Dr. Dave Mikoloski and Crew are Top Notch. My 5 year old was spayed in mid May. Every Associate listened and properly addressed any concerns. Although a little bit more, I am very Pleased with this experience. Good to know a Reliable Vet Facility.

The five stars are for a kind and selfless woman named Lisa. She helped me through a most trying time I was having ordering a refill for my dogs medication. Since we were on the phone Im not sure of her title. I am sure in saying that VCA Castle Shannon is lucky to have her! Thank You again Lisa for all your help and support.

I first went to VCA years ago with my dogs. At the time my parents were making the choices where to go.Last night about 8:00pm my wife found our hamster unresponsive but breathing. We got him out of the cage and he attempted to open his eyes for us. He barely moved and he had been with us over 2 years.We called VCA right at 8:00p when they are closing. We ask if they can help us put him down safely and humanely.After a short back and fourth they agree to allow us to come right away to help make our little guy at peace.I can’t say enough positive about our experience with them last night. The staff was incredibly sympathetic and caring. The doctor and the vet tech came out to our vehicle to let us take our little guy home to be buried in our pet cemetery.Thank you VCA.

It is tough having a sick pet. It breaks your heart. I know I did what I could by taking her to this vet. Outstanding service from people who care. Thank you

Every single person I had an interaction with at VCA Castle Shannon was absolutely wonderful. I’m so grateful we ended up here of all places during our turtle emergency. I highly recommend Dr. Paterson.

I have been bringing my dog to VCA for a while now and the largest mistake I made was continuing to give this hospital so many chances. They have many times given a VERY wrong diagnosis for for my dog (example- needing to amputate his eyeball for his allergies) and telling us we needed to put our dog down for having diabetes. The staff and most doctors are very rude and don’t care to help the animals that come into there hospital. The last straw was when I ordered insulin 6 days prior for my dog, got a call that it was ready, and once I went to pick it up the day after they were unbelievably rude. They had not started on his prescription and refused to work on it when my dog needed it. Following up with finally receiving the prescription they only gave me half of what I ordered. Would highly recommend never bringing your pet here even for an emergency.

Called for an appointment today and they said they didn’t have anything until October.. fine but asked to be put on a cancellation list and apparently they don’t do cancellation lists because the call volume is too high? Made no sense.Edit: in reference to owners response- of course the pandemic related circumstances are understood but still doesn’t justify not having a cancellation list.. most offices do.. even during COVID 🤔

I just want to express my gratitude to the Vet and all the staff at Castle Shannon animal Hospital. I had never had a pet as a patient there before but last week I had a 14 year old dog that was dying and my regular Vet could not see him for 2 days. When I called Castle Shannon Animal Hospital they were completely booked also but due to the situation I was in went above and beyond to get me in that day. Everyone was so compassionate and caring and made me feel like I had been coming there for years. I will never forget what they did for me that day and would highly recommend them to anyone that needs care for their pet. What a great place for your pet’s care!

We lost our dog very suddenly last night. She was fine in the morning and by dinner she was acting very strange. We just knew something was very wrong and had to rush her late to the vet. My husband rushed her in and though she went very quickly the staff did everything they could to make it comfortable for her and us. They offered testing and to try to keep her alive but we knew she was already gone. They were very delicate with my husband and let him have a moment to cry and some of the staff even cried with him. They offered us several options and asked every step of the way what we wanted to do. At the end of the evening they gave my husband our sweet girls paw print and some angel pins for our kids. This is not easy but the staff did a great job of making it easier. We are going to miss our girl so much.

Our experience with VCA has been during end of life treatment for our dogs. Four years ago, they helped us send our Sam over the bridge when he came to the end of his life, and just a few weeks ago, helped Tee on his journey. We have only had our pets to VCA when critically ill, and both times have been treated with respect, professionalism, and compassion. Although we have had the worst experience with our pets here, we have had the best treatment. Thank you for making these hard experiences as easy as possible.

We had a just-okay experience here. my cat was sick, and this was the only vet in our area that was able to get us in same-day. our appointment was for 5:30; we were not taken in until 6:45. frustrating, but i guess understandable since this was considered an emergency appointment.the vet was really nice, and was generally upfront with me about the cost of the recommended procedures, which i appreciated. however, two separate vet techs (im assuming), were unable to tell me what medications my cat received while there, and also didnt seem to know the purpose of the medications we were being sent home with.i probably would not come back here again, unless it was for an emergency with no other choice.

*edit: the doctor was very nice, she is the only saving grace for this facility**I had to wait a month for an appointment to get my dogs vaccine shots(Covid-19, makes operating more difficult, so I understood). The day my appointment was made, I called VCA West Shore near Harrisburg and asked them to send all of my records over to the VCA Castle Shannon. She confirmed she did. I called VCA Castle Shannon the next day to verify they had them and they said yes.Today, 3/23/21, I arrive at the VCA at 2:35pm for a 2:50pm appointment to tell me theyre running a little behind. I asked how long and they said probably 30 minutes. Im finally put in a room at 3:25pm. They then proceed to tell me they have no records for her. I explained that I know they received them a few weeks earlier since I called to verify and was told they have them. They tell me theyll have to call the old VCA.Its 3:56pm and the doctor just came in and told me the old VCA now cant find my records and this VCA cant find my records. I tried logging onto my online VCA portal and it isnt working because the VCA Castle Shannon doesnt use the VCA portal, so when they took over my dogs records, it erased all access to the online portal, so I have no way of getting my dogs records.Its 4:10pm and the doctor justsaid the VCA West Shore found them in inactive status since shes no longer a patient there, but VCA Castle Shannon has taken zero responsibility for not having my dogs records and wasting my time. Ive been at the VCA Castle Shannon for almost 2 hours and still no shots.Plus, their technology and infrastructure is extremely old and outdated compared to the other VCAs Ive been to. I go to large animal hospitals/corporations so all my records are in one place, but with the VCA that is not the case. The VCA (corporation) needs to get their act together. The VCA Castle Shannon needs to get their act together too.I wont be back. Dont come here if you value your time, money and sanity.

