Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center of Thousand Oaks - Thousand Oaks (CA)

5 /5 Coral Eisenbruch: Brought my cat in at 3am on New Years Eve, and was helped by Ryan, Dani, and Dr Martinez. They were quick, incredibly knowledgeable and the most sympathetic people I have ever met. Dani in particular (I hope Im spelling her name correctly) had the sweetest demeanor, and Im so grateful they were there to take care of my fur baby. For anyone complaining about expense - this is the responsibility you assumed as a pet owner. I did the math and this clinic is charging around $100/hr to take care of your pet, which includes all of their highly skilled veterinarians such as Dr Pinkerton who helped explain the remaining treatment process, their incredible and patient vet techs, their facility that is open 24/7 even on holidays, and all the required equipment and medicine to treat our pets. Im so thankful they were there to help my cat and while I hope I dont have any other emergencies, I know if I do theyll be well taken care of here at VSEC. Thank you to the whole team!!

5 /5 David McCracken: ​In February 2024, my wife and I received tragic news about our little cat Lewis. He had been losing some weight, and we took him to his vet, where they found fluid around his heart. They recommended VSEC and rushed him to emergency care. This was the most fortunate thing that could have happened amidst otherwise awful news--Lewis had a rare heart condition called restrictive cardiomyopathy. Lewis had a 50/50 shot of making it through the night, but thanks to the dedication and hard work of the VSEC cardiology team, he not only lived to see the next day, but he blew far past the 4-6 months survival rate and made it to mid-December 2024 when, sadly, his condition had gotten so bad that we were feeding him liquid through a syringe. Lewis had fought all he could, and we had to say goodbye to him on December 18th, 2024. Throughout 2024, we took Lewis to VSEC every month, where the cardiology team examined him and made adjustments to his meds. 2024 was an awful year for me and my wife, but we were able to manage everything thanks to Justin and Dr. Russell (our illustrious cardiology team). They were not only kind and patient in guiding us through every step of Lewiss condition, but most importantly of all, they put Lewis at ease. We will never forget Lewis. He will be in our hearts forever, and we will always remember the love and care we received from Justin, Dr. Russell, and the rest of the VSEC cardiology team.

1 /5 Robin ODonnell: My husband brought our elderly sick dog who had been throwing up for 24 hours. This same episode happened 2 months ago prior and $1,900 later our dog was going through it again. Since he was suffering we both decided to say goodbye. However the Vet refused to do this unless she could run labs that would cost us $500. My husband said no and brought him home. So for two more days we watched him deteriorate along with our other dog and his best friend until we could arrange a home visit from a vet so we could say goodbye. I told the home vet that our other dog would not go near our sick dog which was unusual because she followed him everywhere. She told me dogs can sense when an animal is dying and that is what they do. So my review of this company spouting how they are there for you and your pet in your time of need is bs. They have shown that money is the bottom line and I promise you I will never use this supposedly emergency vet clinic again and neither should you.

5 /5 Brittany Klein: I took my ten week old puppy here in an emergency situation around 8pm on a Friday night and I’m very grateful they were there to help. They were fast and approached the situation quickly and with compassion. I saw a vet almost immediately and I was kept very informed throughout the process. Obviously an emergency vet hospital is a very pricey situation but I’m glad she got great care and is doing well now. Like every healthcare situation, just stay calm and gather the information you need to make the best informed decisions you can for your family. And consider pet insurance if you don’t have it already. Things happen.

1 /5 Charles V: At the end of December 2023, I took my Pomeranian puppy, Yogi, to VSEC in Thousand Oaks. We had to make the drive from the Ventura area since the local emergency vet was fully booked, and it was the holiday season. The reason for our visit was head trauma; Yogi had previously been diagnosed with parvovirus. Despite testing positive for parvo, he was not showing significant symptoms, aside from some glucose issues that required him to be fed every four hours. We sat in the waiting room for nearly 2 hours before being seen by a doctor. I informed the front desk multiple times that it was an emergency situation, and they continued to see other dogs first who were in less critical condition. Once Yogi was finally evaluated, the doctor informed me that the estimated costs for Yogis treatment could range from $10,000 to $20,000 in the long run and suggested putting yogi down (Euthanasia) because it was not 100% if he would recover fully. After examining Yogi, the veterinarian explained that it would be very costly to save him, possibly requiring IV treatment for the parvovirus. I clarified that his parvo was under control and that we were primarily concerned about the head trauma. I disagreed with his recommendation and requested further treatment. After going back and forth the vet agreed to keep Yogi overnight on IVs to monitor his glucose levels and head trauma. The following day, I received a call stating that Yogi was heavily sedated. They mentioned they had to close for the holidays, which I understood, but I felt it necessary to seek further care. Thankfully, I opted to go to Access in woodland hills, where a neurologist was available. They took Yogi in and, at a fraction of the cost, assured me that he would have no lasting issues from the concussion and would recover fully. Yogi has since healed from both the parvovirus and the concussion and is now a happy, healthy dog approaching his first birthday in October. If I had followed the advice of the veterinarian in Thousand Oaks, I wouldn’t have Yogi with me today. My total cost at VSEC was $2,500 for one night, while the treatment at Access cost only $1,300 and included a neurologist. I highly recommend avoiding VSEC and instead suggest the Horizon location in Ventura or Access in Woodland Hills for emergency services. I am extremely disappointed with the recommendations and overall service at VSEC, and I’m grateful I found a better option for Yogi’s care.