Pet Emergency & Specialty Center - La Mesa

Me Mc

2024-05

Have been taking our GSP here regularly for the past 6 yrs. Yes, we are good pet parents but a highly active dog seems to get hurt on his adventures. From simple foxtail up the nose, slice on the belly running thru brush to more serious rhabdomyolisis as he was burning so much muscle having a blast, that his kidneys were shutting down. This place saved our family member. They communicate, gave options and got to know our pup. At one point they said they would bedazzle him his own kennel as he was a frequent flyer who was living a great life! The real part of ANY vet, hospital, etc is cost. Care is costs money anywhere you go. Not just here. But this isn't bad when you realize the quality of what you get. Heck, my last visit was under $300 which is a steal! They have payment options and when our pup had Rhabdo, we used one. It was perfect. I have been recommending this place already for years. I trust the judgment of the doctors and staff. When they talk to you, they look at you. They also want what is best for your fur family even if it's those hard decisions. So kudos to the front desk, to the techs and doctors in the back, thank you for what you do!

Mimi Wind

2024-04

I brought my cat into this ER bc she had a very large and deep open wound from a ruptured abscess. I just googled and grab the nearest pet ER location didn’t even have time to read the reviews ahead of time. After I got there and finished filling out the form, I sat and waited to be called. It was 8pm on Saturday night and the waiting room was full . To kill time I started reading all the reviews and started freaking out with all the negative reviews about this place. I was so tempted to leave But it was late and my cat needed care badly so I decided to stay and hope for the best. I waited for 2 hours holding my cat in my arm before the nurse came out to take my cat in for triage. About another hour later, they came out to bring me into the exam room to talk to the doctor. About 20 minutes later, the doctor came in to tell us what her first impression of the wound by the look of it and suggested wound cleaning and antibiotics. I agreed. About 40 minutes later, the doctor and a nurse brought my cat to the exam room and showed me the wound after it was cleaned. The doctor said the wound is too big and deep with dead tissues so it won’t heal on its own. She suggested debridement and sutures but my cat needs to get full workup bloodwork, sedation, and IV fluid. I agreed and requested an estimate. I waited for 15 minutes for the estimate. The staff brought in an ipad and a print out of the estimate with itemized cost. She explained very clearly the high and low of what I should expect to pay. It came out to be between 2.5K and 3K depending on how much sedatives and pain meds they have to use. I agreed and paid the low end estimate (2.5K). My cat had to stay overnight for the procedure. By the time I walked out of the ER, it was almost 12:30am. The next morning at 6:30am, the doctor called to report that the procedure went well, bloodwork all good and I can pick up my cat when the morning staff comes in. I picked my cat up at 11am on Sunday after Church and paid another $100 for additional meds used during the procedure as I was told last night, and some meds to take home (antibiotics, pain med and appetite stimulant). Overall, aside from the long wait, which is understandable since I’ve waited wayyy longer in a human ER before, everything was great. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. The doctor who treated my cat was very knowledgeable and professional.

S DoubleU

2024-05

When I arrived at the clinic the wait time posted was 1-2 hours. After 3 hours I asked to see if my dog had been seen yet by the Vet. I was told that there had been some urgent cases that came in and she was "next" to be seen and have x-rays done for a possible obstruction. Of course I understand that critical patients have priority. An hour later, I asked again what her status was and again was told that she was next and the vet techs were probably working on x-rays at the moment. I was called into an exam room to speak to the vet a few minutes after my 2nd status check. The vet didn't seem to know any of the history that was provided at check-in from 4 hours previous. She recommended x-rays, which I thought had already been started. (A little more back story that I missed: There was NOT a vet on premises that would be able to perform surgery. I was told on the phone when I called and at check in.) The recommended x-rays would take an additional 3 hours. I was annoyed and said I had already been waiting and thought they were being done already. The vet than reminded me that the wait time was 5-6 hours and I should have been aware at check in. Um.... excuse me NO. That was not the correct wait time that I was told 4 hours earlier. So... long story short. She wanted me to wait an additional 3 hours which would have put me at a 7 Hour wait time for x-rays that may or may not have come back showing an obstruction that they WOULD NOT have been able to do anything about because there wasn't a vet on sight that could preform surgery! A total waste of over 4 hours and $157. I will NOT be going back to this Pet Emergency Clinic.

