Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital

My husband and I had an amazing experience during a very horrible day at this hospital. Our 2 year old French bulldog was paralyzed within less than 24 hours and diagnosed with IVDD. We drove over 90 minutes to be able to see the neurologist at this hospital. Although it was a holiday, he called us promptly the next day and explained all options. He performed the CT and surgery the same day he had assessed Oliver. He was very kind, thorough and realistic. He updated us daily and was available for questions for two weeks after his surgery. The techs were also very friendly, caring and thorough. Thank you so much for taking great care of our baby.

I had a very bad experience when I took my cat here back in Sept 2023. She just started new medication and had a bad reaction to the drug and had trouble breathing. I rushed her to the hospital, and the vet, without thoroughly examining her, assumed she either was in heart failure or cancer spread to her lungs (I recently found out she had cancer, hence the drug) and wanted to euthanized her. I insisted on having her lungs x-rayed, vet calls me with the results and says she "thinks" the cancer spread to her lungs, she won't make it through the night, her breathing hasn't improved, must euthanize. I did not feel this was the case, so I took her home. Her breathing had improved, and it has been 4 months now and she hasn't had the breathing problem since I stopped giving her the drug. Anyhow, if I had listened to the vet my cat would be dead.

Don’t bring your pets here, everything is expensive! And at the end of your bill nothing is solved! Rather more complications and more money needed. My pet has fever but they never give meds for it. They don’t have passion for what they’re doing. Heartless and greedy veterinarians!

I had an exceptional experience with Dr. Christian Catalano at the veterinary hospital. From the moment we arrived, the staff, particularly Selina at the front desk, was incredibly helpful and kind. Dr. Catalano demonstrated exceptional professionalism, explaining our options and potential risks with empathy and sensitivity. His thorough communication alleviated our concerns, making us feel confident in our decisions. Special thanks to Jen O for her patience and sincerity in guiding us through the aftercare procedure. Overall, a compassionate team that truly cares about both pets and their owners.

Cannot say enough great things about this place. My previous dog Dee had to be brought there and put down and all of the staff were so, so caring and accommodating. I’ve also brought my current cat, Tony, there twice and both times the vets, vet assistants and front desk staff have all been so kind. THANK YOU to each and every one of you who’s part of the staff, for your kindness, patience and empathy always.

- Alissa Morra & Steven Fernandes

I went to this hospital at 11 because is 24 hr assuming they’re going to help, then they told me I have to wait 8 hours and said they are going to call us on our they didn’t even call so on professional.

Been waiting for hours and staff are so mean did not even advise that unless your pet is dying they not gonna look for your pet. I suggest you go the other hospitals where people are friendly don’t go the this hospital

I am beyond grateful for the exceptional care my fur baby received at Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital! When my pet had a chicken bone ingestion scare, their incredible team took swift action, and he made a speedy recovery in just two days!

Dr. Ana’s expertise and thorough check-up were instrumental in diagnosing and treating my pet in time. I was worried during our midnight visit, but Kaitlyn, the receptionist, was an absolute professional who put my mind at ease. She quickly arranged an assessment with a technician, and they determined that my dog was digesting the bones safely.

The entire staff showed unparalleled dedication and compassion, treating my pet like their own. I can’t thank them enough for their prompt and efficient care. Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital truly goes above and beyond, and their expertise is evident in the exceptional treatment they provide.

I highly recommend Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital to all pet owners in need of emergency care. Their commitment to pets and their owners is remarkable. Thank you, Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital, for being there for my fur baby when he needed it most!

March 2nd 2023 my dog died at home. I called and spoke with the hospital who said I could bring him to their location. It was freezing cold out. I sat in my car with my dead dog for 1.5 hours. I called but they didnt have a time frame for me. I get that they were dealing with other animals in need of critical care. However it was cruel to leave me in my car with my deceased dog for so long. After two hours I looked for somewhere else to go. By this time it was 3am. I found Animal Health Partners, 1 Scarsdale Rd. They are also a 24 hr Hospital. They were responsive, kind, and able to help immediately. I drove there and they immediately helped me in with my dog and gave me afterlife options. There really isnt a lot of time to needed to serve me. Animal health partners is also a full service hospital and it is lovely inside and staff are amazing. In the future this is where I would go!

My family had to bring our geriatric dog for end of life care today. Staff were patient, compassionate, and respectful throughout the process. Starting with my phone call asking for options, to bringing our dog in, and letting him go. It was a difficult time but it made a huge impact having a positive experience with the staff here. So thank you to the team.

I’ve also had to bring my other dog in for tests last year and they were also very thorough with explanations, didn’t force any tests or diagnostics on you and good follow up.

Yesterday during the blizzard as I was entering my building with my dog the powerful winds slammed the door shut on her tail. My poor girl suffered a bad laceration, there was a lot of blood, we quickly applied pressure and drove to the nearest emergency clinic. The reception staff and triage nurse at the Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital were welcoming and helped calm our nerves. Now for the Veterinarian, myself and my partner both agreed it was the best Vet experience we’ve both ever had. Dr. Emma Dooley took the time to help us thoroughly understand treatment options and did not hesitate to answer all of our questions in a patient and caring manner. We sincerely appreciated being spoken to almost as if we were a friend or family member, she clearly was not just in it for the money and had our pet and our family’s best interests in mind. The care was exceptional and she instilled a lot of confidence in our ability to manage the wound at home. The experience was traumatic but the silver lining was the care our dog received at this hospital. I am so relieved and know exactly where we’ll be headed if another accident happens. Thank you Dr. Dooley and the entire team at Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital we are so grateful for you!

Amazing Team. They got my dog Emma in last minute for an emergency and did multiple tests over 2 days, when every other clinic said it would be weeks or months. She's on meds within 24 hours instead of waiting weeks for tests. Was my first interaction with them and I couldn't be more impressed.

