Reviews of VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty (Veterinarian)

Kathy Doherty

Nice enough staff but the wait time is horrendous. 4 hours for what was promised to be a 10-15 minute urgent procedure on our geriatric cat.. After we were "discharged" it was another half hour or more before our invoice was completed so we could pay. I get that other urgent cases came in but there should be enough staff to handle everyone in a reasonable amount of time.

Elizabeth Morse

I have had to bring two loved pets to VCA once was our puppy Lucy who had a gash open up after being treated at a different (awful) facility they showed love and compassion for our Lucy. So I did not hesitate to bring our beloved cat Ruby to them when she was very sick it was later in the evening but from the moment we walked in with Ruby till we left (unfortunately without our baby girl) they were so compassionate and caring for not only Ruby but for us also. They gave us as much time we needed to say goodbye and truly seemed to care for us. They mad a horrific night bearable. I cant thank the staff enough.

Ashley Murphy

My parents are older and I am writing this review for them. They brought their old dog into caves a few weeks ago and he had to stay there overnight. They wanted to express how overly grateful they were for the entire experience at this hospital. My parents remember the nurse Renee from the beginning and the other nurse Maria for coming in to check in as the wait was a little long. She made my parents coffee and checked in multiple times. Dr. Woosam was awesome and took his time with my parents. They still talk about there experience at caves and the hug my mother received from Maria as she was crying and very upset she had to leave her old pup and for the pictures they received at "bedtime." My parents and I believe our dog is alive because of you all...so thank you!!!

Penny Ashey

We have used their services twice in a little over a year. Milo had knee replacement on both of his hind legs. We were well informed before and after his surgeries. They are caring and compassionate. We would recommend them for any care that your beloved pet needs. If I could rate them above five stars, I would. Penny Ashey

Adam Barnard

I had already been to the vet that day, my cat needed emergency assistance and after that I realized I should have gone here 1st. they were great

Destiny Maguire

I have absolutely nothing but amazing things to say about the staff here. The Vet Assistant/Tech was extremely understanding and compassionate towards my situation. The vet was very knowledgeable and explained everything to me in detail along with all our options. They didn’t push unnecessary tests and made me feel like they actually cared for my cat. I will definitely be recommending CAVES to anybody who is seeking emergency services.

Kyle Battis

I am a big fan of CAVES and my brother had to bring his dog there for because it ate a few sticks of butter. The team there did a great job taking care of his dog and they kept him in the loop the entire time. Highly recommended.

Brittanyerin Haller

We were sent there by our vet to get surgery performed. Our 5 month old puppy Tank had a bowel obstruction. After we got there they did extra Xrays and told us it absolutely was not an obstruction. They didn’t offer a barium series or anything else on the matter. We got other opinions and other vets and vet techs agreed it was indeed a bowel obstruction . By the time we got back to our vet to do the surgery( we had went to caves to perform )it was too late and we had to put our fur baby down. I am devistated and irritated at the medical negligence.

Francine Emerson

I brought my Great Dane there for a C-section on a Thursday. Saturday night she started hemorrhaging we immediately brought her to caves and was told this is "normal and we took her home as instructed. She continue to hemorrage throughout the night!! She lost so much blood she couldn't walk anymore. I called caves in the early morning Sunday and they told me to bring her back she ended up having pyometra and required emergency blood transfusion and surgery to spay her. she spent the next five days at cave. Her heart had been effected by the blood loss. This "vet" almost killed her.. I feel like CAVES hasn't taken accountability for their inadequate vet. She requires 24/7 care for all her medicine and heart,temperature checks and bottle feeding her puppies that she now can't nurse due to heart medicine. 7/28/17 I did speak to you Karen Page and your boss and all the way up the chain to Mr. Shaw The most you did... after a week of me notify all you ...was a discount on her outrageous bill. ~Never nothing about the vet that diagnosed my dog wrong and almost killing her. Mr. Shaw was obviously to busy to contact me at the time we both agreed to!!! What a surprise

CR M

Our Standard Poodle developed deadly bloat late one Saturday night and our local vet couldn't handle a quick surgery of this size and scope. They urged us to go down to CAVES which we did after a short call to let them know we were coming. Upon arrival, the vet was right there waiting for us, quickly examined our dog, and confirmed our suspicion of bloat. She rushed him into surgery and saved his life. Throughout the process, everyone was kind, empathetic, and reassuring. We were fully briefed by the vet before and after the surgery including a call at home at 4am(we asked for this) to let us know he was okay-wow!! We were able to visit him the next day in their beautiful facilities where we were given our own room, complete with a couch and a dog bed, so that we could visit him in private. I can't say enough about CAVES and how positive our experience was there. It's a truly outstanding hospital and staffed with skilled employees who are used to dealing with animals in distress. Thanks so much!!

