Veterinary Eye Center

It has been almost six months since we lost our sweet dog. Her eye problems were not what ultimately took her from us, but they were what cost her quality of life. I am in the healthcare field (nurse practitioner), but have rarely witnessed the empathy, attention to detail, and follow through that Dr Yu-​Speight and her team offered. In a sea of what seemed like just rushed and jaded providers, this group cut through as caring and compassionate. I don’t have enough words to describe how much this meant to me at a really low point. Thank you again.

I gladly drive from San Antonio, Tx. to Austin to this doctor.
Dr. Yu-​Speight has cared for two of my dogs.
Over a year ago, my schnauzer had to have an eye removed due to glaucoma. Dr. Yu-​Speight was wonderful. The surgery went perfectly, and I am so glad that we used Dr. Yu-​Speight. Dr. Yu-​Speight is beyond knowledgeable, and really does care for your dog.
A couple of months ago another one of my dogs had to have corrective eyelid surgery due to complications of a surgery to remove a small eyelid cyst by another vet. The original surgery was not done correctly and caused my dog to have a corneal abrasion over ¹⁄₃ of her eye. Dr. Yu-​Speight went out of her way to accommodate us and care for my dog who was in a great deal of pain. My dog was able to go home that first visit without pain.
To me, her prices are very reasonable, especially when you get such great outcomes. She is a specialist in ophthalmology; so, her prices may be higher than a regular vet, but I have learned that many times it is better to go to a specialist first and avoid pain and double surgeries for my dog.
In addition, I cannot say enough good things about her technicians. They are so far above the knowledge level of most technicians I normally see in similar positions. Good technicians are so important to the care of your pet, and the ones here really are the best.

Dr. Yu-​Speight and her veterinary nurses provide excellent and compassionate care. As a veterinarian myself, I brought my dog here for a serious eye issue that needed the expertise of a specialist. My only regret is that I didn’t come in sooner. Dr. Yu-​Speight is extremely experienced and knowledgeable with regards to the best eye care for your pet. If you consider your pet a member of the family and want the very best for them, this is the place to take them!

Dr. Yu-​Speight and her staff have been terrific over the past two years as she has tended to a growing issue in my Siamese cat’s iris. After careful watch during that time, it became clear two weeks ago that the eye had to be removed. She and her staff took extremely good care but even so, there were rare complications with bringing him back from the anesthesia. Without her extraordinary professional medical skill, Ranger would have died. She took the time to keep me informed every step of the way as she spent more than two hours working to revive him. Some unknown allergy issue seemed to be the problem with his breathing. Dr. Yu-​Speight recommended that he be taken to the emergency clinic for overnight monitoring, x-​ray and breathing therapy… and she, herself, drove through a driving rainstorm to ensure that we arrived there safely and that the new staff understood what had occurred with him. Dr. Yu-​Speight went far above and beyond, and I am eternally grateful to her and her staff for their exceptional care and that we were referred to her. My Siamese boy continues to recover well.

JUST TO CLARIFY***
I am talking about the one on FARWEST. Someone who works there personally messaged me and told me I must have written a review for the wrong clinic. So I am clarifying to say that I didn’t and I am indeed talking about this place.
This place is a scam. The doctor tried charging us $ 1,000+ for a little cyst around my dog’s eye. She wanted our money so bad she even later called us to check in and see how we were doing. Then she tried being a therapist and told us we needed to «deal with our grief» and «be there for our dog.» It was so funny! Then we took him to the vet on Greystone down the street and they looked at it for a second and said oh we can do that no problem! They removed it without having to put him under and it only cost us $ 100! These people are only in it for the money and use your poor animal to get you. Don’t go here!

Think long and hard before having lens replacement surgery at this veterinary center. Get a second and possibly a third opinion before doing so.

