This "amazing," "#1 vet hospital in the country," "praised," establishment is the reason my dog is no longer alive. The hospital messed up TWO SURGERIES and have refused to admit their mistakes. During her first surgery, the standard pro-active procedure is to staple the stomach to the abdominal wall to avoid stomach twisting. I thought they would have known to follow the procedure, especially in a deep, barrel-chested dog. Years after, her stomach inevitably flipped and she needed emergency surgery. She woke up from the surgery unable to walk, balance, or hold her own weight. Weeks later, she became pale and it was clear her organs were failing. After analyzing my pup's blood levels, it was clear they had caused an obstruction during the surgery. These mistakes could have been avoided if they had followed pro-active medical procedures. I will never recommend this place to anyone and will say that Cornell University Veterinary Specialists won't admit their mistakes and don't care for your fur baby. They just want your money. No matter the condition of your animal, they will demand money up-front before starting a procedure, even if it's life or death. It is also ~$800/night not to mention the over-the-top bills for surgeries. Read Less

DO NOT GO TO THIS 24/7 ER!!!!!! DOES NOT EVEN DESERVE ONE STAR.I took my 8.5 y.o. cavalier, Stella, to see Dr. Forman on a monday for breathing issues. The specialist here come highly recommended.She had an enlarged heart, she was being checked for other issues with breathing and had a scope scheduled elsewhere for the next day. (bronchoscopy lab test results, btw, 3 days after her death showed it could have been treated with care)When i arrived at the ER at 6:45 am, I was the only one there with Stella. The tech (very cold) grabbed Stella under one arm, took her back for vitals. Although i urged them to let me come with her, they refused, saying they would come and get me. They never did. The doctor on call came out to tell me what i already knew (breathing issues, compressed airways), but still did not allow me back. I stressed that she needed to be kept calm and seated in order to catch her breath (certain positions_ not lying down_ open airways and make breathing easier).She was in an oxygen cage that seemed to be helping, he said. After telling him i did not want to leave her there, he went back to get her for me. Two minutes later, he came running out "she went into cardiac arrest, do you want us to do CPR?". I was in disbelief and shocked. Just an hour before she was improving. Stella died without me having said goodbye. I subsequently wrote the facility a nice letter, suggesting they change their policy and allow pet owners to accompany their pets throughout, but have yet to hear back from them. In addition, i called each day/night to speak with someone regarding what exactly happened that day, but no one called back for 5 days.I have had numerous dogs for the last 36 years and have never experienced such an unprofessional place and people. I question whether the vets at the ER are interns, certified, or even capable doctors, let alone the rest of the staff.PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THIS ER- i question whether i could have done more for Stella if i had just kept her comfortable and calm at home.                     Ironically, in keeping with their poor communication skills, I received an email about 5 days after posting this review. The client service manager was contacting me to further review Stella's case after having spoken to all who cared for her. When asked if I preferred to communicate by phone or email, I said email. It has been almost 3 weeks and I have not heard back from them yet. Read Less

We had a true emergency for our cat - he had a serious urinary blockage that almost killed him.   His condition wasn't stable. Our local vet in Riverdale (negligently) referred us to an urgent care facility in Yonkers that didnt have the means to help him. When we got there, they said they were shocked our cat survived the 15 minute drive up. They said CUVS was the only option. So at around 1 AM, I drove up 95 to Stamford with our buddy. I thought it was the last time I'd see him alive. We get to CUVS, and the staff took him immediately. They knew it was an emergency. The Vets and support staff were wonderful. They worked diligently to get him back to health. It took 4 days' worth of blood transfusions, IVs, you name it - but our buddy is alive and well. I can't tell you how happy we are to have him around. CUVS saved his life. Read Less

