Just got back from a pretty standard visit here, bordetella vaccine update and a general once over just to make sure everything was in regular working/healthy order with our pup (4 1/2 yr. old Italian Greyhound rescue). On the way back home, I stumbled across the Yelp page for the clinic and was honestly very surprised. We've worked with multiple vets in the area over the years and have not been nearly as pleased as when we ended up here at Northside. They are always incredibly kind, caring, attentive, informative, and (maybe most importantly) cost-conscious. Most of our experiences have been with Dr. Klein, who is just outstanding all around. If you live in the area, please bring your pets to this terrific vet. They really are the best around. read more

I don't know if this place deserves five stars because I wasn't offered a cappuccino while waiting and my pug didn't get a pour of distilled water in an artisanal wooden bowl. But I'm giving five stars anyway because my experience was fast, professional, the vet answered all my questions about basic care for my pet in an honest and up front manner. They took consideration that cost was a factor in our care plan, and didn't make me feel bad. Also I walked out with a slew of meds, eye drops, and very helpful pet care info. (For not a ton of money!) These guys are legit, and will treat you and your animal with respect as long as you're willing to be equally honest and communicative. Thumbs up. read more

We love Dr. Leiman. He has cared for our French bulldog for many years and we wholeheartedly trust him.

I am new to the neighborhood and our new Newfoundland puppy addition to my other two dogs prompted my first well puppy visit to Northside veterinary clinic. Immediately upon entering (and keep in mind how tired a staff must be at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday), both receptionists were truly welcoming and helpful with the onboarding paperwork for all three of my dogs and the intake forms for the puppy. My puppy who I just had adopted from Ohio was treated so thoroughly by Dr. Ramos and so wonderfully, I can't speak highly enough as upon meeting her, I knew she was outstanding with an exceptional bedside manner. She caught a giardia diagnosis before it was potentially contagious to my other two dogs as well as treated her that appointment for kennel cough, which is already better in merely two days. I am so grateful to find a new local vet for my babies. Unlike other vets, she was beyond warm, down to earth, and as a clinician myself, I immediately saw her passion and talent for her work as she was so gentle and walked us through each organ system she was evaluating. The prices were very reasonable and I want to say thank you to Dr. Ramos, her wonderful vet tech, Janie(sp?) and the rest of the staff we had the pleasure of meeting! read more

Surprised to see the otherwise negative reviews. We've brought our cat here ~4 times over the past 2 years and had a positive experience every time. Dr. Ramos is great and the staff has answered our questions over the phone on multiple occasions. My only complaint is that they're often running behind schedule and we have to wait well past our scheduled appointment to be seen. Otherwise this has been an excellent vet per my experience. read more

A horrible experience. The front desk messed up our appointment, charged our account 2 times and when asked to speak to a manager or the business owner I was told that the manager was not in and the woman was incredibly rude on the phone. I refuse to take my pet into an office where they are clearly not organized and do not know how to talk to people. read more

My experience with Dr. Ramos (she's new-ish and from Houston) was great! She and her team treated my dog with lots of love. Not only was the bill VERY reasonable after an office visit and medication(s), but Doc Ramos called me the next day to check in and see how the patient was doing. Would DEF go back (hopefully not too soon!) if necessary! read more

Over the past 2 years I've had a great relationship with Dr. Eisner and Dr. Leiman and have 2 thoroughly healthy dogs which I don't think would have been possible with the Dr.'s advice. My previous vet in Manhattan would prescribe medications at the drop of a hat. The Dr.'s at Northside exercise extreme caution when delivering a prognosis and explain their decision to me which sometimes are 100% homeopathic, sometimes 100% conventional medicine and sometimes a combination of the two. Thank you Dr. Eisner and Dr. Leiman, I wish I had been introduced to you earlier. read more

The vets at Northside are great - the clinic truly cares about animals getting the care they need and deserve. They are such an asset to the community. My cat Hannah thanks them very much for helping her! read more