Jacob Wright

2024-05

Awsome place, our pitty mix was bit by a rattle snake on his stomach we called a other vet who recommended we bring our dog to this hospital we called ahead and our dog was taken right to triage and within 20 minutes they were treating him the staff are very friendly and would update us as much as they could. When he was ready to be released they gave us a care plan which included limitations, warning signs, and precautions, even gave us literature on medication as well. They also accept the care credit card.

Lauren Cazares

2024-02

PESC La Mesa saved my baby Taylor’s life after being run over by a car. From the vet tech that ran out to my car to get her stabilized immediately and all of the vet techs who hand fed Taylor, to all of the amazing and kind front desk staff, to Dr. Day & Dr. Willey who so patiently updated me regularly and took all of my calls, to Dr. Serdy who performed two life saving surgeries at once, and of course Connie the surgery tech who walked me through every step and finances so gently. I am so incredibly grateful. Thank you to the entire team at PESC La Mesa. You worked miracles and kept this dog mom as informed as possible.

Sarah Hailstone

2024-04

We brought our very sick dog to be seen at this vet hospital and because we didn't agree to keeping her overnight there for a minimum of over 4 thousand dollars and up to over 5 thousand dollars we were made to sign an AMA and were refused necessary medical prescriptions to help our sick dog recover at home. As we were making plans to treat her at home, Animal Services showed up at our home for a welfare check on our dog. We were horrified, embarrassed and extremely upset that we could be accused of abusing or neglecting our dog! The Officers had absolutely NO concerns for how we care for our beloved pets. This was false accusations due to our financial limits. Please do better. This is an unacceptable way to treat families that are bringing in their very sick animal for treatment. We will never be back!

Dawn Torbit

2024-01

Dear Dr's & Staff,My heart can't begin to express how much ya'll mean to us. On December 28th @0530 my friend Paul brought our 64lb Husky German Kody into your emergency room. Paul was immediately greeted by your amazing staff and took Kody (Koda) to the back and immediately put him on oxygen. On the phone we were told Kody had GDV (Gastric Dilatation Volvulus ), twisting of the stomach. We knew surgery would've been $8000-$10,000 but with Kody already being almost 17 y/o we knew his chances of survival would be slim. We had the chance to see him. The sorrow in your staffs eyes let us know that no matter what they were feeling inside they were there for us and Kody.  We knew it was time to say goodbye and him not bee in anymore pain. The patience and empathy your staff gave to us to spend that time with Kody after he peacefully passed is something words will never be able to express. His paw prints and nose prints will forever be marked on us, when we finally get the chance to make it happen.West Coast Pet Memorial did the most beautiful job to Kody urn as well as gave his a plaster of his paw. It was so beautiful done I cried again when I saw it. Thank you for all being so wonderful and doing your jobs day in and day out as I know it's not easy. You've made Kodys memory even more special.V/R,Dawn

James Grant

2024-01

I really enjoy the staff and level of service that they provide. We have unfortunately had to bring a pet that had passed to them, and they took care of them and properly cremated the remains. The staff were very supportive and compassionate during our difficult time. We have since been back for another pet's concern. The staff does a great way of triaging the cases that come in and are really great about communicating that with the clients. The staff really took the extra time to spend with us and answer any and all questions that we had. Thank you for always taking care of us and our pets!

