Here you will see the opinions of people who consumed the products and services of Central Hospital For Veterinary Medicine (Veterinarian) in the state of Connecticut.
Right now this business receives a score of 3.5 stars out of 5 and the score was based on 123 reviews.
You may have noticed that it has an average rating is very high, and it's based on a very large number of opinions, so we can say that the score is quite faithful. If there are many people who bothered to evaluate when they've done well with the service, is that it works.
As you know, we don't usually stop to place opinions when these are correct and we usually do it only if we've had a problem or issue...
This Veterinarian belongs to the category of Animal hospital.
I cannot recommend this Hospital. The focus is on testing and raising the costs of your bill rather than the care of your pet. An emergency visit will cost $130, blood work for your animal will cost $280, and you will be charged for medications as well. The astronomical prices, the long wait times, and uncaring veterinarians are the reasons to avoid this facility. I brought my cat in because she was acting very strange. I waited three hours for a checkup, blood work, and for medications to be prescribed. The veterinarian I met with, Dr. McDonald, had an incredibly poor bedside manner. She was very abrupt, spent very little time with me, would not give me a definitive answer as to my cat's health, did not provide any real information about my cat's health, and was generally unresponsive. Dr. McDonald insisted on as much testing and treatment as possible for my cat. The costs of these treatments and tests were absurdly overpriced. The insistence by the vets for additional testing, coupled with their "inability" to produce results, makes this facility very costly for a series of "We don't know what's wrong yet" responses. Stay away from this hospital. They are looking to line their pockets at expense of your pet's health. I cannot recommend them under any circumstances.
New Haven Central Animal Hospital is like the person who wrote on Jan. 22, 2009 said, NHCAH is an EMERGENCY VET. Also after working at a vet hospital, the Dr.s have to approve the estimates, the receptionist is not the Dr. and therefore cannot give a straight estimate without getting it reviewed by a Dr. first before calling you back and telling you. And depending on when your dog last had a comprehensive exam, it was probably necessary. If it was over 30 days, most vets like to do another for safety reason for the animal, make sure nothing has evolved since the last time they were checked, or if they have never personally checked out the animal, they want to make sure that they have PERSONALLY made sure that the pet is ok to undergo whatever treatment or procedure. And truthfully, I personally the only time I went there, did NOT have a great experience and for over a year, held a grudge and resented them for the way that they handled my dog with what was going on. We weren't allowed to see him until we made a life or death decision and then we had to go down to their treatment area to put our dog down, and to top it off, we just wanted to go down, say our good byes in 1 min and be done, instead it took about 10-15 min for them to realize we were ready for him to go peacefully and be on our way. However, I'm over my grudge (notice the rating!!), have been on their end in the vet hospital and NHCAH is a wonderful hospital with well equipped staff and facility that I personally, and my place of work recommend to our clients in the event of an emergency. You could have ended up in a place much worse where they didn't treat you pet at all.
Everyone I've ever interacted with here has been super helpful and willing to talk to me for a long time, they really care. This of course leads to long wait times, because they're spending that time with everybody who goes there including the appointment before yours :) It's understandable, and worth the wait. The services they offer are high tech and expensive, but I've quoted them around and they're often the cheapest game in town. Sketchy looking chain clinics that only do I-131 treatment and no other veterinary services all want $1800+, Central is $1200. Huge difference. Yes it's expensive, it's an expensive treatment. But they don't gouge you for the maximum amount that the market will bear, which it seems like the chain places are doing.
I brought my cat in last night with trouble breathing and although unfortunately I was unable to leave with my cat the Veterinarian and her staff were beyond sympathetic and honest and above all kind and courteous to us all. They had the upmost patience and respect. They took my cat in immediately and did not sugar coat our options. I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone who needs loving care for their fur baby.
Everyone feom the front desk to the nurses and dr were great
A few days ago my naughty puppy ate 2 straight pins. I rushed her directly to the hospital and we received kind, helpful, compassionate care. She was hospitalized for two nights and carefully monitored, and now she's home and pin free. The staff was hugely kind to me while I freaked out and panicked about my dog being in so much danger. They helped me understand the risks and benefits of all actions and we came up with a course of care. They also helped me with billing my pet health insurance company and helped to explain how billing would work and what I needed to do. The night I went in was the Saturday before Christmas so it was very busy and it was clear they were doing the best they could with minimal staff and a huge case load. But they found the time to be kind and supportive and to get my dog the best care possible.
So I’ll start by saying the gentleman that did my dogs ultrasound was amazing. He spoke with us and was very informative. We really appreciated his time & compassion! My dog went in for emergency ultrasound for a large tumor on his lung or heart. We already knew the prognosis wasn’t a good outcome. We get called to the front desk where they hand a phone to my husband and the Dr tries to explain over the phone what they saw in the ultrasound. The girls at the front desk were very loud, talking, laughing, & telling personal stories. Dogs were barking at each other right behind where he’s trying to hear. He said he couldn’t even hear everything the Dr said because of the noise. We just had to put my other dog down in October. So we haven’t fully grieved yet & we had to be brought in a “reception area” with a lot of commotion to hear that we have to put another dog down! It was very insensitive! There should be a personal room with a phone to speak with the Dr. I would never bring my animals there again!
Fast and friendly,They seem to care for the animals.
Went in for emergency services for my guinea pig. They did an amazing job explaining options to treat his heart condition. Also, in keeping me calm during a sad,stressful,unexpected situation. I also learned they offer pet adoptions as well.
Very friendly environment
Dr. Kennedy & the team of techs (Vicki, Monica, Linda, Kizzy) in the ER were beyond amazing. You can tell they truly love their job & the patients they care for. I can not even express how grateful I am to have had such a great group of people surrounding my cat with such care and love.
This place is terrible. I took my dog there and all they were interested is me giving them a $4000.00 deposit before they even saw him. Then after doing $4000.00 worth of useless tests, they told me they wanted to euthanize my dog because he could not be saved. I took him home and gave him some old Prednisone and Doxycycline I had in my house and he started drinking and has been getting steadily better. I called my usual vet and he said to keep him on the Doxycycline and Prednisone. They stole my money and did nothing to help my dog. And they are refusing to give me and explanation or a refund. Never go there!!
