Rivergate Pet Emergency Clinic

When I walked into my house after work and saw blood all over the basement and stairs leading to the main floor I panicked. One of my cats decided my humming bird food looked pretty tasty and apparently downed quite a bit. It made him severly sick and dehydrated. I rushed him to the emergency clinic and they saw to him right away. They gave him fluids and something to help his tummy and bowls settle and soon he was back to himself. This was last year. Just last night my precious baby, a 4 lb yorkie mix, was bit in the face by another dog. Her eye got the worst of it. The eyeball started sweeling immediately and then she went into shock. I called and let them know we were headed in. We waited only 5 minutes before we saw the doctor. They were so good with her and treated her eye. They even let us know if she started developing and other symptoms before they closed to just bring her in and they wouldn't charge extra for the exam. They are expensive but they are open when I need them the most. If it wasn't an emergency I could just go to my regular vet. They let you know upfront that the exam fee is $85 and always give you a quote for their services before they start treatment for your approval. I will continue to use and recommend their services as the opporitunity arises. more

All I can say is that we did not have the negative experience that many are posting on here. Our situation was also not as dire as some that have been described, and I understand that plays a part in the perception of the experience. We brought our dog in for a burst anal abscess, which was very scary for us at the time since we had no experience with the condition, but turned out to be not as serious as it looks. We were treated very fairly and felt like the bill for the exam, antibiotics and draining/cleaning his wound was quite fair for an "emergency" facility. It's going to be more expensive than your regular vet, just like going to the emergency room is more expensive than seeing your regular doctor, so just know that before you call ANY emergency clinic. more

Called at 5:30am due to min schnauzer possibly having bowel obstruction. This hospital is 45 mins away. Girl told me they closed at 7am no matter if they were in middle of procedure. Cons: made sure I knew it was $ 100 to waklk through the door more

I took my dog in and had to wait for more than an hour to see a vet- I was told that the cut in her side would cost 1200.00+++++ to treat. My poor dog was in pain and this person had the audacity to look me in the face and tell me it would cost 1200.00!! to put in stitches and treat her. \r We were told frankly that they closed at 7 am so they would not break the agreement they has with the other vets to compete with them. I could not believe my ears........this person was telling me that the other vets got together and agreed not be open nights/weekends to refer business to this emergency clinic that closed during weekdays so they would would not compete with the other vets in the area. This is a serious violation of the ANTI-TRUST Laws!!!!!! Is there any representatives of the government listening??????????\r We took our wonderful dog, still in pain to our vet in Scottsville Ky- the bill? 345.00- not 1200.00- These people are on the same level as the wall street guru's that caused our economic problems. they should be treated as such. Pros: open all night Cons: Poor service, Rip Off prices, anti-competitive behaviour more

We arrived home one day to find our dog's head drooping off to one side, he could barely stand and his eyes were darting from side to side. We rushed him to the RPEC where he was diagnosed as having ""Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome."" We were told his symptoms should clear up in 24 hours or so and were sent home. He was no better the next morning so we called our regular vet who told us he probably had a bad ear infection and to bring him right in. One look in his ears confirmed the diagnosis and we were sent home with antibiotics and ointment. Our boy was better in a week or so. Our vet said that the ear infection could have spread to the brain if left untreated and could have resulted in death. After reading the symptoms of Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome, I see that the symptoms are similar to that of an inner ear infection, but why would they (the emergency vets) not have seen the infection when they looked into the dog's ears, as our vet did? I will not say I won't go back to this clinic because I live in a rural area, and it is the closest emergency clinic available to us, but I hope and pray I never am in the position to have to make the decision. Pros: Open all night Cons: Very expensive/Provided Wrong Diagnosis more

I had my dog there this past month, and Dr. Bauman killed my dog. Take this as a warning to all, stay away!!! They suck! They are way over priced! I would leave more details but my lawyer wants me to wait....I hope they all rot in hell for being so very careless with my baby. I cry every day, our hearts are broken. I do not know how my daughter will recover from loosing her best friend, and knowing it is because of a careless mistake on Dr. Baumans part. My REAL vet says that he will never use the rivergate pet emergency again.\r DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG THERE or THEY WILL KILL IT! Pros: THEY HAVE TISSUE IN THE ROOMS. Cons: THEY KILL YOUR PETS more

