Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center

Great and efficient emergency care for a head wound on my greyhound. The staff was very caring and understanding. I walked into their clinic after I had spent over an hour sitting in another emergency exam room… the only patient there. I left frustrated and panicked since my dog was in need of attention. I walked into this clinic and my pup was seen within minutes.
The vet was very knowledgeable about the breed and their sensitivity to sedation. I was immediately relieved knowing we were in great hands.
Many thanks to the staff!

I would give 0 stars if I could. My dog was brought in early this morning requiring stitches/​surgery. It took my family calling repeatedly for 12 hours just to get an honest answer. Call after call, we were told he was «being prepped for surgery», after nearly 12 hours we were told the skin had died (where he needed stitches). If he was being prepped for surgery when they said he was– the skin would not have died. I have a good mind to report them for animal cruelty. If you care and love about your animals DO NOT take them here. They will leave your animal alone and neglected and LIE to you when you check up on them. NEVER again will I go here. Absolutely sick and disgusting.

I’m not even sure where to begin when it comes to reviewing the incredible staff and fantastic care that my animals have received here. It’s never a good night when you and your beloved pet find yourselves on the way to the emergency vet, but SAVS has always been able to put my mind at ease, ensure that my pets are well taken care of, and in a way that is actually manageable for me.
My first experience with them was about 8 or 9 months ago when my Mastiff Tawny developed a large abscess on her neck that caused her face and neck to swell up and she could not breath well. It was after midnight, so this place was our only option. I did have to pay a $ 75 emergency checkup fee up front. After the doctor looked her over, figured out what the problem was, we waited a few minutes for them to return with an estimate. They decided that a small surgery was necessary to drain the abscess and drains should be put in. We were expecting it to be a lot of money, because it is an emergency vet, and it was. We upfront told them that we can not afford it. They came back with a second estimate, doing their absolute best to cut the costs, and it was significantly better, but still outside of our budget. The doctor returned as they could see we were not ready to let go of our pet just because we couldn’t afford her care, which would have been heartbreaking. The doctor offered, at no cost, to drain as much off of the abscess as she could with a needle and syringe and that should hold us over until the morning where we could see our normal vet for a (most likely) cheaper price. We were extremely appreciative of their help, and we did wind up getting it taken care of the following day for less.
A few months later, our cat Tyrion came down with an abscess of his own between his shoulder blades, and it was again late at night. We turned again to SAVS to help us. Tyrion was in bad shape, he had not been eating, was limp and barely conscious, very much not himself. They saw this immediately, and rushed him to a back room. The doctor saw him immediately. We went through roughly the same process as before, but this time they were insistent that surgery had to happen tonight. He had to stay the night in recovery. First estimate was very high, second was significantly better, but still too high. Third was stripped down as much as they could, really the absolute bare minimum they could do and removing all fees and extras. It was doable. We signed off, and then the doc came back, and explained that she would feel more comfortable giving him better care than what we could afford, and that they would just take care of it. It was more important to them that the surgery be done right than to line their pockets and my wife and I could not have been more appreciative again. Everything went smoothly and we had our little boy back to normal within a week.
One week ago, we were heartbroken to find that our mastiff had passed while I was at work. She was 12, a good bit beyond her life expectancy, and we had been having talks about what we would do when she was gone. We simply did not know. We had at one point looked into cremation, but very few places around town would accept a dog of her size, and those that would were exorbitantly priced. Several hundred dollars at minimum. Now the day was upon us and we had no idea how to handle it. On a chance, I called SAVS because I knew they would be open – maybe they had some advice? The lady on the phone, before I even stated my name, knew from the fact that I mentioned my mastiff who she was. She said, «Oh no! Is this Tawny?» «Yes,» I said. «I’m so sorry, she was such a sweet girl.»
Yes, she was.
That level of care and personal service is something that is not easy to find anymore. It was so touching to know that someone else there was sharing our loss with us. That our sweet dog had made an impact on someone else out there too. She informed us that they could have her cremated for us for $ 100 if we do not keep the ashes, and $ 165 if we did. We chose the latter. We wrapped her in a blanket and headed over. Upon arrival, the lady offered to have a paw print made in clay for free as part of the service. We thought that would be nice. After taking care of the paperwork, we went to their back door and they came out with a gurney, placed her gently on it, and then wheeled her off after we had a chance to say a final goodbye.
I can not express how appreciative I am of this place and the people who work there. They have made so many tough times so much easier for us, and truly helped my pets as if they were their own. Thank you, SAVS, for everything you have done, are doing, and will do for the family members out there who are just a little more furry than the rest of us.

