July 26, 2006
In Sickness and In Health
I need to find a good vet for my cat, but I have no idea where to start. Where should I look?
We would always start by asking friends and coworkers for referrals and checking out the reviews of various clinics on Citysearch. The Humane Society of the United States gives a thorough checklist for choosing a veterinarian, including things such as the state of the facilities and special interests of the veterinarians there (and when we say special interests, we mean things like geriatrics, not that they knit in their spare time).
Pets 911 is another site that you can search for vets in your area. If you have complaints about a vet, you can file them here. To search if a vet you are considering has any disciplinary action against them, you can go here.
Finally, the ASPCA is also a great resource for NYC animal laws as well as pet care, adopting, and making donations, among other things.
How did you find your pet's vet?
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I always took my cats to The Cat Practice on 20th and 5th and have nothing but good things to say about them. They are a cat-only vet and they obviously care a lot about the cats (and the cat-owners as well). They're a little pricier than some vets, but I always found them to be worth the cost and the trip in from Brooklyn.
My friend worked at the Cat Practice on 5th and 23rd for a couple of years and had nothing but praise for their doctors and staff.
I live in Central London and no way can I afford private vets, all of whom are on Celebrity Incomes.
Try the Veterinary (Brit English term) College attached to your nearest University.
They will have a small animal hospital attached and will be staffed up by brilliant vets.
It is a teaching facility so you should expect that students will be allowed to examine your beloved cat - they do this to practise their diagnostic skills.
The vet will then discuss the diagnosis with you and the student and carry out his/her own examination.
If your cat needs surgery or treatment it will be the vet who carries out these procedures.
I asked neighbors who they took their pets to when I lived in the Cobble HIll/Carroll Gardens area. Though the area had a few clinics, the majority of people told me they used Hope Vet on Atlantic Avenue. They also have grief conseling, which I attended after my kitty, Zanzibar, died from a tumor on her adrenal gland.
I had previously gone to a doctor "just in my neighborhood" because of convenience. He misdiagnosed my cat. I don't recommend this. Go to a vet in another borough, if you like them, even if it's a pain. I live in the Bronx now and still go to Hope.
A vet should be judged by whether you can comfortably ask them questions without feeling rushed or like you're annoying them. Always take your animal for a yearly check up, do your own research, and don't feed cats them kitty crack, aka dry food, but good, grainless wet foods. Believe me, their crap smells better with good wet food than crappy bad food, they don't gain copious amounts of weight, and they live healthier, too.
the cat in the picture looks like my baby io. i always go to paws n claws at 99 north 9th street in williamsburg. they have a new facility. the vet i see is always nice and i have been able to get him on the phone a few times when i had questions. their number is 718 782-8387.
As Gothamist recommends, ask your friends, or if you see people in the neighborhood with pets, ask them. In Park Slope, I've been to both Animal Kind and Prospect Park Animal Clinic. PPAC has an excellent reputation, my brother uses them for his two dogs as well. Animal Kind has a mixed rep, but they are very popular. I had a very good experience with AK when my cat needed emergency surgery. She ultimately needed to be put down because she had a stroke after I brought her home, but the doctor and assistants were all very sweet, and sent a condolence card.
I've taken my cats to The Cat Practice for six or seven years. They did a great job handling one of my cats who was a difficult patient (they needed to use cattle rancher gloves to hold him!) and they treated him with kindness and compassion even when he was hissing and growling at them. Dr. Sullivan is the primary vet there and he's 100% dedicated to his patients and their owners. I've had good experiences with the other vets there as well, and the other staff are always helpful. I live on the Upper East Side and it's worth the cab ride to their office for the level of care they provide.
If your in Queens and you have a car I recommend:
Catnip and Carrots Veterinary Hospital
Dr. Jennifer L. Saver, DVM
2221 Hillside Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11070
Phone: (516) 877-7080
They've helped my Cat a few times already.
I take my cats to the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, part of the ASPCA. It's well equipped and the vets are good. I try to use Dr. Hirshberg, their senior vet.
My oldest cat has been going there for 17 years and she has no complaints.
