Ideally I would give Central Vet 2.5 stars. Whenever we make an appointment or pick our dog up from boarding, they often keep us waiting at least 10 minutes. At my dog's most recent appointment for a vaccine, we waited 40 minutes and none of the staff apologized or acknowledged they were late. Daycare and boarding are cheap but our dog always comes home from it acting anxious. We would rather pay more and take her to Camp Bow Wow so that she actually receives exercise and TLC. Read Less

Excellent and extremely professional staff. I have had nothing but good experiences when going here. Dr H is both compassionate and professional and answered all my questions when I brought my cat there. Her staff is friendly and welcoming when you arrive even if it's busy. One thing I will say that happened and they could work on is familiarity with the animals, please be mindful that if you aren't sure about the sex of an animal, check the chart. My family received a card after our pup was put to sleep and it was the WRONG sex. While the card was appreciated it hurt that this particular dog was going there for more than a decade and they didn't bother to know the correct sex of the dog. That said, I would still bring my animals there as the boarding and veterinarian care are exceptional. Read Less

Kelly and all of her staff have been excellent. I have tried other vets in the area and we have found my dog's doctor! Kelly has been very informative and smart and always follows up several times to make sure my dog is feeling better. The staff is friendly and remembers my dog and are very sweet with her. Thanks to everyone there. Read Less

Get a different vet. I had 3 cats treated here. Making vaccination appointments was easy but as soon as my pet needed more care I could not be seen for months. My 3 year old cat was hit by a car and suffered a sinus and jaw fracture. He was in an emergency room for 3 days getting IV fluid, pain meds and antibiotics. I was told to take him for regular checks to my vet because he would need to be on those medications for a while as he healed. What a surprise that I had to beg over and over for an appointment and request the receptionist, who absolutely would not budge, speak to the vet. Dr. Hardecker. I thought I could be fit in somewhere, but she told the receptionist my cat could be dropped off in the morning and picked up at 5:30 p.m. Do you really expect me to leave my ailing pet in a cage all day? He can't eat without my assistance and the stress from his injuries is a lot on him. I can't leave him all day long waiting for someone to "look" at him and I don't get to be there for his visit?? I live 5 minutes away and no one could just give me a call when there was an opening? Dr. H was also "managing" my elderly cat with diabetes. Basically gave me the insulin and told me when it's time for him to come out of it he will have a seizure. Well he certainly did. It cost me $500 in ER bill and was terrifying. The vet who treated him stated he was mismanaged. Probably so since I was expected to just figure it out on my own. I noticed one of the reviews about the front desk staff was removed. I will tell you the woman who sits near the kitten adoption cage is always frowning and angry. Always gave me a sick feeling approaching the desk. The staff makes no eye contact with you and waits a long time to acknowledge you when you walk through the door. They clearly don't enjoy what they are doing and I don't enjoy having to deal with them. I thought having a regular vet would help my pets if they actually needed acute care, but obviously they don't make any exceptions. I had to call the ER vet who refilled my cats meds and recommended another cat hospital. The other animal hospital vets felt comfortable managing my cat's facial injuries and also assisted in obtaining my pet's records. Also, I had records for another cat forwarded to this facility and they threw the records out because I didn't make an appointment for him. I don't see why it was too much work to store his records with my 3 other pets who were already being treated there. But this just gives you an idea of how the front desk staff thinks and operates. During one of my visits there while I was in the waiting room someone brought a dog in that was clearly in pain. The staff (same frowning woman) told the owner he could be seen a week later. They didn't care about the animal's pain enough to ask a vet if he could be seen or squeezed in for an appointment. When I asked Dr. Hardaker during my appointment if this was a mistake. She stated that don't take walk-in appointments if the animal hasn't been seen there before. I felt so sad for this dog's pain. And now you see my cat has been injured and I can't bring him in to be checked either. Do you think I know how to take a cat's temperature?? So frustrating. But now I know this clinic is completely unreliable and not sympathetic to your animals plight. Don't waste your time or hard earned money here. Read Less

My dearest cat, 16 year old Rainyday is struggling with a bladder tumor with no real treatments available to stop the disease. Dr. H and her staff have been very kind,  available to talk and try new meds to make him comfortable. He is home right now but I know it won't be long. I am so happy to be able to take advantage of their medical services. I have had cats for over  25 years and have been at Central Vet since the beginning. Read Less