We were taken here yet again last night. Our English Mastiff was 12 years old, and for the last few months we have been discussing what to do with her when she passed. I looked up pet cremation and it didn’t seem that there were any in Tucson that would take a dog of her size. We can’t exactly flush a 150 pound dog down the toilet, and not even a little part of me wanted to dig a hole that size. We decided we didn’t know what we would do, but that we would just decide when the time came.
The time came last night. We went outside to call our two dogs in for the night and only one came to the door. We walked into the yard and found our poor Mastiff’s body. We called a friend to come over at 2 am to help us dig, when my husband had the brilliant idea to call this place and see if they could do anything with her remains for us.
We called, and before we gave our names or the dog’s name, we explained that she had been there before. The person on the other end said «Oh, I remember you! Is this Tawny’s dad?» This person actually remembered our dog from when she was there months ago. She told us they could cremate her and either keep or return the ashes to us, and to just drive around the back with her when we arrived. The price for our ginormous dog to be cremated and have her ashes returned to us was $ 165. This was much less than I was expecting to pay, based on my previous searches for this service and her size.
By this time my friend had arrived ready to dig, but instead the three of us wrapped her in a blanket, loaded her into the truck and drove over. When we walked in, she asked about our cat and remembered his name also. She commented on how good Tawny had looked last time she saw her, that she was a really good dog and how sad she was that Tawny had passed. She also asked us if we wanted a clay imprint of Tawny’s paw, free of charge, so we could have a little reminder of her.
She met us out back with a gurney and another blanket for her, she climbed into the bed of our truck to load her up, and very respectfully moved her and took her away. There was no banging the dog around, and she did everything as gently as she could, considering the dog probably weighed more than she does.
Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center has never stopped being a five star experience for me. From the staff to the pricing to their willingness to help to the amount of turmoil they have helped our family avoid, I can honestly say these are great people who genuinely love animals and want to do everything they can for them. I am so happy that I found this 24 hour clinic.

Dr. Meridith is wonderful. He has really been helpful in the mgt of my schnauzer who has cateracts and diabetic complications. Very comforting when providing advice and is very empathetic to our family needs.

Horrid place. If you love your pet, stay far far away from this place. They charged me up front over $ 3,000 dollars before they would do anything and my dog died from a bowl blockage. Any place that charges upfront huge amounts of money tells you TONS about what they are. They don’t care as long as they have their money. Again, if you love your pet please avoid this place. Mine is gone because of them.

When is an emergency not an emergency? The professionals at SAVSEC know…
I was pleased to find out that what I thought needed to be addressed right away with my pet in fact could wait for a regular appointment with my vet.
Although my pet left with a bandage and a smile I was not charged a dime. These people are serious about emergency pet medicine and they have my respect and thanks for their astonishing professionalism.
The facility is clean and staffed by cheerful intake personnel and intelligent pet care technicians. I will let all my friends know that when you need them they will be there ²⁴⁄₇. I am so happy to have this service here on the East side.
THANK YOU SAVSEC FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY!
I made a donation in your name to the National Ridgeback Rescue organization because YOU made a difference…

They will overcharge you and the lack of ability and communication is unacceptable. Four different vets and techs each told us something different. Our bill was obscenely cost prohibitive. They are in the business of making money not helping animals. Their goal is to board your pet as long as possible to «observe» them so they can continue to arbitrarily charge you for medications, fluid, and treatments. Our 24 hour visit cost an excess of $ 2000 and nothing was done other than fluids given and injections. I wouldn’t even trust these vets to put my animal down let alone keep it healthy.

I came home one day from work and my dog was acting too strange to ignore. So, I brought him here. They seemed to take my worries and concerns very seriously and I was seen with in a half hour of arriving.
To make a long story short, my dog Bernie, somehow the his back out and needed to be put on medicine. We did an xray, pain management, anti inflammatory pills, and a shot all for around $ 410.
Bernie is doing better and I think the vet and the employees at this place. They took care of Bernie and handled him with care and compassion. On top of that, they are 24 hours, so I feel good that if Bernie ever needs them, I can get him help as soon as possible.
The reason I have 4 stars: I called 24 hours later to get the xray results (they told me they’d have them within 4 hours). I was on hold for a total of an hour which was f**king ridiculous. The first time I called, I was hung up on and then the next 4 times I called I was put on hold for 15 – 20 minutes at a time. It was infuriating. I think they just need to work on their phone situation on the night shift.