I called the clinic before coming to ask about wait times and was told the vet was available. I got there and had about 3-4 people ahead of me. I was told the wait time was about 1 hour. The 1 hour turned into 3 and counting. There was no communication whatsoever on their end. Every hour I was told the vet would see my pet in 1 hour. I wish the reception had been more forthcoming and honest about wait times, which other emergency veterinarians had done respectfully when I called. It turns out they only had 1 vet on duty. I called Smart Clinic and saw a vet online right away. They advised me to go home and see my regular vet in the morning instead of wasting my time and money on the emergency clinic. The person who was in line before me was equally disgruntled. The vet himself seemed good and professional as he was able to help other pets in distress but I wish the front desk folks were more forthcoming and communicative.

My baby Simba went through 3 months of chemotherapy at TVEH, despite he lost his battle at the end, my experience with TVEH is nothing but great.

First, I called many places to get Simba to see an oncologist, TVEH was the only place was able to get us on the waiting list and called me back.

Doctor and nurses are all very nice there, after 3 months of chemo treatment, Simba passed away but they are so kind to send me a card that not just any card, but a card that looks exactly like my Simba. The doctor and nurses each also wrote a nice note, meaningful words, not just generic messages.

I find this very thoughtful because even my own vet who I went there for over 12 years, they only sent me a generic card with generic messages. So I was very touched receiving this card.

Lastly, in memory of Simba, they made a monetary donation on behalf of Simba to OVC Pet Trust, which again, I truly appreciate it.

I highly recommend TVEH. This vet truly cares about their customers both pets and owners.

Our Boston Terrier had a foreign object stuck in his esophagus this past Sunday and I rushed him to TVEH. As soon as we got there, I knew we were in good hands. The team was excellent - super responsive and professional. They wasted no time in getting our dog comfortable/sedated and examined. We ended up needing to go downtown for a procedure, and TVEH arranged everything so that the care was seamless. He’s back to his usual happy self now:) Would 10/10 recommend.

Unprofessional stuff! Doctor saw my cat on Saturday, I called them in 2 days on Monday to say that my cat is so bad and right now every one hours are important because he can lose his life. Doctor answered me that she saw my cat last Saturday and she asked me to trust her that my cat can wait for 2-3 more for CT scan, I said to her that he can’t wait even one day and we need CT scan, she closed phone to my face, few hours later I brought my cat there, he almost was dying and couldn’t breeze, same night he passed away there and that doctor on the phone asked me trust her that my cat can what 2-3 weeks when she knew he already stop to eat for few days. So unprofessional people, doctors in this country. I have experience in different emergencies and same problems no one know anything, no experience at all! Don’t trust them!

Have had mixed experiences at TVEH but received advice so honest, thorough, and patiently from Dr. Patricia Kirby that I’m leaving today happy with the emergency services provided to my chunky kitty.

Not a perfect rating because your experience will depend on the staff working that day. But if you’re lucky enough to see Dr. Kirby, it will be an excellent experience.

I took my 12 year old Maltipoo to the clinic due to suspected IVDD. Doctor Gibran Castillo and the technician were really helpful and caring. After full examination and consultation, I received a detailed report on the consultation with recommendations. The price is pretty reasonable.

My kitty comes here for the neuro department and has also been here for an emergency a few years ago. Every time we've come the staff have been great, especially considering the stress and abuse they put up with. When we had our emergency (medication ingestion), she was taken back as soon as we got in and the attending doctor was so kind and reassuring.

The neuro department is equally great. Dr. Barker is very nice and thorough in his explanations, and his technician is lovely and was very kind to my cat. Getting medication/making follow-up appointments is very quick and easy.

The receptionists/front staff are especially great and appreciated too. Thanks all!

I thought this's a emergency, that's y we came here. But 4 hours of waiting? So it's just a regular clinic with emergency price.

Just to sum up our experience here:

Empathy
Understanding
Compassion
Caring
Patience
Profession
Skillfulness
Knowledge

NONE OF THE ABOVE

Yes, that’s the review

Worst service ever, my dog had a condition, and we called prior to make sure my dog can get cure as soon as possible, and the reception told us they will take a look at my dog as soon as we get there. But when we get there, they just asked us to fill in a form, takes 20minutes to take the form away, and let us wait forever, we drove for 30mins to there and wasted another 30minutes in there, it was such horrible experience, it was lucky my dog wasn’t in that bad issue, I can’t imagine what will happen when real emergency issues comes. DONT GO TO THIS HOSPITAL AS EMERGENCY CHOICE!

Extremely disappointed you locked the doors on a respiratory pet at your door right in front of you, knowing it could die.not to mention the last few nights people call and call and call and you guys dont answer? Theres no post online anywhere saying you're closed. No notice anywhere so why was noone answering the phones for 12 hours? Theres people there is there not? Do better.

Do not EVER come to TVEH for their emergency services! Warning: death. Please see Bev W. ’s post regarding Goldy.

We went to ER around 11am on Sunday. After waiting 1.5 hrs, we were told after, that it was an additional 6 hour wait list. TVEH rescheduled Goldy for an “appointment” on Monday at 9am— we came to emergency and got an appointment? He died in my arms at 12: 20am on Monday, 13 hours after TVEH failed to assess him.

Because of TVEH‘s incompetence to assess triage status, and review previous medical history, my dog died. I can’t promise that if TVEH had assessed Goldy the morning of, that the outcome would be different. However, we don’t have this information, or were even given the option to help him, as he was never assessed or even looked at.

During the wait at 11am originally, pets all around us were being called in and prioritized— limping legs and everything. TVEH does not understand that the critical conditions of our pets can be non-physical, and can be related to prior illness. My dog was doing chemo and had Mast Cell Tumour, and had been admitted into ICU multiple times in the weeks prior. Yet, TVEH still failed to review this information, after we had told them multiple times, upon our arrival with a dying dog.

They do not have empathy for our pets. We were on our way to TVEH again at 12am as Goldy’s condition worsened. He passed in the car around 12: 20am. Upon arriving to TVEH with a dead dog, they tried to give him CPR (but unsuccessful). They put him in a blue cardboard box for us to take Goldy home— opening the box, his tongue was still sticking out and eyes open. Couldn’t even prepare him properly for us to take him home.

