I have found everyone from the bets to the vet techcs to thw dront deak team xaribg and responsive to my pug Sammy now Benny's medical needs. Sammy lived to 17 1/2 and I could have asked for a more compassionate place to help me be ready to let go/help him pass over he proverbial rainbow bridge on 12/21/2024. I read more

All the doctors are the most compassionate, patient, wise, supportive, experienced, knowledgeable and responsible team you could ask for in the care of your pet. We have been coming here for almost 10 years and wouldn't think to take our pup anywhere else. The nurses and staff are informed and caring. The doctors always present treatment options and never run up unnecessary expensive bills always providing context first respectful of cost saving concerns without ever having jeopardized our dog's health while still taking into consideration all factors. They are prompt and always call to follow up. No question is ever ignored. They clearly love what they do for the pets and the pet parents. read more

I've been using this vet for 5 years. They always take the time to explain potential health concerns about my cat Sophie. Sadly, Sophie got very sick. The Drs and staff at animal general took the time to talk me through potential solutions and next steps - even when I did not have an appointment. Best vet I've gone to in the city by far. read more

The staff here is so beyond rude- my pup wasn't feeling well and as a first time pet parent I was nervous. Called for an appointment and was treated like I was a moron. Found a new vet a couple blocks away- they were much kinder, and walked me through his symptoms and gave me great advice- switching there for sure. If I can't trust how I will be treated how on earth can I trust that they will treat my dog well? read more

This was the first vet we ever brought our first-born son to, so we've had some deeply rooted positive associations in the past. Back in the day, care was sometimes brusque, though usually kind and caring. But the issues that drove us away from this practice the first time around are now even more pronounced. I get that veterinary practices need to make rent in a high rent neighborhood, but I hate that it impacts care in such insidious ways. Rather than going over our options in an objective way as good doctors do for human patients (we hope at least; they're ethically bound to do so), vets at this practice always dictate to us -- without options -- the most heavy-handed, intrusive, drug-heavy, procedure-heavy approaches possible to maximize the number of itemizable services and profit. The lack of built-in dialogue about approaches really undermines the amount of faith we have in this practice when it comes to caring for our family members. I'll also reiterate a long-time complaint (now long expired / deleted from Yelp) about how I really, really don't like it that all procedures are done in some back room with human family members excluded. (This is a different approach than our prior vets in both the West Village and in Connecticut.) This is not the standard of care we would accept for our human children. I don't accept it for my canine children. We're sympathetic to economic needs for practices in NYC as we have a few good friends who are vets here. But... especially if you're going to charge an arm and a leg for care, have the decency to go over treatment options. Care for my child in my presence. Communicate. It's not a great sign that only one or two vets from pre-pandemic times remains at the practice. Whatever institutional practices are in place and enforced from the top down don't seem to be good for either vets or clients. read more

This place is great! Highly recommended Clean Staff are absolutely amazing. Doctors are the best. read more

Animal General is one of the best veterinary practices I've had the pleasure of coming to with my cats! The front desk staff are very accommodating, the nurses are friendly and super helpful, and the doctors are knowledgeable and don't try to upsell you on expensive testing (which IS necessary sometimes but it's nice to not jump to that right away). Everything is explained perfectly and if and when I have questions, the staff are always happy to answer. Hospital manager Megan is awesome as well! read more

Not sure why I don't give five stars for service businesses, but maybe it's because I don't know enough about the service they are providing, but anyway... They're good. Pricey? A little, sure. But here's what I liked this time. My dog was slow and not as connected as usual and had three consecutive nights - but not mornings or days - of vomiting. They ran tests, did a hands-on testing, and got back to me with a preliminary diagnosis of Cushings disease. And the next day, they revised it because it wasn't typical Cushings, and rather than have me come back in for a specific blood test suggested instead that I might want to take my dog for a neurological exam. I had a couple of questions, which they answered in additional emails (note the plural). So thank you to Dr. Stuchin for checking my dog out, and thank you to Dr. Stuchin for bringing in other vets there to review her notes and give additional comments, and thank you Dr. Stuchin for answering my blizzard of emails with grace and patience. read more

We took our dog James to animal general. We knew we might have to put him to sleep. He was 15 ,still lively but had many medical issues. The veterinarian and staff were incredible. They gave us as much time as we needed to make a decision and were very kind and thoughtful. We ended up deciding to have him put to sleep. The veterinarian had us stay with James during the procedure. She was amazing . So supportive and loving to our dog James. The entire staff was so helpful in getting us through this ordeal. We have been taking James there for years and we have always been treated with incredible kindness. They are the best. read more