DISGUSTING. They should be ashamed of themselves. My coworker brought his dog in, hysterical, because she was having a difficult time in labor and one puppy had died in the birth canal which obviously blocked the path for the others. She had a few puppies still moving in her belly. Well, now that this disgrace of a vet hospital turned him away, all of the puppies are no longer living and the dog now has an infection/toxicity and will not make it through the night. They would not take her in for surgery without $4k up front and told him good luck. Insane. Who could look at a small dog struggling through labor and turn her away? They wouldn't even take a portion of any payment and work out any sort of payment option for the other half. Just as greedy and corrupt as the doctors and hospitals that we need to visit and spend years in debt trying to pay for. Find a vet who went to school and got their career because they truly love animals. Not these money hungry excuses for vets.
If you love your pet, bring them somewhere else.
Dr Dorbandt is the best when it comes to treating vision loss. The staff is friendly and caring
My cat has been having such difficulty with her allergies and sees two doctors at Central. The technicians/nurses are fantastic with her and she always feels very comfortable with them; anywhere else and she can be a bit feisty! The staff at Central have been giving my kitty the help she needs. I highly recommend them! They also took wonderful care of my first kitty who unfortunately passed away. They gave her critical care during her last moments and I'm so thankful they were there for her. Can't recommend them enough!
Phenomenal Cardiac Care of my Cat. After 30 years in the field I discovered MY kitty had a horrible heart condition. He had difficulty breathing, his heart beats sounded awful. Dr. de Madron was wonderful. He tapped his chest (to get rid of the excess fluid) and diagnosed him & prescribed 5 different medications Lucky for me Restrictive Cardiomyopathy sometimes responds well to treatment. He has been home for a month and is doing AMAZINGLY well. I did not realize he slowed down so much until he became his good old annoying self. Picking on the other cat, nagging me INCESSANTLY for his food and begging for my food. Thank you for superlative care Central Pet Vet and Dr. de Madron!
Excellent veterinary care.
Went to this facility once and they were amazing. However, I just called with concern of salmon poisoning in my dog and the receptionist basically laughed at me and made me feel stupid for being concerned. How rude? I am concerned about a disease that is potentially fatal and to have a receptionist at the emergency vet laugh at me and make my situation out to be a joke is very rude and hurtful. They should consider new staff or at least give their current a lesson is customer service and empathy.
The staff here is very friendly and nice. But here's where they fall short. My pup was coughing and i rushed her to this ER twice two nights in a row panicked that she wasn't okay. They told me i needed to get xrays and i paid 300$ for them. They said nothing was wrong and sent her off with benadryl. One-two weeks later she wasn't getting any better so I proceeded to take her to Yalesville animal hospital where they also took xrays, bloodwork, urine etc. They said the xrays revealed a partially collapsed trachea and bronchitis and also pancreatitis. The ER told me her trachea looked fine and if I actually took their word for it she would've kept suffering and possibly gotten chronically worse. Thankfully for Yalesville animal hospital she's now on the proper medication. Really disappointed such a kind staff would misdiagnose her and send her off saying there was nothing wrong
$1100 for a x-ray and fluids
Dr performed Bilateral TPLO on our pup(2017) and he hasn't been right since! A board certified surgeon ...A BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON!! Sought other opinions and they wanna do surgery to fix the screw up!! NEVER AGAIN WILL I VISIT OR RECOMMENDED THIS PLACE!! We are not the only horror story from this place EITHER...STAY AWAY!!
Zoe had surgery here. It went well.
Great people to help your pet in their time of need. My girl Cici is over her allergies and is so very happy.
I first brought my rat to them a year ago. She had a very large mamory tumor. They were able to remove it, spay her, and gave me great care with the cheapest option since I was having financial issues. A month or so later my rat decided to chew herself to the muscle. They immediately took me in, showed me how to care for the wounds, gave oral and topical antibiotics, etc. I had originally called while omw there, and they were able to fit me into or change an appointment so I wouldn't need to pay the er fee. I just called them with an issue with my now elderly rat, and they've fit me in nearly instantly. They have the best exotics specialist I've come across, and she does all she can to give the best care while limiting the fees to the best of her abilities. And she's aware of financial issues I have in general, that being the case even offered that if my rats medical issues get too overwhelming, rather than euthanizing if i cant afford treatment, offered to adopt her so she could live. THANKFULLY I've always managed. But that dr has so much love for the animals she cares for.
Referred to Dr Dorbandt from my vet because my dog Emma had an eye problem he wasn't comfortable treating. Dr. Dorbandt and the staff were outstanding start to finish. They treated my dod like it was their own, explained everything they were doing along the way, and the procedure was very reasonably priced. I was surprised to read some negative reviews, but rest assured if your dog is seeing the Ophthalmologist Dr. Dorbandt, they are in great hands.
Dont be fooled. This place only cares about how deep your pocket is nd will try only as hard for that result. The ultrasound male, David, was wonderful, but after that it was all down hill. After multiple times they couldn't even write the proper information on my sheet having my fur baby for over an hour and asking asking what color she was should have been red flag. I gave a 2 because the support staff is nice, but the superiors don't care if your animal ia suffering or to help them only what works for them. If you want to see a internist or specialist make sure you come during the day hours. I felt as if the critical doctor here had no compassion and just didnt cut the mustard, asking me about me bill and payment second beforw they euthanize my animal.
Brought my dog in today because he could barely walk out of no where. Started bowling my eyes out talking to the girls at the desk because I just moved here and it's only me and my dog and I could not lose him!!! They handed me tissues and were so sweet and understanding (even when my dog pooed on their floor!) I told them I believed he had Lyme disease and they listened to everything I had to say and had him tested quick quickly for it by one of the male workers possibly a tech? He was also so understanding and helpful! He brought my dog back quick and a little more waiting and the vet came out and she was very informative and got straight to the point that he intact had Lyme disease and told me how we were going to treat him and what my options were for that. Everything was my choice and I didn't feel pressured at all! The tech then went outside with me and my dog to collect a urine sample and soon after that I was receiving my dogs medication with a very thorough education on what they are and how to use them. I couldn't thank the girls at the front desk enough. This was such a terrible scare for my dog and they helped me so much. Highly recommended!! Also, everyone else that came in there also seemed very pleased with their services as well!
