VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center: Comprehensive Vet Care in Walnut Creek, CA

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Introduce

For pet owners in California, especially in the Bay Area, finding a veterinary medical center that offers a high level of specialized care, particularly during an emergency or for complex health issues, can feel like a daunting task. Your pet is a cherished member of your family, and their health and well-being are of the utmost importance. In Walnut Creek, a well-known name in animal healthcare stands out for its extensive services and specialized expertise: VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center. This center is more than just a general practice; it is a full-service animal hospital equipped to handle everything from routine check-ups to life-threatening emergencies and advanced specialty treatments. This detailed guide will provide you with an overview of what makes VCA Encina a prominent resource for the local community, highlighting its location, the services it offers, and the features that have earned it both praise and criticism.

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center operates as a dual-purpose facility, offering both general primary care and specialized emergency and critical care. The clinic’s philosophy is rooted in providing a wide range of veterinary medical services under one roof, with a focus on comprehensive health support for pets. They aim to be a "gift from the universe," as one customer puts it, for pet owners navigating complex health challenges. With a team of board-certified specialists and a comprehensive suite of services, the center is designed to provide advanced care that mirrors the thoroughness of human healthcare. This level of specialization, however, comes with its own set of expectations and responsibilities, which are important for every pet owner to understand.

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center is conveniently located at 2803 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA. Its position on a main road makes it highly accessible for residents of Walnut Creek and the surrounding communities, which is crucial for a facility that handles emergency cases. The ease of access helps reduce travel time and stress, particularly in urgent situations.

The clinic is also dedicated to providing a physically accessible environment for all clients. The facility features a wheelchair-accessible car park, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and a wheelchair-accessible toilet. These amenities ensure that all pet owners, regardless of their mobility, can bring their animals in for care with comfort and dignity. While appointments are recommended for general and specialty visits, the emergency and critical care services are available 24/7 to address urgent needs.

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center offers an extensive range of veterinary medical services, reflecting its role as a comprehensive animal hospital and emergency service. Their offerings go far beyond routine check-ups to include highly specialized treatments and diagnostics.

Services Offered:

Emergency and Critical Care: This is a core service, with a 24/7 emergency and critical care unit equipped to handle urgent situations, including emergency surgery and oxygen therapy.
Specialty and Advanced Medicine: The center has specialists in fields such as oncology, internal medicine, and surgery. Services include cancer diagnosis and treatments, radiation therapy, hip dysplasia management, and orthopedic evaluation.
General Practice: For primary care, they provide pet physical/wellness exams, pet vaccinations, and flea & tick prevention for both dogs and cats.
Surgical and Dental: They perform a wide variety of surgeries, including general pet surgery, foreign body removal, and oral surgery, supported by diagnostic imaging like digital radiography and dental radiographs.
Integrative and Alternative Therapies: They offer acupuncture and herbal medicine, providing an alternative approach for pain management and other health conditions.
Diagnostics and Lab Services: With an in-house laboratory, they can perform a range of diagnostic tests for a quick and accurate diagnosis of conditions like gastrointestinal illness and urinary care issues.
Additional Services: The clinic also provides services like pet microchipping, boarding & grooming, nutritional counseling, and pharmacy services for prescription refills.

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center is characterized by several key features that set it apart in the California pet care landscape. These highlights, both positive and negative, are crucial for a potential client to understand.

Features / Highlights:

Advanced Specialized Care: A significant highlight is their ability to provide specialized care, such as oncology and surgery, in a compassionate setting. The positive review about Nala's successful surgery and the expertise of surgeons like Carl Koehler and Ashley Bennett showcases their high-level capabilities.
Excellent Communication and Empathy: The positive review praises the team's empathetic communication, noting that the staff, including Kathy, was "so empathetic and sweet" and provided frequent updates via text and phone calls, which is highly valued by emotional pet owners.
Comprehensive Emergency Services: The 24/7 availability for emergency and critical care is a major feature, offering peace of mind to pet owners in the area.
Professional Expertise: The presence of highly qualified surgeons and specialists puts many clients at ease, as mentioned in the positive review.
Customer Service and Ghosting Concerns: On the other hand, the negative review highlights serious concerns about professional conduct and communication. The customer details feeling "ghosted" by the legal team and expresses that the process "feels a little intimidating and threatening," which raises questions about the clinic's corporate-level client relations.
Potential for Medical Misjudgment: The negative review raises a very serious allegation of medical negligence, claiming a failure to competently read a report and provide the correct treatment, which led to the cat's death. This is an extremely serious issue that potential clients should be aware of.