I’m sorry . But I went to bring my bearded dragon into the store . Idk who exactly was on the phone . But right after she stated that my dragon had bone disease . She started telling me I shouldn’t use . Uvb lights . But that’s what they need 😂so instantly I knew she was wrong . And I said “okay yeah would you recommend any type of new lights since you said I have the wrong ones . All I heard was “ughhh I don’t know dude, hold on.” She Sent somebody outside to talk to me in my car . He was cool but like he didn’t have a bearded dragon and he told me to go to a reptile show that had lights and stuff for the dragon . But the lady had no clue what she was talking about and was rude right after she told me my dragon had a disease . Thanks that made me feel much better ab the situatuon 😭

I had to take my cat here for an emergency visit. I was able to have my cat seen right away. The attendant who came to my car was so friendly and nice. The vet explained to me everything going on, made sure I understood, and discussed treatment options with me. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.

I took my 1.6 yr old cat here, he has stopped eating and wasnt moving. The doctor checked and said he looks healthy nothing wrong with him. they did not want to give him the medical care and pain meds I asked for, I could see he was in pain. They instead made me go to PVSEC. PVSEC wanted us to wait outside in freezing cold at least for 2 hours before taking a look at him. Both these hospital failed to give my baby the attention he need and he died painfully in less than 24 hours. I would suggest to take your pet to other place that would actually care for your pets needs. I am devastated because of their negligence

I brought my 3 year old cat here about a week ago, he was very lethargic and losing weight. The vet tech came outside to get him while I waited for a phone call for them to tell me that his sodium levels higher than she’s ever seen it and he’s critically ill. She told me that he needs hospitalized for 3,500$ and since moneys an issue, she recommended euthanizing him. I said absolutely not, I’m taking him home. I took him to affordable care vet in Finleyville 3 days later and the veterinarian there did the same blood work. He said my cats just dehydrated and gave me IV fluids for him. And now he’s 100 times better and back to his old self. Thank god I went for a second opinion instead of listening to her. I will never return to this vet or recommend it to anyone. They were cold and didn’t even send me home with instructions to help him, they made it as if my baby didn’t even have a chance.

It was a sad day for our family to have to put our cat down, but the staff was so professional, caring, and supportive. It was a sudden visit and they let us come right in. Thank you to the staff during a difficult time.

I had to take my cat Sam to the VCA Castle Shannon Hospital this past Saturday night 02/17/2018. I would like to thank all the people there for being honest honest with me in regards to Sam. Unfortunately his time was coming to an end rather rapidly. I would to also thank everybody for dealing with me, I became a complete mess because I was losing my buddy and I did not expect that. Thank you All So Very Much!!!

Extremely disappointed with recent services done during COVID-19 in 2020. I understand that these times are stressful with having to social distance and not be able to go in the building with my puppy, however I feel they could have handled our appointment differently: My boyfriend and I had a serious concern for our new 9 week old puppy who we just brought home the day before. He wasn’t eating or drinking water, only napping, and having diarrhea. I called prior and the first lady I spoke to was nice and advised me to email over his health record we had on file and they were only taking emergency appointments at that time. We arrived 15 minutes later, the exchange from the parking lot was fine but when I spoke over the phone with the vet as well as the technician I didn’t feel valued as a customer as well as the fact any question I asked when they responded, it came across as if I was bothering them and they didn’t care to answer. They never looked over the health record that a different technician asked me to email over when they should have and the technician on the phone kept talking over me when I was just trying to receive information. On top of the bad customer service, the bill was over $400. So we paid over $400 for my puppy to get some fluids and reluctant, short answers to my questions like they were pushing me out the door.2 years ago (in 2018) we had to put down our family black lab who was almost 18 years old. We had Luna since I was 3 years old. That appointment and process was very respectful and caring of our last moments with our dog giving us as much time as we needed in the room to say goodbye.I’m giving 2 stars instead of 1 star because of the one good experience I had back in 2018.

Our Cat Tessa was not feeling well so we found our way to the Castle Shannon Animal Hospital on a sunny Saturday. Per the current Covid 19 protocol, we let them know when we arrived and then a vet tech came out and took Tessa in for her exam. All concerned from the vet tech to the Dr. were very kind and explained things very thoroughly. We still have to await test results but I felt that Tessa was getting excellent treatment and I would recommend Castle Shannon Animal Hospital to others if asked.

I just wanted to take a moment to truly thank the incredible doctors and staff at the Castle Shannon animal hospital. We brought our beloved dog Diesel in not knowing what was wrong but knowing he needed seen immediately. Sadly, our boy was in worse shape than we thought and we made the heartbreaking decision to put him to sleep. Every single person we talked to was so incredibly kind and compassionate, allowing us as much time as we needed for my husband and I and our two small children to say our goodbyes to our sweet “snuggle pup”. The time and care they took with him and us, from explaining what was found and what it meant in terms we could understand, right up to the end when he took his final breaths, made an awful situation a little easier. So thank you for being there when we needed you most and for helping us do right by our sweet dog when he was in pain

We had a great experience with the VCA staff. The receptionist and vet assistant were extremely kind and patient. The veterinarian took time to answer our questions and was extremely knowledgeable. Thank you VCA staff for taking care of our beloved Frank today!

We recently had to make the very difficult decision of putting our 14 year old lab mix down, Nova. When I called the evening prior, he had just had his 5th seizure and this one was particularly bad. Obviously upset and doing my best to convey over the phone what had happened, the woman I spoke to was so patient, sweet and answered all of my questions. She was able to talk me through the process and I had not had to do this before and took her time in explaining everything, which I appreciated. When we arrived to the appointment, every staff member was wonderful, patient, thoughtful and kind. While the situation was incredibly sad and difficult, they were able to provide us with the assurance and care we needed and for that we are so grateful.I cant imagine trying to work under the current circumstances and expectations, while operating any sort of health service or clinic. They truly are accommodating to the best of their ability given the current climate. Ive been to this vet a few times and theyve always been fantastic to work with.We will always appreciate the staff at the VCA Castle Shannon animal hospital.

