VCA Animal Hospitals??

I have received a coupon for "free initial health exam for new clients only" for both of my cats and they are due. I am sure that as diverse as our members are, there is somebody here that has experience with this organization as it looks to be nation wide. My initial impulse was to trash it but perhaps I should not be so hasty?

I went to VCA once when I found my cat, Holly Golightly, on the street. Before I let her in my house, I wanted to know if she was healthy and free of illness. I took her to VCA because my regular vet was closed. VCA is open until 9 PM and allows drop-ins. Plus, they are open on Sundays, which is highly unusual.

Overall, I think the veterinary care that Holly received was good. I really didn't have any complaints. The staff were very nice and competent. The only reason we didn't stay at that vet is because it didn't seem personal. My usual vet is a very mom and pop operation and they know everything about my cats. The staff sort of feel like family. I felt that the VCA was very impersonal because they have so many clients and we were just a number on their system. After all, they are a chain.

Nonetheless, I think you should check it out. You may like them. A lot of my friends take their pets to VCA and they are very satisfied.

I use a VCA clinic. It is the only clinic in my area that uses current vaccine protocols for cats. Also, they have a vet who specializes in cats at ours. I have been very happy with their care and service. We've been going there since January, had a few checkups, vaccinations, and Nabu had his dental there. I can't say enough good things about the VCA clinic I take my cats to.

Edit- Prices seem to be about the same as the other clinics in our area.

In my area, they're known for being highly overpriced. Much higher than normal vets. They're a recourse only when it's an emergency and you can't find another 24-hour place.

Yeah, the VCA is slightly more expensive than my regular vet.

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

I have received a coupon for "free initial health exam for new clients only" for both of my cats and they are due. I am sure that as diverse as our members are, there is somebody here that has experience with this organization as it looks to be nation wide. My initial impulse was to trash it but perhaps I should not be so hasty?

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My vet for 20 years just sold to VCA. They totally remodeled the place. Prices have gone up. The staff is not happy anymore either. I just switched to a new vet. I would check the place out first. My VCA vet has the same staff for many years now so it hasn't gone down b/c of lack of experience but how they are treated by VCA on an employee level.

Also they send reminders out at the wrong times. A month after our cats were there we got reminders for their vaccinations. I called and asked my vet. They do not control the reminders at the office, corporate does.

We just took the little kitten who's been behind our house in the woods in, and they did a fantastic job. As much as she had going on, it was going to be expensive no matter what clinic we went to. And they didn't vaccinate her for everything right away either. So her little system isn't getting overwhelmed while she recovers from the huge bot wounds on her neck. She got her rabies shot, and is going back in a week for a follow up and her distemper shot. The only differences in price I've seen are the office visit charge. It's a little more at the VCA clinic, but again, in my area VCA's the only clinic that's not over vaccinating. The other clinics are still vaccinating like they did before the new cat protocols came out.

My vet's office was bought by VCA a few years ago. A lot of the staff left, but my vet, a couple of other vets, and some of the techs remain--that's the only reason I still go there. Each clinic is different in terms of hours, and the staff is really what makes the place worthwhile or not. The prices are typically high compared to other clinics--since my vet's office was a low-cost clinic before the switch, the difference is even more dramatic. They do tend to use a lot of the newer methods and technology though, such as dental x-rays. It's nice to have that equipment available. All-in-all, I will probably continue to go there unless my vet leaves--she left once before and I followed her to the new clinic, but we both returned a couple of months later.

When we first moved and were in need of a vet for our cat's ears we went to a VCA. They told us he had ear mites and charged us an arm and a leg for a series of ivermectin jabs. They were always short with him, never looked into anything much and never once told us that he had anything other than ear mites. Several hundred dollars and many appointments later my cat's ears were still infected. By the time I could make the 5 hour drive back to my trusted vet, his ears were so bad - not with ear mites according to our vet - they said he had a nasty infection and his ear membrane was ruptured and said he likely has no hearing in that ear anymore. Needless to say I wouldn't go back...ever.