I came in with my dog bleeding from a wound in his abdomen and they refused to see him because I hadn't called ahead. I had to drive my dead who was STILL BLEEDING OUT to ANOTHER HOSPITAL that would actually tend to his wounds. If you want your pets to live, avoid this place at all costs

We brought our 12-year old cat to the hospital around 10 pm not knowing what exactly was wrong. He had been throwing up for two days. The front desk staff and technicians who triaged us were calm and friendly. They have took our cat in right away to determine if he was stable. They asked us for permission before administering a sedative to let the vets draw blood. In all it took about 3 hours for us to get a diagnosis and the medications we needed. I really appreciated the service. We were very worried and the vet (Dr. Ana?) was kind and reassuring. Thankfully our cat is on the mend now.

Worst place to bring an animal that's sick. The triage emergency nurse wouldn't even let me finish telling her what I was there for. She could use a lesson in bedside manners.brought my dog in with breathing issues sat there for 3 hours while I watch them take animal after animal after animal after animal after animal before us and 3 of them came in after me. One of them was there for an allergy. My Monty sits there in waits for hours and they don't care!

One star because of the demeanour of the vet after my cat was discharged. The overall experience was fine, wait time was long but we understood that they were short staffed and dealing with critical patients (this phrase was repeated every single time I called afterwards).

My cat was sent home with medications that were making her ill. I finally connected the vet and told her what was happening (that my cat was not having these issues prior to the medication). The vet was immediately curt despite me trying to keep the tone light and gentle. She gave me directly contradicting advice (“stop the medicine but also keep giving it to her”). And when I said I wasn’t sure how to proceed, she snapped “well I’m sorry but I can’t help you. ”

I was really surprised because I always, ALWAYS make a point of being super kind to people that are helping me (customer service workers, bankers, vets…) as I know dealing with people can be a challenge. This vet almost seemed like she WANTED to get into a verbal altercation with me, it was so weird. And the worst part was that she was completely disinterested in trying to help, and made a point of saying how busy she was, as if she had no time for my call.

Ended up calling my primary vet who was so much more understanding, empathetic, and helpful.

Aside from that, my cat was needlessly kept overnight. All she needed was an ultrasound but they didn’t have a tech on hand. We paid for a lot of unnecessary testing and medication that only made her feel worse. Not the best experience.

The agent answering and directing the phones was wonderful, however. Great sense of humour and very warm. Just about the only positive aspect here.

I understand that the vets are very busy, and there are critical patients who need to be seen first, but I don't agree with how they take the pets if they aren't going to check them right away. If they take them away to do a preliminary check, then decide that they are stable enough to wait HOURS before being thoroughly checked, why not simply return them to the owners where they likely feel less stressed?

I called them at around 10 pm at night. They finally called me back at 8 am the next day. I arrived at exactly 9 am, and a staff member came to take my cat. For the next 5 hours, I sat with other distressed pet owners without any knowledge of why my cat was taking so long or where he was. I reckon that he, along with other pets, were waiting alone somewhere because they told me that it was finally my cat's turn to be checked at 2-3 pm! I asked a staff member at around 12 pm, and they were not sure how long it would take. They finally told me he was going to be checked more than two hours later.

When he was finally returned to me, his URINE had FILLED and SOAKED his carrier. The staff didn't even tell me or warn me that this had happened before handing the carrier back to me. When I finally noticed the urine, it had already covered my pants - I didn't even mind this part all that much. The part that infuriated me was how they let my ill cat LIE in his OWN URINE for who knows how long - again, WITHOUT TELLING ME ANYTHING.

The drive home was terrible for me and my urine-soaked cat.

At least the vets have rather friendly attitudes and are quite polite.

ALERT/WARNING!

DO NOT come to TVEH’s emergency services for "EMERGENCY SERVICE"! They are unreliable, Do Not prioritize critical patients or even in-house critical patients. They do not care about your pet’s prior medical history!

My dog Goldy passed away at 12: 15am on July 25,2022. Goldy W, everyone in the clinic knows that he was a patient in the Oncology Department, diagnosed with agressive Mast Cell Tumour and had been doing chemo at this clinic since December 2021. Within the past couple of months, Goldy has been going to the ICU and had to stay overnight multiple times, due to underlying health issues from the chemo side effects, or from the MCT.

For two weeks in a row, on a weekend, I attempted to send Goldy into the Emergency due to deterioration but failed by the clinic!

Last last Sunday, 17th July, I called to inform TVEH at 11am that I was going to send Goldy down as he was weak, not eating and urination was excessive to an unacceptable level. I was told that there was a 2-hour call list and they would call me back at least 2 hours for an assessment. I explained that Goldy was an in-house chemo patient with Dr. Patten and he was hospitalized just a week ago due to zero white blood cell so this was critical and begged for priority. The receptionist didn't seem to care and insisted that the call list was 2 hours long and I just needed to wait! Ended up, they didn't call me back unitl 8 hours later at 7: 52pm, JUST TO ASSESS! I yelled on the phone and they didn't seem to care and no apology, just asked if I still wanted an assessment! I sent Goldy early in the next morning to the oncology depart.and was told that he was super dehydrated and with kidney & stomach issues, and of course was hospitalized for couple of nights. This is the opposite of emergency services!