We have had our dogs to VCA for emergency and end of life care. We have always appreciated the level of compassion and care that we have gotten from them. After recently getting dismissive care for our other dog at two other local vets, I took Rocky to VCA for Dr. Iacovelli to see for bloodwork that one vet declared terminal, and the other nothing to worry about. Dr. I has not only taken the time to do workup on my dog, but she takes the time to talk to me to explain the what and the why of what she is doing, and I know she cares for each dog as a sentient being who deserves the care and attention that she is giving to them. She spent 20 minutes of her time going over his test results and digging into his medical care. THAT is a great doc. She had the unfortunate task of helping us send our beloved Tee over the bridge a month ago, and she was a strong and reassuring voice during that time. I ran into one of the techs at Starbucks later that week and thanked her for how compassionate they were, and she was also there when Tee passed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of my fur babies.

I took my kitty who had upper Respiratory infection and needed an antibiotic. The problem was that some years ago he had taken an antibiotic in conjunction with another medicine at another place, which made him sick, because we did not know which one of the medications was the culprit we had to do some research, the people at VCA Castle Shannon was amazing, they went over and beyond any expectation to make sure my kitty was taken care of and great attitude all of them all the time. Thank you, especially Lisa.

I had an emergency with my blue tongue skink last night. He dropped his tail and it scared me really bad. My ferret scared him through the glass tank & he tried to run and scratched his little head & dropped his tail. I called every Exotic animal hospital within two hours of me and they were the ONLY place that would see him if I needed, but informed me over the phone that he should be fine. Told me not to bring him in unless he was bleeding non-stop or completely in shock. I called another place before them & they just told me to put him down and that it would cost $400 to put a lizard down. He’s fine. He just dropped his tail and he’s back to his normal self, eating and all the next day. Every single other animal hospital in the Pittsburgh area just told me there’s nothing they could even tell me, because they didn’t have a doctor that knew about blue tongues. Very grateful for the receptionist and doctor I was able to speak to last night because I would have ended up putting him down due to the other hospital giving me false information.

Called here yesterday after my dog had a seizure... girl on the phone told me they had “too many emergencies” and suggested I find somewhere else.

This was the first time Ive ever been to a VCA animal hospital. My green cheek conure bird Tiki was really sick. I called and they were able to see him the same day and it was New Years day. Tiki was seen by Dr. Peterson and she was so wonderful with him. She started him on meds and did some lab work on him. She checked in on him throughout the whole process. Needless to say Tiki is feeling a lot better. Im so grateful to have a great veterinarian like her. She really cares about your pet. Thank you Dr. Peterson and VCA animal hospital!!

Would not recommend. My papillon dog who I rescued died in their parking lot 24 hours after their vet did a procedure on her. I returned to them 24 hours after the expensive procedure with her in distress and I was told there was no vet in and there is nothing they can do. The vet tech slid their window shut and she died in my arms right there in their parking lot. The other horrible thing they do is, Nick their rude unprofessional pharmacy tech refuses to sell me a special prescription food that my second papillon requires. Well today Nick denied to sell me any food at all. So first, they denied proper care and treatment for my first dog and now Nick is refusing to sell me a special prescription food my surviving papillon. VCA Castle Shannon is a heartless establishment, would not recommend. Find a vet’s office who actually cares about animal wellbeing because this place doesn’t.

There are very few vets who know a lot about my dogs genetic condition. 5he vet we see here is just amazing with him and our boxer. The new way they have things set up makes the appointments so much faster!

Sat here for two hours for them to put a cone on my dogs head and charge me 200 dollars Nicole needs to work on her c customer service there lucky I didn’t walk right out of there with outplaying in professional and way understaffed

Vet care was great. Staff was friendly and helpful. I am not really happy with the emergency charge and other fees. Very expensive. But my cat is worth it so I paid.

Went to VCA on a Sunday since my vet was closed, they allowed 1 person to go in. Explained my dogs symptoms which were not very active, seems to walk with his head down, and would just plop down in the middle of the room like he didn’t want to move and wasn’t really sleeping. When the doctor examined him he checked vitals which were good and did a physical exam which I noticed when he touched his neck he got real tense but the doctor didn’t seem to notice btw my dog is only 5 lbs. After the exam he diagnosed my dog with seizures, we discussed different meds but decided to wait, when I took him home he seemed worse than before. The next night Monday we went to bed and again he couldn’t sleep, this time it was non stop panting 2 hrs of this I rushed him to the emergency vet in Mcmurry. When we got there the nurse came out and took him inside. I waited in the car giving her the information from the previous day from VCA. I did not mention him tensing up during the physical exam only because I forgot. When the doctor called she said it’s not seizures and she believes it never was in fact he had a neck injury. She gave us pain meds and anti inflammatory meds for the next week . After 3 days he was back to normal again. When I received the follow up call from VCA I explained they misdiagnosed my dog and the response was “maybe he injured his neck during a seizure “, they didn’t even offer an apology or money back nothing. Maybe the doctor needs to go back to school !

I left without any instructions for a dog with a high fever and diarrhea.It appears that they are just racking up the tab. All of their testing is double $$ than a regular vet. They offer more testing and more testing after that. They could have offered a sonogram before their pricy X-ray. X-rays showed nothing, but cloud. Maybe that was the techs fault? I would have done the sonogram if it was offered before the X-ray as it provides more info.Meds are twice as much here. They offered fluids which I declined.Bottom line is they had no clue what was wrong and I spent over $600 and my dog’s still sick.It seems like a pyramid scheme if I had to compare. They have no answers after testing and keep wanting you to spend for more testing.They have you sign documents that prove you declined what was offered. They are either afraid of law suits or the vets needs to prove that they were promoting expensive care. Either way, I need to see my regular vet. They will be more forthcoming. Staff was nice. The vet was meh.

