Animal Emergency And Specialty Center Of Chattanooga

Made my first visit to Animal Emergency & Specialty Center this past week after getting an emergency referral from my vet. Everyone there was very nice, and the place was clean and comfortable. The vet tech and doctor who worked with my dog and me was very attentive, compassionate and gave me prices related to every procedure. While we still need to go back for more tests this week, I still feel very satisfied with the quality of service we received. Read Less

Dr. Riddle is very thorough with his exams. He explains options and pricing. He treats your fur baby with respect and dignity, and he is very knowledgeable. Staff is kind and they do a great job taking care of your fur baby while in distress. They also keep you updated on when you will see the vet, what to expect, etc. Read Less

My experience here was excellent. It was not a cheap visit but worth every penny. The staff was very kind, the clinic was very clean, and Dr. Riddle undoubtedly saved my dog's life. I am so grateful for their compassion and incredible care they gave my little Harley. Hopefully I will not be back under the same circumstances but it's very comforting to know Chattanooga has such a great K9 ER. Read Less

We took our dog there 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday evening. They took us right back, tech came in got info and right away the vet came in. Everyone got in the floor and sat with our dog to make him more comfortable. Blood work and xrays were done quickly and results given. We were given reasonable options with cost before each procedure was done. Our dog had liver cancer and we had no clue so our options were limited. They told us to stay as long as we wanted, could spend the night if we choose so that we could spend as much time as we wanted with him. We stayed, said our goodbyes and watched him go to sleep. Needless to say we were devastated. They were amazing under the circumstances and could not have been better to my entire family. They are an emergency animal hospital, the prices were higher than or vet but more reasonable than the competitors. Highly recommend. Read Less

WE RECENTLY TOOK OUR DOG LUCY HERE AND OUR EXPERIENCE WAS AMAZING! LUCY WAS VERY SICK AND THEY DID EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD TO HELP SAVE HER. THE STAFF WAS VERY CARING AND DR BELT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO US SO THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE FACING, SHE WAS HONEST AND CARING. DR BELT EVEN CALLED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO GIVE ME AN UPDATE ON HOW LUCY WAS DOING. WE ENDED UP LOOSING THE FIGHT AND LUCY PASSED AWAY, BUT THE CARE THAT SHE GOT HERE WAS THE BEST CARE SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN, DR RIDDLE WAS VERY NICE AND INFORMATIVE WHEN IT CAME TIME TO MAKE OUR DECISION, AND HE WAS THERE WITH US THE WHOLE TIME, AND MADE SURE THAT WE KNEW WE WERE DONG THE RIGHT THING, THE STAFF WAS VERY PATIENT AND KIND AS WE WENT TROUGH OUR DIFFICULT TIME THERE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE TAKE THEIR ANIMAL THERE, THEY WILL GET THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR BELT, DR RIDDLE AND STAFF FOR THEIR CARE FOR LUCY AND HER FAMILY DURING THIS TIME. Read Less

We had an emergency with our cat and this hospital was recommended. The staff is incredible and the vet was wonderful. They listened to every question and showed honest, genuine care for my Murphy. I have had to visit other emergency hospitals in the past and have always found them cold and uncaring. Not here. They talked to the cat and calmed him. They showed concern. The prices may seem high, but they are in line with other hospitals. I highly, HIGHLY recommend them for any pet emergencies. Thank your for saving Murphy! Read Less

Going to an emergency room for a fur baby is high anxiety in a lot of ways. Everyone made the entire visit more bearable by their kindness to us, but more importantly by their attention to our pet. Thankfully, our dog needed minimal attention, but it was nice to be put at ease by the personnel... I appreciate their kindness and efficiency! Read Less

We were referred here for an abdominal ultrasound on my cat and I was terrified. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with friendly smiles, a warm hello, and a calming spirit. I was immediately at ease. The Dr was extremely intelligent and went right to work. She had an answer and a plan of action within an hour. These people are amazing. I wish I could give them 10 stars. Recommend fully!! Read Less

The care provided by Animal Emergency and Specialty Center was great. My dog had knee surgery and is recovering well. The staff was great with my dog, who can be difficult, throughout the whole process. Thanks Read Less