Some folks on here must have a personal grudge against someone in particular that works at Rivergate, because I have taken my dogs & cats up there many times over the years and have always gotten great service and never had a problem. The Vets are very honest and work hard hours to be there for your animals. It's an emergency clinic and alot of times emergencies are tragic and in some cases not even your own daytime vet could have saved your pet. These people would not have a diploma if they did not know what they were doing. Veternarian school is hard! I find it hard to believe that these people are in business for the sole purpose of mistreating your animals. They could just stay home and beat their kids behind closed doors and nobody would be the wiser. If you don't have the money to care for a pet, don't own one! Unlike people who have too many kids, they don't give you food stamps and welfare for the animals you own. You get what you pay for, AND Emergency Clinics provide a service that is a bit more expensive, but it is for emergencies. I am not rich but if my animal has an emergency, I expect to pay more money than for a non emergency. It is worth it to me. What if there were NO emergency clinics at all? Where would we be then? Pros: OPEN AFTER HOURS, GREAT VETS Cons: NONE! more

.I have taken 4 of my dogs to Rivergate Emergency Clinic and 2 of the dogs had major surgery. I was so impressed by the skill and care of Dr. Emily Moore that I will always take my animals to her. We live far from the hospital, so our dogs had to stay overnight and I was not shocked at all by the price and was not worried at all about their well being.My gosh, it's an EMERGENCY clinic and maybe some people should look into getting PET INSURANCE. You probably have it for your kids. I truly feel bad for anyone who has lost their pets and can understand your grief, but I have had nothing but the best experience at Rivergate. I love my puppies as much as most people love their children, so I am pretty picky about where and with whom they stay . Dr. Moore showed a genuine love for my dogs and their stitches appeared to be sewn by a skilled surgeon. I mean just beautiful!! My dogs didn't have a single problem afterwards either. I would highly recommend Dr. Moore for ANY and ALL Emergency care for Pets. If you are reading these bad reviews on this site, please read the rest because there are some very good reviews and I have seen more than just my review praising Dr. Moore. She will treat your pets like she would treat her own. Dr. Moore was warm and sincere and was very honest about everything. I know it's hard to loose a pet and you might question yourselves on the what if's and maybe I could of's, but Pets do die sometimes and we have no control over this. But I really believe that Dr. Moore would go above and beyond to do everything in her power to save your pet. Just think ...Vets have a heart and conscience too. They don't go to school for all those years and put in all those hours just to be a failure at what they love. People who are smart enough to graduate Vet school could have found other ways to cheat you out of your money if they wanted to..Hey they could have went into politics or worked on Wall street.\r Dr. Moore is one good doctor and I will always take my pets to her, emergency or not because she is worth it. How much is your pet's life worth? Pros: Dr, Moore Rocks! she saved my babies Cons: none but I wish they were closer to my house more

For those of you who put stock in the negative reviews of a few disgruntled clients, I have some points to make. It is evident that the majority of unhappy clients are those who: a) did not have the financial means to pay for diagnostics and treatment, and/or b) lost a pet. Why is it the clinic's fault if an owner doesn't have enough money? Do they expect a payment plan at the grocery store or a restaurant? This is a business with employees who give up their nights, weekends, and HOLIDAYS to help animals. If there is no payment, there can be no emergency clinic...very simple. The employees are not in this for the money...no one lives in a big fancy house or lives an extravagant lifestyle. And why do some think that every patient that walks through the doors will walk out? This is an emergency facility. Chances are that if your pet is here, he/she is not 100% healthy. Some don't make it...despite appropriate treatment. It is the same in human medicine. Unfortunately, many clients don't listen to everything the veterinarian is telling them...and to be fair, they probably don't understand a lot of it. That doesn't give them the right to then go on CitySearch and lie and slander the very people who were doing everything possible to help their pet.\r \r Try to remember that these people are there for your pets and lives are saved on a nightly basis. They provide a great service and are good at what they do. To be called rip off artists and incompetent is unfair...if that were the case they would not still be there. Pros: Knowledgeable staff there in the middle of the night more