That's my cat, Travis, in the picture!
Elderta, that's an interesting comment about good wet food versus dry food. It's probably true, but it might also depend on the cat. My husband has had Travis for 16 years - kitty is 18 now! - and gave him regular dry food. We've only started giving him what we thought was kitty crack - wet food - because his hyperactive thyroid (typical for senior cats) was causing him to lose weight.
18? Holy geez that's one old kitty.
Huh, I had to stop giving my cats wet food because they were like bulimics with the stuff - they'd scarf it down so fast they would just barf it back up immediately. Anywhoo, I like the Cobble Hill Animal Clinic on Court st in brooklyn - they were kind enough to not charge me when I brought one of my cats in for a ridiculously minor thing that nonetheless had me concerned.
I take my cats to Dr. Felton whose practice is adjacent to the BARC animal shelter in Williamsburg. I will be eternally thankful for her help when I took in a stray cat who showed up in my building badly mangled and very sick. At the time she provided me with the necessary medicine to nurse him back to perfect health at a reduced price, my cat would not be alive if it weren't for Dr. Felton, love her!
This is from the BARC homepage www.barcshelter.org "Dr. Felton's veterinary office is connected to the BARC Shelter and BQE Pet Supply. Her address is 80 North 1st Street off Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Individual appointments for your pet can be scheduled by calling her office at 718-388-117"
When I moved from Boston, finding a good vet for my two cats was a priority, as they both had medical issues that needed monitoring. My vet there had given me a recommendation, but I somehow misplaced it in the move, and ended up finding The Cat Practice by doing an internet search. Talk about a happy accident... they have been fantastic. Dr. Sullivan and his staff are highly competent, professional, compassionate, attentive, and just plain wonderful to deal with. Our male cat's Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia has all but disappeared under their care (he was on meds twice daily in Boston, and now takes just one pill a week), and they went above and beyond to help us deal with our female cat's heart murmur and difficult recovery from her spay.
Basically, I can't speak highly enough of them. They're an awesome bunch.
The wet vs. dry food thing is a neverending conversation among cat owners, that's for sure. But I was asked one question with Zanzibar that made me stop to think about it: is kibble (dry food) found in nature? I think not! :) I've never heard of kibble growing on trees or running through the forests. From what I've learned, cats need grainfree, carbohydrate-free protein which is wet food... from where they get the majority of their moisture as well.
You all are just lucky I didn't say you should be feeding a raw diet. Even I haven't gone that far!!! I feed Wellness, though some forms of their products now contain grains. :(
This is an excellent link about feeding felines: http://www.catinfo.org/index.htm
What is it with cats who eat so fast they barf it back up immediately? My cat does this all the time. I want to say to him "Take human bites!" (Old school NYer's will remember this)
Cute kitty, by the way, Jen. Gosh gee he's a good looking fellow for his age!
Just in response ti Sally in the UK - in the US we have only aout 28, i think, Veterinary (we use the term too) Colleges in the country - most spread in the middle of the country to serve more agricultural areas. The nearest school to NYC is Cornell University which is in Ithica - not that close of a drive.
You can also check out -http://www.vcapets.com/ - its kind of an medical group for animal hospitals - my animal hospital is part of it.
Another vote for the Cat Practice. We've been using them since they were on 13th Street. We're in Brooklyn, too, and it's worth the trip in. Dr. Sullivan is the best. We're four cats into them now and can't think of a bad thing to say about them. They also were there when we had to put one down and their support and compassion helped make a hellish situation bearable. Good folks all around.
we've taken mortimer to paws and claws, but they seem kind of expensive. i guess that's just cat care for you though.
I TOTALLY remember that Rocknrope. "Take hUUUUUman bites!" Hilarious!
I had a really horrible experience at the Riverside Animal Clinic in Washington Heights (187th and Ft. Washington) -- it's close to my apt so I started taking my cat there for vet visits and for boarding over holidays (toured the facilities first, everything seemed clean and ok). After one Thanksgiving, I had my cab swing by the place on my way home from the airport so that I could pick him up and not have to lug a grouchy 20lb creature five blocks through the cold -- we barely made it a block before both the driver and I were gasping for breath, heads out the windows, nearly choking on the stench of animal urine (a blend, I think it was). When I got the reeking cat home, there were mouse turds in his carrier. Baths, kitty wet wipes... nothing would get the stink off his fur. It was foul. The poor cat was miserable, and I wasn't happy either.
