VCA Airport Irvine Animal Hospital

We had adopted a 2-month old puppy 3 days ago from an unethical, grossly negligent shelter who spayed her way too young, didn't advise us of the diarrhea or health issues she faced, and failed to discover her heart murmur. We noticed her intense heart rate after little effort from playing and consistent, shallow, fast breathing in her sleep. We were told she was healthy by the shelter (and that she just had normal debris in her ears), so we had taken her to the VCA for the metallic-smelling, unabating diarrhea concerns. Two veterinarians told us her heart murmur was at a grade 4 or 5 after listening with a stethoscope and told us she had months to maybe a year to live. They were rightfully appalled by how young she was spayed, so they checked her for hip dysplasia as well. We were heartbroken at our options, which were to get a referral for a cardiologist for a specific prognosis and likely necessary surgery for more than $10k or to return her to the shelter. They were patient and understanding in allowing us the space to process our feelings and make our decision. Knowing how much we loved this puppy and were wronged by the shelter, the VCA was absolutely accommodating. They waived our fees without us asking, and that kind act of compassion during our difficult time of healing from our loss made this process just a little less devastating. When our hearts have healed enough to love another animal, we will take any pet concerns to this VCA.