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Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital

Veterinarians, Animal Training Service,

About us

Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital makes a difference in the lives of pets and the people who love them with these principles as our foundation: Our Clients and Their Pets Our belief is that clients and their pets should always be treated with compassion, dignity and respect. We are here to make a difference in their lives. They are the core of our existence and will forever be our focus. Our Expertise It has been, and always will be, our tradition to provide excellence in veterinary medicine. As leaders in our respective fields, we hold ourselves to the highest standards and are constantly elevating our knowledge and skills. We are passionate about the care we provide and value the trust our clients place in us. Our Team Our team consists of individuals coming together to create a culture that goes beyond the care of animals. We care for each other. This culture contributes to our unique environment and is the key to our future. It's more than a job; our hospital is a great place to work.

Business highlights

Emergency services offered
70 years of experience

Services we offer

General practice, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, dermatology, sports medicine & rehabilitation, pain management, cardiology, anesthesia, surgery, radiology, ultrasound, MRI & CT scans, acupuncture.

Services we don't offer

grooming, boarding

Amenities

Eco Friendly Accreditations

Yes

Emergency Services

Yes

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • American Express
  • Check
  • Visa
  • Discover
  • MasterCard
Reviews
4.235 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
74%
4
6%
3
3%
2
0%
1
17%

Filter reviews by service

Showing 1-25 of 35 reviews
Brian D.
Apr 2022
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
WRAH was GREAT! This problem with my dog had gone on un-diagnosed by my regular vet for over 6 months. WRAH identified the issue quickly and treated it effectively. In this case, the fungus was eating away at the small bones (turbinates) in my dogs nasal passage and could have caused him major problems if it had not been solved. WRAH is a wonderful resource! If I could give them 6 stars, I would.

Javier D.
Jun 2020
1.0
Veterinarians
$650
Not a very good experience. Took my very sick dog in this morning, as a referral from our vet, for an ultrasound. Had me fill out a form, which I completed, including the CORRECT phone number. That form was apparently misplaced or ignored, as they called an incorrect number that was noted by the intake person. Apparently, that individual's handwriting was illegible. Despite my specific direction that they reach out to my wife, whose number I wrote down, they ignored that and apparently tried to call my number, which was written down incorrectly by their employee. No effort was made to reach out to any other number or to do anything about it. The reason they were leaving messages on random voice mails was to inform us that, despite our dog not being able to keep any food down and having lost more than 20% of his body weight, he was potentially being bumped from the scheduled and maybe have to be brought in again another day. He is sick, hungry and locked in a cage at this hospital while they ignore him and fail to make even a modest effort to reach out to his family. Most importantly, he is a critical patient that needs this exam. They don't seem to care about that. The doctor's attitude was "it is what it is . . ." I am wrecked and heartbroken and the prospects of having to go through all of this again makes me absolutely horrified.

Sheila N.
Aug 2017
2.0
Veterinarians
The pharmacist I spoke with needed to check with the doctor and said she'd call me back. Which she did, but to my surprise, the doctor refused to dispense the medication. They said that since it had been more than a year since she'd been seen, they couldn't prescribe. I suggested that she'd been seen there numerous times over the years, has documented low thyroid in their records, is on a very high dose (.7) and they could call her primary vet to verify they were unexpectedly closed today. Unfortunately, I let the very nice pharmacist who called me know how upset I was (I cry when I'm angry) - I couldn't believe they wouldn't dispense TWO pills, that my dog's comfort was less important than their policy. What kind of vet is that? At that point, the very nice pharmacist said she would speak with the ER vet on duty (vs. the day vet who'd been on staff when I'd originally called). Not long after, she called back to say even the ER vets would not issue the pills. I find this comical for another reason - about a year back when my other dog snapped up a thyroid pill I'd accidentally dropped on the floor, I was told by phone it was no big deal. Well maybe it's no big deal for a dog who doesn't need them, but for a dog who DOES need them, not having them can be a big deal. So - long story short, I'll be finding a new back-up vet. I've spent thousands of dollars at WRAH over the years, but will take my money and my old girl somewhere else now. Obviously, this place could care less about my pet's well-being.