When I went the next day to demand an explanation and refund, the vet assembled the entire staff then laughed openly at my claim (the staff laughed nervously along with him). He asked if I'd saved the turds as proof (no, didn't think of that), then told me that I should be ashamed of myself for "spreading hate in these terrorist times." !! Then, perhaps inevitably, he tried to sell me some diet cat food (I'm a hater AND my cat is fat, etc.).
Needless to say, I highly recommend AVOIDING the Riverside Animal Clinic. Now I take my cat to Heights Veterinary on the other end of the community -- it's a tiny but very competent joint practice run by a married couple who have never been anything but nice and professional. I can't say enough about them. They rock and I trust them with my cat.
Heights Veterinary Clinic
463 Ft. Washington Avenue @ 181st St
New York, NY 10033
866-242-3139 x41613
(212) 543-9900
I reviewed both these vets for Judy's Book (does anyone actually use this? I was in it for the free iPod... shameless), which is another possible resource for vets and other services:
Riverside:
http://www.judysbook.com/members/14997/posts/2005/8/87553/
Heights:
http://www.judysbook.com/members/14997/posts/2005/8/92637/
I used Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital also (ASPCA building). It's fine, my cat's not complaining.
I have the same problem in Connecticut - new to the area and I need a good vet for my two dogs. Here's another website to check/post to with vet recommendations:
www.protectthepets.com
and www.protectthepets.com/pet_talk_forum
Hi, Jinzi,
I suspected the USA system might be somewhat different.
The UK after all has free human medicine - paid for by everyone contributing to national insurance. If it cost the equivalent of pet medicine we'd all be in big trouble.
I have two cats - and have just had the senior one in to have his tibia (shinbone) repaired (he's a bit of an acrobat and fell off a windowsill and got caught up on a projecting window on the way down).
Cornell, by the way, is not a bad idea: it's a centre of excellence on the cat; even we know about it.
I made an appointment for my kitty at Animal Kind (she is barfing, much like what's described above, and has been pulling out hair patches on her back and neck). One commentor mentioned mixed opinion on the place. Has anyone had a downright bad experience, or are they fairly good overall?
I had a bad experience at St. Marks Vets. They seemed to be completely out for the money, trying to prolong my cat's suffering, and they tried to tell me my cat was anorexic (seriously!). I had to get advice from another pet owner in the office b/c they refused to help me when I couldn't give them the thousands of dollars they wanted. Avoid at all costs!
My dog found his own vet when one day he, a pure-bred stray white afghan hound, ran away. He was picked up after running about a mile and a half by construction worker who wanted to keep him and the assistant to the guy who became my dog's vet. The assistant, thinking it unlikely that the dog was unwanted, offered to have the dog examined for disease. The construction guy agreed to let the assistant take the dog and they went to Dr. Michael Milts' office (133 E 39th St, New York, NY, 10016). The assistant contacted the ASPCA and they contacted me. I got my dog back and he got the best vet I've ever had. The assistant is simply a great person; love her.
We love St. Marks Vet, they cured our shelter cat's ringworm and are ever-indulging of my worried hypochondria-by-proxy phone calls. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Hope Vet on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn is great. If none of these are convenient, ask at your local pet shop - those folks here all the gossip on vets, and know who is good.
The largest animal care facility in NYC is The Animal Medical Center at 510 E. 61st St. They more than 90 veterinarians (many of who trained at Cornell) specializing in more than 20 areas of medicine and surgery. It's like the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital of the pet world. (I think they do everything there except lasik eye surgery--and I'm not entirely sure about that.)
