I have used Pieper for years and have always been pleased with the service I have received. My questions have always been answered with options for my pets, I can schedule an appointment at a time that is convenient for me and they have always given my pets the best care. They were also wonderful when I had to make the decision to put one of my dogs down. They were compassionate and empathetic helping me through a horrible situation. read more

Good doctors but poor staff. I was trying to schedule a follow visit after my dog had surgery and I was put on hold for 8 minutes. I hung up and called back again later and was put on hold for 10 minutes. I hung up and called back, spoke to the individual who answered the phone (Danielle) concerning the 2 calls and my attempts to schedule an appt. She simply stated that they are a busy hospital and to hold or call back. No compassion or concern regarding the lack of customer service. After they get your money, it can take close to 20 minutes to schedule an appt. In my case I still have been unable to schedule the appt. For the amount of money they charge for their facility, I expected courteous and helpful staff. The place is run more like an impersonal corporation, than a medical facility. read more

Cannot say enough good things about this place! We brought our dog to the emergency room here when he was experiencing severe pain, muscle spasms, and stiff neck like symptoms. After visiting his own vet and other ER's we were referred here. Dr. Hammond was the neurologist who saw him and was very helpful! He examined him, and explained what his initial thoughts were and potential issues and next steps. He was calm and supportive even when my fiancé and I were on the verge of tears. We had to leave our dog there overnight and we're please to learn they have 24 hour surveillance in their ICU and we could call and ask how he was doing at any point. He had an MRI done the next day and by that afternoon we were talking treatment options for a herniated disc with the vet. His MRI was shown and explained to us in detail as was his prognosis. Going forward the vet has been available through phone calls and emails whenever we have questions and for follow ups. We cannot thank them enough for their great work, how friendly the staff is and Dr. Hammond for being available and thorough! read more

On July 27th my dog Tate was diagnosed with Stage 4 B-Cell Lymphoma. After consulting with Dr. DeRegis, we decided to move ahead with the CHOP Protocol to give Tate an opportunity to live longer than the projected 1-2 months. I was confident that I made the right decision and hoped that Tate could tolerate the treatments. Given that he had just turned 4-years old and I consider him my child, the thought of giving up was not an option for me. From the beginning, Dr. DeRegis and the staff at Pieper have been exceptional. No matter how late in the evening it is or how exhausted they are, the collaboration and communication has been remarkable. From Deanna and Ann Marie, the oncology nurses, to Anne and the rest of the front desk staff; everyone has been professional while being beyond thoughtful and caring. It is safe to say, that the staff have grown to love Tate! Ironically, Tate looks forward to going to all his appointments and seeing his human, canine and feline friends at Pieper (he especially likes the kitties!). We were relieved that despite the unfavorable side effects of chemotherapy and two hospitalizations, Tate has managed remarkably well. The compassion, work ethic and wisdom that both the staff at Pieper and Dr. DeRegis have displayed has made such an incredible difference in Tate's outcome so far. Tate is certainly not out of the woods. Currently he is in remission and feeling great! I'm optimistic that he may defy the statistics. If your pup is diagnosed with cancer, Pieper is the place to take him/her! read more

Vets are wonderful, vet Techs are awesome and everyone at the front desk is super nice and welcoming. Would recommend this practice to anyone! read more

STAY AWAY!!! I really wish I was able to give zero stars. I brought my cat in for an emergency visit on 6/6 due to what I thought was a broken leg. They took him in, took X-Rays, etc. They told me that his leg was completely broken through and that I only had two options, "specialized orthopedic surgery" for $4,000+ or complete amputation of his leg for $2,000+. Being completely perplexed, I asked what other options I had in order to figure out what to do to take care of my pet. They told me that they would splint his leg and that would give me 6-8 weeks to see if it would heal or if I, in fact, needed to seek an alternative surgical fix. Two weeks later on 6/21 I was back in having to re-bandage the splint because it was done incorrectly the first time. Last night, 6/28 once again I found myself here having to re-bandage because they never actually redid the splint, they just wrapped his leg in more tape. The vet last night REFUSED CARE to my cat because of "skin irritation" due to the splint NOT BEING DONE CORRECTLY and now he has an infection and is being put on antibiotics. The best part come at the end of all of this. I called Bolton vet first thing this morning to get a second opinion. They immediately referred me to Fenton River (Dr. Morey) who looked at the X-Rays and told me THEY HAD COMPLETELY MIS-DIAGNOSED HIM ORIGINALLY. His ankle joint is actually just dislocated and there is only a very small fracture on the tibia bone. She also told me that there is no surgery needed to repair this unless I wanted to seek a specialized ligament repair (she didn't suggest this was even needed). Now, I have spent well over $600.00 at Pieper Memorial, was completely mis-diagnosed, and NOW I have to spend even more money because my pet has a skin infection on top of everything else. Please stay away from this place! They are money hungry and do not care about the animals brought in. They care solely about the money they make and that is all. read more

