University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital Emergency Wing

We arrived at Penn veterinary with a dog in severe respiratory distress from a diagnosed torn trachea . The second we came through the door reception was on the phone calling for a nurse . It took a little while to stabilize our dog after a two hour transport . Within 5 minutes we were taken into a private room to answer many questions , but at the same time Jasmine was working hard to keep us calm . Jasmine and the emergency doctor spoke with us about a half hour later , our dog was stable and on oxygen . I'm sorry I have forgotten that doctors name , but went through everything that would happen overnight . Early the next day we got a call from Dr.Annie Mastorakis , she had examined our dog and had moved him to ICU . Dr.Mastorakis said she would be performing a procedure around 1pm to see the extent of the damage .She called about 1:30pm , the damage was much worse and she and her team would have to form another plan of action .Dr.Mastorakis gave us every scenario and possible complications , including going into the chest if nessary . After what seemed like an eternity Dr.Mastorakis called at 5:30pm and said the operation was a success and he would be there a couple of days . Dr.Mastorakis kept in constant contact with updates on our dogs condition , even calling after we got him home . Thank you to everyone at Pennsylvania veterinary for saving our dogs life .

DO NOT TRUST THIS ER WITH YOUR PET. Complete Negligence, Greed, and Zero Empathy. I brought my critically ill, 9-week-old puppy here three days in a row. It was a harrowing, incredibly expensive nightmare that almost cost my puppy his life. Visit 1 (Saturday): My puppy was extremely lethargic, weak, and completely wobbly/off-balance. The supervising vet dismissed his unstable gait as "normal," prescribed Cerenia (anti-nausea), gave fluids, and sent us home. They completely failed to check his ears as part of the basic physical exam. Instead, they heavily pushed $400–$500 in blood work, which I declined. Visit 2 (Sunday): I brought him back the next day because I decided to do my own physical exam. And when I looked in the ears, I discovered a raging, painful ear infection that the ER completely missed the night before. His temperature had spiked to 104°F. When confronted, no one would admit that they had skipped the ear exam when doing the physical. The supervising vet was nonchalant so I asked to see a different doctor, but only a Resident was available. The resident was untruthful and claimed the ears were checked on Visit 1 but the infection was "disregarded" because it wasn't the primary threat. If an animal in your care has a visible, painful infection, why would you conceal that from the owner? Instead, they heavily pushed $400–$500 in blood work, which I declined. When you decline their expensive inpatient packages and opt for outpatient care, they do not want to prescribe medication. I had to demand Rx to treat the ear infection. Visit 3 (Monday): My puppy’s fever was still 103.7°F, and his ears were now filled with severe, painful nodules. I waited FOUR HOURS in the waiting room to then be seen by an Intern. During this time, my weak, sick puppy was left completely alone in a cage in the back when he could have been in my lap being comforted and coaxed to eat/drink. I had to argue with them to get oral antibiotics (Clavamox) and a steroid (Prednisone) prescribed for outpatient care because I declined to admit (another $400) and have blood work done. I explicitly told them I have a household of other dogs to care for and could not afford—financially or mentally—the "heroic inpatient measures" they were trying to extort out of me, yet they treated my puppy's life like an inconvenience. They did not want to prescribe any medication to a visibly sick puppy. After finally agreeing to prescribe, they told me it would be 1 hour or more before the Rx could be filled. I asked for my puppy back so he could be with me. I was visibly distraught and told them so--I thought my puppy was dying and that at the end of all of this I would be taking him home to die peacefully with this litter mates and momma. The Intern on shift had the absolute nerve to ask me if I was even going to wait for the prescriptions because they "didn't want to bother with filling them" if not. I thought my puppy was dying and I was met with pure, cold indifference. The Aftermath: It turns out my puppy has Juvenile Cellulitis (Puppy Strangles)--using AI and inputting the symptoms was all I needed to do to figure it out and my primary vet has confirmed. The moment he started the steroids I had to fight them for, he began turning a corner and eating again, sleeping less, walking more. If I had listened to this clinic, left him in a cage, or let them gatekeep basic medications while pushing $1,000+ in unnecessary testing and inpatient care, my puppy might not be here. They do not care about your pet; they care about your wallet. If you opt for outpatient care, they will punish you with neglect. Avoid this place at all costs.

I truly can’t thank this team enough for saving my dog’s life. From the moment we walked in, they treated us with urgency, compassion, and genuine care. My dog was in critical condition, and they acted quickly, kept me informed, and went above and beyond to make sure he pulled through. The level of professionalism and kindness shown by the entire staff meant everything during such a stressful time. Today, my dog is alive, happy, and recovering and I owe that to them. Forever grateful. 🐾

After getting the runaround in Chester County and wasting money on "boutique" vet services, I finally got the right answer. The cost is better, and you know the care is top-notch. The staff is friendly. I've used them in years past, and they continue to provide excellent services when you really need them Update 4/28/2026 Yesterday I was able to have the operation on my buddy. Not only did everything go very well, but they were also under the budget number given! What a fantastic surprise. Well worth waiting if that's an option for you

We unfortunately had a bit of a lily scare (our fault completely) over Valentines Day and we brought our kitty to Penn Emergency Vet to get checked to see if the interaction was toxic. Each professional we encountered during our visit was compassionate, kind, supportive, and took the time to listen to our concerns. Although the wait was longer than anticipated, they kept us informed as to what was going on often. There was plenty of room to spread out, free water/coffee/tea, and cleanly restrooms. We find ourselves lucky to be close to such world class care and are grateful our baby is okay. Thank you to the entire team! 💙