The Village Veterinarian

Don’t be fooled by the good reviews here. Look through the reviews yourself and you will find the hit or misses of this place. I had a miss when I first brought my puppy here to get vaccines and a check up. I had Dr. M who did a «test» on my puppy by harassing him and sticking his thumb down his throat causing him to vomit on the table and traumatizing my puppy — WTF. I’m upset he did not explain to me this behavioral test. His tone to me was condescending and he expressed that my puppy will have issues and what not. It’s been 3 months later and my puppy is very socialized and happy. He said he did not care about the dogs previous vaccine records and just gave him all the shots again. This place does things by the book, but the customer experience is just bad for humans and dogs.
It was a bad first visit and I don’t intend to go back.

— personable staff
— had 2 positive visits and 1 terrible visit
— I brought my furbaby in for his vaccinations.. the last round we were there for his last distemper and his rabies. I had expressed concerns about giving him 2 shots in one day since he was only a few pounds, I was afraid that it might overwhelm his tiny system and I already had reservations about the rabies shot since he’s an indoor cat and I had read that some animals have bad reactions but the vet assured me that it was routine and he’d be fine. I anxiously agreed because hey, I’m not a doctor, what do I know.. . within a few hours of taking him home, he was lethargic and had a temperature half a degree from organ damage. The ER kept him overnight for observations ($ 800+) on top of the ($ 200+) I had already spent that day on his vaccinations/​vet visit. I called up the vet sobbing and left a voicemail. The next day they rang me back to say that there was no way the vet could’ve known he’d have an allergic reaction and that there was nothing they could do but put a note in his chart for the future. Though I acknowledge there was no way she could’ve known how horribly his body would react to the shots, I felt like they could’ve at least offered to compensate me for the visit or at least the vaccination. Anything. No apology was issued.

Spring 2015 in NYC was very rainy & with two large construction sites near, rats were rampant in the streets & nearby park. My dog had gotten her nail caught in the thread of a chair & pulled hard to get free causing it to bleed. She stepped in a puddle & it seemed fine. I kept an eye out for infection & doused her claw with peroxide. She also managed, to get a small sip stagnant water in the park. Weeks later my dog began to show symptoms of being seriously ill & I brought her in.
The female veterinarian who examined my dog discovered jaundice evident on a small portion of her underbelly. I had rubbed oil on her dry tummy a day or two before, jaundice was not present then. The whites of her eyes were white, so one can conclude, jaundice had only recently presented. She stopped eating two days prior & one day prior she did not pee or poo. She always drank water & was drinking more but those days in June were hot. She began having trouble jumping up on the couch. I imagined her getting older & that her short legs were not as strong. The doctor’s educated guess was Leptospirosis which is contracted through rat urine in standing water that gets into the bloodstream from stagnant water through a cut or from drinking. I was given 2 options: Hospitalization for ~10 days at $ 1,000 a day or euthanize. I don’t have anywhere near that amount of money. I was informed that it can be transmitted to humans. They recommended a blood test & fluids. This vet would not be back in the office for 3 days. Nina wanted me to apply for insurance but knowing my financial circumstances I wouldn’t qualify. I felt alone, helpless, frightened for my girl, in shock, but felt I had to hold it together.
The obvious results came in the next day evidencing high liver & kidney levels. We arrived at the office to find Nina yelling at a client over the phone. When Nina got off the phone, I was given a copy of the results & reminded that the doctor would not be in for 2 more days. Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics: penicillin or doxycycline which is most effective in preventing dogs from becoming silent carriers of the disease after recovery & subcutaneous fluids prevent dehydration. In advance stages antibiotics are given intravenously. I asked if they would allow me to administer the antibiotics & hydrating fluids myself. Nina started yelling, accusing me of not understanding the pain, the severity, & how it was going to worsen without treatment. I showed her my dog’s private parts had become inflamed, she ignored me. I repeated I want to try to help her. Dr. Moskovich came speedily to the front of the office & firmly told Nina that he could not have this in the office. He then quickly turned, said to me he was preparing to start a surgery, then exited. Nina would no longer engage. So many questions unasked & unanswered. An assistant said he would approve me getting the subcutaneous hydration fluids & showed me how to administer it. It was an empathic gesture. I received & paid for the fluids, left not knowing in which direction to turn, afraid for my little girl, feeling overwhelmed, heartbroken, guilty, alone, & helpless. I still needed something to fight the bacteria. I presented a positive happy tone for my little one attempting to ameliorate the effects of all the harshness & drama. I didn’t have faith that a veterinarian would be willing to help without a large outlay of money so I decided to go to Whiskers pet shop for any alternative help that could be had over the counter. They suggested support substances for the liver & kidney, & supplements that would help her energy levels which I administered in hopes of buying some time in hopes of getting an antibiotic needed to attack the bacteria. Some of what I administered she vomited. In the night I woke up to find her sitting upright. I took her downstairs & to my surprise she peed & pooed! That day I told Nina I had a feces sample, didn’t matter nor the fact that she peed & pooed. That day I put my hand on her belly & she softly moaned to let me know she was in pain. Runny dark stool & dark vomit. Was it the herbs? Was she declining? This was hard to bear. The fourth day I worried she would only get worse. Nina’s voice resounding in my head about the pain. I decided to put her down & brought her to the Humane Society. They agreed to give me oral antibiotic & instructed me to force feed her. She threw it up. The thought of her suffering plagued me. I put her down that night. Four days lost without the intravenous antibiotics to attack the bacteria. Antibiotics! Nina may be caring, but her yelling and berating me that day was traumatic and the fear inducing, unhelpful. It’s been two months. My heart is broken…