For more information:
http://www.amcny.org/asp/homepage/default.asp
Dr. Arnold Plotnick's practice, Manhattan Cat Specialists, is exceptional. He is an excellent diagnostician and a nice guy who truly loves cats. His staff are competent and kind, and they seem to enjoy working there. Manhattan Cat Specialists is at 230 W. 76 St. (between West End Ave. and Broadway). Tel. is (212) 721-2287, and the Web site is at http://www.manhattancats.com.
I have to go on some more about The Animal Medical Center at 61st St. & York: not only is it the largest animal care facility in NYC, it is actually the "world's largest hospital for small animals and a leading center for veterinary medicine and clinical advances." In addition, "it is the largest postgraduate veterinary teaching institution in the world." (This is generally the sort of hard criteria you would also use if you were looking for the best doctor/hospital for yourself--certainly this approach is better than word of mouth.)
I have no affiliation with them (other than as a pet owner/client), but it seems surprising that no one else mentioned this facility.
http://www.amcny.org/asp/homepage/default.asp
But there's something to be said for a feline-only practice such as Manhattan Cat Specialists. Many general-practice veterinarians are much better informed about dogs. Cats are not small dogs; their physiology (and psychology) is different. Another nice thing--for the kitties--is the absence of barking dogs in the waiting room!
We had a wonderful experience with the kind Doctors and staff at the Tribeca Soho Animal Hospital, who helped us and our cat through 18 months of terminal kidney disease. The kidney disease finally got the best of our cat, but the staff at Tribeca Soho prolonged his life significantly and always made sure he was comfortable. Nothing but good things to say...
http://www.tribecavets.com/
I'm also going to go against the flow and say I had a negative experience at the Cat Practice -- the main reason is that our cat didn't get along with other cats, and at the Cat Practice there are cats wandering around and in cages in the exam area. Our cat freaked out there, and they were completely unable to examine him (the big leather gloves came out and everything!). We never had that problem anywhere else. So if your cat is skittish or aggressive, think twice about the Cat Practice.
Good luck!
I would like to underline that the above poster must be referring to the Cat Practice, discussed in the early posts. At Manhattan Cat Specialists, which I highly recommend, there is an older cat that sometimes wanders around the reception area, and there is a large cage in the front window with kittens awaiting adoption. But there are no cages with cats in the exam room. The only cat in the exam room will be your cat.
About the Animal Medical Center... it's so expensive that you may have to mortgage your house just to take your animal there for a checkup. I stay away from them but if you have the money, then by all means, go there.
There's also in Brooklyn on Warren Street the Emergency Veterinary and Referral Group. My kitty, Zanzibar, spent her last night there, and they tried their best to help her, and were extremely kind and caring when I had to put her to sleep. Sigh. I still miss her. :(
http://www.brooklynvetgroup.com/clientinfo.shtml
I have nothing but great things to say about Animal Kind in Park Slope. All of their staff has been very kind to me, and highly recommend my cat's vet, Dr. Stronger. They were all very compassionate and caring when my kitty had kidney failure and sent a condolence card when she passed away in December.
On the Upper East Side, I highly recommend
Dr. Lily Doloroso
The Animal Clinic of New York
1623 First Avenue
New York NY 10028
212-628-5580
She is very attentive and very gentle to the animals. Both my cats have been seeing her for the last four years and service is excellent.
If you are in the Fort Green/Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn, try Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital. They are great. I bring my 2 puppies there and my friend brings her cat there. I even saw someone bring their pet lizard the other day.
Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital
411 Vanderbilt Ave
Brooklyn NY 11238
718-638-2276
Si eres cualquier cosa como mí, odias el pensamiento del gasto cuarenta horas a la semana en un trabajo del punto muerto. Las luces fluorescentes de zumbido, la gerencia idiota, el hecho de que necesitas despertar doloroso temprano - el único alto punto son que viene viernes cada semana. Dije tan a me, allí me consigo ser una manera mejor. ¡Una cierta manera de hacer el dinero que me deja fijar mis propias horas y hacer una cantidad cómoda del dinero!
I went to the Northside Vet on Berry Street last week and was very satisfied with the care given my cat. They take a conservative approach, with changes in diet as a first line of treatment instead of going right to drugs. Very nice office, nice staff, and Dr. Leiman took the time to explain his whole line of thought about my cat.