Our foster girl, Mercury, experienced complications following heartworm treatment and needed round-the-clock care for several days.  I work in the veterinary field, and decided it was worth an hour drive to have her cared for at CUVS.  From the moment we walked in the door, every staff member we worked with was exceptional!  We were seen immediately, Mercury was thoroughly and quickly evaluated and a care plan was in place.  The treatment protocol was thorough, well thought out and did not include any unnecessary diagnostics.  The doctors and techs took the time to answer every single question (and there were many!) and were so kind and patient!  When the doctor called late at night, within hours of admission, to tell me they had already completed a sedated tracheal wash and gotten samples out to the lab, I could hardly believe it!  Where most other facilities I have worked with would have stabilized her and waited for the next day to perform this type of testing, they were on top of it before the sun came up!  I was astounded and deeply grateful!  My sincere thanks to Dr. Merchant, Dr. Gradilla and all of the amazing techs in the Critical Care Drpartment.  You were a godsend and I am so beyond grateful for your kindness and skill!  We won't hesitate to come back the next time we need emergent care for one of our beloved pets.  You all are exceptional and have set the bar high for the rest of us in the veterinary field! Read Less

Today we had to take our cat, Sonny, to the vet and we were so pleased to discover Cornell's emergency services so close by. They were very quick, ushering us right into a private room to complete our intake paperwork. Everyone was so kind, both to us and our distressed cat, making the visit go smoothly. We can't say enough good things about their professionalism and courteous, efficient service. Read Less

This review is an update to a review that I posted a few weeks ago. Around Feb 20th. At the time I had several concerns that I addressed in my review. Within a day or two I was contacted by Taryn Ruffino at Cornell to discuss my concerns. We spoke a couple of times and emailed as well. I have tried several times to contact them again at their request and have not received a response from Ms Ruffino or anyone else on the team. I really don't know why they started a conversation with me and abruptly stopped. I definitely will not be going back there again. Read Less

If you live in the NY/NJ/CT area DO NOT take your animals to the supposedly "top in treatment" Cornell Veterinary Hospital in Stamford, CT. I had an 11am appointment. Waze was saying an hour and 10 minute drive so I allowed myself two hours to get there. There was an accident on the bridge. I called them immediately. They said they would take me until 11:30am. I sped all the way after getting past the accident to try and make it on time and I would have except I was pulled over by a cop and received a ticket which put me 4 minutes past 11:30am. They would NOT take me. I spoke to management on duty. They told me the doctor had to go in to surgery and then had the utter audacity to tell me that "I was lucky that my dog was not in crisis like the dog currently in surgery was" then told me I could take my dog through Emergency and be seen by a doctor in Emergency. What good would that do me? I had a consultation with a Veterinarian who is supposed to be in the top of his field with an issue my dog is having. I told the mgr.  I was willing to wait the whole day to see the doctor. The answer was "no". I have never met such a cruel uncaring staff and doctors who claim to be in the top of their field of Veterinary Medicine. Cost me undo stress, time, gas, tolls and a day off from work. Horrible, horrible, disgusting treatment. DO NOT go there. If I could give them zero stars I would. Read Less

Probably the worst experience I've had with "specialists." We brought our Lily in (after she had been to AMC in the City). We had thought another perspective could help her chronic lung disease. Not so! Our initial interview was with Dr. Clarrissa Tong (horrendous Resident) who clearly said shes there to learn. Why do places like this put their Residents as gatekeepers? Debra is nice but seems like the hospital "puppet" There is very little communication (if any) at this place and the Doctors have huge egos here with not much to back it up (a lot of degrees in theory and no practical experiences). My impressions are that this is a learning facility. They all seem to cover for each other. Anything you say gets documented and they do not return phone calls. Lily (my outdoor cat) needed supplement oxygen as her lungs were failing.They basically just continued what the AMC center did but just mixed up the medications. Two days after admitting Lily the lead Doctor (Elissa Mazzaferro) called and said Lily can go today (Tues) - really?, are you sure she can breathe on her own I had asked as AMC said she could not. Oh yes, she stated, it takes a village! Really...it takes a village, how original.  An hour later I receive a call from Mazzaferro saying there was a problem and Lily cannot go home and she would call me tomorrow. I called that night and spoke to the night nurse (who was beyond rude) and said Lily had an "episode" but did not elaborate. I asked her if she could explain what she meant by an episode and she hung the phone up. The next day Dr. Mazzaferro called and stated she is now recommending Lily get euthanized. Okay, so, we went from Lily going home one day to putting her down the next. Such extremes. We ended up removing Lily with an oxygen cage and brought her home. They provided a summary of at-home antibiotics and treatment for "Pulmonary Hypertension". It turned out that Lily actually had "Interstitial lung disease" and there are not any antibiotics nor medications that would have been effective for treating this. This was a waste of money and time. I would not come back here again. The most rediculous show I've even seen. Read Less