I have been bringing my pets to Pieper for over 20 years. They have always been professional and compassionate. One dog needed daily heart medication and Dr. Olsen suggested getting it at Walmart because it was less expensive than buying it there! (I had no financial problems, he was just looking out for me). They are growing and I hope they keep their small-time, personal feel). I love going there. read more

We brought our bunny in at 9pm due to not be able to move his back legs because he was being eaten alive by maggots...this was an inside bunny who we bathed regularly because his poop would get stuck to his fluffy tail...we drove as fast as possible to get him to Piper because he was crying in pain and making noises we never heard before...we knew he was going to need to he put down... We then waited 3 hours for him to see a vet because a couple dogs came in to be stabilized and a lady's cat was sneezing... I totally understand the dogs were emergencies and I too have a dog that I would hope would be seen ASAP BUT they let my bunny continue to be eaten alive by bugs while suffering in tiny carrier because they were afraid a dog might come in and chase him.. even though I had been holding him wrapped in 2 beach towels and his back legs didn't work.. My 11 year old daughter visited the front desk multiple times in tears to ask how much longer it would be to see our bunny...this experience will forever haunt myself and my daughter...Thanks for making a heartbreaking evening a total nightmare - literally.. read more

I am surprised to see any negative comments here but like any business, things can happen and as long as they respond and try to understand what happened and strive to change it, that's what matters. My experience with Pieper as been great and the neurology team is outstanding. My Maltese has been battling immune mediated encephalitis, a disease without proper and aggressive treatment, fatal. They have stabilized him and even though we are having a little relapse, they are right on it and working very hard to get him back on track. I know the wait at times can be frustrating. I experienced this my very first visit when I brought Riley in when his symptoms came on suddenly in February. I ended up going home at midnight because the wait was crazy to get him seen in the ER. They made me an appointment with neurology first thing the next morning, checked his vitals before I left to be sure it was not an immediate life threatening situation, and he was seen right away when we went back 8 hours later and immediately scheduled for an MRI. Was the ER visit a little frustrating, yes. I drove an hour after my vet called ahead for me so I get the comments about the waiting. That said, I ended up with a great neurologist and that is what matters to me. It isn't the desk staff treating my dog. Could they be a bit more organized with after-hour care? Sure, but they take a lot of time with your pet once you are seen so it backs things up a bit. Maybe they should add more staff for the ER services but the specialty practice, in our case, neurology - top notch! read more

This facilities are very clean efficient and professional. However, I think to an extent they are using scare tactics to have scared pet owners run unnecessary tests and diagnostics. My dog went in with a stomach ache and left with a $500 pill, a dvd with x-rays and a whole bunch of medicines my dog doesn't need. read more

Unfortunately I was referred here by my vet because My baby had elevated liver values. They called in advance and notified them that we needed to be seen as soon as we arrived. We got there and the emergency room staff was very disorganized and my baby was not seen for several hours . They finally did an ultrasound and it was deemed that his gallbladder had to be removed as it was leaking fluid into his system. He was admitted and it was not till 4 days later that he was operated on and passed away due to this on 9/9/2015. My heart is broken as I feel guilty for bringing him here and not fighting hard enough with the Dr to get his surgery done but I put my faith in their hands as they are the experts. Please learn from my stupidity and don't bring your pets here and hold the Dr. accountable for their jobs. To bring insult to injury, this facility which looks amazing from the outside and makes a lot of money can even give your pets the dignity they deserve. My baby was brought to me after surgery and placed on the floor for me to visit, they do not even have the decency to bring him in and place him on a table or even purchase adequate equipment (the little beds at the hospital they bring your human children in would be amazing, how much can a couple cost especially to this facility?) so you can visit with your family member in a comfortable environment it is hard enough as it is to feel helpless and not able to help him as he looks at you with those adoring eyes. I was told this was the best place for him and they killed him. Heartbroken read more

