Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Veterinary Specialty Services's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Veterinary Specialty Services

  1021 Howard George Dr. Ballwin, MO 63021

• 

  Veterinary Specialty Services

  7770 Winghaven Blvd O Fallon, MO 63368

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Took my dog here on February 1st - very disappointed in the service my pet received & the charges I was charged. Took my dog in to get treated for vomiting with anti-nausea medicine and they gave him a sedative without even talking to us about his history first. We would never have approved a sedative as he was a bulldog and also had a history of heart issues when he was a puppy. All they cared about was pushing 3-4 days stays and sedatives so they could collect a big bill. I never should have paid for a sedative I didnt approve. My poor dog passed 30 mins after being treated with a sedative he never should have received. A sedative could kill a bulldog due to their unique anatomy as a brachycephalic breed, which makes them highly susceptible to breathing difficulties when sedated or under anesthesia, often caused by a narrowed airway that can easily become obstructed, leading to inadequate oxygen supply and potentially death if not properly monitored and managed and is a significant risk factor when administering any sedative to a bulldog. Monitoring is crucial:Proper monitoring during sedation is vital to detect any signs of breathing difficulties and intervene quickly if necessary. They should have offered me to keep him on oxygen for a while and be with him since they sedated him. They were not sure he was going to make it so wasn't leaving him to die there with people who he didn't know & the love from his family. Pre-existing medical conditions is a potential factor contributing to fatal reaction to sedation in a bulldog : Underlying health issues like heart disease can further complicate sedation. Having heart issues as a puppy my dog should never have been sedated but they gave him before getting history. Never had him fixed for this reason.Regret everyday for not reading reviews and taking my pet here for them to euthanize but in an emergency situation you think you are doing what is best for your pet when in reality should have read the reviews.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  Dear *** ******, 

  First and foremost, we want to express our deepest condolences for the loss of your beloved dog. We understand how heartbreaking this experience must be, and we are truly sorry for your loss. The well-being of our patients is always our top priority, and we take concerns like yours very seriously.

  We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. While we cannot discuss specific medical details in a public forum due to privacy regulations, we would like to provide clarification regarding the care your pet received. Our team always strives to provide the highest standard of veterinary care, and any treatment administered is done with the pets best interest in mind.

  We regret that you feel there was a lack of communication regarding the treatment plan. Our protocol is to assess each patient individually and determine the most appropriate course of action based on their condition at the time of arrival. In emergency situations, decisions are sometimes made quickly to provide immediate relief, but we sincerely apologize if you were not fully informed before a sedative was administered.

  We understand your concerns about the risks associated with sedation in brachycephalic breeds, and we take those risks very seriously. Our team of veterinarians is trained to consider breed-specific factors and pre-existing conditions when making treatment decisions. We would never intentionally administer a treatment that we believed would put a pet at undue risk. However, we deeply regret that the outcome was not what anyone would have wanted.

  As you know, we have already discussed your concerns with you directly and appreciate the opportunity to do so. While we regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, we stand by the care provided by our team and the decisions made based on your pets condition at the time of treatment.

  Again, we are truly sorry for your loss and for any distress this experience has caused. We hope to work toward a resolution that provides you with the answers and closure you deserve.
  If you have any additional questions or need further clarification, we remain available to speak with you.

  Sincerely, 

  Veterinary Specialty Services
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

  Complaint: 23005627
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because:
  They did not have my authorization to sedate my dog and never should have been charged for it and charged for an antibiotic that I never got to give my dog because he passed before we barely got out of the parking lot. 