Melissa McGehee

2024-03

I’d be weary on taking your fur babies here. I had brought my cat here today because she had a really bad coughing fit. Thankfully, they diagnosed her with allergy bronchitis and focal fibrosis. But they mixed up her sedative with another pet and had overdosed her. They had to call poison control but they fixed the situation and gave her an antidote and watched her for 5 hours. They had also covered all those charges involved with the overdose and gave me a refund for some of the payment. But please be careful.

samantha johnson

2023-05

Wow! The customer service was amazing! This was our first time coming. From the moment I called, crying worried about my dog they where very understanding!! My dog had an abscess from a fox tail. And they gave me a very fair price! I was even told that, if she needed more care I could call her normal vet and see if they will do a lower price! That to me says they are not money hungry and care. I will be suggesting everyone to go here for emergencies! They explained everything very well, and understood me being worried for my baby!

Renee Lujano

2024-03

Don't take your pet here unless you want to pay outrageous prices for nothing. My dog swallowed a coin, dog was not choking she appeared fine and we knew it was a coin but yet cost me over $667 just to end up advising me to go see my primary Vet in the morning and ask if they can do endoscopic procedure. This facility should be the one able to do endoscopy not primary vet who is not equipped for that. Now I have to spend another ER or consult visit elewhwere who is able to follow through. Was a waste of our time and money.

Ayad Mansour

2024-03

I would give zero stars or less if there was an option. Doctor Lance Day, who was treating my 7 year old dog, is the most incompetent and insincere doctor EVER. He took a very long time to operate on her because he was more concerned about his money with all the procedures and tests, even though I told him numerous times to go ahead and start right away. Money was not an issue for me, I simply wanted to save my dog’s life! They had my credit card already with them as soon as we walked in and yet he still took too long to talk about the charges!!We genuinely feel that this clinic killed our dog because of their incompetence and negligence. They didn’t provide sufficient or accessible information of any risks or needs.He wasn’t properly explaining what was going on. The whole time he was saying maybe this or maybe that, just so they could do more and more tests on my dog instead of acting immediately. Dr. Day is a liar and a scammer because we (my wife and I) asked him twice: Did you perform CPR on my dog? His answer was “No” two times. However, when we picked up Bella from the clinic the following day we saw CPR charges multiple times. So I called the office to find out why I’m being charged for something that the doctor himself is telling us he didn’t do!!I called the office 6-7 times leaving messages for him and he never did call back.The whole office is a mess… full of deceivers and liars including Layla, Taylor and the office manager Jessica. Every time we call those girls, they claim that the doctor is too busy to answer. But they’re not too busy scamming and collecting money for killing our 7 year old dog?! Don’t you EVER go to this clinic if you care for your pet’s life. Save your money and mostly importantly, save your pet’s life by AVOIDING THIS PATHETIC ESTABLISHMENT!

Rene Langdon

2023-12

My family had to make the heartbreaking decision to put down our beloved dog on Christmas Eve and were grateful that this practice was open, and more importantly that every single staff member we interacted with was extremely kind, professional, and made sure our family member went in comfort and peace. The price was reasonable and the options for cremation and memorial were appreciated. We also have family friends who have been taking their dogs here for years. Just wanted to leave a good review because there weren’t many and we truly had a good experience despite painful, devastating circumstances.

aliyah casari

2023-09

I own a Syrian hamster named Trixie. She is my daughter to me. Last night she accidentally got hurt, and I thought she was going to pass away. I went on the Internet and find a veterinarian. I found the above business and was surprised to find that not only are they 24 hour for emergencies, but they deal with exotic pets, such as mine. From the very first moment I went to this facility. I was greeted with compassion and professionalism. They made me feel at ease. The surgeon named Kristina Vuong, DVM what extraordinary! Not only was she empathetic and professional, but she saved my hamsters life. We thought we would have to amputate her leg but fortunately it was much less serious. I can’t say enough about this facility and their services and I highly recommend them for any of your pet emergencies.This facility is located in La Mesa, CA 91942