Well, I was a little nervous going there after reading these reviews, but someone had recommended the place...And actually once I read them carefully they made me less nervous than the 4+ star averages certain other Williamsburg vet clinics have with their extraordinarily exuberant customer bases--two of which I've had far more horrific experiences with than a rude employee or overly zealous recommendations of tests I can say no to. (Try misreading a simple ultrasound report that says your dog has the cancerous tumors you were looking for and somehow thinking it says "he's fine"...or writing the dosage for a 75lb dog on your 10-lb cat's medication because they got the names of your two pets mixed up. for example.) Anyway. Dr. Leiman spent half an hour with me and my new pup on a simple checkup before she gets spayed, noticed a major problem (that the first vet I took her to didn't see) with a lower canine tooth that was growing into her upper gum and causing a painful-looking hole there, then thought of another possible way to fix it rather than the fancy expensive solution he originally recommended (which I would have had to take her to a specialist for, so he wasn't even getting the money), after I said I was still in debt from last year's costs of my previous dog's cancer and really couldn't swing several thousand dollars right now on the new puppy; he said he'd research the idea and if it was feasible would do it during her spaying operation. He was really nice and not in a hurry and had lots to say about everything I asked, and some things I didn't. Oh and when I asked if the pup would stop humping me all night after she was spayed he said, "no, I think she just really likes you." That's worth a bonus star by itself. I will update this if things change, but so far so good. (And the employees I met were very nice.) read more

Drs. Leiman and Eisner were amazing. I put them in the very difficult position of euthanizing my beloved kitty having no prior client relationship or medical history and coming to my home to do it. My 12 year old kitty, Monster, was misdiagnosed with diabetes by my local vet. They said no need for x-rays--it's definitely diabetes. When we discovered months later it was cancer, the larger specialized vet we were referred to charged $4000 for an MRI and biopsy only to biopsy tissue next to the tumor. all the time wasted just gave the cancer time to spread. When it was time to put my little guy out of his suffering, I didn't know where to turn. Neither vet deserved the honor of being a part of my Monster's last precious moments here when better judgement on their parts might have meant my Monster would still be here with me. I found Northside because they do housecalls. There would be no more cat carriers, waiting rooms, or exam tables or us. He would die peacefully at home. When I called Northside, the receptionist was so kind. She assured me Dr. Leiman would let me know if there was any more happy, pain-free time to be had. Dr. Eisner checked the voicemails at the office the night before my appointment, got a message from me confirming my appointment. She called me back at 9:30 PM to make sure I was ok, let me know she understood, and assure me Dr. Leiman would be over in the morning. She was so compassionate and understanding. Dr. Leiman came in the morning and he was perfect. Kind. Understanding. He said he could see how full of love my Monster was even then. But most of all, he assured me that it was time. I didn't have to wonder about or regret my decision. So some feel violated by your vet recommending tests and procedures. I wish my original vet had suggested more tests. More tests may have meeant another 2 or 5 or 8 years of life with my little guy. If a few tests meant my sweet boy would have been saved that sufferring and maybe even still been with me, there's no price I wouldn't pay. A negative test result doesn't mean you've been violated. It means you're lucky. read more

My husband and I have been taking our dogs to Northside for over 9 years, in that time we've had our dogs go from young adulthood to senior, and both Dr. Leiman and Dr. Eisner have been there every step of the way. The staff and Vet techs are amazing, we have always felt completely cared for. I'll give a couple of examples. We recently lost our eldest dog (15 years or so...we think). Our dog suffered from a myriad of complicated conditions (Cushing's, Hypothyroidism, Colitis), all of which were managed without incident by Dr. Leiman. I credit Dr. Leiman and Northside with getting our old man past the 13 year mark! Eventually our dog developed cancer, it was a hard diagnosis to hear but Dr. Leiman and staff were so considerate and loving- everyone was sad to lose Radley! We feel 100% blessed to have had such great care for our senior dog. Our other dog is a maltese mix, who in his 7th year tore his ACL. Dr. Eisner recommended a rigorous course of PT over 6 weeks or so and we saw vast improvement, and we've been able to avoid surgery. Obviously this won't work for every dog and she was careful to caution us about this, but we were happy to go to a clinic that offered alternatives to expensive surgery. We love this clinic! read more

Great Vet Office. Really caring doctors who know their stuff. Noticed things that other vets didn't even bother to check. Costs are affordable. Our dog doesn't even mind going! read more