I left an honest review last week...IT HAS BEEN REMOVED!!! Obviously, they don't like negative reviews! OOPS! Now I see the review I posted IS here!!! read more

Always experienced caring and patient service here through the many years, since they opened in their first location near Lincoln Center. All our pets, Lisa, Nathalia, Rex, Sabrina, Samantha, Ajax, Fluffy and Nellie, have had loving care at Animal General. read more

Totally lacking in compassion and money grubbing. One woman who works at the front desk is particularly unpleasant. Avoid. Go to Bluepearl on 15th St instead for specialty vet care, they are lovely. read more

My cat, Orangina Holloway, recently had blood work during her annual exam and it indicated that she had a heart murmur which in turn indicated that she needed an echo cardiogram. Gina also was in need of dental work so we brought her in a couple of days ago to get the work done. I, of course, was nervous and so was Gina. I can't begin to express my appreciation for the nurse who me us at the door. Her name was Jennifer and by the time I left, I was totally at ease. The next day I received a call from Jennifer telling me that everything had gone well; Jennifer took the time to answer all of my questions and when I picked up my precious little Gina - Jennifer once again met me and reassured me that she was in pretty good shape for a thirteen year old. :) Animal General has taken care of all my cats for the past twenty years. The staff is always so kind, the doctors are excellent and in particular, I salute their incredibly sensitive nurse, Jennifer. Thank you, Animal General. read more

Excellent vet, and I've been going there for four years with my cocker spaniel. They are efficient and caring, and explain costs clearly before administering any treatment. Dr Shea in particularly has been very helpful with diagnosing and successfully treating my dog's liver condition. Highly recommended. read more

There is just basically nothing good to say. They treated us like we were buying a coffee or bagel rather than bringing our young dog for a check up for the first time. Or maybe worse. They rushed the visit and then took our dog away from us (why?not sure?) to look at her teeth? then they said they could not because she (a yorkie) growled at them- duh probably because they took her away. We paid at the end of the visit though they had done essentially nothing, $275. THEN months later I get a bill from a collection agency. I called and they had written down the wrong number so it had been declined. I hope this does not hurt my credit. NO APOLOGY. They said they had called me, and maybe this is true because I might have not wanted to talk to them since I had found another vet. NYC needs better vets, that actually strive to be caring nice people. read more

I have been taking my two dogs to Animal General for the past three years, but I will never take them back! I brought my 13-year-old pit bull in because she wasn't eating, but was acting hungry. I suspected she had a cavity or other oral problem. When Dr. Klafin called me after checking her, she told me that big dogs don't stop eating because of tooth pain and recommended bloodwork and xrays. She told me that my dog had a heart murmur that probably indicated heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, or cancer. Of course, I was panicked! After doing the bloodwork (we decided to hold off for a few days on xrays) and finding nothing wrong, I decided to take her back home to observe her for a few days. I discovered that she could eat soft food, but when I called Animal General, they still insisted there couldn't be anything wrong with her teeth. So, I got in my car and drove her to my old vet in Virginia. He immediately noticed bloody saliva in her mouth, sedated her for an oral exam, and removed two teeth, one of which was severely abscessed. Why on earth was Animal General not able to spot this problem, especially when I led them right to it? Not only did I waste time and money visiting two vets and driving to another state, my poor dog was in severe pain for several additional days due to the incompetence of this vet! The vet in Virginia also said the heart murmur was very faint, so I feel like Dr. Klafin was just trying to panic me that day so that I would pay for an array of expensive procedures. I hate to suggest that, but sadly, this isn't the first time I've felt this way at Animal General. I've emailed them twice in an attempt to discuss how this could have happened, but they've ignored my attempts to contact them. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO THIS VET!! read more

Animal General doing great job! The team is responsive and my dog Rex, is super comfortable going to see all the vets. He loves his vet Dr. Shea. She is personable, patient with us as owners, and very thorough without being anxious. During Covid: Great efforts on part of staff! They are successfully able to see pets safely. You simply call from Outside the entrance and an attendant takes your pet inside. Then once in, the attending vet rings your cell to discuss the presenting issue, treatment etc. Then, when complete, they bring your pet outside to you and process payments by cc on file. It's streamlined and quick ( actually faster than pre- covid :). read more

In addition to the poor service, they were totally indifferent when I told them me beloved cat was diagnosed with lymphoma. They seemed more relieved that they wouldn't have to deal with him any more. There was absolutely no concern. This place should be shut down immediately and all the doctors should lose their licenses. read more

