Two Stars
–David A, Google Reviews
Called this place after my vet had referred us to get an ultrasound of our dogs spleen. After calling three times to try and get a roundabout price for the ultrasound of the spleen. The only thing they could tell us is it would be $110 for the consultation and that the vet would need to see the dog to know how much an ultrasound would be. You would think after receiving blood work, x-rays, and a description of the animal’s problem from another vet you’d be able to determine an estimate for an ultrasound. Definitely not bringing my dog to these crooks.
–Nate V, Google Reviews
Critical: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value
Called with a momma dog had a breach baby with the sack broke and the said they could work her in after we called 3 times. Plus Hailey wasn’t even listening to me.
–Tammy A, Google Reviews
I took my dog in for an emergency visit after being referred by my banfield vet. He had eaten a bone and was vomiting. The clinic seemed to be pushing a surgery that would cost $5,000 dollars on top of the $2,000 dollars we had already paid for an overnight visit that consisted of IV fluids, Protonix, Antiemetics, Antibiotics, and an X-ray. Now I have been an Ed/ICU nurse for over 20yrs with a master’s. I think I can say we have some experience in the medical field. We also have many pets!! These prices are outrageous!! This same animal had cancer surgery which included tumor removal by a specialist, pathology, several nights stay, all medications, IV fluids, and follow up care for $3,000 dollars!! Really I could have been seen at a local hospital as a cash payer for less!!! The saga continued as we were given prescription food 1 can told to feed my dog that or boiled chicken and rice until we could follow up with our vet. No prescription for the food was given!! When I called the next day and asked them if they could fax a prescription for the food for enough to last until his scheduled appointment with our vet on Monday this being Saturday I was told she the vet was to busy. When I went to my vet and they called for verbal confirmation of the prescription she was not to busy and gave a totally different excuse!! She complained to my vet that the reason she did not provide the prescription for the food was to make sure we would follow directions and follow up wit our vet in 7 days. What BS as we informed them of our scheduled appointment on Monday and How would us boiling chicken and rice for 98lb large breed dog be anything but a way to get back at me for calling her out!! I would sum this place up as profit driven, unprofessional, untrustworthy, unethical, Lacking morales with poor customer service!! I had a long talk with my vet and encouraged them to research this establishment before referring them anymore. I explained to them they should offer their clients other options such as Niceville emergency veterinary services and encourage their clients to at least read the reviews on any establishment they are considering taking their animals to before going!! I wish I had!!! They should also research this place for themselves before deciding to referrer. I also explained to them that if they failed to take these actions I will we leaving their services and will encourage all of my friends and all who I encounter to do so!! I strongly suggest to everyone reading this to avoid this place like you animals life depends on it!! Because it does!!! I will inform all of my friends and all I come in contact with of what a horrible place Veterinary emergency Referral Center is!!!
–John V, Google Reviews
We took my dog in after suddenly becoming short of breath. Taken right in then was presented a care plan and said if I want to save my dog I had to prepay $1900. I was in shock and didn’t have a moment to think other than saving my dog so I paid it. Was told I could call at the end of every shift and be updated by the vet. Every time I called, I’d get to o my talk to a tech that kept telling me my dog was “maybe slightly better” we were constantly told she couldn’t come of oxygen so after 36 hours and no turn-around and we couldn’t afford any more tests, I told them to hold off on further testing and that we were going to call our personal vet and see if we could bring her there to be evaluated. We were painted a picture that she would not survive in her current state so we decided to go get her and take her to our vet to be euthanized. Called this facility that we could not afford to continue her treatment and that we would be picking her up. Suddenly we got another story and they said she’d probably be fine going home with us. What?!? Just 4 hours earlier, we were told she was still critical and couldn’t come off oxygen. My husband Picked her up to find out they’d done the testing I said to hold off on but he thought maybe I’d approved it without discussing it with him and paid it. Called me when he left and told me about all the extra costs which threw me off because I did not sign the newest care plan including all the extra tests. Anyway we took her to our vet who said she absolutely did not need oxygen and that we could treat her with oral meds. So I called the vet to discuss the unapproved tests, the woman did see the note that they were approved and agreed to refund that but then proceeded to tell me they’d never be unable to take care of her again because of services that were provided that were not paid…well I never approved them so they shouldn’t have been done. Medical testing without consent is illegal. They are only about money and once they found out we weren’t shelling out any more, suddenly she was stable and ok to leave. Don’t worry, I’d rather drive my dog an hour away then take her back to these money-hungry liars.
–Rebecca V, Google Reviews
tl/dr: terrible, unprofessional care
Full story:
Our dog was puking all day. I wish I’d have tried first thing to get to one of the other vets in the area that have limited hours on Sunday, but we didn’t. By 11am we called VERC and they said they couldn’t see our dog for “several hours” and to try back later. Well, we tried to get him to keep anything down and when all that failed and he became weak and lethargic, we rushed him to VERC, it was our only option. A couple hours of waiting later, around 10 pm, they came up with a plan of action to immediately start him on IVs in order to get good xrays and blood work. They wanted to keep him overnight and it would be $1,100 up front. We paid.
We called at 2 or 3 in the morning because we were supposed to get an update. They had yet to start the IV and therefore the xrays were inconclusive and needed to be redone. By 7am Monday morning, after we again had to call, they had determined that he had an intestinal blockage and would “need immediate surgery”. Their words. They also required an additional $3,500 to perform the surgery. Our regular vet was out of town, so, we paid. We called 4 hours later looking for an update because we were suppoed to hear when he was out of surgery. We called again and again. At 2 pm we finally got an update. They had not started the surgery yet, and they needed us to come back up and provide them with additional funds for the surgery, I think it was $1,400 more, but by then we had lost it. We went and got our dog all the while calling vets around town and took our dog to a real Vet who performed an emergency surgery to remove the blockage within the hour.
We never received an itemized bill. We never got copies of the “treatment estimates”, though we did take pictures of them, thank God. I’m still dealing with the credit card company to finalize the billing, but because I disputed the charges for treatments and surgery that we never recieve, we’ve received a letter from VERC saying that they will never again treat our pets, now or in the future.
I never personally spoke with a doctor. The techs are lethargic and cold, and apparently only serve the purpose of walking back and forth from the billing department’s printer. The front staff is incompetent as it always took two or three to perform a task, always between at least two computers. You have to call them to ask if you can come into the building, then they ignore you while you stand there watching them walk back and forth trying to look busy till you eventually have to get their attention, then they ask what you are doing there.
Every single interaction with this company was terrible. At no time did I ever feel like I was talking to someone that cared at all. It didn’t even feel like I was talking to actual people, just a billing department.
Hello. My dog… “That’ll be $180.”
My dog is sick and I…”That’ll be $1,100.”
Well what’s wrong with him? “…”
Do you have an update? “…”
What’s going on? “You’re dog is going to die unless you give us an additional $3,500 immediately.”
What are my other options? “You can take your dog and leave, that will be $1,400. It will probably die in a couple hours without emergencey surgery.”
Do you have an update? “…”
Do you have an update? “…”
What’s going on? “You’re dog is going to die unless you give us an additional $1,400 immediately.”
What?! What went wrong with the surgery? “We haven’t done that until you pay us an additional $1,400. Or you can take your dog and leave. It will probably die in a couple hours without emergencey surgery.”
ugh, I wish I was making that up. Just, a terrible way to treat people.
Next time there’s an emergency on a Sunday, I guess I’ll drive to Mobile.
–Matthew M, Google Reviews