One eyed Boston continues to try to hurt his remaining eye… gets relief at Veterinary Eye Center!
I read the previous review (2÷14÷13) and I have to say that my experience has been different. There is a wait sometimes… because Dr. Yu-​Speight will do emergency surgery on a dog’s eye if it will save it… and it does put her behind. However, you can always call the office before your appointment. and in my opinion it is worth the wait.
Two years ago my Boston Terrier, Chester, punctured his eye with a cactus. To save money I went to my regular vet first who is amazing but if you have an eye problem I highly recommend coming here first. I went to Dr. Yu-​Speight too late and he lost that eye.
She has done regular check ups on his remaining eye which is great since she knows what his issues are (previous cornea surgery and cataract surgery on remaining eye).
A week ago I came home to an infected eye and pierced cornea that went south in a matter of hours. I called first thing Monday morning (accident happened Sunday) and they were able to stay late (6 pm) and see me after all the patients. I had three vet appointments this week where she checked his progress and adjusted medications. Did I mention they were all at 6 pm since she was already booked for the week and she and her staff stayed late to see Chester.
Also, she swabbed his eye and cultured his infection… something I really thought was not necessary until a rare bacteria came back and it allowed her to adjust his medications (eye drops) again to kill that particular strain. We have a few weeks to go but everyday his eye is improving.
In response to 2/​14/​13-​While I can say Dr. Yu-​Speight is not «cheap» I don’t know any time you go to a specialist for a human or dog that you don’t have insurance for that it is cheap. Having been to eye doctors for years I feel that what she charges for her level of service is very fair and at the end of the day the care she gives your dog is unlike anyone else. She truly cares and wants the best for your animal.
I highly recommend Dr. Yu-​Speight and her staff!

On 1/​18, I called Veterinary Eye Center and scheduled an appointment for 10:30am on ¹⁄₂₅.
On 1/​24, I received a call from Veterinary Eye Center, confirming my 10:30am appointment on ¹⁄₂₅.
I arrived to my 10:30am appointment at 10:25am. Upon my arrival, I completed an Eye History (1 page) and Registration Form (1 page) in just a few minutes.
Around 10:50am, I went to a patient room and had a brief visit with a vet tech who proceeded to ask me the very same questions I just filled out on the above mentioned forms.
While I was the only patient in their office at this time, I was still not seen by Dr. Paglia until 11:20 — 50 minutes after my scheduled 10:30am appointment. When asked how I was doing, I told Dr. Paglia I was not pleased that I had to wait 50 minutes to see her. At that point, she made the comment she did not care how I was, she was only there to treat my dog. I was astounded to have this reaction, but later found it would not be the last time I experienced Dr. Paglia’s «people skills.»
Dr. Paglia did perform a ~20 minute eye exam. However, I question whether the exams performed were just part of their $ 150 eye exam or if she was really trying to diagnose my dog’s eye issue. During the exam, Dr. Paglia also looked for foreign objects with a q-​tip, but found nothing. Later I found I was charged an additional $ 80 for this.
At the end of all exams, Dr. Paglia offered no idea or theories on what was wrong with my dog’s eye. She suggested to give my dog eye drops but acknowledged she had no expectations that they would do anything. She told me she thought my dog’s eye was causing her pain. Later that same visit, she told me she though the eye was causing no pain. She also recommended coming back to perform blood work, which I declined.
Although I was still the only patient in their office, it took 25 minutes to work up my bill and check me out. I left after paying a $ 250 bill, with absolutely no idea what was wrong with my dog, whether or not she was in pain, or any hope for a resolution.
A few days later, I went to another vet.
My experience was night and day different between these two clinics.
I arrived 5 minutes early and was seen by the doctor and a vet tech — just minutes later. The doctor proceeded to look at my dog’s eye. Rather than just blindly run tests, she appeared to be trying to diagnose my dog’s issue. After performing some tests, this doctor was almost certain what was going on with my dog’s eye. She went into both technical and layman’s descriptions of what she thought was going on with my dog’s eye. She even warned me of symptoms I should expect to see in the future with my dog. I had already witnessed almost all of these symptoms, signs I never mentioned to that doctor prior to her evaluation.
I left with an understanding of what was going on with my dog’s eye, treatment recommendations, and prescribed medicine for under $ 90.
I did receive a call from Dr. Paglia a few days later asking how my dog was doing. I told her I went to another doctor to was able to diagnose my dog’s issue. When asked, I informed her it was likely a neurological issue (something Dr. Paglia never suggested) and was undergoing treatment options. She became defensive, arguing with me that an eye doctor would not have been able to determine that on eye tests alone. I expressed my disappointment again regarding my experience at her clinic, at which point she proceeded to state once again that she didn’t care about my feelings, she only cared about the health of my dog. At that point I ended the call.
19 days after my appointment with Dr. Paglia, I received a call from her partner, Dr. Yu-​Speight. It was at this point that she told me my appointment was really at 10:50am but they told me to come at 10:30 since I was a new patient. This was the very first time I had ever heard my appointment was at 10:50am. I told Dr. Yu-​Speight about my experience with each doctor and believe she was genuinely sympathetic. She defended her partner through her credentials, which I can appreciate. However, at the end of the day, if a doctor cannot solve or recommend treatment for an issue, the college or schools they attended becomes irrelevant, at least to me. Dr. Yu-​Speight also provided insight as to my outpatient wait time, explaining «Dr. Paglia is a 2-​finger typer» and it takes her longer.
Dr. Yu-​Speight did offer to see my dog at no charge, which I appreciated, but declined. It is clear to me why Dr. Yu-​Speight has solid 5-​star reviews on Unilocal,while Dr. Paglia has solid 1-​star reviews. Unfortunately, my appointment was not with Dr. Yu-​Speight.

