We have 1 dog and 2 cats that use RVAC. We have been happy with overall service, and the last two weeks one of our cats became ill and had to be put to sleep. They were helpful and understanding throughout. I worked with three vet techs and two vets and would rec all of them. This is an update of my previous review and it seems the front desk issues have been completely solved by the current staff. read more

I love this place for my dog. They are always responsive and very easy to make appointments for emergency visits. My dog was attacked by a coyote and they handled a stressful situation perfectly. They are compassionate and always have time to listen to questions and concerns. The facility is beautiful. Always clean and well-appointed. Vets and technicians are great read more

My friend and I brought our dog Rocky to this vet for care over the past few years and was pleased with the service. He started to have issues of frequent diarrhea over a period of 1 year and every test was given to him to find out the cause including allergy testing, bloodwork, stool samples, etc. He had a pink growth on his elbow which was growing and we asked Dr. Sachdev if it could be removed and he said yes as it may be the cause of his frequent diarrhea. He stated that it could be a mast cell tumor that causes Gastroenterology issues such as frequent diarrhea because they release histamines. The surgery was done and I submitted the bill to my pet insurance as they stated they would cover Rocky's bills for frequent diarrhea for his lifespan at 90% reimbursement for the costs I paid to the vet. I only received about a 30% reimbursement from the pet insurance and that was only due to meeting the deductible. I was told this was because there was no mention in the vet's office notes of the tumor being removed due to ruling out the cause of frequent diarrhea. They would need Dr. Sachdev to call them and explain this or he could also write a letter to this regard which would result in me being reimbursed the full 90% that I was due. I told Dr. Sachdev that this was needed and gave him the number to call and the email to write to. He said he would do so but didn't. I called the office several times, and left text messages on his phone to no avail. When I called my pet insurer to inform of the vet's disregard of my messages, I was told the vet tech could also call or write to justify that the surgery was to address Rocky's issue of frequent diarrhea. I called and left messages for her as well, and my calls were not returned. This occurred over several months. My friend who coparents Rocky with me brought him to see Dr. Sachdev to try and get him to call my pet insurance company while she there. She waited 2 hrs to see him and he said he wanted to do bloodwork, this was not the plan, but she agreed. Results showed that his labs were back to normal and at that point he no longer had issues with diarrhea. It appeared that removal of the growth/tumor had solved the issue. It was not a mast cell as believed, but that was irrelevant. The removal solved the issue. He said he would inform the pet insurance company, but again he did not. I pay high monthly fees for my pet insurance and getting reimbursed when I am eligible is important. Veterinary notes are necessary for claims to be reviewed, but at times they also need to hear from the vet as in this case. A simple 5 minute call or letter would've provided me with the funds I was due, but instead I was met with a complete disregard of my concerns, and requests for help from a vet and his vet tech who I formerly trusted and respected. For these reasons, I do not recommend Dr. Mohan Sachdev or his veterinary technician Cindy. I read more

I really love this hospital. I never had a problem with them. They are very compassionate and understanding. I don't know what people are talking about. The prices like anywhere else are high but, they will work with you, and their front desk staff are amazing as well. read more

RIDICULOUSLY high prices. rude front desk people and vet does not listen. We really like the woman who use to treat our pet. She left.

Run as fast as you can away from this place. Last week they kept my outdoor cat alive after being hit by a car. The police brought him into river valley the night before I was able to contact them. When I arrived that next morning, the cat had no use of his lower half, he had basically been cut in half. They gave him antibiotics and thankfully pain killers to get him through the night. Obviously I had him put down immediately. $500 later! Why did they not put him down immediately??? So humane. I will never bring an animal here. All they care about is money! read more

I have 2 dogs that have been patients here since they were babies. Doc and his staff have always taken the best care possible of my pups. They are attentive and always respond quickly to my concerns. I know they are in the best hands when they are sick or hurt. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my boys! read more

I have an older dog that can be a bit "set in her ways". She loves people, and has no problem with being poked and prodded during exams, but when it comes to getting her nails done, she can turn into 45 lbs. of pure "Not gonna happen!" fury ....... Our first visit there I was nervous for her, but both the Vet and Vet tech could not have been better! I could tell she was a bit nervous when they got to her nails, but laid down and even wagged her tail while it was going on. We have an appointment today for just her nails with a groomer there. read more

I have three Labrador puppies. They were new patients and I have been there three times. Every time I am there I am placed in the exam room quickly with my puppies. We end up sitting there no less than 40 minutes before a vet even comes in. This last time I was there 45 minutes and no show by the vet. We ended up leaving and never seeing anyone. Stopped by receptionist and asked for my puppy records so I can take them to a new vet. Those I got quick. It's a shame because the vet is very knowledgeable about labs. The place is pricy but that did not bother me as long as my puppies were taken care of. read more