I didn't like them at all and I don't know how anyone could. The disdain and disrespect to people who do not work for them and the apparent lack of concern for animals seems obvious to me! I can't recommend this place or the its people at all. Money, money, money and control by the person who answers the phone is all that that seem to matter here. Read Less

I've read all the reviews here and have some comments of my own. I do have two less than great experiences with this hospital. A few years back they were much smaller, they since expanded the building and have a parking lot (remember the old bath house) across the street. This might coincide with the prices they charge. When you enter, the staffs eyes seem to light up with $$$. Me and my wife have brought in several strays we were trying to save. They ALWAYS pushed for a barrage of tests. I can't say they're not effective as they have helped us on several occasions. Like the old song, mama said you'd better shop around. Read Less

My Dog Gucci has been a patient here since we got her. Recently she was diagnosed with pyometra and They were Fantastic with giving my Dog the medical help she needed. Here we are a week later and I couldn't be anymore please with the outcome. Every one of the staff members seem to be super friendly. I highly recommend this place for the furry friends in your family. Read Less

WhenI moved to Albany my dog was all I had. Fast forward two years & I am now a mom. 2016 was a rough year for me, being a single mom struggling to find a proper job etc. Last month my dog got ran over by a vehicle (as if 2016 wasn't bad enough!) the driver never came back! When I took Sparky n I was told his entire hip was broken. I had to make the decision to put him down. That was the cruelest 15 minutes of my life (From the time he was hit by the time I was told his diagnosis). I honestly never knew I had this many tears, still, to this day every time I think of him I can't keep from crying. The staff & the Doctor was so amazing! My heart broke that day but my faith in humanity was restored. I am barely making it by without my dog. I feel so much guilt, butI'm also happy that he doesn't have to suffer. Read Less

I boarded my Umbrella Cockatoo at Central Veterinary for 2 weeks while I was in Florida, and it is blatantly evident in that the staff takes immaculate care of both the animals and facility. My U2 was showered with attention, the prices are reasonable, and the clinic is both modern and spotless. I will absolutely utilize their services again. Read Less

charging $68 dollors to walk in the door is extortion!!!! Im surprise and hurt at the same time.its all about the money now not the animal.and on top a that the office is located in the poorest part of albany.What happened to your love of animals Dr.Hartiger? you should be ashamed how you do people who dont have creditcards fallin outta there pockets.Or hundred dollor bills Read Less

This place and its staff are amazing! On 11/28/16, I had to have my beloved Izzy put down. The Doctor and techs handled Izzy with such gentleness during her final moments. Even after, when carrying her lifeless body out of the room, the Dr. cradled her body as though she were still alive! I've since received two cards from the staff, one with Izzy's paw print imprinted on it in ink, and another signed by each individual staff member at CVH offering me their condolences! If I ever decide to get another pet, CVH will be the only hospital I'll trust with his/her care! YG Read Less

Friendly staff, nice location, prices are reasonable. My only complaint is that- I feel at all it'vets probably do this exact same thing- is bombarding you with a various optional shots and I giving you a very clear idea as to what is more important than the next. If you are on a budget you might feel like you are a bad pet owner by the time you leave Read Less

This particular veterinary practice has always done reasonably good work, but at a significantly inflated price - especially as of recently. While my wife and I have decided to take our cats elsewhere, I cannot honestly state that we ever had anything less than a successful healthcare outcome.Again, the pricing structure is inflated, and the veterinarians' insistent efforts at up-selling treatments do not assist in curbing the already questionable price-point. For an annual check-up for two [2] cats, each ten [10] years-old and without health problems, the total cost was well over $400.00! Add to this the vet's concern that one of the cats had allegedly developed a heart murmur, we were sold on an additional series of blood tests that totaled almost $250.00. My wife, who works in the healthcare field, later listened to the cat's heartbeat with a stethoscope and discovered that the murmur is stress-induced - a possibility that the vet might have alerted us to before sticking us with an extra $250.00 in our bill...As a small business owner myself, I certainly do not expect Central Veterinary Hospital to forego profit in the interest of customer satisfaction. I also do not expect them to forego the opportunity to sell me services that might not be wholly necessary. With this being said, however, I do expect that a treating physician of any kind (be they focused upon human or animal) alert consumers to the necessity of purchasing medical procedures.Again, while I cannot speak badly of Central Veterinary Hospital's qualitative outcomes, I can definitely confirm that there are other businesses who do the same services for significantly less money. If we decide to patronize this business in the future, you'd better believe that I'll be requesting an itemized estimate before the visit takes place. Read Less

