day and they were able to see and treat my dog for an eye injury all in the same day. I expected to pay a hefty amount since they are an "Emergency Vet" but was quite surprised when the bill was LESS than what our regular vet charged(we had a similar procedure done a few months prior.). Hopefully we never have to go back to them with another emergency, but overall they were amazing! Read Less

We've been several times with our dog that has a heart condition. All of the staff are welcoming, kind, and sensitive. Dr. Cole is our main contact and she also shows great sensitivity towards our dogs health and our feelings. Would recommend them highly. Read Less

Great professionals work here. My dog received great service; fast, curious and effective. Staff is very friendly and empathetic. If you have any emergencies with your pet please take them here, they will be well taken care of. Read Less

The staff and doctors are professional. My dog had a very difficult growth. The prognosis is not good, but the vets explored every option to her care. Costs for dog care can be offset with pet insurance which I have on all 3 of my dogs. Read Less

After taking my cat to my veterinarian and hearing that there was nothing else they could do for my baby we decided to take him to CVS where they basically saved his life ! He had kidney levels sky high and was battling kidney stones that were creating a blockage after speaking to a veterinarian specialist she completely put us at ease and gave us hope that he would make it if his levels stabilized and they did emergency surgery. On day 2 they brought his levels down and preformed surgery and he was stable and recovering, we are so thankful for the outstanding care they gave my baby and their complete professionalism all the staff were very attentive and we so very thankful to everyone at CVS ! They went over and above to take care of my baby . I will always be grateful... Thank you all .♥️ Read Less

We brought our precious little dog, Bailey, in to CVS because she was in distress. The professionals there determined that she needed immediate surgery. The surgeon found Bailey had multiple gall stones in her gall bladder and he performed the surgery with Bailey possibly facing a 50-50 chance of survival. She came out of the surgery with a 90-10 chance of survival. She is at home with us now, and although she faces weeks of care, she is still with us , thanks to to surgeon, doctors, techs, and front office staff at CVS. Thank you for letting us keep our Bailey in our life. Read Less

The staff was pretty professional for the most part. The care was very good but $$ but that comes with an emergency visit. The vet (loved him) discussed his findings and recommendations with options. I felt they were very thorough even though there was not a definite diagnosis since more testing would be needed I was relieved that I didn't have put my dog down and he would ok through the night. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because the person who called for the care credit was loud and I guess their walls are thin so I could hear every word she said meaning other's could hear my information too. When she confronted she apologized but make a face as she was closing the door. Not professional. Read Less

Not sure exactly why there are such bad reviews, mostly centered around price. I didn't find them to be all that expensive, and the staff and vet were very friendly and compassionate. My cat got ran over and it cost me $600 for x rays, ultrasound, pain meds, and their consultation fee. That doesn't really seem unreasonable to me for an emergency vet. Sure, it's more than your regular vet, but doesn't seem to be as bad as some of these reviews on here say it is. My cat seems to have gotten off lucky, no broken bones or major issues. Getting out of here with just a splint for now. Read Less

We needed to see an oncology specialist and I'm really glad this is where we came. I might just switch and make this place my primary vet because they are really awesome. The facility is beautiful and they have excellent customer service. They are very caring -- both towards pets and as well as their families.  We were treated really well and all of the staff spend a good amount of time with us -- answering all of our questions and being very straightforward with us. Although this is a terrible time in our lives, this experience helped to ease our troubles a bit. Also, Miranda is absolutely AWESOME! Read Less

About 8 months ago my hound doggie Charlie came down with a mystery illness that our local vet and another specialist in the area could not figure out.  Our local vet recommended we see internist Dr. Bennett as Charlie was rapidly declining.  After looking at his records and running some more tests, Dr. Bennett diagnosed IMHA.  I had never heard of it before, but it's  a horrible disease that must be treated ASAP.  Dr. Bennett really knows how to deal with this disease, and I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Bennett!  Because we live so far from Murrieta she worked closely with me and my local vet to do what we could locally.  She personally called me with updates and instructions, even on weekends or late at night.  We are still treating Charlie, but he has made excellent progress.  I am certain Dr. Bennett is the reason Charlie has survived, and I am forever grateful. Read Less

