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vets in Park Slope? - Page 2 — Brooklynian

vets in Park Slope?

2

Comments

  • Subject: Re: Vets

    Flexichick wrote: Ha! Your kitten and my kitten look related. She's just about 6 months old now (and 5lbs.) and can eats like a horse!
    Well, she was rescued (or rather, her pregnant mother was- mom gave birth in our bathroom) and I'm convinced that most of the ferals in the area are at least loosely related. There's a male cat two buildings down from me, and I'm thinking about bringing him on Maury for a paternity test... he's obviously not fixed and the 'owner' lets him run around the neighborhood...
  • I recommend The Park Slope Food Coop.

    Sorry, sorry. I couldn't resist.
  • While I don't have the same horror stories re: 5th Ave Cat CLinic, I have found the vets to be pretty unfriendly. It's be awhile since I've been there (healthy indoor kitties, except for a recent fleece-eating incident when we ended up at Animal Medical at 1am...), but I really didnt' get a good vibe AT ALL from either of those vet brothers.

    My mom's vet (in FL) took her sick cat home with him during Hurricane Wilma and kept him in his bedroom that was air-conditioned with a generator! I try to picture anyone from 5th Ave CC doing that..... dont think so.
  • I had posted this before but for those that just started watching the stream. There's a somewhat new 24 hour emergency clinic on Warren St. in Cobble Hill. It beats racing to 22nd st. in the city or down to Bay Ridge. Here's their info:

    Veterinary Emergency & Referral Group
    318 Warren St. Btw Court and Smith
    718-522-9400
  • I just wanted to note that last night, when one of our dogs ate some rat poison (we just moved into our place, and she must have found it behind an appliance or radiator or somesuch), the team at Animal Kind were EXTREMELY efficient and informative and I'm certain they saved her life.

    We saw Dr. Marcela Salas, and she was swift with the help, and wonderful with the follow-up care instructions to us. It really felt as if our pup was in great hands.

    I usually take my rabbit to Hope Vet, but we were incredibly lucky last night to have Animal Kind a block and a half away, and open at 11 at night.
  • Subject: animal kind, hope vet, fifth ave. clinic

    Dr. Salas is amazing. I've taken many injured birds, mostly pigeons, to her and she's been wonderful (although I've heard Animal Kind is not taking in any birds now. not sure why). I was referred to her by someone who used to bring their dog there.

    It really does depend on the vet there. One time she was busy and they sent in another vet and I was not pleased with her at all. (Previously I had heard that they have a lot of suits against them - I do not know if that is true.) Also, they are very expensive. I think it's $85 for a regular visit.

    Hope Vet is great but I did have a questionable blood test reading there (and my cat did die although I don't know if it could have been prevented) so while they are EXTREMELY friendly and competent - it's probably always a good idea to get a second opinion.

    Thanks for all the info about Fifth Ave. Cat Clinic. When I found one of my cats on the street, I wanted to board her there for a few days and they wouldn't and were rude about it. (What are people supposed to do who find cats and can't keep them in their homes? Any cat could have a disease although the chances, if cats are kept separated, are probably small.)

    The emergency clinic on Warren is VERY good from two experiences there. The Bay Ridge one has closed, I've been told.

    cat
  • Subject: animal kind

    kittygolightly wrote: I just wanted to note that last night, when one of our dogs ate some rat poison (we just moved into our place, and she must have found it behind an appliance or radiator or somesuch), the team at Animal Kind were EXTREMELY efficient and informative and I'm certain they saved her life.
    see that's the thing about animal kind.
    they're great for an emergency.
    but not the best choice for a regular veterinarian.
    at least as far as dogs go

    that's all i'm saying

    -wearing a Team Silverman Tshirt
  • Subject: Re: 5th Avenue Cat Clinic

    Flexichick wrote: Please, please, please DON'T go to 5th Avenue.

    I took my cat there last summer. She was peeing outside of the box. Both of the Bregman sons were on vacation and I saw a female vet (name escapes me at the moment). She took a lot of tests (urine, in-depth blood analysis) and told me my cat was fine. Two weeks later (after she didn't seem to be eating much), I brought her back and they still told me she was FINE - this even though she lost two pounds in two weeks! A few days later, my cat puked up foam. I went to another vet and had 5th Ave. fax over the bloodwork.

