VCA Hillcrest Animal Hospital — Local services in San Diego

This review is for incidents that happened a few years ago, but they are worth mentioning nonetheless. We had two bad (one very) experiences with this "hospital".

The first was our Himalayan cat whom we had neutered by one of the VCA Hillcrest veterinarians (we refer to him as Dr. Chikatilo. If you are unfamiliar with that name, do a quick google and you'll see why we chose this moniker for him). Our cat, after the procedure, was in a lot of pain (which was evident by her groaning when we would pet her and her loss of appetite). VCA prescribed a painkiller. However, the prescription did nothing and was indicated by another (non-VCA) vet hospital that the drug was akin to baby aspirin (ie: it was not strong enough nor was it something given in the industry to treat our cat's condition). We have to wonder, did Chikatilo or one of his staff take our cat's real drugs instead?

The second (and worst) incident was a routine teeth "cleaning" of our Persian by, you guessed it, Dr. Chikatilo. When I went to pick her up to go home, the staff had a gloomy look of guilt on their faces as they handed over the cat carrier with our baby girl inside. They said that she had become bradycardic (well below normal heart rhythm) during the cleaning and that they had to administer Atropine to bring her heart rate back up. Needless to say, they almost killed her (again, were they dosing themselves with drugs during the procedure?) while doing a "routine" teeth cleaning. The worst part of this incident was that our cat wouldn't eat for two weeks (we had to liquify chicken liver and administer orally with a syringe) and she would walk with left turns only for about a month while she recuperated. The true horror came when she started having seizures. Daily! We went to specialists (neurologist and cardiologist) in Sorrento Valley that ran tests to see if those organs were responsible for the seizures. All they could determine was that it may be scar tissue on the brain from a traumatic injury. Scar tissue that could have occurred during her brush with death at Dr. Chikatilo's office. Not only did the seizures take their toll on our cat, but on us as well. And all of this was most likely due to a lazy staff that didn't monitor our cat during the procedure.

The seizures have since stopped and our cat is now melancholic, doesn't play and doesn't purr. In a nutshell, stay away from VCA Hillcrest if you value your cat or dog. That's all we have to say about this place. We have found a much better vet in Ocean Beach (yes, we make the drive from Poway where we live now just to see the new vet) who is alert and oriented, and cares enough not continue with and force procedures when problems arise. Which is more than what we can say for Chikatilo...

Extremely disappointed in VCA and the level of customer service given. We made an appt during our last vet visit approximately 5-6 weeks ago to have our dog's dental cleaning performed. At the time, the doctor mentioned he could also remove a few skin tags for our dog while she was under anesthesia, which would help to lessen the cost and make it so we didn't have to put her under twice.

He said he would give us a call back the following day with her blood test results and a quote for the skin tag removal. Well, 2 days later he called with the results of the blood test and when my boyfriend inquired about the skin tag removal costs, he said he'd have to give a call back with it again.

Fast forward a few weeks and because we're trying to properly plan and budget for the procedure, my boyfriend called back again for the cost. The receptionist said she'd have the doctor give us a call back and...you guessed it, nothing.

Well, yesterday was the day before the procedure was supposed to take place, so my boyfriend called AGAIN to get pricing and was told that they couldn't give pricing because they had to see our dog first. Mind you, Dr. Kinshella has seen her skin tags and commented on them no less than 3-4 times and had already seen them RIGHT BEFORE he was supposed to give us a quote at the time of the last visit. According to the receptionist, there was nothing she could do and we would have to bring the dog in in the morning for her dental procedure and maybe get a quote then.

My boyfriend brought her in this morning and was told it would be $400 to remove her skin tags. Now, for most people that's an extremely hefty price tag and an expenditure that would need to be discussed and budgeted for. The most frustrating part about the entire thing was that the procedure is quoted on a time allotment, so anything up to 30ish minutes is $400, which is a quote we should have EASILY been able to have been given over the phone weeks ago instead of waiting until the day of the procedure.

We were so floored at the lack of customer service experience and lack of consideration for our time and budget that we ended up canceling the entire dental procedure and taking the dog back home and will most likely end up looking for a new vet at this point, despite having taken our dog there for the 3 years we've lived in San Diego.

We're extremely disappointed at the level of customer support shown in this situation and for the lack of consideration for our...

I have been a taking my pets to VCA for over 10 years. I first started going to VCA when I lived in Arizona and the vet there was amazing. When I moved out to San Diego I decided to stick with VCA - and I have never been happier. The vet techs and front office always try to do their best - I can't tell you how many times they have been booked solid for the day but have managed to squeeze me in due to some emergency with a pet. Dr K is the kindest man and extra gentle with all my animals. He clearly explains procedures and even tries to work out the best price. No vet is cheap - animals cost money, but it seems like they do their best to put together an affordable package if I am looking at something major. Dr. Olsen is fantastic too. Both doctors are available to call and will call me back when I need them too.

I have had healthy pets and sick pets and they all receive the best care at VCA. One of my dogs - a large mastiff mix - had major health issues from the start. He was a rescue that lived to be about 13 years old. He had OCD, several surgeries for cancer, and eventually was put down due to quality of life. VCA has been consistent provider for him throughout his life. VCA was so thoughtful during the difficult times - even sending me a card in the mail with all their names wishing my family well. I also have 2 cats - both seem to get into trouble often. Both have had to have surgeries for various wounds. My other dog - a rescued pitbull mix - is treated so well at VCA. She has had several issues even as a 5 year old - including a slip disc in her neck.

Through every surgery, appointment, blood test, stitch removal, and x-ray the people at VCA have been kind and consistent in their manners and care. The doctors here are wonderful and deeply care for the well being of animals. They have all gone above and beyond in service and for all my pets I thank them. I will continue to take my animals here for...