I had to find a new Veterinarian three years ago which led me to VCA. I cant say enough good things about VCA. From the friendliness of the staff, to the caring and general concern from the Doctors. Both the staff and the Doctor followed up our appointment with phone calls to check on the well being of our baby.

Several years ago our precious Sheltie died on the way to VCA in the middle of the night. They were waiting. I was crying and told them I think he just died. They still said let me take him in and see if there is anything I can do. He came out very compassionate and said he was gone. I wanted to take him home just the way he was. He said wait let us prepare him for you. They got him ready and gave him back to us. I asked how much, he said dont worry about it, you have been through enough. This was a few years ago, but when I saw the other post about them asking money first, I had to write our experience. We are blessed to have an emergency hospital so near.

A week ago my Father and I took our good friend Harpo down your way for an emergency visit.  Shed been lethargic for days, and something just didnt feel right at all.Within minutes Doctor Mikoloski came out, and notified us immediately of the two most likely conditions she was apparently suffering from.  We made the very painful, yet not difficult decision to help her further on her journey.What helped that decision most, more than data, and experience from the Doctor, was the visceral reaction he had when he walked up to us both that sad evening.  For a man Id never met, and for a cat he had never treated prior, the expression on his face, and the sound of his voice, not only affirmed the sad words he echoed, but even more so, that he truly cares and loves his patients, and also feels great empathy for their owners.To the equally caring Tech Staff, everyone at the VCA Castle Shannon Animal Hospital, and Doctor Mikoloski, I am forever grateful that they helped make my Fathers, my own, and most importantly Harpos journey on this earth, and beyond, a far more pleasant one.With admiration, and deep gratitude,-Wes Wyzykowski

Today I had to say goodbye to my devoted companion. Dr. Mikoloski and staff were very compassionate and caring during this very difficult time. Thank you!

If you have a pet emergency. And you are not wealthy I feel for you. The veterans are good at what they do. But the prices are for the wealthy. Very sad how much the care is for the pets we love and our part of our families.

These are animal loving people. Had to say goodbye to our 15 Year old friend, was there for two emergencies Sat n Sunday. Could not find more caring, empathetic, professionals. Thank you for your kind caring of our Saber.

Our english mastiff was dying, they kept the hospital open after hours to help us. They are the most compassionate and kind people I have ever met. Gentle with our dog, and to us. Would recommend to everyone!!

Do not go to Castle shannon animal hospital. My experience was HORRIBLE to say the least. My beagle was a puppy at the time getting into everything. He ended up eating all of my vitamin d. I spoke with a toxicologist. And it was recommended to take him to the vet asap. So i did. It was 2am, was not seen until 5am. They did not induce vomiting, pump stomach, draw blood. They informed me that he has a heart murmur which i already know. They wanted to keep him for 3 days. Absolutely no idea why. They didnt do any tests to warrant that! I waited until my vet was open. Id save your time, and money and go somewhere else.

They are super nice I had to just let go of my baby Bully they made me feel at ease. I would love to thank everyone.

Ive been bringing my dog here since adopting him 4 years ago and my cat since rescuing him a year ago. My dog is a bit of a dummy and has had some random reasons for having to be brought to the vet, and every time they treat my pets well, theyre knowledgeable and caring, and the prices are fair.

False advertising:VCA Castle Shannon ADVERTISES in a magazine offering a free first examWhen i brought my dog to be seen there for the first time, i was told it would cost $120.There is NO free first exam contrary to their half-page ad. When i discussed this with the manager, she suggested that we find another vet. Rude!

We took our three four month old kittens there for check ups yesterday. Everyone was so kind and just adored our kitties. The vet was so nice and gentle with our babies. I’m not certain why there are so many bad reviews. We had a wonderful experience and have three happy and healthy kittens!

Seriously felt compelled to write this review. Not one for giving one star but my experience here was a 0. My dog was bleeding out of his mouth so I ran here for some help, very concerned about my dog. I arrived at 7:19p to be told that I won’t be seen even though they close 41 minutes later. They advised me to go to the MedVet which took me 30 minutes while wiping my dogs blood. They told me they had one doctor and that they were behind, which I am completely capable of understanding. However this is an “animal hospital.” You shouldn’t be turning animals in need away. Especially close to an hour out of your closing time. Like where’s your pride in your work? This really upset me because I actually work in a hospital. You stay a little after hours sometimes because it’s in your profession. I understand that my dog looked “stable” (what the front desk lady told me) but that’s only because I was constantly wiping all the blood from coming out of his mouth. I just felt no compassion whatsoever. Also, why is there only one vet staffed here? I’ve relied on this place in the past once or twice for minor things and even with their outrageous prices I thought they were somewhere I could run to in an emergency. Nope. My dog was clearly uncomfortable and probably in pain so that really didn’t sit well with me. I had to race across town because they closed in 41 minutes. If I did my job that way, people would probably die. 0/10 experience for me.

We have been going to this vet for at least 8 years. Through that time, they have treated our dog and three cats. During this time we also unfortunately had to put two cats down here. The staff have always been so friendly, understanding and caring. We have never had anything but a positive experience here and couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.

Dr. Dave and Dr. Jen Lopez are amazing. They know exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. They avoid costly tests, there is no pressure or guilt. They will recommend what is best for the animal. I am very grateful to them and the staff! There is a very fun and lighthearted vibe unless it calls for compassion, then they are so kind and caring. I also appreciate that the cost is extremely reasonable. Thank you!