I strongly agree with the other reviews, this place is great! My dog got a corneal ulcer and I was referred here by my regular vet. From the moment I walked in, I was treated warmly and with the utmost respect, starting with the receptionist and technicans. And Dr. Paglia is amazing! She was so caring and patient with me in the room, and just has a great warmth about her. She explained things in a way I could understand without talking down to me, and enthusiatically answered my many questions. She got the ulcer to completely heal and even came in on her day off to check out his eye during the last recheck! I only wish my own doctor displayed this kind of dedication. I have also heard from a friend that Dr. Yu-​Speight is great as well. I strongly recommend this clinic to anyone who needs to see an eye specialist in Austin. You will not be disappointed.

I was referred to Dr Yu-​Speight by my regular vet for my little Chihuahua’s edema. It had been going on for a couple years and I had seen another eye specialist that I was not happy with in the past. Dr. Yu-​Speight gave me no grief for having waited that long for a follow-​up and went straight to work. The Dr and her staff are kind, professional, and very knowledgeable. She obviously cares very much for what she does and I respect that. I am a retired vet tech and I appreciate their approach and demeanor. They knew me and my dog every time I walked in or called and they explained the diagnosis and treatment thoroughly using models and language anyone could understand. After several visits, we’ve gotten my dog’s issue nearly solved, but as it is a permanent condition, I’m able to keep it as minimal as possible with home treatment. I will say they are not cheap by any means, but you get what you pay for and that is excellence in every manner with these guys.

I never anticipated having to take my dog to a specialist but when, in his old age, one of his eyes became cloudy a few months ago I sought a exam with his regular vet (Allendale Vet Clinic) and was referred on to Dr. Yu-​Speight.
I had the first appointment of the day but when I arrived I found that the receptionist was friendly, they examined my dog in a timely manner, and offered very thorough advice delivered with a friendly bedside-​manner. I appreciated the gentle was the Dr. Yu-​Speight handled my little buddy and put him at ease. Her assistant was equally friendly, talking to my dog in a kind tone and taking extra effort not to rush the examination. Their genteel attitudes really put my dog at ease — a difficult task for a high-​strung whippet.
I don’t have much experience with eye specialists, but this experience was much better than I anticipated and I would recommend Dr. Yu-​Speight for optical needs.

When an unfortunate event occurs with your pet you could not be more fortunate than to visit Dr. Yu-​Speight. The knowledge and passion for my dog and a straight forward, down to earth approach to me was all I could ask for. I am gratefull for such a fantastic office!