This is what I have been looking for in a vet hospital.
Marvelous. Thanks, will spread this among my friends!
Hope Vet In Brooklyn is AMAZING.
They are truly the bearers of promise, love and Hope.
The Front Desk listens with a smile, while the Docters are calming and precise. Misdiagnosis is not a word that you will ever hear when reffering to Hope. Dr. Lori Bierbrier and Dr. Kristine Young have become my most trusted confidents while dealing with my pets, (Who all happen to be in their late teens).
If I were to move to Jersey, (god forbid) I would still bring all of my animals there. They even offer group and clinical therapy from a LCSW! Find out more @ www.hopevet.com.
I have been taking my cats to the Northside Veterinary Clinic for the past 2 years, and I feel they are the best vets I have ever had. They are caring,bright people, who take the time to look at the whole animal instead of just treating "the problem". One of my cats had been having ear infections constantly for the past 3 years despite repeated trips to the vet- Dr Eisner was the first vet to discover he had intestinal parasites which were triggering an allergic reaction. After treating the ear and getting him dewormed, he has not had an ear problem for over a year- he's cured!
I cannot recommend them enough.
We took our little cat molly to Rivergate Vet Clinic in the east 30's. I found some stellar recommendations on Peter Kross, DVM. Unfortunately we were not able to get in to see him. Instead we saw a young vet who did nothing but make us feel ashamed and guilty for not treating our cat's ear infection and hyperthyroidism (we were living on one income, barely making rent for a few months so vet bills were out of the question), then laughed at us when we told her we had surgery ($600) a few years ago to cure the hyperthyroidism, recommended by our vet at the time who understood that we could not afford the $1700 radioiodine treatment. This woman was less than understanding.
LOOONG story short (too late!) we were bringing molly back in a week later for a re-check on the ear infection, we had to pay for a car service to get us into Manhattan from Greenpoint because Rivergate is pretty far from any subway lines. We were in the car a block away from the vet when we get a call from them cancelling the appointment because the vet was not in until 11 am (it was an 8:30 am appt). !! So we wasted $40 on cab fare and didn't even get to see the vet -- VERY unprofessional.
Thankfully our driver offered his advice to take her to Northside in Williamsburg, he even drove us by on the way back. This even knowing that he was going to lose some business from us taking the car service into Manhattan... Northside sounds like a good place, so we're making an appointment on monday. Hopefully they'll offer some holistic options for the hyperthyroidism too.
so.. moral of the story... Rivergate = bad, Greenpoint car service = good, Northside = high hopes.
Dr. Django Martel of the Tribeca SoHo Animal Hospital "accidentally" sewed up a part of my dog's kidney into her abdonimal lining during her spay. She was in intense pain following the surgery and Dr. Martel could not find out what was wrong with her. I brought her to the much more professional and qualified vets at the Animal Medical Center where they were horrified by Dr. Martel's "accident" and said they had never seen "such incompetence". My dog was in extreme pain for months and had to have her kidney removed because of his handiwork - in the end racking up almost $7,000 of doctor's visits. Dr. Martel has really given me the run-around and refuses to pay out any of it even though he acknowledges his "mistake". Dr. Mark Burns does not accept responsibility for his staff and will not discuss the issue with me. Really disgusting, despicable behavior - behavior that any small business cannot afford these days. In talking with other past patrons of this practice I have heard horror stories about the other vets - unnecessary procedures, incompetent hands, dissension and disagreements among the staff... If you love your pet at all, stay away and do not take the risk of losing them to unskilled hands.
I had a great experience at the Northside Veterinary Clinic in Williamsburg. My cat was unable to urinate and was almost dead when I brought him in. Dr Leiman took expert care of him, and actually took my cat home over the weekend with him so I wouldn't have to take him to an emergency clinic and he wouldn't be left unattended at the hospital. He came home last Monday feeling much better and at this point he is back to normal. I will never feed him dry food again.
The clinic was clean, the service professional and compassionate and the cost was very fair. 5 stars!