Veterinary Specialty Center of Stillwater

Nicholas Mosca

Nobody ever wants to need a specialist surgeon for their animal, but that time came for us when our Bengal cat broke her front right leg. From the moment I called to confirm the referral had been received, we were greeted with nothing but compassion and kindness. They were able to fit me in for a consultation next day despite being fully booked for the day. When it was decided that surgery was recommended, they guided us through every step of the process so we could make an informed decision. Our Cocoa was treated like a princess and we were provided regular updates from the staff as well as the surgeon, Dr Dugat. Her surgery went wonderfully and we were able to take her home the following day. They have always been only a phone call away for any questions but we haven’t needed to call because their discharge process was incredible. They staggered pickups and took ample time with me to explain all of cocoas recommended follow up, medications, restrictions, etc. Every person I came into contact with from the front desk to the nursing staff, to the Veterinarian were absolutely fantastic. Again, I hope I never need your services again but if I do, I will gladly travel an hour to have you care for my animals again. Thank you. PS. I’ve never been able to keep a cone on a cat. Whatever you did is amazing. You need to teach classes.

Dec 10, 2025

Jonathan Leavey

My soon to be 12 year old Maltese/Shitzu blend Molly who has had a luxating patella since she was a puppy finally the rear left knee cap would no longer go back into place so she was lame. Oh my. My vet said it was time to consider surgery and referred me to Dr Dugat at VSCS. So appointments were made and tentative surgery scheduled, so I took Molly in for her sedated evaluation. Dr Dugat determined that my Molly would need 2 procedures: a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)  with a plate and 6 screws and a Medial Patellar Luxation (MPL) I left my Molly there overnight as I have 2 other dogs at home as well as the next night which was the day of the surgery, just in case so that the knowledgeable VSCS staff could monitor her and I picked my Molly up the next morning. I am very impressed with the level of quality care and kindness that all of the staff from Emma and Morgan to Jennifer and Riley along with Dr Dugat. I’m sure I left off a couple of others but my point is that they are all great. Their level of communication through the entire process to the Instruction-set that I went home with was very thorough, professionally done and always kind and caring for my Molly and me. Highly recommended and they work closely with your local Veterinarian that refers you to them. Easy to work with. Dr Dugat and her entire team are great. 🐾❤️🐾

Nov 2, 2025

Briana Loeb

For anyone navigating IVDD or considering PLDA (Percutaneous Laser Disc Ablation), I cannot recommend Dr. Dugat and the team at VSCS enough. ❤️‍🩹 Earlier this year, my dachshund scared us with a painful cervical herniation. We went to see Dr. Dugat, fully expecting to need a CT scan and to hear bad news. Instead, she recommended medical management — and it worked. After a long stretch of being pain-free, med-free, and fully mobile, he became a candidate for LDA. This procedure lowers the chance of herniation in the treated discs to about 4%. Since he’s turning 10 in January and clearly has disc degeneration, we felt it was the right decision. (They can’t treat cervical discs, but this still helps prevent more severe, life-changing herniations further down his spine.) This little guy LOVES to run, chase bunnies, play, and (despite our best efforts) jump, so we wanted to give him the best chance at long-term mobility. 🐾 From start to finish, the VSCS staff made the entire experience easier. The day before surgery, he had a full exam, vitals, and bloodwork to confirm he was ready. On procedure day, I dropped him off at 7am, and when we picked him up around 3pm he was groggy, wobbly, and looking a little silly with his new shave — but safe and sound. 💕 Dr. Dugat is not only incredibly skilled but also deeply compassionate. It’s obvious how much she loves this breed. She even told me that if I ever get another dachshund, it’s worth considering PLDA preventatively at one year old. Her confidence and communication gave me total peace of mind. Emma was a true rockstar — intensely competent, kind, and so reassuring throughout the process. She patiently answered every question (sometimes twice!) and made sure I knew exactly what was happening at every step. That level of transparency means so much when you’re trusting someone with your dog’s health. The whole staff was equally wonderful: friendly, communicative, and clearly invested in their patients. It genuinely felt like they cared about Duesy almost as much as I do. Now we’re in recovery mode: a few days of pain meds and anti-inflammatories, plus two weeks of strict crate rest while the discs are vulnerable. The hardest part is that he feels good and doesn’t understand why he can’t play — but I know this is what will protect him in the long run. 💸 Cost (exam, bloodwork, anesthesia, meds): about $2,500 — far less invasive, risky, or stressful than an emergency hemilaminectomy. Thanks to Dr. Dugat, Emma, and the entire VSCS team, I’m confident this will keep my little guy on bunny patrol for years to come. 🌸

Aug 21, 2025

D P

My dog had to come in at the last minute to get back surgery. They got him in and worked with me and him. Even when I was panicking and asking stupid questions they were so kind. Not only were they good at their job but you know they truly love the animals they work with. I cannot recommend them enough.

Nov 2, 2025

Kelli P

We traveled to Oklahoma from Oregon in November to see Dr Dugat for the PLDA procedure after dealing with a herniated disc in our French Bulldog’s back in July that had him paralyzed in the hind end. After a MRI he was diagnosed with IVDD and underwent an expensive surgery with our neurologist vet for the herniation that thankfully was very successful and he regained much of his mobility in the weeks and months of rehab following. We wanted to do anything we could to try to prevent this from happening again, and at the suggestion of our neurologist vet, looked into the PLDA and absolutely wanted to pursue that route. Dr Dugat is so experienced and knowledgeable with the procedure that we absolutely wanted her to be the one to handle Bruno’s PLDA. The whole team here is fantastic with communication and efficient at getting your dog treated and back to you to rest comfortably. We dropped him off in the morning for pre-op prep, got a call as soon as his procedure was complete with an update of how it went, and got to pick him up that afternoon. We are so happy we opted to travel for this for the additional freedom it allows for a dog with IVDD, easing some of our anxiety about another herniation in the future.

Jan 1, 2026