Veterinary Specialty Services

This place is amazing and the staff is awesome. I had heard how amazing this place was from a neighbor due to an emergency with their dog so I made sure I kept their information incase something every happened with mine and unfortunately I had to use them early Feb 2026. The staff is awesome, they were packed but somehow attentive to everyone that came in. People of course were stressed and freaking out but they did what they could to keep everyone calm. They got my dog in, identified the issues and got a treatment plan in place. Now he is back to normal.

First of all, I have to say I am super impressed with the start of the process till the end of the process. The office staff is really knowledgeable and super friendly. I’ve taken one of my dogs here before and they took great care of my little Baxter. My poor baby got mastitis on Friday and overnight it was really bad and super scary. It got really bad. I called and they got her in pretty quickly. I took her in on Saturday and Dr. Wilde is amazing. She told me exactly what to expect explained everything very thoroughly and I felt at ease leaving my baby girl there. Every day they called me and gave me updates on how her surgery went and her overall condition. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving my baby.

I recently had my cat, Dragon, hospitalized here for a urinary blockage. We came from Illinois when all of the animal ERs were full. How lucky we were to land here. The staff was wonderful. The Doctors called with regular updates and gave us options. My cat ended up staying an extra night and the bill was slightly higher than the estimate, which was very reasonable. My cat is now home after a very scary weekend and we have decided that we will be coming here for any future emergencies. Thank you for being so kind.

I truly cannot thank thank them enough for helping my boy over the last few days. The doctor was very informative and helpful. The techs are all so sweet. Maverick tends to have anxiety and issues when going to the vet but after the first night stay in their ICU, he was cozying up with all the techs and didn’t give them any issues, they must have been treating him like a king while he was feeling his worst. I will always recommend them for any pet having issues.

We transferred our beloved dog, Remi, to VSS in Manchester from Hawthorne Animal Hospital for a CT scan. While the drive over went well and the front desk initially helped us unload him quickly, the compassion and professionalism we expected ended there. Our experience with Dr. Sutton was deeply disappointing and added unnecessary trauma to an already heartbreaking day. Throughout our interactions, Dr. Sutton spoke so softly that we could barely hear critical, life-altering information. Worse, there were constant "miscommunications." We were explicitly told we could see Remi before the procedure, but by the time we were taken back, he had already been intubated (put under anesthesia) without us present. We never got that moment back. The communication regarding the diagnosis was confusing and erratic. Dr. Sutton initially suggested surgery as an option, but when I pressed for details, he backtracked, checked with a surgeon, and then returned to say it was too risky—leaving us with the only option to put him down. He offered no compassion during this delivery. In fact, he seemed more concerned that his shift was ending, even coming into the room with euthanasia syringes while we were still waiting for my wife and daughter to arrive from two hours away. The administrative and support process was equally insensitive: 1. **Lack of Privacy:** When we were called back to see Remi, we were taken to a general working area with employees walking around, where Remi was lying in a chain-link cage. A staff member actually asked if we "wanted" a private room—as if privacy shouldn't be the standard for a grieving family saying goodbye. 2. **Paperwork Harassment:** I was interrupted four separate times to fill out paperwork while I was in the middle of grieving and comforting my dying dog. Paperwork can wait until the end; grief cannot. 3. **Medical Disconnect:** Remi actually pulled one side of his own oxygen tube out while we waited for the rest of our family, and immediately stopped coughing and relaxed. Dr. Sutton tried to put it back in despite Remi being calm, and I had to intervene. Dr. Sutton did say one tube on the other side was probably enough and stopped himself from putting the tube back in. The only redeeming part of this experience was the vet who relieved Dr. Sutton. He was audible, patient, and kind. He handled the final moments with the respect Remi deserved. He said I'm sorry when Remi passed. Dr. Sutton needs to find a different career path or undergo serious training on how to handle pet owners in crisis. You are paid to inform and comfort, not to whisper and rush families because your shift is up. **Note to VSS:** Please spare me the generic "We are truly sorry about your loss" or "The account you shared does not align with our medical records" copy-paste response. My family lived this yesterday. Use this review to train your staff on empathy and timing, not to make excuses.

We had a very disappointing experience during an emergency visit to VSS with our 13-year-old dachshund. We arrived early Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m. with a dog in obvious distress — significant back pain and neurological symptoms consistent with IVDD. At the time, he was presenting at what appeared to be a Grade 4 on a 1–5 IVDD scale. IVDD at that level is critical, and time is of the essence to prevent permanent neurologic damage or paralysis. I want to acknowledge that the receptionist was kind and compassionate, which we truly appreciated. Unfortunately, despite the seriousness of his presentation, we waited roughly two hours to be seen. When Dr. Kristen Dellacamera entered the room, much of the appointment was spent troubleshooting issues with her laptop. Very little time felt focused on listening to our concerns or conducting a thorough exam appropriate for a potentially critical neurological case. When we asked about MRI or imaging, our questions were dismissed. We were told an MRI consult would not be available until Wednesday. When we expressed concern about waiting given the risk of paralysis, we were told we could leave and seek care at a neurology practice in Ladue. IV steroids were administered, but no pain medication or muscle relaxers were initially provided. I had to specifically ask about discharge medications before prescriptions were sent home, with minimal explanation. We have had prior satisfactory visits here, which makes this experience even more concerning. In emergency medicine — especially with suspected high-grade IVDD — urgency, communication, and compassion matter. We left feeling unsupported and ultimately sought care elsewhere. I hope this feedback is taken constructively. Pet owners facing critical neurologic emergencies deserve attentive, focused care when every hour can impact outcome.

Our dog was facing an unknown, sudden catastrophic situation. We called beforehand to confirm bringing our dog in. We arrived. We were checked in. And that’s where the interaction ended. Not only was there urine all over the examine room floor (which I cleaned up), but no one even bothered to take our dog’s vitals. We went back up to the desk to ask if our dog would be seen after waiting a full hour, and was told other cases took priority. There was no one else in the facility at the time. We were also lectured by the staff member about how ERs worked and that they also had experience in human ER. If this staff person actually worked in a human ER, then they would have known that the first thing you do is take vitals to determine proper triage. During this hour, the one vet passed the room repeatedly with zero interaction with us until this vet disappeared behind a door. We waited another hour. Not a single staff person checked in on us or our dog. The vet passed the room a couple more times; totally ignoring us. We left the facility. Only then did anyone care that we were there; or leaving. As we were taking our dog back to our vehicle, someone came outside and yelled; that’s right they yelled at us, asking "Are you leaving?". Our dog passed away the next day. We could have been home spending the last hours with her instead of her wasting the precious time she had left being ignored and neglected at this place. I don’t usually leave reviews; and I further don’t leave negative reviews. But this experience warranted me leaving a review. That’s how negative our experience was with this place. And that’s how we never want to ever come into contact again with that staff member or anyone else at this place.