Excellent care but very expensive. They are quick to heap on charges. On the other hand, this is a place run by animal lovers willing to take on tough cases. As emergency care goes, they have done a great job with both my cats. For routine care, I transferred to a less expensive vet.
No transparency. $160 for consultation. No prices over the phone.
Great experience all around. The staff is very helpful and friendly and the final bill was lower than the estimate, which was already way lower than the other emergency animal hospital.
My experience was nothing but positive
Don't expect help from them. Got hung up on, because my wife was panicking over our pet having a sudden and severe respiratory complication.
I unfortunately drove half an hour to this clinic because I thought they were knowledgable and professional. I was wrong. Once I got there I waited with my dog for an hour and a half (yes an hour and a half at an emergency vet clinic) to see anyone. No vitals taken, didn’t even see the vet yet, absolutely nothing. Eventually, I had to find a random tech and tell them that I’ve been waiting for so long that if I don’t see the vet asap I’ll be walking out. 10min passed by and I was told that not only would it be another 30min but they wanted to inject my dog with a sedative to “calm him down” because he was excited. Insane. I’ve been to many vets and this kind of abomination has never happened to me. I simply walked out and make sure they knew I wouldn’t be paying a single dollar for them doing nothing but wasting me and my dog’s time. They do not care for your pet and their rates are outrageous for the poor service. Do not take your pets here for any reason.
Thanks to the staff last night without their loving care it would have been harder for me to let my dog go. You girls are the best❤️
Terrible. As a wildlife rehabber I was desperate to find help on a Sunday for some injured animals. The receptionist told me to “drop my attitude” or she would call the police. I’m 60 years old....
I brought my dog into Central because she had kennel cough when we purchased her. She was immune to the medication because of the severe infection she had and was also battling three other parasites in her intestines. Her condition quickly turned into a pneumonia and we were unsure if our little dog was going to make it. The doctors at Central kept her for two nights and were able to figure out the exact type of bacteria causing the pneumonia and prescribe her stronger medication. They helped our little girl survive! We will be forever grateful for their help. I was a pain and called frequently to check on my puppy and the doctors never got annoyed and would also have an update for me on how she was doing. It is also a 24 hour clinic so even if you call at 3am someone will answer. They even let us visit our dog (even though we couldn't touch her during her treatment) They are expensive (in my opinion) and a deposit of the minimum charge is due up front - that is my only negative feeling towards them because it is quite expensive (for us it was a little over $2000). This may be difficult for a lot of people to be able to do as it was almost our entire savings account (fortunately we had). Despite the fees, I would still recommend them to others. I wish they would come up with a better payment plan though!
I brought my cat for an ultrasound. The vet tech, a tall guy with gray hair (sorry I cannot remember name) was very pleasant. They kept my boy relaxed with Feliway. Was in and out in 45 min. They sent the images to my regular vet almost immediately after.
They are caring and supportive when you pet is in distress.
Yet another wonderful experience at Central. Last month one of my rescues was having some terrible health issues. When I heard about it from her adopters I decided to take her to one of my vets. Poor Layla was dying from IMHA. My vet told me to rush her to an emergency hosp. Of course I chose Central. Layla had a temp of 93 and a 3% red blood cell count. Dr Celeste Wells was the attending doctor. I cannot thank her and the staff enough. They take into account the costs and do what they can to keep costs down. Veterinary medicine is expensive but Dr Wells did what she could to keep up to date on Layla's progress and keep track of costs. IMHA is a disease that can rear its head again but at this time Layla is doing well and her red blood cell count is normal. I would never go to another ER hospital for my pets.
Professional, caring staff.
I can not express how wonderful this place is... Very friendly and they really care they are not trying to "run up" the bill like most emergency vets(aka cheshire) Worth the extra drive...
They are very patient with my super hyper lovey dovey 70lb staffie so kudos to them. We've had to take her twice and each time the wait is pretty decent. Didn't always have the meds we needed on hand or they'd get 5 stars.
Although expensive (like any emergency medical help will be, especially for pets) the staff made what was already a very stressful night, as comfortable as it could have been. Everyone from the front desk to the doctor was exceptional with me and my dog. They made sure to be thorough without adding on unnecessary exams and spoke with me every step of the way. I felt involved in the plan of care and that my dog was taken care of when they kept him over night. Very good experience.
I will not be back here after the staff discharged my cat in a carrier full of urine, then refused to clean her because she was "too dangerous and might injure the staff." I was then offered waterless shampoo and asked if I wanted to clean her myself. My cat was still lethargic from dental surgery, and they already knew her temperment before surgery. As a former employee I was shocked at this service and breach of protocol, especially after being a loyal client for years after employment.
Very inefficient, was here to get ultrasound, waited for hours to be told tech would not be in for several hours, they have to admit just for images, could of disclosed this during initial intake, just like most vets continously adding more and more, same old story like a car dealership mixed with furniture store.
I'd take my dog to hell before I'd take him to Central. They don't care about your pets. They only care about getting as much cash as they can suck out of a pet owner. Had to take my mom's dog their once. They told us it wasn't worth the $800 for them to admit her simply for observation. Then, as we tried to fund our options we harassed not once, not twice but THREE times "have you made a decision yet"? Seriously, all within 15 minutes. Proof they don't care about the pets. Only the money. I had to take my dog there once and had to sign a paper that said if I didn't pay my bill; they would assume ownership of my dog. Wish there was a rating less than 1 star.
