Carolina Veterinary Specialists

ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS MAKING MONEY! I am not one to write reviews, but I feel as though everyone needs to know about them. If you care for yout pet and want professional, honest and sincere help then DO NOT GO HERE! more

Dear Jill,\r Thank you for your post. The same can be said for the location in Charlotte. We had an emergency in the middle of the night and after our vet took out the gas and fluid from our dog's stomach (he had bloat) he sent us to Carolina Vet Specialists in Charlotte saying that he needed to be watched overnight and evaluated because he might need surgery. Well, we got there, vet said surgery was a definite, gave us a price and then we got a bill for 1,100 more. Removed his spleen didn't tell us why. We called several times during the day for an update since they were supposed to be monitoring him, got hung up on, when we finally did reach someone, they said they didn't know and to call back after hours as that was when he was admitted! So basically he wasn't being monitored. They were rude, all they care about is the money, they don't care about their patients, at least not my dog. The discharge papers were incomplete, when I talked to the vet on call she had no idea my dog was on Rimadyl after I had informed the intake doctor and the information should have been in his files. NEVER AGAIN. I will not go there to remove his staples, he is going somewhere else. Horrible place. more

If you love your pet you ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT take them to this place. The original owners that gained your trust and respect sold this practice to a Corporation that prides itself on making money. There are no experienced vets or surgeons at this location. I lost my child because of their incompetence, lack of skills & knowledge. If you truly love your pet, do your research on any procedure that they recommend be done on your pet. You will be amazed at what they don't tell you. Please don't make the same mistake I did, I want to get the message out about this place. I don't want any other pet owner to have to deal with what I have been for the last 2 weeks. They will scare you into agreeing with their recommendations, but trust me, they DO NOT have your pet's best interest at heart. Once they see you will go to any length to provide the care your pet needs they will prey on that very feeling. They will never give you a printout of any horrible side effects or possible disastrous things that will happen should you choose to have those procedures performed; but they sure will give you a ""good faith estimate"" of the procedures they want to perform on your pet. The inexperienced gastrointestinal vet that was overseeing the care of my beloved dog, Emilee, expressed the need to have an exploratory laparotomy to see what was going on with her in reference to her bloody bowel movements. Her ultrasound showed a mass on her liver. They recommended we have the surgery and do 6 biopsies. While in surgery they called me to ask if I wanted that section of her liver removed, not explaining the reasoning to me, I asked how her health would be effected I was told it would not effect her in anyway. I consented (another $600.00 to remove that section of her liver). Basically, what happened is the surgeon did not close up one of her biopsies and toxins were spilling out into her body all the while I had no idea what was going on. Once I took her back because her symptoms were completely abnormal, they let her stay at their facility one whole day until a surgeon came in on Monday to check her out. Then it is explained that she needed emergency surgery (another $2600.00 in addition to the $5500.00 we already paid for the initial surgery). She had septic peritonitis. A condition that WAS NEVER EVER told to us that could occur. We were told the procedure was as safe as having her spayed. She gradually went down hill from there and within 48 hours we had to put her to sleep. I am more than happy to share with any of you the gut wrenching experience that occurred because this facility does not have the ability to perform these types of surgeries. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET here, I don't want anyone to feel the heartbreak that I feel now. Take them to NC State Vet or go to another state, anywhere but here. I lost a piece of my heart because of their negligence and I want to get the word out to every parent. I just wish more people would post their horrible experiences online for others to review so that they can make an informed decision about the care of your pet before making the fatal mistake that I made. Oh, and I do want to add that prior to the surgery, my baby never lost her appetite, was playing, drinking water and was not in any pain. Hindsight is always 20/20, I sure wish I had known what I know now. Please don't make the same tragic mistake that I did. more

I have had very good experiences with this practice until recently. The more experienced vets seem to have left the practice, and it is very apparent that dollars are much more important to them now than appropriate treatment. The doctor we always saw retired. We visited for an ongoing eye issue that one of my diabtic dogs has experienced for the past year or so. The new doctor did the exact same treatment as the previous one; however, the charges were doubled (~$550). Then I was told that the treatment didn't work, and a different treatment was recommended that would cost $1200 and, if that didn't work, another treatment would be necessary that would cost in excess of that amount. Again, this problem was treated by the now retired vet for approximately $250. The excuse given was the difference in medication preferences by the new vet.\r \r Stay away from this place if possible. Unfortunately, there is a real shortage of veterinary specialists in the Charlotte area, so it can be unavoidable. Just keep in mind that they are much more concerned about collecting money than they are with coming up with the most appropriate, economical treatment for your pet. more