The only reason this is getting two stars is for the front desk people.  Very nice and helpful.The rest of our experience was pretty bad.  Brought my 2-year-old Lab in for suspicion of poisonous mushroom ingestion - he had sudden onset diarrhea, vomiting and extreme lethargy, and he was breathing like he was in pain.  Our first visit was okay - they were more suspicious of a general GI infection and gave him fluids, some anti nausea meds and sent us home with meds for the diarrhea.  Fine.By the next day he was getting worse, so I brought him back in for supportive care, x-rays, ultrasound, and bloodwork.  In the exam room prior to admitting him, the doctor had asked that if his x-rays seemed abnormal, could they go ahead with an ultrasound?  I said yes, do whatever needed to be done.  He was admitted, we paid a deposit, and left both mine and my husband's numbers to contact in case of any issues.  Several hours later, I received a voicemail (the call never came through for some reason) asking again for permission to do an ultrasound, and that I needed to call back soon because the ultrasound team would be leaving for the night.  Why would they ask again if I already gave permission, and if they couldn't reach me, why wasn't my husband called?!  When I called back, they told me they went ahead and did it after all, because "they couldn't wait until they got ahold of me".  They already had permission!!!  They should have called the secondary number and spared me the stress/anxiety.Cut to this morning.  By 11:00AM I still hadn't received a call with an update about my dog.  I called and was told the doctor would be calling me shortly and that they were very busy.  By 2:00PM I still hadn't heard from them, so I called again and was finally put through to the doctor, who again said they were very busy.  I would be able to pick up my dog at 5:00.  Great.  Came to pick him up and waited until about 5:30, and when my dog was brought out, he immediately had to go outside.  I brought him out and he peed for over five minutes straight, then walked a little further and peed again for a minute or more.  When I got him home, I noticed his entire back leg was soaked.  When I pressed a paper towel to it, it was yellow.THEY SENT HIM HOME SOAKED IN HIS OWN URINE.I immediately called them to address the issue, and Dr. Gonzalez couldn't have cared less.  I told him he was covered in pee, and he said "Oh, sorry."  I reiterated that this was unacceptable and that I was unhappy, and all he said was that he would tell the team that discharged my dog.  That's it.  After over $2,000, I get a urine-soaked dog back.I'm not sure how the animals are treated in the ICU, but my dog is pretty shut down from the whole experience.  He's a happy, bubbly guy, and he's just not himself.  He has since gone outside twice in the hour since he's been home and again peed for minutes at a time.  He obviously wasn't taken out any time recently.Never again. Read Less

We had a great experience here as a referral from our vet to follow up on some oral surgery that our pup had earlier in the month. Dr. Hoffman was kind, gentle and thorough. She explained clearly to me what she saw, and her recommended next steps. I'd definitely bring our puppy back here again for specialist opinions. Read Less

We spent three weeks at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists and words can't express how deeply grateful we are for the entire staff of the hospital!  Our dog, a 55-lb. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, was brutally attacked by our neighbor's dog in our yard.  When we arrived I know I was in a bit of a daze, trying to process what had just happened.  My initial reaction to Cornell was one of relief...the staff was so warm, welcoming and calm, I immediately felt that they were going to all they could to help our dog.  Throughout our stay our dog had multiple wound drains, 4 surgeries including a large skin flap and a nasty infection to deal with.  Cuts and bruises are one thing but dealing with wound care is a whole separate issue.  It's very difficult to manage and the Doctors at Cornell truly shine in their diagnostic capabilities and medical expertise.We were at the hospital daily and interacted with so many people who were responsible for our dog's care. What makes Cornell special is their approach to care.  Every morning we received a phone call from a Doctor who let know how the night went and what the game plan was for the day.  It appeared that some of the Doctors never went home.  We would talk in the morning and even late at night after a procedure.  Thank you to Dr. DeCillis, Dr. Mazzaferro, Dr. Balakrishnan and Dr. Bentley for performing miracles and being there day and night!   Even when the news was not so great, we always knew what our options were.  During our visits multiple staff members (yes that's you Emma/Jamie/Deborah) spent time with us and let us know what our dog was like when we weren't there.  Their kindness and commitment were a huge part of our dog's healing process. If you find yourself in the position of needing emergency care for your pet, Cornell is the place to go. From the front desk to everyone behind the scenes, you'll find a large team of professionals there 24/7.  We are so fortunate to have such a top-notch facility in our community and I hope every employee there knows how much they are appreciated. Read Less