Very unhappy experience where my poor sick dog and I waited for a long time, only to be told they were too busy and pushed us to go to their other facility (so they'd still get our money) in Guilford (!) instead of a more local alternative. Of course we did not do that. They had already shown that they didn't care about my sweet girl, just money. My dog couldn't have gone for a long car ride in her condition but they showed no interest in helping us. By the way, we went Cheshire Veterinary Hospital and they were great. I will never go to a Central again. Never.
Insensitive staff. They took my guinea pig back for vitals and I waited an hour. After not knowing anything for an hour, I went up to the front desk and asked if she knew if my guinea pig was ok and how I was worried that he was alone. She replied with, “how would I know, I’m clearly up here?” She didn’t even offer to check on him. Don’t need attitude when I’m very fragile. I found the vet to be very insensitive as well. I was in shock and denial and just happened to say “no I can’t do it” when speaking of putting him to sleep. She went on to aggressively lecture me about what would happen to him if I did nothing. She watched me sobbed and continued to say awful things. Obviously, I was going to do what was best for him, I was just in denial at the moment. I just would have really appreciated compassionate people during this traumatizing event.
A truly awful experience. My cat had a urinary blockage, and on Christmas ever at 11 P.M. was the only place open. What cost me around $350 at my regular vet they priced out between $2400 and $2800 (they give you low end and high end estimates) and demanded to be paid 2400 before helping my cat. A truly awful experience, when asked what can be done to lower the cost, the said nopt all people can afford pets and raised the issue of putting him down. When they have you stuck, they are quick to heap on fees and insanity. Use only in overwhelming emergencies.
They don't even deserve the star I had to give to rate them. $3000.00 for xrays which were inproperly read, and a bogus diagnosis. Obviously they overlooked the fact that I was wearing scrubs and had some clue to the human medical field. Then they dosed up my LAB so he would have to stay the night, wrong!! We sheet lifted him into the car and up the stairs till my regular vet could see him.
The most compassionate and empathetic staff.
I called there regarding my male bunny getting neutered. He is normally a sweet rabbit but after he showed repeated aggression I decided to explore pricing options for getting him fixed. When they picked up the phone the receptionist was not very nice to begin with. I asked her how much it would be neuter a male rabbit and she told me that I wouldn't even be able to find that out until I paid a $160 consultation fee. Seemed like too much money to go here for your pet. If that's how much they charge for a 10 pound bunny I can't imagine what they charge for other even larger animals.
My pug had major surgery on Saturday and was released Sunday. Had issues tried calling them on Monday and had no return call. On Friday my dog developed complications and we rushed her in to er. The doctors who performed surgery was away and no one else available. Unfortunately for our family we had to put her down that night less than a week after surgery. Hospital did nothing to treat her for any complications except give us a crazy bill then tell us that would be the cost. No after surgical care unless you pay. Never ever taking another pet to central again.
Had an emergency yesterday with our new baby. We are in the wallingford area so unfortunately we went to the closest place which happens to be Central Hospital in North Haven. We will never go to this emergency service facility again. First they took my baby away from me and brought him God knows where. The girl at the desk asks if it is necessary to give pain meds is that ok??? I said yes, if he needs them, of course. Dr H. A was the person we saw..... after they already dosed my baby with hydro morphine ....... then decided to ask me what happened . She has zero bedside manner and seemed to not have a clue, she never did any tests to see what was going on and they dosed him before we even had a chance to tell her. she went right to the charges all she cared about was tallying up ridiculous charges for my baby to stay overnight and be monitored .After agreeing to leave him for a few hours I called back twice the first time I got the vet tech who said he seemed a little perkier and that she was going to do another set of vitals . The second time ( which was 2 hrs later) the Dr got on the phone to tell me that he has not improved and that he should stay over night$$$$$ and then proceeded to tell me that the pain meds (which were obviously too much for my 5lb Pomeranian) were reversed . At this point I said I’m coming down. I took my baby out of there before they could either do more damage or kill him , and brought him to Pieper Olsen in Middletown. There the E.R. Dr was knowledgeable I was told not to give the antibiotic that central gave me as it was to much of a heavy hitter for a baby tooth being knocked out, Also the antacid they gave me, the dose was to high. I will never, and would never recommend this joke of an animal hospital to anyone. They obviously care nothing for the animals only for lining their pockets. P.S this place also happens to be the place my sister brought her cocker spaniel to in an emergency situation and they talked her into keeping him overnight so he could be monitored and he died in their care. Very bad experience would give zero stars if I could.
They killed my beloved boxer 10 year old Shelby by over medicating her and used her as some test project. When I brought Shelby in she he been at her vet earlier for a seizure she had been having seizures and was on medication for a few months... Don't trust them go some where else .. What they do when you bring your pet in as of course they know you are so distraught with worry they write up an estimate of treatment your pet my need can be in the thousands they just do ala carte ... They say "well she may not need all these but we put them in just in case " and your paying in advice for wgat you don't even know is accurate but you love your pet so your going to do whatever it takes ... I brought my love Shelby in she was alert and shaking but was alert they said they felt with a few medicines and rest she should be good ... So I stayed with her as long as I could and I will always remember what ended up being our last words I told her mama love and I'd be back for her .. She was so attached to me she just watched my every move if I could have slept with her right there and stayed I would have. I called through the night they said she was alert and resting comfortably .. I called first thing in the morning which was Easter Morning 2016 to see how she was they told me she was good alert and I could come pick her up . I was so excited and she also had her pup partner Sage who was raised with her as I got them both at the time so they were sissies and she knew and missed Shelby too ... So we get right up to this disgusting place and I'm excited waiting in the room they put us in and I just keep waiting for the sound of her paws walking down to the room ... Instead I hear two laughing young girls bringing my Love Shelby in on a gurney completely out of it and I just lost it I knew she was so medicated and and even when finally a vet women dr came in it was just cold this place is just cold .. As your grieving when you know you have to say goodbye as I was not expecting or prepared for it just killed me .. Then they come on to sell you packages on burial etc... All business .. All money ... I went to the counter to go over the estimated bill and they couldn't even tell me if they had done any of the items or what medicines and amounts because they over estimate to charge ... I told the girl at the desk off I told her they killed my dog with this bs medicines that they don't even know to trace who gave my pup what doses ???? Very unorganized very cold and they don't care about your loves at all... I intend on filing suit against them. And letting as many people know how corrupt they are and reporting them to the BBB as well. Don't use them I can't stress enough the horrid of leaving my pup awake and alert and they lied to me on each Of my calls telling me she was alert or resting well and then I could pick her up and she's wheeled out on a gurney ???? If this was a legit place they would have met with me when I brought my Shelby in got the information from her vet from earlier in the day did an evaluation and even if I had to leave her there if she was suffering and I had to make that decision I would have rather they be honest because unlike them I love my Pup and I would have never let then use her for an experimental project as they did. There is a place in Shelton as an emergency pet hospital go there. If you love your pet never go to this place.
