Vca North Academy Animal Hospital

Overall a wonderful experience I have come a few different times with my pets. For the care we recieved for our ferrets 5 out of 5. The vet who specializes in them is truly amazing, caring, and is incredibly knowledgeable. Absolutely love her as our vet. For the care we received for our Siberian husky is why I would rate them as a 4 out of 5. The vet who saw my dog the first three times could not give me any help and we had to keep coming back visit after visit, this became costly. This carried on till the vet who sees our ferrets looked at our dog and was able to help. All of my pets are now healthy and happy. Front desk management and customer service spot on and always a delight to see. Very professional and kind. This facility also offers military discount which is a plus. Thank you for our pet care! Read Less

I just wanted to give a big thank you to VCA. Thank you, for taking such great care of pets. My visits have always been pleasant. I would just like to recognize a few individuals who really stood out to me. Yesterday, I called to schedule an appointment for my Kitty. My cat has had previous issues with bladder stones and yesterday I noticed she had blood in her urine. I called and spoke to Valerie. I expressed my concerns to her and she was very helpful. Although, their schedule was booked, she informed me they would make time to see my cat. I arrived about a half an hour early to my appointment and was greeted by friendly faces. I checked in my cat and they got me back right away. Dr. Laura Birkholz, met me in the examine room. I was excited to see her. She was the vet who completed surgery on my cat about a year ago. My cat was so happy to see her. (She was purring so loudly it made it difficult to hear her heartbeat) Once Dr. Birkholz completed her exam she recommended we have x-rays and a urinalysis completed. I trust Dr. Birkholz with my pets. She is great at what she does and is compassionate. She not only cares about the pets that come in but she also takes the pet owners feelings into consideration. She is very informative! Thank so much for everything you have done for my fur babies! It's Doctors like you who make a difference! Lastly, I would like to thank Laurie. Thank you for making medication instructions clear and for being kind to Kitty and I. You guys are awesome! Thank you!Read Less

Extremely unprofessional and rude. I called was told one price when brought my dog in and I was told another price AFTER they had seen my pet. I was totally blind sided and they refused to work with me. Don't come here! It was one of my worst experiences with a vetinary hospital. Read Less

I don't even know how to express how bad this veterinary practice is, if that's what you can even call it. I took my new puppy there for a wellness check and learned that he needed some medication. Got through the initial round of meds and went back in for a follow-up. Was told that the original problem was taken care of, but there was another problem that required him to go through another round of meds. When I tried to ask questions, I was basically ignored. Got through the second round of meds and took a fecal in for a follow-up check. Received a call from the hospital saying that everything was clear and was asked if he still had soft stool. He did, so they automatically put him on another round of meds, for a longer duration...now having him on meds for essentially a month out of a month-and-a-half. Fast forward seven days, on round three of the meds, my puppy stops eating and has liquid stool. Call the hospital and one of the now three different doctors I've dealt with calls me back. During the conversation the doctor says that his last fecal was not clear (so now someone has lied to me about results) and proceeds to try scare tactics about my puppy's health in order to get me to rush him in for more 'tests' and 'treatments'. When I asked if having him on these meds for such a long time could cause this, I was basically told 'not possible' and to continue giving him two of the three meds he was on. Yeah, right...he wasn't even eating. I stopped the meds and slowly got my puppy eating again. His appetite came back in a couple of days, and his stools went back to being soft, but normal. I got him in to see another veterinarian at another hospital, only to confirm that in fact his fecal was clear. So, was my puppy given unnecessary medications? Most likely. The veterinarian said the meds he was on were mild and shouldn't have caused those problems, but if he has a sensitive stomach it could create an issue. Apparently something that was too much for the veterinarians at NAV to comprehend. It was also too much for them to take into consideration that he was a four-month-old teething puppy. Not once was it recommended to me by them to try changing his food, probiotics, or canned pumpkin to help with his soft stool. But thanks to the other veterinarian, it's no longer an issue. NAV wanted to run more tests and have specially compounded meds made for him. Irrational much?! Through all of this, I never once received a follow-up call to see how my puppy was doing. DVMs? That's questionable. From what I experienced they like to use methods like scare tactics, guilt and shaming to try and generate more business. My puppy is doing much better now, but no thanks to NAV. It scares me to think what else they would have tried to 'treat' him for if I hadn't called bullshit. Read Less

