Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group

Can only speak from my experience, but VMSG Ventura rose to the occasion to give life-saving overnight emergency care to my ailing cat. From reception, to doctor (Dr. Johnson) and team (Lauren and Richie), all were caring, knowledgeable and professional. They coordinated well with her primary vet, and together, we turned around what promised to be a tragic event. It's easy to praise when the outcome is positive, but had it been otherwise, I would still credit this VMSG for their outstanding service to both my pet, and myself. I recommend without reservation.

A good doctor's skillset goes far beyond the knowledge required to carry out his job. A doctor has to have people skills, is able to show compassion, and the ability to convey bad news in a positive way regardless how dire the situation. Dr Higgins of VMSG's neurology department is the total package. My wife and I brought our french bulldog in for a consultation as he was experiencing discomfort tied to what appeared to be back pain. Initially expecting to subject him to an MRI, Dr Higgins explained to us that a CT scan is just as effective as an MRI in identifying certain back issues that frenchies are prone to. Not only is a CT scan significantly less expensive, it's less invasive by not requiring anesthesia, and takes less time to complete from start to finish. We took Dr Higgins' recommendation and, sure enough, the scan identified two herniated discs. Fortunately, they were mild which allows for the healing process to require confinement and rest as opposed to surgery. Dr Higgins, the neuro department, and the front office staff were amazing. I understand working in an environment where you deal with clients displaying concern, frustration, sadness, etc can desensitize someone. In this case, the VMSG employees we had the joy of interacting with displayed a level of compassion that you rarely see in this type of a situation. VMSG has earned our business for the foreseeable future regarding issues that our local vet are unable to treat. A big thank you to Dr Higgins and staff.

Having a young kitty develop seizures was heart breaking! VMG & Dr Higgins made us relax just a bit! Dr was SO sweet! Our kitty adored him. He was thoughtful, a good listener & gave practical, educated, reasonable actions to take moving forward. Ahis staff was also fabulous, kind, helpful & compassionate! Thank you kindly! Highly recommend to anyone with a kitty in need of help!

There's so much to say about this facility. I came in recently with a very sick cat. The CSR at the front desk was very welcoming and roomed us immediately. Our wonderful technician Liz came in and let us know how severe my cat's condition was. I knew it was going to come with a hefty price. I let her know of my financial struggles and asked what my best options were. She went over an estimate and I knew I couldn't afford treatment with such a low percentage of my cat recovering. I asked her about euthanasia options. I decided it was going to be best for my cat to not suffer. I was able to spend as much time as I wanted with my cat. Liz's compassion for my situation made the experience less traumatic for me. The staff at this facility are some of the bests in the field that I've experienced. I would highly recommend it!

My healthy dog died under anesthesia here. She was having an MRI for a relatively minor issue -- I thought maybe she had a pinched nerve in her neck after being attacked by another dog at beach and VMSG suggested a diagnostic MRI -- and she had been under anesthesia many times before without issue. Based on the defensive response of the vets, I highly suspect that something was done improperly. This happened two years ago, and it was so upsetting at the time that I didn't have it in me to write this. But I felt the need to warn others. Details below. When they first reported the issue, they said that they hadn't even started anesthesia yet when her heart stopped. I was so confused -- my dog had a pre-anesthesia blood work up and had no heart problems -- and was like, "what are you talking about? just out of the blue?" and the vet said yes. When he left the room, I googled and discovered that anesthesia stimulating medications can cause cardiac arrest. The vet came back in the room to tell me they were unable to revive her and she died. I asked if they had started the anesthesia stimulating meds before her heart stopped and he said yes -- making his prior statement about not having started anesthesia evasive and highly misleading. My regular vet also thought this was suspicious and asked them for a report on what happened. This took them several weeks to gather. The report included that she had been given the anesthesia stimulating meds and these were clearly what killed her, but the report included no record of the amounts given. The report did detail their efforts to revive her when her heart stopped and, as far as I could tell, it looked like this was not noticed or acted on super promptly -- like they had to call a vet in from some place else in the hospital, despite their pre-MRI assurances that she would be "closely monitored." I did consult with veterinary malpractice counsel who told me that they had other cases against VMSG. Although I felt the need to do something about my dog's death (she was like a child to me!), I decided it would be too upsetting to pursue a claim. I don't know that their malpractice killed my dog , but I certainly will never go back.