    New vet said that clearly my cat had a pancreatic infection (which was obvious AND showed up as CLEARLY MARKED ABNORMAL on the bloodwork). Put her on antibiotics. Next day she was worse. New vet changed antibiotics. Third day, injected antibiotics. That night, as she got worse and worse, I took her to the emergency vet at 3am. She died in the morning.

    $2000 later, I got back her ashes.

    Emergency vet said while she didn't want to second guess another vet, the fact that she lost so much weight so quickly and what the bloodwork showed, a prudent call would have been to put her on antibiotics.

    I left 3 messages for the Bregmans to call when the returned. They didn't. I called every day until one of them got on the phone with me. He proceeded to get nasty at me when I told him that I thought it was clear their other vet overlooked some obvious signs. Asked me "Did YOU go to vet school for 4 years?!" I told him clearly they could use 4 more years. He hung up on me.

    Yes, this post is long-winded, but if I stop EVEN ONE PERSON from this type of "care" and treatment by their establishment, I will consider it a tribute to my (now dead) cat.

    Have been to Prospect Park Animal Clinic and Windsor Terrace Vet since with no complaints about either.
    wow sounds like a trying experience. i have to say i think vet medecine is a case by case thing. and second opinions are important because cats, all animals mask symptons and bloodwork can only tell you so much. that said. i have a contrary opinion regarding 5th ave cat clinic. i have a 14 year old cat suffering from hyperthyroidism. she had been taking tapazole for almost a year. i was a client of animal kind until they called me out of the blue, 2 months after i had been there with my cat for bloodwork and told me that my cat was suffering reanl failure! i didn't understand why they had waited...etc. anyway i went in and they wanted to run more bloodtest, of which i had already had 3 rounds this year. obviously upset that they had out of the blue told me such sad news...i had my records photocopied and went for that all important 2nd opinion. several friends had recommended 5th ave clininc so i went. dr. fulco listened to my story...and especially the part about my fincial concerns...she looked at the most recent bloodwork and said my cat may not be in renal failure but that her meds may be too high. so she offered to run a small panel that showed just the info needed...the cost difference $170 less that a full panel. anyway...it's 7 months later and my kitty is doing great. she;s on half her original dose. if i had continued at the higher dose she may have gone into complete renal failure.
    my point... second opinions make a vets diagnosis easier. they can pick up where the other vet left off. and the fact that dr. fulco offered a less expencsive test made me think its not always about the money. i have not seen dr. bregman only dr. fulco. and i have no complaints. she seems young but has always been honest and calm with my kitty. i'm sure all vets make mistakes. i ask alot of questions and never feel like i am asking too many.
  • Dr. Fulco is the one who was treating my cat.

    I got a 2nd and a 3rd opinion, but by then it was too late. It wasn't about the $ as I spent ~$2000.

    I asked a TON of questions, pressed on things I didn't think sounded right, etc.

    She seemed very inexperienced (a search later showed she'd only had her license for about a year) and never once suggested either getting a second opinion (which I did anyway) or even suggesting that she should consult with Bregman.

    On top of that, Bregman, when I questioned him said "Did YOU go to school for 4 years to be a vet? I don't think so". Nice attitude.

    Then they had the nerve to ask me for $6 for the copy of my cat's records.

    Never, ever, ever again. Never.
  • Pet Haven on McDonald and Albemare is the place to go. Dr. Keschner and his crew are very professional. I have been using them for over three years and have never had a problem. The B-67 (going towards Kensington) stops a block a way I believe so transport is not a problem. To date my kitties are very healthy and happy if not annoyingly cute. And I do mean annoyingly.
  • Oh, I also have to say that Dr. Fulco NEVER ONCE suggested that anything was seriously wrong with my cat and kept insisting that she was fine, despite the weight loss, peeing, etc.

