(Updated review of Guardian Veterinary Specialists, January 7) In the aftermath of my dog's emergency surgical visit to Guardian I have adjusted to rating by removing one star. While Guardian is superb in dealing with on site/immediate emergency triage, and despite having system in place for post-surgical follow up, Guardian does not reply to important questions or observations in any kind of timely manner (despite three days of daily outreach, Guardian only replied to one on my emails.) If you decide to use them, feel confident in the care you receive onsite, but do not depend on them for any timely subsequent advice or support. Instead, reach out to your regular vet instead. read more

My cat has had a condition for a few years that our vet couldnt diagnose, and 1 trip to Guardian gave us answers. What a great facility & top notch staff Dr Zhou was super helpful, and his knowledge gave me peace to know that someone knows what's wrong with my cat. His assistant was also great. I highly recommend coming here with your pets read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - My boy decided he would hang in the sink, which turned out to be convenient for the staff - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

Absolutely fantastic care. They kept me updated on my Dogs status the whole time he was there and helped me find the most effective way to treat him with out spending extra cost. They even sent photos of him so I could see how he was doing. Really wonderful organization. read more

"I am writing this with a heavy heart on Mother's Day. My dog, Bruno, had been a patient here for over a year. At his follow-up visit a month ago, we were told he was in remission and his vitals were good. However, immediately after receiving a chemo treatment during that visit, Bruno suffered sudden paralysis in both his left front and rear paws. It has been a month of silence from the clinic. Despite our long history with this vet, no one followed up to check on him or address the sudden, catastrophic change in his health. It feels as though my last visit, which cost $2,300, resulted in a life sentence for Bruno. We are now preparing to say goodbye to him tomorrow. I am deeply disappointed by the lack of accountability and the failure in follow-up care during such a devastating time." -- read more

The physicians, nurses, and staff at Guardian are absolutely incredible -- extremely knowledgeable, caring, and genuinely committed to getting to the root of the problem. We felt completely safe and in good hands the entire time. The pricing was also very reasonable for an emergency vet; honestly, I think I would've paid double at my regular clinic. Guardian is such a special place. I even had to put my first dog down there, and although it was one of the hardest moments of my life, the team made it a truly beautiful experience. They showed so much compassion and respect throughout the process. If you're looking for a place you can truly trust with your pets, take them to Guardian. Your animal will receive the most incredible care from truly special people. The doctors communicate clearly and with such kindness -- I can't recommen read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - My baby - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

This post is specifically about the neurology department. DO NOT LET THEM CONVINCE YOU TO DO MAJOR SURGERY ON YOUR DOG. Last November, we brought my 10-year-old basset hound to the ER because he had been unable to walk all weekend. The first place we took him to said it was a flare-up of arthritis, but after a few days, we knew it was something more and took him to Guardian for an MRI. The scan showed that his spine was being compressed. We were heartbroken, but due to our dog's age and current health status, we thought it would be best to let him go in peace. Despite our hesitation, Dr. Gibson and her team convinced my distraught family to proceed with major spinal surgery, with the expectation that he would be walking within two weeks and make a full recovery in 6-8 weeks. They even went as far as to say, "I would do this to my dog." They also said it would be a small incision near his neck. In reality, the surgical incision extended down almost his entire back. After the surgery, my poor dog had to stay in the hospital for another two weeks and still was not walking. They then said there were unexpected anatomical factors impacting his recovery. Meanwhile, we had provided his full medical history, including arthritis and a cancer diagnosis, which they failed to adequately consider. We were lied to and misguided from the very start. After months of taking him to rehab multiple times a week, he is still not walking, and my family is heartbroken. We are now left with a paralyzed dog with little to no quality of life, requiring around-the-clock care. We are doing everything we possibly can to keep our fur baby happy and comfortable. He barks all day out of frustration from not being able to move, and he has to urinate and defecate in a diaper, with no quality of life. It is beyond upsetting to know we put him through all of this and now have to continue to watch him suffer. We have been put in an impossible situation. We trusted the veterinarians here to help us make the right decision for our dog, and now we are left with an impossible and heartbreaking choice. No family or pet should have to go through what we have experienced. They should be ashamed of themselves. During multiple post-operative visits, Dr. Gibson has continued to tell us there is hope he will walk and to keep going with his recovery if we can, but at this point, it feels as if all we are doing is prolonging his suffering. I won't even get into the cost of the surgery, the two-week hospital stay, and months of rehabilitation. At the end of the day, we prayed and did everything in our power to help our beloved dog, but the team here played on our emotions. I hope no other family has to go through this. This place should truly be ashamed. read more