I had an appointment to get my dog shots told to call from the parking lot dialed the phone 29 times it was busy finally somebody answered put me on hold for 25 minutes then proceeded to tell me I didn’t have an appointment. The most unprofessional run Vet in the city very expensive, employees are rude.Proceeded to tell me that I made a mistake I don’t believe I would’ve took a half a vacation day to get my pet shots they took no blame told me I could wait in the parking lot for another hour and a half and then they could see if they could get me in.In fact the lady that answered the phone was the one that did not enter my appointment into the books.

I can’t thank VCA Castle Shannon enough. My first time coming here was with my beloved dog Jenny when she made her peaceful trip over the rainbow bridge, the staff and Dr. Schrader went above and beyond to console both me and my husband during one of the most difficult times of our lives. The compassion they show is extraordinary, you can tell they truly care. Our second time coming to VCA Dr. Mikoloski saved our dog Kola that we had adopted after Jenny’s passing. She suddenly developed Pyometra which Dr. Mikoloski quickly identified. She was given emergency surgery and made a complete recovery. Thank you for taking such great care of our babies!

One of the hardest days of my life today. I had to put my Toby down. 14 years of our lives spent together. I am so glad I chose Castle Shannon Animal Hospital to aide in his final moments. They were all, from the front desk to the doctor and everyone we came in contact with in between were all very caring and kind to my Toby, Husband and I. They showed such compassion and really seemed to care. I will definitely take any future pets there for everything. I highly recommend. Thank you so much for making this difficult day a little easier.

Absolutely awful. They treated us like garbage. Talked down to us as if we didn’t know anything. We go there to get our dog looked at and wanted to just walk out with in the first 15 minutes. If you want to get talked down too or feel terrible this is the vet for you. Strongly suggest you stay away. If I could give zero stars I would have.

It has been a few months, and I am now able to write this review without emotion or anger. I brought my 17 year old dog in (family pet his entire life), in distress, knowing it was his last day. The vet was compassionate and agreed that it was his time and we arranged to have him euthanized at that appointment. I spoke with 2 techs and the vet, indicating that I wanted his ashes returned. When I was filling out the form I was emotional, so I asked the tech if I chose the correct option. I was confused why the individual cremation was cheaper than the group cremation. She assured me that it was, I paid for the service. Our beloved family member was calmly and peacefully euthanized while we were sitting with him, holding him. As we were leaving, in tears, the girl at the desk and the tech both indicated that we would get a call in about a week when he was ready to be picked up. We heard nothing for a week and a half, so my son called and they informed him that we had chosen group cremation. We had not, we made it very clear that we wanted his ashes, and there were conversations about when we could pick them up. Needless to say, we are devastated. We asked questions to make certain that we would get the ashes. The woman on the phone with my son was cold and indifferent. We tell everyone that we know with pets to NEVER visit your establishment. Our children have since convinced us to get a new dog and will have chosen a different vet and have taken our new family member all the way across town to an emergency hospital when she has a scare at the vet, even though we knew that your establishment could handle it. We have mentioned our experience to other visitors at our new vet to warn them away. We also told our new vet staff so that they could warn other people as well. We will never get our beloved pets ashes back, and his collar and name tag that he had worn since he was a pup was also not returned. What a heartbreaking experience.

Today I had to take my little 15 year old cat in. We knew something was wrong and needed immediate care. The staff was so helpful and so compassionate. They explained everything from finances to all our care options. They didnt push us to do anything but explained everything honestly. Sadly we arrived with our precious girl and left without her. They gave every option and were honest about what treatment would and wouldnt do. I highly recommend these vets. I couldnt have asked for anything more. They are wonderful.

Wonderful Experience! Dr. Lopez was very caring, kind and thorough with testing my poor Goldendoodle as we brought her in late one night. Mollie had become lethargic, wouldnt eat or drink and we knew something was terribly wrong. We also had a gut feeling that Mollie had an obstruction since she had chewed a baseball mitt a few days prior. After x-rays to confirm our suspicions, Dr. Lopez explained that exploratory surgery was the only route. Again, the kindness of the Dr., as well as her staff were very comforting. The tech took time to explain the cost involved with everything and broke down the details of what we were to be charged for. We left our girl with the staff as it was late into the night. A few hours later, we were contacted to say all went well and the obstruction was cleared. Within about 5 days Mollie was back to her old self! The best part of all... The total they quoted us ended up costing less than what they stated. Of course no one wants to pay that kind of money, however to save the life of a beloved family member, of course you do what you have to do! Honestly, i truly believe if we had taken Mollie to the well known emergency vet in the North Hills, the cost of the procedure may have been double!!! Thank you to Dr. Lopez and her staff for a great job!! Every time I have visited this clinic we have had excellent, quick service and been treated with compassion.

I first had contact with this veterinary office due to an emergency with my dog. I appreciated the care they gave and decided to make it my full-time veterinary office for my 2 dogs and also convinced my mother to switch to this office as well for her 2 dogs.Everything was great until this past Saturday when I had to put my 14 year old dog to sleep. Over the past year we have requested NUMEROUS times to have the correct owners listed on the dogs accounts, but that has never been changed. Even when we filled out the paperwork to put my dog to sleep we advised them that my mother was not the owner, that I was and they just smiled and said okay. I came home from work today and in the mail was a sympathy card addressed to my mother and her family. I cant even describe how hurt I am. I am the one who had to make the decision to put my dog that I have cared for to sleep, not my mother. They didnt even have the decency to update their records and send the sympathy card to the right person.I called the office and was told that a message would be given to the office manager ato call me. Well Im still waiting on the one vet to call me back about a prescription question from 3 weeks ago, that luckily just had to do with the amount of refills and nothing life sustaining. So Im not holding my breath to get a call back for this issue. Then I was transferred to a Regional Director who Im sure will not have the time to call a grieving pet owner back with their busy schedule. It may not be upsetting to some but it was a very hard decision to make and they act like it isnt one that I made and someone else did due to THEIR error and lack of attention. My only other concern is that if they lack attention to detail with their care of the animals, too. If you cant fix a clerical error as simple as a name change, are you really giving quality care to my pets?