THIS PAST WEEKEND, 24TH JULY, I drove direct to the clinic at 11am on Sunday because Goldy was not eating again and drank less, and weak. I sat for 1.5 hours waiting to be assessed, asked the receptionist for a few times if they could prioritize Goldy and they refused and told me they had first come first serve basis! Dogs came in with limping leg got treated before my dog who had cancer, who wasn’t eating or drinking, who was weak and was doing chemo at the clinic, JUST BECAUSE THEY CHECKED IN FIRST! **ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE OF TRIAGE! ** After 1.5 hours, without even an assessment, I was asked to go back home because they had a 6 hour wait time! Instead, the receptionist just booked me an appointment at 9am for the following day on Monday. I begged if she could get someone to assess to make sure he was not dehydrated and I suspected that IV would be needed. She said she couldn't becuase all the cages were full and the wait list was long! After, I was like a crazy woman running around Shoppers & Global Pet Food for syringes, electrotyle and chicken bone broth to feed him to make sure he could make thru Sunday for next morning's appointment! Later at night, Goldy turned worse and I rushed over to ER again close to midnight as he was heavily breathing and fast. While on our way to the clinic, Goldy passed away in the car at 12: 20am. We arrived to the clinic with a dead body whom TVEH's EMERGENCY refused to prioritize treatment for. [CRYING]

They tried to resuscitate him with CPR, but it was no use. He was gone. [Crying] The veterinarian who spoke with us said Goldy’s files stated that Goldy had been assessed and re-scheduled for an appointment the next morning. Goldy was NEVER assessed in the first place that prior morning. And because of TVEH’s "INABILITY TO ASSESS ANIMALS FOR TRIAGE", Goldy died in my daughter’s arms during the car ride to the clinic. It just ended in tragedy!

I repeat: DO NOT come to TVEH for EMERGENY SERVICES. They have no empathy for our pets!

THANK YOU to the Department of Oncology, Dr. Patten and his assistant, Jennifer for everything you’ve done for Goldy. But your emergency services bring you down.

***The Emergency Service isn't even worth One Star, just need to enable the Post Button! ***

Thank you for treating both my dog and myself with dignity, kindness and respect. Thank you very much Cassandra for your big heart. I know you all have extremely difficult jobs in this industry and I appreciate all that you guys do.

This was the only clinic that would even let me bring my dog in tonight after calling and trying for 5 hrs in my surround areas. Was worth the 1.5 hr drive.

Visited the “emerg” last night because my dog was having ongoing diarrhea and vomiting and I was concerned. The triage nurse assessed him around 10: 30pm for 2 minutes and said that he was stable to wait at home and that the wait time is around 6-7 hours and that I would get a call when it was his turn. It is now 11am the next morning (over 12 hrs now) and I still haven’t received call from the hospital. My dog continued to vomit and have diarrhea throughout the night and I had to take him to another emergency vet in Whitby where he was seen immediately. Please be weary about taking your pet here if you suspect something is wrong!

Very bad service 2400.00 to clean my dogs wounds and wrap it with bandages.to my dogs they are for the money only
They don’t care about dogs or anything else
Spacicel when you come to the reappointment

Find somewhere else if you have the grace to make your emergency plans ahead of time for something like emergency C-Section. I can understand not being able to give a clear number cost as complications and unexpected things happen. But they cant even give you a ballpark (even plus or minus a couple thousand) estimate over the phone or range of how much the base procedure usually costs. I was told that if I arrive - and their cost is way higher than i expected, for example $3000 more than other hospitals (after paying 200 to see the doctor), that I'd "just have to find somewhere I can afford. " HOW CAN I FIND SOMEWHERE I CAN AFFORD IF I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MUCH IT WILL AFFORD ME BEFORE I DRIVE THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? I guess they expect me to arrive with my chequebook open or drive hours from hospital to hospital while my pet suffers just to ask the cost. They're out to take advantage of your dire situations and they know that you'll have no choice but to pay once you arrive. Disgusting.

I cannot say how much I appreciate all the staff treating Dakodah when we brought her in with breathing problems, from front desk staff to vet techs to Dr's and surgeons. I found information was given on what to expect, possible diagnosis and estimate of all care. It's nice knowing up front what is going to happen. Any questions we had were answered promptly. This is busy place in a time when there are many animals needing care and they were apologetic about our wait. Highly recommend this hospital and staff.

Thank you so much to Dr. Hoffman and the entire TVEH team for taking care of our Peggy this holiday season! I know that many people may think that the stomach surgery Peggy underwent is routine; however, for us it was an exceptionally stressful and worrisome situation, and we are so glad that Peggy was able to receive the care from Dr. Hoffman, Dr. Martin, Dr. Avellaneda, and the team at TVEH. Thank you again for your care, patience, and support!

I can’t say enough good things about this Veterinary Hospital. The vets, vet technicians and reception are fantastic. They take exceptional care of our dogs and would highly recommend them. A wonderful team of professionals.

On hold for an hour just to speak with a triage nurse while my dog pukes blood. Ridiculous. Won’t be seen for another three to four hours at this rate. Worse experience ever.

My little baby Seymour came to TVEH to see Dr. Patten and the oncology team. Although my baby's diagnosis was not the outcome we wanted (darn you sarcoma) Dr. Patten was very compassionate and honest with his insight and answers for us. Even though we only had one visit here before palliating my sweet baby (since his cancer was so aggressive) we were very lucky we ad the experience with them. Thank you for giving me the answers that Seymour and I were looking for.

Horrible experience trying to pick up the paw print of my cat who passed. The staff were harsh when I failed to correctly read the many instructions for entry. I had called ahead and thought they would be expecting me. It was a humiliating experienced the staff have little empathy.

My family and I would like to thank the staff and vet who helped us last night during our emergency. You were so kind and caring to my family and our loved Easton. You made sure Easton and my family were comfortable. You gave us all the time and space we needed as we said our goodbyes and we will forever be grateful. You were so compassionate as our hearts were broken. Thank you again.

My poor little girl was attacked Friday night by 2 larger dogs. I took her into the emergency vet clinic in Barrie who were helpful letting me know she needed a drain…etc. I decided to transfer my dog to TVEH because I have gone to them previously. Immediately they took my little Nala in and kept communicating for every step of the way. They would keep me updated with how long they believe she would be. I knew she was well taken care of. Every time I called the front desk they were professional, very kind and understanding. She had 7 puncture wounds, required a drain, pain medication and antibiotics. Dr Boylan and Dr DiMauro made sure my Nala was taken care of! I am extremely thankful for the care they provided for my girl. When they handed her to me she already seemed so much better and they gave me all the instructions for the care that she required going forward. They were great with communicating what to look out for to know if she needs any extra care. They did an amazing job and I’m so thankful she is doing well and acting more herself. I strongly recommend this vet clinic!