This was my first visit and as soon as I entered, I was greeted by the receptionist who was pleasant and professional. Dr. Hart was thorough and has a great bedside manner. I would not hesitate to recommend Guardian to anyone looking for a specialist. read more

Dr. Berg was very clear and compassionate about our cat's diagnosis. Dr. Berg was everything a pet owner could want when hearing difficult news about a pet. He was clear about our options, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. Everyone was very compassionate and treated our cat and us with the greatest empathy. read more

Brought dogs in after a fight. One is bleeding, tunneling wounds. Arrived at 630pm. Not one person- vet assistant, tech or Vetinarian has come to assess their wounds until about 11pm. When the doctors finally came - they were kind. I think triage and staffing could improve read more

I run a cat rescue in Manhattan. one of my fosters lives in CT. took one of her foster cats to Guardian who then without my permission proceeded to run very expensive tests I never approved. I did pay the bill by check and it then hit me a few days later no one called me to get my permission. the vet that admitted the cat told my foster they would call me. my phone is on 24 hours not one person called me. the cat was in renal failure and very old. the bill was almost $4000 and the cat passed away less than two weeks later. i have had numerous calls with them and they play "dumb" like they didn't know the owner of the rescue needs to approve all treatment. No apology or offer to refund part of the treatments. read more

The entire staff was incredibly kind, supportive, professional and sensitive. They made one of our most difficult decisions easier.

We came from central CT to do a dermatology consultation. Upon arrival, the staff was friendly and welcomed us to the facility. The overall experience with everyone and the hospital was wonderful, caring, and genuinely interested in the wellbeing of our dog. I would gladly recommend the clinic to friends if they needed to bring their family member to a specialist. Everyone there truly loves the patients and their humans and it shows in the experience provided. read more

Every member of the Guardian Vet team has been friendly, courteous, and professional. They understand the sensitivity of having our fur babies being there and take the added layer to make you feel comfortable. They showed our boy respect and care. read more

We drove in from New Jersey to see Dr. Berg about our French bulldogs random episodes of pain thankfully we were able to bring in x-rays from our normal vet and we sat with Dr. Berg at no cost to discuss different options as far as the care of our beloved dog. He was very honest with everything and extremely knowledgeable and breeds that are predisposed to spine issues at no point did he or anybody from his team try and talk us into doing anything that we didn't need to do and thankfully we were sent home with nothing but new information while this may not be the same outcome that everybody else has this place was 100% worth the experience and had she needed any serious treatment I would've felt comfortable doing it here. read more

Great facility! Well organized with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Took great care of my pet right away! Also enjoyed the free chips and coffee while i waited. read more