UPDATE: I have spoken to the Emergency Care and they have refunded me for the two additional X-rays of $170. She said she reviewed the tapes and believes it was a miscommunication and they apologized. They made what happened right and for that I am thankful. SHARE with anyone and everyone! NO ONE ever go here for an emergency with your pet. They will rip you off because they can. I took my pup there for emergency x ray. My pup was in an accident, I took her down the Rd to my vets house and had her listen to her lungs, they did not sound good at all. She did not have an x ray machine so I had to rush her for one somewhere. With it being Easter Sunday this was the only place I could find open. I knew the price of one X ray and a visit. Before they started the X-ray they wanted to give her an IV with fluids and sedation. I asked why, to keep her blood pressure down and still for the x ray. I asked if Baileys blood pressure was high they said no. I said no do not give IV and you don't need to sedate her since she cannot move anyways! Just do one x ray at a time if you don't find anything wrong move to the next one I am worried about her breathing. Well they took 4 X-rays! The first was of her lungs and they should have stopped right there. Her lungs were full or fluid, but instead they took 3 more raising the price id have to pay. After all that they wanted me to pay another 2100 for overnight with oxygen and then estimated 3000 for surgery the next day. I knew she wasn't going to make it. I asked to pay for what they done and give me dog so I could put her down at my home vet. They then proceeded to tell me they could do it for an additional $95. I said no! Give me my dog, I'll pay for what you did (which was $455) and we're going home. We then went to my home vet and put her to sleep. Where I could hold her and tell her bye. I held on to my baby to let her know I was there and told her I loved her as she slipped away. After she was put down blood came out of her nose and that's what was in her lungs. She would not have survived through the night. This terrible place out Lee HWY only wants your money! They do not care for you or your animal. I highly recommend no one go here based on my experience. Read Less

Our Jack Russell got sick around 2:00 Pm took her to our regular vet who made a diagnose. she wanted us to take her to this place so she could be monitored through the night. Unfortunately they decided to take things into their own hands and re-diagnose her with additional tests. their findings were to pay $4000-$6000 for surgery or put her to sleep. She was fine until she went out there to be watched. so out of ignorance we made a too quick decision to put her to sleep. Now we are upset because the option wasn't giving to watch her overnight and let us think about it and see how see was doing the next morning. I feel a more seasoned vet would have realized this. Maybe the results would have been the same but the family of our much loved pet could have had time to wrap our mind around such a drastic decision. I will NEVER take another pet there when you upset and let them bulldoze you into a drastic decision before you are ready. BEWARE no big $$$$ then off to sleep. Read Less

The doctor and staff are awesome and made me feel at ease about what I had to do. They helped my baby and she is no longer suffering because everyone else gave up on her or closed early. Everyone was so kind and the doctor was efficient. They took care of her during and after. And I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who was there on February 18.Read Less

My Chihuahua was attacked this past Friday evening; this was the first time I visited AESC. Of course, it is never pleasant to be in that situation, but they made a tough weekend as easy as possible. Dr. Miller and his staff were terrific. They were warm, friendly, and compassionate. I had a very comfortable room to wait in, it is a calm atmosphere, and I appreciated that immensely - they even have a Keurig, which is nice when you are exhausted. They came in at every step to discuss my charges in detail, so I was not blindsided when I received my invoice. The staff was pleasant when I called in to check on him, and the doctor who phoned me the next morning was also very kind. The staff was patient with my questions, and again, took the time to explain everything in detail. If you find yourself in need of an ER for your fur-baby, I highly recommend AESC.Read Less

We had to rush our 16 year old cat in and were taken right back. Constant, compassionate care was given. Dr Branham was very kind and empathetic when we had to make the choice to let our little fur baby go to the rainbow bridge. Thank you all for being so kind and compassionate and helping us know that we were making the right decision, even though it was so very hard to let go. Read Less

AESC saved our Jake's life after he ran himself into a a sharp piece of metal and ripped his chest open. They were all so nice!! All the cost was given to us upfront and I personally don't think the cost to save our family member was unreasonable at all. Regardless of the staff's obvious love for animals, this is a business and giving their services away for free would result in them shutting down and they wouldn't have been there to save Jake. So to the people who posted that all they care about is money are clearly not business owners. Thank you again!! Read Less

