Animal Heath Center

Dr. G and his wonderful staff truly are as good as it gets if you are looking for top notch care from a quality team, who will love your pet like he or she is their own.
My fiancé and I recently had to put our beautiful golden retriever boy down after he struggled through a very tough battle with osteochondrosarcoma, a bone cancer that resulted in a large, obtrusive tumor in his jawbone. His cancer was extremely complex and very rare, and Dr. G and his team handled his illness with respect and true care. We tried everything that we could, from surgery to chemo, but the cancer got the best of our pup. Through this very difficult process, Dr. G and his team couldn’t have been more accommodating — they took us in whenever we had an emergency, and also helped us through the pet insurance claim submission process.
We also loved the ladies at his reception desk — they all took a very keen interest in Banjo and the status of his health, and were there to lend treats when he was in a healthier state and begged by leaning against the counter, as well as were there to hand us tissues after we walked out of numerous difficult appointments.
We just loved Dr. G and his team and wouldn’t consider any other vet in NYC. We started seeing Dr. G on a regular basis about a year ago when we moved closer to his office, and wish that we had started earlier in our pup’s life, since he is that wonderful. Thank you Dr. G and team for everything! Thank you especially for the wonderful care you showed our baby boy.

I’ve been a client of Dr. G’s (Daniel Giangola) almost since he first opened. He is a wonderful, caring vet and a fantastic diagnostician. I’ve never had an issue with my dogs or the many dogs I’ve fostered and brought to him over the years. He does a lot of work with rescues and emergency cases which is often the cause of the back up in the office. Dr. G. also spends as much time as is necessary with each client. I always recommend booking a day where you can get the 1^st or 2^nd app’t of the day so that you are not affected by the back up that does inevitably happen. You can go to other vets who will be on time but you will not get anywhere near the quality care and empathy that Dr. G. has. There are other vets in this office but I cannot speak to them as I only see Dr. G and therefore can ONLY recommend him.

Dr G has always been wonderful with my dogs and my mothers cat. He saved my dachshunds life twice once when he needed his spleen removed and twice with a slipped disc. The office can be cramped and it is a long wait but he is fair in his prices and a hands on vet by the way my dachshund is almost 18 years old thanks to DrG

Dr. G is the BEST vet in the city!
My two Westies have been seeing Dr. G for over 11 years. We LOVE him! He saved my 11-​year-​old Westie’s life! Dr. G treated my girl for lymphoma, and she has pep back in her step again now that she is in remission. I was more traumatized by her chemo treatment than my dog. He and his wonderful staff took excellent care of her – and me too as I was devastated by her diagnosis.
There is an organic aura that surrounds Dr. G that radiates his love for animals! I noticed a genuine kindness in Dr. G’s eyes the first time I met him. He will LOVE and take the best care of your babies! And he won’t kill your wallet.
Big kiss and thank you to Dr. G! We LOVE you!!!

Do NOT take your animal here. I’ve had multiple horrendous experiences that have put my pets’ lives and health at risk. Including forgetting ovaries inside during a routine spay; forgetting to tell me that a biopsy had come back as cancerous; etc.
They have also been responsible for many cases of malpractice that lead to death.

I’m so sorry to have to say that not long after I wrote my previous review, I had a beloved cat die long before her time because because of a completely, repeatedly, blown diagnosis. It was so traumatic, it’s taken me years to even consider writing about it.

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to the two nurses who were working at the clinic after hours (no doctor available) for the advice based upon my description of my cat Michael Jackson’s symptoms, to go directly to ASPCA Animal hospital.
You knew what you were talking about girls! Thanks — I’ll come by later in the week and thank you personally (he is still in the emergency room). I had no Idea what was going on — as he hadn’t had the obstruction before.
If it weren’t for you two, he would have died (5^th June).
Thanks — Katie. You are amazing!

I am here to back up the awful stories of this place. I fostered a rescue who was taken here by another volunteer because of the price. She survived ok, but has ongoing health issues and there were questionable results of her spay that we were never able to discuss because no one would contact us and the number never seemed to reach anyone.