Emily Rose

My experience was very positive! Lisa was honest about the wait time and friendly to all the owners/pets. I was actually shocked by how nice the facility is -- HUGE inside, so you don't have to worry about dogs being cramped on top of each other etc. They have separated coming/going doors so there's no contact between animals and the waiting area is separated into 3 sections with half walls to give animals privacy. One poorly behaved dog was immediately ushered into a separate waiting room so I didn't have to worry about it causing trouble. There's a whole green space outside! Tons of area to walk a dog, and benches on a covered entrance area. Once we were seen, the vet/staff were reasonable and flexible with my dog's needs. I was also SHOCKED when my bill was the $109 exam fee, plus $20 for dog ibuprofen, to cover removing a snagged dew claw. IMO this is more than fair for the materials / meds that were required.

Kelly

We took our dog there because of multiple seziours and they took care of us and my dog. In the end we had to put him down but they were so compassionate and caring and helpful. Thank you again for helping us even though I was a wreak from everything that had happened. You guys are really great to work with. I miss my dog like crazy but I know he is in a much better place now. I just wanted to give you guys credit for helping me when we needed it. Thank you guys again.

Luke Moore

Got us in and out. The vet tech did an excellent job handling my 75 pound loud, scared and defensive German Shepherd puppy. Luckily it was not a life threatening visit, but still thankful they are so responsive and conveniently located.

cubgirl

My dog was there a year ago and ran up a $2000 bill which was paid in full. He recovered from that incident and I thought the facility was pretty good. So today I took him back because he is limping after coming home from the Dog Park yesterday. His limp was getting worse so I wanted him checked out. I drove 30 miles to bring him to CAVE's. He was teetering on 3 legs while I fill out a form. I told her we'd been there before and asked if she had our info in her system. Next, she wanted my birthdate "in case prescriptions were needed." I gave her my dog's birthdate instead. The receptionist desk is so high she never saw my dog or bothered to peek over her desk to look at his condition. I think they're supposed to do that... it's a preliminary triage. Anyway, while we're checking in, a CAVE's worker interrupted us and started asking the receptionist about another animal. The receptionist abruptly just turned away from us and started talking about the other animal while we just stood there. I finally walked over to sit down and then called out to ask if we were done with check-in. I was told yes, we were checked in. After sitting a few moments I felt uncomfortable and decided to go ahead and leave. There are other places I can go to that might actually catch a glimpse of my dog and then complete the check in process. I understand this is an emergency place and maybe the other animal was an emergency. In that case tell the customer, "Thank you, we're going to take care of your dog as soon as possible. Please have a seat and someone will be with you shortly," instead of just letting your customer hang there and feeling devalued. I vote with my feet.

Joel Prescott

I woke up Tuesday 10/31/17 with my dog having a swollen face. 30 minutes later he would not respond to me. So we rushed him to CAVES. Overall the experience was ok. We got there and filled out paperwork and waited to be called back. The tech took his temp and listened to his heart, then went and got the doctor. It took about 15mins for the doctor to come in which I felt a little frustrated due to the fact that they were not busy at all. Anyways I explained to the doctor what happened and she said he was having a allergic reaction to something which made sense because thats what I thought too and he had the symptoms for it. They said they were going to give him a couple of shots to help him. This is where I had my biggest concern. Instead of going to get the shots and coming back into the room and giving them to him, they took him outback to do it. In a stressful situation like that why would you separate dog from owner? Number one my dog has no idea what's going on, and number two I don't even know you people or what goes on back there. This is like my child. When you take your human child to the doctor the doctor does not take your child out back to give them a shot. So why is it the case here? Now although I did not like this, the shots did help him for the most part. Today is 11/1/17 and it seems like it still has not fully gone away. I've been giving him benadryl like the doctor said to. But hes still not himself. If it continues I will be contacting my local vet next week. In terms of this situation, I felt like CAVES was simply a bandaid to the overall problem. For $189 dollars I felt we should have ended up with a better fix. However I do understand that allergic reactions do take time to go away. It just would have helped to have some more reassurance.

Alex Manning

Today I found my guinea pig almost lifeless in his cage an in an urgent attempt to try and save his life me and my fiancé tried hard to find a vet that would see him, 8 phone calls later and we were headed to CAVES as soon as we got there they took him back to treat him and brought us to our own room, before leaving him for him needing to be kept I was allowed to go back and say see ya later. I was encouraged to call and check up on him as much as I felt was needed, sadly during one call we found out he was barely hanging on and we went to go see him, they kindly wheeled him and his incubated in and allowed me to hold him while he passed, I was very impressed with their kindness and willing to help as much as they could and that will forever be apppriciated even if we will never know what caused this.

L3git Chaos9

Too bad there is no spot for 0 stars

Megan Noonan

Very disappointed with the service here. We had to drive aver an hour to bring a sick pet to them at night because no other vet in the area cared for exotic pets. Upon meeting with the vet, my husband and I felt belittled and shamed. The vet was rude and made several comments insunuating that we did not know our pet, were not properly taking care of him, and that he clearly had a chronic illness we didnt attend to despite our thorough details on his recent behaviors, eating habits, and ability to function. We felt the vet was dismissive and wrote our pet off for dead before looking at him. We ended up having to leave him overnight and were informed early the next morning that he passed away. I have no intention of ever bringing another pet here and will travel further if necessary in the future.