  They say they never put a pet in harm's way but they never got his history before giving him a sedative which was contributing factor to his dismay. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am deeply disappointed with the care my dog received at ************ in ********, ******** in November 2024. My dog, who was battling pneumonia, was only there for one day, and the experience was heartbreaking. From the moment we checked in, it was clear that compassion was lacking. The front desk staff was rude and dismissive, making an already stressful situation even worse.I called to check on my dog and asked if he had access to water. I was assured that he did. However, when I visited him, I found that he had not been given any water. He was visibly worse than the day before, covered in yellow substance on his face and leg. When I asked the doctor what it was, they casually dismissed it as probably **************** make matters worse, the hospital recommended transferring him to ********, ********, and during my visit, I was told I could spend as much time as needed. Yet, just five minutes later, a front desk attendant rudely interrupted and told me to leave. I had to insist on getting him a bowl of water myself.I was charged $1,458 for what felt like nothing short of torture for my beloved pet for 24 hours. This hospitals lack of empathy and proper care is unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  This client's concerns are under review by our medical care team. We are bound by state confidentiality laws and cannot share any further information. We will work to resolve this with the client directly. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was referred to your facility by my Vet -********************. My puppy Zoey * month old (Chinese Shar Pei) was brought to your facility on Saturday May 11th around 11 15am. She was running a temp of ***** and was lethargic. I paid $1200.00 before you would admit her. I tried to call several times Sunday afternoon to check on her and did not get anyone to answer the phones which is ridiculous after paying this amount of money.I received a text message Sunday evening at 9pm with a picture of ****, but no update. I received a call from the doctor there yesterday morning around 715 am and was told that I could get my puppy.There was no mention to me about open wounds on her body, nor was it mentioned that her lip was also torn and hanging. I arrived to pick up **** yesterday at 915 am and a tech walked her out all she said was you will need to keep a cone on her for her open wounds, and I said what open wounds? Nothing was noted on any of the paperwork nor did anyone from your facility call me to tell me that my puppys skin was bursting open into open wounds from the swelling and extreme fever. Nor was anyone concerned that the bloodwork showed that her white blood cell count was depleted. My vet was concerned that nothing was noted about the wounds or the concern for the depleted white blood cell count and was surprised at the fact that I wasnt sent home with antibiotics for a puppy with open wounds and no immune system due to the white blood cell count. This was a lot of money to pay your facility for subpar treatment. I took my puppy straight from your facility to my vet thinking she had shar pei fever as that is what I was told from your facility. My vet then sent me to The ********************************************************* which is where she will be for a few weeks as she is in bad condition, and they are still trying to figure out what is wrong with her. This is the email I sent them with no response.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2024

  We contacted the client, reviewed their concerns and this complaint was resolved. The clients request for a refund was granted in this case and all their concerns were addressed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This vet service is attempting to collect payment for service that occurred over 6 months ago on 1-18-2023 -They could not collect payment at the time as their system was down abd they stated the on call manager was on vacation and failed to leave a backup contacts - they neglected to call text email or contact me in any way regarding this bill for over 6 months - staff has also admitted they did send letters but they sent to an incorrect address, they had multiple accurate means to contact me and neglected to try any of those - I cannot afford to pay this in cash I got a ********** card who I was pressured to get by this vet service by the policy of the card is to not use it for bills over 120 days old , they stated the vet place should not be charging me like this -I contacted the veterinary board of MO who also confirmed this is not normal or acceptable practice I would like them to cease trying to collect on this bill and to cease threatening me with collections I myself am a mental health therapist and I cannot possibly imagine trying to collect payment on something from 7-8 months ago and am fairly sure in my case this would violate laws against surprise billing that unfortunately don’t apply to apparently barely regulated vet services !

  Business Response

  Date: 08/25/2023

  Dear BBB:

  Thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention. The client states in his complaint that we attempted to collect payment for service that occurred over 6 months ago on January 18, 2023. While we were attempting to collect for these services, we did not wait 6 months to notify him of the balance due. The client brought his petto our hospital at 11pm on that date. At the time, we were without electricity due to a storm and running critical systems on generator power. The client's pet was examined and treated on an outpatient basis after discussing recommended care, associated costs and obtaining verbal consent. When we checked him out at 1:37am on January 19, 2023, we let him know his balance due. Our credit card terminals were down due to the power outage, so we couldn't process his credit card payment in the usual way. We advised the client of this and that, alternatively, we would send a payment link from our practice management software, which would give him a secure method to pay for his visit online (a system we used extensively during COVID). That link was sent to his cell phone (as a text) as his pet was being released. Our system shows that message was read 4 minutes after we sent it. The client chose not to utilize that link and left without paying for the services we provided for his pet. He also states that our system was down and the on call manager was on vacation and failed to leave a backup contact. We don't have an "on-call" manager, they can call anyone on our management team if needed. However, there is nothing we could have or would have been able to do in a power outage that was weather related to change anything.We sent the client another link for payment via text to his cell phone on May 25, 2023 as well as mailed a statement requesting payment for the outstanding balance due. When we sent this link, the client’s replied with "STOP" to opt out of further texting, so we know he received the text request for payment. On June 2, 2023, the client contacted our business to lodge a complaint and dispute his balance. On July 13, 2023, we sent the client a certified letter, explaining that we had reviewed his complaint and determined he rightfully owed us the past due balance and included a copy of the invoice. We received the return receipt from that letter on July 21. There was then some back and forth phone communications before our Client Service Manager was able to reach the client on August 8, 2023. During this conversation he claimed we could not bill him because he had not received a statement for 4 months. We reminded him that we had provided an invoice and a way to remit payment the night we saw his pet. He continued to claim we could not attempt to collect on this bill because of the time frame. However, he then went on to try to negotiate the balance due to a lower amount. We provided him payment links. Later this day he paid his balance in full and we considered the matter closed. In his compliant to the BBB, t he client states that we sent threatening letters. Our communication with the clientwas not threatening or harassing-it merely stated the date we would start collection proceedings if we did not receive payment. Due to client/patient confidentiality, which the client has not waived his right to, we cannot share those letters.In his complaint, the client also states we pressured him into signing up for Care Credit (a financing option used by medical professionals). That statement is also false. The client used Care Credit at our office for another pet in January of 2022. We would not have had a reason to discuss application at his January 2023 visit, since we were aware that he already had Care Credit. In summary, the client's claims are false and our attempt to collect monies rightfully owed to us fall well within Missouri statues. We do have recorded phone conversations and additional records, but again we are unable to share that due to client/patient confidentiality. I trust this information fully resolves this matter. Please let us know if there is any additional information you need from us.

  Sincerely,

  ****** ****

  Chief Operating Officer

  Veterinary Specialty Services

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ofallon (west location)Staff was super friendly and fast at getting our girl in to be seen. She was VERY anemic. After about $600 in test and nothing (and another $800 later for a blood transfusion and a over night visit) confirmed we were told by Dr. ***** ****** that even if we did the blood transfusion, it would be a Band-Aid on a gushing water pipe and our girl would not be able to accept the blood. Her body would just destroy it. It wld not save her life. It’s just a bandaid to buy her a few hours or maybe a day or two. We have to treat this as cancer until we find out otherwise & if we were not willing to go the full treatment for cancer, that euthanizing her would be best. I asked if it could be worms, poisoning, sickness, Pavo, autoimmune, anything?(over and over) I was told it’s nothing from the outside she (Sarah) was positive and this is something her body is doing to itself that cannot be fixed unless I wanted to do the radiation and chemo route after we figured out what kind of cancer it was, & if it could even be removed. After our home vet strongly suggested the blood transfusion and then to take her home Dr. ***** then again said in a nutshell I’ll do it but it’s not gonna help. I asked her to please call my vet (so she could explain what she was thinking bc ***** said I don’t know why she is pushing the blood transfusion so hard) she said “No,but I’ll call your husband.” So she talk to my husband and long story short we did the blood transfusion took and our girl home. Then followed up with her normal vet the next morning. Ran the blood test to check for clotting, ablood test to check for Heartworms, a blood test to check for tick borne illnesses, a blood test to check for rat poisoning, and lo and behold she has rocky mountain spotted tick fever and is now on antibiotics and she’s just fine!How’s that cancer for you? Thank God I didn’t euthanize on the spot as was suggested numerous times. Or euthanize the next day like ***** wanted to schld.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/20/2023

  We are unable to discuss confidential patient/client information in a public format. We recommend that the client contact us directly so that we can have a managing doctor review her concerns directly. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: there is no HIPAA laws for an animal/pet. So the confidentialities that they’re claiming does not exist.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  ******* *****