Sunday Jan 3, 2010 Our beloved family pet, Duke a golden retriever 91/2 years old became so gravely ill I took him to the Rivergate Pet Emergency Clinic rather than wait on Monday for his regular Vet. Duke was so sick he could barely stand or walk and I was sure he wouldn't survive whatever had caused his decline. \r I was helped by staff to get Duke inside where I was promptly told I would need to put up a deposit of $350 to $500 before any diagnostic work could begin and under those circumstances what choice do you have?\r I was shortly placed in a private room where a tech came out and advised me that a single x-ray had been taken, fluids were being administered, and that lab work indicated a fever,high white blood cell count, and slightly elevated pancrease level ,but the attending vet, Dr. Rice, couldn't actually determine what was really wrong with Duke without further testing and they reccomended an overnight stay. I asked to see my pet and was refused admittance so I asked what would the cost of an overnight diagnostic stay be and the tech told me she would present me with a written estimate.The estimate she returned with was for an additional $1450. I asked what I had spent up until that point was and was told after 40 minutes of testing from the time I walked in the door I owed $685.89. The tech then explained to me that in a golden retriever of that age they suspected some form of cancer as they really couldn't find any obvious sign of the cause of his decline and that I might should consider putting him down since I didn't want to spend the additional money for further testing. I was told that service would be an additional charge of $80 if I took the body with me.\r I declined and carried Duke home with me after paying their RANSOM! The next morning I took Duke to his regular vet where a simple office exam revealed a large stick wedged between his upper teeth and palate that had punctured his sinus cavities! The Vet showed me and my wife as we watched his examination and disbelief!\r This review is being written after I contacted the clinic and asked for my bill to be adjusted. I received a letter from Michael E. Lutz DVM who apparently along with the board of directors has reviewed this case and found they acted appropriately no adjustment warranted.\r Duke spent the following week in his regular Vet's care where he has completely recovered and the total cost of that bill with x-rays,fluids ,antibiotics, food and board was less than the 40 minutes he spent at Rivergate Pet Emergency Clinic.This is not a pet hospital it is a pet funeral home, don't take your pets there unless you want to bury them. Jim Bale Cons: con artist more

I decided to post, just in case my experience would help someone else.\r \r My cat was sick on Sunday, lethargic, wouldn't eat, drink, or urinate, which is really unusual for my cat. But since she is sensitive, I didn't want to take her to the emergency clinic unless it became absolutely necessary, hoping to wait until Monday to take her to her regular vet.\r \r However, she clearly had a fever, and by 4 p.m. on Sunday, I decided not to wait. At the emergency clinic, her fever was 105.9. They took bloodwork, and the vet (Dr. Russell Bauman) actually took the time to explain everything to me. He then gave her antibiotics, injected fluid, and gave her something to ease the pain. By the time I got home, there was a marked improvement in my cat, and this morning, she is much, much better. \r \r The veterinarian and his assistant were so helpful, and it was obvious they love animals. \r \r This is the third time in three years that I have had to take a pet to this emergency clinic, and each time, my pets have received excellent care.\r \r The cost for everything, including the exam, a full blood work-up, fluids, injection, and antibiotic to take home was $395; had I taken her to my regular vet, the cost would have been approximately $250, based solely on past vet visits and similar treatments. \r \r The ONLY negative aspect was the antibiotics I was given to take home expired on 11/09. I guess medications last past their expiration dates, but I still would feel better with medications that are in date.\r \r Overall, though, I am pleased because my cat is eating, drinking, using the litter box, and is so much better. I only wish I had taken her earlier in the day.\r \r \r \r Pros: Helpful, informative, friendly, caring more

Glad l don't have to use them very often, but when you need them it's nice to know they're there. The staff is very professional, very compassionate, very caring, especially when your animal is sick, and you're stressed out. They helped me understand what needed to be done, and my pet received great care, and thanks to them is doing great. I think Dr Moore did a great job. It was not cheap, but then when I go to an ER it's not cheap either. Keep up the good work! Pros: Great staff, very compassionate more

Took my dog there for a puncture wound in his foot with some swelling in the leg above the hole. $400 later I got an xray and some antibiotics. 1 week later my dog has 2 ruptures in the area where the swelling was so I take him back(only because its after hours and my ve does not offer emergency services)They charge me an additional $200 and give me more antibiotics and do not even clean the wound, nor did they weigh him or take his tempreature or anything. This is not the place I would take my dog or any other animal ever again.\r STAY AWAY!!!!!! Cons: Con artists more