Being a huge dog lover I believed that River Valley was the best place for my beautiful pups. At first, I recommended this place to everyone. I'm not to sure what has happened there, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I won't bore you with my story but when you get the results of your dogs tests results saying she has cancer, via text message, you really know how important you and your pup are to this vet. He has yet to reach out to us. My beautiful girl passed away 2 weeks later. Stay away....... read more

Did not care about my dog only in running up the bill very rude receptionist in the end after spending alot of money still had the same problem if I could leave no star I would read more

My first visit to this facility was very positive, however after my dog was seen for a specific issue it was a disappointing experience to say the least!!! After leaving several messages for the Vet, regarding my dogs on-going issue, I never received a return call. The lack of regard and compassion for my dog is astounding. He has now been seen by an excellent practitioner, and it turns out he has a tumor (could be cancerous) and will be going for further treatment. Clearly the care and well-being of my dog held no importance to this practice. If your animal needs compassionate care I would go elsewhere. read more

I'll start off by saying over the past few months my experiences have gone down hill here. I started bringing my puppy here in November 2020 and was very pleased (though I had nothing to compare it to). First, the facility is filthy. I am not sure if they are currently short staffed but in recent months it is visibly dirty when you enter the visit rooms. Second, the staff whom answers the phone is extremely rude. Absolutely zero compassion or bedside manners when talking to customers. I had one experience when I was trying to book my dogs neuter. The girl was so rude I questioned why I would ever leave my animal here alone with someone who was so careless on the phone. I believe her name was Abby? I was so disgusted I wanted to tell my vet about the experience but I let it go. My most recent experience really put me over the edge. I will give credit and say that I have brought my puppy here a number of times and they have squeezed me in with last minute appointments, and I appreciate that. Not this week when it was most important. My puppy came down with kennel cough and started choking and vomiting on a Saturday night. Obviously most vets aren't open on Sunday with exception to an Animal hospital where you pay a premium to walk in the door and could experience up to an 8hr wait. I called the Animal hospital for advice and given the wait and severity of KC they recommended waiting for my vet to open Monday. After not sleeping for 2 days I was eager for 8am to call River Valley to see if they had an emergency appt I could bring my puppy in for. At this point it's been 36 hours of hacking, crying and vomiting mucus. It was extremely sad to watch. I called River Valley and spoke with a girl named Jessica. I am not sure if this is front desk, a technician or Dr. Jessica Kaleta (which would be REALLY disappointing) but regardless the girl I spoke to couldn't have been more unprofessional. This is not uncommon when calling River Valley, generally the staff who picks up the phone is quite short, un empathetic and sound fairly miserable. Anyways, I was basically told there were no emergency appts for Monday and likely even Tuesday, they were completely booked and couldn't squeeze in any emergency appointments. I questioned how they couldn't squeeze in an EMERGENCY considering I let my puppy suffer all day Sunday to give him a chance to see his own Vet. I was rudely in a very sarcastic manner to not wait for them and to just bring him to the Animal hospital. Sorry, why do I even have a vet if I should just rely on an Animal hospital? I understand there could be staffing issues or they simply could not make the scheduling work but I emphasized EMERGENCY. The way I was spoken to set me over the edge, and for that I will not be returning. There is clearly no care, compassion or bed side manners at this facility. I am disgusted with the attitude that I was given and the lack of care Jessica had for a sick puppy. With that attitude she shouldn't even be working with animals. Again, I have had good experiences at River Valley but this is the straw that broke the camels back. I am not going to be talked to like I am an idiot, or treated like they don't care to bother to see my puppy in emergency. read more

Similar to what others have said, was that the quality of the service and experience has gone significantly downhill since we started bringing our dog here in 2018. We added a new puppy to our family in 2020 and the experience with River Valley unfortunately has not been good. I agree with a prior comment that the facility is not clean... I wasn't comfortable having our pup walk around the exam room while waiting for the MD because there was wet and dry spots of urine all over the floor!! Furthermore, after this past Friday, where the Vet misdiagnosed our pup with gastrointestinal issues (he had a history from last year and it's what we thought but we aren't professionals) and sent him home with a "potential blockage" that they hoped would clear on it's own, after 2 sets of x-rays and induced vomiting - this was 9AM. By 6:15PM, our pup was NOT doing well and in clear distress (he had been sleeping all day following the vet visit and when he woke up it wasn't good) and we called River Valley. They are supposed to close at 6:30. Nope they were closed already, the VM said we could leave a VM for the vet or text in case of emergency, but neither were responded to until SUNDAY afternoon. That being said, we were able to find an emergency vet in Avon (they were amazing) and following more x-rays and an overnight stay, our pup was diagnosed with mild IVDD, therefore back issues. As is, River Valley already messed up sending us home with a "potential blockage" but they didn't do a full body exam when we brought him in that morning; had they done the actual physical exam, they would have found our pup had back pain - as he had extreme pain with minimal pressure around his hips. Bottom line, we paid $537 for a wrong diagnosis, which resulted in an overnight ER type visit, (resulting in an additional $1300). We thank god that Avon Emergency Vet had capacity and treated our pup with the best care and concern and gave us a proper diagnosis. But we will not be back to River Valley. We have already found a new vet and will be visiting them shortly. read more