Just brought our new dog here to get neutered, with one cryptorchid testicle, since his previous vet did not want to preform the procedure. They got him in really quick, and the surgery went perfectly! We are really impressed with this clinic at this point, and will continue to come here! Read Less

I love, love, love Central Veterinary Hospital. Like any BUSINESS they set a price for a service. Not all car dealers sell the same model for the same price, so what do you do? You shop around for price and quality and when you find the balance you can live with, you take it. I have had routine visits and emergency visits and not once did I feel like they had not done the job I expected. It is always my choice to say yes or no or go somewhere else. One night, just before closing, my bulldog was having a horrible reaction to something she ingested. They did as much as they could for her before we had to go to the emergency clinic because they knew it would cheaper for me to go that route. They stayed late to help save my dog and my wallet (maybe because I am not a dick to them and I don't expect a handout). They are not a self help group, they are not an animal rescue group (but I know for a fact they DO rescue - hence the 2 cats I own) they are a business. And for the way they conduct their business, I have given them 5 stars. Pleasant staff, knowledgeable doctors and my animals (3 dogs, 2 cats) old age, prove to me that I chosen the right place.Read Less

After being a customer for over 25 years with 2 different pets and thousands upon thousands of dollars spent there, I was sent a cold letter informing me that they would no longer provide services to my dog. All this over was me questioning a price that I was quoted by the doctor and her failure to honor the price for literally a $10 difference. It wasnt the $10- it was the way I was treated and basically called a liar. When I asked for the doctor to call me to discuss I received no call, only a letter from her stating that they were terminating service. So much for any Hypocratic oath that Vets take and so much for any professionalism for calling me to discuss. They have changed over the years which is evidenced by the number vets that have left them and they only seem to care about making money, not the pets. If you use them ask up front what things cost since it seems to be a different price every time you are there and ask for it in writing, The front staff also has much room for improvement when dealing with customers since they are very rude and the adage that the customer is king does not apply here.. Read Less

Was hearbroken when given an estimate of 1327 to 2802 dollars for surgery which would have meant signing my cat over to save her life. A woman through the animal protective foundation told us a vet in burnt hills could do an endoscopy for 500 which we can come up with. Feel lied to through omission of crucial info Read Less

I miss him terribly but I am beyond grateful for the loving and caring attitude that each and everyone of you showed Marley and me, as well as my son Charlie, during Marley's visits to you. As you know, Marley loved coming for his laser treatments and was so excited to be there. And, he as well, loved everyone there. Thank you also for your special notes to us. Read Less

I recently adopted a rescued puppy and took her to Central Veterinary Hospital for her first well-visit. The whole experience from scheduling to check out was great. The hours are convenient and they have plenty of space to park. The facilities seemed updated and clean. Dr. Outterson was an absolute pleasure to work with. She is kind and truly cares about her patients. The visit cost slightly less than what I was expecting based on what I had paid before I moved here from Connecticut. I am happy I found CVH. Read Less

I have been bringing my two cats there for many years and all of the doctors we have seen were very kind, caring and knowledgable.,,My Salem can be very difficult and they are always great with him! I wouldn't bring them anywhere else love this hospital and my fur babies do too ! Read Less

Everyone at CVH are amazing!! Dr. Hardaker did such an amazing job with our little Romeo and they all treated our dog as if he was theirs. Thank you so much and we'll see you soon for his next appointment. Read Less

