VCA Canada Calgary North Animal Hospital

I recently unfortunately had to take my sister’s cat in after she passed away. From the time I called, up to when I left the clinic, the staff were compassionate and caring. Even though we had never been here before and it was not my personal cat, they made the entire process as easy as it could be. Thank you.

If you love your fur baby, don't bring them here. There are other options for urgent care!

Last week our dog was brought in needing emergency care, staff brought pup back, said she's fine and to wait in the waiting room.

She was not fine and passed away a short time later.
If an emergency vet cannot diagnose GDV/bloat then they shouldn't be practicing.

And please, spare the fake sympathy public response.
When I phoned back, reception was nonchalant and dismissive.

Very helpful. Great staff.

We had an emergency on our way to Alberta. The service we received here, for our wobbly little girl was fantastic! It was a busy day in the clinic, but when it was our turn, they gave her their undivided attention. She was diagnosed, treated, and her condition and aftercare was well explained to us.
From the minute we walked through the door, we all received excellent attention. Thank you!

My experience at VCA Canada Calgary North Animal Hospital & 24 Hour Emergency Service was very disappointing.
I booked an appointment for my puppy to receive a routine DHPp vaccination. We were taken into the exam room about 10 minutes later than our scheduled appointment time. Once inside, we spent approximately 40 minutes listening to recommendations about additional services, tests, and treatments that we had not requested. We came specifically for a routine vaccination.
After that discussion, the veterinarian left the room, and we waited another 10 minutes before they returned to actually administer the vaccine.
The biggest surprise was the bill. When we booked the appointment, we were told the vaccination would cost $66. However, after the appointment, we were presented with a bill of nearly $300, including $136 for the consultation and discussion that we neither requested nor expected.
I understand that veterinarians need to provide recommendations, but the amount of time spent discussing optional services felt excessive, especially when we came for a simple vaccination. The pricing was not communicated clearly in advance, and the final cost was far higher than expected.
Unfortunately, based on this experience, I would not recommend this clinic.

Just completely unapologetic in their care. They don’t care is the real issue. They are heartless and only out for money. They literally do not care about your animals at all.

Well thousands of $ later and my dog is dead .While he was passing, a male staff was rolling his eyes to the nurse - SO UNPROFESSIONAL -while I sobbed and was losing my best friend.

The clinic didn’t call once and then I got text message threatening collections agency and legal action for outstanding few hundred dollars that I wasn’t even aware about because they NEVER called me. no voicemails - nothing.

I made sure to settle it immediately - but the pain and humiliation this clinic put me through is ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC AND UNPROFESSIONAL.

The communication during the day of my dogs passing was awful, and they called me with barely any time to get back to the clinic to spend last moments. When I arrived my baby was basically unresponsive.

NEVER GO TO ANY VCA IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!!!!!!!

No compassion here.

Extremely disappointed with the care my rabbit received here. I came in because my regular vet couldn’t see her, so they suggested this hospital. They didn’t examine her in front of me and they didn’t do a thorough exam, because if they did they would have determined she had dental disease and not GI stasis. They just shrugged off the fact that my rabbit wouldn’t let them examine inside her mouth and if they had the proper tools, again, no idea what they tried because I wasn’t in the room, they could have determined that at the time. I had to wait an hour to get drugs that were completely useless to her and after $430 and 6 days of complete anxiety and fear I could finally get in to see my regular vet. Their recommendation to look inside her mouth was sedating her, which my vet was easily able to do with right tools. I feel they just cared about making money off me instead of actually getting the best care for my rabbit. If they didn’t have the proper resources to care for a rabbit they should have suggested a different hospital for me to visit. I feel ripped off.

Very disappointing and distressing experience.

In my case, I was told that I could take my pet home for care, but at the same time a report was made to an animal welfare officer. I was later informed by the officer that euthanasia was strongly recommended based on the situation.

This left me feeling pressured to make a decision about euthanasia, even though my pet was still alert, sometimes comfortable, and in my view may still have had meaningful quality of life.

From my perspective, I was not presented with a clear or balanced set of options to fully consider palliative or comfort-care alternatives. Instead, I felt caught between conflicting messages and under significant pressure during an already emotional time.

Overall, I did not feel supported in making a fully informed and balanced decision for my pet, and the entire experience was extremely upsetting.

This has been one of the most disappointing and distressing experiences I have ever had with a veterinary clinic.
We brought our beloved cat here and spent a thousand Canadian dollars on examinations and emergency care (not including additional costs at other clinics). The veterinarian clearly told us that the chances of recovery were extremely low and that our cat was likely suffering from late‑stage cancer. After the procedures were completed, we chose to bring him home for comfort care, as recommended by multiple veterinarians, so he could spend his remaining time peacefully with his family.
However, shortly after we took him home, the clinic reported us to the authorities claiming that our cat was in “distress” and implying that we were neglecting him under the Animal Protection Act. This accusation was shocking and deeply hurtful, especially considering that he is currently stable, calm, and far more comfortable at home than he ever was at the clinic. We have been monitoring him 24/7, recording his breathing rate, and taking photos and videos throughout the day as evidence of his condition.
What we experienced felt less like genuine concern for our pet and more like a clinic focused on liability and revenue rather than compassion. Instead of supporting a family going through an incredibly painful time, they escalated the situation unnecessarily and caused even more emotional stress.
We welcome any welfare agency to visit our home at any time to see his actual condition. We love him deeply and are doing everything we can to keep him comfortable and peaceful in his final days.
We were also left with the impression that if we did not continue treatment or proceed with euthanasia at their clinic, they would make the situation more complicated for us. I hope no other family has to go through what we experienced here.