Kearstin

this place did not have the nicest employes there and the work ethic was not he greatest either. my mom and i brought my dog Elvis in because he was just nutered. one of his testies hadn't dropped so the other vet had to go digging around to try to find it. he has an incision on the side of his penis (abdomen). he has swelling and a fever. they did an ultrasound on him and said "no organs had fallen through the abdominal wall" okay thats all good and helpful for us to know, but they could and should have looked at the incisions better than they did. Elvis's fever should have triggered these "doctors" to know that he needed antibiotics. they didn't look at the swelling properly and several hours after the visit he started leaking pus and blood from the incisions. not helpful. not good. we are going to our regular vet tomorrow and i really do not recommend ANYONE to take their cat, dogs, etc there. they charged us and didn't do what they were supposed to do.

Jeremy Battis

When my Boxer dog, 'Brewer' was just nearly one year old he experienced what looked to be life threatening symptoms and so after a referral from a local vet in the Upper Valley area we quickly rushed Brewer down to the Capital Area Veterinary Emergency Center during the late hours of the night and not to mention it was a Saturday too (and the only veterinarian open in a two hour radius from where I lived at the time). The staff was very gentle with Brewer and demonstrated expertise on all levels of our visit, Brewer got the right treatment and at my consent and after explaining to me in 'easy to understand wordage' what was going on and the pros and cons to various alternatives.. I didn't feel like I had to just leave poor Brewer there and wait for the bill, but rather the staff explained everything and was truthful with me, which means a lot. They could have gotten another $1000 out of me to keep him over night and into the next day but they believed he would be fine to go home with me and their integrity coupled with diligence and expertise are the reasons why I have referred them and still have them on speed dial in case Brewer needs to return there some day. Thanks for everything you've done for me and my precious Boxer dog, Brewer! He's doing great and is healthy and does what Boxer dog's do best; love, protect, play, and reciprocates happiness!

Ryan Gosselin

Very nice people that took care of my sick mouse. Thank you for the kindness and helping her not suffer anymore. 10/10 would recommend.

diane troisi

I took my puppy Tyson here at 130 in the morning . He had a seizure , and everyone was very nice and understanding . Thank God there is somewhere to go . Thanks for seeing him .

Tim P

Average service does not match premium++ price, if time permits seek alternative care i.e. Angel, T or mass vet ref. No specialization.

Erica Caldon

I brought my puppy in after an epic porcupine encounter. The staff at CAVES went above and beyond to care for my sweet pup. Everyone acted quickly, calmly and with compassion. They even had me come in two days in a row afterwards to monitor her more sensitive issues, and then called on the third day just to make sure she was doing well. They did an excellent job - it was worth every penny.

Ann Hilton

We had to have our very ill kitty euthanised this evening. I can't thank the staff enough for their compassion. They went out of their way to answer our qustions and have a special room set up like a living room for just this purpose where you can hold your pet on a comfortabe couch as they peacefully go. Making the decision to let your pet go is never easy but they made it a little less painful. Thank you CAVES for taking care of us and Big Jack.

Sean F

Not impressed at all. Brought my dog in for vomiting a week or so back. Vet came in with a "treatment plan" that would have added up to about 2000 had I done it all. Was concerned with a blockage so did an X-ray. I said no to blood tests and all the other tests they wanted to do. After the 180 X-ray fee and the "additional" 90 dollar fee for some expert somewhere else to read the X-rays again.... (never heard of that in my life... don't doctors and vets know how to read an X-ray?). Vet said it looked like a "soft blockage" and that her stomach looked "different". When I asked about possibility of a stomach bug or some other upset he shrugged it off as impossible. They gave her an injection of antacid and sent us home. But not before paying 500 bucks and knowing NOTHING more than when I went in. Next morning I took her to my vet... my vet looked at the X-ray they sent us home with.... said the X-ray looked normal. Gave her a shot to PREVENT her from throwing up.... not an injectable Pepcid but an actual medication to stop her from throwing up... gave us 3 cans of easily digestible food.... one more X-ray to be sure and we were out the door for 150 bucks and the explanation of a stomach bug that would clear itself up. No more throwing up and a healthy pup. Unless your dog is bleeding out or is on its death bed, avoid this place. They are predatory and are in it more for the money than anything else. They prey on a pet owners concern for their pet and gouge you in the process. Still baffled by how an X-ray costs 300 bucks when my vet can do it for 120.... and she can even READ it herself! I'm still waiting for the call from caves telling me what the so called "expert" I paid 90 bucks to said. Even my vet said CAVES is ridiculous in their pricing. NEVER again will I go to that place.

Alison Beightol

Our boxer had a bad early morning encounter with a porcupine and was loaded with quills on her face and in her mouth. They took her right back, sedated her and removed them super quick. They gave us antibiotics, pain meds and tlc. Price was very reasonable. Friendly staff. Definitely recommend.

