Exactly as other reviewers have said, this company is far more interested in ways to take your money than they are the well being of your pets. I have found them to be pushy with new services that I wasn't interested in, and also not transparent on charges for their services. For example, they say "oh this vaccine is worth getting, its only 45 dollars...almost all our customers get it". What they don't say is that the first one is $45, the booster is another $45, and they'll tack on an exam fee to cover their time to administer the shot when you come back a few weeks later for the booster. I was shocked that they would try and pull another exam fee considering it had only been 3 weeks since I was last in for a full exam. Not my idea of professional service or transparency. This location is extremely high priced, which I just can't justify anymore given the experience I have had.

This company like many others has developed ways to fleece their customers. In our case we were late on a shot, and because of that they made us do another $75 exam, which isn't covered under our pet insurance. When requesting to forgo the additional arbitrary exam, we were told we could basically suck it up, or go somewhere else.

I would classify them as a luxury vet for people with expendable income, as many of us in this area are. This is not a discount vet for the budget conscious but if you regularly drop $300 on a purse or dinners, you should be willing to spend at least that to make sure the animals at your mercy are cared for to the best of your ability. ... Yes, This is a very expensive vet, but I think the quality is as high as it gets and I also think they realize their costs are higher and are somewhat trying to improve. They have these "packages" (e.g. "first year") now that you can get that lower the cost of the individual services/products, but I do think you end up buying more with the packages but they do at least on paper seem to save you money. They used to do a "multi-pet at the same time discount" which was nice, but that got taken away when VCA came into the picture. I really believe VCA really holds them to the iron about profits. They are always pushing 'dental' cleanings and whatnot. You can usually just say "no, I don't have the money for that right now" and they will usually back down. We keep coming back though because the care is outstanding. The doctors are very knowledgeable and seem to sincerely care about you and your pet. They go above and beyond (sometimes to the dismay of your wallet) to make sure your family member is well cared for. It's about trust and you do get what you pay for here. They know you and they know your pet and they worry about the little things that other vets do not. I would highly recommend them if you have the means!

I have had bad experiences at vets before, but found VCA Columbia to be a positive one. Provided a comforting atmosphere (attitude) showing concern for our pet. After an assistant explained the potential options and costs (some were very expensive), the senior staff member who examined our pet suggested the least costly and then a very reasonable approach.

I have taken three different cats to this hospital for various reasons and while I agree that this place runs on the expensive side, the level of care and attention that they pay to you/your pet is undeniably excellent. I have been to vets before where they spend 30 seconds with you and your pet before rushing out of the room. Not here! My cats saw Dr. Tayman and another vet (a woman but I can't remember her name) and they were both extremely caring. Most recently we took one of our cats in for an emergency visit because she had stopped breathing and she was diagnosed with asthma... a diagnosis that had been missed by two previous veterinary establishments even though we had expressed our concerns to them. What I appreciate most is that, although they are expensive, the doctor came out and checked with us before running any expensive tests and was upfront about the costs. He didn't pressure us to leave her overnight (which would have been expensive) and explained what to look for and where to take her if she should take a turn for the worse overnight. The fact that they put the needs of their clients above profit is the most impressive aspect of this place and what will keep us coming back...