About a year ago my cat, Captain, started vomiting and stopped eating. I took her to this hospital. A couple of hours later they took her in and told me that there were only four pets ahead of her. In the meantime, she will have to remain in her carriage-case. I called a couple of hours later to inquire and was again told that there were four animals ahead of her and that's why she was still confined to her case. Overnight, I called them a few times and each time heard the same script. It took them fifteen hours to finally make room for her and run some tests.

Since no visitors were allowed due to the pandemic, I used to call the hospital a couple of times a day to inquire about her health and well-being. For one of these calls, the receptionist was so rude and condescending that I had to ask her to stop and to show some respect. I had to explain to her that our pets are like our children, and we only call the hospital out of our concern for them. She gave me a whatever "ok".

Once the test results came in, I received a call from the hospital. The news was bad. Captain had a biomass and possible leukemia. The doctor who spoke to me seemed caring but was really pushing for expensive procedures. I was willing to go with her suggestion, but my immediate concern was that Captain was not eating anything, even while in the hospital. They didn't seem too concerned about that part and seemed more interested in booking her for surgery and chemo.

I took my Captain back home a few days later and was waiting for her first chemo session. Unfortunately.about a week after I brought her back home, she became so weak that she was struggling to even stand up. I rushed her to her regular vet, who quickly diagnosed her and said that her vitals were low and she either needed to be put down or placed in an incubator, which their clinic did not have. I told him that I was not ready to put her down yet. He told me to rush her to the animal hospital. He didn't charge me anything for his diagnosis. Sadly, my Captain died on the way to the hospital. The hospital charged me $120 for their one minute of work and pronouncing her dead.

Overall, it was a terrible experience. It is highly unlikely that I will take my other cat to this hospital if there ever was an emergency in the future.

Our experience with Dr. Melanie Dickerson was very good. Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital is a very busy clinic but their service was prompt, efficient and caring.

Our 15-year-old cat Felix had been vomiting and not eating properly for quite a while and our regular vet’s blood testing didn’t provide any conclusive results. We were advised to see an internal medicine specialist and got an appointment with Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital for a couple weeks later.

The clinic was very busy when I arrived for the appointment but they admitted Felix quite quickly. I discussed Felix’s issues with a very pleasant and sympathetic clinician.

An ultrasound was then performed on Felix while I went home to wait. I received a call from Dr. Melanie Dickerson about two hours after Felix was admitted and she explained that there were a number of masses found that would likely indicate cancer. Dr. Dickerson suggested we could further evaluate his condition and prognosis by performing a needle biopsy procedure. The result came back a couple of days later - positive for lymphoma. Dr. Dickerson explained Felix’s condition and treatment options very clearly and answered all our questions.

Since Felix had declined quickly, we decided it was time to put him to sleep. Dr. Dickerson was very empathetic and supported our decision.

We were happy with the service and treatment and we feel the price was fair.

Wow, I can not recommend or review highly enough.

Late the other night our 12 year old lab Seamus was having difficulty breathing-we thought this was his last night and we had the kids say "goodbye" before we rushed to this emergency hospital.

The team was responsive, kind, and cared for Seamus so well. They diagnosed and did what they could to make him comfortable quickly, gave us the news compassionately; they were so gentle and attentive with our old guy.

He's home with us now, we're making sure he's comfortable and loved until the end.

Thank you so much Dr Snow and team.

Love,
the Stringer family

I was sent to this animal hospital from the Durham Region one which is just an overnight clinic. When I showed up in the parking lot I called the number on the front door to check-in. The receptionist tells me they never got any paperwork from the Durham region hospital for what was done to treat my sick cat. She finally agrees to check me in the wait line after I tell her I'm already there outside waiting. I'm kept waiting for an hour only for a technician/doctor (not sure which one) to call me back saying there aren't enough doctors to treat my cat. My cat needed urgent medical treatment and had to be hooked up to an IV since it had a blocked urethra and couldn't urinate. I don't know how this place can call themselves an emergency clinic when they're making it like you need an appointment for your animal to get treated there.

They were the only vet that was able to see us in the middle of the night, after being turned away by various other vet clinics.

Dr. Cynthia was so professional and kind and provided us with all the necessary information in a very clear way! She is the best vet we've ever had! Would highly recommend this place!

We took our 10 year old lab in due to not eating, walking or moving her head. They took her in right away. The vet was informed, kind and realistic about prognosis which I really appreciate. They did not try to sugar coat the very grave condition my dog was in nor did they take advantage of the situation monetarily. I recommended this place for emergencies.

Thank you for a positive experience especially being a first time pet owner. I was worried for my puppy that I just got that September long weekend who had kennel cough. The vet clinics were closed for the long weekend. I called the Vet Emergency late Sunday night as my puppy felt feverish and breathing very fast; I was placed on the call back list, they called me Monday morning and I brought my pup in for 10: 15am was done by 12pm. The staff was helpful, Dr was very thorough in explaining how to care for my pup, explained the medication and gave canned food as samples. The fee was very reasonable and invoice had detailed written instructions of the medication. Thank you so much to all.

Amazing staff. They were caring and gentle. The doctor was patient with my over-anxious pup & even though we got there at 2am in middle of COVID, they let us stay with our dog all night & comfort her. Great value and did not do unnecessary tests. I will always go back there if there is another emergency.

They are amazing, and were able to fit my cat in quickly when no other hospital was able to. Reception was friendly, the vets were efficient and very thorough. Thank you again to the entire team for helping us out when we were in dire straits.

Terrible receptionist working. I called ahead of time to notify of the dogs condition and was asked a series of questions. I was then informed to call when I am at the door. They asked me the same series of questions again delaying the diagnosis. My whole purpose of calling ahead was to save time. Then I was notified only one person from the household can go in. We comply and I'm carrying a 35 lb dog but their automated door button does not work for both doors to get inside the clinic. Did not like how both the receptionist stared as I struggle to hold a very sick dog and open a door. They did not even attempt to get off their seats to help. These people need to be retrained or hire people who actually love and care about animals.
-Edit-
My experience with the actual doctor was good she was professional, knowledgeable and empathetic with our situation.