Our dog Puku sprained her rear leg on Memorial Day holiday and was limping badly. With our local vet's office closed we went to CVS. They were great!! All you have to say is "emergency" and the entire place springs into action.Being a holiday it was very busy, however, Dr. Carr spent so much time with us examining, x-raying and  diagnosing  exactly what was wrong with Puku. She told us what we needed to do (and not to do) to treat her sprain at home. She also sent us home with some medication to help the healing process and told us if she did not get better to go see our regular Vet.The entire staff was so great, friendly and professional. We are so glad they chose to spend their holiday helping animals in need.Thank you CVS!! Read Less

My beloved Nala passed at home on 5/26/2017 presumably due to old age (12). It is heart breaking because she is not just a dog she truly is a member of our family and the staff that night treated her body with dignity and respect. We had her cremated and they even offered to give me her paw print with a lovely poem. She will be forever missed. Thank you for your graciousness! I would have given five stars had the condolence card came in the mail instead of immediately upon leaving (seems rushed). I do not know about their veterinarian care but doggy post life they were awesome. Read Less

We just wanted to Thank Dr Carr and staff at CVS. We took our 9 year old Golden Retriever on Saturday not knowing how critically ill he was.While there Kodi went into cardiac arrest and passed. Dr Carr came into the consultation room with compassion and tears and told us the devastating news. We were crushed and shocked but realized the it was Kodi's time. The compassion that was given to us including the ink print from Kodi's paw on a card with a very  heartwarming saying is something that we will never forget.Thank you CVS for your care and compassion.Chris & Lavette Skeeters Read Less

Wow, after reading reviews that sound almost word for word exactly like our experience...not surprised. My dog was referred here for surgery. Not more diagnostics, surgery. My vet talked to the vet here on the phone who would handle her case, we brought in her X Rays, and they agreed before we arrived on what it was and how to treat: partial/complete obstruction. She needed surgery. So why we were taken in a room, told she needed more tests, which showed it was not an obstruction at all and probably viral, made me extremely uncomfortable with this new vet, made me question her competence, and when I questioned her and her NEW diagnosis, we were told, "some doctors are just wrong. Sometimes it just helps to get a second opinion." ....we had not come for that. We came 40 minutes for her to have surgery after she had suffered for days already with what we thought was a stomach virus.... So they tell us she needs to stay for fluids and some anti nausea medication over night, approx $1200 (and up to $1700 if needed) Get a call in the night by the vet Dr. Schulz all is great. Get a call in the morning by her new vet (shift change), she has an obstruction, she needs surgery. As I'm sure all you can imagine I was livid. I questioned this doctor how all of a sudden this obstruction could manifest again (it had been foam, something that could not just vanish)....this doctor was reading off a rehearsed script to protect Dr. Schulz's diagnosis. We elected to pick her up, drive her to our vet back in RIVERSIDE who could perform the surgery for us that day as he did not have 3 emergency surgeries to perform that day himself. I did not trust these people with my baby. I only left her in their care as I felt I had no options. I have medical training, the way Dr. Schulz talked over me at almost every turn and any question I had was unbelievable. She also was cocky about the new diagnosis which made me very uneasy. ...proved right. And the fact we had to pay for all of this, taking out a care credit card for it when we could have just paid our vet for what she needed in the first place is unbelievable. And when I questioned her she didn't show us anything. Our vet showed us the xrays, he walked us through it all. Part of why I tried to understand why she thought this. They also say you can call for an update when ever you want. But when I did I was told no information. Just the doctor was busy and they had no information. And that was the first and second time I called. (Leading to she had an obstruction) Read Less