Money Over Lives: They Let My Dog Freya Die While Demanding $10,000 - Avoid This Place Review Body: "I am writing this with a broken heart after losing my beloved dog Freya on what should have been her 7th birthday, April 14. Just days earlier, I brought her to Guardian Veterinary Specialists in Brewster, NY, at 6am because she was showing clear signs of a blockage--exactly what I told them. They found fluid in her abdomen/intestines but planned to send her home around 3pm anyway. Then she threw up a huge blood clot and had major diarrhea--the very symptoms I had reported from the beginning. Suddenly they needed money upfront for even a sonogram. I had already spent close to $6,000 that day on initial care, but without the full $10,000 for exploratory surgery, they did nothing meaningful. They finally saw the blockage but turned it into a "waiting game" to see if she would pass it. By the time I got her to another facility for help, she was drooling blood and literally spewing it out. The new vet tried, but all they could do was help her cross over peacefully. Freya went in alert and left far worse--because critical diagnostics and treatment were delayed over payment. This is a money-hungry emergency hospital. If you have the funds upfront, they'll help and you'll probably leave a glowing review. But if you're a retired family on fixed income (like my husband Joe, a retired Yonkers PD officer, and me at 54), they bleed you dry with $6,000+ and then demand more while your pet deteriorates. They advertise 24/7 emergency care, but in reality, it's care only if you can pay their price immediately. Warning to every pet owner: Do NOT take your sick animal here unless you have unlimited cash on hand. They let my baby girl suffer and die needlessly. I will never forgive them for this, and I hope others read this before it's too late for their pet. Freya deserved better. Every animal does." read more

Guardian is amazing I brought my kitten here last night because her eye didn't look right everyone was so kind and helpful with her. I really recommend coming here!! read more

Our pup was very lethargic on a Friday. We brought her to Guardian in Brewster over an hour away to get the best care. They were amazing. We had the ability to call and check on her after she was admitted. Every time we sites reminded us we could call when we we wanted and they were there to answer all our questions. She stayed several days . We had the ability to visit in a private room with her. Since she wasn't eating they brought us different types of food we could try feeding her in case she would eat with us. She was so sick she had an accident and they promptly came in and cleaned her up and the area . Though she is still not fully out of the woods yet. When we got to bring her home they explained everything and all the medicine instructions were very clearly printed out for us. We were reminded any time of day we are unsure of anything just to call. The staff there is amazing and as we go down this journey to figure out how to best help out pup we feel so thankful for everyone at Guardian in Brewster. Little Bear is here today because of them! read more

I have had 3 animals here and all three have been (were) misdiagnosed. The very first time I was there the vet was very nice. Last time I only met the tech. read more

My Yorkie Enzo was there for therapy. I was a while ago however I'm sure they are the same. Very nice hospital. The therapy area is separate from hospital. Physical therapist Jen is amazing. Her assistant Sam is very efficient. Both are a strong team and I feel so fortunate and Blessed that my puppy is in their care. BTW this is the second dog of mine that Jen has taken care of. Thank you for hiring Jen and Sam. read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - Enzo - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

The professional and kindness of Doctor Goodwin was outstanding. His bedside manner and skill set is what stood out to me. He wasn't annoyed by questions, and his communication was outstanding . I give the Doctor and his team 5 stars for exceptional care. He's compassionate, skilled, and overall a pleasant doctor extremely down to earth. read more

We bought our 1 and 1/2 year old puppy after he came back from a groomer with a gash in his side. It was a busy Friday night, and they still took the time to help us immediately and treated us kindly. Our Vet tech, Missi, was amazing and so comforting. We sat in the waiting room for 5 hours, watched TV and had coffee. It was nice to have these distractions during such a scary time. Our pup had to be sedated, got stitches and a drain put in, but the entire process was smooth, and I would go back any time we need emergency care. read more

My dog has a ccl rupture and was scheduled for a consultation and same day surgery with dog Hart. The day of my dogs surgery I was told that the surgery was canceled due to a staffing issue. As a pet owner I expected clear communication and professionalism especially when it comes to something as serious as surgery . I would have appreciated direction on where to seek care from my pet since he denied my dog help twice ! The doctor wouldn't even refer me to another doctor for help when he called a week later to tell me he won't operate on my dog . Extremely cruel doctor& horrific bed side manor ! Now my dog has to wait longer for the care he deserves read more

The professionalism and kindness of the staff was outstanding. Dr. Gibson was amazing. I can't remember the name of the vet tech who assisted me but she was also amazing as well. They were both so kind and willing to work with me. How kind and knowledgeable the doctor and techs were. Also the fact that the doctor was willing to work with me to try a treatment plan even without doing an MRI to confirm what the actual cause of the problem is. read more