Fernando Are

2024-03

My girl friend and I went in for a check in after another facility recommended we take our cat in because they believed he may have a blockage. We took him in. The doctor told us he didn’t. Another front office girl told us he was fine. Then a third girl came in later with a “plan” and estimate. I wish I was kidding, but she literally just put the iPad on the table and had us look at it without saying a word. It was an estimate for $1,300 and when we asked for a break down to help better understand what we may be paying for, she was extremely vague. Her estimate included “what if’s” and misc charges that we couldn’t understand what for after asking for more information. The way our confidence for this business fell was all at once. When we informed her we would be happy to pay for the appointment and that we were going to hold off as we were going to seek a second opinion, it felt as if she went into scare tactics mode. We didn’t like it. We understand the severity of a blockage, but when everybody tells us he doesn’t and that everything’s fine and then all the sudden when it’s time to pay, everything’s wrong.. it’s concerning. Everything felt like a money grab and it took nearly an hour just to get our cat back from the kennel after we had established we were only paying for the appointment and pain injection. We will not be returning here again. I just wish we had seen the reviews prior to visiting this vet.

Kimberly McKinney

2023-12

The whole staff here is amazing. We had an emergency today with our 6 month old kitten. I called them while we were on the way and told them what happened. The front office staff met us at the front and took our kitten in the back immediately. The Vet saw Grover right away while the staff helped me fill out the paperwork. They treated Grover with care and kindness and we were taking home a healthier kitten in under 2 hours. The vet was amazing and even waved the fees due to the fact that they just monitored and maintained him. This place is amazing! The whole staff cares about the animals and their human parents. Nobody ever wants to need an emergency vet....but if you are ever in our situation, choose to come here!

Tamara B

2024-03

Dr. Vuong is the kindest, patient, most companionate Vet I have ever met. She kept us posted at every turn and stayed late to be there to assist in our Beloved Bunny Riddles passing over. We were never rushed during this most difficult time.

Angela Derby

2024-04

Todd Cecil, lied to me, charged me for tests he didn't use to judge if she was ok for surgery, she wasn't ok for surgery. He's incompetent and arrogant. My bird would still be alive if he had looked at the $300 tests he made me get. Three other vets said he should have known. Don't take your birds to see him unless you want them killed.

Dani Murray

2023-05

The employees' lack of communication and incompetence are the reason that my family couldn't say goodbye to our cat. She died scared and alone. Please do yourself a favor and opt for a different emergency clinic.On the evening of December 6th my cat Sprite was experiencing difficulty breathing. I was sick at the time so my parents brought her here.After an excruciatingly long night in the waiting room for the two of them, they were told that Sprite had late stage heart failure and fluid in her lungs. The center suggested overnight treatment despite the slim survival rate. In my parents' exhaustion my mom left without taking her phone that had been plugged into the wall, which was the primary line of contact for the center to reach us.The employees here not only realized this but messaged my mom's phone, which again, was in their office, to let her know she had forgotten it. From this point on they continued sending updates to the phone that they were completely aware we were not in possession of.In the morning after on December 7th, when we searched for updates and the realization hit us that the phone was not here, we called the center and were informed that Sprite did not make it through the night. They allowed us to say goodbye (to her corpse). In the midst of paying an outrageous, budget-altering price for their ultimately futile efforts, it was then that the receptionist read through some of our information on file and read to us OUR HOME PHONE NUMBER. This clinic had an alternative form of contact and DID NOT use it. We would have come immediately to say goodbye had we been made aware of her nearing death. But instead we were left in the dark when it was completely possible to make contact. And Sprite passed in this uncaring, horrible place with no family around.The reason that I am making this review months later is that I had always given them the benefit of the doubt. However, now that I am a receptionist myself, I have absolutely no empathy for these people because I know how easy it would have been to handle a situation like this with the slightest amount of extra effort.I think about Sprite everyday. I loved her as much as humanely possible. While I do not blame this place for her death, I blame them entirely for taking away my opportunity to say goodbye. Please take your loved one elsewhere in emergencies.

Tony C.