Let me start by saying, we wish that Dr. Yu-​Speight could be our «normal» vet. My partner & I have taken our dog, Foxy Brown, there for a couple of years now. Our first visit was pretty traumatic and Dr. Yu-​Speight and her staff were, kind and so informative. The office tried everything to save our dogs eye and offered us possible causes of the severe swelling. Unfortunately, Foxy was not lucky and need to have an inoculation. Dr. Yu-​Speight explained different procedures and told us the pros and cons of including a prosthetic eye, which we later opted against. The surgery price would be steep and she was very up front about this. She even offered us the option to take Foxy elsewhere for the surgery. After several phone calls we opted to do this because the price was immensely cheaper. What Doctor is up front about costs and actually tells you to shop around?! After Foxy’s surgery we visited her office again. At Dr. Y-S’s suggestion we brought the Foxy’s removed eye back to her office and had it sent away for testing. We now know that Foxy has hereditary glaucoma and we have to keep special watch and medicate her other eye daily. We visit Dr. Yu-​Speights office about every three months and have no problem getting in and out. She and her staff remember us & Foxy every single time we are there. Foxy is always calm when she is there and today even gave a happy squeak when she heard Dr. Y-S’s voice. If you are ever unfortunate enough to land in this veterinary eye specialist office, know that you are in great hands.

While I’m at it, thought I’d leave overdue positive feedback for Dr. Yu-​Speight. My distressing first visit was with my cat who had an injured eye. The Doctor was so professional, frank, and comforting. I felt completely in good hands with her. The doctor gave me options and we discussed possible outcomes. She knew I had a hard decision to make and really helped me feel OK about this. I felt enabled in the decision-​making process, and though it was difficult, we went with eye-​removal. It was a very painful set of circumstances for my cat, but thankfully everything went well. The technicians were always careful and kind. The office offered Care Credit, and since I qualified, I used it. My poor kitty was in a post-​surgery, kitty-​dope slumber state-​of-​being for quite some time after, but healed well. When I had questions after the final check-​ups had taken place, the Doctor had me in yet again to address my concerns. Excellent, top-​quality animal care at its best. The Doctor even serves on education panels to better educate Austin vets on animal eye problems. Not sure if there are many choices when one needs this kind of doctor, but I do recommend this one, as I believe she is a leader in this field.

My parents dog was recommended by our usual Vet, Love Pet Hospital, to the Veterinary Eye Center a few months back when one of their weenie dogs needed eye surgery. Dr. Paglia performed the actual surgery and the surgery itself was wonderful. They are extremely competent surgeons, where their problems lie is in their after-​patient care, customer service and payment scheduling.
We were told to set up an after care facility for Barbie to be monitored and she also needed to be hooked up to a heart machine since she has a heart condition. We were recommended that she go to Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital. We have been there before but she needed round the clock attention for a few days and anyone who has been there knows it’s a normal vet during the day and emergency vet after hours and the two sides don’t overlap. The emergency portion opens at 6:00 and we couldn’t answers until then and that would be the drop off time if possible but Barbie would be coming out of surgery at 4:00pm and we needed to have something lined up. Furthermore, we would have to drop her at 6:00pm and pick her back up each morning before 7:00am before the normal vet opened and then bring her back at 6:00pm and so on. We decided that would be too much stress on Barbie and chose to go with AM/​PM where I have taken my dog before and they are ²⁴⁄₇ same staff and everything (you can read the review of them in reference to this same stay — they were a dream!). I got it all set up with AM/​PM and called Dr. Paglia to let them know we had made arrangements so they could fax over the information. Well, I was basically told that they didn’t approve of that vet and they didn’t have the machines or ability to care for Barbie and that we should really rethink her stay there. It was very upsetting to hear one Vet speak of another in that manner and for them to say they’ve never dealt with them before. I have a friend who works at AM/​PM and they recommend people to this vet all the time and have dealt with them on many occasions, the whole thing was strange.
We ended up taking her to AM/​PM anyway and once she got there AM/​PM was going over her meds and realized they were missing a couple of medications. They called us and also called out to Dr. Paglia’s office and left them numerous messages but they had gone out of town. One of the medications was one that AM/​PM didn’t have and so couldn’t fill it there. Mom finally got through the next morning and they tried to tell us we misplaced the medication but it wasn’t that big of a deal. I couldn’t understand why, if it wasn’t a big deal that she have the meds, was she put on them in the first place? We ended up having to go pick them up the next day and drop them off so she could have all her meds. It really was strange.
Barbie has since recovered and has gone back for numerous rechecks and I held off on writing this review until today. Today was the last straw. Barbie saw Dr. Yu-​Speight. The wait times are unreal out there, every time we have to wait at least 30 – 45 minutes from your scheduled appointment time. On top of that, my mom was told she needed to do a blood pressure test to check for signs of hypertension due to something in her other eye. My mom said we would like to do that at our normal vet, Love Pet Hospital — which we already have an appointment in a few days for another check there and also that because of Barbie’s heart condition we won’t be able to do any more invasive surgery. She was then told that Love Pet Hospital probably doesn’t have the machine to do it. Again with the claims that the other vets don’t have the machines! They called over to Love and of course they have the machine. Again, it’s all very strange how they handle it. It seemed as if they thought we weren’t going to run the test if we didn’t do it there. She has insisted that Barbie come back in 3 months instead of 6 months due to this new development. Mom went to check out and it was more expensive than the last recheck and mom inquired what the deal was and she was informed that the price for a recheck increases as the time between appointments increases — something that was never discussed with us. Apparently there’s a few for a week away, 10 days away, 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, 6 months and so on and if you go over the recommended time they charge for the «next time slot.» The receptionist even mentioned that «word to the wise — don’t go a day over 3 months or else it’s more expensive.» Mom thought she was joking but no the receptionist explained that this is their policy.
Again, they are wonderful surgeons and there really are no other alternatives. People come from all over to see this vet for their specialty but their bedside manner, how they speak about other vets — who recommend them even, how they deal with customers and their bizarre payment schedule needs some serious help!