The 2 stars are for the dermatology team - excellent job and some of the best I've worked with. Minus the other 3 stars for the Sport Rehab department, especially Dr. Hart. I've had to move cities over the years and have experienced what a good Vet in this arena looks like. The very "hands off" approach is not only irresponsible but unimpressive and comes across lazy. Read Less

Phenomenally caring, friendly staff, intelligent doctors and staff, and trusting. We took one of our cats here when he was having trouble breathing and they quickly evaluated, diagnosed, and treated him. We continue to go back twice a year for a cardiologist check-up, who is equally as compassionate. A fantastic animal hospital. Read Less

There aren't  enough stars in the world to show how grateful I am for the doctors at this facility. Aside from the excellent help they have provided on mild occasions when needed to visit in an emergency, these veterinarians go above and beyond to make sure your pet is assisted. I was out of state this past weekend and had a sitter stay with my 1 year old cavapoo. Unfortunately she had to be brought into the emergency room after hours for eating something she shouldn't have and Dr. Ancari assured me they were doing everything they can to make sure her procedure was done safely, smoothly and properly. After having a specialist drive in to help work, allowing my sitter to stay after closing, and calling me right after each step, I couldn't be more grateful. These doctors are extremely knowledgeable, caring and trustworthy. Thank you Cornell University Veterinary Specialists, outstanding job. Read Less

Cornell Animal Hospital in Stamford is full of kind, compassionate, competent and knowledgeable staff! After visiting another hospital that told us there was nothing they could do to save our dog Slugger, we decided to bring him to Cornell. Within seconds of arriving, nurses and techs were waiting at the door to get our dog in. Within minutes, they had a diagnosis and plan to save his life. After several nerve-wrecking hours, 4 blood tranfusions, major surgery, removal of organs and a tumor, our dog has made a full recovery and is doing amazing! Cornell’s staff and doctors were wonderful to work with and saved our dog’s life. They were upfront about costs, plans and a prognosis and did everything they could to make sure our dog survived. We are so grateful for our experience with them! Read Less

Cornell saved my dog Slugger's life! With only hours of life left, it was their uncanny ability to quickly diagnose the problem, provide a solution, and keep my family in the know the entire time that had me feel confident that he was in great hands. After life saving surgery, my dog is making a full recovery and is living his best life. In addition, this was a total team effort from the time that we pulled in, to when our dog came home; Cornell does a great job communicating. If your animal is sick, do not hesitate to the bring them to Cornell! Read Less

This place is beyond amazing. The staff is so wonderful. My dog became paralyzed on September 21, 2018. It was one of the most traumatizing experience in my life. My dog is my baby and such a huge part of my family. I was referred to CUVS and wasn’t not looking forward to driving you CT from Westchester three times a week but after meeting Chris and Dr Hart I was touched by their kindness and support. They really made the process so much easier with all their support to me and my dog. They always answered every question I had and never rushed me. After each therapy session my dog grew stronger and was able to walk again. My family and I can’t thank them enough for all they have done. Read Less

I would be lying if I said it did not appear they cared about the pets that came to them, but I think what is wrong with Cornell is symptomatic of what may be wrong with the state of the veterinary healthcare system. Our 10 year old spayed male was generally healthy until the other day (Sunday). We rushed him to our local vet where he was diagnosed with a kidney stone; a fixable problem. Our vet did everything she could but was unable to locate the stone, so she had me go immediately to Cornell. They recommended procedures and a 2-3 day stay that would cost just a little south of $10,000. We had to make the painful decision of putting him down. Now I believe that vets as a whole are still underpaid in relation to human doctors, and keeping a hospital open 24/7 along with the purchase of advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment is expensive, but $10,000 for a kidney stone? My guess is if you have a waterside chateau or mansion in western Greenwich, this place may be state of the art. It would seem that the rest of us just can't afford it. Read Less