    The 2nd opinion treated her for 3 days in a row and on the 3rd day said "if she doesn't respond to this, we have to start considering that it might be something more serious".
  • I go to Park Slope Veterinary Care on 5th Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. There are two vets, both very friendly and the techs and receptionists are also very nice too.
  • !!!!!!!! CANNOT RECOMMEND 5TH AVE. CAT CLINIC TO ANYONE !!!!!!!!
    my cat too died as a result of their neglectful care. nothing wrong with my cat according to them one week. the next week she's having a heart attack on my floor. i live down the street from them so i gave them a call and said i was bringing in a dying cat - THEY REFUSED ME!!!!! they said don't bother because they don't do emergencies. this after we plunked down hundreds of dollars on care for her just a week before. pokie died in her carrier on the way out the door to the clinic.

    i also cannot recommend the 6th Ave clinic. my other cat has a slight history of urinary tract infection(a couple of incidences in his lifetime) and dr. dentler wanted to conduct tests for a possible third episode during a routine check-up. the tests returned negative but she thought he should have another test for something else. we trusted her as a doctor. those came back negative too. she had yet a third test she wanted to conduct. she tried to play upon our fears but we used our instincts and politely refused the third round of tests. of course 4 years later my cat is healthy. i don't trust that doctor.

    our regular vet has been prospect aprk animal clinic for years. we had a lapse in judgement going to 5th ave and 6th ave simply because they were closer to where we live. i will never make that mistake again. prospect park animal clinic is hands-down my recommendation. i feel like a real jerk having betryed my cat for convenience. i should have known to go to them when they provided us with such great care for our dog who had cancer. up until she died they were there for us and gave us sound advice. we've had experience with 3 silverman, morehead and one other gal - all are awesome.
  • i posted the last item and made an error:
    pokie died while we were leaving the 5th ave. clinic NOT our front door. we made it to the clinic while she was still alive. after arguing with the most unsympathetic staff we ran out the door to go to the prospect park clinic - she died about a block away.
  • Poor Pokie :(

    I can't believe they refused you when you were at their door. Bastards! Serious bastards!

    I try to honor my dead kitty's memory by warning people away from those heartless assholes.
  • An aside:

    Am I the only raw meaty bone feeder on here? Just wondering... :)


    I didn't really dislike Dr. Dentler at 6th ave clinic for emergencies. Just avoid the new guy on the weekends. I dared refuse some of the vaccinations and I thought he was going to have an embolism. I wanted him to explain to me exactly how each virus is contracted, but he just said, "There wouldn't be any healthy dogs if there weren't vaccines." :roll: Nevermind that dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years while vaccines given to pets have been given for less than 100.

