Veterinary Emergency Group

I had the most comforting experience at Veterinary Emergency Group. Upon arrival, I was immediately welcomed by staff and they looked at my kitty, Bernie, right away. I was able to be by his side throughout the entire visit which made both of us feel at ease. Dr. Thomas was so helpful and informative. I’d also love to mention Raven. She was awesome and provided me with snacks and a water as soon as I got there. She also gave Bernie a little hut to make him feel more comfortable. I would 1000% recommend Veterinary Emergency Group to anyone that feels it’s important to have a compassionate team working on their pet during a stressful time. 🩷

If you are in Pittsburgh/the surrounding area, I highly recommend if you are in need of emergency care for your pet. I brought my 4 year old dog, Nora, here around 8:30pm on Saturday night. The team immediately took her back to be checked, and even dealt with her dramatics when they tried to shave her paw for her blood pressure. An urgent case came in, so we went back to sit in the waiting area. One of the workers, Cara, really advocated for Nora's care. She noticed her whole demeanor changed from the time we walked in to over an hour later. She got Dr. Brooks to take a look at her and get the ultrasound/x-ray process started. It was a long night but around 3 am we believed it was aspiration pneumonia, and Dr Brooks took her time to explain what the next few weeks would look like for us and we went home. We ended up needing to go back to VEG a couple hours later and left Nora for hospitalization for the next 24-48 hours. Unfortunately, Nora's health drastically declined within a few hours. Dr. Wells took over Nora's care in the morning, and was great at explaining exactly how she thought Nora was doing and helping me make decisions on what to do next. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to my Nora, but they made her as comfortable as possible and let us take our time in the final moments. Thank you to the VEG team, especially Cara, Dr. Brooks and Dr. Wells for their extra care and effort to help Nora and comforting me as well.

The other night, our almost 15 year old dog had been coughing all day and we became concerned. We called VEG, spoke to a doctor within minutes and were encouraged to bring him in. We were sent a link to begin providing his information and history before we arrived. My husband took him in and he was seen immediately. After approving the cost of Xrays, it was clear the situation was more serious than we had previously assumed, and he needed to be admitted overnight. They said my husband could stay, that I could come stay, and that I could even bring our other dog with me. From when I arrived to when we left the following morning to transfer to Blue Pearl for specialized cardiac care, I was floored by the kindness, empathy, and care shown by everyone at VEG both for my pets and for us. They set us up in a room where we could rest. They set up a temporary mobile oxygen chamber so that he could be in that room with us and still receive his treatment. We didn't ask for that - they just proactively set it up. We saw this whole team work together so elegantly to triage every animal that came in and provide the necessary care to our dog and others. The only time we needed to be separated was when he was getting Xrays, but even then, he could see my husband's face through the window. They made what was a very stressful and difficult night as pleasant as could be reasonably expected under the circumstances. I can't say enough about the overall approach of the practice and the care exhibited by every person we encountered. It must be so awkward to be so skilled and wonderful in an emergency service situation. Because, while I am so grateful and impressed with my experience at VEG, I also don't want to say "I can't wait to go back." I hope I never have to go back because I don't have the need, but given the likelihood that a need will arise, I won't hesitate to bring a pet here in the future and recommend them to every pet owner I know. We are eternally grateful to Dr Brooks, Dr Barker, Marissa, and everyone there (I can't remember all the names because everyone was amazing.) In addition to the excellent care, they have chairs so we could sit anywhere we needed to, they had a small pull out couch where they provided us sheets, pillows, and a blanket, they have snacks, coffee, individually wrapped toothbrushes, and this Willy Wonka looking water machine.

VEG Pittsburgh was the closest emergency vet when my little kitty, Shadow, aged 17, started experiencing loss of control in her hind legs and tail. I called the number on their site and the receptionist answered immediately. They soon transferred me to a doctor, who was helpful and informative. They told me to come in (it was midnight) and they were waiting for me when I got there. The vet techs were so sweet to my kitty, talking to her, holding her gently when they needed to evaluate her, and petting her. I had to wait maybe 7 minutes to see the doctor after the initial evaluation from the techs. The doctor was very professional and gave my cat a thorough evaluation. They discussed my options with me in understandable language and were realistic about my cat's prospects without trying to influence my decision one way or another. The vet tech Cierra was an angel that night and helped me and my girl get through one of the hardest nights of my whole life. She was gracious, patient, and compassionate. I'm so grateful to her professional yet warm conduct. She and other members of staff also offered me water, which was nice of them. The facilities were clean and they had many tools at their disposal. The private rooms were clean and quiet with dimmer lighting for a more relaxed atmosphere. They used a doorbell system where they would tell me what steps were next and leave me and my girl to have some private time, then I could ring the doorbell to summon them when I was ready for the next steps. They gave me all the time I needed (I only wish I would have taken more, but I think I'd feel that way regardless of how much time I really took) and I never once felt rushed to keep moving through the process. I was worried about an exorbitant fee to pay up front, but they actually work with Affirm to provide payment plan options, which is amazing. It really helped ease the blow. My visit ended up being $643 that night for the emergency evaluation ($198), the euthanasia medications and administration, and the cremation (no return for ashes). After we finished, they gave me a memento bag of paw print ink stamps and nose/snoot stamps, whiskers, and fur clippings in a cute little drawstring bag. That was such a nice touch. I couldn't have asked for better care, assistance, and compassion for one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Thank you, from me and Shadow girl

Unfortunately we had to have our dog put down here late last night, but the staff were fantastic; professional and caring. They were able to immediately get him on an exam table and thoroughly looked him over. His condition was terminal, but they stabilized him until the rest of his family could get to us and allowed us all the time we needed to say goodbye. They provided a variety of danger treats for his final celebration and ultimately handled his passing with compassion and understanding. Hopefully we never need an emergency vet again, but when we do I'll definitely make the drive up from the south hills