Brought my German shepherd puppy in after he chased after a car and got hit on the side. They saw him immediately and luckily vet determined no injuries other than a sprain.they did not charge me ! Friendly staff
They only care about money wait for 3+ hours. Refuse to see you until they are sure they will be paid. Come in with an emergency but unless you have a high credit card you are seen last.they do nothing.money hungry people they do not care about animals
My elderly dog had an acute intestinal problem which I believe may have been life-threatening, and he was admitted on a weekend. Dr. Wells was careful, thoughtful and detailed in her explanation as to what was going on and she gave me clear information about his treatment plan and prognosis. She and others handled my emotional response to whatever risks he faced in a compassionate manner--which made me feel confidence and comfort about his treatment. The staff were helpful and responsive every time that I called to check in on him. When I went to pick him up, the staff were clearly connected to the needs of my dog, and they were helpful in explaining his follow up treatment plan. I know that the cost of pet hospitalization can be prohibitive and hard for many people to afford, but my experience at Central Hospital was wonderful and seemed to make the cost easily worthwhile. I am grateful and appreciative of the care and professionalism that they showed from admission to discharge. I highly recommend Central Hospital for any emergency care or specialized treatment.
Very kind staff and vet. Everyone's complaining about the cost but my dog was having some female problems and i got an appointment for the next morning and they got her right in. They diagnosed her and gave me instructions on what I needed to do. I paid $46. Also when I was in the waiting room a young couple ran in from out of the rain and said their car broke down. The staff was so nice. They gave them towels and brand new shirts and put their wet clothes in a dryer. The people weren't even spending money there but were helped by the staff as much as they could. Very impressed!
Such a waste of time and awful service. Please be aware for a doctor to see your pet, it’s $130 right off the bat. Paid $130 just for the doctor (who was extremely rude) to examine my dog for 5 minutes (I kid you not) only to tell me my dog needs rest. I waited to be seen for an hour and 30 mins. While my dog is crying in pain because of a torn ligament. I will never come here again.
Staff were nice enough, the vet was great and handled my terrified cat very well. Accurately diagnosed and treated.
I took my cat to the ER on Sunday. I spent over FOUR HOURS there. When they finally saw me sometime after midnight, they said they were unable to get a urine sample, and I was given an estimate for over $1000 for her to spend the night so they could try again in the morning. When I told them I didn't have a thousand dollars to spend they said I could take her home and try taking her to my regular vet in the morning. I was then handed a bill for $140 because "the doctor saw her". I got no medication, no diagnosis, not even an offer to reattempt a UA at any point if I brought her back there. What a supreme waste of time and money.
My husband and I brought our dog into the ER after he had escaped for 22 hours. We ended up finding him swimming at Branford Point. He was in shock, shaking, very nervous as expected, and exhausted. The two techs came to my car with a gurney but had no idea how to get him on. My friend and I ended up carrying him inside since they staff were pretty much useless. They asked us to put him on the gurney and we did. The same two techs asked us to make him lie down on it which I was not going to force him to do. He was still shaking and I asked for a blanket for him. One tech said they had blankets available then just stood there. I had to ask her to get a blanket for him since she did not get the hint the first time. I cannot fathom how these people were so inconsiderate of the situation. They did not know what to do with my dog even though we called 30 minutes prior telling them what happened and we were on our way. Although this duo was extremely incompetent, the vet was lovely and quite caring. She seemed genuinely concerned and was able to let us take our guy home within 30 minutes. The techs made my husband wait in the lobby another ten minutes to pay while my dog was in the car wanting to go home. We are disgusted at this unfortunate experience and those techs should be fired. We will NEVER go back.
My first few experiences with Central Hospital have been very positive. I have a healthy, young dog with some allergies and I've really only needed vaccines and some advice on reactions the dog has had, but I can say that Dr. McKay and her staff have always been very kind and friendly. On one visit, we had to wait 45 minutes past our appt time to be seen. They explained to me that they had a slew of emergencies that day that backed up their schedule. When we got into the exam room, they also realized that they were out of one of the vaccines that my dog needed. They ended up comp-ing the vaccine and most of the cost of the appointment. They called me a couple of days later when they got more of vaccine in and had me bring the dog by for the shot. So in response a couple of potentially annoying incidents, they were very nice about accommodating me and they actually ate the cost of some of the services. Dr. McKay is patient and seems to put a lot of care into the services she provides. I hope that I don't have to use them for anything more severe, but I do feel good about their practice from what I've seen.
Very clean, professional friendly staff who always listen. They explain everything to you. I had a great experience and would highly recommend this hospital for your animal.
I brought my guinea pig in this week through the Emergency Services when he suddenly seemed ill; unfortunately it turned out that he had a heart murmur and he was going into heart failure. I'm so sad that he didn't make it but I wanted to commend the doctor for her compassion, her clear explanation of what was happening, her willingness to talk through the options with me while I was beside myself with despair, and for letting me have time alone with him to say good-bye. Everyone from the waiting room staff to the nurses to that doctor were wonderful kind people and I knew my guinea pig was getting the best care he could possibly ask for. Thank you again.