    Anyway, I just don't reccomend that place if you want any in depth medical explanation. No I didn't go to vet school, but I took enough science classes to make a rational decision. :P
  • Anonymous wrote:
    i live down the street from them so i gave them a call and said i was bringing in a dying cat - THEY REFUSED ME!!!!! they said don't bother because they don't do emergencies.
    that's sad that you lost your kitty in such a terrible way. i am a former vet tech and i personally have had to turn away many distressed owners in similar situations as yours. here's why...i think it is important for pet owners to understand that most vet clinics are not actually equipped to handle emergencies. they are usually equipped to handle general physical exams, simple surgeries like spay/neuter and general diseases. like human emergencies. you wouldn't go to your doctor's office or any doctor's office for an emergency situation. most vets also practice general medicine and the only emergency training they receive is a couple of weeks in vet school. there are specialists just like in human care...cardiologist, opthomologists, pulmonary, cancer etc. who are normally associated with the emergency centers in the city, so rather than wasting precious time examining your cat there, knowing there was nothing they could do with limited resources, maybe they thought it better you seek emergency care immediately, elsewhere.
    for the best care and for everyone's address book, if you find yourself in an emergency situation with your pet...there is an animal emergency center open 24 hours on warren st. (brooklyn emergency group) and animal kind is the only vet in brooklyn that has specialists on hand and a full emergency room open, or at least on-call 24 hours. there is also the animal medical center in manhattan that houses some of the best vets in the country.
  • Anonymous wrote: [quote=Anonymous]
    i live down the street from them so i gave them a call and said i was bringing in a dying cat - THEY REFUSED ME!!!!! they said don't bother because they don't do emergencies.
    that's sad that you lost your kitty in such a terrible way. i am a former vet tech and i personally have had to turn away many distressed owners in similar situations as yours. here's why...i think it is important for pet owners to understand that most vet clinics are not actually equipped to handle emergencies. they are usually equipped to handle general physical exams, simple surgeries like spay/neuter and general diseases. like human emergencies. you wouldn't go to your doctor's office or any doctor's office for an emergency situation. most vets also practice general medicine and the only emergency training they receive is a couple of weeks in vet school. there are specialists just like in human care...cardiologist, opthomologists, pulmonary, cancer etc. who are normally associated with the emergency centers in the city, so rather than wasting precious time examining your cat there, knowing there was nothing they could do with limited resources, maybe they thought it better you seek emergency care immediately, elsewhere.
    for the best care and for everyone's address book, if you find yourself in an emergency situation with your pet...there is an animal emergency center open 24 hours on warren st. (brooklyn emergency group) and animal kind is the only vet in brooklyn that has specialists on hand and a full emergency room open, or at least on-call 24 hours. there is also the animal medical center in manhattan that houses some of the best vets in the country.
    What you say sounds reasonable to an extent. However, from the story above, the animal was clearly at deaths door, and had no chance to make it to another facility without stabilizing care (it died essentially right outside the facility). With that in mind, it was totally callous and possibly unethical for them to turn the pet away without even an attempt to save it. Perhaps it was in septic shock, and an intravenous line, antibiotics and aggressive fluid resuscitation would have been enough to stabilize it for transfer for more definitive care. Anyplace where minor surgeries are performed should be able to handle these simple interventions. This is just one example, and it is possible that an attempt at resuscitation would have been futile, but we'll never know what might have happened because it sounds like they made no attempt to even evaluate the animal.
  • but they told her on the phone not to bring the cat. and she brought the cat anyway. i have had to field phone calls like this before and many times owners may have thought me callous but it was always my intention to ensure that their pet receive proper care, immediately. mind you i am not defending anyone here b/c i know very little of this clinic. you can't just go sticking in IV lines, and pumping antibiotics into an animal without understanding what is going on...you are liable to do more harm. especially if the cat was showing signs of cardiac arrest.
  • I took my kitten to Hope to get spayed - they were great. way way way cheaper than Animal Kind.

    as said above, Animal Kind is good for emergencies but they are not a place to go for regular care.

    also, amusingly, the ride from Animal Kind to my home always cost me $8 with Arecibo. the ride from Hope to my place is $7. :lol::lol::lol:
  • Anonymous wrote: but they told her on the phone not to bring the cat. and she brought the cat anyway.
    It was reasonable for them to tell her not to bring the animal to them over the phone. However, once the animal was physically present, turning it away without an evaluation was abandonment.
    Anonymous wrote: you can't just go sticking in IV lines, and pumping antibiotics into an animal without understanding what is going on...you are liable to do more harm. especially if the cat was showing signs of cardiac arrest.
    Of course. No one is in any position to make a diagnosis here with the limited info available. I was giving one example of a condition that could be rapidly fatal where early appropriate intervention could be lifesaving. The animal wasn't in cardiac arrest until after leaving the facility, but if it was showing signs of heart failure or a dysrhythmia, a different early intervention might have been life-saving. Any facility where surgeries are performed should at least have the capability to do the animal equivalent of ACLS, otherwise they wouldn't be able to handle complications of anesthesia. In any event, they had no business turning away an unstable patient without at least evaluating the animal first and determining whether there was anything they could do.
  • Carnivore wrote:
    It was reasonable for them to tell her not to bring the animal to them over the phone. However, once the animal was physically present, turning it away without an evaluation was abandonment.

