Academy West Animal Hospital

I do pet sitting/care. While my clients were out of town, I noticed one of their cats were in need of veterinary care for her ear. Academy West got her in right away. I was impressed with the Vet... he gave her a thorough examination... he didn't JUST look at her troubled ear. He ran a test under a microscope of the bacteria in her ear and diagnosed her within minutes. They put medicated eardrops in and sent us home with the prescription. She's on the mend and happy 🐱😸🥼🩺

I boarded my dog with them for a week, she came to me back very ill (kennel cough) with green discharge from her nose, coughing up phlegm, no interest in toys or food but was at least eating a little and drinking. That all got worse and I took her back two days after picking her up from boarding. She had a fever, they gave her a shot of penicillin and a prescription for another antibiotic. She started to feel better for a day and then stopped eating again. Called the vet back, they insisted on me bringing her back in and said it would be free. I showed up and saw Dr Mario who gave me options for radiography and blood chemistry and then tried to charge me over $750 (and again, I was told this would be free because they’re the ones that got her sick in the first place and then didn’t care enough take a blood draw at the initial visit to diagnose, so now with antibiotics in her system, tests will come back inconclusive). He was condescending which is probably why he picked vet med for a career—the patients don’t understand how miserable he is. They are in the business of getting animals sick and then gaslighting. I will never take her back here again, and strongly recommend against others from using them

I had a great experience with this animal hospital. I needed to get my dog in quickly due to a severe allergic reaction. I called several animal hospitals in my area and no one could get him in for weeks! The other hospitals wanted to charge a nonrefundable deposit too for just making the appointment! This place got me in immediately, provided my pet with relief, and no deposit.

All 3 of our dogs have been patients at this animal hospital. Each time we have been here, (due to other vets being completed booked) none of our dogs problems have been diagnosed or properly treated. Last Wednesday, we brought our very sick dog in. He wasn’t eating, he was lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. After examining him and doing labs (only blood work initially, urine test was going to be done later on that day), they decided to keep him for a few hours to monitor him, give him IV fluids, and complete further labs (urine test). Before my significant other left, he asked the vet and the vet tech if our boy was going to be ok. Instead of saying they don’t know, they reassured my boyfriend that he was going to be ok. A few hours later, Academy West called me to let me know when to pick up my dog. I asked for an update, to which the receptionist told me that he was eating, and acting normal. I didn’t question it and thanked the staff for taking such good care of him. When I went to pick him up at the designated time, the vet tech took me back and went over how to administer fluid IVs for him, provided 3 different medications, and gave me the dog food he was supposedly eating. I paid the $600+ bill, and once again thanked them for everything they did for my boy. Unfortunately; when we got home, I noticed he was not better at all. He refused to eat anything the remainder of the night into the next day, and he had no energy to the point he was sitting in his own pee because he didn’t have the energy to stand up. My boyfriend and I tried calling numerous emergency vets across the valley, to which all of them said they were dealing with traumas, and it would be at least an 8 hour wait before he could be seen. The next morning, I called Academy West frantic about how bad my dog was doing. The receptionist said the soonest they could see him was Friday (which would be a day later). I asked if there was anything at all they could do to see him sooner, to which she said “no” they were booked. I agreed to make him an appt for Friday, and continued trying to call other vets. No one was available to take him in. A few hours later, Academy West called me. It was the vet tech doing a follow up. I explained to her how poorly my dog was doing, to which she said that’s not good at all and that she could get me in that afternoon (Thursday). I said absolutely, and brought my boy in. When we got there, I had to carry him in because he couldn’t walk. The receptionist gave me an attitude when I walked in holding him, and said it would be a minute until she helped me, which I understood. While she checked me in, I was still holding my 60 lb+ dog, and she didn’t offer to help grab some sort of transport to get him to the back room. Once in the room, the vet came in and went over all of the different things that could be wrong with him; one being cancer, another being a tumor, etc. I was hysterical and asked what the results were from yesterday (Wednesday). The vet said their was nothing abnormal with the bloodwork that was done. So I asked him about the urine test. The vet said he changed his mind (the day prior) and decided not to do a urine test because my dog seemed fine. I again told the vet all of my dogs symptoms, including how he’s lost significant weight over the past few months, which my boyfriend also explained to them the day prior (Wednesday). The vet immediately asked the vet tech to go get a blood sugar monitor. When they tested his levels; it stated “HI” as it was too high to even read. The vet immediately informed me my dog was in Diabetic ketoacidosis and needed to go to the hospital right away. The vet tech helped load my dog in the car, and that was the last day I heard from the vet and the day my boy passed away at Blue Pearl Emergency. Academy West has not reached out at all to follow up. I by no means think this is anyone’s fault. I hope this can be a lesson that no matter how busy clinics may be dealing with infinite patients a day, that a little due diligence could help save a pet instead of this happening again.

We had a wonderful experience and I don’t regret making the switch over to Academy West Animal Hospital. Since 2016, we have been going to Banfield Pet Hospital. Here at Academy West, they treated our two dogs with so much kindness and patience. We have a reactive blue heeler and they were amazing with him. The team truly makes your pets health and safety the priority.