I am writing my first review on Yelp to help other pet owners. First off, the doctors and techs are highly skilled and compassionate. Our pet was critically ill and they saved his life. The office staff is the opposite. They are rude, incompetent and cold. We were referred by our home vet and despite phone calls, faxes and emails they had no record of the appointment. I had to wait in the lobby with a critically ill pet and got snapped at by the indifferent staff. Upon discharge, I was given the wrong medication because no one checked the bag. I didn't catch the mistake until I got home and had to drive back to the hospital. I would recommend them for the great doctors but they need to hire a new office manager. read more

As someone who lives by the academic calendar, I spend summer vacation in Connecticut, even though I live in Delaware during the school year. But with a seven year old basset hound who's been receiving chemotherapy for advanced lymphoma, I faced the question of where and how I would continue her treatment if I was in the New Haven area for three months. After doing some research online about where there were veterinary oncologists in Connecticut, I decided that Pieper made the most sense as the place to continue my dog's treatment. I'm so glad I chose them, because the care that my dog has received with them has been terrific. Dr. DeRegis, the veterinary oncologist, is fantastic; she spent quite a lot of time with my dog and me during our first appointment so that she could really get to know my pup, her history, and how we had been approaching her treatment in Delaware. (She also had spent a lot of time on my dog's case even before our appointment, reading through her file at length and talking with the veterinary oncologist in Delaware.) In the weeks of treatment since then, Dr. DeRegis has been great about answering my questions and listening to my concerns, from the important to the perhaps ridiculous. She's also continued to coordinate with our vet in DE so that there won't be any problems in terms of continuity of care when we head back there. While my dog has only been her patient for the three months of the summer, it's clear Dr. DeRegis has been giving the very best care to my dog. Aside from my dog's amazingly good health (given that she's being treated for advanced lymphoma), the proof of the great care she's getting is in how happy she is to visit Pieper; she's actually a very shy dog until she feels really comfortable with people, but by our second visit, she was wagging her tail as we entered, eagerly going to talk to all the wonderfully friendly and kind staff, vet techs and nurses, and Dr. DeRegis. if you're a dog parent, a veterinary oncologist is someone you hope you never have to meet, but if you do, you want someone who is terrific, and Dr. DeRegis and the staff at Pieper are definitely that. read more

out beloved dog had surgery in april. now it is November, and same surgery needed again. the quote was double this time. very very very expensive. troubling. read more

My 10 pound, 9 year old shihthzu had a minor twist injury to her back, which resulted in paralysis of her hind legs, and an inability to urinate. We brought her to a local emergency vet in the small town that we live in. They did digital radiographs, which showed no fractures, but some arthritic changes. She was put on rymadil, and referred to our regular vet. Our regular vet was not there the day we brought her in, the vet that was ther got her an appointment with Dr. Hammond at Pieper. It was difficult to express her bladder, but I was able to gently express her bladder if I took her outside, which indicated that she had signal to her bladder, which was a good sign. Dr. Hammond was wonderful. I had my vet's office forward the email the radiographs to Pieper, which he evaluated. He gave me the option to take her off of the Rimadyl, which apparently does not help with spinal cord injuries. He could not put her on steroids until she had been off of NSAIDs for a week. He gave me the option of waiting, or having her receive an MRI, which I opted for. I picked her up the next day, and had a consult with Dr. Hammond, at which time he discussed the results of the MRI. She has 2 herniated, degenerated discs, the one at L2 sits very close to the spinal cord. The trauma caused the disc to hit he cord, causing inflammation. I was given exercises to do with her several times per day, as well as medication to relax her bladder to make it easier to express. At the next appointment, he would evaluate her for steroids. As the week progressed, she regained more and more use of her hind legs. By the time we went back, she was wobbly walking again! He was so impressed with her progress, he opted not to risk the side effects of steroids. She has continued to improve. Although she is not able to climb stairs ur jump up on the couch, she knows her limitations. He has given me the option to use gabapentin, which I rarely use, as a dog needs to use the pain signal to set her own limitations. She will never be the way she was prior to her injury, but I still have my baby. I am partially disabled, and though I have 4 dogs, 2 are large dogs, one is geriatric, (nearly 17). Coco, my little dog is my constant companion. Thank you Dr. Hammond for giving me my baby back, and thank you to the wonderful staff, who were compassionate, took time with me, answering my questions, giving me the exercises, working me until I was comfortable. Thank you for not "rushing into unnecessary surgery", or risking her being on steroids, especially since she has a history of Lyme disease, in spite of annual Lyme vaccines. read more