It's always hard to find a good vet as our pets are like family, but we truly love this place. The vet, the techs, and the girls up front are all wonderful. It's super welcoming and they are extremely accommodations to our schedules. They always follow up on the health of our pets and our puppy actually enjoys going to see his "vet friends". I always recommend this place to friends and families. Read Less

I was considering taking my dog to Bansfield until my boss recommended this place to me. It is worth every penny. They veterinarians really get to know your animal, give great advice and they truly care for your pets. We rescued our puppy and she was very sick - they took care of her and even gave us extra free deworming meds "just to be safe". When we had to get a spay/neuter extension our doctor even cited three specific sources as to why German Shepherd mixes need to wait at least 6 mo to be fixed. I like that I never have to worry if Remmi is getting the best care :) Read Less

I am exceedingly pleased by the friendly, professional staff at North Academy. Each time I have been to the vet, every employee I speak with (reception, vet-techs, vets, etc.) has always engaged me in a meaning conversation about my pet. I have never felt like they were rushing me away, or didn't care about our dogs. We love this vet so much, we are willing to drive 30 mins north. Their prices are reasonable, and the vets call to follow up on appointments. I highly recommend them to anyone!Read Less

Ive been taking my cat to NAV for three years. Dr. Birkholz has always been wonderful. I took him back in three months ago because he was showing signs of a cold. This revealed tumors in his lungs. I was told he has one-two months and there was nothing else they could do; the only help is in Denver. The front staff told me they come down every Tuesday for appointments. Once I explored that option, they said theyve never been to CO Springs and that they dont travel. I was referred to Powers Pet ER for an ultrasound to confirm and my experience there was less than acceptable. I was told the report was going to be sent to NAV and I would be called the next day I waited a week and firmly demanded to speak to a vet regarding the results. Turned out to be a waste of money. The NAV techs also lightly groom my cat and that revealed signs of fleas; black residue visibly all over his fur. They said nothing about it I didnt know what it was until I saw an adult flea. I bought the topical from NAV which proved to be ineffective. I gave him four flea baths and bombed twice but could not get rid of them. I called and asked for a referral to a cat groomer, and when I called her, she clearly stated she had never done cats. I managed to get him groomed somewhere else but could not get rid of the fleas. My familys vet (who lives in the south) recommended an oral flea medication that kills them within a day. I called NAV again requesting a prescription, but the doctors there stated that there is no oral flea medication for cats. I then asked for a doctor to look into it, but the front staff refused to work with me. After all of the misinformation and lack of guidance, I called to make a complaint to the manager and was hung up on. Most of them, not all, were rude, uninformative, insensitive, and arguably incompetent. I had to have my mom call so that the call would be taken. The manager then called me back and informed me that there are two sides to every story and the reason why she instructed her staff not to take my calls is because they told her I was cussing at them when I called. This is entirely untrue. Even if a customer is irate over the impending loss of their pet, the call should have been transferred to the manager immediately. I felt betrayed, as I trusted them with the well-being and life of my cat; my biggest vulnerability. My concerns were not noted at all. I felt as if I was given a handful of excuses. I was only frustrated that no one, after three years and over $5000, was willing to further help me. I found Southern Colorado Internal Medicine, not even 10 minutes away from me, who has not only properly diagnosed my cat, but have ran all the necessary tests, gave me the oral flea medication, and started treating him with chemo. Theyve been absolutely more than helpful, extremely compassionate and totally understanding. Ive transferred all of my cat's records to SoCo and now Crossroads Vet, right behind my place. I will never deal with North Academy Vet again. Its a shame, Dr. B will be missed, but most the front staff is the epitome of inexcusable incompetence not only in customer service, but in our relationships with our beloved pets. Read Less