    Of course. No one is in any position to make a diagnosis here with the limited info available. I was giving one example of a condition that could be rapidly fatal where early appropriate intervention could be lifesaving. The animal wasn't in cardiac arrest until after leaving the facility, but if it was showing signs of heart failure or a dysrhythmia, a different early intervention might have been life-saving. Any facility where surgeries are performed should at least have the capability to do the animal equivalent of ACLS, otherwise they wouldn't be able to handle complications of anesthesia. In any event, they had no business turning away an unstable patient without at least evaluating the animal first and determining whether there was anything they could do.
    i disagree. i do not believe it is abandonment to refer an emergency patient to an emergency room especially when there is one 5 minutes away on warren and smith.
    Carnivore wrote: The animal wasn't in cardiac arrest until after leaving the facility, but if it was showing signs of heart failure or a dysrhythmia, a different early intervention might have been life-saving.
    as i said before, immediate and proper care is essential regardless of the type of emergency. taking 5 minutes to examine a patient takes 5 minutes.
    yes, most vets have all those above mentioned life-saving interventions however in all vets i have worked in (mostly in new jersey) operating rooms are set up and broken down for surgeries each and every day. all equipment is cleaned and put away during appointments. setting them up takes time and staff. emergency rooms operate 24 hours and doctors and staff is plentiful. referring a patient to an emergency room is in good conscience, i imagine many vets in brooklyn refer their patients there.
    of course this entire argument would be mute in most any other setting, one where there was no emergency center within a reasonable distance. then i would have to agree on the abandoment charge. i guess my point revolves around that. having an emergency center at our finger tips is highly unusual.
    i'm done with this argument out of respect for pokie.
  • Anonymous wrote: i disagree. i do not believe it is abandonment to refer an emergency patient to an emergency room especially when there is one 5 minutes away on warren and smith. as i said before, immediate and proper care is essential regardless of the type of emergency. taking 5 minutes to examine a patient takes 5 minutes.
    yes, most vets have all those above mentioned life-saving interventions however in all vets i have worked in (mostly in new jersey) operating rooms are set up and broken down for surgeries each and every day. all equipment is cleaned and put away during appointments. setting them up takes time and staff. emergency rooms operate 24 hours and doctors and staff is plentiful. referring a patient to an emergency room is in good conscience, i imagine many vets in brooklyn refer their patients there.
    of course this entire argument would be mute in most any other setting, one where there was no emergency center within a reasonable distance. then i would have to agree on the abandoment charge. i guess my point revolves around that. having an emergency center at our finger tips is highly unusual.
    i'm done with this argument out of respect for pokie.
    Again, it's appropriate to refer patients to a higher acuity center over the phone, but sending a patient that's dying in front of you away to another facility without evaluating them first is inappropriate, even if it's only 5 minutes away. This animal clearly didn't have 5 minutes. In human medicine, this type of behavior would not only be unethical, but would be grounds for losing your license. I had thought that veterinarians had a similar commitment to their patients, but I guess I was mistaken.
  • Subject: can we stop this argument to "old" questions

    vanilla wrote: there are a bunch of old threads on the PH board for vets in PS b/c there are more in PS. search! :wink:
    Just a thought - new people ask questions but other new people also might have new opinions worth hearing that won't be prompted by an archive.

    Granted, some people could have searched (and maybe they did - why assume they didn't?) but that doesn't make an old thread the most up to date answer. Can we stop slamming people who ask questions? If you don't want to answer it, how about not answering it and moving on?
  • Subject: Re: can we stop this argument to "old" questions

    wally wrote: [quote=vanilla]there are a bunch of old threads on the PH board for vets in PS b/c there are more in PS. search! :wink:
    Just a thought - new people ask questions but other new people also might have new opinions worth hearing that won't be prompted by an archive.

    Granted, some people could have searched (and maybe they did - why assume they didn't?) but that doesn't make an old thread the most up to date answer.
    Add to the old thread which will bump it. If anyone has any change of heart, I'm sure they'll toss their thoughts in.
    wally wrote: Can we stop slamming people who ask questions? If you don't want to answer it, how about not answering it and moving on?
    If people start new threads for the same topic again and again, it makes it even more difficult for the self sufficient to do a search. That, and it can be annoying to answer the same thing over and over and over... Also, is this what you mean by slamming?!
    vanilla wrote: there are a bunch of old threads on the PH board for vets in PS b/c there are more in PS. search! :wink:
    If so, you're being a tad sensitive, wally.
  • wally is so right on so many levels.

    Old threads are history. They are not the definitive discussion on ANY topic.

    It's wrong to command newbies to search for old posts, even if it's in a nice way. You can show them the links to what people said in the past, but it should be presented as history that might inform the current discussion.

