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VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital

Updated 2026-07-09 · 1,217 reviewed · 179 listed · Scored from 1,517 Google reviews · How we rank ›

4.2(1517) 72 composite score See reviews on Google ✓ Verified
General Veterinary CareEmergency & Urgent CareMobile & House-Call VetVeterinary SurgeryLow-Cost & Affordable CareHolistic & Alternative MedicineExotic & Avian VetVeterinary Dentistry
VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital
Services
General Veterinary Care, Emergency & Urgent Care, Mobile & House-Call Vet
Reviews
1517

What recent reviews say

Many owners credit VRCC staff with genuine care, quick diagnostics, and skilled emergency stabilization. Yet a loud minority report poor communication about surgical availability, astronomical bills (surgery quotes $7,000–$20,000, a diagnostic visit $1,200, medications marked up 4x retail), and pressure toward expensive interventions. Named staff like Jay, Carly, Keri, Dr. Creevey, and Brian are praised for compassion; others describe rudeness, ignored follow-up calls, and phone calls ending mid-crisis with frustration.

Reviewers trust the hospital for after-hours emergencies and specialist cardiology but worry about costs, clarity on what can actually be done on-site versus transferred, and whether steep pricing reflects necessary expertise or opportunism. One owner found a second opinion corrected a likely misdiagnosis. The inconsistency-five-stars and one-stars describing opposite encounters-suggests staff or outcome variability rather than across-the-board failure.

Recent shift: No clear shift in sentiment over the review window (6 days to 3 months), but the pattern of one- and five-star clusters suggests persistent inconsistency rather than recent deterioration or improvement.

Praised for
  • compassionate, skilled staff
  • quick stabilization and diagnostics
  • knowledgeable specialists
  • strong coordination with regular vets
  • quality cardiology and emergency response
Watch-outs
  • poor communication during emergencies
  • high costs and surprise bills
  • medication markups significantly above retail
  • inconsistent care quality and follow-up
  • aggressive recommendations for expensive surgery
compassionate-staffknowledgeable-vetsemergency-availabilitypoor-communicationoverpricedsurprise-feesgentle-with-animalsfollow-up-care
Best for: Pets requiring after-hours emergency care or specialist cardiology when primary vets are unavailable.
Think twice if: Budget is tight: expect $1,200+ for diagnostics, $7,000–$20,000+ for surgery, and medications 4x higher than online retail. Ask about surgical availability upfront if transfer risk concerns you.

Strengths

  • 24/7 emergency availability
  • board-certified specialists (cardiology, surgery)
  • fast stabilization and diagnostics
  • in-house CT imaging and lab

Worth knowing

  • Named staff praised: Jay, Carly, Brian (tech), Keri (tech), Dr. Creevey (cardiology)
  • Diagnostic example: $1,200 cat diagnosis; emergency stabilization then transfer when on-call surgeon not available on-site
  • Medication markup: $200 in-house for item listed $47 on Chewy
  • Puppy broken-leg case: charged $900 for cast and x-rays; recommended $7,000 surgery after owner declined

What reviews say by service

Emergency & Urgent Care
Quick stabilization and diagnostics, but inconsistent communication about on-site surgical availability and readiness for transfers.
General Veterinary Care
Specialist cardiology and internal medicine praised; some owners report suspected misdiagnosis warranting second opinion.
Veterinary Surgery
Staff may recommend surgery aggressively; unclear when surgery is available on-site versus requiring transfer overnight.

How it compares

  • Rated 4.2 against a 4.58 average across the 92 emergency & urgent care businesses listed here.
  • Has more Google reviews than 98% of the businesses in this directory.

How we scored this

Ranking Method
Star rating 47
Review volume 100
Review recency 100
Review sentiment 48
Profile completeness 100
Verification 30

Rating breakdown

5
1097
4
110
3
36
2
41
1
233

Common questions

Is VRCC open 24/7?
Yes, they offer 24/7 emergency care according to their website.
Do they have a surgeon on call overnight?
Not consistently. Multiple reviews report being told a surgeon was unavailable and the pet had to be transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery at night.
How much does an emergency visit cost?
Diagnostic visits range from $900 (puppy case) to $1,200 (cat case), plus imaging and specialist fees. Surgery quotes range from $7,000 to $20,000. Medications are marked up significantly above online prices.

Similar veterinarian nearby

VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital (Cardiology)
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VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital (Cardiology)

4.4(42)✓ Verified

Most patients experience exceptional care and clear explanations from board-certified specialists who treat their animals like family. Named vets like Creevey, Martin, Lee, and Vernon earn repeated praise for answering calls after hours, sending photo updates, and adjusting their schedules for anxious owners. Cost surprises and rare misdiagnoses appear in the minority of reviews, but when they occur they register as significant frustrations.

General Veterinary CareMobile & House-Call VetEmergency & Urgent Care
VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital (Surgery)
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VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital (Surgery)

No rating yet✓ Verified

Review evidence is limited; no individual review text is available for this business. VRCC states it offers 24/7 emergency care, surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, oncology, critical care, and in-house imaging for the Denver metro area.

Veterinary SurgeryGeneral Veterinary CareEmergency & Urgent Care

Last updated 2026-07-09