If you are going to see Dr. Flannigan for behavioral difficulties, you will be disappointed at the least. I brought my puppy, who was acting aggressively at a very young age, to see Dr. Flannigan at the recommendation of my primary vet. Dr. Flannigan did not spend any of the two hours during my visit interacting with my dog. He asked me to ""ignore"" my dog while he asked me a long series of questions (which I had already answered in an intake packet prior to the appointment). At the end of this consultation (still hadn't interacted with my dog), he told me that my dog would ALWAYS be aggressive, there was no help for my dog. He also told me that the dog was unable to be crate trained and potty trained...ever. I left this appointment crying with absolutely no viable advice or helpful techniques to try to correct my dog. As a last ditch effort to keep my dog in the family, I contacted ""The Dog Wizard"" training company in Charlotte. Within two sessions, my trainer had completely corrected my dog's aggressive behaviors towards me. The dog no longer bites me or others at all, and is well on his way to being potty trained. He also sleeps in his crate all night with no problem and will go in the crate easily when I leave. Please think about seeking different consultation if you are planning to see Dr. Flannigan for help - he is no help at all! more

On Thursday night I came home to find my 1 year old Cockateil on the bottom of his cage walking in circles, barely breathing and cold. I took him to CVS and he was minutes from death. He had a kidney and blood infection and had lost 20% of his weight from his last month physical. The doctors and staff worked with him quickly and were awesome, even the front staff took care of me. Today is Saturday and thanks to them, especially Dr. Powers I am bring my baby home. They keep you informed and love your babies. If you ever have a pet baby that needs help-take them to the BEST place in the area. Thank you so much from the Baker family for saving are Stormy. Pros: null Cons: null more

This office was superbly kind to our family during the death of a pet. They showed extreme care during and after the event. In such a sad time, I can't imagine better care. I highly recommend. more

As someone who works with a small mammal rescue, and therefore goes to the vet quite often, this place is a wonderful. Dr. Powers is extremely knowledgeable about exotics and goes out of her way to help our rescue. Most importantly she does the research to figure out what to do if she is unsure about anything. I have met few vets that will do this. \r The techs and front desk staff are always warm and welcoming and will do anything to help out. Although they can be expensive they have some of the best equipment and diagnostic tools available. They do have Care Credit available and are willing to work with you if you have trouble paying the bill. \r There is nothing they can't handle. I highly recommend them, I wouldn't go anywhere else and trust them implicitly. more

Carolina Veterinary Specialists really care about your pet. My boyfriend and I found a stray cat on a Saturday evening, and because our normal vet was closed, we went there. We found out that the cat had Feline Leukemia & HIV, and a severe upper respiratory infection, and unfortunately needed to be put down, because it was very sick and suffering. They educated us about everything, asked our permission before doing anything, and helped us weigh the pros and cons of each of our decisions. Pros: Very clean, Nice waiting area, Convenient location, Knowledgable and compassionate staff Cons: none more

I have to say the clinical skills of this vets office are wonderful and in an emergency that is the most important thing. I felt the compassion in their front office staff was lacking. The prices are high. The back treatment area is very clean. I would have to say my biggest problem with this place is they take your pet in the back to do any treatment. I like my animal to stay with me whenever possible. I am not comfortable with any vet that cannot do most of my animals care in front of me. I also don't understand why you still have to pay the high office charge when you come in for a euthanasia. Pros: Very good clinical skills Cons: Extremely expensive. more

I have to say the clinical skills of this vets office are wonderful and in an emergency that is the most important thing. I felt the compassion in their front office staff was lacking. The prices are high. The back treatment area is very clean. I would have to say my biggest problem with this place is they take your pet in the back to do any treatment. I like my animal to stay with me whenever possible. I am not comfortable with any vet that cannot do most of my animals care in front of me. I also don't understand why you still have to pay the high office charge when you come in for a euthanasia. Pros: Very good clinical skills Cons: Extremely expensive. more

I would recommend this practice without hesitation. The staff is very caring and understanding. My dog had been neutered by another veteranian practice in the area on the Friday before Easter. On Easter the wound opened completely and concerned for the possibility of infection I called. They saw him immediately and fixed him up quickly. more

Our cat had a laceration from running around out in the woods one weekend. We took him to the vet and there they examined him. They saw us pretty quickly, called us when the surgery was complete to let us know it went fine, and then gave us a very detailed explanation of what they did. They instructed us on how to take care of him afterwards and said we could follow up with them at no charge. They seemed to really care and were very friendly. I will definitely return! PROS: Short wait-time, pleasant staff CONS: more