I could not be more pleased with the service I have received from Northside. I have been taking my approx. 7-year old rescue terrier mix here for several years after getting lower quality care from another vet in the Williamsburg area. Doctors Eisner and Leiman have been nothing but professional, patient, informative, and extremely attentive. The techs and reception staff are amazing too. Ginger in particular is incredible. It is very clear that everyone on this team is there because of their deep care for animals, and it shows in their approach to medicine and service. I feel compelled to write this review after an extremely terrifying experience with my dog yesterday. He got into some dark chocolates while I was at work and was found by my roommate having what appeared to be seizures. My roommate rushed him to Northside, where I met them. As soon as Dr. Eisner saw what was happening, she rushed my dog into the office and called the entire team to help. She remained calm and acted fast, devoting 100% of her focus to figuring out what was causing the seizures - asking all the right questions. Within 5-10 minutes she had him on an IV and induced vomiting which ultimately saved his life. I was beside myself throughout this ordeal and the staff was unbelievably comforting and supportive. They kept me up to date on every development and I was able to take my boy home after a few hours - to everyone's delight. I have dealt with Dr. Eisner and Leiman and both are great, though I tend to see Dr. Eisner more regularly. She is excellent and even available to answer questions on email after hours. She is very clearly devoted to helping animals. The amount of love and care, not to mention years of experience and knowledge in this office is remarkable and I could not more highly recommend them! read more

My Husband and I have been taking our pets to NVC for a few years now. Their staff is wonderful and we have every reason to believe Dr. Leiman is passionate about what he does and only wants to provide the best possible care. To the previous poster who suspected "upselling", I would bet dollars to doughnuts you feel that way because you are price-sensitive. Obviously not everyone has unlimited funds, but why besmirch Dr. Leiman just because you can't afford to follow his recommendations? I am a dentist and I see this often enough in my own practice where I pride myself on offering the best care possible. My patients that are strapped for cash often think I am upselling when I'm simply giving them my best recommendation. On the other hand, people with money are almost always willing and able to follow my recommendations without a fuss. Those with insurance are even less fussy, and more likely to get the best care I can give. So it doesn't surprise me that NVC highly recommends for their clients to take out insurance for their pets. They're probably just sick and tired of not being able to treat their patients properly and, even worse, tired of being accused of upselling by clients who just can't afford the proper care for their pets. And to the person who said "I'm learning to be firmer with saying no!", my god, would you listen to yourself?? You're talking about withholding care to your pet. You should really think about that before bad-mouthing your vet! - Cyndi H. read more

I love the staff and find them to be patient, thorough, kind, and very quick on email, which is much appreciated. I do think they like to do lots of testing--and yes it can add up--but it's because they truly care. They're not trying to shake anyone down for money. My dog came in and had a routine Lyme test and then they asked if I wanted to have a second test done to see the level of Lyme (which would cost more money). I said yes, and glad I did! My dog's levels were extremely high so they were able to better assess his treatment. I think they are awesome and I find it ridiculous that people think they are trying to cheat you out of money when it's clear they are just good at their jobs and thorough. They also talk me through everything they are doing and take the time to answer all my questions. Dr. Eisner is fabulous. read more

Just wanted to follow up because I had another amazing experience here. My dog has a million different types of parasites, and they've bene so good with his medicine. He had diarrhea for a while and had to give him fluids via an IV. He pretty much fell asleep because they were so calm and gentle! The vets have such a reassuring and calming presence there. The most amazing part was that they gave us extra medicine to take home for him so that we would save money on his appointment fees just in case he had to come in again. I would give ten stars if I could! read more

Our normal vet isn't open on Sundays so I was forced to try Northside when our dog had an emergency over the weekend. I checked yelp for reviews and was weary because of all the negative reviews- but then I noticed that ALL the vets in the area get the same bad rap. I'm sure vet offices are the kind of place people only review when they're upset, but when things go well they don't bother. So I just ignored the reviews and was on my way. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. This vet is cleaner, brighter, more professional, and has a much more personable pleasant staff than our normal vet. Even though I came in as an emergency walk-in with no appointment, they were able to see me right away and I was in and out with a happier pet on her way to recovery in just over an hour. It looks like we'll be switching to Northside as our primary vet now for both our pets. They're a little bit pricier than our old one, but well worth it for the peace of mind and much more enjoyable experience. Thank you! read more

I would recommend Northside Clinic to anyone with pets in the area. I've tried other and the doctors don't seem to care -- they're more interested in just making a buck. I was able to get a same-day appointment for my older dog who was having some sudden pain and the Doctor took into account that my dog was older and many tests weren't necessary because treatment would be the same regardless. Prices were very reasonable. And the Doctor called and emailed me after the appointment to check up on my dog. I felt like they actually care about my dog like I care about my dog. They work with you to diagnose problems, don't overcharge, and are incredibly compassionate about follow-up! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! There was a little bit of a wait to be seen past the appointment time itself, but that's a small thing to deal with for the amazing service I received from them! read more