2021-05

Just saved my 4th pet here in 15 years. This is NOT a normal vet. They have a higher cost model because they are staffed for 24/7/365. Don’t expect normal vet prices or bedside manner if you bring your pet here with Triage-1 level circumstances. They are there to save animals (fast) and not kiss your butt. They saw my dog yesterday immediately, got me an estimate within 30 minutes, and then I picked up my dog 8 hours later. He is on the mend now, but would easily be dead by now if they hadn’t sedated and treated him. Doctor just emailed me with further instructions at 10 at night. This was not cheap, but it certainly was not too expensive given the circumstances and readiness of this service.

Julia Benning

2023-11

I'm quite confused by the bad reviews for this place. As someone who has worked in vet med, PESC is my go-to emergency & specialty vet. I have been going here with my animals for emergencies & specialty care (including small animals & exotics) for over 15 years. They have always taken excellent care of my animals.In the last year, I brought my pup to internal medicine, the vet was amazing & I loved her. They discovered cancer, so my pup went into surgery. The surgeon was amazing & I loved him. Then he went to oncology, where the whole team was amazing for the duration of his care. I then brought him in when he went downhill & he was euthanized there. Every experience was not only high quality care, but the way I was treated was exceptional. They explained everything, empathized with me, truly cared for my dog & me, & I never felt they were taking advantage of me financially or 'nickle & diming' me.Every single interaction I've had with every staff member in every department has been overwhelmingly positive over the last decade.I love PESC!

Sarah Hine

2023-05

My Jasper was in and out of the ER over the span of a month to figure out what was wrong with the bruising happening on his belly. I am extremely thankful to the second Veterinarian who saw him and referred him to the Dermatologist. I was able to get him in immediately and she took a biopsy that day on a Monday. By Friday I received the news he had cancer. I was able to get him to the Oncologist that Tuesday, the news wasn’t great. By the time I took him home he had declined rapidly. He crossed the rainbow bridge 21July22. I am beyond thankful for the entire team here, the veterinarians, the techs, specialists, everyone. Thank you for helping me figure out what was wrong with my little guy even though it was something I never wanted to hear. I appreciate all of you.

Florencia Montero

2024-04

My pet was seen at a different facility due to this location being very busy, however I had alot of questions once I got home and this location was the only one open. Taylor Grissett was so helpful over the phone answering all my questions giving me a peace of mind that my pet will be ok. She even went over the medication the other place gave me and explained what I need to feed my pet according to his symptoms. I want to thank her very much, for time and patience, she was very helpful!

Zoe

2021-05

They saved my puppy’s life! They treated her condition very aggressively and she was able to be discharged the next day. I know they care because they called us 4-5 times a day to update on how she was doing. They even told me someone would come play with her every hour to make sure she’s comfortable and happy. They were very thorough when many veterinarians I took her to weren’t and many veterinarians had misdiagnosed her. It was pricey, but Wednesday’s life is priceless to me. Thank you PESC from me and Wednesday!!!

Kota Belz

2023-07

This place is the definition of trash bedside care. I took my service dog, a Husky here when he suddenly was unable to stand. Charged me an insane amount, we’re incredibly rude, when I attempted to ask what was wrong with my dog they treated me like I was stupid and it was my fault. My dog had cancer. I asked if there was anything I could do. The vet just sighed and said no we’d have to do XYZ. Despite me saying I was okay with doing XYZ he then told me that wasn’t an option because it’d kill my dog. THEN WHY TELL ME?when we decided the only option was to then put my dog down with literally no guidance from the vet. He sat in the small room crouched over my dead dog the entire time and said “well when you’re done just let me know” and just stared at us.. gave us no privacy. If I could give this less stars I would. That man deserves to be fired. A part of me wonders if there was something that could’ve been for my dog. But the vet was too much of a jerk to of said anything. I would’ve done anything for that dog.

