Veterinary Specialists of Ct PC

Would not recommend using this place especially with the number if alternatives in the area. Very high prices and seems they may be more focused on revenue than animal health. My animal was having spontaneous motor function issues and I took him in to be evaluated. They charged me hefty fees/price to do bloodwork and check joints. Both came back negative but they still held off on doing x-rays and sent him home without a diagnosis. Now the symptoms are back and they are worse. VCA refuses to do further diagnostics without recharging me hundreds of dollars in fees. Basically, they are saying I have to repay for everything if I want the x-rays and couldn’t care less about my animal. I have been very reasonable and nice it’s just disappointing they don’t have a business model more focused on animal health. Definitely look elsewhere!

The price was ridiculous but it is for two dogs. They are very good. We have been using them since we move to West Hartford. They have on one particular vet, Dr. Gus who is just terrific and empathetic guy. He works very well with the dogs. The dogs love him. He is very sensitive,very caring, very down to earth. He has been terrific.

It went very badly. Our dog was suffering greatly from a long-term disease which I think was misdiagnosed. I went in expecting to spend our last moments together, as I had years earlier with another dog. Instead, the vet insisted that she had to take my dog to the back room for prep. I waited over a half hour until he was returned to the exam room. The vet said that something had come up, and she had to attend to another animal. Then she rushed through the remainder of the euthanasia. I am still heartbroken. My dog should have been returned to the exam room by someone when the vet discovered that she couldn't finish the prep at that time. Instead, he had to suffer alone in a strange, noisy place during his last few minutes on earth, at a time when he was truly miserable and scared. I would have loved to have that one extra half-hour with him. Instead, the vet rushed us, with the implication that there were more important things for her to do. Because I have been upset, it has taken me several years to be able to write this review, but I have written it because I feel very betrayed. I used to think that this was a good place and once gave it an A review, but because of this and other issues related to the diagnosis and treatment of the illness, I cannot give them a good review. Another issue was that, before his death, my dog had a large benign tumor in his mouth and suffered from it for a year and a half because a vet said that our dog had a heart murmur and shouldn't have surgery. After the poor dog spent all that time having trouble with eating because of the tumor location, the vet later said she had been wrong and there was no heart murmur.

Their service is good.  They treat the animals well.  It is expensive.

See above - in addition - long wait times, left on hold AND, they bill you for services you've already paid for!! POOR POOR SERVICE!! If you love your pet, go to a pet friendly vet!!

unknown

They sent me a notice because my pets are due for some shots. They're good. They tend to be a little on the high side as far as the pricing is concerned but they're good. I like the experience and the size of their facility. There are so many veterinarians there, they got together and collaborated to try to find a solution for one of my dogs. I like the fact that they have numerous doctors that they can talk to about certain problem. I'm always waiting when I go in there.

Veterinary Specialists of Ct PC are top notch people who are the best in their field in the area but they're also expensive. Their punctuality and professionalism are excellent.

I have taken all of my many animals (dozens over the years) to this hospital. Dr Gustafson is a gift from God. I would trust him with MY life! I had a dog put down due to sickness at another vet years ago and it was horribly traumatic experience for him (his final moments were terrible and he was very frightened) and I was scarred. THIS vet showed me how its supposed to be. So caring and calming to owner and pet. So respectful of your feelings etc.
When it comes to treatment they have gone above and beyond the call. Dr. Maier was so good with my elderly Chihuahua and the whole place cheered for her when she survived a very risky surgery. Jadira at the reception desk is first class. Everyone is so helpful right down to the assistants who take your pets back to the surgical area.

Dr. Maiar came out to the car to examine her so that a possibly ill dog
did not transmit her virus to other animals. That was a new one on me! I
was impressed. A vet tech came out to help after she decided she needed
someone to hold the dog, who is friendly until you deal with her butt
-- she hates thermometers. They managed brilliantly. My dog needs some
teeth extracted, so I will update when that happens. The price seemed
reasonable -- office visit ($55), fecal exam ($34), and antibiotics ($14).

The staff there is pretty good. We like using them. Our dog is 13 years old and we have been with them all this while.

IWe've seen three of the vets there through the years. The vets are good, but the prices, communication, and front desk staff finally have me switching to a different vet. Front desk is consistently rude when I call. Long hold times in the morning, told that I'd have to wait several hours for someone to return my call, and just a general bad attitude if I have any questions. But the nail in the coffin for me is that every time I bring my animals there, I walk out with a $300-$600 bill-just for well visits. I'm never quite sure how much I'll be paying because of all the things they "add on" in the well visit that I wouldn't think to ask the price of (like nail clipping- $30, ointment that the cat "might need if the redness doesn't go away" but never used-$120, etc.). I'm moving on, there's bound to be a vet practice with good vets and respect for customers also.