I'll try and make this as quick as possible because I'm finally getting around to writing this. I had 2 beautiful cats who passed last year at the ages of 16 and 17. They both had growths that ended up being cancerous and inevitably lost their battles no thanks to the terrible management of their illnesses and extensive bills at this veterinary clinic that really should be shut down. When so many people agree that this place is awful it means they're doing something wrong. While I wasn't particularly happy with their "care" at all my complaint really comes from after they had passed I was out of town unfortunately when my second kitty passed and I called several times to ensure she was cared for in my absence. I requested her ashes to be private and for her paw print to be taken which actually meant more to me than the ashes. I called 3 times to make sure of those 2 things. When I went to pick my cats ashes up...they had "lost" my cats paw print. They very casually informed me of this. I don't need to explain how something so careless could hurt so much. They then pretended to look for the print and the doctor came out and asked what was wrong. The girls at the desk told him and he said, "oh yeah, people get so upset when this happens. We'll probably stop doing them since people get so mad." I almost jumped out of my seat and knocked him out. I was sent away while they looked and later that day was called and they admitted that they never took the print at all. So, basically the only physical piece of my kitty's memory was callously handled. I asked to be refunded the fees for the cremation and other attached bills considering the horrible way they handled the death of my cat. She told me it was an outside vendor and I said I didn't care they should pay for it as a gesture for their horrible mistake. She told me to go ahead and write my bad yelp review and I informed her she was an a $$hole. She then said she would discuss refunding me and call me back. That never happened. So, moral of the story is don't take your pet here. Don't do it. They are only still open because of location and the neighborhood has money to spend there. I'd like to write more, but you get the point. I have since gotten a new family member kitty and found a vet who actually cares and is kind and not seeing dollar signs when I walk through the door. read more

The veterinarians and technicians at Northside Vet Clinic truly helped me during the final weeks of my cat's life. Not only were they competent and humane in regards to diagnosing my cat's abdominal cancer, they were compassionate and understanding towards me. Dr. Leiman took time to explain what was happening, calling me on a Sunday to discuss the diagnosis and all the treatment options. When I made the decision to let my beloved cat go, they were understanding and supportive; they relieved me of all the guilt I was feeling. When the day came to put him down, everyone was so comforting.... it made the hardest day of my life so much better. Dr. Eisner was extremely gentle and compassionate- she was wonderful. I cannot thank everyone at Northside everyone enough. read more

A veterinarian with solid ethics, Dr. Daniel Leiman at the Northside Animal Clinic, is a person you really, really can trust to treat your animal and whatever ails him or her with great care and knowledge. A consummate professional that respects both you and your pet . No bs up-selling and the like, he honestly (THE MOST EARNEST AND THOROUGH VETERINARIAN, I've ever met!) knows what he's doing and will create the best experience and results for your pet. read more

I took in a cat off the street (who followed my friends home one night) and wanted her checked out ASAP. I was able to get her in with NVC the same day. Everyone was very attentive, knowledgeable and kind. They even gave us a discount, feeling bad that we weren't expecting vet bills since we just took her in off the street. It was such a great experience that my friend will be taking his cat there from now on. Thanks, NVC! read more

They get an extra star from me for being open 7 days a week. I've been taking my dog here since i moved to williamsburg and they have always been friendly and patient and kind with me and my dog. Twice they "squeezed me in" between patients when i did not have an appointment. Only once they did not have an antibiotic for injection which required me to drive to another animal hospital to get the injection. This i found odd because i thought it was a very basic thing for a vet to have in stock. But that may have been an exception. I was concerned after reading so many bad reviews on yelp when i went back today, but my experience again was absolutely positive. Very friendly staff, they patiently answered all my questions, even when i asked for information about another dog that i care for, which isn't even their client yet. They took time to attend to me and my dog although our visit was already extending past their official closing time. I will continue to take my animals there. read more

