Pet Emergency & Specialty Center - La Mesa

I own a Syrian hamster named Trixie. She is my daughter to me. Last night she accidentally got hurt, and I thought she was going to pass away. I went on the Internet and find a veterinarian. I found the above business and was surprised to find that not only are they 24 hour for emergencies, but they deal with exotic pets, such as mine. From the very first moment I went to this facility. I was greeted with compassion and professionalism. They made me feel at ease. The surgeon named Kristina Vuong, DVM what extraordinary! Not only was she empathetic and professional, but she saved my hamsters life. We thought we would have to amputate her leg but fortunately it was much less serious. I can’t say enough about this facility and their services and I highly recommend them for any of your pet emergencies. This facility is located in La Mesa, CA 91942

I am only reviewing the oncology department as that is where Lola and I went. I’m sorry if you are in need of oncology services but if you are this is the place to go. They loved my dog, Lola. After our first visit Lola was always happy to go to the vet. She raced in and got love and treats from all the staff. A couple of times I peeked in the back and there she was getting her belly rubbed. They did everything possible to extend her life while being sure it was still a quality life. The staff was always so kind to me, giving me chocolates, making me laugh, hugging me several times while I cried (like I’m doing right now). I called the office all the time with questions or the need for reassurance. I was always meant with kindness and patience, no matter the question. When it was time to go to say goodbye to my sweet girl they let me know. And on the heartbreaking day Michelle (one of the staff) stayed with us as we all said goodbye to our sweet sweet dog.

This place is the definition of trash bedside care. I took my service dog, a Husky here when he suddenly was unable to stand. Charged me an insane amount, we’re incredibly rude, when I attempted to ask what was wrong with my dog they treated me like I was stupid and it was my fault. My dog had cancer. I asked if there was anything I could do. The vet just sighed and said no we’d have to do XYZ. Despite me saying I was okay with doing XYZ he then told me that wasn’t an option because it’d kill my dog. THEN WHY TELL ME? when we decided the only option was to then put my dog down with literally no guidance from the vet. He sat in the small room crouched over my dead dog the entire time and said “well when you’re done just let me know” and just stared at us.. gave us no privacy. If I could give this less stars I would. That man deserves to be fired. A part of me wonders if there was something that could’ve been for my dog. But the vet was too much of a jerk to of said anything. I would’ve done anything for that dog.

my husky got hit by a car (hit and run, I don't know exactly what all happened. I was at work.) she could barely walk, was bleeding from many different deep wounds and was coughing. I took her in, and these ladies at the front desk were super helpful and compassionate. all the adrenaline was in full effect so I couldn't really comprehend what they were saying at first but they repeated everything to me as many times as I needed. the deposit was a little expensive but it ended up going towards a big chunk of the final check. when the vet came to talk to me she explained very well what it is that they were doing to my dog, and provided me an itemized receipt of all the things they had already done that they would be charging me for, and since she had just been admitted, they also gave me a list of services they expected they might use and a cost estimate for all of that as well. I was shown a minimum balance, and a maximum balance that they weren't allowed to go over without explicit permission from me. they were also super helpful in helping me find ways to put funds together. they helped me apply for the care credit card (which totally saved my wallet, btw.) they were super sweet and gentle to my dog as well. I decided to charge the maximum balance to the credit card, and since they didn't end up meeting that balance they refunded over 800 dollars back to my credit. which makes me have faith that they really do care about the animals and not so much money. I went to go pick up my dog and they were very informative of the meds they were giving me and how I need to monitor her. I'm genuinely so so thankful for everything they did. I also felt like they really tried not to take advantage of me in terms of money because they so easily could have charged me double or more of what I ended up paying. (around 3,000.) I really could never thank them enough for saving my sweet baby.

The employees' lack of communication and incompetence are the reason that my family couldn't say goodbye to our cat. She died scared and alone. Please do yourself a favor and opt for a different emergency clinic. On the evening of December 6th my cat Sprite was experiencing difficulty breathing. I was sick at the time so my parents brought her here. After an excruciatingly long night in the waiting room for the two of them, they were told that Sprite had late stage heart failure and fluid in her lungs. The center suggested overnight treatment despite the slim survival rate. In my parents' exhaustion my mom left without taking her phone that had been plugged into the wall, which was the primary line of contact for the center to reach us. The employees here not only realized this but messaged my mom's phone, which again, was in their office, to let her know she had forgotten it. From this point on they continued sending updates to the phone that they were completely aware we were not in possession of. In the morning after on December 7th, when we searched for updates and the realization hit us that the phone was not here, we called the center and were informed that Sprite did not make it through the night. They allowed us to say goodbye (to her corpse). In the midst of paying an outrageous, budget-altering price for their ultimately futile efforts, it was then that the receptionist read through some of our information on file and read to us OUR HOME PHONE NUMBER. This clinic had an alternative form of contact and DID NOT use it. We would have come immediately to say goodbye had we been made aware of her nearing death. But instead we were left in the dark when it was completely possible to make contact. And Sprite passed in this uncaring, horrible place with no family around. The reason that I am making this review months later is that I had always given them the benefit of the doubt. However, now that I am a receptionist myself, I have absolutely no empathy for these people because I know how easy it would have been to handle a situation like this with the slightest amount of extra effort. I think about Sprite everyday. I loved her as much as humanely possible. While I do not blame this place for her death, I blame them entirely for taking away my opportunity to say goodbye. Please take your loved one elsewhere in emergencies.