If you love your pet, please consider another vet.... Our dog had been treated at River Valley since 2019 and at first I really liked them. However, after my last experience you should strongly reconsider taking your pets there and look for alternative options. In June at our yearly visit, I raised concerns about changes in my senior dog. He was panting a lot more, drooling, more lethargic, seemed more anxious and had a lack of energy. The concerns were chalked up to not being serious and aging. In early July, we received a call that in his stool sample, there were trace amounts of Giardia. I told the Vet he had no symptoms of this parasite, but I still treated him based on the Vet's advice and being told that us humans could contract this. I have doubts he even had Giardia. About 2 weeks after treatment for Giardia, our boy had a bad skin reaction to something, but also the issues raised at his checkup in June were progressing. I brought my dog back to River Valley for an exam again as I had concerns over not only the allergic reaction, but panting/drooling excessively, no energy or interest in fun activities any longer and him seeming more anxious. I was told it is probably from the allergies, he probably has nausea and nervousness from all the thunderstorms that had been happening. A Senior dog blood panel was done at my request because I really felt there was something else wrong with him and was hoping this blood panel would show whatever it was. Our boy was treated for allergies and nausea with multiple prescriptions plus an allergy shot. A few days later I received a text message with a photo of his blood results with a message saying "Blood results normal". A text! After paying $280.00 for blood work. I found that very unprofessional. I emailed RV asking them for a copy of the blood results so I could print them out and a copy of my June 2023 bill for my records. I received my June 2022 bill (not 2023) and they did not forward the blood results as requested. 2 weeks later our sweet boy developed a bad cough. We took him to a different vet as I had doubts about RV's competence at this stage, who right away based on the panting/drooling, loss of energy and lethargy, listened to his lungs and did a chest X-Ray. River Valley did neither of those things. I found out my boy had a softball sized tumor pressing on his lungs and esophagus. The panting/drooling, being lethargic and no interest in anything was due to reduced lung capacity and being uncomfortable. The new vet prescribed some meds that made him comfortable however, 2 days ago (2 weeks after the correct diagnosis) we decided to euthanize my sweet boy. I will never try to persuade anyone on who to take their pets to, this is just my experience. However if you love your pet and want them treated correctly, seek a different facility. I wish I had. read more

I think this place tells every cat owner that their cat is in kidney failure. Our cat was attacked by a wild animal. We took it here for an emergency appointment hoping to get x-rays and to see if there were any wounds (internal or external). $1600 later, the vet says the cat is in kidney failure. (He had already told us that in March - after $600 in tests.) I don't think they ever did the x-rays even though they charged us for them. We asked to see them, and were told we would have to make an appointment to come back to speak to the vet. This is the worst part: After 5 days of our cat not walking, eating or drinking - we made the unfortunate decision to euthanize our 16 year old cat. While in the office, they gave her the 1st shot to tranquilize her. I was holding her in my arms as she was taking her last breath, and the receptionist came in and said I had to pay $572.21 at that very moment! Seriously? I had to put my cat down to go get my credit card!!! This place used to be good, but not anymore. read more

Terrible front end service. I have been going to this vet since they opened a few years ago but I surely will not be going back. Front end staff are incredibly rude! When I have needed to call the vet they either answer and hang up or they just keep phone off of the hook. The vet and techs are good but like I said the front end staff are pretty unwelcoming and always trying to rack up an already expensive bill. I definitely don't recommend this place. read more

We decide to switch Vets due to our Vet closing. We had a negative experience overall. The front desk was inconsiderate and dismissive. Then we waited in the room for 30 min for the doctor. She was ok, kinda fake and disingenuous. At check out we were charged for both a regular wellness exam and senior wellness exam. Overall we were charged over $475.00. Outrageous and we feel like we were completely taken advantage of. I also had to call the office for a refill and the staff was condescending and unpleasant. I am in customer service and that's not how you treat people. We will not return. read more

We recently switched to this vet as we have two new puppies. We were with our former vet for 35 yrs but this facility is closer to home. Although there is nothing negative about the care we receive, We are on the fence about continuing to go there. The pros here are that this place is top of the line, high end. Every piece of equipment they need to treat your pet etc. It has everything. The vets are great, they, board, groom etc. Some major cons are that the pricing is ridiculously high. I did expect them to be a bit more than I was used to at my old vet but not as high as we wound up paying. They also seem to push high end flea and heartworm meds when you go. Never discussed lower priced options. The quote they gave for spaying was 3x higher than where we are actually getting them spayed. They also charge almost a full office visit just for booster shots. Also was incorrectly charged for a full wellness exam for a booster shot visit and no one could fix it. Still waiting for the office manager to call about that. Bottom line is, it's a beautiful facility with good vets etc but there are quite a few other more reasonably priced vets around this area. Oh and yes, there is one receptionist on the front desk who isn't the most personable individual I've ever dealt with. Not a deal breaker but at these prices might add to my decision to find somewhere else to go. read more

