Name: VCA Canada Vancouver Animal Emergency and Referral Centre
Address: 2303 Alberta St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 4A7, Canada, CA
Telephone: +1 604-879-3737

VCA Canada Vancouver Animal Emergency and Referral Centre is a veterinary care, located at 2303 Alberta St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 4A7, Canada. They can be contacted via phone at +1 604-879-3737, visit their website vcacanada.com for more detailed information.

Location :

2303 Alberta St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 4A7

Contacts :

Added by Jopie, at 09 September 2016

Monday Open 24 hours
Tuesday Open 24 hours
Wednesday Open 24 hours
Thursday Open 24 hours
Friday Open 24 hours
Saturday Open 24 hours
Sunday Open 24 hours

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Chris Ghirardi

28 November 2017

I have been to VCA 4 times. Three for emergencies (one nail ripped off, one severe infection, and one episode of raisin eating) and once for a consultation on how to treat an adrenal mass. Three of the four visits have occurred over the last two months. On all four visits the service was EXCEPTIONAL. The staff and doctors are all very kind and patient. They listened to and answered all of my questions (and sometimes I have a hard time shutting up). They presented me with a variety of options and I never felt up-sold or pressured into spending money for spending's sake. Two of the four times I opted for less expensive procedures and I always felt supported in my decisions. They gave me ethical (in my opinion) treatment options and let me decide. Once I decided, they supported me in making sure my pet obtained the best possible outcome.

This is an emergency facility so you do have to expect to wait a while sometimes. Just because there aren't a lot of people or animals in the waiting room doesn't mean the doctors and technicians aren't working hard in the back rooms.

This is also not the cheapest treatment your pet will every get, but I don't regret spending a single penny. They were far more straight forward with me than my vet has ever been, and they were always up front with what I was going to be charged. Most importantly to me, everyone there seemed genuinely interested in making sure my dog received the best treatment and care.
Andrew Randell

30 October 2017

I cannot recommend this facility highly enough. We took Moose in on Friday night thinking he had stiff hips, but an xray revealed a much more serious problem. The staff at all levels were extremely compassionate and professional and made recommendations for us to spend a final 24 hours to spoil him, which we did. It was the hardest time but also a blessing.

When the time came, the staff set up a private room for us and gave us all the time we needed to say our goodbyes. They made sure we were as emotionally prepared as we could be. The vets and nurses were sympathetic, efficient and 'low key' the whole time. Moose left us relaxed and peaceful, surrounded by five of his favorite humans.

I hope that most peoples experiences here will have a happier outcome, but from what I saw, if you are going through a highly emotional time with a pet, then the people here are ready to help you through it.
Suzann Kingston

28 October 2017

I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the doctors, technicians and staff who helped with my little Rosie who's been through a lot over the past month. Your kindness, patience, expert knowledge, compassion and guidance have helped us to deal with some rather serious issues. Rosie just had surgery yesterday and is home recovering now. The phone calls and updates from doctors who made the time to keep me informed as to what was going on along the way was greatly appreciated. She was in very good hands and for that I am thankful. Keep up the excellent work!
Dallas Emergency