We had an excellent first visit to the Village Vet last week. We just adopted our new dog Frank last Thursday, and he needed to be checked out after having been through multiple transports, shelters and fosters.
Getting an appointment was easy and quick– I was able to get in the next day!
I had a great experience with the lovely person who I spoke on the phone with. Upon our arrival, Frank was loved on by the staff who were all very nice, clearly very compassionate and also informative! We have not had a young pup in years so it was great to get some extra tips and reminders while waiting.
Vet gave him a once over and we agreed we’d like to do a full blood and stool test to just make sure he wasn’t carrying anything. He also needed some vax boosters and heartworm.
The vet also gave me some more insight into his age, I had been told he was approx 4 – 5 months but the vet cleared up that he has all his full teeth so is probably closer to 6 – 8 months. Which is bit of a relief since he is already almost 40 lbs :)
I found the pricing to be very reasonable, what I expected, and totally in line with what we have paid for other vets in the city with our previous dog.
Test results were quick, clear and clean, and again I got some excellent tips from the person I spoke with when they gave me the results.
Look forward to having our pup grow up and live a long healthy as a patient of the Village Vet

Dr. Moskovich and his WHOLE STAFF is amazing! He has the best bedside manner, is funny, practical, & very knowledgeable. I brought my cat to him a few weeks ago with a strange rash, and he and his tech-​were so gentle with her I swear she was smiling! He gave her a shot of cortisone and it helped tremendously. I am a holistic health coach and healer and I loved that he had omega 3s for cats which he recommended. Furthermore Nina, his assistant/​customer service guru/​animal trainer expert, who has just a contagious personality, came to my home recently to help the addition of a new dog to the household. This is my boyfriend’s dog who is VERY protective of him and rules the roost. However I have two cats and it is a small space. Nina was SO Amazing!!! The transition has been much easier than expected and she gave my boyfriend and I some incredible help and advice. Both Nina and Dr. M are reasonably priced and even if they weren’t, I’d continue to take my animals there regardless. The kind nature & the experience of all the employees make them my number one choice in Manhattan. I’m grateful I found them, and wouldn’t waste another minute looking for a vet!

At the age of 15 and after an entirely healthy life (her only previous visit to the vet was when she was sterilized as a very young cat), our Mui began vomiting frquently. It turned out to be lymphoma, and she was diagnosed by Dr Marder at the Village Veterinarian. He was frank about treatment, sympathetic and straightforward. Her treatment was essentially palliative, and while she initially responded well in the end the cancer was aggressive and she became very ill. Eventually she had to be put down, and the staff were kindness personified. Special mention for Nina at the front desk. She is an angel. These guys are really great – excellent bedside manner, professional and knowledgable, plus decent human beings. Thoroughly recommended.

I respect and trust Dr. Moscowitz. He is a man of integrity. He truly cares about your pet and is an excellent practitioner. I personally like the fact that he does not (like other vets in NYC) push expensive treatment in front of more conservative options. In the crazy expensive world of vet care in the city the prices are reasonable.

I moved to the East Village from Florida a year ago with my 5 year old pup, Buster. His allergies where getting so bad he could not stop scratching. So I did some research and called The Village Veterinarian. They were able to get us in right away and Dr. Oz’s bed/​table side manner was the best I have ever received. Being new to the city, I was not sure what to expect and was nervous but he was so sweet and generous to Buster and I. I have been taking Buster in for his allergies for years now and the Dr and his team worked with me to find a long term solution. Something no other vet had ever brought up, they would traditionally send me of with some medicine and some advice i didn’t understand because i didn’t go to vet school.
The Dr and his staff made us feel very comfortable. We ended up having to have several follow up appointments which they gave to us at no charge (this is just unheard of). One of the techs even gave me her personal cell phone should i ever have any questions or emergencies.
Recently, I moved up to the UWS but I will continue to bring Buster down to visit Dr. Oz because of how great the service we receive is!

