VCA Gateway Animal Hospital

"We had been going to Gateway Animal Hospital since 2011, but our experience had been getting progressively worse ever since they became VCA. The last straw was when we brought our 14-16-year-old dog in for a teeth cleaning that they recommended on December 30, 2022. After taking her blood, they discovered she had kidney failure, but they were more concerned about the teeth cleaning than her health, so they proceeded with the cleaning, pulled 5 teeth, then forgot to prescribe the medicine and treatment for her kidneys. She ended up dying of kidney failure less than 2 months after her cleaning, and VCA insists they did nothing wrong because her blood levels were within medical guidelines to proceed. Oh, they also collected $1,618.33 for the cleaning, so yeah, I can see why they would be motivated to continue. I wonder, if they truly had her best interest in mind, why didn't they stop the teeth cleaning, proceed with IV fluid treatments to see if her levels would get better, then proceed with a teeth cleaning later if they saw improvement? After all, she was a senior dog with a life threating disease, did she really need her teeth cleaned immediately? After I submitted a claim to the BBB over this issue, VCA Gateway denied all responsibility, but offered a "good faith" reimbursement of $809.17, but only if I signed a release and never said a bad thing about them online. I declined so that I can tell others that if you value the life and health of your pet, stay away from this clinic and go somewhere else, as all this place wants to do is take your money, and recommend annual teeth cleanings for all their pet patients whether it is needed or not. I have attached 2 photos of Eden, the first was taken just before the teeth cleaning on December 16, 2022. The second photo was just 2 months later, February 17, 2023, after the stressful teeth cleaning and IV fluid treatments she hated, and just a few days before we had to say goodbye. By that time, she was no longer eating, was constantly wetting herself and her beds, and just looked like she had given up. It breaks my heart knowing we put her through so much pain and discomfort towards the end of her time with us, and most of that pain and stress was due to recommendations from VCA Gateway Animal Hospital."

"They've been my go-to vet in the area for over a decade. I've been there for regular visits, last-minute problems, and end-of-life care for my cats. I went through a six-month gauntlet with them when my kitty girl last year. So I have some teal talk that may be hard to hear but comes from all my experience. Strap in and hold on. The staff tend to be very kind. How they work so hard so often and keep their chins up, I don't know. The vets I've seen there (most recently Dr. Marla Hendricks) have been professional, caring, understanding, and informative. There are several vets available at one location, and it's clear to me that everyone who works there genuinely loves animals. They accept walk-ins so long as they're not already at capacity. Once a certain number of patients are waiting, they have to close to new walk-ins for the day, so it's best to get there first thing in the morning. This helps them meet with everyone before they close; they don't want people waiting all day only to get turned away. You can make an appointment if you join their Care Club program, which covers the basic office visit charge and some other tests. Since our cat was elderly, we couldn't get her on pet insurance, but we could get her in their Senior Care Club. It's like $81 a month; if you go to 1 office visit a month, you've made up the cost. Yes, appointments will be taken before walk-ins that day. This can be hard to deal with this when your pet is suffering, and care can be so expensive, but they have to go by the prices they're given. This is a national issue, just like the costs of human healthcare, and needs to be addressed at higher levels. Vet staff aren't living large, as you may think; vets make notably less than doctors for humans despite receiving much the same schooling. Vet staff go through the compassion fatigue and face high levels of burnout, and are also often treated terribly by pet owners. Last year, they kept thanking me for being understanding when all I was doing was being courteous in kind. They kept a professional demeanor but I could tell they were hoping I wouldn't turn on them. We need to be better to these people. The national vet shortage is only getting worse and will affect wait times and care everywhere. Please look it up. For now, VCA is trying to care for as many as they can without completely burning out their staff by offering walk-in care as well as their Care Club. It's a compromise; not everyone will be happy about it, but it's the best they can do for now. The building has a small parking lot out back but they offer regular valet (for free) to fit as many cars as possible. The valet is always great. The facilities are generally clean. They have TVs, coffee, and wifi in the waiting area. They offer text and email but I haven't had great success reaching them that way (but did get the texts and emails they sent with info). I still want to go back to thank them for their care of our kitty girl. Until I can bear that without crying, I hope this will suffice."

"I took my dog to this location after I adopted her because she had worms/parasited in her poop. The doctor we saw was rude and abrasive. He barely let me speak when I was trying to explain things. He also ordered shots that she had as proven by the shelter records I was given and I pointed them out to him, but he continuously ignored me. After all the tests and meds he ordered he used up the pay certificate the shelter gave us and I paid the difference. On top of this, I brought a poop sample as requested a week or 2 after my dog started the meds. I left it at the front desk as instructed by staff. No one from the vet ever called me back to let me know the outcome of the sample test. I called several times and no one answered. I took my dog to another vet to have her checked out.Based on my experience I will never return or recommend this place to anyone."

"I really like this animal hospital. I use it like an “urgent care” since it is one of the few places you can take your pet to be seen same day since it is a walk-in clinic. My dog has been here 3 times for unrelated issues (pyoderma, URI, Hindlimb lameness). Each time, my dog was examined by Dr. Ta. He does a careful examination, explains all his findings with adequate detail, and only recommends necessary diagnostics and treatment. He ALWAYS asks if I have questions. I am very impressed with his knowledge and professionalism. Highly recommend."

"This place cares about money more then your fur baby's well-being. They try to add on services that you really don't need. So they can make the most off their patients. I caught them lying about. Needing blood test for my fur baby's procedure. I called another veterinarian and they told me that wasn't true and didn't require those additional tests, for the procedure My cat needs. I'm low income so the procedure was pretty much free. Since I have a voucher from Los Angeles County . Can't believe they are that mean to take advantage of someone who's already having money proble. By adding services my cat didn't need . I called another veterinarian he said it would cost me 50 bucks for the same procedure, that VCA gateway tried charging me 300 bucks for . Unbelievable!"