I will do my best to keep my emotional response out of this.  I took my cat in for issues with his teeth.  I asked for a round-about estimate when setting up the visit and blood work.  When I got there, it went from $250 to $600.  I do appreciate they give you a quote on paper, beforehand, which listed the $400 I did wind up paying when all said and done.  Had I not questioned the price repeatedly, I would have been charged for extra/duplicate blood work that hadn't been performed. (Same bloodwork and a visit to the other vet cost me $250.)The doctor made me feel like crap over multiple things I was tsk-tsked at. If I didn't care about my cat, I wouldn't have been there.   My cat has always been over weight in spite of eating very good food, and I was glad to talk about an action plan.  However, the conversation was a bit condescending and assumptive.  I still went through with what the vet had suggested, though I wasn't all that comfortable with switching things around so much on an elderly cat.  I really should have listened to my gut.  The vet, of course, would probably not have foreseen what issues it would cause, with the exception of abnormal labs that still cleared him for surgery.  The vet still doesn't know, as there was never a follow up call to see how my cat was doing.  Because of the changes, he stopped eating and started losing way too much weight.  It took two weeks and daily calls with another vet to keep him from going into liver failure.  Overall, that was very disappointing and horribly stressful.The dental work was quoted out to be around $800-$1300, depending on the number of extractions.  It was made to seem like his teeth were in awful shape.  He had surgery elsewhere, today, that cost me $350 for one extraction that I'm told was caused probably by him face planting into something, as the rest of his teeth are in great shape.  Between the financial implications and general tone, this was a horrible experience.  I'm certain others have had great experiences, but the money alone would turn me off going forward.  Because of the additional health issues, I still wound up paying well over $1k, so it isn't that I'm too cheap to care for my cat.  Luckily, he's happily recovering. Read Less

My little 3 lb Yorkie just got spayed at the central hospital. I absolutely love the staff at that place. Thank you for taking care of my little dog, and thank you for your affordable prices. Also I must mention that the groomer ( can't remember her name but she is the only groomer there) is the best in town, I have tried many many other places, but non did as good of a job as her. Read Less

Dr Hardaker is the best :) She's been taking care of my dogs for years now.... and remembers things about them, that are amazing.... for example a dog that has passed away 10 or more YEARS ago, i was telling a story to the receptionist and a client at the office how she HATED the cone of shame to the point when she had it on, she would not stand up... I did not mention the dog's name, just said my dog had had surgery, here.... and came home very under anesthesia and i let her sleep monitoring her all night and the next day she was not moving, so i tried to get her to stand, and she refused.... and i called the office and they said to bring her in, so i got 3 friends, and we made a blanket stretcher, and carried her down the stairs, and part way down the cone slipped off, and i said ok well she's not moving so let's leave it off for now.... at the bottom of the stairs we put the blanket down for a min for us to regroup, and the dog stood up and walked off Dr Hardaker had stopped to listen to the story, in the lobby, and smiled and said yup.... that was Holly...Read Less

The veterinary care is outstanding. The vets here really take time to address whatever is going on - I've brought both of my dogs here and they do try to understand the issue at hand and the whole backround of the animal. The vet we saw even offered other advice that wasn't medication for our dogs hot spots. I liked that they were involved and talked to both dogs throughout the visit. HOWEVER...The receptionists are awful and miserable. It's like pulling teeth just to ask them a few questions that aren't directly related to making your appointment. They huff and puff and act like they have the most awful job on the planet. You can almost hear them eye rolling through the phone. The techs and support staff are okay, no complaints but not wonderful either. Read Less

I have been using Central Vet for various pets for 20 years (since they opened).  The staff and vets are caring, professional, compassionate and accurate.  They discuss all options available and do not push you to an expensive solution.  They have great boarding available which I have used when needed.  We will continue to use them, thanks! Read Less

About a year or so ago, I had to bring my cat here in an emergency. He was acting strangely and I thought he needed to see a vet right away. Our normal vet didn't have any openings that day, so I figured I'd bring him to Central Veterinary Hospital instead since they were open late. That was a mistake. I can't remember the name of the vet that we saw, but she told me that my 3-year-old cat was actually 13-years-old and that he had a bone problem that was only associated with older cats. Now, I'm nowhere near a veterinarian myself and never claim to know much of anything scientific or medical about animals, but even I could tell just by looking at my cat that there was no way he was well into his senior-living days. The vet continued on to explain that he was showing signs of said bone problem and needed blood testing to determine if that was indeed his problem. I paid over $300 for the blood tests, which ended up being completely unnecesary. I took my cat to our regular vet the next day, and almost immediately, without having to do ANY blood tests, he knew that it was a urinary tract infection and started treatment. Unfortunately, my cat ended up passing away because of the infection. I certainly can't put all the blame for my cat's death on Central Vet, but i think that if the vet at Central had discovered such an easily detected problem with my cat instead of trying to charge me an outrageous amount of money for extraneous tests, I think he would have possibly been around a little while longer. Read Less