Really mixed reviews on this place. So I had a rabbit who was having some trouble so I bring him in and pay the emergency $130. Everything is going well, although I'm kinda frustrated I'm paying that much. So my rabbit is taken and they take his vitals. Also at this time I'm put into a room and told to wait for a doctor. So the doctor comes in, asks what's going on, etc. and all is going fine. She then tells me she'll come back in a few minutes and tell me what's going on, what tests need to be run, if he'll need shots and whatnot. This is where I get annoyed. I wait in the room for 2 hours without anyone speaking to me, and as soon as I want to complain, I see the doctor and she tells me she'll be with me in a bit. 20 minutes later, she tells me they have diagnosed my animal and he needs a shot, medicine, etc. and she says someone will come in 5 minutes and show me hot to administer the medicine. Someone finally comes in, after 20 minutes, and I'm shown how to administer the medicine. Then when I'm checking out, I get charged over $100 for the medicine on top of the $130 for the visit. In the end, I'm not really mad about the price, but the fact that I was at the vet for over 3 hours for something that shouldn't of takes that long.
Horrible
Took are cat there and they gave him the wrong diagnosis and meds.we left him overnight brought him home just as sick as we left him told to keep giving him prednisone and he,ll improve.wrong! Next morning we rushed him to yalesville where they were wonderful saved are cat.saidto stop prednisone right away.hes doing great now.needless to say we were a bit irate about the 1,600 dollar bill.they say I can come in and talk about it but I'm sure i,ll just be bullied.i think i,ll have to leave it a lived learn experience.after having cancer I think it could be bad for my health .so I'm just warning people if you go there take all the money you have maybe even take out a mortgage.they really do only care about the money.
Another vet, lacking the equipment for it at their office, had ordered a chest echo for my cat. Since we couldn't get an appointment for it for six weeks, I brought her in as an emergency patient. Instead of telling me at the outset they wouldn't do this on an emergency basis, they took her away from me for two hours -- thanks a lot for stressing my already sick kitty, you monsters -- and charged me $230 for the pleasure. THEN they told me they wouldn't do the chest echo that day. They did nothing to help my pet. They did try to get me to spend more on tests that had already been done, and to hospitalize her despite that she is stable at home and obviously would rather be there. They only want your money here. They do not care about your pet. Reception staff were great. And all should go and work at a better hospital.
I brought my dog here last night because he swallowed a squeaker. I called beforehand for some info and they were very nice and helpful. They thoroughly explained all my options and started with inducing vomiting. No more than 20 minutes after taking him downstairs they successfully removed it. I was very pleased with how they handled him and also with the doctor who treated him. Overall, I had a great experience here and I would definitely recommend paying a visit here if necessary.
We took our dog there when he was having seizures due to low blood sugar. After a full examination, they discussed the cost of his treatment plan. I know many people don't like this, but sadly it's part of emergency vet medicine. We agreed to the plan, paid what we needed and our dog was admitted and treated. We were kept up to date on his progress, allowed to visit and our every call was answered by a friendly voice ready to assist us. This was a much better experience than we had a Shoreline years ago when our dog was attacked by another dog. They wouldn't even touch him until they had a $3000 deposit despite his serious injuries (deep lacerations and puncture wounds). I highly recommend Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine...it's run like a human hospital with efficiency, professionalism and kindness.
I took my sweet 17 yr old cat to Central Vet yesterday due to labored breathing. They immediately made him comfortable, did an exam and we discussed options. We had to put him to sleep and all my wishes were honored by the vet and her staff. I was sad to have to make this choice but thankful that he had a gentle passing. Thank you for taking all my concerns and desires for his passing into account and making it happen exactly as I requested.
This place is a joke. I had called there because it was the closest place to me that takes exotic animals. I called to get some advice from a VET. When someone at the desk picked up I kindly asked to speak to any available vet that sees exotic reptiles. They put me through with the X-ray tech who is NOT a vet but he was fluent in attitude. I asked about five times to speak to a vet and each time he kept giving me more and more attitude I hung up the phone and called Wilton animal hospital. I will not go here for anything ever your phone service is a joke so I didn't even want to see how they treated animals. If you can go to Wilton animal hospital they are cheaper and care more about the animal then the paycheck. The staff are very friendly and very educated.
I was surprised at some of the reviews when I looked the hospital up on the web. Our Pug has gotten nothing but the best of care from the Doctors and staff at this hospital over the last year when he fell ill with heart problems. Costs are high for all medical care, for human and for pets. Unfortunately, most of us do not have insurance for our pets and we do feel the brunt of the full cost for these services but that is not the fault of the hospital Drs and staff nor a reflection on the exceptional love and care the folks at Central Hospital have provided to our dog. I drive 40 mins to get to this hospital so it also has nothing to do with convenience, it is knowing he will get the attention he deserves as an important member of our family.
ONLY THING OF IMPORTANCE IS MONEY. VERY COLD AN UNCARING. ALSO MISDIAGNOSED MY ANIMAL WHEN THE INFECTION SHE ACTUALLY HAD WAS "PYOMETRA" INFECTION OF THE UTERUS WHICH IS FATAL. THANKS GLEN! YOU ENSURED I WILL NEVER GO TO CENTRAL HOSPITAL FOR HELP OF ANY KIND.
They were very kind and considerate about my questions. The staff was very pleasant.
We brought our dog here after he was attacked by another dog. They immediately took him in and had him seen by Dr. Dorbandt as he had a severe laceration near his eye. It was incredible, they had him stitched up and taken care of in a short amount of time. We were extremely upset and worried that his eye was damaged but luckily the doctor stitched his eyelid together perfectly and he's healed beautifully. The staff was very understanding as we called them with questions and concerns throughout the recovery process. Sometimes I get the feeling vets are so used to seeing animals injured/sick that they forget we aren't used to seeing our animals this way BUT the staff here was so compassionate and patient with us. We called probably half a million times and each time they talked to us and even allowed us to bring our dog in earlier to make sure everything was healing properly still. We are forever grateful to you all for your care and thank you again, Dr. Dorbandt for taking care of our best friend!