Top facility with top care. Very attentive staff and very responsive. We unfortunately made several trips here and sometimes we waited and sometimes we were seen quickly but in every case the doctors and nurses were good and took their patients care seriously. Read Less

They are professional & have compassionate staff members here. I brought in my 14 year old pitbull Rocky from NYC who had to be put down. They have a comfort room for you and your pet to spend your last moments together and say your goodbyes. This is what help to ease the pain I was going through, they never rushed me and told me to take as much time as i needed. I had Rocky privately cremated through their services. I highly recommend this place! Read Less

Such a selfless facility full of real human beings. The care I received was such a heaven sent place to be. I cannot express how much gratitude I just give thanks to the most high for a place like this. May there doors remain open forever and they continue to help heal our animals in such a angelic way. Love Love Love ❤️ them and I am so happy they helped me and my animal. I’m so happy I found a 24 hour facility like this. I just want to spread the word and acknowledge the great hearts and souls that work here... Read Less

The vets are outstanding. But even as a patient's owner spending big $$$, getting through the bureaucracy to talk with the vet about the dog's condition is virtually impossible. The admin staff are virtual robots. When I called to complain the customer service supervisor was too busy to talk with me!  Beware!!!!!!  Following this post Cornell's Dir I of Clinical Services called to explain and apologize for poor service. Scheduled an appointment with vet so I am hopeful they got message. As result have increased rating from 1 to 4 stars. Read Less

STAY AWAY FROM DR LEE!!!!! Rude unwilling to listen to the PAYING CUSTOMER!!!! I had to beg for a Lyme test. She kept saying we follow a Procedure here And that she didn't see anything in the initial exam to warrant a lymes test .Yea the procedure is to rape the customer and get as much cash as humanly possible. On my way out before paying. the front desk heard me and said I will go in the back and tell them again. So the test was completed and it came back positive for Lyme and the queen B herself never showed her face again . They dragged my poor baby upfront unable to lift her because of her size. Then all the assistants disappeared leaving me and my son to carry her back to the car alone barley able to lift her back in the truck. Knowing my dog had Lyme and couldn't walk out of there on her own they never hooked her up to iv and kept her overnight like they should have. I'm sure they have competent doctors unfortunately at the time of our visit we did not have one. I will be filing a complaint with the state board also if in fact they should have put her on iv and not let her go home I will also seek legal advise against the dr and the facility. My sweetheart passed 4 days later Read Less

I went there Saturday around 11am when my 14 year old Corgi, Mena lacerated an abscess she had in her mouth when fighting with my other dog. The Dr. tells me my dog has cancer in her mouth with out giving her a biopsy. She tells me there is nothing they can do today except prescribe her meds. I said fine until I saw the bill. It was $155 for the visit (which she was only seen for 5 mins) and $142.92 for Clavimox and trimodal. I asked if there was something I could do about the meds and the woman said no, that I would have to sign a waiver saying I was going against the doctors recommendations. I told her I wasn't signing the waiver, because I wasn't intentionally doing so, that it was a financial problem. I asked her for my dog and why I couldn't be in the same room with Mena. The woman bluntly said lets take care of payment and you will get your dog. I paid for the visit and the meds and still waited 15 mins to get my dog. The front desk receptionist called back after I asked where my dog was; "She's all paid up, you can bring the dog out." The whole situation was extremely unprofessional and stressful. I had the worse anxiety there and unfortunately the same energy transferred into our home. Its all about the money at Cornell, they don't care about you or your animal(s). Read Less

I had to rush my cat over due to his asthma getting worse on a snowy day. I wasn't able to reach his primary on a weekend - I knew it would be $$$ but wasn't caring about payment- my only focus was getting my pet the medical attention he needed. They were very kind and compassionate fromThe moment we walked in. I was VERY impressed with the service and cleanliness of the facility. Only negative was the costliness but that's to be expected with emergency care. Highly recommend  if you need emergency care for your pet. Read Less

I've needed once as an emergency for my puppy, they were caring and gave a lot of attention to her. They did all the exams they could, but actually they didn't come up with a solid diagnosis.Probably our case had it's uncertainties but we left not very happy because they didn't have a solution and we spent more than $300. Read Less