For all your pet care needs in Walnut Creek and the surrounding California area, you can contact VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center using the following information:

Address: 2803 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA

Phone: (925) 937-5000

When considering VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center, it is important for pet owners in California to evaluate both the clinic's strengths and the serious concerns raised by some clients. On the one hand, the clinic is a valuable resource for advanced veterinary medicine. The positive review of Nala’s surgery is a powerful testament to the clinic’s expertise and compassionate care for complex issues like cancer. The detailed communication, from texts about surgery status to quick responses from receptionists, shows a high level of client service that can be a lifesaver during a stressful time. The presence of experienced surgeons and specialists provides a sense of security that your pet is in the best of hands.

However, the devastating story of Chloe, the cat who died, presents a very different perspective. This review alleges a catastrophic failure in medical judgment and a subsequent lack of professional accountability. The claim of a misread histopathology report and incorrect treatment is a grave allegation that points to a potential risk in the quality of care. The reviewer's experience with the post-operative pain medication and the subsequent diagnosis of massive kidney failure is deeply concerning. Furthermore, the handling of the situation by the VCA legal team, which the reviewer describes as "intimidating and threatening," raises serious questions about the corporation’s commitment to client well-being and professional conduct after an adverse outcome. While the clinic’s specialized services and positive outcomes can be a blessing, the potential for a negative experience, as detailed in the review, is a significant factor to consider. Pet owners should be aware of these risks and exercise caution, perhaps seeking a second opinion for serious diagnoses and being diligent in their communication with the clinic’s team.

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Services

Animal Hospital
Acupuncture
Arthritis & Pain
Behavior Support
Boarding & Grooming
Bone & Joint Support
Cancer Diagnosis
Cancer Treatments
Dental Radiographs
Dentistry
Diagnosis And Management
Diagnosis And Medical
Diagnostic Imaging
Diets Supplements
Digital Radiography
Ear Care
Emergency & Critical Care
Emergency And Critical Care
Emergency Surgery
Eye Care
Flea & Tick Prevention For Cats & Dogs
Foreign Body Removal
General Practice
Health Support
Heartworm Prevention For Dogs And Cats
Herbal Medicine
Hip Dysplasia
Integrative Medicine
Internal Medicine
Medical Management
Oncology
Oral Surgery
Oxygen Therapy
Pain Management
Pain Medication
Pet Health Care
Pet Laboratory Services
Pet Microchipping
Pet Nutritional Counseling
Pet Parasite Treatment
Pet Physical/Wellness Exam
Pet Safety
Pet Spay & Neuter
Pet Surgery
Pet Vaccinations
Pharmacy Services
Prescription Orders
Prescription Refills
Prevention Treatment
Primary Care
Radiation Therapy
Skin Care
Specialty Care
Sports Medicine
Surgery
Surgery Surgery
Therapeutic Diets
Urgent Care
Urinary Care
Veterinary Medical Services
Veterinary Medicine
Wound Care

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Details

Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible toilet

Amenities
Toilet

Planning
Appointments recommended

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Photos

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VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Location

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center

California Contra Costa County Walnut Creek Ygnacio Valley Ygnacio Valley Road

2803 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA

VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center Reviews

An average rating of ★3.6 from 163 user reviews.

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★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