I brought my 10 year old german Sheppard in for a checkup and the staff was very kind, showed regard for bruiser and he walked back woth his tail wagging! This is my new vet of choice. Come see the friendly staff here they make going to the vet less daunting.

THE WORST PLACE, DO NOT GO! I been going here regularly since February 2015 until July 2018. I just did not know any better. I thought $300 to $600 was a normal cost to see a vet. They will make you think your animal is dying, order many unnecessary tests and rack up your bills real quick. That is the only thing they did for me. I got a file with bills after bills after bills... Recently I talked to my neighbors about it, they had no idea thats where I was going, and they talked sense to me. Now I switched to someone in the neighborhood who is a decent person and reasonably priced. Places like VCA Animal Hospital need reviews like this and need to be shut down.

Very inhumane! I called since my cat is not feeling well. I asked if payment arrangements are possible. No said the man in the phone. Its $116.00 for the emergency visit & medications are extra. Very cold & uncaring. Obviously they are in it for the money instead of there for care of a sick animal.I prefer Bethel Park Cat Clinic where the Doc & the staff are MORE concerned about the welfare of my cat than the almighty dollar. My cat passed away Monday @ 4:40AM & her death will haunt me forever. VCA thank you for NOTHING. Even if she had to be put to sleep it would have been better than the horrific way she passed away. I would NEVER recommend you to anyone that LOVES their pet !

They take awesome care of my two beagles and my familys Carolina Dog. Im not sure why they have such negative reviews but I have never had anything but a positive experience there and it is well worth the 30 minute drive past other vets thats are closer

My mother recently had to put her pug, Louie, of 14 years down and it was urgent that it be done as the dog took a turn for the worse over night. The staff and vet were so very kind and sympathetic to my family and even ended up sending us a sympathy card in the mail. Thank you all for helping us during this difficult time, you truely made it easier on all of us. I would highly recommend this vet hospital to anyone in need.

We went to the Castle Shannon veterinarian ER when something just was not right with our 11 year old dog. Dr. Moneyhun was so kind. She took the time to research a possible diagnosis and called with all the results of the testing. With such a high volume office her time spent is greatly appreciated.

I took my cat stu there and unfortunately I had to do one of the hardest things and say goodbye. The vet and staff were so very understanding and supportive of how terrible and unbelievable this was for the whole family. The vet took time to explain the situation and answer every question. And the staff let us grieve and say goodbye with as much comfort and peace as they could possibly give. I highly recommend as they truly care about the pets they serve, and understand the love you’ve shared with them.

I could not have been more pleased by the care and compassion displayed by the staff and especially the doctors and nurses who took care of my very ill puppy- she was hospitalized several days. The doctor called me with updates often and the staff really fussed over her. They were knowledgeable and extremely caring. Top notch facility. You should be very proud.

I have owned dogs most of my life and spent many years searching for a vet I like. This is THE vet. Friendly, knowledgeable, professional staff. Extremely kind to pets and their owners. A host of online, texting and email services and reminders. I will never go anywhere else even though its a half hour drive from my home.

We were visiting Pittsburgh when our puppy got into something that made her sick. We called one vet hospital and were told they had a two hour wait. We called VCA and they told us to come right in. They took our puppy to an exam room the second we walked in the door, before they had any of our information.The staff was courteous and the doctor warm and professional.They took good care of our puppy and their fees were very reasonable.

I called to see if they took emergency appointments for ferrets and was told yes and to call when we got there. Got there called, and they said they didn’t have anyone that sees ferrets! Then the girl on the phone proceeded to tell me that she asked everyone inside if they spoke to me and she said they didn’t...uh my phone keeps numbers I call! Never ever will I recommend this place to anyone! Thanks for NOTHING!

Our dog was 13 and dying. He had been progressively declining for months. He was under care from his regular vet for some recent changes that were not good. The following Sunday, he stopped eating, drinking, could not stand up, and was on his second seizure when we decided to take him to end his suffering. We dropped in on VCA with no notice and they took us back quickly. We found the staff and physician to be kind and compassionate to us and our dog. We were allowed to spend time with him before the procedure, hold him during the procedure and take as much time as we needed after the procedure. We were able to take him with us after. We felt that they provided a good service and had no regrets.

My dog dog was very under the weather and VCA was one of the few vets open on sunday. So we went down, were met by very caring people at the desk. Once in with the vet (which was prob about 15 min after I walked in) I gave him a full rundown of my dogs history and symptoms, he then examined my dog and came back with a diagnosis and prescription. not even 24 hours later my dog is almost back to his old self. I can not thank the people at VCA enough for how quickly they worked and how compassionate they were.

Theyve always been great with our cats and I have no complaints. Most of the 1 star ratings are from people who are mad the vets expect them to pay for services. Their prices are comparable to similar offices and everyone there has always been super nice. But Im also not nasty and demanding and I pay my bills.

Would give them less stars if I could. I have been going to Castle Shannon VCA for years, for everything from check ups, to shots, to emergencies. I have ALWAYS paid up front. I am not just some random person from on the street. I thought I had a relationship with this vet. Clearly that didn’t matter.My dog is suffering from internal bleeding currently and Castle Shannon refused to help me. I get paid on Friday (it is currently Wednesday night) and have offered to write a check, leave my dog with them, leave my debit card with them, etc. Whatever it takes. They flat out refused to work with me. Absolutely heartless, especially considering I have given them thousands of dollars over the last 3 years.DO NOT GO HERE. These people are vile and lacking compassion and will be the reason my dog dies a horrible, suffering death.Thanks Castle Shannon.