I'm going to play out exactly how things happened so you can make an objective decision. My dog injured her knee on a Saturday in the park. On Sunday I brought her into Animal General as an emergency visit. Paul, one of the founders of the clinic, was very kind and suggested she come back in when their surgeon was in the office. What is important to consider is on the way out the woman at the front desk said that he undercharged me. I offered to pay the difference and she said, "don't worry about it, we'll make up for it. We're expensive" (I'm quoting because I remember that exact moment). Paul called the following Monday and suggested Thursday when his surgeon would be in. Moments later he called back to say he wasn't sure the surgeon would be in but I should bring my dog in anyway. I asked if there would be any value in that visit given he felt the surgeon should see my dog and he assured me there would be. I brought my dog in and he examined her again, suggested I bring her back the next day when the surgeon would be there for a another opinion. There were 2 possible knee surgeries. He said it would up to me but that the surgeon would make a recommendation. On that Thursday they sent me 2 estimates via email, one for $3,084 and the other for $3,359. The next day (Friday) I bought my dog in expecting surgery. The person at the front desk sat down and asked me to sign a piece of paper, on top of a stack of papers she said were the estimates they sent me. That was to acknowledge that I had received the estimates. I signed and after the consult, the surgeon suggested the more expensive option and I agreed, expecting the $3,359 estimate they emailed me. Later that day she called to say the surgery was a success. Then she handed the phone to one of their accounting people who asked for my credit card number for a $1500 deposit. I said I wasn't comfortable giving my credit card number over the phone and she suggested that since the operation was complete, their policy required a deposit. I reluctantly agreed. Moments later my credit card company emailed me an alert that $2000 had been billed to my card. I picked my dog up a couple days later and the front desk said they didn't have the final bill but offered to call me once it was ready. Later that day my credit card company emailed me an alert again that $3500 had been charged to my card. I called Animal General to get a copy of the bill and they emailed me a final invoice for $5200 which was $1500 more than any estimate I had received. I called to question the bill and sent them the emails they had sent me with the 2 estimates they had previously provided. They called me back claiming that I signed for this $5200 estimate when I dropped my dog off. Apparently they slipped a higher estimate in the pile of papers I signed when I dropped my dog off and never said anything. On top of all this, they gave me discharge papers that said no activity for 8 weeks. After 4 weeks I found a rehab facility and called Animal General to get their approval given insurance required it and they refused (I got the impression they were not happy given this was their competitor) referencing the discharge papers. On week 6 I brought her to the rehab facility anyway who called her surgeon directly who said she should have had rehab starting at week 2 or risk muscle atrophy. read more

I made an appointment for my cat and the woman on the phone was very calm and reassuring. I had to leave a credit card on file, and they require 24 hours' notice for cancellation. The waiting room is pretty spacious and clean. There is an office cat that walks around and did come sniff at my cat in the carrier, which she was fine with but just FYI if you have a nervous pet. Dr. Howell was great - very calm, didn't require unnecessary testing, positive about the situation with my cat. My only reason for dropping a star is that the front desk have no sense of urgency or rushing - I was the only one in the waiting room for 20 minutes after my scheduled appt time and had to ask before they notified the vet I was there. I also had to wait quite a while to get my prescription after the appointment. Great overall experience but perhaps not in an emergency or rush situation. read more

I really wanted to like this vet, but you can only be so patient: - the service is ok, doctors seem pretty nice and knowledgeable - the usual vet stuff like doing tests or procedures without warning you about the cost is standard here (but so is everywhere else on the UWS, so no surprise here) - but what was the deal breaker for me is I scheduled several weeks in advance a dental cleaning procedure which was estimated at a hefty price of $1300... the day before the appt while I'm at work Ms Mary leaves me a voicemail that I have to come immediately for blood work test or they'll cancel the dental thing. There was no sorry, no acknowledgement that they screwed up and never warned me about this minor detail, not in the voicemail, not on the phone when I called back. This was a simple order to drop everything and come in otherwise don't bother coming in tomorrow for the procedure. I can handle crappy service but if you made a mistake - don't try to cover it us with rudeness. Honestly, I would have stayed a client shall someone have offered me that apology but that's just not the practice at animal general sadly. Thousand $ goes elsewhere. read more

Literally the best vets in the area. After spending thousands of dollars between Both Riverside practices and Gotham General (avoid at all costs), I could not be happier to have settled with Dr.Stuchin with my dogs. read more