We have never used Pieper Memorial. One we had never heard of it, two it is not all that close to us and three we have a local vet/animal hospital that we have had for years and loved. We never had a reason to go to another vet. Our dog Oliver was diagnosed with cancer in December 2012, and fought the good fight. Sadly this weekend he took a turn for the worse and we had to contact our vet. To our surprise our vet no longer takes emergency calls and refers patients to an animal hospital in a southern part of CT that I would not take a pet cockroach to. Frantically we looked for emergency hospitals and called Pieper Memorial. I called in tears of course and the young lady who answered the phone could not have been nicer, more understanding or kind. We rushed our dog to Pieper and he was triaged immediately, he didn't have to wait a second to be looked at. Which was incredibly impressive. We were seen by Dr. Luce, who was incredibly kind, very easy going, honest and caring. After learning our dogs history she took the route of xrays, to see what she was dealing with. After the prognosis the cancer had spread to his lungs, she was honest, said that there was not a lot to do with Oliver and that we could take him home to see if he felt better after some medicine, but that he didn't have a long time to go. We did take him home. Oliver progressively got worse. Twice Dr. Luce took our calls (mind you we were not patients, but an emergency visit only). After the second call, she encouraged us to come back in with Oliver. Oliver again was looked at just to make sure we were not panicking. Dr. Luce came in to talk with us, told us it was obvious that he was in distress and that the cancer was too much for him now. We sadly took her advice and let Oliver go. Oliver is not our first dog, and not our first dealings with an emergency hospital. I was beyond impressed at the treatment we received even though we were an emergency and not a regular patient. The kindness, caring and honesty we received was wonderful. Above all else, anytime we have been to an emergency hospital we have been robbed blind by tests, treatments and one fee after another. I was beyond surprised at the cost of this visit was. We expected it to be well beyond what we were charged. If I lived closer when I eventually get another dog, this would be my vet of choice. Since I do not live closer, the best I can do it rate them 10, and recommend them to every one I can. I cannot thank Dr. Luce, the vet tech who was so very sweet to our Oliver and the rest f the staff at Pieper Memorial enough for making the worst day of our lives a bit easier. read more

For emergent care and on-site surgery, they are great. Well staffed and prompt care. The surgeon was prompt with calling me for an update, honest and respectful. The techs are fabulous, very polite and honest. My problems were with the vet care. We did not feel like I could trust her at all. She did not know specifics about my dogs progress post op. NOT ONCE did she take an interest in our family or background as pet owners to appropriately plan for discharge and at home care. I was treated as someone without any instincts or common sense, uncapable of taking care of my post-op dog. When in reality, I have a medical background and live on a farm, fully capable and knowledgeable to take excellent care of my baby (we can't have children so my animals are m y children). In the end I am thankful they are a reliable place for emergency animal care. But I will be looking into other options in the state. Having trust in the medical professional caring for your loved one is a major priority, and I take pride in my own practice making sure parents of my patients feel that way. I think I deserve the same respect when the roles are reversed. read more

after getting a referal from middletown vet (see review) for an utrasound, after emergency bloodwork i arrived around 1030 am. they took me quickly for there initial fees. dr. niemczyk saw my cat and later stated that the ultrasound would not be done untill 2pm, gave number for them to call. finally about 430 pm i called for results, was told there are 3 masses and a biopsy was needed. nice call i recieved. gave the ok for the test, stated they would call when done. finally picked up cats at 6pm. results would take a couple of days. left with denamarin tab 90 mg, 10 pills at 20.00 4 days later recieved a call from dr. niemczyk stating that its cancer and that its 150.00 just to talk to an oncologist. the dr. also stated i could give the cat the pills or not give like it wont make a difference. i stated in 4 days, shes doing better, his reply thats good. this procedure done on 10/16/14 at close to 700.00 dollars. after doing research these pills are a liver supplement that you can buy at 25.00 for at allvet.com this is not a prescription and comes in a box of 30 pills. this is quite the scam it is not made to be broken up. peiper prices would be 60.00 for 30 pills. next day picked up records to go elsewhere to date cat is 200% better, still giving pills, along with ursodial 40 mg/ml susp 60 ml, recommended from new vet this is an actual presciption. would not recommend this place, watch your wallet gary, plantsville ct. read more