I took my dog to this facility because I was referred by two local vets. They were said to be the closest emergency clinic that could provide 24hr monitoring that would be necessary for his treatment. His symptoms were of canine bloat - which I had never heard of before. I called them and explained the situation and they said to rush him in for surgery, and when I asked them where they were located they said to Google them. They are located 58 miles from our house. He vomited in the car about 5 min from arrival. Actually what I was praying for. When we got there they asked for name, symptoms, and method of payment. They took 1 x-ray (should have taken at least 2 views to make a diagnosis) and insisted that his stomach had rolled and needed immediate surgery. His stomach was in the correct position which is atypical of a rolled stomach. They said it must have rolled 360 deg instead of the typical 180 deg and did no further diagnostic testing. They would not start treating him until they had $3000.00 paid in advance. I had the money in savings but that was not good enough for them, so I filled out their Care Credit application. I asked for a stomach tube and she refused because she was sure of rotation and offered nothing else until surgery. At this critical point they should have decompressed his stomach with a needle to relieve the pressure on his heart and internal organs and stabilize him for surgery, but they did not because of their personal preference not to do so. During surgery they removed 500cc of fluid and 3-4lbs of food. In recovery they did not provide another crucial treatment - pain relief to help prevent cardiac arrest. 3.5 hours later they tell me he had cardiac arrest, that they did CPR for the last 10 min and he did not respond to meds, that his pupils were fixed and dilated - did I want them to continue CPR? According to the report his stomach had not rolled - meaning a tube and a needle could have been useful in decompression and decreased the prolonged stress on his heart. They failed to and refused to do at least 3 crucial steps necessary for his treatment because, in her words, of her personal preferrance. He died because of her personal choice instead of proper procedure. Pros: fastest x-ray ever Cons: money and personal pref before proper critical care more

I work very hard and understand how money makes the world go around,but when someone comes to where i work and tries to pay their bill for the work that you have performed,but sometimes comes up a little short,i always try to meet them halfway (you can tell the ones that really try apart from the ones who want something for free)Anyway,my wife was coming home from work tonight and found five little puppies that had been dropped off at the end of the driveway.they were very sick and looked miserable.So she brought them home and tried to call our vet that we use,but no answer,so she called rivergate pet emergency clinic.she explained the situation to the woman,and they wanted $95.00 for the first puppy examination and $70.00 each for the other four.then stated that we could not leave the puppies there,that it was'nt a place for drop offs.that was fine,we would'nt just abandon them for the second time in their lives.My wife asked that because there were five of them,could we just bring in one and buy enough medicine for the others.The woman was very rude and stated that we had to bring all five at once or hope that they survive until our vet opened in the morning.What happened to people that loved the profession they chose and especially the animals that were involved.innocent animals looking for someone to help them in their time of need.If it's all about the money to you then you are in the wrong profession.Places like this make other vets look bad and there are some wonderful clinics out there.i really hope that this place gets some new workers that still remember what is really important in life(treating others as you would want them to treat you)and fast.How many bad reveiws can one place receive before someone makes a change for the better.I only hope that you can wake up in the mornings and still look at yourselves in the mirror.PATHETIC Pros: nothing at all Cons: very rude and only wanted to know how you were paying more

My dog was choking last night. They charged $99.50 to look at her and did absolutely nothing. X-Rays alone would cost another $200...and this still includes absolutely no treatment. The actual vet herself had very little to say and made her tech carryout 98% of the details with us. I hate how e-vets cost so much more than a regular vet, its simply a different shift. These people claim to be animal lovers but resemble Cruella DeVille quite a lot in that do not care at all about animals but the riches animals can bring them. On our bill they wrote that we refused life-saving treatment, yet only told us that the dog was currently stable and offered X-Rays. I know that emergencies happen but please stay away from this place if your pet has one, do not support a business as totally self-concerned, greedy, rude, and unhelpful as this one. Pros: Its open 24 open...and the tech was kind of nice Cons: Rude, Unhelpful, Greedy more

This place is disgusting. I took my dog, Charlie, there because he had 11 seizures after my vet had already closed. When I got there at 9PM, the receptionist was very rude, the assistant had dirt all over her scrubs and was also very rude. Also when we walked into the room I guess they forgot to pick up the feces left by another dog......ALL AROUND THE ROOM. The Vet could not give me a straight answer about anything. I love my dog unconditionally. I do everything I can to keep him healthy. I asked if they could give him the ephinobarbitol in an IV so it could get to him faster than a pill form and the vet said no. The reason was because they had been out of it for months. I said ""you are an emergency pet clinic....shouldnt that be a necessity?"" they responded by "" our receptionist didn't make the order."" immediatly I took Charlie and left the building not caring what they were going to bill me for their stupidity. As for CHEFJUD's comment below.....to me its not about money and im not some iggnorant person worried about what it will cost, i just want someone that can help my dog. I understand that they do and i understand that they charge more than a furing hours vet, however, be a little more responsible.... who works for you reflexs on your business. Pros: close to where i live....thats it Cons: very rude staff, stained floor, feces on exam more