Damian Knight

Caves is the best vet for an animal emergency in the area. They know what they're doing.

chrystine blums

I am very grateful that CAVES was available to allow me to put my elderly cat down at 2am on a Sunday morning. He was suffering and it would have been cruel to make him wait until the morning. The vet was fine, not overwhelming compassionate but competent and I did think she cared. My primary issue is with the vet tech. She did not set clear expectations, showed no compassion and lied about the cremation. When she took my Casey out back to start his IV she gave me the impression that should be right back. I think she was gone about 10 min and I started to panic because I thought that she misunderstood that I wanted to be with him. Then she told me to flip a light when I was ready to have the vet come in, I thought it would be a moment, not five minutes so I started thinking I did something wrong. Please keep in mind I am not stupid, but exhausted and very emotional at having to say good bye to my cat of 17 years. The process and saying good bye was so very difficult but I appreciated the quiet room and couch to sit on while I cradled him and said goodbye. The flat out lie came when the vet tech Christine asked me if I wanted Casey cremated and wanted his ashes back. She told me it was all included. I agreed, this is what I wanted anyway. I did think though that there are people who can’t afford $300, what do they do? Fortunately this was not an issue for me. When I read my invoice I saw the breakdown for $150 for the procedure and 150 for the cremation. What if I really could not afford $300 but thought my only other option was to let my cat suffer? If I told her that I could not afford $300 would she have then told me I could forgo cremation and it would be $150? If ever in a situation like this again I would still go to CAVES and not let my pet suffer, and I would still do cremation. I resent being lied to though when I was extremely emotional. And saying something like “I am sorry for your loss” as I am walking out the door sobbing would have been thoughtful. I work in survivor services as a case manager and I know Casey was a pet but he was still important to me and I loved him. The lack of compassion was stunning. If I ever lose compassion for my survivors I will find another line of work. Perhaps Christine should.

Michele Byrne

If they have you hopes up about canine cataract removal and it being worth the expense, don't bother. It is a very expensive gamble and a lot to put a dearly loved elderly pet through. The odds of success are not what they sell you, and afterwards your dear pet has a greater chance of being far worse off than before you started. It was heartbreaking and we felt like we were sold false hope and false odds of success. Save yourself $5000.00 and take your loved family pet on a vacation or somewhere you know they enjoy. You will all be much happier.

claire helfman

UNDERSTAFFED. Horrendous! 3 hours with no idea of how much longer. ONE MAN WAITING 6 hours. Nice staff. This is not uncommon, just doesn’t staff well enough. We left and went to another place. 16 year old sick cat needed care!

Hillcountry Outdoors

Very disappointed in this facility. My 4 yr old spaniel was having difficulty moving her bowels and what did come out was loose and bloody. Thinking this was an "emergency" facility, as their name implies, I checked in and 3 hours later no one had called us in to see her. For the last hour there were only 2 people waiting to have our pets seen. The 2 women behind the desk were stuffing their faces with food the whole time. No urgency or compassion for what I considered a moderate, emergency. I will never go there again.

Tammy Fait

I highly recommend this place I had a great experience they are all very nice very helpful, professional and thoughtful. I thank them all.

Britney Marie

I wrote a bad review a few months ago because my first time at CAVES was unfortunately not the greatest. I said I'd never come back. However my regular vet said my cat needed to see a specialist and I didn't have a choice except to go back to CAVES. I've actually had to go back MULTIPLE times, but what a pleasant surprise!! A complete 180 from the first visit. The staff has been nothing but caring, friendly and went above and beyond to help my cat and make her as comfortable as possible. Now that I've seen how wonderful CAVES can be, I'm happy I was able to give them a 2nd chance ! Thank you!!!! :)

Denise Burke

Our poor beautiful baby Squid got very ill late in the evening. My husband brought him there because of the care they showed our dog. Sadly, he had a very bad bladder blockage and we decided that it was best he be put down. He was only 3 and doubled pawed. He was a mommies boy. Our hearts are broken, but the staff and Dr took wonderful care and they had such compassion when he passed. We thank you all

Chris Lemelin

Just got off the phone with Holly who was super helpful in discussing options for my pet. If this sort of quality is indicative of the overall practice I can highly recommend them!

Cherie Nicole Jones

Visit 2: SLOW. Took my dog there because she's in heat and was constipated. Tick infested couches in the exam rooms. I haven't had a tick all year, three crawled on me in the room and my dog got two. Found two more in her ear at home. Someone with cheap perfume got it all over her fur. They ran unnecessary tests after I said not to, and the inexperienced "doctor" couldn't tell if my dog was in heat. I waited 3 hours to be released. Nothing. I tried to pay and leave. They wouldn't let me. Tried to hold me there. I had my American Express on the counter begging to pay so we could leave. They wouldn't take it- said meds were almost done being prepared. She didn't need the meds, they weren't even for constipation. So I got tired of waiting and walked out and will call back to pay my bill. They always use the excuse that they're an emergency hospital. If that's the case then DON'T ACCEPT NON EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS AND WASTE PEOPLE'S TIME. OR HIRE MORE STAFF. And hire staff that's smarter, faster and not baselessly condescending. Visit 1: Husband takes dog in because it's limping. I was out of town. CAVES does exam, X-rays and shaves paw. $500. They're totally stumped. I get home from vacation next day. Look at his foot. He has a broken toenail. I pull it off and he's fine. I've never heard anything positive about this place from any pet owner. The "doctors" push expensive unnecessary procedures and have zero common sense.