My experience in this hospital was horrible I went on Feb 28, 2019 I am the person who never make bad reviews. My partner and I call that night and spoke with the receptionist. First the said we can go and our wait list on the ER will be 2 hours because they were busy. We told them is ok we need to bring our little dog for a check up because he doesn't look OK. We went to the hospital nobody es in the parking it was like 4 cars. We In to the hospital and the receptionist of that night was rude to us. They ask if we really want to be there waiting because our little dog looks ok. They were not even a Dr. After that I ask them something about my insurance not even said nothing just this word. We dont work we the insurance we dont know. I said Ok and Thanks. After that they give me some paper work to fill dont even explain absolutely nothing about the papers I have to be asking. They explain me little rude but they do. I HAVE MORE TO SAID NO TIME TO POST EVERYTING IN HERE. BAD SERVICE BAD EXPERIENCE. NO MORE AGAIN HOPEFULLY I dont have to go no more to this hospital. THATS A REASON WHY I HAVE 1 STAR BAD SERVICE,BAD EXPERIENCE,BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I have been using Central Hospital for the last 6 years to care for my 2 cats and puppy. Shortly after bringing my oldest cat to them for the first time they diagnosed and treated a life threatening illness and literally saved my cats life. I have never hesitated to call our vet for advice and the staff has always been professional, respectful and compassionate. I constantly recommend the hospital to others and would never think twice about bringing any animal there.
Not a good experience with this hospital specially with the front desk clerk. They barely didn’t know how to answer my question to the point that it felt so uncomfortable even to talk to them. They were more worry of watching T.V and talking about there personal matters. Won’t go back to this hospital.
Brought my dog, Nala, in because she was not acting her normal happy self. Although the hospital was busy they did their best to let you know what was going on. The first vet who did her X-rays was very informative and explained things simply. Dr. Smith took care of her the next two days and was awesome as well. They give you a variety of options but explain why they think that is this. You know they care about animals and only do what is best for our little fur babies.
Good place especially because they're open 24 hours but RIDICULOUSLY priced at $130 per visit! However, my doctor referred me to a cheaper clinic to keep my kitten inpatient.
1. I did not like how they don’t let you in the room with your pet while they look at it. I’ve never dealt with that before. 2. I waited over an hour while my dog was getting looked at. This is without them doing anything serious such as blood work, or x-ray. 3. They didn’t seem to really care to find out what was wrong with my dog. They just put him on a bunch of meds, when they told me they don’t even know what is actually wrong with him. 4. This place is for emergencys I just figured I’d be taken care of when my dog needed it. I won’t be back
After a visit to Northford Vet Hosp for a spay consultation we were recommended to Central Vet for the procedure. We paid 100.00 for the initial consultation. We made the appt with Central Vet and after 20 minutes of discussing the virtues of laparoscopic surgery, we declined the 3,700.00 procedure. At that time we were promptly charged 170.00 for the consultation. The first issue is that Northford Vet is a part owner of the Central Vet. ??? He recommended we see the other Vet. Why should there have been a second consultation fee?? Why did he not advise us that there would be another consult fee???? Also, When we made the appt we were never told of a consultation fee and were never advised that the potential procedure would be that expensive. If so, We would have simply went with the standard spaying procedure. There are no signs in the office indicating such a fee. Anyway, we were scammed. I think this place is working in conjunction with Northford Vetinary hospital to generate as many fees as possible. I know as a contractor if I asked for a consultation fee people would never call me again. I suggest you do the same and not call Northford Vet or Central Vet.
All they care about is money not your pet
This is my second time bringing my dog here, and the staff are always great! They are a bit expensive, but they have helped us time and time again. Will always come back if there's another problem.
If your Pet needs specialized or routine care, this is the place to take them.24 hour service when you need it.Professional and Courteous service.
It is a Terrible place , There suck you dry when you are the most venerable My vet sent me there to remove a needle from my labs throat. The scopicle removal would be $ 2300.. If there can't do scopes the surgery will be a other $ 4000.00. Of course they couldn't remove it Scopic. But there charged the full $ 2300.00. There don't give my dog back until I come up with the $2300.00. Plus a couple hundred dollar consultation fee what is included in the price already. Do not go there. Unless you have thousands of dollars to Waste.
A little over a month ago I came in in the middle of the night to put my very ill dog down. When I arrived I was already crying and very heartbroken. The lady that I checked in with at the front desk was very compassionate and sensitive which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the girls that came outside to help bring in my dog (he’s a Rottweiler so he was pretty big) were extremely unprofessional. I wish I could have gotten their names but in the moment I was just so devastated and speechless with their behavior. To begin with, when the first girl asked me if my dog is friendly or aggressive, I told her that he is barely moving and can barely breathe so she doesn’t have to worry about him doing anything... she responded by laughing and saying “oh then that’s great!”. Um no, it is not great...that’s the reason why I am here in the first place!! I was in complete shock. Then, she and another girl came out to my car where I had 2 other family members crying and they were just talking, joking around and laughing as they picked up and wheeled in my dying dog.... everything about that day is still so vivid and breaks my heart and just remembering how those girls handled it makes it even worse. They had no compassion or respect for my family and my sick dog. It really saddens me that people like that are working in this field and don’t even know how to behave in sensitive situations like those.... fortunately, the actual vet that came in to the room to put down my dog was the most compassionate, sweet and consoling person there. She really made the process as easy as it could ever be. For her, 5 stars. For those girls, 0 stars.