Our bulldog needed entropion surgery (basically and eyelid lift) and we were referred here by a Banfield vet. Our dog loves people to the point where she is a spaz at the vet, but the staff here worked so well with her. They performed the surgery, we had some follow-​up visits, and now our dog can actually open her eye all the way and she looks great. I wish they were a regular vet too.

Dr. Yu-​Speight and her staff have been extremely professional and compassionate with my very elderly boxer and me. She’s very competent and skilled, and always explains complicated problems and solutions with me in detail so that I understand what is happening and what needs to happen to keep my dog as comfortable and healthy as possible. While there is another «eye vet» in Austin, she is also the only Board certified eye specialist in Austin, and having seen both doctors, it’s really easy to tell the difference and see what the extra education and expense gets you.
I should also mention that my dog’s only remaining eye manifested extremely fast-​onset glaucoma symptoms late on a Saturday night; her voicemail gives you options on how to reach her off hours in the event of an emergency and she answers the phone promptly and spends the time to give the same thorough explanations over the phone at 11pm on a Saturday that she does in the office. She gave explicit instructions to the emergency clinic on how to treat my dog in order to save what’s left of her sight. She asked a lot of questions, gave a lot of explanations, and really truly cares that this is all happening to my dog and me. I’ve seen a LOT of vet specialists over the years, and Dr Yu-​Speight and her staff are caring, compassionate, thorough, and very straight shooters. I highly recommend her.

I had quite a different experience with Dr. Yu-​Speight. I highly recommend her.
When my min schnauzer had cataracts which turned into Glaucoma, my vet, who I have been taking pets to for over 10 years, recommended Dr. Yu-​Speight.
Dr. Yu-​Speight was straight with me about my options but comforting given the situation. She explained everything in detail and helped me weigh my options. I never felt rushed even though she was very busy that day.
She was very attentive to my dog for the next 2 months it took him to heal fully. When he had complications with the stitching (to no fault of the doctor), she corrected it quickly and at no charge. She even called me a few times to see how things were going and give me updates.
The staff is helpful. I can’t deny that some of them can come off phony and sometimes just weird but they always answered my questions completely in the office and when I called with questions or concerns.
I do recommend requesting an experienced tech at all times to be there if a newbie is working with you. You can spot them from a mile away, don’t worry. I had a newbie who was checking my dog’s eye pressure before they were removed and she didn’t seem to know what she was doing. If his eyes weren’t going to be removed in less than 24 hours and he wasn’t on major painkillers, I would have been more concerned.
Claudette is very nice. She can come off snotty from time to time but it is not intentional and it is not because she actually dislikes you or your pet. She is busy and sometimes is not able to hide it but she always does her job and does it well.
I had a great experience. I’m sad to hear it wasn’t the same for someone else but Dr. Yu-​Speight has been amazing for me and my dog, Franklin.