I took my cat here because it’s less expensive than other places nearby, and right around the corner from me. When my wonderful best friend of thirteen years suddenly stopped eating, I called to get the soonest appointment I could. I didn’t have a carrier for him, (my own fault) so I stopped by on my way to work in the morning and asked if they might have one I could borrow for the short walk over. The receptionist suggested I use a gym bag, which troubled me, but, as I mentioned, the walk is a very short one.
That evening, I walked my cat over, taking care to leave the bag partially open so I could pet and soothe him. He was not happy.
Regret number one: the gym bag. It was a bad idea.
Once there, I found the lobby crowded with previous appointments waiting to be seen. At this point, my boy was breathing strangely and mucus was coming out of his mouth. I told the receptionist he was in distress and asked if we could be seen immediately. She told one of the techs to bring him back to the doctor for triage. The girl seemed annoyed and said, «they’re busy back there.» The receptionist took a firmer stance, as it was becoming obvious to everyone in the room (except the tech) that my cat was in trouble. The tech took him from me and disappeared.
Regret number two: I should have stayed with my cat.
I stood there for a few minutes, trying not to cry as I worried. The tech came back and invited me in. I expected to see the doctor or another tech looking at my cat, but instead there was an empty room, with my cat on the exam table, fully zipped into the bag.
Let me emphasize this part: knowing my cat was in distress and having trouble breathing, she zipped him into a bag and left him alone.
I quickly unzipped the bag. He looked at me and made a cry I’ll never forget, his mouth open and struggling for air. I cried out for help while another tech searched for my file. The doctor finally came out and said they were going to x-​ray him.
Regret number three: I should have insisted they give him oxygen immediately.
I sat alone in the exam room while they took my away. I have no idea how much time passed before the vet came back and told me Kizzy had died, that his lungs were filled with fluid, which could have been drained, and the cause treated, but there was no time. He told me they’d brought him downstairs for oxygen, but it was too late.
I will always regret that I brought my cat to this awful place.

Very good vet

I just had a really great experience. Called because I’m fostering a dog, and the dog I own ended up eating all the foster dog’s medication. I called to ask what the pills were and let the receptionist know it was an emergency.
She called back within 40 minutes with the info (Clavamox and Baytril). I was going to call poison control at that point but she went ahead and asked the vet if my dog would be okay and was told he would be fine. (He’s a pretty big adult dog). Whew! Relief! And saved $ 39 on poison control call.

ZERO STARS! AWFUL STAFF AWFUL DOCTOR
listen to this story.
i was recommended by a friend to take my cat here for a neutering friday morning because of the price. so i thought why not. what could go wrong. boy was i wrong. look at my picture! when i got my cat back the tissue was sticking out because it was «filling with blood». it was so swollen. i asked the women at the front before i left if he needed a cone or medication, he is a a bit of a wild man so a cone may be a good idea. she said no in a snotty tone. so i left got home and the other side of where his ball would have been started to fill with this «tissue filling with blood» as well. so i called them and asked is this normal… now i have worked with animals MANY MANY years i have NEVER seen this. they said they never have seen this before. which dr g says they have all the time and the staff misinformed me about. so i took him back in on saturday and they had to put ice on it to keep the swelling down and that they had to push the tissue back into his scrotum. they do not know what they are doing!!! ontop of all this they kept him in his tiny carrier the entire day and he went to the bathroom on himself. the staff said he was scared and soiled himself. sorry i dont think so. he has never done this. he is the alpha cat he is not scared of anyone, anything. oh and they ended up giving us medication and a cone which i had asked for the first time around.
GLENDY D — you are right about them spaying and neutering them for a cheap price but one of the women who actually WORKS in dr gs office kept a cat in her bathtub for a day soaked in his own urine, dehydrated out of his mind basically dead … until i got there and took him home and brought him back to life… so they hire basically anyone.
so take your animals there and see what happens. good luck!
Please please please think twice before taking your animal here. there are better choices. the aspca mobile unit is a zillion times better then this place and they will even give shots and a cone included. and its cheaper. and its a lot cleaner.

The worse vet clinic ever!
In my year of dealing with this clinic i have grown increasingly frustrated by the customer service, especially by the conduct of the clinic’s main receptionist Rhonda. She is rude and condescending, putting me on hold for long stretches of time until i finally get frustrated and hang up. When she does deign to speak to me, she is disrespectful and (at the risk of sounding redundant) rude.
It is almost impossible to get thru to the clinic over the phone and when I do have an appointment, i have to wait for an average of 30 minutes before one of the receptionists lets me into the back to see the vet.
They are mostly slow, disorganized, and downright unfriendly.
I had my cat spayed there and they bungled the procedure and i had to have her respayed. my poor cat had to go thru the stress of that procedure twice and i cringe to think of it.
i realize this is a harsh review but i’ve really had it up to here with their attitude. and i’m sorry if this review does injustice to a couple of very nice receptions who do work there, but not often enough!

I’ve been going here for several years and simply decided that customer service isn’t always that important as long as Dori (my Corgi has a good vet). Well today I simply realized that’s not rational. As there have been things in the past that annoyed me with them (lost blood sample; incorrectly taking blood from a corgi’s leg when it should be taken from their neck [a fattier area] etc.
My 9:45am appointment meant nothing as I sat in the waiting area, that had neither air conditioning or water for the pets on a 90 degree day, until 10:55am. One of the vet techs brought me to the exam room where I waiting for another 5 minutes for Dr. G. I asked the vet tech «are you busy today we had an appointment for 65 minutes ago». To which her response was «yes that’s just how it always is here». Really? No apology for the delay etc.
So 11am struck and I’d had it by that time; Dori was hot, I was hot (both figuratively and literally). So I went back to reception and asked Rhonda (the receptionist) for a print out of my schedule appointment time she wrote out the details on a piece of paper. Dr G came up and could care less that we were leaving and called the next patient. This vet obviously has so much business they could care less if they loose loyal customers.
I’ve decided to bill them my hourly rate for my time which they’ve wasted.
Good luck to your and your pet if you decide to go there.