An amazing professional kind and caring staff and facility. It is the "EMORY or VANDY" for Animals. The Medical Director, Dr DeAnne Fanta was our doctor and we could not have asked for a more professional doctor. She went out of her way and stayed over to make sure we knew what was going on with our dog. Read Less

Everyone was absolutely wonderful!! After they examined my sweet dog it was determined that she had a mass and I made the difficult decision to put her to sleep. She was elderly and I did not want her to suffer. The entire staff was so kind and patient with me in hysterics. I wish they saw animals as "regular" vets! I would be first in line. Owney Zerwer Chattanooga Read Less

I had an emergency with one of my beloved dogs this past Monday night/Tuesday morning and had to take him to the emergency center. Unfortunately, I had to make the very heartbreaking decision to put him to sleep but I have to commend Dr. Miller and the staff that was there that night. Dr. Miller was very quick to get my sweet Sam stable and determine what was wrong, which turned out to be a mass in his throat that had not been detected in our most recent vet visit and could not be treated at this stage. She was also thorough and honest with me in going over everything so that I could decide what was best for my dog. Dr. Miller and the staff were very compassionate and understanding of what I was going through and one of the techs even sat with my other dog who was with me so that I could go back to say goodbyes to my best boy. In the event that I have an emergency with my remaining dog in the future, this is where I will go.Read Less

I am still in awe at the experience that I recently had with AESC. These wonderful people literally saved my pup's life. She was barely hanging on when we arrived after 24 hours of doctor's visits to find out what was causing Lady to act differently. Dr. Miller had it figured out before he ran his first test and although the prognosis was grim, he hung in there with us and fought to get my pup stable enough to go into surgery. Then he spent 3 hours in surgery patching her up. He never gave up on her and for that we are so grateful! Following her surgery, Dr. Branam called me every morning with an update on Lady's progress. And I can't say enough about the amazing vet techs that cared for Lady around the clock to ensure she had the best chance of pulling through! She was so loved and taken care of and the staff took care of my family as well. They allowed me to call or visit anytime I needed over the three days my pup was a resident. Today everyone gave us a warm farewell as they sent our baby home with us. It feels like a miracle and I am so thankful for the expertise and loving care that they provided. Totally in awe. Words can't express our gratitude. The Skellys are your biggest fans!Read Less

Absolutely the best emergency/specialty clinic I have used. One of my Dachshunds had back surgery there at the recommendation of my primary veterinarian. Dr. Rudd, the chief surgeon there was amazing and after surgery, my dog is ad good as new. The entire staff is polite and caring to both the pets and the client. I proudly give them the best recommendation possible Read Less

Today my husband and I had to make the terribly hard decision to put a cat down who came into our lives just a few hours prior. She was sick and I won't go into details because it's graphic. She was the sweetest cat even in her darkest hours and from the time we stepped in the door to the time we left we were treated with such good care and love. I appreciate all the staff at the animal hospital for your kindness. Dr. Dubrowski was especially kind, understanding and helpful to us. Maggie got the best care and love she could have received and he made her passing calm and pain free. From the bottom of my heart thank you, Thank you so much for everything.Read Less

I can't say enough good things about this place. From the moment I brought my dog in the staff was efficient, comforting, clearly explained their policies and welcomed any questions/comments. I love my dog, but I'm the first one to admit he's old, grumpy and hates most people--especially when they try to touch him. I was shocked to see how quickly he warmed up to Dr. Fanta and some of the vet techs. I opted to have my dog finish out treatment there instead of his regular vet because I was so impressed. Over the past few weeks I've spent a lot of time there due to the nature of my dog's injuries and haven't had a single unpleasant experience. I've mostly dealt with Dr. Domaracki and Dr. Fanta and I highly recommend both. Also, the receptionists are always extremely helpful, professional, and personable--especially Matt. Mr. Fluffums and I are so grateful for everything your center does! As far as the pricing goes, yes, the first visit was expensive. However, my dog required extensive and immediate care, which is expensive in general no matter where you go. After the initial deposit, I was given a step by step break down of what they planned to do, why they wanted to do it, and how much it would cost, and then given the opportunity to choose what I wanted done--which the initial deposit went toward. They refunded me anything they didn't end up using and asked my permission if they wanted to do anything that might cost extra. Thanks again for saving Mr. Fluffums!Read Less