Contacted at 6pm and told nobody was there that could help us out with our dogs ear infection. I was told to check somewere else and that their earliest opening was not for 2 weeks. I guess it may not be urgent enough but we will have to take our dog somewere else.

Had to kennel my dog, he needed standard shots. Appt. Was for 3:20, sat in a waiting room until 5:00 not a word from anyone. I left.... now have to pay someone to come to my home to watch my dog so i can catch my flight tomorrow. Try not overbooking

I have been to VCA Castle Shannon many times and have had nothing but good experiences. They do get busy from time to time, but the level of care is excellent and the folks there actually try to connect with your pets (petting and such) before they start the exam, which puts your already stressed pets and ease. All the vets are great, but I just love Dr Finn. She specializes in cat care and my cat who has stomatitis is doing wonderfully due to their correct diagnosis and treatment. I would give them 10 stars if I could ! Dont hesitate to go there. Your pet will receive care.

Very positive experience at this vet hospital. Was a 1st time client and chose them due to an online coupon for free first visit. Was very impressed. Got a appointment same day I called, the vet ( Dr. Lopes) was professional and kind. The staff at the reception desk were very friendly as well as the technician. I will definitely be using them as my regular vet.

I have had nothing but the best care and experience at this VCA location. The care and concern the vets here have for animals is unlike other vets Ive been to. Special thanks to Dr Beard for helping with our terminally ill cat and taking a significant amount of time to go over all options with us. The office staff came to my car to carry our deceased pet for cremation, offered condolences, and created a paw print plaque when we needed cremation. Also thank you to Dr Risa for saving the lives of our two new kittens who wouldnt have survived without her expertise. This office sometimes gets busy, but its because of taking time with each and every patient they see. The friendly desk workers even helped with obtaining a care credit card to cover the cost of visits. I am a new client of VCA, but the three times Ive been there, I have been treated with the care I would expect if I was one of their family. Thank you so much for all you do.

My dog was in full seizure. They stop the seizure and helped me to relocate him to a 24-hour facility

I love VCA! They are so kind, caring & understanding. I love the fact that they are 24 hjours so when I have a question Im able to call and not have to wait until the next day! I highly recommend them!

We brought our dog Bella to the emergency service on Sunday March 20. She had a seizure and was very sick. Unfortunately she had so many problems going on that they were unable to save her. She was only five and it was a huge blow to us. I just want to say that Dr Della Penna was wonderful. She was very compassionate while explaining exactly what was going on. I know it has to be the worst part of her job to tell people that their dog isnt going to make it and I just wanted her to know that we appreciated her expertise and understanding of what we were going through. She is an excellent veterinarian and Id recommend her to anyone.

It makes me sad to write this review. I’ve taken my pets to Castle Shannon Animal Hospital since the late ‘80s when I moved to Pittsburgh. They came highly recommended at that time. I found the care & customer service was great. Over the last 4 -5 years the care & customer service has really been negatively impacted, possibly by a greater volume of patients. I will admit to skipping taking my cats to the vet for a couple of years because the attitude of the staff was so negative. I had requested to always be present when the vet examined my pets. That way I could answer any questions the vet might have about my pet, explain any current concerns & ask questions of my own. This “demand” on my part has apparently led to me being labeled difficult. So be it. I waited 2 weeks for an appointment for all three of my cats. After chasing, catching & finally getting all three cats in crates & loaded in the car & driving thru rush hour traffic, we arrived 10 minutes early. I walked in behind two people & found a completely empty waiting room. The one staff member greeted the two people before me & engaged them in a looong conversation about their pet. After 5 minutes, I walked up to the counter to sign in but the only pens were in front of the other customers. Still no acknowledgement from the staff that I was there, even though she saw me. Another staff member walked up & asked if I needed assistance. When I identified myself & explained that I had an appointment, I was told that they had had a power outage & couldn’t see patients because they couldn’t pull up records. I understand that but did that also mean they couldn’t call me to cancel & reschedule the appointment? The fact the waiting room was empty would indicate that they had probably contacted other clients. Did this power outage also diminish the courtesy of customer service? Who knows. So I now need to find a new vet for a senior cat with a past history of seizures, another cat with an increasing difficulty of moving food thru her body & blood flecks in her stools & a cat who was feral & is only comfortable with my husband & I. Thanks to Castle Shannon Animal Hospital for their past excellent care. Shame on you for your current rudeness.

Everyone is nice but I always wait at least 20 minutes before even being taken into a room (at off-peak hours), where you can expect to wait another 15-30 minutes to be seen. Basic care is fine but I’ve seen two doctors who can’t form any idea on diagnosing the cause of my dog’s extreme hot spots and fever.

Brought my 16 year old border collie in here today because of an emergency. As soon as they seen what was happening. They snatched the dog from me and rushed him to the back. The whole staff acted professionally. They were all nice and accommodating to not only my dog but to me also. They let me know of my dogs situation every 5/10 mins. In the end told me of the problem and gave the proper meds and instructions to get my boy well. Thanks to the doctor and the staff. Couldnt of asked for more.

This place is horrible! DO NOT TAKE YOUR SICK PET THERE!!I paid nearly 800.00 for a non existent diagnosis, then had to return 8 days later to have my sons 2 1/2 year old Main Coon uthinized. When I asked the supposed veterinarian professional what his diagnosis was, he shrugged his shoulders and said, I dont know. I told him I wish I could get away with that in my business, this after they charged me nearly 800.00 dollars. Do yourself a favor and take your pets to a competent veterinarian practice, definitely not VCA in Castle Shannon.

I was new to the area, and my cat had an emergency...so I went here despite the poor reviews. However, I feel this location cared more about the profit than the care of my animal. They kept pushing an unnecessary surgery and a large quantity of medications that I could not afford. When I asked if there was any way to reduce costs, they basically just told me no.I ended up leaving by signing an against medical advice form and drove 5 hours to a known trusted vet hospital. With this decision, my cat got optimal care, and I saved over $2,000-3,000 of unnecessary costs that VCA tried to charge me. (He got the same procedure...just aspects he NEEDED)The only reason I gave them 2 stars is for the kindness of the staff. They were at no point mean or rude...I just dont think they had my pets best interest in mind while being affordable to the owner...A nice staff is not enough for me to return.