We have had two dogs treated at Cornell. Our dogs were both well treated. Neither of them show any fear going to their facility which shows the treatment is as good behind the scenes as it is in front of us. They took countless phone calls from us asking questions. If we left a message, they got back to us right away. They work closely with our local vet. I am very positive about the care our dogs received at Cornell. Read Less

Cornell in Stamford is exceptional. The thing that sets them apart, aside from their absolutely top flight medical experts who genuinely care for your pet's welfare, is that the receptionists and technicians are every bit as professional. They understand the diagnosis and the proposed care plan and are able and willing to make sure that your priorities guide the process. For what can be a traumatic period for you and your pet, they do a simply fantastic job in all respects. You hope you never need them, but when you do, these are the guys you go to. Read Less

It's difficult to see your pet in pain or hurt but I felt relieved once I arrived. From the warm welcome to the immediate care and assessment in triage to the more in depth conversation with the Vet, I knew my fur baby was in good hands. Read Less

This place is outstanding in every way and the staff and doctors are excellent, professional, caring and educative. Dr. Lee examined my cat (who had recently undergone a procedure,at another facility, to remedy a blocked bladder), and she zeroed in on his current diagnosis, providing much needed solutions and corrections, spending a considerable amount of time to explain everything to me, with great knowledge and compassion. And their technician, Anna, was also exemplary, while their receptionist, Robert, was kind and empathic.Cornell University Veterinary Services practices veterinary medicine as it should be practiced. They are superlative. Read Less

Still suffering with what happened the night I brought Ricky in and how that emergency room doctor went against my final wishes when I did not know when I took him there it would be the end of his life!! I will always have this deep pain until I die and the vision of how he brought my beloved cat out with NO Warning as well,, all so sick and the pain just as real as it was yesterday!! :"( A few people including my mom had said about reporting it to one of the TV stations what had happened or more //that would not reverse what happened to my baby Ricky that night) a big part of me was completely destroyed that day including my Health,, "" Needed to add this part after just reading what "Drew" had posted- Since it was more of my concern about my Ricky and not the money - after they Hurt him by over sedating him and were NOT suppose to be doing that in the first place - to just to put an IV IN HIM TO KILL HIM WAS SICK!!! because they stated he was struggling when they were trying to get the IV in him as he was gasping for his last breath (when all this was being done)!!!! THEN of course being so distraught and in a state of shock over everything I paid them to basically murder him right on the spot!! AND then they had the nerve to send a letter in the mail to me a few months later - misspelling my name as well - asking me to donate MONEY to them- NOT what I was expecting - like I stated previously this was all documented at the time and his regular Vet "from "just cats" was notified at the time and truly an Angel to me Because I was completely traumatized over what they did,, But it would not bring back my Ricky-- I am sure others would have Sued,, LIKE I SAID I made it clear about the "sedation" and he did it anyway with out consulting me,, He did admit everything and the FACT he did that when I had a conference call with him and the Vet who was in charge of the facility,,, This Pain will never end and again the vision of how they brought him out to me :( Read Less

We would like to thank Dr. Fink and Veterinary Technician Tod Ackert for a successful dental surgery on our Boy Chester. Due to his age and other complicating factors, Chester was a less than ideal candidate for anesthesia. At first we were apprehensive, but Dr. Fink and Tod were outstanding in their professionalism and we found their confidence to be very reassuring. Our Boy's procedure was a success and we are grateful that Cornell has such talent on staff. Thank you so much! Read Less

We had a terrible experience at Cornell in Stamford. Upon checking out we noticed on the bill that they charged us for 5 bottles of medication that we already received prescriptions for two weeks prior from the cardiologists. They credited our bill for the cost of the meds. however, they charged us $18 per bottle for a restocking fee. What!!! Our bill was $5000 and we get hit with a restocking fee for medications that we already had from our last visit. To date, they refuse to credit our account for the restocking fee. Shameful! Moreover, our dog was released from the hospital and bleed to death 12 hours later. The front desk receptionist refused to let me speak to the doctor to find out what had happened. I would think twice about bring your pet to this hospital. Read Less

