I currently pay $117.87 per month for a wellness plan, with the expectation that this plan provides value, transparency, and reduces surprise costs. However, I have experienced the second time an additional charge that are not clearly disclosed in advance.
Most recently, I was charged $43 per dog for nail trimming, which was not communicated to me prior to the service being performed. I was only informed of the cost at checkout, as I was about to leave. Had I known the price beforehand, I would have had the opportunity to decline the service.
This is not an isolated incident. On a previous visit, I was unexpectedly charged $30 for a toothbrush set and I just let it go, again without prior discussion or clear consent. These recurring add-on charges make it feel as though additional fees are being applied opportunistically rather than transparently.
As a wellness plan customer, I find this experience disappointing and frustrating given the lack of prior disclosure. Clear communication and upfront pricing should be standard practice, especially when optional services or products are involved.
My family recently relocated to New Jersey, and we chose this VCA because we always used VCA at our previous home and never had any issues. Unfortunately, this location was a completely different experience.
When I first called to schedule an appointment, I explained that my senior dog has a collapsed trachea and that his cough had significantly worsened after the move. I simply needed his controlled-substance prescription refilled and was fully prepared to provide his full medical records. They asked me to set up the VCA online portal to access the records, but then told me that wasn’t sufficient and that they needed more details. Fine — I told them they could contact my previous vet directly.
I arrived 9 minutes late to the appointment with my infant in one arm and my dog in the other, and I was turned away immediately. They told me they could “squeeze me in” at 2 pm, which I agreed to.
An hour before the new appointment time, they called to say they had received my dog’s records — but that they would need to redo all of his X-rays anyway. Then they told me they could no longer see me at 2 pm because their X-ray technician wasn’t available. Instead, they suggested I go to a local emergency vet to get the testing and prescription filled, essentially passing us off because they did not want to write a prescription.
Thankfully, the emergency vet was extremely kind and reasonable. They reviewed the existing diagnosis, examined my dog, and prescribed the necessary medication — no unnecessary X-rays, no runaround.
I really regret wasting my time at this VCA. To make matters worse, as I was leaving the building, another pet owner approached me and warned me not to bring my dog there, saying they “don’t care at all” and they had nearly caused his cat’s death. He had to rush his cat to the ER.
First, I will say I love Dr. Healy who is very thorough and very sweet to my dog. VCA is very expensive but I think Dr. Healy is worth it. Unfortunately I can't always see her in times of illness. I recently had a visit with another vet at VCA for my dog who has gastritis/ colitis. When I asked about antibiotics and an anti inflammatory for my dog (which was the treatment in the past) I was told "yea we don't do that anymore". To which I was offered over 400 dollars worth of treatment/tests including changing my dogs food (which she has been on for 7 years) - All of which did nothing to actually address the dogs gastritis. I was then given a weight loss plan and teeth cleaning plan ( This was a sick visit! Her regular check up was three months earlier and I got a clean bill of health including weight and teeth! ). I paid for the visit only and left without treatment. If Dr. Healy was there I am confident my dog would have received treatment but since she wasn't, I was offered a sales pitch. So frustrating. I'm going to find another vet.
This used to be such a wonderful facility. After my cat became super ill and needed emergency surgery, RVH waited TWO whole days before telling me they didn’t have a surgeon to perform the kidney surgery before recommending I go to another animal hospital. I’m so lucky my cat didn’t die in those 2 days and it is so incredibly medically irresponsible for them to have taken their time without providing me the information I needed to save my cat’s life. PLEASE find another veterinarian in the area for your pet’s benefit.
I would give this place 0 stars if possible. We went there for routine shots covered by insurance and left paying over $500 out of pocket. Nothing explained. Was told my dog needed medication, which was not the issue, I got charged $200 out of the $500 for the visit, which again was routine. Then they threw in 2 bags of treats to put the pills in, in the bag with the pills, which wasn’t comped, they were an extra $24 which I found out once I received my receipt.