If I could leave 0 stars, I'd still be mad that I couldn't leave them a lower rating. I spent $2000 and subjected my dog to unnecessary treatment because she was grossly misdiagnosed. I brought my dog in on a Wednesday night with a cough and sniffle. Dr. Mendelssohn put us immediately on edge with her snotty, aggressive, and condescending attitude, but I was concerned about the dog and I let it slide. We had X-rays and were told she had a mass in her chest that probably wasn't causing the cough but needed further testing. We paid $1600 for an antibiotic, labs, X-rays and were told we needed to schedule with their specialist regarding the "mass". We got no answers. After 4 days on the antibiotics we took her back on Sunday for worsening congestion, cough, and breathing issues. We were told she needed to be there overnight for fluids and antibiotic. I declined to leave her there as I was not impressed with their bedside manner. She got subcutaneous fluids and an antibiotic shot, again no answers, $400. Thank God I took her to her regular vet the next morning. She has acid reflux, no mass on X-rays, and was completely cured with a $15 bottle of Pepcid!!! These people are clinically incompetent and will suck every penny out of your pocket. Their assessment skills are a joke and their bedside manner is insulting. Never, ever again would I take my dog anywhere near this facility. Go to the emergency vet in Newtown CT if you need to. read more

Guardian vet is a rip off. They don't care about their patients. They're highly expensive took my dog there for a broken leg paid over eight grand. They took the cast off a few weeks later. Her leg broke again. They said it was because the titanium plague was too large, and then I had to pay for another surgery for them to put in a smaller plate which I did but at the end they wanted to charge me for an x-ray. I said no it should be included in all this that I've paid you over $12-$14,000 and they refused they're horrible. They were ripped off they're very expensive and the vets aren't even that good. They don't call you back. Worst veterinarian facility around. and they charge you $700 for an emergency visit even though her broken leg. The second time was their fault and I made an appointment to take her in. I still had to pay a $700 emergency visit. Do not take your animal there unless you're prepared to be ripped off read more

It's ok. The facility has emergency services, which brings relief in times of need. The staff were friendly and mostly helpful. They have a nice waiting area with tv, snacks, coffee, which are all very much appreciated when you could be sitting and waiting for your pet for hours. What really frustrated me was that they advertise 24 hour ophthalmology services. I drove 1 hour for this and eventually learned that there's no way the ophthalmologist was going to show up to see my dog. My dog had a descemetocele that filled and ruptured 3 times in the last 24 hours. The dog needed attention by an eye doctor capable of surgery. At Guardian, if the ER doctor on hand concludes it's an emergency, the ophthalmologist is supposedly called to come in. This was never going to happen during my visit (regardless of the condition) as the ophthalmologist apparently had some other plans. Their website falsely advertises a 24 hour, 7 day a week ophthalmology services. read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - False advertising. They did not have an ophthalmologist available to see my dog. - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

My dog had a flipped stomach. We acted quickly and Guardian was the first place that came up. They saved his life. They worked quickly and kept us informed the entire time. We got regular updates during his hospital stay and they were great about letting us visit. I would 100% recommend this place. Thank you to EVERYONE at the Guardian ER, you were all amazing!! read more

My dog ruptured her CLL and was so lucky to have Dr. Hart as a surgeon. He and his team took such good care of her and she is making great strides (literally and figuratively) in her recovery. The rest of the staff was also skillful and compassionate--exactly what you want from any medical professional! They had so much patience with me and were responsive when I had questions. We feel so fortunate that our beloved girl had access to such good care. Thank you!!! read more

Went for an emergency. My dog walked away okay which is all I wanted. I just wish there was more communication. I had here there for hours before someone spoke to me. read more