25 October 2017

We brought our dog in because she was sick. This was on a Wednesday night. She ended up being in the hospital until Sunday. At first for the first few days all the staff and doctors were very nice and answered our questions and called us with updates. Friday night the doctor shifts changed we called for a update and were told several times the doctor would call us in a few minutes this never happened. We decided to go visit our dog to see for ourselves how she was and to get a update. When we arrived they put us in a room and this new doctor came in. Her name is Dr. Tara White when she came in we asked can we see our dog. She immediately got snippy and said I’m going to give you a update and then you can see your dog. We said ok and agreed. At this point I would like to say that we already knew everything that was happening with our dog and all the tests that had been done and would be done. She then starts reading every word in the file about the tests that were done even though we already knew all this. Between her reading this we had questions so we would interrupt and ask how that would affect our dog she then blew up and screamed at us not to interrupt her that we should be quiet and listen to what she has to say. If I am bringing my sick dog in and paying all this money so they can help her then answering a few questions from her client should not make her scream at us and tell us to be quiet and listen. She was completely rude and arrogant and racist. After all this we seen our dog and left. The next day we arrived to pick up our dog. She came from behind the counter and we asked politely if they had figured out what caused our dogs kidney to fail. She then raised her voice again at us and said I’m not working if you have a question ask the doctor on shift!!! Saying thirst to us would have taken the same amount of time as to say no we don’t know what caused this. She went out of her way to be rude to us and our family and this isn’t acceptable to anyone who is facing the fear of having their pet be very sick. I will not stop here this woman should not treat people like this. I do not want anyone else to have to deal with this rude con artist doctor Dr. Tara White. The price that we paid of $7000 did not even include any type of surgery she was on iv treatment for 4 days along with medicine. She had ulcers in her stomach and high kidney values. I do not recommend anyone going to this hospital you will get ripped off and treated horribly. I would recommend using another 24 hr emergency veterinarian clinic in the area. Read the reviews about this place I am not the only unsatified customer. I will be advising my lawyer about my experience here and thinking about filing a lawsuit against the owner and director.
Nakita Tam

12 September 2017

Not from this city and came in for an EMERGENCY because my dog was in pain. By the time the vet got to me, my dog wasn't even in pain anymore.. a very long wait. Would definitely recommend going to another emergency hospital.
Mariska K

20 August 2017

My hamster had complications from a surgery she had a few days ago from a different clinic and she needed to be put down, the clinic who did the surgery did not have time and basically said just drop her off tonight and we will see when we can fit her in (dropping her off and at some point putting her down without me being there with clinic chaos is not how I wanted my hamster to go) My hamster was gasping for air and needed to be euthanized immediately so I called Vancouver Animal Emergency Centre and they said I could come now and they will see me. As I walked in my hamster started dying and was un responsive and they jumped into action and asked me if I wanted to do CPR I said no but if hey could do the euthanasia now that would be best. They rushed little hammy to the back and the receptionist asked me questions like if I wanted to go back there while its being done or if I would like to be in a room alone to wait, I appreciate the comfort they were trying to give me and in making sure my wishes were being respected but most of all taking hammy right away to let her go. I waited in a room and the experience was very professional and kind. I would recommend this place highly if needing to put an animal down. I only wish I had the names of the 3 ladies that helped me today but thank you very much if you read this.
Petrus Retief

14 August 2017

I am in two minds about my experience at the Vancouver Veterinary Emergency Hospital, because parts of it was excellent and parts were horrible. I decided on a Two star rating to reflect my overall memory of the entire endeavour. I will break it down in four categories:
1) Overall efficiency and timeliness of the service at the facility was reasonable at best. We waited nearly two hours before we saw any doctor and two and a half hours before we saw the specialist. This after our local veterinarian already diagnosed the condition and recommended specialist treatment. The waiting room was empty when we arrived and apart from an emergency that arrived nearly an hour after we arrived, it stayed nearly empty.
2) The pricing structure and cost involved was atrocious. I actually considered if I should take out a second bond on my home just to pay the bill. Numerous nondescript items was charged, which seemed to me like they were squeezing every possible legal cent out of our visit. Unfortunately, they probably argued I have nowhere else to go, so I had no opinion but to cough up.
3) The service of the specialist ophthalmologist was excellent and professional. She was fast, efficient and caring, obviously trying to do her utmost best.
4) The outcome for our pet is still in the balance, but at least at this stage it seems like it will be the best that we could ever expect.
Like I said, a contrasting experience.
Langara Phoenix

29 June 2017

I had to put my cat down after a sudden illness and lack of care elsewhere. I was immediately taken into a quiet room with him. The staff were caring and compassionate beyond what I expected. Dr. Garcia was extremely kind and everyone gave me the time I needed to say goodbye
They even sent a sympathy card with notes from the staff who assisted me on that terrible day. This is a caring and respectful practice especially in dark times for us animal guardians.
Andrea