Dr. G. is a great guy. He is very down to earth and you can tell he loves animals. His prices are fair and he will never rack up your bill with unnecessary charges. Yes, the wait is long and it is a bit stinky in the office, but that is because Dr. G. takes his time with every animal. I had seen previous reviews that Rhonda was rude, but she was as sweet as can be, so maybe these people complaining about her need an attitude check.

I’ve heard great things about Dr G, so I decided I was going to make an appointment here despite the terrible reviews I read about the staff. Unfortunately, I never even had the chance to make an appointment.
I stepped outside on my lunch break to call for an appointment. Rhonda picked up and put me on hold. After 5 minutes of being on hold (no exaggeration… I was watching the phone timer), I figured she must have forgotten about me so I hung up and called back. She put me on hold again. My phone timer again reached the 5 minute mark. I told myself, «You knew the staff would be bad. It will be worth it to find a great vet. Just be patient.» Then, after the 6+ minute mark I heard «click», and the phone went dead. So, I called back again. Rhonda picked up again, and asked again if I would mind holding. I said to her, «Actually, I just need to make an appointment, and I’ve already been on hold for more then 10 minutes.» She replied curtly, «I know you have!» And click – hung up on me.
I don’t remember the last time I had such terrible customer service. Rhonda was so rude, and is obviously losing potential clients for Dr G. All Rhonda had to do was pick up the line and say, «I’m so sorry for the wait, please continue holding.» Or «It’s a very busy time here now, would you mind calling back a little later?»
Dr G – get a new receptionist and people will bring their pets to see you!

Dr G. is caring and wonderful. I think his big heart stretches him a bit thin I comment the staff and doctors here as they deal with a lot of crazy people, and I’m sure they make little money.
To the girl below who called Dr. G a perv: that’s a heavy accusation. I find it very hard to believe. I’ve known him ten years.

Like some of the other reviewers, I can’t get past the horrible customer service in this place. The vets do care about the animals they treat, and I commend them for all the work they do with various rescues. I had to use this practice for a little while when I adopted from a rescue, but it wasn’t by choice.
The front desk staff, particularly Rhonda, was openly rude and nasty to me and to other clients waiting to be seen. I don’t mean curt, I don’t mean harried… I mean rude. I get that the practice is busy, but that doesn’t justify copping an attitude and treating customers like garbage.
Beyond the hostile attitude of the front office staff, I wasn’t impressed with the quality of care. At all. Dr. G might be a nice person, but I wouldn’t bring a cat or dog back to his practice under any circumstances.
My kitten came home from routine surgery with a bloody leg. They didn’t provide an E-​collar (despite the fact that the surgery involved stitches in the abdomen), they didn’t bother to give me post-​op instructions, and they didn’t do any follow-​up. They couldn’t even find the tag with the serial numbers for the microchip they placed, and the chip was so poorly applied that it immediately slipped down my kitten’s leg. I wasn’t happy with that at all.
I’m very glad that I don’t have to go here now that the adoption is complete, and can return to my regular vet.

Meh is right.
Slow customer service, dirty, not knowledgeable. I took my kitten there because they work with the company I foster through. However, I had to spend half of my day there waiting for a simple test and then later come to find out they did the wrong test.
The staff were nice, and trying to do their job. hence the two stars.

I transferred my new, sick kitten to here because they work with the rescue group that I adopted him from. I appreciate that they work with rescue groups, and I do believe that the doctors care about the animals. They have people who come in and check on animals at night. They take in animals where other vets might turn them away, and I appreciate that, as well.
But I can’t get past the customer service. I brought my kitten there from my regular vet (which has no nighttime staff) and the woman at the desk just kept putting me off while I was standing in the lobby crying with my 6-​month-​old kitten who was dying and struggling to breathe. The rest of the people in the lobby were so upset that they flagged down the staff to help me.
After staying there two nights, my kitten didn’t make it. When Dr. G called on a Sunday to tell me, he mentioned cremation and said I could call back on Monday to arrange that (he also kept referring to my male kitten that just passed away as a «she»…). I called about 15 times and people kept telling me to call back or that someone else would call me back, to call on a certain day and someone would be in to help me with arranging cremation. Eventually I just gave up. Making the phone calls and continually having to talk about my cat dying and what to do with his body was too much. I live over an hour away from here, and even if I’d turned up to make arrangements, I doubt anyone would have helped me anyway. It’s one thing to sacrifice a little convenience and customer service because the focus is on the animals, but the point to which they do that here is unacceptable.