I will never bring another pet of mine here again. I brought my 4 y/o cat to them at 6:00 a.m the other morning. He was having labored breathing. They took him right in, and when the dr. came out to talk to me, she said that his pulse oxygen was at 99%, which is excellent, then I was handed the estimate. The estimate for blood work, x-rays, pulse oxygen test and ER visit was $1537, with a downpayment of $1153. I only had $900 cash on me, and explained that I would be able to get the balance within a few hours, and would stay there until I was able to access the rest of the money. I was told NO!!!!!!! TAKE HIM TO YOUR REGULAR VET ASAP!!!!! My poor baby boy couldn't breathe well, and this is what I'm told. By the time I got to my vet, (that's another whole story), then having to get him to another ER, my poor, sweet, sweet, baby boy died of respiratory failure!!! If you would of treated him right away, and allowed me to pay you what I had on me, and then let me stay there for a couple of hours until I was able to get the balance, my baby might still be alive. As far as I'm concerned, YOU KILLED MY CAT!!! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH!!!!! You don't care about animals, you're just money hungry whores!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING AWAY MY WHOLE HEART AND WORLD!!!!! read more

If I could give negative stars I would! Please DO NOT bring your pet to this place. It is unconscionable how a corporation who "claims" to treat emergency veterinary issues is still in operation. To say that they are inept at all aspects of caring for your pet is kind. The ONLY reason we ended up here with my 10 year old Shihpoo was due to the fact our primary vet office that has emergency services did not have an emergency vet covering the department at the time we needed services so we did a google search and this was the closest. Unfortunately it is clear that money is the motivation here and not actually employing people who have experience or actually care for animals. Overall the worst experience I have had when it comes to veterinary care. I will give one star for the cleanliness of the waiting room. One other suggestion would be that the front desk staff could benefit from customer service instruction. I'm sure the corporate office would not be pleased that I was subjected to listening to the staff proclaim that they were a "drill sergeant ". Very unprofessional. The 2 other suggestion I can offer if you are interested in improving are: 1. Please get equipment that works (machine running blood chemistry) so that when it breaks and fails to run the test your customers/patients aren't subjected to waiting an extra hour for results. At the rate of $400, surely you can do better. 2. When people work overnight, maybe they shouldn't sound as they are being disturbed from their sleep when calling with additional questions. I mean it is their job to be available, right? This is a 24 hour service. Thankfully I took my dog elsewhere less than 24 hours after being at this place and he was treated appropriately and is doing much better..I have told EVERYONE I KNOW to not utilize this place. It's disturbing to know that others will also suffer the consequences of your inept "emergency center. read more

Upon arrival the tech took my cat immediately. After waiting seven hours I asked about his status only to learn that no vet had examined him. Vet apologized for the mix up! The place seems woefully understaffed. read more

Came here in an emergency because my little yorkie had trouble breathing around 1pm. He was taken in right away.. and it was a busy day with snow storm and had to leave him there to be seen by the cardiologist. We were told he will be seen by the cardiologist in the evening around 8:30-9. He's only there 2 days a week, 8pm to 12pm Tuesday and Thursday. So we waited and waited for the phone call and finally got a text around 8:30 pm of a picture of my dog that he's getting ready for bed and will update us in the morning. So we called and told them that he's supposed to be seen by the cardiologist that night and wanted to take him home after the consult. So we started driving back to the hospital and informed them we're gonna wait. Waited for 4 hours and He was finally seen around 1 am and had the echocardiogram. Now, Dr Goodwin is the absolute best!!! Super busy but very compassionate. He recommended another day of hospitalization and we really didn't want to.. for the reason that my dog is never used to being away from me or his home and his anxiety gets worse causing him to have trouble breathing with a a severe form of collapsed trachea, he never slept in a cage ever, and also the horrible reviews I read here that made me worried and scared. So i asked the cardiologist if it's life threatening to take him home and he said No. So, I signed a AMA form... and he gave him sedative and prescription cardiac meds -- 3 different kind of meds that was ordered through blendRx in New York. I understand that this is a 24/7 veterinary hospital and it's super expensive... however the staff could have communicated to us just a little better. Just concerned that if we didn't insist on having him seen by the cardiologist that night, if they would've put it off to another day or 2 and charge us more for hospitalization.. just a thought. We got home around 3am and he slept through with no shortness of breath and he did well the next day, although exhausted. We were able to take him on a vacation/road trip the next day that he was home. $3300 later my dog is doing a little better and thanks to Dr. Goodwin. I can't vouch to how the vet techs are taking care of my dog because we weren't really there to see it... but all in all they saved my dogs life. read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - My dog at the oxygen cage - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