I am surprised to see so many negative reviews about CVS here. I am very glad I did not see them prior to taking my Zeus there as I might have done him a disservice. Everyone working was outstanding in a very difficult decision making time for me. I knew in my mind it was time for Zeus to cross the Rainbow Bridge, but not in my heart, and I never felt pressure to make the decision then and there. I was offered several solutions and elected to attempt to take him home and see my regular vet the next morning. I was sent home with a detailed description of everything discussed and my regular vet was notified of the same. We unfortunately did not even make it in the house and had to return for his final moments. At one of the worst times in a pet/person relationship, I was shown compassion and kindness from everyone involved. We were taken to a comfortable room and Zeus was brought in on a gurney. We were presented with a framed paw print along with a poem, something I may not have if I had gone elsewhere. We were allowed all the time we needed to say our goodbyes both before and after. When I was inconsolable I received hugs from several staff members, who I believe were genuine in their concern. I could not have thought of a better place for such a horrible time. For those that complain about pricing, for an emergency clinic they are very reasonable. The exam which I believe is only $30 more than my regular vet is good for 24 hours in the event you need to return. I was not given other pricing because I was encouraged that the test would only confirm the diagnosis and would not make the matter better. That, is the opposite of as one person said, gouging. I was a desperate pet owner who could have been in the position of being vulnerable to spending copious amounts of money in hopes of having more time with my boy, but that was not only not how they operated, it was the opposite. Although I hope you never need their service, if you do I highly recommend them. Read Less

I went to this vet since they are open on the Sunday and I previously had a good experience with my other dog in need of urgent care. My dog Darcy was fine acting normal on Saturday and then Sunday morning she could not get down the stairs. I immediately got her in the car and rushed to CVS. She's a big girl (85 lbs) and as I was trying to get her out of the car, the front desk technician saw me struggle and came outside to assist me. They took her back immediately, assessed her and came back with a plan for the testing. Unfortunately the results were not good, she had terminal cancer. It was tough to hear but they were sympathetic and gave her a shot to keep the pain at bay for a while at least. Since I was unable to part with at that moment I took her home for her last days. They called the next day to check up on us and forwarded her records to my regular vet. they were kind and responsive. Read Less

Our experience here tonight was amazing. The tech talked to my cat very nice and kept teller her how pretty she was and made her comfortable before examining her. They were extremely fast and professional and considering it was 10 PM pretty reasonably priced . We will use this office again if the need should ever arise again. Read Less

Amazing I called while freaking out after my puppy pooped worms (after being dewormed , I didn't know puppies poop out the worms if they have it) and the lady on the phone assured me it is actually very normal for that to happen , she was very patient and understanding about my panic I would definitely recommend this place Read Less

*Please Read* After reading some of the reviews here and on Yelp, my family and I were braced for a very expensive visit and a high pressure "sales" type environment. Our puppy really needed to see a qualified vet though, and CVS was the only vet open in our area. We had a wonderful experience. The girls at the front desk were very kind. Dr. Hoggan was extremely knowledgeable and an excellent vet. She gave us the option to do an ultrasound and after receiving the quote (it wasn't cheap) she said that she didn't think we needed to have it done unless we wanted to. She came in and examined our puppy again to make sure his condition hadn't worsened. She was happy with what she saw, so she recommended us to some good "day vets" and sent us home with pain meds for our puppy. I think many of the reviewers who complained about cost don't realize how expensive it is for 24-hour emergency vets to keep the lights on. They have to staff people at all times of day to work in a sometimes stressful and heartbreaking environment. They also need to have a lot of equipment on hand that your regular vet doesn't. It's just like an Emergency Room. We all know going to the ER is expensive and if we can wait, we wait to see our GP or go to an Urgent Care. It's the same for an emergency vet. Not once did I feel pressured to do unnecessary tests or procedures. The doctors and staff were very understanding that they do charge a lot more for these things than regular vets. What I did get was a good diagnosis, instructions on how to care for my puppy overnight and pain meds to keep him comfortable. I'm very thankful for the excellent care we received and feel confident that if we ever have another emergency we will have a safe place to go. Thank you so much CVS! We deeply appreciate the excellent care! Read Less

I'm so thankful for this place. My dog was really sick it was on a Saturday no one wanted to see his without a appointment she was almost dying. I didn't have much money and they help me save her life . Thank you so much everyone with so wonderful here. Now after 2 weeks after her surgery she so full of life. Read Less

The most amazing staff and doctors. Our beloved fur baby went there because of her cancer in her lymph nodes and one lung. They did everything possible for her. When she passed, the doctor cried too. When er had her put down, they let us turn the lights down, light a candle and play soft music in the quiet room while we cradled her in our arms on the couch. It was the hardest day of my life, but everyone was so genuine and caring.Read Less