The team at Animal General is truly wonderful. Dr. Yang is thorough and compassionate, and extremely patient with our many questions and concerns. Dr. Shea is also wonderful! The techs and are also great - they clearly love animals. When we lost our beloved dog, the entire team was extremely caring and took great care of him and us. I can't recommend them highly enough! read more

I have nothing but great things to say about my experience at Animal General. Everyone I interacted with from front desk staff, to the nurses, and Dr. Stuchin we're all so kind and welcoming. Dr. Stuchin made sure to take the time to answer all the questions I had about my puppy, and I left feeling well informed and confident about the health and wellness of my dog. read more

I love the folks at Animal General. We started working with Dr. Howell, whom we adore, and quickly found that all of the vets, nurses, technicians and assistants at Animal General are knowledgeable, helpful, professional and really care about my pets. My youngest cat, just over a year, had a severe infection caused by stomatitis. Dr. Yang headed up this case, and she was very thorough in her tests and walking us through the treatment plan. The infection was so severe and unusual that she put in a bit of extra research to make sure we were taking the very best course of care for him. Dr. Shea has also assisted with his care, and I appreciate their team approach to making sure our cats get the attention they need. We had to bring my other cat in when she was acting a little funny after playing hard (she's crazy). We were worried that she had pulled a muscle jumping off of things. They actually had a "temp" vet working that day that wasn't part of their normal rotation (wish I remembered her name) that examined my kitty so thoroughly and gently that the typically very nervous cat FELL ASLEEP. PURRING. Even their guest vets are excellent. Are they expensive? I'm sure you can find cheaper options elsewhere if that is your primary concern, but when I asked around a few places about basic procedures I found their prices to be fairly comparable. Do they perform unnecessary testing? Not in my opinion - I would describe their testing as "thorough" - which I really appreciate. I want them to have as much information as needed to make sure my pets live happy, healthy lives. I was particularly stressed about bringing my cat in to have virtually all (save 2!) teeth removed. On the day of the appointment the Technician, Afua, took extra time to address and alleviate all of my concerns. The surgery went well, and my cat is so happy now to have the painful teeth gone. The whole team is top notch - Maureen, Megan, Desiree, Mary, Joy - They remember me, they remember my pets. I really appreciate that. ----- Updated: I can't believe that I forgot to mention that we actually ADOPTED one of our kitties from Animal General. Clearly, they have done so much for us, and we truly appreciate it. read more

Absolutely great vets! I have been bringing my cat to them for 12 years and they have always been amazing! I wouldn't bring my cat anywhere else. They are super attentive, have GREAT follow up. And just overall perfect! I highly recommend them for caring for your pets. read more

Horrible people. They told me if my cat ever had a heart attack to rush her in. She was having a heart attack last week. I went down they said sorry we cant take her. 25+ years of loyalty for nothing. My cat was revived at Blue Pearl. But this could have been prevented! read more

I am utterly disappointed in this clinics after they refused to see my sick dog. . ( they said they can't even give me appointment even next day I should go to see an emergency service... this place was my primary place for my dog but no longer after suggesting going into emergency service if my dog won't get better or if it's get worst ... no thanks.. they have really no respect for loyal customers and don't think they really care if they refuse to take a sick animal. Who needs a clinics like this and over charge you anyway... no thanks... read more

So my normal vet was closed and I needed to take my asthmatic cat somewhere ASAP. Unfortunately I walked the 10 blocks down to Animal General. I handed my kitty over and said "she has asthma and needs to be in your oxygen chamber." Now somehow they felt the need to do 2 x-rays "to make sure there was no obstruction" and some other such tests...so by the time I talked to the vet, we had wracked up a $300 bill! So the vet comes in and says "ok, well there's no obstruction...it does appear that it is asthma." I was confused....I live with a cat with asthma...obviously I knew that it was asthma when I walked in. THEN they said they'd like to do an expensive blood test to find out if Tilly (my cat) was one of a small percentage of cats that cannot tolerate prednesone (sp?) and requires predneseline (sp?). I asked how much the drugs would cost me and was told "They are the same price, $10" Are you serious??? Just give her the drug for cat's that cannot tolerate the other. Why should I pay $150 to find out which $10 drug she should take? I felt like I was there to spend money just to satisfy the vet's curiosity! I never returned to Animal General after that, but once I mentioned it to a few pet owners in my building I found out that this story is all too common. MY vet, Symphony Vet Center, would have charged me $20 to put her in oxygen for an hour until she felt better. I hope Animal General is happy that they got that money out of me. They would have done better charging me less so that I came back the next time. read more

My experiences with Animal General were in line with many of the reviews. They are very expensive, they do unnecessary testing, charge for items that I feel should not be charged for and you don't get a sense that they are very organized. The last straw for me was getting billed for follow-up to a procedure that was not successful and the next morning they had to do it again. (Deostipation?) read more

Great vets who are easy to get a hold of in the event of an illness or emergency. Highly recommend to anyone living in the neighborhood.