Angelina Olivia russell

this place is amazing. the last time I was in there was under a very tragic circumstance that happened too quickly for anyone to help, but they tried everything they could anyway. I have severe panic disorder and they are so understanding and compassionate. today when I had to take my ferret there I was afraid because I was worried about him and I thought being in there would give me anxiety because of last time, but the atmosphere is so calm and reassuring in there that I was fine. they have the best "bedside manner" of any vet's office ive ever been too, and they always take time to make sure I understand whats going on, and they don't treat me like im stupid for not knowing things.

Laura Johnson

I have never felt so ripped off before in my life. I said no to over half of the things they wanted to do for my dog and still spent over $400. They sent me home with some meds and said nothing about the other tests. Apparently, they weren’t actually necessary.

Sarah Carson

Thank you CAVES and Dr. Dudley. My greyhound has a severe leg break. They were patient and very understanding as we worked through every aspect of the tragic accident and healing process. I'm pretty sure that all of my phone calls in the first 48 hours at home with him was a bit much, but the fact that they were right there with answers for me was such a relief. I'm so thankful they are close to me and that Dr. Dudley was there to help us out.

Samantha Ippolito

Extremely unimpressed. We've been here for over 2 hrs for my moms dog. We were told we would be in the appt to last minute being told we would not be. With no notice. The cardiologist who was supposed to be in the room didnt even come out to talk to us even though we were told they would and a doctor we requested not to be in the room was in the room instead. We arent even sure if the cardiologist we were told was in the room was. Cause she mysteriously vanished and left the building when we demanded to see her and no one could give us a clear answer on whether or not she was here. Never in my life been to such a shady vet. I wouldnt ever come here. Before all this we kept getting mixed reviews on whether the dog was doing good or not. And they couldnt even tell us how much she had been eating or drinking. Even though they supposively keeping record.

Bill

We have taken our Keeshond, Maxx, twice to CAVES. Once for a skin condition 3 years ago (Dr. Vogel) and last week for an ulcer on the cornea (Dr. Valario). Both times the outcome was positive, the doctors and techs were polite and informative and we came away happy. Are they a little more expensive? Yes, they are specialists! My wife and I spent more money for 3-4 visits to our regular vet then we did at CAVES in one visit. Thanks for taking care of Maxx, CAVES! Bill and Dee

Mary Ann Gargiulo

I was fortunate to be able to get an appointment with Doctor Jeff Vogel for my dogs intense scratching, he suspected sarcoptic mange. He scraped her ears, put the scrapings on a glass slide and reviewed under 400X magnification and was able to determine factually the cause for Misty's distress. Dr. Vogel took the time to explain in detail what I needed to do for Misty, my home and Misty's humans - Humans cannot catch mange from a dog or cat but we can be bitten! Two weeks after my appointment with Dr. Vogel, I sent him an email on Misty's prognosis and he responded quickly explaining what's happening and to maintain the prescribe course. Dr. Vogel is smart and humorous, very disarming and approachable. The staff at VCA are a warm and caring group of professionals! When you and your companion are distressed that's what you need from veterinary care. Your pet is in great hands with Dr. Vogel and VCA Capital Veterinary Emergency and Specialty!

Rosanne Hebert

I can’t say enough about the professional compassionate care that my precious Ben received yesterday at CAVES. Let me tell you a bit of a story. Boy did I have a week .... it was an extremely stressful week with the humans in my house being sick etc. and our cat Is being followed by his Vet for the last 3 weeks. To make a long story short I had to cancel and reschedule an appointment twice. The front staff was courteous and went out of their way to reschedule Ben to be seen right away due to his condition. I had never been to CAVES before and I had almost a two hour drive to get there so I was a bit frazzled when I arrived. The front staff was welcoming and I felt at easy right away- the place is bright, and clean the “pennies for pup” fundraiser display made me smile “woof- woof and meow” hats - they’re awesome! Anyway after meeting Dr Alario and his tech Danielle I knew I had come to the right place. Thank you so much for the care you showed both to Ben and his mom. We will see you all again in 10 days!

Edward Ryan

We are over an hour away from Concord and we don't have 24 vet care in our region. Our local vet who we have used for over 20+ years recommended that if we ever had an after hours emergency to call CAVA. In the last three months we had to call them 2 times. Both times they were very helpful and gave us good advice on how to care for our 2 year old boxer mix until our vet was available. Both times they were spot on with the problem. In comparison we had used another 24 hour emergency vet in Manchester a few years ago for another pet and rushed the dog in. The hour drive was alarming because of what the other 24 hour ER told us on the phone. After four hours in Manchester, numerous tests, and thousands of dollars spent we left with thinking our dog had cancer. The next day (Monday) we got our dog into our vet and found out she had salmonella. Our family vet told us not to use Manchester ER again and only go to CAVA next time we had an after hours emergency.

Lynn Chong

My older cats both had radiation treatment for hyperactive thyroids, and did well. The techs were helpful to me and devoted to the cats' wellbeing. I recommend CAVES. Going there is when something must be done, and to have such professional care is true relief.