Very disorganized, not attentive to what patient they are seeing, can't/won't answer any of your questions. Find a different emergency vet if possible. Our family dog had a blockage (Swallowed a toy) while my parents were out of town. First the staff would barely acknowledge me even though I was the one requesting care for our dog and my parents had contacted them to allow me to be on the dogs account. She ended up needing the blockage surgically removed, which we went ahead on, they sent her home with an antibiotic for skin infections AFTER A MAJOR INTESTINAL SURGERY. She proceeded to develop an infection and somewhere along her internal incision starting leaking bacteria into her abdomen. A different doctor was calling us every time we got an update. By update I mean a different doctor called us to say "We should take her back into surgery and look for the leak, if there even is one." The doctor could never answer any of our questions because they didn't have her chart in front of them or they hadn't seen her recently. Each time a doctor called they would say the exact opposite of what the doctor before them said, and couldn't even verify what other doctors had said. They only want to cut your pet open and take your money without even being able to tell you what is wrong in the first place. Read Less

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. SAD VERY SAD Negligent staff!!! Be careful with this place! I spent more than 2000.00 on blood work, X ray, ultrasound more tests etc and medication. My dog was very sick with high Temp between 104 and 105. Long story short went back home with same high tempeture , they never could find the problem, like this for more than a week. Problem not solved and kindless, very rude, and poor customer service of receptionists. I feel very dessapointed of this place. Had to go to veterinarian in TijuanaMexico with a excellent vet a friend recommended me Right away in less than 5 minutes and no exam or tests to know this Dr said, just touching her ribs and stomach this dog huge spleen infection. The spleen was huge! swollen. She Got treatment for 3 days and and getting MUCH with only 3 days of treatment. According to my exhausting bad and sad experience I give zero stars to CVS. You would think they care about your Pet, the don't care at all!! only good to charge money and no knowlage about my dog problem. And they are specialists? Is ridiculous. Only negligence at this place. Read Less

I have a 14 year old cat, named Sasha, who just got diagnosed two weeks ago with moderate liver damage and hyperthyroidism. I was given medication for both but have only been using the meds for hyperthyroidism. My baby has been doing better...eating more regularly and gaining weight. Last night around 11pm, Sasha started throwing up and it continued until this morning (this had never happened to her as she's always been a healthy cat). I called my vet and they suggested I come to cvs because I wanted to get test results back right away. Prior to me coming here I called two other vets that I had taken Sasha to in the past and neither would see her. I read the reviews on cvs and was hesitant of taking her here because of all the negative reviews. Knowing I needed her seen immediately, I decided to take a chance. Let me say, without hesitation, that I'm am very very happy that I did. Deseri, who was at the front desk was incredibly nice and had a tech come out to get an evaluation on Sasha immediately . Within 10 minutes I was put into a room where a gal came in to get Sasha's vitals and more info and within a few minutes later Dr. Cooke came in. I let her know what I wanted to do, she agreed and gave me a couple more options for further testing and then sent Erin in to give me estimates. I let them know I wanted to go step by step with the testing due to cost and they agreed. Once Sasha's blood work came back, Dr Cooke walked me thru the blood work, which ultimately looked good. Next step was x-ray. She was not pushy whatsoever and after asking her opinion on what she suggested I do, I decided to move forward with the x-ray to rule out anything major. Once the x-ray was complete, Dr Cooke again showed and explained everything on the screen. The rates I was quoted was equivalent to the vet prices. Nothing was grossly elevated, as stated in prior comments. Overall, I am super impressed with the care I received from everyone. Also, the facility was very nice and spacious and they even had a snack station (free). Please trust that the care you'll receive is amazing. I would take my baby back here in a second, if need be. Thank you cvs!!!!!! Read Less