I first started bringing my cats to Animal General as they were right down the street from me. I did think they were pricey at first and depending upon who you see I feel like certain tests are pushed more often than with others. However you cannot beat how thorough they are and I feel like they really care about the animals in their care. I've since moved to Queens and I still drive across the city to the Upper West to bring my cats there. The new vet there is awesome and made me feel like I could ask a million questions and spent loads of time with me and my cat. Overall I am very happy with Animal General. read more

Just took my dog here to get 2 shots that I knew she needed updated. First, I waited in the waiting room for 30 minutes for my appointment. Once I was in the exam room, I told the vet what I needed done. While we were talking about the shots, she was petting my dog, feeling her skin, and listening to her heartbeat. I thought she was being nice and just looking her over to administer the shot. My dog was obviously very healthy and I told her that she wasn't experiencing any issue, just needing her shots. After listening to how she needed a fecal exam, a heart worm exam, and kennel cough vaccinations, the vet took my dog and told me to wait in the waiting room. My dog is brought out and the bill is handed over. Magically, $170 worth of charges show up on the bill. The shots each cost $25. What is this shit, you say? While she was asking me about the shots for my dog, apparently she was giving her a wellness exam and thought she'd take it upon herself to give her the extra kennel cough shot. I tried to dispute the charges but it was to no avail. The vet is nice and seems knowledgeable but they are extremely manipulative. Hide ya dollas!! They will snatch them anyway they can. read more

The service is good. The staff is well informed but clearly pushes for extra work and analysis than needed: Two days overnight, I came out with close to 2000 USD. My pet was on antibiotics, fluids and pepci AC IV. I am grateful he is back home but still not convinced it needed to incur such an exorbitant bill. We all love our pets, and this is the UWS, I know but still ... read more

I came to see Dr. Sally Yen with my petite Havanese puppy last February for an emergency on a Sunday and she was fantastic. My pup had chewed through an iphone wire and swallowed some of the frayed metal :( Dr. Yen was extremely professional and explained everything in a friendly and informative tone. She recommended an x-ray and monitoring my dog without pushing any excess testing. My dog ended up okay and didn't seem too traumatized so all was well. I go to a different vet that is closer to my house usually, but I would highly recommend Dr. Yen for anyone in the area!! read more

We have been taking our cat to Animal General since 2000, and I believe this one of the vet practices in NYC. Everyone on staff, from the veterinarians to the nurses to the front desk and office staff, are just fantastic. Our cat has been to animal general for both routine care and emergencies over the years and she has always been treated with the best care, and we have always been treated with respect and compassion. Going to the vet can be stressful, and this is the place to go for the best care for your pet. read more

They scheduled a much needed surgery for our cat the very next day. It was very kind of them to do so and we really appreciate it. They take good care of our pets, are always prompt and helpful with scheduling visits, and we are very pleased with their professionalism. Also this is the cleanest vet place we have ever frequented. It adds to our confidence in them. read more

I've been using AG for the past 5 years and my dog has received amazing care, but like everything else in NY if its worth it is going to be expensive. However, the doctors could not be nicer and I would recommend them to anyone I know. read more

Our kitty hates getting in her carrier and into a taxi, but the nice people at Animal General always greet her like a rock star and put her right at ease. Kitty has seen several vets there and they always tell you everything they are doing and communicate what you need to know very clearly. Going to the vet is never cheap, but I don't really expect it to be. However, right now AG is doing vaccines for free because of the recession. read more

I think if there were 6 stars, that is what I would give Animal General. The people that work there are the kindest, most accommodating people that I have ever met. The front desk staff is so warm and friendly and I can not say enough about the vets and the care that my dog received. The vets are smart, kind, compassionate and provide sound advice. Although my dog has passed, they kept her alive a very long time. I will always be grateful to them. A special shout out to Dr. Shea. She's an incredible clinician and kind beyond words. If you are looking for a vet, do not hesitate to go there, even if you do not live in the neighborhood. read more