My sweet 13-​to-​15 year old rescue doggie collapsed late one night from what my husband and I immediately suspected was bloat. We moved rapidly to get her to the emergency room in the hope that if we moved quickly enough she’d have a chance at recovering. It was clear to us on the ride there that she was fading fast but we forced ourselves to stay calm and called ahead to warn the staff of our arrival. When we got there it took FAR more than a few minutes for someone to open the doors and let us in, which seemed ridiculous given that I’d JUST told them what intersection we were at and that my dog was dying. Insult was added to injury by the glacial pace the staff moved at as I advised them of her symptoms, vital signs, age… You get the idea. No one listened to us, they all but patted us on the head and told us to wait for the nice doctor. (We’ve rescued dozens of animals and dealt with a number of unfortunate medical emergencies. Our goal in any of these situations is to arrive swiftly and provide the medical team with the information they’ll need to work quickly and efficiently.) Someone disappeared with our dog and we waited. And waited. And waited. At least fifteen minutes went by before someone came out front to ask if they were authorized to «blah blah medical and legal jargon» in an effort to save our dog because it would cost «$$$.» We said yes repeatedly, horrified that we were being asked that after sitting there for THAT LONG. This was followed by more interminable waiting with no information, and then a doctor walked out. Finally! Nope, we had to go into a special room. We walked in and they immediately started questioning us about how thin she was, implying we neglected her. (Yes, because people who starve their dog to death also drive their dog across town in the middle of the night for costly emergency care and potential prosecution.) I responded with her age and current medical condition and the names and numbers of our vets so she could call up whomever they needed to assure themselves that we weren’t starving our dog. The topic was instantly dropped. THEN after the interrogation they asked for permission to stop performing any resuscitation efforts. As though they were still doing them more than a half hour after we arrived. Stunned, we said yes but the vet didn’t leave to tell anyone to stop, which is just poor form when you’re bluffing. It was then when my husband and I both realized that our sweet girl had most likely died before we got there or seconds afterwards but these people had waited to ensure they’d make money off of us by waiting to ask for the permission I spoke of earlier. We were absolutely horrified but we pressed on because we were in shock and we wanted answers. We asked if it was bloat and were brushed off. We asked if we could go back and see her and had to wait for them «to clean her up.» Right. We were escorted back like we couldn’t be trusted and were watched like hawks as we began our grieving process. We were so uncomfortable that we cut our good-​byes short, then we were escorted back to the front so we could pay the bill. This was when the vet interjected that, yup, it was bloat. By this point we were livid, which was compounded by the realization that since we’d left in nightclothes we had no means of payment. We asked if we could leave to get a wallet and were once again treated like potential criminals. We left and came back to pay for the privilege of accusations and no information. (Not to mention what we suspect was a pack of money-​making lies.) We’ve since shared our story and were amazed to find that it wasn’t an uncommon theme. However, in an emergency when you know that medical intervention is the only option left to you in the middle of the night this is one of the few options in town, much less in the area so the best advice I can offer is to keep your wits about you, stand your ground and I hope you never need to take your animals to an emergency vet.

This is a criminally run business. They jack up your bill with expensive and painful treatments and then lie to your face. My dog was poisoned by NUTRO pet foods new for 2013 formula. The vet claims she was poisoned by antifreeze, a claim I see no evidence for anywhere. Vets businesses and educations are subsidised by pet food companies creating a culture of protecting the hand that pays them. They will never see my business again and if you’re smart, not yours either.
Gypsy was the friendliest of dogs who died a violent death and all they did was add to her suffering and my pain.

My dog needed surgery for her leg we were not sure if it was the right decision, but 4 years later she is like a puppy and we are so happy we did the procedure. The Drs and staff were professional and caring

This review is for the Eye Care for Animals specialty group that works out of Southern AZ Veterinary Center.
The group of doctors at Eye Care for Animals are absolutely top notch in veterinary ophthalmology. We’ve been seeing them for about a year and a half now for our dog who has multiple genetic eye issues. With their help, we’ve managed to keep his eyes healthy enough that he still has vision, and hasn’t needed surgery yet. This is a major achievement for his chronic issues. We are very thankful for this!
Dr. Meredith, who is the «lead» doctor, is a great doctor. We’ve only seen him a few times, but he’s always been kind and helpful, and I trust him 150% with my dog should he need surgery.
We’ve mostly seen Dr. Ashton, who is no longer with this group. I won’t go on and on about her, but she is the doctor who truly guided us and worked so patiently with us to get us to a place where we have our dog’s eyes mostly stabilized. It was a long, hard road, but we’ve gotten it down for now. We owe a lot to her, and Eye Care for Animals made an excellent choice in having her on their team for the time they did.
We’ve also seen Dr. Gunderson a few times. She is so sweet, and so patient with us. We’re the kind of people that are very particular and sensitive with our dog’s health, and she’s taken care of us. Even on a weekend emergency. She called us back way after hours to see what was up, and then saw us the next day.
Our regular doctor now is Dr. Moeller, who transferred to Tucson after Dr. Ashton’s departure. We’re happy that she did! We’ve only seen her a couple of times so far, but she is clearly a very intelligent and compassionate doctor. She has taken the time to listen to us and get to know us, which is no easy task when it comes to our little problem child doggy. I trust her completely.
And let’s not forget the supporting staff! All of the vet techs and receptionists are great! Our dog absolutely loves going to this vet office just to see them all! They’re all very smart, helpful, and compassionate. They always return my calls, and answer all of my questions. This place runs well because of them!
I would recommend Eye Care for Animals in Southern Arizona Specialty Center to everyone. We really are «those people» that are kinda particular and very involved in our dog’s health, and this office has never let us down.

There are only a few Veterinarians that are able to care for an animal during the night in Tucson and this place is one of them.
My mother’s dog has had many problems with his health and they never seem to occur during regular business hours (9am-​5pm) but only in the middle of the night.
We decided to go there when her dog started showing problems and they were very professional, courteous, and handled the dog with extreme care. Their facility is very pleasant in appearance, and the staff is polite. Like any vet visit the price is costly (100+ dollars) but in an emergency it is expected.
We go to ABC pet clinic (at 22^nd. & Craycroft) to get affordable shots for our cat and mom’s dog. However, I have not been to any other emergency vet clinic in Tucson who has been as polite and professional as those at SAVSEC.