Kanawha Valley Veterinary Emergency Hospital

Brought my dog (Chihuahua) there after he was bitten by a large dog. He was taken in the back and the receptionist came back within minutes informing me the dog needed pain meds and fluids and the price would be $400 plus any additional costs for services. After waiting 5 hours and finding the dog had not yet been examined, I requested the dog back. They complied with my request only for me to find the dog had not been given pain meds or fluids (after 5 hours of suffering). Their contracts are very vague and open you up to unlimited costs. To be fair, I was not charged any fee. They are the only game in town which limits your options but your pet can suffer at home until you see a reputable vet during business hours.

I normally do not give bad reviews, but this time I am. How do you call yourself an emergency clinic????? I called last night because my cat is very ill. They would not even see him because I did not have the money up front from the cost. They accept care credit or credit cards, I do not have either...oh yeah and cash or check. I did not have the funds available and the only thing she could say is sorry. I know a lot of vets are like this but this IS an emergency center. I don't always have the money when I take my family to the emergency room, but they still get taken care of.

My yorkie Bella gave birth to 5 healthy puppies on Friday evening and everything was seemed fine. The next evening she seemed to start pushing again so we rushed her to this clinic. After letting her lay for 2 hours they informed me that 2 puppies were still there and would have to do a c-section. We were told it would be 3 hours and that they were sending her directly home after that. At 5:30 am they told is to go home and pick her up later that day. When I called at 9:00am to check on her I wa put on hold for 15 minutes two times without speaking to anyone and they only called me back to tell me they needed to do blood work that was 300.00 and needed permission first after paying 800.00 up front for surgery . They told me some of her levels were elevated but she would be fine and sent her home still vomiting and not able to eat. When then took her to her regular vet he was very alarmed because the levels that were elevated indicated severe liver damage or a massive infection. The antibiotics the they had put her on weren't strong enough for a one pound puppy and she was severely dehydrated. We made several trips to her vet for shots of antiobotics and iv's. sadly Bella started bleeding 10 day after her surgery at 10:30 at night. I called the clinic to see if I needed to bring her back in because it was clots. They said "no do not bring her back in, she will be fine." the next morning she died of internal bleeding caused from a botched up c section. Her liver had been sliced and she wasn't stitched correctly causing massive internal damage. If you value yor friends life I would take them anywhere but here because it will be a death sentence .

I have taken several of my pets to this location over the years and have had a good experience with each visit so when my dog broke out in hives late one evening I didn't hesitate to bring her here. I cannot say that this time all was well. When I went in a vet assistant came and took my dog and said we will get her vitals. They wouldn't let me go with her and took her in the back room which has never happened on any previous visits. I waited for some time and was the only person in the waiting area although I'm sure they had more patients to tend then just my dog. 20 or so minutes passed before the veterinarian came out and the diagnosis was an allergic reaction and she would be fine. She said that she would give her an antihistamine shot, a tablet and Advantage for a few fleas that she had. After the Dr finished speaking with me and went to the back room, I waited another 30 minutes. When finally the vet assistant came back with my dog (Chihuahua) she was shaking and her face was completely wet. I asked why and the vet assistant said, "Oh she drooled a little when we tried to give her the tablet". Since when does a dog drool on op of its nose and face?! Well all seemed well, hives gone and back to normal. (Later I realized it was a reaction to perfume). A couple of days later I noticed my dog was acting strange, she walked stiff and wouldn't jump on the sofa or chairs which is very abnormal for her because she is usually very active. She is mopey and she seems to crouch when she walks. Also when I try to pick her up and put my hand under her chest she yelps loudly and cries. Not to mention I try to touch her face she snarls and snaps at me which is COMPLETELY out of character for her!!! She has NEVER been an aggressive dog and is friendly with everyone. She has NEVER acted this way before. Not until this recent visit with this vets office. My dog's behavior leaves me wondering why did they take her out of my sight when they had two exam rooms wide open? And all they were suppose to do was check her vitals, give her a shot and a tablet. What kind of excessive methods did they use to administer these two simple things?!!!! At my regular vet, my dog has never been treated like this! I have always gone in the exam room with her and she has been treated well. This makes me angry to think my dog was treated to the extremes that she is now physically and mentally hurt. I will NEVER take another pet to this place ever again!!! I will no doubt end up taking my dog to my regular vet to determine what the people at this location did to my dog! If I could have I wouldn't even leave one star!

Took my sick dog in and they took great care of her. She had to stay over night and I called frequently to check on her and they were very happy to tell me about her condition. You can pay half of the balance if you are short on money. They seem to really care about the animals.

This veterinary hospital gives the best critical care that I have ever seen with any of my animals. (And believe me, I have a lot of animals!) They are more expensive than a day practice, but that is because they are not a day practice. The are an ER for cats and dogs. They work on critical patients, do c-sections and other emergency surgeries. They work quickly, efficiently, thorough, and with great compassion. Just as with any other service, you get what you pay for. As I was sitting in their waiting room, I noticed so many people complaining about the cost of their pets treatment. They did not realize that between one doctor and a few staff members, all of our pets were being taken care of at once, having blood work done, possibly x-rays, and other tests. They would never get that good of service at a human ER. It is the same exact thing as a human ER...but cheaper! So before you complain about the prices and the fact that these wonderful people need payment to stay in buisness, pay attention to what they are doing and why they are doing it. There are not many people that would work nights, weekends, and every holiday to make sure your pet is safe.

I had a 14 week old puppy that got very sick on a friday night. When we arrived at the hospital every staff was more then helpful with questions treated us very respectfully took very good care of the puppy infact the puppy needed a blood transfusion and one of the veterinary assistants took her own dog in for the transfusion the doctors were very honest straight forward and just great, they are all great people down there.