Jennifer B.
Jul 2017
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
I needed a 24-hour emergency care place, and they were excellent. I had to take him in at 11 o'clock at night and they were wonderful. That's the only time I ever used them. Well, he ingested Christmas chocolate. They gave him something to vomit it out and then they dug through the vomit to get the packaging. The packaging was still in tact, so they could see how many grams were in the pack he ate.I think that's extraordinary, I would never go dig through vomiting myself, so they did that. I think it was $100; it was very reasonable for what they did. I would've easily paid three times that amount just to save my best friend. He got into a dark chocolate bar that I had got for Christmas, and I didn't even know he could've done that. I thought oh my gosh he can't have chocolate! I had to quickly find a place that was open 24/7 and believe it or not there are very few places that are open 24/7.

MICHAEL R.
Feb 2017
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
The wait time was 10 minutes. The vet interacted with my animal very well.

Mary T.
Jan 2017
1.0
Veterinarians
$2,000
Money making machine. The vets (revolving door of 25 year olds) are probably trained on sales techniques. They took a vigorous 18 yr old cat who had an upper respiratory infection/viral infection, and we took him home as a disoriented, confused, agitated cat who will probably need to be euthanized. After 3 visits with no results in getting him over the respiratory infection, he was given 4 strong medications all because we asked them to give him something to help him sleep when we left him overnight ($1200). They initially gave him METHADONE (***?? An OPIOID to help him sleep??). My cat then had a seizure from the opioid (never had a seizure before), so they gave him something to reverse the seizure - Midazolam which is a benzo also used as a sedative. Googling opioid + sedative will result in very scary warnings about not mixing the two - kills people. Then they gave him naloxone to reverse the opioid, and flumazenil to reverse the midazolam. If that happened to a person, there would be a malpractice lawsuit. My cat is now out of his mind, just paces back and forth (for over 18 hours) from one water bowl to another - doesn't drink, doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, doesn't recognize us. Before and after the unbelievable amount of medications, we were recommended one diagnostic procedure after another - x rays, rhinoscopies, MRI's, CT scans, ultra sounds, neurology tests, steroids, antibiotics, anti-nausea, appetite stimulants. We did some of them and racked up a bill of $2,200. If we did all of it, it would have been over $5,000. Their answer is the medications they gave him are not causing the new problems - but they need to see him again to give a definitive answer - yeah right, just one more way to get $$$. They did a physical neurologic exam on him after giving him the seizure, said that he probably has some neurologic issues but without biopsy that it is not clear what the cause is - could be cancer, could be benign, could be bacteria. How anyone can do an accurate neurological exam after pumping opiods, sedatives and drugs that amp up his cortisol, and after having a seizure is beyond understanding. Again, just one more procedure to make money. He was a social cat 2 days ago who could jump, walk, and sleep. I'm beyond rage and heartbreak at what they did to him. They will cover their tracks and never admit responsibility.

Bonnie C.
Jan 2017
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
Very professional team took a biopsy and sent it to CSU lab for confirmation. Vet Oncologist guided us through the options, gave us choices, and is following up regularly with care. Her expertise, along with being very up-front about what to expect is greatly appreciated. She, and her team, are very sympathetic towards my pet and to my family, while still giving us as much hope to us as possible. I highly recommend this group!

Michelle P.
Aug 2016
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$15,000
It's nice to know that not all Vet Neurology Specialists have horrible bedside manners and no time for their patient's and quot;parentsand quot;! After an emergency with my dog where we rushed her to VRCC, and a not so great experience with the Neurologist there (although the emergency team were superb), Dr KO and his team at Wheatridge were a godsend. In my initial call, I explained my situation and the inability to get in for a follow up with the neurologist at VRCC for a min of 6 weeks. The woman at Wheatridge was very friendly and helpful and was able to get me squeezed in (even though we were new patients there). Once we got there for the appointment, Dr Ko and his team all sat on the floor with Nena to get her used to them. Dr Ko asked a multitude of questions, and you could tell he had reviewed the files that had been sent over as well. He then did a very thorough exam and sat down to talk to me. He didn't rush me, answered all my questions and gave me various options. He even gave me multiple names of folks to contact in case I had some questions after I got home. He didn't have great news for us about our Nena, but it was such a relief to be able to 1) ask questions and not feel rushed or like we were inconveniencing him, 2) have him be so gentle with my girl and 3) and have him ask us such detailed questions in order to give us the most accurate prognosis for my baby. He was so warm and friendly I even got a hug as I was leaving. Thanks so much Dr Ko and team!Michelle

Susan H.
Apr 2016
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
.

Erika B.
Jan 2016
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown

Linda W.
May 2014
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
It went well.  He had surgery on both back legs and had great success.  We continue to go back there.  The good news is the every Doctor we see is very competent.  I am comfortable that they are knowledgable and professional.