I went there because my dog had been in labor since 7:30am and by 2pm she had only had 2 pups and was struggling. I called them and they had me wait until 5pm to bring her. So we get there and they charge me 425$ right off the bat to look at her and take X-rays. Come back and tell me she needs an emergency c-section and wants to know if I wanna go ahead with it. Of course I said yes! They told me I had to pay 2,500$ before they could proceed. I personally don't know anyone that can just pay out that kind of money so I ask about paying what I could which was 300$ and make payments. I was told no and told that she could make it until morning when I could find money and a cheaper vet. Don't understand how it goes from emergency to not a big deal in a matter of 2-5 minutes.... We lost 2 puppies due to them not wanting to help and I did take her to a vet that could take payments and they even spayed her in the process of her surgery. I will never even attempt to go here again and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they have money just laying around. Read Less

Overall the experience was above average. The facility was clean and everyone was nice and informative. The only cons would be the longer wait time (because it seemed to be empty other than one other exam room). if my dog had a life-threatening problem this wait time would have been unacceptable. Thankfully he was just uncomfortable but not knowing what was going on it was a long time to wait watching him whine and pant. The technician was very nice but not as knowledgeable as I would have hoped. He did not seem to know what the medications were or what they were for, and I feel like that could have been explained better. The doctor did a great job of being compassionate with my dog and seem to genuinely like animals which is a plus. She also did a great job at explaining the situation and laying out my options. Overall it was a good experience given the circumstances but there was a little room for improvement. (I would recommend them) Read Less

I took my pet here after moving into this area, in a new home my pet was hit by a vehicle. It was a Sunday and this was my option in this area. I payed almost 1400 dollars for medication exam laceration repair and for them to put back in place a dislocated hip. When I followed up with the vet at home the injury was treated poorly the dog was in worse shape. I tried calling several times and they will not return my calls. I feel that my pet was treated for the money. I still have to pay over a thousand dollars in repairs. Read Less

Wonderful experience during a scary time with my kitten. Highly recommended and appreciate their caring attitude and working within my budget. I have gone to other emergency animal hospitals in our town and won't be going back to them. Sooo thankful for an affordable and compassionate alternative. Read Less

We started with Animal Emergency and Specialty Center with our Black Lab that developed Lymphoma Cancer. We have received the absolute most courteous service and professional treatment that I believe possible. Our Bo is responding well to his treatments right now and even if he were to take a turn for the worst, I would still say that he has been treated very well by the doctors and staff. They are so good to him and he doesn't mind to visit the center at all. I am very happy and satisfied with the experience we have had. Read Less

This facility is exactly what chattanooga needed.  Only knowing of River for after hours care I  took a very lathargic cat in and after 5 hours and $375.  Later they sent me home with no answers and no treatment for my pet. Just told to watch him.  Found my cat the next day almost dead. I rushed him to the lee hwy clinic  where they looked at rivers test and gave him fluids and started him on antibiotics and kept him overnight.  The staff and Dr  seemed genuinely concerned about my pet and even called me the next 2 days to check on mike..he is doing great and I'm so thankful to this click. Read Less

We were traveling on vacation and stopped in Chattanooga for.the night.  Our dog ate something that caused her to have a seizure.  We took her into the ER and the staff was quick to assess her.  They made recommendations and treated her promptly.  We were able to get back on schedule and made it home safely.  I really appreciated the clinic making a follow-up call to our vet.  They in turn called to check up on our dog.  She made a full recovery.  Thank you. Read Less

This place is horrible. Do not take you pet there. All they want is your money and for you to rack up a huge tab. They will give you no information. They also sent us home with expired medication which they did not even check. They are a joke and are just in it to make you spend money.  The worst place I have taken my dog. Save your time and money and just find yourself a good local vet in town. Read Less