We've been with Central Vet for 11 years and have had really great experiences there. Our first dog was fear aggressive, and the Central Vet staff - from the receptionists to the vet techs to the vets - were all so calm and patient, kind and professional - they made vet visits, which at other vets were horrible and stressful - calm and incident free.When we had to let that dog go, the vet tech and Dr. Lukowski were so amazingly kind and understanding, and they really helped us through the process, even sending a follow up condolence card.A few years ago they did a huge, beautiful addition, and prices seemed to jump a bit.  They also seem a bit more eager to suggest procedures - but they're also totally willing to answer any questions and help you work through whether or not it makes sense to go through with said procedure.  I totally recommend this practice without reservation. Read Less

We have visited several vets across the country but never have we found an entire staff as supportive, friendly and loving of the animals they care for as here.Boarding service:  High quality private areas for the cats, convenient and affordable.The vets:  Outstanding!  No matter who is available, they seem to communicate well enough that any of the vets can follow up with you.Did you know:  They also do adoptions?Bottom line:  Great service, nice facilities, knowledgeable staff that does not try to take you for every penny you have. Read Less

Although I don't have a problem regarding the quality of care or the courteousness of the vets or techs, i will say that I have found some of the front desk staff to be rather curt/rude and it is rather pricey but being the only vet that I've dealt with I have nothing to compare it with. Also my dog is pretty hardy so I don't have a lot of dealings with them other than routine visits. The rudeness on occasion has even caused me to consider going somewhere else. Who wants to be treated unkindly while your dishing out all that money??!!! Read Less

I've had a cat with several chronic health conditions for the past five years.  I had a good vet in dc, but I was always dissatisfied with the high prices and what I believed were unnecessary tests for conditions that hadn't changed in years.I brought all my previous medical records and explained to the dr their static nature.  I was prepared for a fight about the cat needing further testing, but there was none.The dr I met with was so incredibly nice.  The prices were extremely reasonable (read low) compared to what I'm used to.  I've never had such a positive experience with a vet in all the years I've owned pets. Read Less

My dog has been here twice now. The first time, I felt the services were incredibly overpriced, but the veterinarians he's seen have been very pleasant, and the one he saw most recently even let my dog lick her nose! Read Less

I have been going to this practice for over 20 years and even though it is not convenient, I wouldn't go anywhere else. All of the doctors and staff know me and my dogs and treat us like family. The doctors are well versed on up to date veterinary care, but don't hesitate to refer me to a specialist if the situation warrants. The doctors have also been known to call me at home well into the evening to discuss any aspect of my animal's care Read Less

Dr Hardaker and staff are truly outstanding. The new facilty has state of the art equipment and the staff are very caring. They go out of their way to do what is right for your pet and communicate fully in educating you on what is going on with your pet. The pet groomers are wonderful with the pets and new office staff have taken on measures to constantly improve pricing and make care affordable. My cat is a very tempermental boy and is very nasty when he is brought in. The staff are patient and really try to keep him calm. I would recommend Central Veterinary Hospital to anyone who wants quality care for their loved ones! Read Less

My family has been taking our 4 legged memebers to this vet since they opened in 1982. We have found them to be the most loving and caring staff around. We highly recommend Doc Michelle and her outstanding staff. The prices are higher than other vets but we know that they truly love animals and care for them accordingly. Read Less

I have found Central Avenue Vet to have a few very rude office staff and expensive overall, compared with some other very nice Albany Vet. I have brought my cats to Cental Avenue Vet during the past three years because they have Saturday hours and are near-by, but I decided I would not go back recently after being treated so abruptly once again from office staff and because they tend to be higher (sometimes considerably) than other areas vets. (They charge for nail clippings whereas every other vet I've ever taken my cats to offer this service as a courtesy. Vaccines are higher than other docs, too.) I was told my cats teeth cleaning might range in cost of $1000 or even upwards. They could not give me an exact price. they charge for every 15 minutes of dental work. (guilderland animal hospital gave me a straight fee of $350.) Two vets there told me my cat had a heart murmur and needed a cardiologist before being spayed. I took cat to another (very experiences and well-regarded vet in area) who assured me my cat did not have murmur and could have routine spay.I would not recommend this clinic to another person. Read Less