We just want to thank you for bringing Lucy back to us. She probably wouldn't have survived these last three months and enjoyed the quality of life she has now had it not been for ALL of you and your skillful, effective and compassionate loving care. We have so much for which to be grateful, and you are at the top of our list. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Read Less

I am truly shocked to read some of the negative reviews. After months of my dog not having an actual diagnosis, my primary veterinarian suggested we take him to see a specialist. I finally made an appointment and Dr. Bartges diagnosed my dog immediately. We put him on certain medicine and my dog improved right away. He showed significant imporvement within days of his visit. It was like I had my old dog back. They didn't charge me a lot of money either, I honestly felt like the charges were reasonable. Compared to the thousands I spent previously trying to find out what was wrong with him. Fast forward, his condition started acting up again and I recently took him back and met with Dr. Morgan, she was great! Explained everything thoroughly. The cost was reasonable. I would highly recommend them in a heartbeat. Read Less

Dr. Forman (think that's the name) is absolutely amazing! He worked with goldens bridge veterinarian center and together they saved my dogs life. The people here are amazing, caring, loving so kind. Couldn't be more greatful. Our dog wouldn't have made it without them. And just really love dr forman had to say that again, he is so caring!!! So thank you to the whole team there. Read Less

When i brought my dog to the vet and was told he was going to need emergency surgery i was absoultly terrified....having breathing issues already because hes an english bull dog and knowing my baby was going to have to get his spleen removed i was hysterical....the staff at Cornell were amazing....they took such great care of my Pj....they called us multiple times a day to keep us updated on his status and when we came in to visit and pick him up to come home every one that was in contact with him would get right down to the floor with him....you can really tell they have a definite love for animals...When we were leaving the nurse got down gave him a kiss good bye and told him she loved him <3 it just melted my heart that my baby was in such great hands! Thank you everyone for taking such great care of him :) Read Less

Our Zoe's left front paw started swelling from what turned out to be an abscess between her toes.  Per the pet parent FAQs I called ahead to let them know we were coming and what to expect.When we arrived the veterinary tech who saw us first aleady knew Zoe's name and started taking vitals and assessing what was bothering her.  We were impressed how pleasant and caring our tech was.  She also made sure we understood   what the doctors and staff would do to take of our baby.In fact everyone we saw and dealt with here was pleasant and kind. We're so happy and grateful that this facility is here. They treated our Zoe with great care.  Even though, Zoe had go home with the  "cone of shame", they also took the time and care to give her a cute, pink bandage.Only complaint was the cost but that's thr reality of good veterinary care.Thank you! Read Less

I would give 0 stars if it were possible!! Cornell you disgust me... Cornell University misdiagnosed my beloved dog, Gussie. On June 25th, 2016, my boyfriend and I brought Gussie to Cornell at 2:00 AM, after we woke up and saw him breathing with difficulty. On arrival at Cornell, Gus was seen and examined by Dr. Marteney and as part of the exam, blood work and x-rays were taken. Dr. Marteney misdiagnosed him with congestive heart failure. Dr. Marteney showed us Gussies x-rayRead Less

Both the front staff as well as clinical staff were absolutely fantastic. After an attack by a local dog occurred on our recent small rescue, we had to bring her in on the 4th of July where when we called ahead, were welcomed with open, caring arms. It's a hospital, so most people complain about wait times and such but when being realistic, we were happy to have been triaged RIGHT away and subsequently waited our turn. The staff kept asking if we wanted water, coffee and etc so they really put an effort into making us comfortable and letting us know updates on timing and such. Every time a there was an update from the back, they conveyed it to us. We waited only a short time before being seen. The Veterinarian performed such a thorough history and physician examination that we kept saying why we don't use this place for regular check ups! Everyone there is held to a high standard of care so that was important to us In selecting a site for care. They're also level 1 in terms of trauma center certification so as a local Dr, was huge for me. Overall, the care provided was outstanding and the cost was significantly lower than expected as well. I will wholeheartedly recommend this facility to everyone I know.Read Less