STAY FAR AWAY!!!!!!!! I visited this clinic last night and had the worst service in my life. When I say very unprofessional that's what I mean. The receptionist was great and the vet was great. My problem was with this tech. ""Mrs. 17 Years"" is all that she could tell me so that's what i'll call her. After services were rendered she brought my dog from the back to put him in the car. He was in a muzzle which was fine because I know that dogs are hurt they can be pretty aggressive. He had been in an altercation with another dog is the story only had a few bite wounds I was concerned about, but anyways she puts the dog in the car starts to get really aggressive pushing the dog in the side telling him to quit moving also pushing his head. When she leaves from the car all she can say to me is ""you make sure you tell them you have a biter when you take him in for follow-up. I sit there in my car for a second wondering if what she had done was professional. ""NOT"" so I go bk in the office ask receptionist at the front door was that lady the owner of this clinic? She stated no that the lady was only a tech...""Mrs. 17 Years"" comes from around the corner I tell her what she done in the car was very unprofessional. All she can say to me that she was using the finger technique something I never heard of, a finger would have been fine but pushing my dog in the side and literally pushing him was a technique I never seen. We then start to talk ""scream"" about what just happened. She closes the front window on me. I take my hand and open the glass back , when a piece of it breaks. She then states that she""s calling the police. I told her I would be right here in the waiting room til they got there. The police come they can see how furious I am about the treatment of my dog. The police come from the bk and state that she doesn't want to do anything I would guess she wouldn't want to do anything due to animal cruelty charge would be alot worse...$156 bill FOR A DOG BEATING!!!! Pros: GREAT VET!!!!! Cons: TERRIBLE TECH THAT WANTS TO BE THE VET more

I tell anyone going here to beware. Just listen to your gut feeling if you have any doubt about what they're saying.\r \r They almost put my dog through a surgery even though he didn't need it. Fortunately, very early on I had a bad feeling about the vet because she said she couldn't get a catheter in my dog (my regular vet had successfully done it the day before) and I knew that was unlikely. He'd been suffering from a uti and I had been taking him to his vet for regular check ups regarding this issue. It was a Saturday night (my vet was obviously closed) and my dog started seeming really lethargic and looked at me like he was in sooo much pain so I took him to this emergency clinic just to be sure everything was ok. The vet at this clinic told me that my dog had a large struvite stone blocking his urine from passing (he had been peeing, I told her this, just in smaller amounts and more times-uti symptoms). She said we'd need to operate early the very next morning and that he wouldn't live through the night if we didn't. I cried. I couldn't believe that it was happening. She was also basing this on x-rays that showed no stone. I told her I couldn't put my dog through a surgery when the xray shows no stones and urine was passing. I paid my over $300 for the x-rays and testing and left with my dog. I refused to believe immediate emergency surgery was necessary and I definitely didn't want her doing it. \r \r I went to my regular vet first thing the next morning. He said there were absolutely no stones via his x-rays and special testing. He gave me a dog food that would help since he did show minimal crystals in urine. He gave me a pill that does the same thing as the food. He refused to say anything bad about the emergency clinic, which I respect, but he did seem shocked that they almost put my dog through an emergency surgery. more

On 11/10/08 I took my cat, Simba to the clinic at 8:30. He was lying on the floor and unable to move when \r I got home at 7:30. He had been x-rayed in June and I was told that he had a large mass in his stomach (probaby cancer) and a small liver. I thought that Simba died on the way to the clinic but he was still alive.\r They were very nice to me and very sympathetic. The vet told me that Simba's symptoms were that of a stroke. She gave him a shot to sedate him and let me hold him until the end. She came back in a few minutes to give him the final shot. A technician carried him to the car for me. The only negative thing I have to say is that they placed my beloved pet's body in a brown trash bag with masking tape wound around it to make a ""stem."" This was very upsetting to me. When I got home, I cut the bag off and placed his towel wrapped body inside a smaller white trash bag. Surely they could have some white bags for this purpose!\r They could easily have simple cardboard boxes made for burial that would be inexpensive, printed with ""In Loving Memory."" I did pay $70 for the two shots. Why not throw in a $2 box? On 11/15, I received a sympathy card from Jennifer, the technician, which I thought was very thoughtful. Her hand-written message was very sweet and I appreciated it very much. Pros: They responded to my needs very quickly Cons: Being handed my pet's body in a brown trash bag more