Nina is a life saver! She sits at the front desk and is your best friend! She cares about all the pets and their owners. She is super warm, follows up with you and always willing to go above and beyond. She deserves a GOLD MEDAL for the amazing service and care that she has provided to me and my french bulldog puppy.
Dr. Mary Mansfield is very thorough. My puppy had an eye infection and she made sure there was no tear or damage in her eye. She also is very helpful with any questions you have and willing to go above and beyond as well.
Thank you Village Vet for taking such good care of my french bulldog puppy, Olivia! :)

ive had other great alt vets before (in NJ, in upstate NY at our weekend place), but Dr Oz is the bomb. He’s easygoing yet efficient, smart yet personable. And he really saw my dog, didn’t just look at her (he called other techs in just to meet her cuz he liked her so much – she IS special). visit was fun, & got some specific natural advice. perfect! and the receptionist knew us from my awesome alt vet in northern NJ! Very nice staff, great visit.

Brought my dog in for a ½ off teeth cleaning. I thought the receptionist said an all inclusive $ 500.00. When I picked her up, it was $ 750.00. I only had the 500 so I asked if I could call the next day to pay the rest. Before I could even inquire as to when to come in, the receptionist started to scream and yell that I had it all wrong and she remembers explaining it to me that it could be more. She treated me like criminal. She talks incessantly but not about what your asking… I won’t go there while she’s still there. My dogs teeth look great and I was happy with the care. I also asked to speak with the doctor about my dog and she won’t leave her a message!

No follow up with shots & exams. They are too busy and loosing control of their business especially with the main girl upfront — she’s all over the place and wants to be a Vet LOL!

My partner and I just adopted a new puppy and we were torn between several places in the Village and something drew us to this place! Dr Oz Moscowitz is amazing with our puppy. He holds him and makes funny noises which calms puppy down. The Vet Techs and front desk are always smiling and extremely caring. You can tell because our dog doesnt bark, Unilocal or cry. The environment is clean and i feel very comfortable. Dr Oz is also very down to earth and offers real advice from his years of experience. He never tried to upsell us or give us needless medications.
The only thing that concerns us is the conflicting views among the two doctors in the clinic. They seem to have opposing views on certain medicines/​practices that can make a new parent of a puppy apprehensions
Overall, great environment and a vet for life

two bad experiences here:
during the first visit, they manhandled my dog — and i mean rough. yanking him onto the scale to weigh him. (all they had to do for my well trained dog was point and say «to there.» but they didn’t ask or wait to allow me to do it.) my dog is the sweetest, most docile guy, but later the technician is like grinding his head into the floor with all of his weight. i was like «bro, i got it.»
ultimately, i had to take the dog down the block to st marks a week later to get him treated, as he actually got worse following the treatment at village.
yesterday, my dog broke his toe romping around and getting after it. as i passed the village vet on my way home, i figured i would be derelict in my responsibility to my pup if i didn’t stop in at the vet. inside, i agreed to the unnecessary examination (he broke his toe, but thanks for checking his balls, i guess), and the superfluous x-​rays (before and after the splint!), watching the price tag go up up up. but hey, i want the best for my dog. i carried my dog to the x-​ray room, and remembering the last time we were at this dump and the rough treatment of my animal, i waited for them to close the door before returning to the front to wait.
suddenly from the side: «you go!»
huh?
«you go! front! you!»
one of the senior — read older — male vets had come around the corner and in broken english was yelling at me.
«i’m just going to wait for you to close the door.»
«no! now! you go now! front!» «FRONT!»
this guy is in my face now, sporting some sort of eyeglasses that extended about 4 inches out and into my grill. he’s aggressive and rude. or, his english sucks, either way his bedside manner left a lot to be desired. i can even feel his breath on my face when he yells at me.
«i can’t wait for you to close the door?»
«NO!» YOU GO NOW!” «GO!»
“fine we’re leaving.” forget this.”
«GOOD!» «GO!» «GET OUT OF HERE!» «YOU GET OUT AND WE GET YOU BILL!»
i walk past that joint everyday. i’d be happy to discuss the bill with you. see you on the street.

Dr. Moscovich is the best veterinarian I have ever encountered. Today he came to my home to treat my senior Golden Retriever. We took the dog onto the balcony so Dr. M could look at him in the sunlight. I stupidly pulled the door shut behind us without checking to see if it was unlocked. It wasn’t. We were now locked out of the apartment. But Dr. M kept his cool. We lifted the window above the air conditioner and he squeezed through a two foot opening into the apartment and unlocked the door. Quite a feat of agility! And all the while he kept a great sense of humor. All this before getting to his work.
He loves his patients (animals). He really puts their comfort first. And he has the most attentive and supportive staff. I cannot recommend him more highly. Our dog is our baby and we trust Dr. Moscowitz with our guy’s life. He’s the best.