04 May 2017

I had the same dismal experience as Lynn Linton did (see review 1 year prior). I brought a small brown bat in with a witnessed injury. The bat was flying at early dusk when a crow slammed into it, tearing its wing. The bat fell to the ground, unable to fly. My son placed a long piece of wood near its underside and it hopped on, clinging to the end of the stick until we could place it in a box for transport. No one touched the bat. No contact. The animal had a tear in its wing but no other visible injuries. No unusual behaviour. In the box, the bat clung to a ledge and remained quiet. The Burnaby Wildlife shelter was closed and recommended on their phone line to take injured wildlife to the Vancouver Animal Emergency Centre. When we arrived at this clinic, the nurse / receptionist appeared annoyed. She did not ask us any questions about the animal. I tried to explain that the bat didn't appear ill prior to the injury. I offered to pay for its medical care and she said "Oh no, we don't treat wildlife. Burnaby Wildlife picks them up each morning. She never asked me one question about the bat or exposures, and it was clear to me that they would "euthanize" it immediately. Her mind was made up, and the fact that I was talking-to her at all was an inconvenience. I had the sense that if there was no money involved, there was no interest.
A Public Health physician phoned me in the morning to tell me that the bat was most likely healthy and had been been euthanized to send for rabies testing. I told the physician that nobody had come into contact with the bat, and the doctor said that no further follow up was required. If the woman at the front desk had taken 30 seconds to listen to me, and had any interest or compassion for the animal, or my son for that matter, this animal could have been taken to the Wildlife shelter and been cared for by an animal caregiver who had been vaccinated for rabies, with no risk to the public.
I have an overwhelming sense of remorse for taking the animal to this clinic.
WardenPrime

30 March 2017

My cat had a blocked bladder, i phoned ahead to let them know i was coming. The wait was quite long, especially with the fact that only 1 other person came in while we were there, which was for 4 hours overall. They were really caring and considerate, but since I can't afford 4k+, i had to regretfully opt for euthanasia. While I can't say it was a great time, considering the outcome, I went as well as can be expected. Really only complaint was wait time, got there 11pm and left after 3am
Andy Chow

20 March 2017

Great staff, informative and kind Doctors. Our dog ingested dark chocolate and they handled the emergency with great care and compassion. Dr. White and Craigdallie were amazing.
Michael Sabatino

15 March 2017

We were dealt with promptly and efficiently. The Doctor was most informed and explained everything in detail. Follow up progress reports were excellent.
E Lidman

12 November 2016

If you need to bring a rabbit to an emergency clinic this is the one to go to! My 9m/o bunny started having bloody, diarrhea-type stool in the morning on Remembrance Day and I could not find any emergency clinic from the Tri-Cities to the Fraser Valley that would take her, as rabbits are considered an exotic breed.

They took my case seriously and were upfront with me on the phone about how busy they were with emergencies this evening. I brought her as quickly as possible and they admitted her to be monitored by veterinary technicians while waiting for an available vet. I live too far away to go home and thus observed the professional, caring manor in which they dealt with their clients while I waited. They prioritized incoming cases well and updated waiting patients on the condition of their pets.

After a two hour wait due to the busy night they were having, the vet thoroughly checked my bunny and was very kind, gentle, and PATIENT as my rabbit is very feisty. She recommended some options and explained the reason, benefits, cost of each recommendation. I never felt pressured to spend more money than needed and the total cost was very reasonable for a visit on a stat. holiday in the middle of the night. I am so thoroughly impressed with the care my rabbit received and the honest and upfront nature of all of the staff. Thank you VAERC!!
Christina Brock

16 September 2016

I thought they were great, offered less expensive (over the counter) options for a recurring issue my cat has. They were very caring, accommodating, and knowledgeable.

9/16/16
I had to go back last night for the same cat. The new clinic is amazing. Saw a different Vet - it was very busy with some serious cases . My cat was seen, got a great exam, super caring down to earth Vet - my cat is doing well today. Most affordable, caring ER Vet ever. Still 5 stars.