I can not say enough good things about the practice. Recently I have had pets with emergency issues as the cats and dogs are getting older. They have been rushed in and treated with great care and judgement as to what was wrong.The staff is knowledgable,compasionate and always professional and happy to help. read more

We've taken our cat to this vet on several occasions over the past few years. The vet told us that cats almost never get urinary infections and took an X-ray to see if she had kidney stones. He attempted to aspirate (get a sample) from her bladder and was unsuccessful. She was peeing outside of her little box and in small quantitative, and looked uncomfortable, had a decreased appetite and was staying off by herself. We brought her to CT veterinarian clinic in West Hartford, who prescribed antibiotics based on her history. She improved. We live in suffield and went back to River Valley on 5-6 times for the same issues. The vet insisted that they weren't infections and that she was dehydrated and had kidney disease. He gave her fluids and sent us on our way. She began peeing blood and howling when she peed- we have her the left over antibiotics from the West Hartford vet and she got better, again. We changed vets and lost trust in River Vally. We had her 14 year old visit and her bloodwork is normal- her kidneys are normal. I'm so frustrated that we trusted the vet and our poor cat suffered several times for long durations as he arrogantly and adamantly said she did not have a urinary infection. Driving 30+ minutes to a vet isn't the most pleasant experience with a cat who despises a car ride, but worth it to her health. I have this vet several chances and am disappointed in the care. read more

This has got to be the worst place we've ever gone to... don't waste your time or your money!

I have been bringing my dogs here ever since they first opened. Usually have a great experience, however lately we are greeted by the rudest receptionist there. Shes an older woman and frankly shes been a capital B each time we have to bring one of the dogs in. Maybe retrain her and have the younger girls teach her customer service or hire someone else. If she continues to work here without proper training, I will be taking my dogs to a different vet. read more

Awful experience. I just moved to the area and decided to take my 1 year old standard poodle to River Valley animal center. What a mistake! My dog was in for a wellness exam, nothing too concerning, however I asked the doctor to check 2 swelled tick bites on my dog's stomach. The Dr. had me hold my dog on his back legs while he stooped down, looked briefly without touching or parting his thick, black fur to properly see the tick bites, stood up and said, "he's fine". My concern was completely brushed off, and the doctor did not take any care. He also suggested using a Seresto collar, the only product the vet has on display for sale in the reception area, a product that has been recalled due to it causing extensive seizures in dogs. If you are looking for a vet that takes time to listen to your concerns, checks your dog out with care and researches safe products, go someplace else. River Valley Animal Center only wants your money and does not care about you or your dog. read more

Our initial ecperience was positive with our 2 dogs but has been negative the last 6 months. Every time I call I am put on hold(understaffed). Buying meds directly from the Vet are 2x-3x more expensive than buying from Costco. They schedule 8:00 am appts but have team meetings at that time so waste time being there until meetings are done . This is lack of appreciation of their clients time. Do not schedule your dog appointment with the director. The assistant director is more engaging. The business is strictly set up to generate revenue ,, not a balance of revenue and service. read more

Found this vet on accident last year during the pandemic, no one was taking new patients and we needed a vet for an issue that our holistic vet could not take care of. All of our animals have since become patients here. Anytime I call with something that is a borderline emergency they tell me to come right in. Sure there is a wait...but much shorter than the wait at an emergency vet. I have always had pleasant interactions with the front end people. Vets have always been very helpful, knowledgeable, and have kept me in the loop with everything. read more

We've had negative experiences here overall, specifically with them running unnecessary tests to run the bill up on multiple occasions. From removing non harmful skin tags to requesting bloodwork and MRIs when a dog has cancer, as the mass was seen on X-rays. I understand it wasn't confirmed but it's their professional duty to tell the truth and give ETHICAL advice prior to running multiple tests for an answer that is already apparent (and if it wasn't apparent that's also a problem). We paid for a second opinion (their suggestion) and no one called us-we had to call them. When you have a sick animal you NEED someone to tell you it's time to put this animal down, not someone telling you it's advisable to give an elderly dog a $3000 spleen removal surgery only to find out it's cancer in the end. Thankfully we didn't listen to this 'advice' and we put our dog down sparing her pain and suffering of going through a surgery like that at an old age. I could honestly go on and on, but this place should be avoided. They care about money, not animals and that's clear. read more