    To quote wally, because I can't say it better than he did: "new people also might have new opinions worth hearing that won't be prompted by an archive."

    To paraphrase wally, searching does not make an old thread the most up-to-date answer.

    I am not convinced that "adding to the old thread" is the best way to revive an old topic. Amended historical threads are never as interesting as new threads on old topics.

    We shouldn't slam people who ask questions. If you don't want to answer it, just don't answer it and move on. Or just sit back and enjoy hearing new people give new perspectives on topics that you have already worked through.

    I will empathize with DS/DH/Brooklynian regulars on one point: that multiple threads on the same topic make it difficult to search. But this is our problem... we need to figure out some way to begin categorizing the "best of" on the boards. The current technology we have is woefully insufficient for that task.
  • dailyheights wrote: wally is so right on so many levels.

    Old threads are history. They are not the definitive discussion on ANY topic.

    It's wrong to command newbies to search for old posts, even if it's in a nice way. You can show them the links to what people said in the past, but it should be presented as history that might inform the current discussion.

    To quote wally, because I can't say it better than he did: "new people also might have new opinions worth hearing that won't be prompted by an archive."

    To paraphrase wally, searching does not make an old thread the most up-to-date answer.

    I am not convinced that "adding to the old thread" is the best way to revive an old topic. Amended historical threads are never as interesting as new threads on old topics.

    We shouldn't slam people who ask questions. If you don't want to answer it, just don't answer it and move on. Or just sit back and enjoy hearing new people give new perspectives on topics that you have already worked through.

    I will empathize with DS/DH/Brooklynian regulars on one point: that multiple threads on the same topic make it difficult to search. But this is our problem... we need to figure out some way to begin categorizing the "best of" on the boards. The current technology we have is woefully insufficient for that task.
    You are now officially my favorite admin of a message board. EVER.

    I have never heard an admin actually defend a newbie for innocently posting a new thread about an "old" topic. Thank you for understanding that thoughts and conversation do not always flow in an orderly fashion.

    Honestly, I have never stopped reading a message board because of duplicate posts, but because of duplicate FLAMES against duplicate posts. :D

    Thanks!!!
  • OOPS! That one was me!


    Don't you hate it when people forget to log in? :oops:
  • Subject: 6th ave animal clinic

    My cat has developed a chronic urinary problem within the last 2 years. She is about 14. She has been treated by Dr. Dentler mostly at 6th ave. She has recently gotten worse and is displaying all of the symptoms of kidney failure. I am upset because like the poster below numerous expensive tests were recommended and done on my cat. I even caved and had a half cavity sonigram done. Everything came back negative. The only thing I was told in March was that she had small kidneys. This past week she got very ill and I took her to 6th ave - more tests. They also hydrated her. They tried to pressure me into leaving her but I didn't. The total visit was over 500.00 I was told to call back for results of the blood test(150.00) and kept being put off. Finally I got a call back after 3 tries. I was told that the tests show her kidneys are not functioning properly and that I should bring her back and I would get another estimate on how much it would cost for a several day hydration and observation. Am I wrong but does milking a distraught pet owner seem to be the objective here? I am going to take the advice of another poster here and go to 62nd and York.

    i also cannot recommend the 6th Ave clinic. my other cat has a slight history of urinary tract infection(a couple of incidences in his lifetime) and dr. dentler wanted to conduct tests for a possible third episode during a routine check-up. the tests returned negative but she thought he should have another test for something else. we trusted her as a doctor. those came back negative too. she had yet a third test she wanted to conduct. she tried to play upon our fears but we used our instincts and politely refused the third round of tests. of course 4 years later my cat is healthy. i don't trust that doctor.
  • I'm sorry you're going through so much stress with caring for your cat.

    Here is a list I found when my cat got sick (the one who died). I keep it handy now in case of another emergency.

    I have heard VERY good things about the Fifth Ave (Manhattan) emergency location.

    I also was personally pleased with the emergency care provided by Brooklyn Vet Emergency Service (they had 2 locations at the time - I went to the 68th St. location as they were already several animals using their oxygen services at the Warren St. location. They told me they wouldn't be able to handle her there if she needed oxygen).

    http://www.fidobrooklyn.org/rescue/emergency.html
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