Throughout our Basset hound Marley's battle with Cancer the staff at TVEH were incredible. Dr. Arata is a fantastic Doctor- kind, compassionate, attentive, and you can tell he sincerely cares about his patients. Krista in management was a God send- I can't speak highly enough about the staff at this hospital. Thanks to their care we were able to get another GREAT year of time with Marley- we are forever grateful.

New to the city and was referred to this clinic by a local vet. Was pitched that it was out of my area but worth the drive and I love my dog. Initial intake call person was rude, which was surprising but brushed it off because of the referral. We have waited over six weeks for an appointment with the specialist. Had previously called to ask if the appointments were generally on time and was told it would depend if there was an emergency. Planned the drive but still got stuck in traffic on the DVP, called them to let them know GPS estimated time. Desk agent said fine and then called back to say—while I was stuck in traffic with a toddler and almost there albeit stuck—that they were cancelling and I had to reschedule. No consideration of my pet’s health, that we now waited six weeks for this appointment, or the fact that traffic had nothing to do with us. Totally uncaring in tone like it was some kind of joke and also unapologetic. Equally as unapologetic about the fact that when calling back to confirm an appointment, instead of text confirmation like any other medical business in 2021, was put on hold and cut off the first time and then the second time waited just under 10 minutes to confirm. So my take-a-way is that they can be inefficient and inconsiderate with your time but you have to roll with their inefficiencies and ignorance. If their medical advice is as outdated as their process and their bedside manner reflected in their team, I’m grateful we dodged a bullet but am now thinking that the vet is in some kind of (undisclosed) paid referral relationship with them. I also hope my little dog makes it.

I would not recommend this hospital if your pet is experiencing an emergency. My family and I were told we were second in line and ended up waiting 6.5 hours. Throughout the night one of the receptionists was very kind and understanding, providing updates when she could regarding the time. However as the night went on another receptionist, she had said her name was Ashley was incredibly rude, was not compassionate given the circumstances, and hung up on me. After multiple interactions like this that day, I did not feel comfortable bringing my pet in. Receptionists are a huge reflection of the quality of service provided as they are our first point of contact, and I was very disappointed with this hospital.

Receptionist Ashley lacks professionalism. Undeserving of a job working with animals as she lacks empathy and speaks to clients however she wants. Reception is the first point of contact in a workplace, and i have to say i was not impressed at all. The quality of this hospital could be improved drastically if the front desk had better customer service!

Went through an ordeal and experienced unnecessary drama from the receptionist and vet that lasted for almost an hour. They need to have more empathy. Or even any at all.

Even though our puppy girl Cinnamon passed away at 9 months, she was given the best care possible by the team there. They communicated everything possible and kept us in the loop and when we went to say goodbye, they presented her beautifully. We are forever grateful of the staff here, they did absolutely everything possible.

Dear TVEH staff, we are beyond thankful for all your help. Thank you for your quick responses, kindness, sincerity, compassion and care. Everyone is professional, highly skilled, extremely patient and respectful.

Our first experience with TVEH was last year. Our baby girl needed emergent airway care. The staff helped us immediately. We were so happy our baby girl was provided good, safe, and efficient care.

Our second experience is more recent. Unfortunately our beloved baby girl had crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few days ago.

Our beloved baby girl was 18 years old. She lived a healthy, happy and long life. We are immensely heart broken! The team at TVEH helped and guided us in every step of her care.

Dr. Kira Randall, Katie, Jade, Jen, Ashley R, Cassandra and a couple of more names I am sorry I am missing. You are all amazing. Thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions while providing exceptional care to our baby girl. Her last hours on Earth were very painful for us but we took comfort in knowing she received care from good staff. Thank you for providing us with our own private space to be with her while following pandemic precautions, too!

We are now in the process of arranging her after care. Everyone continues to show great compassion and care.

We are sincerely and forever grateful. Thank you TVEH staff!

Top notch care even though we waited a few hours, my dog was clearly in distress going in and much more comfortable coming out, highly recommend this clinic

PLEASE DO NOT GO HERE IN YOUR TIME OF NEED!
Worst experience of my life if you love your fur baby please do not bring them here! Our dog was acting funny he was shaking and panting like crazy it was very concerning. We brought him here at 11: 30pm and asked if we should stay and wait in parking lot or go home cuz of covid-19. We were told to wait there. 5 hours later they dismissed our dogs symptoms for being excited and gave him a shot of Benadryl. $165 later for absolutely nothing! We ended up bringing him to our normal vet at 8am to find out he has a urinary track infection and a inlarged prostate.

Not recommend at all. Rude staff in the front desk. Extra charges and very over priced. They never explain for what they charge. If u have extra money and u don’t know what do with it that hospital will help u spend. Very disappointed

I am from London and took my cat here because even with the drive the wait time was less than the expected 12 hour wait in London. My cat Jasper had stopped eating and was lethargic. Over the course of a few weeks he unfortunately had to be hospitalized twice for a total of 8 days. I was very happy with the quality of care he received. He was a complicated case that required lots of tests. The vets did a great job explaining the options as well as answering all of the many questions. They also made daily phone calls to report how Jasper's day went which was much appreciated. After a stressful 6 weeks he's almost back to his old self. Special thanks to Dr. Porter, Dr. Kirby and especially Dr. Smith. It's a service I hope I don't have to use again any time soon but if I do I would return even if it's a few hour drive.

I had an extremely negative experience with the Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital, specifically with Dr. Audra Martin.
My cat had an allergic reaction and developed crusty sores all over his head that by Sunday had spread to his eyelids. I arrived at the TVEH at 9: 35 am and explained my issue first to the receptionist and then to a vet tech. I was told my cat was 7th in line. After waiting in the parking lot for 5 hours and calling reception to follow up a 2nd time, I was finally able to speak to the vet at 2: 30pm. The vet questioned why I was even there for an allergic reaction and said they couldn't do anything to test dermatological problems and was overall reluctant to even see my cat- again, after I had been waiting with my sick cat for over 5 hours for an appointment. When she did see my cat, she refused to even look at the notes I had taken regarding what I had given him and when he had thrown up. She prescribed some antibiotics and administered an anti-nauseant and then told me to give him benedryl (which I already had been doing), not even giving him a shot of benadryl to relieve him faster. This was $270 dollars.
If you are unable or unwilling to treat allergic reactions, I don't understand why you would not say so up front. Why make me (and my sick cat) wait for 5 hours when you can't/won't help?
I would strongly advise against visiting the TVEH if there are other options available, and specifically against receiving "care" from Dr. Audra Martin.

