River Road Pet Clinic

I am absolutely horrified by my experience with River Road Pet Clinic. This was the most disappointing veterinary experience I have had in over 10years of pet ownership. I have brought both of my dogs to this clinic before without issue. This visit was completely different. My senior Boston Terrier has a history of fear during veterinary examinations due to abuse before I adopted her. She is not an aggressive dog--she is friendly & social, but becomes fearful when restrained or examined by strangers. Before she was taken to the back, I informed the technician that she becomes defensive during veterinary handling. Despite this, no one asked about her history, what techniques had worked previously, whether I should remain present, or how best to approach her care. Within minutes, she was returned & I was told she would not be treated. Dr. Crocker entered the room without introducing himself, handed me a packet about muzzling, & informed me that my dog would not be welcome at the clinic unless she arrived muzzled. My dog is a Boston Terrier, a brachycephalic breed with a very short snout. I was told she needed to be muzzled, yet staff were unable to successfully muzzle her themselves due to her anatomy. There was no discussion of alternatives, no attempt to problem-solve, & no effort to understand her history. When I asked what could be done, I was told they could not compromise staff safety, & Dr. Crocker left the room. He spent less than 3minutes with me, including discussing my other dog's visit. What troubled me most was not that staff prioritized their safety--it was that there appeared to be no attempt to gather information, discuss options, or work collaboratively to create a plan for a fearful dog who has successfully received veterinary care for the past 10 years. My dog has never bitten anyone, yet no alternatives were discussed or attempted during this visit. No one asked what had worked at other veterinary clinics or how she had successfully received routine veterinary care throughout her life. I assumed that if I was not being asked to assist, the staff were experienced in handling previously abused dogs & would explore appropriate options before refusing treatment. To make matters worse, her vaccination record was documented as "will bite; needs to come in muzzled." That statement lacks important context & portrays her as aggressive when she is fearful during examinations. My younger dog's visit was also concerning. I paid for a physical examination, yet during the less than 10minutes she was in the back with staff, the veterinarian was in the exam room with me. After reviewing the medical record, I was surprised to find that the physical examination notes consisted only of "nervous demeanor" & "mild gingivitis." In over a decade of pet ownership, I have never seen such a sparse examination record. There was no documentation of findings for the remainder of her physical exam, leaving me questioning how thorough the examination actually was. Within 1hour of receiving 3vaccinations, my 13-pound dog developed a visible injection-site lump larger than a golf ball & began limping. In the 6years I have owned her, she has never experienced a reaction like this following vaccinations. After discussing the reaction with another vet, I was left with concerns about whether the vaccination protocol used was appropriate for a dog of her size. I contacted the clinic & sent a photo of the reaction. While I was offered the option to bring her back, I was also told that no treatment would be provided unless she was experiencing symptoms such as vomiting/hyperventilation & was advised to use cold compresses at home. Given the concerns I already had regarding the handling of both of my dogs during this visit, this response did little to reassure me. I left feeling that both of my dogs were mishandled & that neither received the level of care, communication, compassion, or professionalism I expected. This experience was upsetting, dismissive, & completely unacceptable. I will not be returning.

I am absolutely horrified by my experience with River Road Pet Clinic. This was the most disappointing veterinary experience I have had in over 10years of pet ownership. I have brought both of my dogs to this clinic before without issue. This visit was completely different. My senior Boston Terrier has a history of fear during veterinary examinations due to abuse before I adopted her. She is not an aggressive dog—she is friendly & social, but becomes fearful when restrained or examined by strangers. Before she was taken to the back, I informed the technician that she becomes defensive during veterinary handling. Despite this, no one asked about her history, what techniques had worked previously, whether I should remain present, or how best to approach her care. Within minutes, she was returned & I was told she would not be treated. Dr. Crocker entered the room without introducing himself, handed me a packet about muzzling, & informed me that my dog would not be welcome at the clinic unless she arrived muzzled. My dog is a Boston Terrier, a brachycephalic breed with a very short snout. I was told she needed to be muzzled, yet staff were unable to successfully muzzle her themselves due to her anatomy. There was no discussion of alternatives, no attempt to problem-solve, & no effort to understand her history. When I asked what could be done, I was told they could not compromise staff safety, & Dr. Crocker left the room. He spent less than 3minutes with me, including discussing my other dog’s visit. What troubled me most was not that staff prioritized their safety—it was that there appeared to be no attempt to gather information, discuss options, or work collaboratively to create a plan for a fearful dog who has successfully received veterinary care for the past 10 years. My dog has never bitten anyone, yet no alternatives were discussed or attempted during this visit. No one asked what had worked at other veterinary clinics or how she had successfully received routine veterinary care throughout her life. I assumed that if I was not being asked to assist, the staff were experienced in handling previously abused dogs & would explore appropriate options before refusing treatment. To make matters worse, her vaccination record was documented as “will bite; needs to come in muzzled.” That statement lacks important context & portrays her as aggressive when she is fearful during examinations. My younger dog’s visit was also concerning. I paid for a physical examination, yet during the less than 10minutes she was in the back with staff, the veterinarian was in the exam room with me. After reviewing the medical record, I was surprised to find that the physical examination notes consisted only of “nervous demeanor” & “mild gingivitis.” In over a decade of pet ownership, I have never seen such a sparse examination record. There was no documentation of findings for the remainder of her physical exam, leaving me questioning how thorough the examination actually was. Within 1hour of receiving 3vaccinations, my 13-pound dog developed a visible injection-site lump larger than a golf ball & began limping. In the 6years I have owned her, she has never experienced a reaction like this following vaccinations. After discussing the reaction with another vet, I was left with concerns about whether the vaccination protocol used was appropriate for a dog of her size. I contacted the clinic & sent a photo of the reaction. While I was offered the option to bring her back, I was also told that no treatment would be provided unless she was experiencing symptoms such as vomiting/hyperventilation & was advised to use cold compresses at home. Given the concerns I already had regarding the handling of both of my dogs during this visit, this response did little to reassure me. I left feeling that both of my dogs were mishandled & that neither received the level of care, communication, compassion, or professionalism I expected. This experience was upsetting, dismissive, & completely unacceptable. I will not be returning.

Went with my dog as a new visit. We had recently moved from Florida. Was given lots of information about risks unique to Arizona, which was very helpful. Gave written copies of the materials as well. Great communication and very good skills with my pup. Dr. Crocker and staff all top notch. Feel very comfortable continuing care with them.

We’ve been going to River Road Pet Clinic for almost a year now. We love Dr. Crocker and Adrian, the tech! They are kind and truly care about animals. They always take the time to answer questions about our cat. Their kindness and attention to detail truly make us feel comfortable with caring for our cat at home. We highly recommend River Road Pet Clinic!

One of our dogs has had lots of medical issues during his young life. The staff at River Road make it easy to meet his needs (self scheduling, texting option with office, good availability for appts). And we love Dr. Crocker!