Patricia G.
Mar 2014
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are at the top in taking care of animals. They are the ones that have CAT Scan, MRI's, the whole thing, they have quite a facility. I've been with them since 1965. I brought my dog there as a blood donor. They're fantastic over there. There's over 80 to 90 people employed over there, it's a really upscale hospital. They're not the cheapest in the world but they are the best. My dog is a greyhound and a lot of doctors don't know a lot about greyhounds but they are very informed, they know them very well so I would recommend them to anyone which I have.

Eugene F.
Mar 2014
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
Love it!  They are very thorough.  The doctors are good and were very competent with diagnosis and treatment.  We last saw them in November and spend about $100.

Arthur G.
Oct 2013
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$355
He was very gentle with my dog - got down on the floor with him, played with him, and really evaluated my dog carefully to find out what the problem was and find a solution. He knew exactly how to handle my dog, which was very comforting. He went overboard in treating my dog kindly, as a matter of fact.

Rochelle C.
Oct 2013
3.0
Veterinarians
$8,800
Surgery went well, as did the service provided by the oncologist, but the patient died in less than 4 months. The odds were not good, based on statistics given to the owners.  However, at no time were they told the real, empathetic truth that the dog likely had at most 6 months to live regardless of treatment. Unfortunately, those specialists are employed and controlled by the ruling business partners of the clinic, 4 in total, 3 of whom are Vets and one a business partner.  The person in charge seems to be one of the Vets who seems more interested in the bottom line of the clinic than he is in treating the humans connected to the pets with real empathy or good will. He manages to put the employed specialists on the front line as the ones responsible for discussing treatment and management with medically naïve pet owners who are faced with life threatening disease of their beloved pet.  At no time did any of the health providers take the approach "if this were my pet, this is what I would do," which would have cut the cost by more than half.  The surgery was needed to get the animal out of pain, but all the rest was a way to justify multiple charges, similar to the "charge master" list used to rack up charges for human patients in most hospitals in our broken human sick care system.  Is it any wonder that over 60% of bankruptcies in this country are due to medical debt?  Thanks to places like Wheat Ridge Animal Clinic, the outcome can be the same with your pet.







When the owner/Vet was confronted with the high charges for in house blood work, disposal of an empty chemo bag (almost $100 for each disposalx4!), all kinds of inflated charges for what should be routine post-op care, charging for heartworm medication for a dog who would likely be dead before summer,  his response was he was "competitive i.e., he can legally get away with it .  I suggested he would have more clients if he demonstrated some goodwill toward the human conditions of those that brought in the beloved pet..

Judy F.
Jul 2013
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$111
The proceedure went excellent but we expected this as we have been clients for over 14 years!  We love the staff and the vets as they are always caring, compassionate and very knowledgeable!  They are a little pricey...but you get what you pay for.


Linda W.
Feb 2013
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
We have had two surgeries with him and he is just a very good veterinarian.

Judy S.
Dec 2012
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
First of all they saw him as soon as we arrived.  Everyone was kind and helpful.
The doctor understood my concern for any possible internal bleeding.  An ultrasound was done.  No problem there.
Knowing that he was going to be very bruised and achy, pain meds were given.  Also for the various scrapes he had received, an antibiotic was prescribed as well.
I appreciate the concern and care he received.  My fears were addressed and I left feeling much better.

Michael K.
Apr 2012
4.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are okay; they are not staller.

Kathy C.
Mar 2012
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,500
It was stellar.  The surgery was $4,000 and another $500 in followups.  It was an emergency kind of thing, they did an outstanding job, the whole staff there did a stellar job, it's an excellent place, has all kinds of specialists, there was a surgeon, 2 internists, and a nutritionist.  The cost was a little high and they may have ways of dealing with people who can't spend $4,000 on dog surgery.  If you're going to spend $4,000, you want an excellent job, versus someone spending 3,000, and the surgery failing.  I can't imagine they would send you home with a dog that was going to die.  I figured if I spent $4,000, took it out of savings, the next person couldn't, so, I feel like I'm passing it on.  It was an amazing job and they did extensive followup.  In fact, I'll take him in so they can visit with them.  I give them high ratings and will continue to go there in the future if needed.

Karen B.
Sep 2011
1.0
Veterinarians
$4,000
First of all, let me say I have been using this facility for 25 years plus but it has changed dramatically in the last few years.  They are a state of the art animal hospital, no doubt with all the bells and whistles, it is their primary agenda that I have to question.  