Originally we went to the hospital because my cat vomits.after 2 days coming back from the hospital, my cat starts to have fever, being very weak.have watery eyes, have keep sneezing.it turns out it is virus infection FHV.we got it from the hospital. (because she is indoor cat and never touch with other cat in the past.she didnt have this problem ever).
now called back to the hospital, they dont accept clients anymore.and they were not responsible for my cat's infection.
I am very upset because my cat is very very weak because went to this hospital and got infected!

Have had to use the services of TEVS twice now in the VERY early hours of the morning and both times staff and docs were very responsive, compassionate and the care provided our Ridgebacks was practical and thoughtful. We were kept up to date and involved all along.

I drove a friend of mine to your emergency vet clinic this morning as her cat was having an allergic reaction that looked pretty severe and she was very worried. We got to your clinic at 9: 30am and were only told that we were sixth in line and would get a call when the vet was ready to see her cat. After 4 hours of waiting in our car, my friend finally called to follow up and was told we were next in line. Two more hours pass with us waiting patiently in the car while progressively getting more frustrated. Finally she decides to call again and only then did the vet agree to talk to her. This vet was incredibly unsympathetic to the amount of time we had spent waiting to speak to her and the distress my friend already had over the health of her cat. Even though it was a Sunday and nowhere else was open and the vet hadn’t even seen my friends cat yet, she told us we should go to a family vet and should not have taken the cat to an emergency vet for this. Not only could this have been communicated to us at 9: 30am instead of 3: 30pm, my friend’s cat was clearly in need of medical attention. He has spreading bumps and lacerations all over his face that are spreading to the rest of his body and he had been throwing up his food for four straight days due to a severe allergic reaction. I highly recommend you look at implementing the following things to improve your business: Put more information on your website about the procedures you're currently using due to covid; If you don't want people coming to you with allergies, remove this from your website and signs as they are clearly listed as a reason for visiting; and train your staff to relay information to your customers more efficiently and with sympathy for the stress they are already going through. This entire situation could have been prevented and we could have saved 6 hours of our lives if your receptionist had of recommended we go somewhere else from the start.

Its time for my beloved Prince, 18yr, to go to another Heaven
and the night staff of Jan 2 were the Angels there to guide him.

Due to covid virus, they made adjustments so though not allowed in the room, I could still say goodbye and that the last soul of this earth that he saw was me.

Other Vets may less cost but the compassion and stress free
attitude of the People here is priceless.

I can include the memory of my dear 4 pawed pal passing on, before my teary eyes, with the 18 yrs of joy, thanks to the Angels of Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital.

(edit) : We came here for our pet again and had a totally different experience. Definitely an improvement and the veterinarian that saw us was kind, empathetic and patient with us. I think TVH is adjusting to the Covid and triaging more effectively. I'd recommend you call in advance and request to be put into triage or receive a call back when they are ready to see you.

I don't know why today was such a bad day. I get that it's Covid but the staff admin were so dismissive and impatient with us. It's almost as if they didn't want us to be there and for a $145 consultation (excluding meds) there's no reason to be so dismissive and impatient. Definitely wouldn't recommend this emergency vet if you're already stressed or worried about your four-legged bestie. I'm left with an empty and frustrated feeling after leaving. Not what you'd expect from an animal care organisation.

If you come to this hospital and receive bad news from Dr. Cynthia Leung, please ask for a second opinion. We recently noticed our dog’s stomach getting disturbingly big. After doing some tests and ultrasound with our usual vet, they found a large mass on our dog’s spleen, we took her here as we were told an emergency hospital would give her a better chance of survival. We met with Dr. Leung who also identified that it was a tumor, but told us that there was no hope in prolonging her life with a mass that large it can only be cancer. We were obviously shocked and devastated by this news, and she continued to be very curt and impatient with us as we tried processing and asking more questions to search for hope. We knew there wasn’t a guaranteed chance, but she wouldn’t even bother trying to give us any other option. Hearing that your pet should be put down is already a horrible experience, but her attitude made it even harder.

Because of covid, we were not allowed in the hospital and only spoke with her on the phone. In the middle of our discussion she hung up and said she would call us back shortly. We waited for a long time in the car but received no call back. Finally, we got into contact with her through reception and insisted we wanted to speak with a specialist. She continued to reiterate that it would be futile but eventually scheduled us with a specialist after we persisted.

The next day we met with Dr. Katrina Smith, who gave us a completely different conclusion. She examined our dog and reassured us that there was actually hope for surgery and recovery. Because of her, we were able to do more tests and proceed with surgery to get the mass removed. We also just received the autopsy confirming the mass was not cancerous (despite what Dr. Leung REPEATEDLY told us what it can only be!) and our dog can make a full recovery.

We are completely appreciative of the help Dr. Smith, the surgery and the critical care team have provided us (I would post a five star rating for them separately) but our initial experience with Dr. Leung and her dismissive attitude and actions are unforgivable. She caused us so much unnecessary emotional distress, and we genuinely thought we would have to say goodbye to our dog because of her. If we had listened to her and her conclusions, our little one would not be here today. The lack of professionalism and compassion from someone who’s supposed to save lives is concerning. Again, if any of you receive bad news regarding your pet from her, please look into getting a second opinion from someone else before action on something you will regret.

The staff were very courteous and professional. Dr. Patten was friendly, helpful and very easy to deal with; he answered all my questions with great patience and detail. All is all, a good experience considering the circumstances.