They're very good. My dog is a tough animal to take care of. She's a trauma dog. They're very kind to her. They were just always responsive. I never saw anybody being negative at all. They couldn't have been nicer. They were just good.

The doctors there are very well qualified, and the staff is excellent.

They seem to know what they're doing. They had promptly removed a tumor that our previous dog had. They take good care of our animals. We have been to other vets who have not diagnosed properly or misdiagnosed certain problems, and Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut have helped us with it. Their pricing is about average. I would recommend their services.

After my puppy, Brunie, a then six-month-old Border Terrier, was neutered at this facility, Dr. Gustafson stated that he had noticed some “proliferative tissue” in Brunie’s mouth during the operation. He said that if it did not go away in a couple of weeks, I should call back. It did not go away, so I called back. I brought Brunie in for a visit, and Dr. Gustafson said that the tissue now appeared to be in a different place. He thought it was an infection, so he put Brunie on antibiotics and said that if the swelling did not go away, we would need to do a biopsy. He said, and I quote, that the biopsy would be “no big deal.” After the antibiotic treatment, the tissue was still there, and I called as instructed to report that it had not gone away. I waited a week, but Dr. Gustafson did not return my call. I called again and spoke to someone at the desk. I never did hear from Dr. Gustafson, but someone called me to schedule “surgery” for Brunie. I brought Brunie in for the biopsy (now termed “surgery”). When I picked him up, I was stunned to find that the bill for the procedure was almost $500. I do not know what Dr. Gustafson considers to be “no big deal,” but as a single, working mother, I consider $500 to be a significant sum. However, I did not complain. I paid the bill and asked when I would receive the results of the biopsy. I was told that the doctor would call within two-three days. That was a Tuesday. No one had called by the end of the week. The following week, I went on a business trip (as I do every two weeks). I checked voicemail every day, but no one called. My friends and family all told me that had to be a good sign, because only a horribly cruel veterinary practice would fail to call me if the results had shown anything to worry about. When I returned from my trip, I called the office and was told that Dr. Gustafson was away and, because his files were “locked in his office,” no one could tell me anything. I would have to wait until Monday—almost two weeks after the biopsy. First thing Monday, Dr. Gustafson finally called. His foremost concern seemed to be that I understand that he had been on vacation for over a week (a fact that no one had bothered to share with me when I was told that I should expect results in two-three days). He then proceeded to tell me, without softening the blow at all, that my beloved puppy, a dog my daughter and I had picked out at five weeks and raised since nine weeks of age, had cancer. He then said he had never seen this kind of cancer before and suggested that I take Brunie to Boston for treatment. Although I was in shock, I managed to explain that treating dogs for cancer was against my personal beliefs, and that in any event, I did not have the resources to take a dog to Boston for cancer treatment. At that moment, Dr. Gustafson appeared to regroup and said he would “never judge anyone” for personal decisions. Seeming to offer hope, he said that some cancers just require steroids to treat, and that he would consult a colleague for advice. Only when I began crying on the phone did he communicate what I would term perfunctory sorrow about the news he had dropped on me. I begged him to call me as soon as possible, and he promised at least three times that he would call me on Tuesday evening after his day of surgeries. I told him that I had an 11-year-old daughter and needed to know what I should tell her. On Tuesday, I waited all night for the phone to ring. He never called. By this point furious and frightened, I called the office midday Wednesday and asked to speak to “whoever is responsible for customer service,” explaining that I did not wish to speak to Dr. Gustafson ever again. From that point forward, others at the facility treated me with empathy. We ended up having to put our dog to sleep at the age of only eight months (and I elected to go to a different vet). However, note that the above text is adapted from a letter to the practice, to which the practice never replied.

We've been very pleased with the care our pets have received at Vet Specs. We've not been to their office since the addition was completed, but we're looking forward to it since their relatively small space was often crowded and hectic. Once we get our animals into an exam room, we're always pleased with the outcome: the getting-in-and-out process left a little to be desired, though. We also seem to see a different veterinarian every time we visit, and people tend to come and go quite a bit.

I can't really compare them to anyone because I haven't used anyone else yet, but they are caring and very convenient. I think the price was reasonable as well. They were professional and fast. I will be using them again because I had a great experience with them.

I have used this company for five years. I have been so extremely pleased with them and I have recommended them to my family and friends. They are friendly people who offer a caring way. The business is a clean, beautiful, modern facility. They have a specialized treatment area to offer more intense services. They are open on Saturday mornings. It is well worth the money I spend because our dog is a part of our family.