Riverside Animal Hospital North

Reviews 4

SA

Sarah Ray

I brought my pets in to see Dr. East in April because I was worried that they had bladder infections. She was friendly and very informative, although condescending in her tone at times-- I may not be a doctor, but Im also not a 5-year-old. I was concerned that the amount of expensive testing that she wanted to perform seemed a bit excessive to do right off the bat. My conversations with 3 other vets confirmed this notion, but I went ahead and did it anyway out of concern for my pets. After the testing, Dr. East prescribed them both a lifelong prescription diet for urinary health, and recommended a few other affordable brands. I put them on one of the affordable brands and their health improved dramatically-- no further issues whatsoever and my pets are now happier than I have ever seen them. This alone could (and would) have earned Dr. East and Riverside 5 stars. I since moved much further away from Riverside Animal Hospital and needed to replenish my pets food supply. It is a really hard brand to come by in NYC, but I was able to find it online... they merely required an updated prescription containing the affordable brand name that I had ended up going with over the expensive ones. Dr. East point blank REFUSED to fill it, requesting that I bring both my pets back for even more testing to confirm their improved health... despite having already written the more expensive prescriptions for their "lifelong" diet and despite their drastic, marked improvement. I told her that I simply couldnt rationalize transporting my very skittish pets an hour away (especially after Dr. East had also diagnosed one of them with a HEART MURMUR), when all I was requesting was a simple switch between brands of the food that SHE HAD ALREADY PRESCRIBED. She more or less implied that I was being negligent and was encouraging her to be irresponsible. Now, I am left with absolutely no means of getting my pets the food that they need to keep them healthy, unless I am able to get an emergency appointment with another vet for more expensive testing or unless I suddenly switch them to the more expensive prescription food, or worse, to a non-prescription brand because thats all that is available. THE HEALTH OF MY PETS SHOULD NOT BE THREATENED OR COMPROMISED BECAUSE RIVERSIDE ANIMAL HOSPITAL WANTS TO MAKE A PROFIT. MY PETS SHOULD NOT BE PUNISHED BECAUSE DR. EAST DIDNT LIKE THAT I CHALLENGED HER. Makes me wonder if the same code of ethics "First do no harm" applies to vets... apparently not to Dr. East.

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A

A Private User

This place is terrible. Ive known it for about 10 years. I agree with the others on their policy of giving you all kinds of unnecessary tests and expenses. But the true scheme is to NOT tell you completely how to care for your animal during its recovery. They want to make sure your pet has to come back! Our first bad experience there was about 5 years ago when theyre not telling us how to care for the cast they put on our dog, resulted in an infection. They had told us to keep the cast dry when we bathed him, which we did. Then when we came in when 2nd problem developed, they said we were supposed to have cleaned the cast. Tho they didnt tell us that, and it would have been contradictory to what they did tell us. This resulted in an unnecessary surgery for our poor dog! After that, we didnt use them for years, even though they are right next door to where we live. Then I picked up a stray kitten that needed help and went there due to its emergency need, for an initial checkup. Once again, I got terrible service. Waited nearly an hour for the doctor even tho I had an appointment. After appointment it took 40 minutes as I was told they waited on the doctor to "figure out the bill!" Yes they sure have to make sure they bill you for everything--cant even let any little thing slide when I have picked up a stray animal that wouldve died. And as always, I had to check the bill carefully as they are always adding something you didnt get. During the exam, the vet actually carried on a social-type conversation with staff while checking kittys abdomen, literally not even looking at the kitten he was checking. Reminded me of texting and driving. But worse than that, I ended up going to another hospital with kitty 2 days later, when she was nearly dead. Only to find out, once again, RAH had not adequately informed me of all the necessary care required to care for a 4-week old feral kitten that would otherwise be nursing with its mother. Like my experience with our dog (who is 15 years old now thanks to Mercy Animal Hosp for their excellent care), it was the same story with the kitten. RAH purposely gives you scant care info so that they can assure they will see the animal again when it has to come back. Just like the dishonest car mechanic. Ka-ching, ka-ching is all they care about. All the staff seem friendly and as if they love animals, but I think they may be naive to the vets shameful practices here.

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A

A Private User

I have grown up with different breeds of dogs, and numerous vets ranging from less competent than a cabbage to excellent. I currently have two dogs, on my first visit (second round for this dog), the vet (Dr. Cremer) caught breast cancer, though she was brought it for UTI . On the follow up before surgery the same dog was diagnosed with arthritis in the hip and back (Dr. Colon). I knew, something was wrong, as she had given up jumping on the couch, but no one could give me an explanation. She pulled through cancer surgery just fine and is now doing great on her medication for her back and hips. UTI is also cleaned up. As far as negative comments about finances I would say none of those people have ever taken their dogs into a vet for proper treatment, or they havent lived in New York very long. This vet has competitive pricing vs. quality of service. I have been to MUCH more expensive vets in this city, but you pay for what you get. I once found a very inexpensive vet, it nearly cost me the life of both my dogs, until I rushed her to a different hospital. (differnt state and unrelated...but remember you pay for what you get). My follow up surgical visits were FREE. As I write this, I called in this morning for an emergency with my other dog who is in distress, they had me an appt within two hours. (Miniature schnauzers are quite expensive if they do not have good genes. I love my animals, but after this Im sticking to healthy mutts. Though the healthiest one is a rescue dog...good Karma and all that). Keep in mind, when people write reviews they are usually not in a positive state of mind. They are writing to complain. I only chose to write a review after seeing the negative ones. Yes, you can go to the cheapest doctor, dentist, or vet in the world. Would you send your children, your spouse, or your dogs there? It speaks to your character if you answer yes, and the service is less than adequate. Their service is excellent.

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A

A Private User

I was visiting New York, on my way to return to France with my 4 pound Chihuahua, JOJO who is a very experienced traveler but not a youngster. (Understatement.) I needed a vet who was close by and at the last minute when I was just about to leave the hotel for the airport and realized I had extended my stay in NYC by one day too long and needed updated international travel papers for Jo. The phone receptionist told me to come right over as they would squeeze me in. The staff could not have been nicer--everyone turning out to see the creature I call "Wonderdog" (having logged in enough miles that she deserves to have her own Platinum Sky Miles card.) and were very warm and welcoming, especially to Jo. Although this is a pretty routine exam, they treated it as if it were very important. I was most impressed that they take a digital snap shot of every animal they treat so that they have it in their files. I have never seen this in a veterinary practice but think it is a terrific idea. If you need to call in about your pet, they can pull the file and see who they are talking about. They were also extremely helpful in explaining where I needed to go at JFK airport to get a special stamp on the papers, what to tell the cab driver, what to expect in the process etc. I realize that this is not a sick pet situation or a medical emergency, but when you have an international airline ticket riding on whether or not you can get your pet travel papers with zero time to spare, every bit of accommodation and kindness is appreciated. At the same time, while making me feel that they understood my stress and concern for the clock, it was obvious that their first priority was JoJo and making sure that from a medical standpoint she was healthy and well to travel. I would certainly go back to Riverside Animal Hospital whenever in New York and if ever there were the need. And I encourage anyone looking for a vet in New York to consider them.

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