We brought our 2 year old dachshund here after he was hit by a car. We were sure our fur baby wouldn’t make it but the doctors at the TEVH did everything they could for him. They took him right away, monitored him closely, conducted surgery and provided him with the best outcome. They were informative and always kept us updated with phone calls and even pictures and videos of our pup (he was there for 12 days during covid so not seeing him was hard)
Dr. Porter did a great job, and has been incredibly helpful throughout this whole experience.
Our baby is home now and although he has a long recovery still ahead of him we’re confident it will be successful all thanks to the TEVH.
Thank you!

I cannot speak highly enough about the care I received for my dog. My dog is my world and I was so grateful for the quick follow up and game plan for aftercare. Dr. Elias and my vet tech (Beverley, I think.my apologies if I have it wrong) were absolutely wonderful. Would highly recommend this facility without hesitation.

We would like to thank both Doctors involved in treating our Panda, their diagnosis allowed us to start treating her and hoping she will keep her sight.

A special thanks to Krista, who manged to miraculously get us an appointment with an specialist immediately, we thank her from the bottom of our hearts

I had a great experience today with Dr. Colpitts for a cardiology consult. The wait times were really reasonable (especially for COVID) and there was tons of communication, and I know my cat was very well looked after and getting the expertise he needs. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend!

My dog was bitten by another dog recently and the tip of his ear had a laceration. A bit of his ear was still attached so I showed up to get stitches for him. Although the injury was not life threatening, the wait was not as bad as I had assumed. The front desk was extremely overworked and I really appreciate their services.

After I brought him home, I discovered the cone that was placed on him had cracked and was irritating his stitches which caused further bleeding. In the end I decided to remove the cone as it was doing more damage than help.

It has now been several weeks and upon further inspection, it is apparent that his stitches were done very poorly. I can see that a part of his lacerated ear was not stitched back properly while the stitches are done extremely tight. The knots that were done looked like it was done by a toddler who had just learned how to tie their shoelaces.

I know this is an emergency vet hospital and that aesthetics aside, at least his life was not in danger. I did however expected better stitching be done for a vet bill of roughly $600. Needless to say I will be doing further research into emergency vet clinics for the future.

Update: After the stitches have been removed it is clear that the stitches weren't done properly and that the laceration is still clearly visible. I will be contacting this location and requesting for an explanation.

We were referred to TVEH from our family vet in Aurora for further diagnosis and treatment for our 10-year old husky, Meca. The staff and vet who we worked with were very professional and responsive. They walked us through all of our options very carefully and successfully removed 900 mls of fluid from our girls chest, providing us a couple of extra days with our beloved girl before she passed peacefully on December 25.

Staff and Doctors are amazing! Excellent care and communication. Unfortunate circumstances for using their services but I highly recommend. Thank you!

THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE! The people that work here have no humanity or common decency! After a year of bringing my dog here paying out the a s s for blood work xrays and ultrasounds, we had to put our girl down. We called in the middle of the night after a week of her suffering and let the receptionist know we had to bring her in to put her down because she is hurting, we asked if we could be there as she was stressed enough and leaving her at the door would have been heartbreaking for all of us, she responded quickly with a NO and that they would take her at the door RUN MORE TESTS and let us know what would happen from there. We told the receptionist she has been through enough and is SUFFERING and if both of us cannot come in can at least one of us accompany her. Her response was to call back in the morning and MAYBE we could watch her from another room like it was an execution or something. My question is if masks work why couldn’t we accompany our fur baby? If they don’t work why are we all required to wear them.horrible experience especially when we were already losing our family dog. We ended up getting a vet come to our house and she passed away with us. After it was all done the vet said THIS PLACE MISSED SOMETHING in the ultrasounds and blood work. Rip off of my money and my poor baby girl suffered because of them. DISGUSTING PEOPLE.

Our little Westie girl Kiran has cancer. So, needless to say, right now all we want for her is the absolute best care that we can find. Fortunately, we were referred to the VEH. Dr. Patton, who is Kiran's attending oncologist at the VEH, is certainly what we were looking for. As soon as we spoke to him, we could tell that he had only Kiran's best interests at heart. Over the years, we've had numerous Westies, so we've dealt with a lot of vets. After a while, you get to know who it is that really cares about your pet & who it is that just wants your money. Needless to say, Dr. Patton & the VEH fall into the former category. As someone who knows a thing or two about quality healthcare for their pets, I can say to anyone who is reading this review that you need have no qualms about entrusting the VEH with your pet's medical needs.

Friendly, efficient, and made my life easier by forwarding my insurance papers directly!

Thanks very much!

ps: they also forwarded a report to my regular vet.better than a human hospital!

I would highly recommend TVEH to anyone who has a pet with health issues. The Dr who examined my dog was knowledgeable and after reading the results, very thorough. I found the prices were what I expected them to be for this type of animal hospital. Overall I found the staff extremely pleasant and will not hesitate to bring my pet back in the future if needed.

I cannot thank TVEH enough, I had to put my dog down last winter and it was my first dog and first euthanasia experience ever. I was a complete mess throughout the whole night but the dr and the entire team (front staff, technicians) showed nothing but compassion and care to me and my dog. Putting my dog down was definitely a traumatic experience but i truly believe TVEH has carried it out in the gentlest way possible for me and my dog. Thank you team, it was a long overdue regard.edit: i saw some entitled people complaining about wait times in the reviews. This is an “emergency” hospital, it’s right in the name. Same with human emergency hospitals, wait times often cannot be guaranteed and a long night is going to be ahead of you. The staff are clearly incredibly busy trying to keep dying animals alive (what do you think theyre doing? Playing cards in the back?) aside from your own as well.

Could not be happier with my experience. I brought my 10 month old puppy in as she had a consistent hacking cough. It was my first time bringing her to an emergency vet so I was quite anxious. We brought her in at 6am and did not have to wait for long. Everyone was very kind and helpful. Special thank you to Dr. Martin, who was amazing. She answered all questions we had and was very thorough in her explanations. Will definitely be coming back if needed in the future and recommend this emergency hospital to all pet parents. Thank you again to the team.