My first experience here was having a dog euthanized. I now take all three of my dogs there and they cant wait to get inside. Staff and Vets are outstanding.

Very helpful staff and well trained veterinarians! I recommend using them as your everyday vet so they have your pets records when you have an emergency visit.

Very kind and professional staff. Weve been taking our pets here for years.

My 3 month old puppy max started throwing up and got really sick could not eat or drink water . i took him here they did 260 worth of tests and told me he had a blockage in his intestines and that it would range in 4k to get it removed with a 4 day stay.. they said he would die if i did not have it done and i was declined for the credit service. so they advised i have him put to sleep a beautiful 3 month old puppy put to sleep because i could not pay the fee .. well long story short i left that incredibly rude cold place took my baby max to big easy where they did the surgery a micro chip and nurtured him for 1200 with a payment plan he was back home in 3 hours

Im ashamed to even give this ONE star! I took my cat here because he was violently throwing up and lethargic for two days. They made me wait for four hours (I understand more critical cases are top priority just like a human ER) but the single doctor on call wasnt even hustling in the slightest. They were rude and pushy. I told the doctor that my cat probably eaten something since he had ingested foreign objects in the past and had surgery to remove them. He took an X-ray and told me his stomach was empty...anyone who can read a book knows that it is probably stuck in his small intestine by now if it hasnt passed through his colon or come up in his vomit. He dismissed my concerns, gave my cat fluids and sent me home with a $500 vet bill. My cat threw up when we got home. I took him to the North Hills for a second opinion. They ended up doing emergency surgery to save his life an hour later. Furthermore they said he had been severely dehydrated and need SIX HOURS of IV fluids rather than the fluid hump on his back.

Terrible vet. The people here (especially the night staff for emergencies) are not nice people. They were generally nasty and inconsiderate to not only me but also the other PAYING CUSTOMERS in the building. And now for the sad part (so if your a big animal person you may want to stop now). My cat had urinary track problems for over a year. He would start acting up and wed take him in to get everything straightened up. While I say that like its no big deal it really is because the cat is a great amount of pain and would die within 24 hours without help. We always took him to our local vet and it cost us around $50 each time. Unfortunately he had one of his attacks on a Friday night. Our vet is not only not a 24 hour vet but he is also closed on weekends so we had to find somewhere fast. We took him here and expected similar care. Ignoring the rudeness to us the employees were decently timely and brought us in. The doctor told us that this was more than what it really was and that we had to do a lot more than usual. Reluctantly we said ok, but how much? She gave us a quote of $550 without an overnight stay or anything like that. No we arent exactly millionaires so we couldnt afford this extra work, so we asked if they could just take care of it so he would make it to Monday and we could visit our normal vet. She refused saying that this is what he needed. In the end we had to put our cat down because we couldnt afford all their extra charges, there were no other vets that would be open in time to save him and we didnt want him to suffer and die from the poison due to his blockage. The sheer inconsideration and caring for a family pet was mind boggling. Do not give this establishment your business.

Honestly cannot thank Dr Lopez and all of the other techs at VCA Castle Shannon enough. My cat had to stay multiple nights due to crystals in his bladder. From the start, they treated Titus amazingly (even though he was not happy to be there) and they were super compassionate. They saved his life and got him back to good health, giving me updates along the way. I will admit, it was not cheap, but no emergency ever is with an animal. I loved that they at least gave me a heads up on all the costs and worked with me for payment. Ive been to other vets and hospitals, but I found techs and docs were always super cranky. Complete opposite experience at VCA. Thank you Dr Lopez and everyone at VCA Castle Shannon!!!

If you are looking for inexpensive vet care - go elsewhere. If you need quality and round the clock care - this is the place. I made an apointment for a sick dog when my vet was closed. It was not an emergency when I called. By the time we arrived, it was. I dropped off a dog who couldnt stand. A day and a half later, I picked up a walking, tail wagging dog. By the next morning, he was back to normal. Excellent care and the techs were awesome.

Took my cat to Avets because she passed out and they determined nothing and only suggested checking her into the hospital. The next day we went to VCA for the same issue, within minutes Dr. Mikoloski determined she had low blood sugar. The whole staff was very helpful and informative. This was the best experience after visiting multiple other vets. I would highly reccomend.

They are the best in the area. Thanks for taking great care of my Vinnie. They were very helpful, compassionate when I had to put my Vinnie down. Thank You

When our cat degloved the end of his tail, they were available when our regular vet was not. He had to have a minor amputation, and the vets and vet techs were so helpful and caring. They made sure he was comfortable, and they worked to keep the costs of surgery to a minimum. Ive been to other emergency vet clinics where there is a charge for everything and they try to keep your animal under additional observation to make money, but this clinic wasnt like that at all. Most importantly, though, they answered all of our questions and they took exceptional care of our cat. I definitely recommend them.

I am a long time client of this hospital, over 20 years. From my original vet Dr. Bell, to my current vet Dr.Lopez, I have experienced nothing but compassion, excellent medical services and kindness. Thank you for the care you give during the annual visits and scary emergencies. Bless you all.

Never answered their phone. We drove there any way. Lady took 10 minutes to open the door!!!! This place isnt for us or our pets! Went to University Vet. Great peeps there!

Great place to take your pets. The Techs and Doctors were friendly and knowledgeable.

My dog suffered a severe allergic outbreak which resulted in multiple skin lesions. We took him in on a Sunday morning (emergency walk in). We were seen immediately, given excellent service and treated with respect. I felt the doctor and the staff were very caring about the welfare of my dog.