UGH!! This place is still open???????? WHY!! Round 2 updated from previous removed post- AWFUL! Beware and be weary of coming here! The front desk staff is so-so. After waiting 25 minutes past my appointment time i was called into a small room, dirty from the last animal. Dr. Eisner is harsh, she repeatedly made me feel like I was a bad pet owner and that I had it all wrong. She scolded me telling me it had been a long tiring day for her??!! Really? I simply brought my dog in here for an annual visit. I was told my dog was too fat, that my previous vet had given her all the wrong tests and creams. That she knew all the meds my dog needed to be on and why. She proceeded to tell me all the previous things I did were ineffective and wrong. I left here paying almost $300!! I had to argue the front desk because I almost got charged an additional $15 for my dogs ears to be wiped with a cotton ball that I was not told would cost additional fees.After leaving I took the test results back to my old vet and turns out its the same exact test!! I got duped! one positive star for the nurses and assistants. double negative for the crazy assistant who repeatedly called my phone after posting my first review here on yelp telling me I am no longer welcome. I mean really...Is it THAT hard to be decent to your customers?? We will pay if we feel comfortable and at ease. In my opinion a little kindness goes a long way. - Note: I have since gone elsewhere and have had major positive results! read more

I, and likely my cat, were totally scarred by a visit here, enough to not want to return. My cat had been having diarrhea over the week, so I took her in to get checked. Right as we got to the door of the clinic she pooped in her carrier. When I walked in I let the woman at the front desk know right away what had happened so she gave me some paper towels to clean up my cat and her carrier- in the seating area. She sat back down at her computer while I struggled to clean up my unhappy cat, and I was sort of at a loss about what to do since there were signs saying "Please keep your pets in the carriers." After a minute of fussing with my cat I told the woman that there was no way I could clean up the mess with my cat still in her carrier and she said, "Okay, okay. Go into that room-" and pointed me toward one of the exam rooms. While I was in there trying awkwardly to clean up my cat's mess, a vet came in and yelled, "What are you doing in here!!?" So I told her what had happened and then she yelled at me some more saying my cat could have contaminated the area. She eventually apologized on behalf of the woman at the front desk, but not for yelling at me, which I found utterly unprofessional and lacking in the bedside manner department. read more

A visit to this place will leave you traumatized forever. Unfortunately I've done it twice. Sometimes you don't learn your lesson the first time. 1) First to of all I have NEVER seen office staff this rude. Starting with the office manager Ginger, most of the staff is incredibly dismissive and combative. They have us against them attitude. I wanted them to send my cat's blood work to a specialists and called them every day for three weeks and they never sent it. I had to go back to this place, get the blood work in person and take it to the specialists. 2) I've been to this place twice and each time they scared me to spend around $900-$1100 and then repeat some tests. God forbid if I ask why she is ordering a test!!! they are also casual with people's credit card. They called back couple of days after the visit and recommended that three more tests is required and asked for my credit card number again. Additional $267 was charged (on top of the $933 two days prior at the office visit). The charges were only for blood and urine work, no procedure was done! I always ask for a copy of the tests. Instead of 3 test results they gave me two. It took couple of weeks dealing with the office staff yelling at me to find out that one test was not performed. When I inquired about the money that was charged for it, I found out that they charged extra $95. They have not refunded it yet!!! 3) I think Dr. Eisner is hypochondriac which is a terrible character in a vet. The two times that I've taken my cat to her, she always made me feel bad and horrified that my cat is in such a bad health. She is not. but Dr. Eisner is vey skilled at making me scared and uncomfortable. All she does is to suggest tests on top of test and then repeat! On my way to their office my cat hit her nose perhaps on the side of the carrier and had some nose bleed by the time we get to their office. Dr. Eisner looked at it and said its not a big deal and will heal by itself, she didn't even clean the blood. I asked for antibiotics and she said its not necessary and I believed her. Next day my cats nostril on the injured side was swollen 3X more than the other side. I called Dr. Eisner and I told her about the swelling. The first thing out of her mouth was that it could be a TUMOR!!! I was horrified. I'm not a vet but did the tumor developed into this size in a day? Didn't you see it yesterday at your office and said that she probably hit her nose on the side of the carrier? Now today you are suggesting its a tumor? Her license should be revoked! Please stop going to this awful place if you value yourself, your pet and your money! UPDATE: December 2014 This place is worse than I thought. I had to wrestle with them for "several" weeks to call in the prescription. I had one refill left from 2013 and they were supposed to call in 4 refills for the entire 2014 (as they did in 2013). Dr. Eisner had read my original review here on Yelp. She called & was very upset that I had called her a hypochondriac. I told her if there is one word in my review that is not true, let me know and I will delete it. As a small business owner myself I take reviews very very seriously. The office told me that they've called in the prescription. So I called the pharmacy and to my horror I found out that dr. Eisner herself had called and instead of renewing the prescription for entire 2014, she had "CANCELLED" the one remaining refill form 2013!!! I was shocked, who cancels last years prescription instead of renewing it when in person in her office she recommended that my kitty should be on his medication perhaps for life? I realize she did it out of spite for me but that hurts my cat not me and that is unacceptable on every level. I had to be in contact back and forth till October (my original visit was in July) to get refills for 2014. Its like they punished me for going to them and paying them $1000 for 45 minutes of their time. I asked her husband (another vet at the same office) who would cancel last years remaining refill out of spite? He had NO good answer to give me. He said that she made a mistake and was confused!!! These people are simply unbelievable!!! Just judge their characters yourself! read more