mendy hilgert

2022-05

This hospital saved our cat, Beano! He was in critical condition from a urinary blockage and he needed treatment immediately. It was 3:30am and I didn't have many options, so I rushed him to this hospital. They took him in right away. He was in the hospital for 3 days and the staff called me multiple times per day, for updates. The staff was wonderful the entire time. I don't think people realize how hard they work. They often encounter distraught pet owners and have to help people through pet loss on the daily! I don't think they get the recognition they deserve. Thank you Pet Emergency & Specialty Center- East County for saving our beloved Beano! He's back relaxing on our daughters bed & we couldn't be happier. <3

Eda Baldauf

2024-02

Dr. Cecil and team are wonderful. They are kind , patient and they took great care of our 22 year old Sun Conure, Skittles. Most importantly, Skittles was at ease throughout the experience and came home a happy bird!

Laurie Ellertson

2024-03

If I had a choice, I never would have gone here. I've been there before, and not surprised to have had the same experience again. These black hearted swindlers, don't care about your pet. All they care is about how to extract money from you. They figured my dog was attacked by an owl, and it pierced her heart. She wasn't breathing, and her heart had stopped, so yeah, she was already dead. I was just so distraught, and upset, trying deal with what had just happened that I didn't see that what they were doing was putting on a little show, acting like they were trying to save her life by putting a tube down her throat, and performed CPR on her for about 4 min.'s, for which they charged me $700 for, and then held her poor little body for ransom, untill they got $100 from me. Check out the reviews on La Mesa NextDoor for yourself, and you'll see that they only got about one good review. They're horrible! Don't go there!

Tiffany Tamayo

2023-11

DAY SHIFT was 5 stars - front office, vet techs and Dr. Kalb were amazing!! Felt listened to, felt my cat was in loving hands, and price was shockingly reasonable for an emergency visit. This visit gained my trust to come in again when my cat was getting worse after hours.NIGHT SHIFT 0 stars - My cat was not doing well at all. Called ahead of time and was told there was a wait. Didn’t say how long, but a long wait is expected. Checked in and as I was explaining the reason for the visit the girl totally talked to me like I was dumb. Sat and waited. 2 hours go by and didn’t get triaged. Saw on the checkin paper my cat would be triaged within 10 min. Heard her quote 6-8 hours when other people came in. Not sure if that was the quoted time just to be triaged or to be taken care of. Regardless, I knew there would be a wait and if I knew that my cat was going to be taken care of like the first time, I was willing to stay the night there. However, I observed another desk person being sassy to another person that came in. Then I observed a vet tech (assuming) come triage a dog that came in after me. She was very cold and seemed irritated before she even saw the dog. As she was walking away she rolled her eyes and mumbled something like “I can’t with this today”. I watched her have a similar demeanor twice. I get we have off days and we all have grips about people we deal with in our jobs day to day and coming from myself who can’t hide anything on my face, I would have waited until I wasn’t in the lobby to express my irritation or at the very least not say anything. However, I’m glad I saw this. Combined with my own interaction, the observed interactions with others and waiting 2 hours without even being triaged I decided to chance having my cat be uncomfortable at home for 6-8 hours rather than at this facility with the possibility of him being cared for by frustrated staff and then the staff treating me like I’m dumb when going over the plan, etc.Learn to do better please. I’m sure there are stupid people but when you interact with someone, there are other ways to communicate what you’re thinking. You may be rude to the wrong person, because as someone who typically doesn’t like confrontation, I wanted to throw hands at you. Jk. Only in my head I would have. Be more sensitive to the people that are there, we are already worried and stressed. Approach each person as a fresh face and not someone who may have irritated you with their stupidity previously.The end

Scott Nix

2023-05

Brought a cat from the neighborhood who was extremely sick and could not wait for a scheduled appointment at the vet. Unfortunately, he was in extreme pain and too far gone. He had to be put down. I couldn't have asked for better service when it came to diagnosing the problem, giving us plenty of options, being honest about those options and the tremendous compassion we received from our Doctor and staff through the euthanasia process. Thank you.