I feel like finding a good veterinarian, especially for emergency care or a specialist, is like finding a needle in a haystack. Healthcare for your fur babies never feels as thorough as human healthcare. Nonetheless, finding VCA feels like a gift from the universe. Our dog Nala was having chronic UTI’s and nothing seemed to be helping her. She had an abdominal scan where they found a mass on her bladder. We got recommendations for a few oncologists in the area but chose VCA because of how qualified the team is. We were not disappointed. Our Nala girl had surgery on Tuesday and naturally I came in to drop her off in a very emotional state. Kathy brought me in the room and was so empathetic and sweet. She kept reassuring me that Nala would do great and she was in the best of hands. They took her in and started the process. I got a text when she went into surgery and a call when she was out. Which I really loved. Surgery went very well. She was placed in the ICU for 24 hours just out of protocol. The ICU kept her super comfortable in a nice room with blankets and everything she needed. The communication was really fantastic. The receptionists were quick to respond when I called for a check in. They sent over all of the paperwork I needed for insurance very quickly. They were also very polite and informative. The surgeons (Carl Koehler and Ashley Bennett) were excellent. They have many years of experience and that always puts me at ease. I just deeply appreciate VCA and everything they did to help our girl get healthy and make sure she has many more years ahead of her. Thank you over and over again.
August 23 · Laura St.Aubin
Chloe's story: I brought my beloved cat to VCA Encina June 2024. By mid-July, she was dead. Their Oncologist, Dr. Atwater, whom I trusted with her care, failed to competently read the histopathology report and failed to put her on the correct cancer treatment that was critical to her survival. Exacerbating his negligent treatment, VCA Encina also gave me post-operative pain medication with dosage instructions on the bottle (double) that did not match the dosage instructions on the discharge paperwork. VCA Encina told me "not to worry about giving her too much". Following their instructions may have resulted in a potential weakening of her kidneys. Xrays showed her kidneys had enlarged to 2-3 normal size and she was in massive kidney failure. Shortly before she died Dr. Atwater had informed me we had "hit the lottery" and she had 2 years to live. 10 days later she was gone. Further, Dr. Atwater wrote in the condolence card: "Although she could have benefited from a more aggressive treatment, your decision not to do so was a very reasonable decision.” I had never made that decision. I had paid approximately $8,000 for her surgery to remove the cancer and I would have done anything to save her life. This was a devastating, traumatic experience for me and my family and continues to break our hearts. Has anything like this ever happened to you?4-12-25 update: March 25th I mailed a letter to the VCA medical director, the hospital manager and the CEO of VCA Corporate, Patty Wu, requesting the name of VCA Encina's professional liability insurance so I could pursue a claim of medical malpractice directly with them. After no response, April 4th I emailed a reminder of the request and was told: "Hello, We have forwarded your request to VCAs legal team after your response to the email sent on March 18th. From my understanding, our legal team has reached out to you and will assist you with anything further."The legal team has not reached out to me as of 5-13-2025. This feels a little intimidating and threatening. My cat died last year in extremely unfortunate circumstances. My family has been and continues to be devastated, and now we're being told that 'legal is going to reach out to us'. It appears instead that we have been ghosted. This doesn't feel like a professional way to run a business or a respectful way to treat a client.
May 13 · JS
This is for our experience with the oncologist, Dr. Bennett and her assistant, Alex. Our dog had lymphoma and started treatment with them in late 2023. She had some adverse reactions to the chemotreatment and Dr. Bennett was super understanding about delaying next steps until we felt she was ready for more. I always felt that she answered our questions and concerns and never pushed us to go one way or the other with treatment once she relapsed. Unfortunately, after 20 months we had to make a hard decision to let our little one go, but I definitely contribute her remission success to the excellent care we received. Thank you!
August 30 · Victoria Louie
I have had excellent service from these providers for the last ten years. Recently, my dog had blood in her urine, and I freaked out. Dr.Milauskes was very patient as we went thru scheduling the various tests (despite my near hysteria) and gave me confidence in Dr Nurre’s expertise. Mesa is two months out from her bladder cyst removal and back to her normal sweet self.Thank you, VCAencina!
June 24 · Virginia Wheaton
I’ve made the difficult decision to stop bringing my pets to VCA Encina Animal Hospital after years of increasingly disappointing experiences. What ultimately drove me away was a persistent pattern of poor communication, dismissive staff, and what I believe are questionable business practices that prioritize revenue over genuine care.Communication at this clinic has been a consistent struggle. Phone staff, especially Emily and Christine, have often been curt and unhelpful, making it feel like I was an inconvenience rather than a valued client. My questions or concerns were frequently ignored or brushed off, which only added to the frustration.I also have concerns about the medical decision-making at this facility. When my puppy Jameson was seen for a simple cyst, the proposed response was a full dental cleaning and biopsy, costing around $3,500. In the end, I received no real answers, and the cyst resolved on its own, raising doubts about whether the procedure was ever necessary. This wasn’t an isolated case; I’ve experienced repeated pressure to approve costly and seemingly excessive treatments, like being told to submit multiple stool samples when one would suffice.Over the years, I’ve felt less like a pet owner seeking help and more like a target for upselling. Even treatment records are written in ways that subtly shame clients for opting out of high-cost procedures. It’s emotionally manipulative and inappropriate in a setting that should be focused on trust and compassion.Even my conversations with the hospital’s leadership left me with mixed messages and little clarity, further damaging my confidence in their transparency and professionalism.The only exception to this experience has been Dr. Yates, who consistently provided compassionate and thorough care. Unfortunately, her professionalism stands out as the exception, not the standard.I’ve since compared pricing and services with other veterinary clinics, and VCA Encina consistently ranks as one of the most expensive, without a corresponding improvement in care. For example, I was quoted nearly $1,500 for a neuter procedure I had done elsewhere for a fraction of the price—with no compromise in quality.In short, my experience with VCA Encina has been one of increasing disappointment. I can no longer justify entrusting my pets’ health—or my peace of mind—to this clinic.My response to VCA Encina reply:Thank you for the reply, but I find it disingenuous to be asked to reach out to your hospital manager when I already did, prior to leaving this review. I sent a detailed letter outlining all of these concerns and received no actual response from Francesca Cortese or anyone else at the hospital. The only follow-up I received was an automated delivery of my requested medical records, nothing addressing the serious issues I raised.This lack of engagement only underscores the communication problems I described in my original review. Being invited to “reach out” after being ignored is not only frustrating, it’s also emblematic of the dismissiveness that drove me to leave VCA Encina in the first place.I appreciate the acknowledgment of Dr. Yates’ care, but unless the hospital is willing to genuinely respond to past outreach, these kinds of public replies ring hollow.
May 08 · Steve Shelton