UNNECESSARY SURGERY!! I started hating bringing my Boston Terrier to see them because I felt like every time I brought him in, they were trying to perform some sort of surgery on him. The last time was no different. They tried convincing me that the bumps my 9 year old dog had were cancer, and that I needed to have him put under and operated on. This is the 2nd time they made this claim. I unfortunately fell for it the first time, and after witnessing my dog go through the pain and suffering, plus just an overall unease I started feeling towards the office, by the second time they claimed he needed surgery, (what would have been his 3rd surgery in 2 years since taking him there-although never needed surgery in his life except for neutering before then) I took him to my parents vet for a second opinion. Oral antibiotics and a topical cream!!! That is what took care of the problem!!! This place risked my dogs life through anesthesia, cut him open, scared me into believing my dog could possibly have cancer, and once again tried to take me for over 1000 dollars. Either these people are just overall uneducated, or they do NOT care about our animals and are just trying to make money from hurting them under false pretenses. (Which is crazy!) I came onto yelp today to look for another vet for him, which made me notice all the other bad reviews for Northside. I was pleased others had spoken out and wish I had checked here before I put my dogs life in the hands of hack doctors. I then decided it was time to write my first yelp review to ensure no one else goes through some of the horror stories I've seen published so far. If you love your pet as much as I do- you will not take them here. read more

1 hour wait in a tiny waiting room with a bunch of stressed out animals. All the techs complaining and creating drama at the front desk. Dr. Eisner got confused about what vaccines she was giving and then got annoyed when I corrected her. She refused to give my dog all the vaccines she needed on the same day and told us to come back for the rest at no charge for the visit. They charged us anyway for the 2nd visit and at the same time, had no clue why we were there. It was charted that the remaining vaccines were already given. Just an all around headache. Total cost for a routine visit that took 2 trips: $600. read more

I took my cat there for a couple years. I saw the male vet, his treatment was completely ineffective and my cat started to loose extreme weight. I wanted to know what to do and his answer was fish oil pills. I took her to my moms vet and it turned out she had a hyperactive thyroid, kidney, and liver problems and needed to be put on real meds, not just fish oil. Thankfully her thyroid levels have now come down. I brought my other cat in for a checkup and they wouldn't even look at her because they said she was too crazy (um, aren't vets supposed to know how to handle animals?). They're also very expensive, wouldn't let me buy a case of her prescription food cause they said it'd been too long since my cats last checkup (in other words, they wanted more money), and the women who work at the front desk are also incredibly rude. read more

They misdiagnosed my cat - for 18 months - and missed his cancer. This was a few years ago but I was too sad to write this review until now. )-: If you see my other review of Paws and Claws you will see I've had VERY bad luck with vets in Williamsburg! However I assure you I am real and not a crazy person, and both of these stories are true....In Williamsburg I would ONLY recommend Dr. Felton, who is expensive but good. I had a 16 year old cat, who was losing weight and appetite. I brought him here, because I didn't want to stress him out with a long cab ride. The waiting room, and the offices were chaotic, cramped, and dirty. I have had LONG waits there, one time I waited for 40 mins and when I asked, I was told there was an emergency but the staff was not nice abut it at all.The vet techs were nice, but some were very inexperienced and the vet Barbara Eisner, was harried, and cursory. As other have said, there were people constantly in and out of my cat's exam room during all of his exams which stressed my pet. Eisner told me my cat had thyroid problems and sold me cream for the condition, telling me I have to try it for a bit, and bring him back in to see if its working . Fine, I buy it, and take him home. The followup visit is fine. A few months later, he is losing weight again and I bring him back in. She tells me I should do an expensive operation under general anesthesia to get his thyroid removed, but it may not improve his condition and it may grow back. When I say I didn't know that this was a good idea both for the stress on my elderly cat and the cost, and ask her other options, she seemed to dismiss me and give no more effort to my cat or not seem motivated to engage in any way when she heard she was not going to sell me an expensive operation. Literally she totally lost interest and seemed more interested in flipping her purple hair extensions around than thinking about my cat. A little while later he gets even skinnier, I bring him in again , since all his records are there etc, and I think thyroid medicine is not that big a deal, and a nice and caring vet tech feels him says he has lumps under his fur. When Eisner comes in and she examines him, I ask Esiner about the lumps and she says she feels nothing unusual. OK, some more time goes by, he is very thin I think its the thyroid , I have a vet appointment with them , but he seems very low. I take him to the emergency vet and he gets put to sleep there - because the poor guy was riddled with cancer . The emergency vet said he immediately felt TUMORS under my boy's skin, and in the year plus I was bringing my cat in Eisner missed it. I would have done more tests if she had told me to, but she got so fixated on making money and rushing that she missed his cancer. I get it he was elderly, and maybe he had thyroid and ALSO cancer, but if she had been more thorough and less focused on money maybe he could have been diagnosed and I could have concentrated on treating the cancer or easing his pain instead of giving him the wrong thyroid meds for months. )-: read more