I took my dog there 2 nights ago with acute gastroenteritis. He was there for 2 hours and the bill was already $2300.00 I left him there to get fluids and antibiotics and to be monitored. I called to check on him several hours later and the Vet told me she thought they may need to operate to see it he had a blockage. I asked the. Cost And They said someone would call me. Half and hour later I called back because no one had called and the estimate was $6600 to $9900. We did not want him cut open since they couldn't even tell us why there was such a hurry to do so. We decided to tell them to keep him stable and hydrated and we would come get him and take him to our family Vet. We picked him up in the AM . He spent one night with our Vet. They gave him fluids, Antibiotics And oral barium that they tracked through his digestive tract. We brought him home the next day feeling much better and at a cost of $306.00 and that included a case of special food. These people are disgusting. They pray on people that are in panic mode for their loving pet. They were willing to cut open my dog just to "see " what they could find. I Really wonder how may people have lost their pet or have had them put down because they can't afford the astronomical fees they charge . I get that they charge more than normal because of it being an emergency. But almost $10,000. For a guess. I honestly am disgusted by these people and will NEVER be back.Read Less

The current vet weve went to has a 2-4 wait for literally anything (impossible with both of us working). It's bad. I'm in the process of switching to a vet with a better wait time. The vet sent us to this specialist. We saw the Dr at the emergency room for out pet & discussed different options, different medications, we discussed which decision we were considering taking. We bought several medications. For one of the meds we had a few pills left & the dr told us we could call back that Monday & they could call in the med, we could call Monday and they could have it ready for pick up for us at the CVS closer to our location. I asked once again is for certain, I don't want to try to get the medication at the vet we recently went to with the 3 hour wait or have to make an appt with another different vet just to get the medication when the Ca Vet Specialist already knew we needed it, she said absolutely. The lady at the front desk who answered my questions wasn't helpful. She told me it was illegal and I asked why would the Dr. have told us we could do something if it was illegal. The lady said, "we can't help you, weve done all you can, your asking for something illegal, just go to your primary, your wasting your time here. Weve already told you all we can." I told her we were depending on this becuase this is what the Dr. told us to for now for the next day or so and once again she simply treated me like a lawbreaker who was harrassing them & what the Dr. told us was incorrect. That is definately not true. The Dr. knows how to do their job, the issue was that the Dr told us we could in for the med however they didn't write it in their notes so people that were in that day couldn't follow through with what the Dr. told us. It is a shame because our pet needed the med this afternoon and since it was written in the notes we are at a loss when it said as an expectation we depend on being able to call in & pick it up near at a CVS near our location. It feels horrible to be treated as a pest/lawbreaker and told we and the Dr who spoke with us are wrong simply becuase the workers that are in that day werent present in the room. To be promised a medication avialability and then be told, "no that's illlegal, why aren't you understanding, how else can I explain to you, I don't understand what you want us to do. No I wont tell you when your Dr. comes in so you can ask, go to your primary" I mean this was a horrible experience. The Dr. we saw was nice & helpful but what she told us was not something she put in her notes, so Desiree treated me like an unintelligent criminal & she did not listen to me. She was harsh. I'm pregnant and don't feel well to drive so picking up the med close to home on my work break was my only option and not something they would follow through on. The office is clean, spacious and nice, the other front desk lady when we went in was nice. I feel like I can never step foot in this office again becuase Desiree judged me and treated me like a criminal who was unintelligent and trying to break the law. When the Dr. says call in for some more med you don't expect to have to go through such a terrible experinece & not be listened to and told you and your Dr. who spoke and consulted with the Opthamolgist are wrong. I'm certain the Opthamologist and Dr knew what they were doing. I literally cried when I got off the phone. I honestly feel like I can never step foot back in there. I'm very intelligent, respectful, caring & not a criminal. I want to follow Dr.'s orders without having a 3 wait at the current vet and without driving way back to Murrieta when they said I could call it into my nearby location. I'm pregnant and work full time, this changed option doesn't work for me. Where I work we and follow up with with our clients in a professionaly manner. We don't criminalize them or try to make them feel unintelligent or guilty or prove themselves. We take full notes so as to not let clients down, if something falls through the cracks on our end we don't criminalize our clients.Read Less

Phenomenal care and service. Compassionate. Was there with my dog bleeding into his belly. The outcome was sending my beloved dog to heaven. You would have it was their pet with the care we received Read Less