Vca Canada Western Veterinary Specialist And Emergency Centre

If you can avoid this hospital, do so at all costs. If your animal isn't in immediate danger of death it's worth the drive to a different vet. They were not quick you see us at all, and by the time we got to see the bill it had been 3 hours (there was one other person in waiting room). The bill was absolutely ridiculous. Overcharged every single way they could, even with our top-notch insurance, the estimate was still between $800 and $2000. The vet also spent half an hour trying to convince us to change from a raw food diet. We were here for an emergency, he was not our regular vet. Not impressed in any way. Will avoid at all costs in the future.

Amazing is not even good enough. The staff helps me through emergencies calmly and supportively. Western veterinarian is the best!

Dr Cote was so gentle, sincere, and extremely knowledgeable.
He was very sweet to our Tyson, and clear in his details explaining medical terms to us.
I wish my doctor was like him !!!
I highly recommend him if your animal needs help.
The ladies at the Western Veterinarian were very kind. The place was calm, and extremely clean. ☺️

We have visited the Western Veterinary Specialist clinic 4 times between our two dogs over the last 2 yrs. The level of care and service has always been exceptional. The staff are professional and very caring given that most visits involve both pets and owners who are anxious due to a sickness/illness or accident. The clinic is an emergency clinic and as such they prioritize cases based on severity. This means you sometimes have to wait but it is for good reason as they have assessed that other pets are sicker than yours. We have met several of the doctors at this clinic over the last two years and have nothing but praise for all of them! An emergency clinic is not a place you want to ever have to visit but it is comforting to know that such a competent and professional clinic exists in Calgary for those unfortunate times when you need to take your pet to them.

the staff were so thorough and professional, I felt confident in their skills and their chosen treatments for my pup. Would definitely recommend this 24 hour emergency service. So thankful for everything they did for us.

I came in with my brother's budgie because it wasn't feeling well and was referred by an avian clinic because they couldn't get us in right away. The time I went the doctor I spoke with told us that they didn't have the proper diagnostic tools which is fine because the receptionist who picked up my call said the doctor has had previous experience with birds. By the end of the first visit the doctor tried to administer medicine for the budgie but said that it was refusing to take it so they left it as is. It wasn't even a question regarding the medicine. The doctor ended up not giving me the medicine for the pet and only charged me only the consultation fee which is fair considering that it is an emergency clinic. The next day I called the avian specialists again and explained how the bird wasn't given any medicine, their response was that they were surprised that the emergency centre couldn't do anything and had suggested us to call them back because they should have been able to something. So I call the the emergency clinic again and the receptionist puts me on hold a couple times and then apologizes for what had happened an offered me to go back to have the budgie re-evaluated. Great. I come back my second time and wait an hour and a half to get the doctor but that is fine because we didn't have an appointment but was asked to come back because something may have been overlooked for the pet. The doctor said they would just go weigh the bird then give it the appropriate dose of medicine. There was once again NO mention of any costs (same as the previous day). We wait half an hour for that to happen and then a technician comes in and asks for us to go to the front desk to check out. So they ended up charging us for the medicine even though there was no mention of it, if you are giving us the medicine today then why did you not just give us the medicine to go yesterday? We had to make the second trip back because of something being overlooked. It was a whole wild goose chase having the avian specialist clinic recommend us to your clinic, having to follow up with the specialist clinic once more only to be told that something may have been overlooked and that we should call back. This led to the second trip back to WVS. I am not sure what happened but there was a lack in communication and organization between the staff and us. Your clinic seemed like they took every possible chance to gouge your wallet whenever they wanted to. I will not be coming back, if you promise me one thing over the phone and it leads to a whole mess like I experienced then I will go elsewhere for help.

My experience at Western was excellent. My husband and I were told by our vet that our young pup's kidney was failing and should be taken to a pet hospital. We got to see the ER doc shortly after we arrived. He told us that in addition to testing for kidney disease, he will test our pup for Addison's, a rare disease. He also explained to us the prognoses about the suspected diseases. We were well informed. I understand that some reviewers were turn off by the standard billing procedure there that you pay upfront for the highest amount of the estimated bill. The fact is our actual bill came out to be just over half of what we prepaid. This proofs that they are honest and only bill people with tests and drugs necessary to get our pets better. At the end, my pup got the proper diagnosis and treatment for the rare Addison's disease. I believe Western Vet has the expertise to know what to look for and that's why it's worth every dollar we paid. Also, the vets, techs and the receptionists are all warm and professional. Special thanks go to Dr. Lange who call us to provide updates while my husband and I anxiously wait for the diagnosis.

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.

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.

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.

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

This is an amazing facility. The Vets are great, staff are cool. And our Diesel is made comfortable.