The ONLY reason I gave this wretched place 1 star is because the supporting staff is very kind and helpful. However Dr. Eisner is unreal. I can list numerous examples of her unprofessional and demeaning behavior, but here's one for starters. I brought my dog in because he had very bad diarrhea. Dr. Eisner put him on numerous medications and I walked out with a $250.00 bill.Yes I should of questioned her right then and there but I was so worried about my dog that I didn't give it a second thought until I got home. When I consulted with 2 other vets about the medicine Dr. Eisner prescribed,they were baffled as to why she would put my dog on 2 of them when clearly he didn't have worms (he was tested for worms very recently) and the other 1 was just plain unnecessary. When I went back and asked her (very nicely) to please explain why she put my dog on those 2 said medicines she yelled at me in the waiting room, stating that what she did was right and she'd damn well do it again. In a nutshell her "bedside" manner sucks, she overcharges and her inability or unwillingness to CALMLY explain her decisions is non exsistent My mistake was that I kept going back because it was convenient. Well no more. read more

We've taken our cats to Dr. Leiman for 15 (!) years and while we had to try other vets in emergencies I have never found anyone who rivals him. He never tries to upsell his services. He takes his time, is very clear about what each test tries to accomplish and really works with you when you have suggestions or concerns. He also performs all of his tests and exams right in front of your eyes. (I appreciate transparency.) We have taken our cats to Dr. Raud on occasions and he seems really good, too. Dr. Eisner, on the other hand (this is why I only give 4 stars) is whole different story. She's a liability in my opinion. I have sent several friends to Northside who ended up seeing her (sometimes they just like to switch vets on you, if Dr. Leiman is too busy) and the story is always the same: Dr. Eisner was rude and the first thing she did is accuse me of not treating my cat/dog correctly. This entirely matched my one and only experience with her. This is despite the fact that my friends and I are all insanely dedicated to our animals' wellbeing and would rather spend our last money on our pets than on paying rent. read more

We're traveling domestically with our dog and the airline needs the health certificate. We just brought our puppy in for a full check-up 2 weeks ago but because they require the health certificate to be issued within 1 week of traveling so Dr Leiman told us bring him back so they can print out the certificate for us but we don't have to pay for the checkup again. Today we brought him in, they didn't even do a full checkup because he just had one 2 weeks ago, but still charged us like he had a full checkup. I called to ask if it's right because I believed it's the front desk fault but they said it's correct that they charged us the full amount. Very unprofessional read more

Don't bother with this place. It's expensive, the staff is a bunch of clowns and don't bother making an appointment because you'll have to wait 1hour plus. Here's a rundown of our last visit, which was the icing on the cake: we take our dog in for a routine check-up by making an appointment at 12pm on a Sat (probably a big mistake to begin with due to wknd traffic) and waited until 1:45 to be seen. Our dog is extremely nervous and the vet freaks him out, so it was a difficult hour & 45mins. However, in that time one of the front desk girls comes up to our dog, gets an inch or less from his face, holds his face in her hands and shakes it back and forth all while talking baby talk to him. A. inappropriate, but B. she could have been bitten, as our dog, while small and seemingly innocent, has bitten other idiots who chose to grab an animal they don't know and get in his face. Next we see the doctor who links our dog's condition to his diet, which is totally sensible, but while I tell her what he's been eating she rolls her eyes and says "so, you haven't been feeding him 'good' food?" I ask "what is good food" and she proceeds to tell me that we should never buy grocery store brands, as they're "not good", all the while never explaining what good is. Eventually another nurse comes in, unannounced and almost knocks me down while holding our dog, and the first doctor speaks to the nurse as if my husband and I are not in the room, saying "they feed him Purina". What the F#%! I am there to ask for the help and all they can do is ridicule....oh yes, and then offer acupuncture. The last straw was that I felt the doctor began treating our dog as if she didn't care, just because my husband and I were the idiots feeding him Purina. What's our fault is our fault but not our dog's. read more