Zinamarie Colby

Too quiet

Madeline K

BEWARE, do not bring your beloved pet to this supposed ER hospital! We totally regret bringing our dear beloved dog Little Bear here. Prior to admitting him, he was alert, walking and breathing fine. The medical personnel misdiagnosed, mistreated, neglected, subjected him to unnecessary pain and suffering, surgery he hadn't needed upon admission, over-medicating him with pain and sedation drugs, all which ultimately resulting in his untimely death. His demise began with Dr. Courtney James misdiagnosing his condition and mistreatment starting with she and her technicians overinfusing him with IV fluids. This caused him to develop an excess accumulation of fluid in his chest. We later learned that the junior veterinarian on duty during the next shift, Dr. Sarah Capello, was only a few years out of college and didn't even graduate from an accredited veterinary school in the USA. Also, the A/C units were not functioning, servers were down which delayed diagnosing, and Dr. Cappello was the only doctor on the overnight shift. They don't have a full ultrasound device, CT scanner, or ICU, nor specialists on duty at all times, only a few days per month. After my husband suspected something was wrong, he demanded to be allowed in the back treatment rooms with our dog. He found Little Bear in extreme distress. He was left in a cage with his eyes closed, tongue hanging well out of his mouth and completely blue from lack of oxygen. His panting was extreme with his chest heaving as he struggled to take in enough oxygen and left to die. He realized what they had done to Little Bear and ordered the technician to administer oxygen to him immediately. My husband discovered Dr. Cappello doing nothing for him as she just sat in her office. He had also been over-medicated with pain meds and sedatives. He then had to endure a painful needle aspiration to remove the fluid subjecting him to what should have been unnecessary surgery. They also had not ensured that he had urinated. Instead they neglected him and he was forced to hold his urine for 18 hours. My husband questioned Dr. Cappello on the lack of treatment and care. She then told my husband, "If you don't like the quality of care I am giving your dog you can take him to another hospital." He replied that he could not, he would surely die in transport! My husband had to watch Little Bear endure all of this horrible neglect and mistreatment, pain and suffering. After my husband had been awake for over 26 hours, the doctor and technician convinced him that Little Bear was stabilized. The technician suggested he get some rest and so he left. We received a call from Dr. Cappello an hour later that Little Bear's heart stopped! We rushed back to the hospital but just before arriving, Dr. Cappello called to say that he had died and that she was leaving to go home! We insisted she stay and speak with us. We met in an exam room with her and the medical director. We asked her what she had done... Dr. Cappello's response was to smile...SMILE! No sympathy or apologies. They even had the audacity to charge us over $3,300 for this horrific treatment. We have filed a formal complaint before the New Hampshire Board of Veterinary Medicine. Our experience is that VCA CAVES is NOT the place to bring your beloved pet!

katherine savary

They are super wonderful. I don't know what we would have done without them. Dr. DUDLEY is a God send. All of her staff treat your pets like they are their own. Can not say enough wonderful things about the care they have given our Dingo. Thank you so much.

Kristen Cogswell

Was hoping to find a caring place to bring my cat in for a medical emergency, but instead I drove an hour to have him sit uncomfortably in the caves waiting room for 3 hours for a 10:40 appointment. We weren't seen until 1pm. My cat was in pain and needed critical care. If someone would have told me at 10am when I arrived that he would not been seen at 10:40 then I would have driven elsewhere with that extra time. By the time we were seen, his temp was taken and the vet told me what I had told them was wrong. Should be getting a $109 bill for basically taking the temp but when that arrives I am taking it to the state of NH. Oh.. and there are no water bowls here for the animals, just loud music to keep the front staff comfortable. No compassion found here. Wish we stayed home. At least my cat would have been a bit more comfortable while he was suffering. Feel terrible I dragged him out of the house that long just to have his temp taken. I already knew he had a fever. Come on. Highly recommend going elsewhere even in an emergency on a weekend. This only caused more pain and discomfort and I am glad I didnt leave my cat with them for the night. They did not even check his pulse before they were going to put him under. He would have died if he stayed as my vet instantly took his pulse and found a murmur which he cannot be sedated with. Something told me to leave and I am so happy I did. Hopefully my vet can save him. He is now resting at home with meds and a urinary block which he has had for over 24 hours and he has not eaten. Caves didnt even try to express his bladder by hand. That was 1st thing my vet did so he would have some feeling of relief. He is only 2 and a half. He has a long life to live.

ashleigh clark

My family lost our entire home to a house fire on sunday March 31st. Our cat simba was in critical condition and was sent here for medical attention. At first they wouldnt even help simba unless we have them some sort of deposit. My 19 year old sister applied for care credit and only received 500. So they took simba. First of all..My sister was absolutely beside herself. While at caves trying to help Simba our home was currently burning to the ground. When they finally told us we could take her home they held her there and said we had to pay them $2,000. My family and I just lost our home!!!!! Where do you think we are going to get $2,000!!! We are absolutely devastated. CAVES should be ashamed of themselves. Disgusting.