The did the original surgery on my dog placing a screw and plates in his leg approximately 8 years ago.  The original surgery and surgeon were terrific.  Earlier this year, my dog came up lame, favoring that leg again so I took him back into Wheat Ridge where the first vet I saw told me it was musculature and prescribed some medication and rest.  After a month he still wasn't any better so I took him back to them and another vet ran some tests and said that the soft tissues around the hardware were infected and the hardware needed to be removed so I authorized that and they removed the hardware.  The dog came home and seemed to do better for a bit but then again deteriorated so I took him back again.  This time, a completely different vet said that it was likely cancer.  The tissue samples they had taken from his original surgery three weeks earlier was finally examined and it was discovered that there were spindle cells in the sample indicating cancer.  They said that this was not a definitive diagnosis and that more tests would have to be run, but this was the most likely diagnosis.  The vet went on to outline treatment which included amputation of his leg followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy and, at the outside, a life expectancy of 18 months!!  On top of it, total treatment costs would be approximately $8000 to $10,000.   I took him home with a fentanyl patch on to relieve his pain and to give myself time to think about what was best for him.  The dog made it clear after short order as he started moaning in pain and this was a dog who never complained.  I decided then that his suffering was not in his best interest and that putting him through amputation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy was a horrible quality of life for him without it being a cure, just prolongating the inevitable.  So I took him back in to have him euthanized and, incredibly, they tried to talk me out of it by saying that the options were quite viable!   It was then that I finally came to realize that their primary agenda is monetary and I will never recommend them.  

I've had an unfortunate month with my pets and approximately five weeks later I had a cat come up sick so instead of going to Wheat Ridge I took him to Animal Critical Care Emergency Services on Wadsworth and I would recommend to anyone that they go there instead of Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital as it's more cost effective, the services are just as good and the people are genuinely concerned about the animals instead of the revenue.  


Carrie S.
May 2011
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$250
Very friendly staff, running about an hour late and I had to come back.  The vet was super nice and helpful.  I was a little shocked at the cost, but it was my fault for not asking ahead of time.  When we came back to pick up the cat, it was another at least half an hour until they brought him out to us.  In the future, I'd definitely use them for a hospital situation, but maybe not for basic services.

Jean M.
Apr 2011
5.0
Veterinarians, Animal Training Service
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
Although very sad experience, WRAH was extremely caring when I picked up the ashes.  It took me a month to get myself there, but no complaints from them.  

Jennifer K.
Jan 2011
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
The staff at Wheatridge Animal Hospital are priceless. The doctors and front office staff always welcomed us. When I had to make a tough decision of euthanasia, I was given multiple options - including referral to a home euthanasia service. This hospital is not a money making factory. They truly care for their patients. Dr. Jordan knew I was going through a tough time and hugged me when I couldn't take it any more. I drive across town (45 minutes) and past probably 100's of veterinarian hospitals to get to these folks - which is a testament to my commitment to the value of services provided to my animals being the absolute best with Wheatridge Animal Hospital.

Mary W.
Aug 2009
5.0
Veterinarians
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
I do not live near Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital but the closer Alameda East did not have an ultrasound tech available the day I needed one for my dog. The vet that read the ultrasound was amazingly compassionate and took time to sit and explain to me. He had an enlarged liver and she explained what it might or might not be and overall just a wonderful experience. They even provide an online version of your x-rays and other pics so you don't have to request copies for your reg vet. She also recommended one of the vets there to look at my dog's allergies. I had taken him to 4 other vets that could not help him. Dr. Jonas saw him for the first time and listened to me and gave my pup some new meds and in 2 days, he was a new dog. I was considering euthanasia as he was so miserable before that. His hair would fall out and the allergies on his skin caused blisters and infection. Dr. Jonas did not give me a text book answer like some other vets had, but used his experience, knowledge and intuition AND he listened to me and what I had already been through and what I was willing to do. He has called me on off hours and vacation to follow up when I leave a message. I have had to take my dog there for an ER visit recently as well, on a Sunday, and nothing but great experiences there.
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FAQ

Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital is currently rated 4.2 overall out of 5.

Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Tuesday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Thursday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM

Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital accepts the following forms of payment: American Express, Check, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Yes, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital offers free project estimates.

Yes, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital offers eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital does not offer a senior discount.

Yes, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital offers emergency services.

No, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital does not offer warranties.

Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital offers the following services: General practice, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, dermatology, sports medicine & rehabilitation, pain management, cardiology, anesthesia, surgery, radiology, ultrasound, MRI & CT scans, acupuncture.

grooming, boarding