Used Dr Leiman for yrs-he made house calls-was wonderful, caring, gentle. Until we started taking our cats into the office. It's another world around there. Too many people passing through during visit, always interruptions, nothing made clear, but buy the food. One of the girls at the desk suggested that I call another vet. That's exactly what I've done. Stopped calling them read more

I've been taking my cats to Drs. Leiman and Eisner for nearly 14 years. I LOVE the both of them - no exaggeration. They are true animal lovers and super-skilled (Cornell vet school - from what I understand that is one of the best). Three or four years ago my favorite cat hurt his spine and was paralyzed - it was New Years Day, I was freaking out, and since Northside was closed, I brought him to Manhattan (an expensive 24 hour place on 5th Ave and 16th) for immediate surgery. The surgery didn't go well and Drs. Leiman and Eisner were incredible in helping me with the ugly aftermath. Knowing how in love I was with my cat, they pulled out all the stops. We got my cat walking again and he even relaxed during acupuncture. They taught me how to care for him at home. They were so compassionate and so kind, that when I think of them and their commitment to my cat's wellness (and my own), I get teary-eyed. Honestly. When I decided it was time to euthanize, they were as upset as I (in fact, Dr. Eisner said she'd have to have her husband do it - I think she just couldn't) and Dr. Leiman was amazing and gentle. Rather than the whole thing being a trauma, he made into into a bearable (though emotionally difficulty, of course) life event. Throughout the whole ordeal, this couple did outside research, called me at home, even at night, and did everything right. Late the night before we were to put the cat to sleep, Dr. Leiman called me at home telling me about other options we could think about, if I wanted. Totally supportive in every way. Now I've got one cat who is old. And I'm moving. We'll likely make the hour plus drive to Northside so my remaining cat can continue in the care of Drs. Leiman and Eisner because I can't imagine finding anyplace better that I trust as much. I've been to many vets in NYC when Northside is closed (the emergency place on 5th/16th, the 24 hour emergency place up near the 59th street bridge, the animal clinic in park slope, some really weird old guy on, gee, Nassau or Norman in Greenpoint though that was ages ago) and I can say this place is by far the best I've experienced. Yes, the office can get busy (but this is because they take emergencies and when it is your turn to have an emergency, you'll appreciate being seen) and yes, vet care can be expensive. (though from my experience I find their prices to be really reasonable - they always keep me informed of price and do what they can to make care affordable). For the folks who gave this place one star, I'm sorry you had a bad experience but give it another try. Everyplace and everyone has their off days. Five big starts for Northside. read more

We've been taking our 6 year old 4-legged baby here since he was 3 months old. Everybody has always been very courteous and professional from the receptionists to the vets on duty. I only wish the reception area was larger and it doesn't take much for it to get crowded. Sometimes it's a bit uncomfortable to have the dogs so close to one another. We have a big dog and he's very well behaved but we can't say the same about other pups. read more

Please spare yourself! Don't be tempted by the convenience of the location if you are passing by, like I was. You will end up paying for it in more ways than one. The place is chaotic, when there is no reason for it to be. It is also unclean, stained floor, clumps of animal hair floating around floor and hallway. They will burn you out, even for a simple thing like getting food or medicine. The staff, while nice enough, is largely incompetent. They could be working at Wallmart, and are slow moving and equally uninformed. They also charge much more than far better, fancy-style vets. Price gauging! To be fair, there was a woman I spoke with there (Valerie?) who did not seem uncaring of animals, I don't see her listed as one of the Vets or Techs from their website, so can't say more...What an ordeal... read more

Dr. Raud is simply the best: he is caring and patient and highly professional. I havent' seen Dr. Leiman in a long time but the other doctors which are pushed on you are dangerous. The vet techs can be nice but make mistakes for which they never apologize which leave me wondering the efficiency of my pet care. read more