Patrick Hill

Saved my dogs life, everyone there was absolutely great.

joyce hendricks

my 17 year old dog recently was diagnost with diabetes and it has never been regulated so it landed my baby in the hospital for three days. while the staff was very carring while she was there, three hours after discharge and spending more than three thousand dollars my baby wouldnt eat. i was stricktly told she had to have her insulin and other meds at a certain time and must eat a special diet only so she didnt become very ill again or worse, and if anything changes i am to contact them for further information, they also added that at any time i could call if i had any questions what so ever. well that didnt last long. when i called in a panic due to i couldnt get her to eat this food that they said she just loved there (and strangly enough a diabetic needs to have two controlled portions a day only and to never alter it or she will never be regulated so when asked apon discharge how much of the food do i feed her , the answer i received was 'oh, i dont know' well i said 'how much was you giving her? the response was again 'i dont know'...how can that be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how am i to give the same amount as they have been durring her three day stay so i can keep her on the same track n not go backwords when im told 'i dont know how much') i was told to try everything to keep her on her regimine. i made two trips to my vet to purchase one other flavor of the moist and the hard food version, but nothing more than licking the gravy, so after two hours of trying and way late on her insulin and antibiotic i felt as though i was going to throw up from the stress...didnt want to loose my baby and no money left, i called again for further instuctions. the tech was speaking fast and i was stressed and upset, i explaned ive tried everything and i cant get her to eat much of anything let alone her full meal to give her injection. she put me on hold to ask the doctor. i was told to skip tonights insulin and start fresh tomorrow and if i got her to eat, give injection but if she was just picking at her food to not give it but i didnt hear everything she said so i said 'wait...what ..i didnt hear you' so i was then met with an irritated voice that said they had two emergencies that was hit by cars and she needed to go so if i still had questions she would be glad to call me later then took the time to reitarrate what i was to do then added, try boiled chiken and rice. it was now 930pm three hours after her injection time and no stores open for the chicken and rice and i didnt have the time to wait till 'later'. while i can understand the importance of two emergancies, i just left there and spent good money and was told to call at anytime if i had an issue..well this was a big one and the compassion after discharge was gone..yes they are an emergancy hospital, so thats all they have is emergancies so why would they tell me to call at any time if they dont have the staff to deal with my 7pm insulin injection emergency(now 930pm) five hours after discharge...and how is this my fault to be spoken to in such a manor..this women has no business being there...they say they are there for you but even upon discharge when i was trying to get all the info right since she had four major issues at once i was being pressed to 'move it along'. forgive me but when you spend that kind of money a person would like questions answered and not to feel as though the clock was ticking on your questions and understanding everything your loved one just went though let alone this is what you have to do to keep her alive...hellloooo...then take the time to make sure the owner is completly understanding and if you say call at any time make sure there is enough staff to deal with the phone and in house situations...so as of now my baby did not get her insulin and that is very harmful to her as they stated several times in discharge and in the paperwork..way to go vca caves on being there after discharge......ugh!!!!!

Sheila

Brought my dog Milo in after he collapsed out of nowhere. I had a really great experience at CAVES. Professional and pleasant staff and clean facility. They knew their stuff which made me feel comfortable with the decisions that were made for Milo's care.

Tina Lac lair

After a devastating home fire and lost EVERYTHING including 2 cats. The Concord Fire Department resuscitated the remaining cat. The Police Department along with my niece , brought the cat to VCA. Thankfully the cat is alive and doing okay now and is ready to be discharged to the heartbroken owner. The owner called to arrange the pick up and was informed they could not take the cat unless they paid the $2000 balance. I think this is unethical !! The only thing they have left besides their dogs is this surviving cat ! Unethical !!!

Thomas Murphy

I called CAVES to tell them the details of my pet's injury. It wasn't an emergency per say so the price had to be right for me or I could just wait until the morning to bring my pet to our family vet. They told me a price that I could afford so I decided to bring my pet to them. When I got there the doctor took a very quick look at my pet, less than 2 minutes, and left. A few minutes later a tech came in to describe the treatment. To my surprise the new price was almost double on the low end and more than double on the high end. When I asked why there was such a big difference between qoutes they just apologised. I said how they didn't find out anymore after the 2 minute exam than I told them over the phone so I didn't understand the big price discrepancy. I was told the following, "We don't tell people the higher price over the phone so they don't get scared away." I said how upset I was but was told I still owed them for the emergency visit even though I was conned into going under false pretenses. This is dangerously close to bait and switch and was shocked how they even admitted to this shady business practice. Capitalism over caring should be the company slogan.

David Maura

We've treated the facility for what it is- emergency care. They've always been quick- compassionate & humane. We've brought 3 sickly felines in over time. Happy every time.

