Are cats welcome at this emergency clinic?

Cats are accepted, but reviews indicate limited cat-specific infrastructure (no separate check-in or waiting area) and staff reluctance to allow owners in exam rooms. Owners report this caused unnecessary stress and medication complications.

What happens if I can't afford a large vet bill?

Some patients report staff never made them feel guilty about financial constraints and showed understanding. However, others describe high-pressure billing tactics and unexpected costs, with a 3% credit-card surcharge sometimes not disclosed upfront.

How long will I wait for emergency care?

Waits vary widely. Patients reported 3.5-hour waits for X-rays and bloodwork, 5-hour waits with no updates, and 8-hour visits. One review noted staff did not offer the option to leave during delays.

Evolution Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital

Updated 2026-07-08 · 1,063 reviewed · 177 listed · Scored from 962 Google reviews · How we rank ›

4.0(962) 68 composite score See reviews on Google ✓ Verified

Exotic & Avian Vet CareEmergency & Urgent CareEquine & Large Animal VetMobile & House-Call VetGeneral & Wellness Veterinary CareVeterinary Surgery

Evolution Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital

Services: Exotic & Avian Vet Care, Emergency & Urgent Care, Equine & Large Animal Vet
Reviews: 962

What recent reviews say

Solid emergency and specialist care when things go right, but a divided patient base tells the real story. Families who have stayed long-term (especially for cardiology, internal medicine, or end-of-life) describe staff who know their pet's name and explain every step. Others report shockingly poor interactions: a triage tech rolling her eyes at pet owners, staff ridiculing a sedated cat with a toy, and critical gaps in communication that have led to medication errors and delayed diagnoses. The facility prioritizes dogs; cats report inadequate separation areas and staff unwillingness to let owners remain during exams. Cost complaints are sharp and specific (hidden 3% credit-card surcharge, six-hour hospitalization charges of $561.90 with no advance notice, bills reaching $6,400 with outcomes that fell short of promises).

Recent shift: Starting around mid-2024, complaints escalated regarding medication errors (penicillin prescribed against explicit instruction, overdosing of anesthesia), poor communication (conflating different procedures, lack of clarity on diagnostics), and non-responsive management (calls and emails to owner and manager Deb Moss and Dr. Lake-Bakaar ignored). Earlier 2024 reviews were more positive; the deterioration appears linked to changes in staff consistency or case load management.

Praised for

compassionate end-of-life care
thorough diagnostics and specialist services
knowledgeable doctors in cardiology and internal medicine
attentive front-desk staff
convenient multi-specialty location

Watch-outs

rude or dismissive triage and front-desk staff
poor communication and lack of transparency about costs
dangerously aggressive medication dosing
long wait times without updates
cat-unfriendly facility and handling practices

knowledgeable-vetspoor-communicationcompassionate-staffexpensivelong-wait-timeshard-to-get-appointmentbilling-issuescaring-bedside-mannerfollow-up-carerushed-appointments

Best for: dogs with chronic or complex conditions requiring long-term specialist care and end-of-life support

Think twice if: you have a cat, value direct cost transparency, or cannot accept long waits without staff updates; several owners report medication errors, dismissive triage staff, and bills that exceeded initial expectations

Strengths

24-hour emergency availability
multiple board-certified specialists (cardiology, internal medicine, oncology) on site
detailed diagnostic imaging and testing
compassionate end-of-life and euthanasia care

Worth knowing

Staff members named by grateful patients include Jackson (front desk), Tay (reception), Ashe (tech), Cara, Clara, Dr. Fink (internal medicine), Dr. Lake-Bakaar (owner, cardiology), Dr. Thyen (ER), Dr. Meyer; one complaint names Angel (triage) and Deb Moss (manager) for poor interactions and unresponsiveness
Hospitalization charged at $561.90 per six-hour period
Incidents include misdiagnosis of jaw fracture (sent dog to Fort Collins specialist for non-fractured jaw), prescribing penicillin to dog with IMHA despite explicit owner instruction against it, overdosing propofol on a sedated cat, and aggressive thyroid medication prescribed to elderly cat with kidney disease that accelerated kidney failure
One long-term patient reports infection treated with 'wait and see' instead of antibiotics, cystoscopy and endoscopy conflated as same procedure (they are not), and lack of in-house equipment for recommended diagnostics
Hidden 3% credit-card surcharge not disclosed upfront
One review mentions staff told patient not their job to know about toxic plants for pets or to contact poison control

What reviews say by service

Emergency & Urgent Care: Highly polarized: praised for fast triage and compassionate end-of-life; criticized for long waits without communication, rude staff, misdiagnosis, and high-pressure billing
General & Wellness Veterinary Care: Recently launched primary care arm praised for convenience and friendly, helpful staff, though limited review volume
Veterinary Surgery: Referenced positively in multi-specialist care for cancer and liver disease cases
Exotic & Avian Vet Care: One incident where staff blamed botanical identification failures on not being botanists and refused to help when puppy ate toxic plants
Equine & Large Animal Vet: No clear evidence in reviews
Mobile & House-Call Vet: No evidence in reviews

How it compares

Rated 4 against a 4.57 average across the 95 exotic & avian vet care businesses listed here.
Has more Google reviews than 91% of the businesses in this directory.

How we scored this

Our Rubric

Star rating 34

Review volume 100

Review recency 100

Review sentiment 48

Profile completeness 100

Verification 30

Rating breakdown

706

199

Common questions

Are cats welcome at this emergency clinic?: Cats are accepted, but reviews indicate limited cat-specific infrastructure (no separate check-in or waiting area) and staff reluctance to allow owners in exam rooms. Owners report this caused unnecessary stress and medication complications.
What happens if I can't afford a large vet bill?: Some patients report staff never made them feel guilty about financial constraints and showed understanding. However, others describe high-pressure billing tactics and unexpected costs, with a 3% credit-card surcharge sometimes not disclosed upfront.
How long will I wait for emergency care?: Waits vary widely. Patients reported 3.5-hour waits for X-rays and bloodwork, 5-hour waits with no updates, and 8-hour visits. One review noted staff did not offer the option to leave during delays.

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