I completely agree with Priti P. If you want to be the priority not your pet then yes do go elsewhere. Dr Mozkovitch has been my Chihuahua’s vet for 7 years, I have always felt like he treated my dog like the priority. I have asked some stupid questions over the years and he usually tells me with ‘the look’ that I am over reacting, but then he proceeds to follow through on my concern. On one occasion when I made an appointment and asked a silly question, he answered with amusement then sent me on my way free of charge.
I have recommended the Village Veterinarian to many friends, people with new puppies on the street and in the dog park, the feedback has always been very positive and the consistent response is that he cares more about the animals than the owners. Don’t know about you, but thats what I want in a Vet!

This is an updated review.
After having to put my cat to sleep, I received a lovely letter in the mail from an organization called SAVE (Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency.)
Dr. Moscovich had donated some services in my cat, Omar’s memory. This shows that this place truly cares about saving animals and it’s not all about making $! I wish I had found this place before I had spent thousands of dollars at Blue Pearl trying to treat my cat.

I’m never into leaving reviews for the places that I visit, but in this case I’m very frustrated because I’ve spent a ton of money and haven’t gotten any results for it. My english bulldog has been having some skin issues for the last couple of months and they have kept on prescribing antibiotics and shampoos that haven’t work at all. Finally they said that if this last prescription doesn’t work that the vet would recommend me to a dermatologist… guess what? The last antibiotics didn’t work. So I’ve been calling the office to ask for them to recommend me to a dermatologist but instead they leave me on hold until I have no choice but to hang up.
They were very attentive when I was willing to pay and not ask questions, but now that the problem persists and they can’t figure out what’s going on I started to ask questions and they began to ignore me. I will never go back to this place and I should have went with the recommendation of other bulldog owners to go to Richmond Valley Veterinarians in Long Island, NY.
Also, take the pricing reviews seriously for this place. If I had a choice I wouldn’t select any stars at all in this rating.

Take the reviews that talk about pricing seriously! This place has some super nice individuals working in the two offices I’ve been to, and they seem to genuinely care about animals, but they’ve got some super shady pricing strategies going on and they are VERY expensive. Furthermore, you will never know how much anything is going to cost until you’re leaving and offering up your credit card.
I decided to bring my new kitten here because of the positive reviews, though I did note the negatives. I called to set up the appointment & spoke with a woman who rattled off a list of procedures & prices. I thought the first visit was going to total to be $ 250 based on that, but then it was actually about $ 150 with a $ 90 follow up. OK… Still, odd.
I was at the First Ave location that visit & I asked, for future reference, how much a neuter would be & was told «2−300», after much squinting at the monitor. It varies that much? Strange, I thought.
My kitten is five months old & I called last week to make the neuter appointment & was told he needed some blood work first. This had never been mentioned before. Just that was $ 121. Thank GOD I asked what the actual neuter would be, again. This time the answer was «5 – 600.» WHAT??? The receptionist looked nervous again and asked me how much the kitten weighs.
They do it by weight? First, a neuter of a healthy cat is not a complicated operation. I can see if it was some life threatening, internal organ thing on an overweight animal. Also this was the one time they didn’t weigh him, which would leave the price open. And why does it always have to vary by $ 100? It’s crazy.
When I got the call back that his blood work came in ok, I told the vet what I’d been quoted at first & said she should cancel the appointment I’d made for the following week. She also mentioned he needed more shots that hadn’t been mentioned last time. I can just see it totaling out at like $ 800. F-​ing hell. She did apologize that I’d been quoted the other number. Ya because routine neuters can range in price by $ 400 or more cause THAT’S normal. She did also say at one point, «I don’t care,» in a polite tone, that I was bringing Henry to the Humane Center.
Hey, I had a stray neutered there once, 20 years ago, and they were super nice & friendly. I had a coupon at the time. I paid $ 15. Even today, with their pre-​paid by credit card policy, I called & made the appointment. Guess how much?
$ 57
Who can afford these «let me pull a rabbit out of my hat & price you based on what my Ouija board says» vets?

When my cat showed signs of a UTI for the third time in his life, I called around for a new vet to priced them out. Village Vet stood out to me because their fee was reasonable, and because Nina (the amazing receptionist/​pet whisperer/​counsellor) took the time to ask me about the problem I was having and review the symptoms and treatment with me.
When it turned out that my cat had a much larger problem than a UTI, the staff of Village Vet really made me feel comfortable. Dr. Moscovich is very caring and explained to me what was going on and their treatment plan. In my experience, Village Vet is very reasonably priced, but more importantly, they take in consideration your love for your pet and what is going on in your life. I’m not sure I would have survived without Nina’s guidance and understanding — if she ever becomes a vet, sign me up.
I strongly recommend Village Veterinarians.