S Brocious

Nobody likes having to take their beloved dog to the emergency clinic. However every now and then situations come up that require care outside of regular business hours. Such was a situation I found myself in one evening towards midnight. VCA Capital Area Emergency services worked with me on the phone and again when I arrived. Dr. Delgrosso was on call. Life experiences have found some veterinarians to be very condensing and rude. This was absolutely not the case with Dr. Delgrosso. His calm and confident demeanor immediately put me at ease. It was very obvious he genuinely cared about my dog. Additionally he quickly assessed and addressed my situation getting us in and out in a minimal amount of time. I walked in as worried "mother"and left a happy "mother" with a healthy dog. Should a time come when emergency veterinary care is needed, I suggest VCA be your choice for services. I also don't have enough adjectives to describe can't say enough about how wonderful Dr. Delgrosso is.

stacy furlotte

I have had the opportunity to uses the facility for both an emergency visit and for a scheduled specialist visit for two different pets. On both occasions I was impressed with the friendliness and understanding of the staff and doctors. The building is exceptionally clean and comfortable. I am very impressed and would not hesitate to refer people to this office. Stacy Furlotte

Leanne M

I can not say enough amazing things about my experience at this hospital! My dog recently (several weeks ago) has surgery with Dr. Diamond. He took his time with my husband and I during the initial consultation and answered our ridiculous questions! His technician Maria was also very great, knowledgeable and understanding. She explained the cost of the procedure in break down from start to finish and sent us pictures of our handsome boy after surgery! The level of experience and knowledge was very evident and not to mention to level of compassion Maria showed during a time in need. Because of CAVES and there team, my dog is alive and recovering well.

Ashley Connolly

This facility is incredible we recently visited two specialists here cardiac and ophthalmology with our mastiff we intend on breeding this summer staff was super friendly from initial phone call and throughout the appointment will be doing all of our health testing through this facility in future well done

Jefry Morgan

My 12 yr old female purebred boxer fell on ice and injured a front ankle and back ankle 4 days ago. She was diagnosed with arthritis @ 11 so she's been a little fragile since. She couldn't even sit up or stand on her own after falling and I thought for sure this wasn't going to be a good outcome. I called here Xmas Eve morning and they said bring her in. I thought this would be our last ride together. That was the last thing on there mind. They put her on some meds & layed out an awesome plan to follow. I can't thank them all enough. Dr. DelGrosso is awesome. They all are. We came home together thanks to them. Merry Xmas from myself and Miss Bella Rose.

Alex Bérubé

I’m posting this review on behalf of my Grandma, who can’t. Due to a family move, my family had to give our cat, Marissa, to my Grammy. Marissa was loved and well taken care of until one day she got out. A couple days later, my Grammy found Marissa by the patio hungry, tired, and in pain. My Gram took her to CAVES to get checked out and the doctor was unfriendly and barely looked at our cat. The wild part is he sent Marissa home! She could barely walk, had lost a lot of weight, and had a bladder infection and all the Doctor did was send my Grammy home with a suffering cat and a large bill, with my Grammy under the impression the pills she got would help our cat. They didn’t. Marissa would’ve been much better off being cared for at the hospital or honestly just put down which is what my Grammy ended up having to do. At least if they kept her at the hospital, performed thorough care, and watched over her Marissa may have had a chance. With how unemotional the vet was, according my Gram, you’d think he would’ve been honest and just told us to let Marissa go peacefully. But he saw a cash grab and prolonged our cats suffering. My Grammy soon after took Marissa back and made the hard choice to put her down and of course got charged another bill for that, even though it was directly influenced by the first visit. Why she even returned to CAVES I don’t know but she did and she left so unsatisfied with them she still tells people to avoid them at all costs, years after the fact. Do not bring your pet here. There are other, local or family owned animal hospitals and vets in NH that will care for your pets a lot more thoroughly than they do here.

Kevin Kurz

This clinic is a large reason why my beloved dog Reese is no longer with me. They took her in over night and then called us the next morning to bring her to another clinic. They treated my dog inhumanely by sending her with us while she was dying and couldn’t breathe. I also believe there was malpractice on their part as well as inhumane treatment. If you love your animals as much as I do please choose Another place.

Debra Rivest

My dogs are never nervous while they are here. The place is clean. The staff is caring and knowledgeable. I like that they have water bowls for the animals too.

Laura LaValley

Extremely pleased with the care our Bella received (almost 4 year old female Pug). We took her at about 2:00 am to VCA CAVES and they were extremely quick in diagnosing her issue: bladder stones, which is why she kept trying to urinate but couldnt. The staff were extremely helpful and explained everything clearly. The Vet said surgery was probably the best option but there were diet options too. She showed us the Xrays and we could clearly see the issue. As the Vet was able to dislodge the stone in the examination Bella didn't need to have a catheter, and she didn't have to have surgery right away. We asked the Vet if she would send the Xrays and her report to our Vet so we could take Bella for follow-up there. I've heard and read negative comments but I also read a LOT of very positive comments. I wanted to add to the positives based on our experience. Keep in mind that pet emergencies can be expensive JUST LIKE it is for humans when you go to the ER. There is a lot of talent and equipment required to treat emergency situations. I highly recommend VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency.

Marie Hurley

I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life tonight. The Dr & staff were so caring & respectful of not only my beloved fur baby, but also my feelings. I was able to hold her, kiss her & tell her I love her before she took her last breath. They gave me all time I needed to say goodbye & also to sit & cry. Thank you