Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital

Everyone was kind, compassionate, professional and efficient The vet in particular did an amazing job providing the best care possible while being cognizant of budget, not only the immediate costs but follow up costs as well. They gave my dog pain meds and an ice pack while we waited to make him more comfortable, which was much appreciated given his injury

I took in my cat last week for a vaccine reaction. The visit was so quick and efficient. No one was there on a Saturday night and my cat was taken back immediately before I even filled out the paperwork. I was in and out in about an hour. The vet I saw was great. She explained everything very well. She was kind and compassionate. The efficiency, quickness, explanation, and cost were all very good. First time to an emergency vet and it went so smoothly.

Outstanding Emergency Care – 10/10 Wheat Ridge was amazing from start to finish. The staff was compassionate, quick to act, and treated my pet like their own. The veterinarian was thorough and kept me informed every step of the way. The facility was clean and well-equipped, and they even followed up after treatment. I can’t recommend them enough—truly lifesaving care!

Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital lives up to all of the sterling reviews and recommendations. When one vet left us with more questions than answers, WRAH filled in the blanks. The staff is diligent, accommodating and compassionate. We are extremely grateful to have had Dr. Li (and Dr. Raczek) as our neuro team when our precious girl, Khali, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. During her heartbreaking, rapid, decline Dr. Li was one call/one email away. She helped us navigate this scary time to provide Khali with end of life care. We will never forget how caring, compassionate, and invested Dr. Li was in her care. Dr. Li was everything we hoped to find in a doctor for our baby during this time.

This review aims to bring attention to the actions of Dr. Jessica Villm, which, we believe, contributed to the tragic and preventable death of my service animal, Coco. After an extensive investigation by my research team, in consultation with veterinary experts, we found that Dr. Villm’s actions violated medical ethics and fell short of the expected standard of care. Coco was under the care of Dr. Villm for IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) and was otherwise healthy. However, Coco would end up developing a life threatening autoimmune disease that we believe was caused by medication that I refused to give her. The failed diagnosis, and untreated progression of that disease would result in unnecessary suffering and ultimately in Coco’s early death. Dr. Villm repeatedly urged me to administer a blood thinner called Plavix to Coco over the course of her care. Each time, I declined. I made the decision not to administer the potentially dangerous blood thinner, a decision informed by our veterinarian’s advice, research, and careful consideration of the risks. While I was away my wife brought Coco in for a checkup. Dr. Villm disregarded my explicit wishes and persuaded my pregnant wife to administer Plavix. Dr. Villm failed to inform my wife that I had previously refused the medication and did not disclose the potentially deadly side effects. Before prescribing Plavix, Dr. Villm did not perform a clotting test to determine if Coco needed a blood thinner and did not conduct a baseline CBC (Complete Blood Count) to assess blood levels before or during her treatment. She did not schedule a follow-up exam after prescribing Plavix or perform any subsequent monitoring. When I returned home Coco had lost over 10% of her body weight, was weak and had become jaundice. Dr. Villm assured us that Plavix could not cause Coco’s condition. Despite our concerns, she insisted Coco remain on the medication for another 3 months. Over the next three months, Coco's condition deteriorated. Despite many visits (10 in only 12 weeks), Dr. Villm failed to conduct essential tests or make an accurate diagnosis. Only after I presented data that showed that Coco was healthy until she was given Plavix did she order a CBC, which revealed dangerously low blood cell counts. When Dr. Villm finally took Coco off Plavix, she also, without having performed any additional tests, took Coco off the only medication that was helping control her drug-induced immune disease. This decision would prove to be fatal, and cause Coco to suffer and ultimately lead to her death. We would ultimately spend over $20,000 trying to save Coco's life. Coco was more than a service animal; she was a beloved family member and a loyal companion who faithfully supported me through multiple reconstructive surgeries. Her death has caused significant emotional distress to our family, overshadowing the birth of our first child. Coco’s litter-mate, Riley, inseparable since birth struggles without her. I am now forced to try to adapt to life without the service animal I had by my side for nearly 9 years and to cope with the shocking circumstances that cut her life short. Astoundingly, Dr. Villm would tell me only weeks before Coco’s death that if Coco’s condition was caused by Plavix that she would publish a research paper on her case. This was highly insensitive and inappropriate and further demonstrated Dr. Villm’s lack of ethics and professionalism. In honor of Coco, we are petitioning the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine to review her case and determine whether Dr. Villm’s actions warrant disciplinary measures. We are also exploring our legal options. Given our experience, we strongly urge anyone considering veterinary care to thoroughly evaluate their options and ensure that their chosen provider adheres to the highest standards of care. If your service animal or pet suffered or passed away under the care of Dr. Villm or any other veterinarian at Wheatridge Animal Hospital, please contact us, we want to hear from you. We miss you, Coco. Your story is just beginning.