Animal Emergency & Referral

The very knowledgeable, and kind people at the Emergency Center let us put our beloved puppy to her rest with love. I can't give enough praise to everyone who was involved that very difficult day. Would recommend them to anyone. I had also used them years before for another one of our dogs who injured himself during the night. We received quick, but excellent care for him. Five starts from our family. more

All I can say is that if it wasn't for this Animal Emergency facility our dog would have died by morning. Our miniture schnauzer was in extreme pancreatitis and liver failure due to a high-fat diet that another vet prescribed four days earlier, and she was almost dead when we brought her in to the emergency hospital. Because of the experience of these emergency doctors and Dr. K. the internal medicine doctor, our dog pulled through. They were quick-acting and very caring. The staff is great and treated Schotzie like a child, as sick as she was. I know people have written that this group is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I truly believe if we would have taken her anywhere else, she wouldn't have pulled through. Her life was worth every penny we paid in order for her to get better. Thank you Animal Emergency of West Caldwell, thank you Dr. K. Cheryl & John M. more

After taking our dog, Toby, into Animal Emergency & Referral Center for acute vomiting, we were shuffled into a waiting room, alone, with no information about where our pet was, what tests were being run on him, or what his condition was. After an hour, we saw through the small window in the door a technician leading our dog, muzzled, to a cage. I will never forget the look on my clearly traumatized pets face as he looked to us for help as the technician roughly shoved his sick and aching body into a cage. We demanded he be returned to wait with us in the waiting room while the test were being completed, and the technician rudely and flatly stated that he was put there "in case he needed to remain overnight". We advised her as calmly as we could that we should, and would, be the deciding factor on where our pet will stay, and would she please return Toby to wait with us? She, again very rudely, said that she would ask the vet if that were acceptable. Are you kidding? Under what circumstances would that NOT be acceptable?? She returned several minutes later, tossed Toby’s lead into our hands without so much as a word, and stormed off. We have had Toby in several vets in his seven years, for both regular checkups and emergencies, and I have never seen our dog in such distress as he was in when he was returned to us: Panting heavily, ears pinned back, eyes glazed and panicked, and cowering in the corner. This was far, far, above and beyond the normal stress of a vet visit for our pet, and I dread to think the treatment he was subjected to out of our sight that put him in such a state. Several expensive and totally unauthorized tests were run on him, the explanations for which were long-winded, superfluous, and heavy with techno-jargon. Having some understanding of chemistry and anatomy, it was clear to me that the explanation was being given less to clarify what was wrong with our dog and more to justify having the tests run-- and charged to us. In the end, only a vague prognosis of 'possible pancreatitis' was made, while the prognosis written on our insurance claim form was 'gastroenteritis', a much less serious condition, and very probably one for which the $681 bill will not be covered. Our overall perception of our experience was that of being utterly and completely ripped off. I will never take our pet there in an emergency again, and I would advise anyone against taking his or her pet to Animal Emergency & Referral Center. more

These guys are truly great. They not only saved my dog's life, they also comforted me and made me believe that everything was going to be alright. These guys have earned my trust and in a way, they have become my friends (well at least in my mind). I can definitely count on them next time my dog decides to swallow weird stuff down his throat again. more

We had to take our dog here this past summer over the July 4th weekend when our regular vet was on vacation. The staff here are great, very compassionate and feeling. They answered all our questions very thoroughly and were so good with our dog. He felt right at home and was able to relax, which made their job so much easier. I definitely will go there again for emergency visits, and highly recommend. more

This state of the art animal hospital is wonderful, just ask anyone in the waiting area. Everyone is treated great with plenty of attention to detail and personal, compassionate care. The staff is knowledgeable, professional, courteous and show genuine caring for the animals and their owners. This is an excellent place through and through. more