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My husband and I took our German Pinscher to his vet to get seen after he took a hard fall down a flight of steps. His vet sent us to Guardian Veterinary Specialist to do an MRI for a possible spine injury due to his legs not working anymore. Long story short they gave us a copy of an estimate of $14,889.48. They wanted us to pay a little over $11,000 right on the spot! And if not they wouldn't even examine a toe nail or a strand of hair! My husband only had $6000 on him and asked if he can pay the rest the following day. They said No! They wouldn't even check him if we did not have the full down payment! THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR FUR BABY! THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT YOUR MONEY! If you ever get recommended to go to GVS, take heed and caution! You might end up paying off someone's mortgage and paying off their vacation house at the beach somewhere! UPDATE: We winded up taking our fur baby to another animal hospital! They actually asked for a fraction of the down payment GVS was asking for. The other vet hospital called GVS to ask for some paperwork so that my fur baby doesn't have to get a repeat on whatever they did, to which they responded "what do you need the records for", hung up on the receptionist and never sent anything over. They are RUDE and lack professionalism! We will NEVER take any of our fur babies there ever again! read more

Guardian Veterinary Specialists - Veterinarians Near Me - Brewster, New York

Dr Joseph and his staff were very kind, thorough, and knowledgable during my visit with my cat, Roo. We reviewed everything in detail and I left the office with a positive outlook. Dr. Joseph, his assistant during the exam and discussion and the assistant that reviewed the overview with us all provided outstanding service. read more

Took amazing care of my Service Dog who was there for an MRI due to recent seizures. The doctor and staff were all so amazing and caring and treated my baby like one of their own. read more

In my experience, corporate vet practices are to be avoided. Guardian is no exception. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Guardian's was...poor. I brought my pet in with a potentially serious issue. I explained that he's not a good patient and needs to be handled gently. I could hear him screaming from down the hall. When the doctor came in for the consult, her manner was brusque and condescending, to the point of straight-up rudeness. It was more of an interrogation than a consultation. I asked why my pet had been screaming. She said he didn't like having his temperature taken rectally. I asked, "would you?" She replied, "well, I would have tolerated it." We are talking about a terrified, sick cat, not a rational adult human. Her remark was insulting and utterly lacking in compassion for the animal. Then an estimate for 2 days' hospitalization for $7,000 was presented. No treatment would proceed without payment in full. They offered me an appointment with a specialist...2 weeks from now. See above: pet was in acute distress and needed immediate fluid intervention. If I wanted an appointment in 2 weeks, would I be at the emergency vet clinic? Unfortunately, I had to pay $300 to ransom my pet. He is now under the care of our regular vet and doing better. You can do better too, by avoiding this racket. I also want to note that the reception staff and vet techs were very friendly and professional. I thank them for their kindness. read more

Exceptional customer care and always puts the client first. Lana. She always comes in to see us when we come to the hospital. Never rushed. Doctor takes time with client. read more

You don't need a fancy space to be good at taking care of animals. The love and care the kind staff and doctors is what makes this place so special. You can tell they care about you and your pet. The best vet I have ever taken my cat to. You will not be overcharged. They have the best prices in the city and they are clear about their pricing upfront. They work with local rescues and give back to the community. I would suggest everyone take their animals to this caring place. 10/10 read more