Had to change my review of this place. Got there five minutes late for my 2:30 appointment for my chameleon. It took another five-ish minutes to get through the line then I was checked in and we heard the page “Dr. Shakeri your 2:30 appointment is here”. We waited until 3:10 and asked the front desk about our appointment. She told us that our “3:00 appointment was canceled because we weren’t there”. The appointment was at 2:30 and throughout the whole time waiting the front desk saw us and we were never asked who’ve we been waiting for or offered my chameleon a light source or anything. She kept repeating that our appointment was canceled and talked to everyone at the front desk but us for a good five more minutes. She also kept claiming she had just got there but her and her buddy arrived shortly after we checked in and saw us waiting for a good duration of the time. I finally asked just for his antibiotics. I was emailed that his medicine was ready for pickup at my convenience and then made a recheck appointment apart from that. She told me that I had to wait until tomorrow to get my medicine because we missed the appointment and it was canceled. It was then 3:30. I kept repeating that the medication was separate than the appointment until finally they “found” them. It’s now 3:43 and I wasted over an hour because “I wasn’t there”. Check your cameras. If us being five minutes late (10 including the line) was enough for our appointment to have been canceled and that was it I would not be so upset. But the fact that we heard the page, were told to wait, and then left an hour later never seeing the vet because we “weren’t there” is frankly ridiculous. It also should not have been a ten minute discussion of them not being able to give me my pets medication as it had nothing to do with the appointment. I was emailed specifically that I could pick up the meds on my convenience and then I made the appointment for a recheck. To be told that the meds were on a hold because I “missed my appointment” which, I was definitely there at 3 since we arrived half and hour before that, and I had to come back the next day reeked of incompetence. EDIT: I am very happy with how my situation was handled and I love my vet and vet tech, although the front desk people seem to be hit or miss.
Very caring people working there. Dr Dorbandt is a great vet who quite obviously is a compassionate person. I highly recommend them.
Horrible, horrible, horrible!!!!! Do NOT take your pet here! I brought my cat here for x-rays because he was uncomfortable lying on his side. One thing led to another and after 3 days and numerous probing, injections and tests costing $4,400 I had to take him home ten times worse than what I brought him in for. The only concern they had was my credit card number. Gave me pain killers for my cat and neglected to tell me that he would have trouble walking while taken them. Instructions stated that if he was walking wobbly to INCREASE his dosage. He could barely walk and I almost put him to sleep thinking he was getting worse every day, but it was the pain killers. As soon as I took him off the pain killers he was back to being his normal self. He has arthritis which I now treat with Coseguin and he is very comfortable and happy. No compassion at all!!
Care was excellent once they had their $6,100.00. My shepard turned his stomach on labor day around 7pm.we went to the hospital annd the low side was 6100, high of 8500, and money up front. We were told because it was a holiday, after hours the costs double.!.why, if my guilford vet is closed and you are a hospital offering 24hr emergency care why the double charge? If i went to Yale in sunday they don't charge double???? I've been a customer of the hospital since 1980, a customer of guilford veteran clinic since 1980, doesn't that count for anything? Apparently not. Care was exceptional, thats not my complaints. I'm complaining of funds upfront before any care is done otherwise leave. AND PERIOD of affiliation counts for nothing.
I have to take a moment and thank all the wonderful vets and staff at Central. Dr. Harley, thank you for always being there, understanding the true need, responding to my emails, being honest with the health of my dog and costs. You truly care and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. Today, I became even closer to Central when I spoke to Dr. MacDonald. I didn't have to explain anything about my Frenchie and his issues. She understood everything because her French/English has the exact same problems with kidney's. The understanding and compassion of knowing what you're going through with a sick dog, couldn't of been anymore genuine today. As we discussed both of our bulldogs health, we both began to cry and I found myself giving her a hug. Although it is so sad to see our babies go through suffering, she made a great point today. She told me that the life span could be 4 years or 9 years but the quality of life is what matters most. I couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for everything and for understanding. My heart goes out to all of you and may you all be blessed. My experience at Central gets better every time I go. Thumbs up to you all! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I had to bring my much loved dog here twice in one year, first time bc of a bladder blockage and the second time bc he ate a rug, yes ate a rug. I was very upset bc for 48 hours all he did was whine and throw up everywhere. I brought him in and now he is recovering at home and doing much better. I have two words of advice if you have a large breed dog or a bully breed...get pet insurance and go to central if something happens. No matter where you go, having a pet is expensive, but my dog was in good hands...thank you Dr. Taylor, Nicole and the other important members of the team who took very good care of my baby Diesel!
I take my dog to Veterinarian Associates of Derby. He's an excellent, very caring vet. I love DVM Jeffrey Schpero. My Beagle Riley and I are always grateful for his very professional TLC. My beagle is very sick and he sent her to Central Animal Hospital, I had been there once before. The people who work their give your pet human grade care, yes it's expensive but it's the best. My Vet, Dr Schpero was recommended to me by Dr. Laurel Lobovits a human doctor. Dr Schpero operated on my Riley and I'm grateful. Riley's doing well. She's an old lady beagle and needs lots of TLC. Their New Building is so impressive. They have 90+ employees, who take awesome care of your pet. They really monitor and care for your animals at night. Midnight or 12 noon your pets get professional attentive care. They take security very seriously, you need to pass through two doors, no animal will ever accidentally be let out. They have a lovely kids area and free coffee, plus food machines just like a real hospital. I was very impressed with the professional care my little sweetheart received. I have lots of pictures to post. I need to go visit my baby, she's still a patient. Please keep my sweetie beagle in your prayers and pray for all the animals locked in cages being experimented on. My beagles lucky she had a life worth living.
Thanks to the staff and especially Dr Kennedy. Showed compassion and respect in our dog’s last hours. Cannot thank them enough for allowing us time to grieve and showing they care.
Poor communication around timing which is especially disappointing when the possible diagnosis is cancer. At 10:45 am after an ultrasound I was told that the results will be sent right over to my vet and if I hadn't heard from my local vet by 1pm to call them to get the results. At 1:15 I called and my vet had not received results. I called Central and they said that the doctor is busy and hasn't sent out any reports yet. Understandable but please don't provide a timeline that won't be adhered to when people are waiting to hear if their pet may have cancer.
Cant express how thankful I am for everyone who saw andd took care of my dog today. My Italian Greyhound had shots today and had an allergic reaction. I brought her in and they fixed her right up. They were so sweet and concerned and did everything they could to not only help her but put me at ease as well. I really appreciate the care, time, and attention you gave my sweet girl.
I just picked up my dog Luck's ashes today, he passed last week. The staff at Central were beyond great, from when I was greeted coming in, to the doctors that stayed with me when he took his last breath. They have the compassion for animals and it shows. I highly recommend Central Animal Hospital for emergency or just your regular vet.