Boy...what a shame and huge disappointment. So upset. I took Marshmellow to Cornell University Veterinary Specialists this morning for what I thought was a follow up to the EXCELLENT emergency care he received last week...only to be treated like a stranger who walked in off the street. Apparently the ER records do not coincide with the internal medicine side. Sorry, thought I was there for continuity of care...not a "global assessment". No questions like, how's he doing? Any concerns? I would have more interaction with a Kiosk than I did with the technician. If the question wasn't on his checklist, he wasn't interested in knowing. "No one" had time to answer questions, I was told to reschedule the appointment for another day if I wanted questions answered. "I don't know what to tell you, do you have your own vet". Nice... I felt more love dropping of my car for an oil change than I did this morning. I picked up Marshmellow and walked out.Read Less

Empty on a Monday night at 11pm. After I called my regular vet and he wasn't available, I took my Border Collie here last night. (Brooks vomited 8 times in 15 hours, couldn't keep water down, was acting lethargic and depressed, was dehydrated.) Due to the acute onset of the symptoms and the lack of improvement over the day, we kind of figured he had eaten something and it was lodged in his intestines. Turns out, we were right! Everyone we dealt with (the receptionist, the nurse and Dr Maris Lee) were all friendly, upbeat, calm, efficient and smart. They evaluated Brooks (temperature, weight, lips, teeth, under tongue, felt his belly, checked his anus, etc) and then Dr Lee told us what all of the possible causes of this acute sickness could be (ate foreign object, renal issues, rare: poisoning, rarer: cancer, etc), and then told us what tests she would like to do to get more info and make a diagnoses. She told us the price of each test ($150 for consult, x-ray a pretty much "must do", was about $200, blood work was $255, under skin hydration and anti nausea drugs were maybe $120 total- slow release for 12 hours- any longer than that and you might be masking symptoms of another problem, like renal issues). So, we had Dr Lee do the x-ray, which of course showed that Brooks had eaten (what was very likely) several small rocks and one larger rock. WTF, I know. Dr Lee brought us in to see the films and explained it to us as she read them. Good news though! The rocks are all very, very likely in his large intestine, had not caused major visible inflammation on the way in, and were not fully blocking the intestine. So, Brooks got the subcutaneous fluids and anti nausea drugs, and we wait to see if Brooks passes the apparently delicious rocks, and if not, we bring him to our regular vet for more evaluation tomorrow. We were in and out of here in exactly 1 hour. Awesome. The price was steep ($560 total), but every emergency vet is silly expensive. What am I saying, every vet in general is expensive. Worth it to make sure Brooks was doing okay and to help him feel better. Do however wish there was a AAA discount... I really liked Dr Lee: she was articulate, didn't talk down to us, answered all of our questions, asked good questions, had a sense of humor, etc. I would definitely recommend her. If I ever have an after hours pet medical issue or an acute emergency, I would not hesitate to bring my pet here. Highly recommended. Just don't forget your credit card. Read Less

Had my first experience here today. My boxer previously tore his cruciate ligaments. We had it repaired in CA by another surgeon. When he started limping on the same leg I was worried and brought him here. I can't say enough great things. The office obtained all records prior to visit and the specialist was prepared and reviewed all imaging and notes. I spent an hour talking to the Vet who was so knowledgeable and drew pictures of my dog's knee to help me better understand. The office is beautiful and the staff greeted me with a smile. They saw me right away. I didn't get any other quotes for the recommended surgery so I have nothing to compares the prices to, but it's my buddy and I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for when it comes to medical care. The prescriptions are marked up significantly more than 2x.  I was quoted $225 for antibiotics and online it was $120.  If there is no urgency for the medication I would hold off and order online.Overall I highly recommend this place! Read Less

My dog was admitted yesterday and today I had to let her go. I cannot say enough about the kindness and compassion from the front desk person to the physician to the nurses and techs. Yes, I had to wait to speak to the doctor...it's an emergency facility and my dog was not critical at the moment. But the nurse allowed me to go into ICU TWICE while I was waiting so I could comfort him and be comforted by seeing him. Also, the doctor apologized profusely about having me wait. Yes, it wasn't cheap. But nothing they did was over and un called for and have you looked at your medical charges lately when you see a physician?? Cosmo and I were treated with the utmost dignity and care from the beginning to the end. They made an unbearable experience easier. Both physicians I dealt with were knowledgable and gave me all the options but it was clear that their priority was what was best for Cosmo in the big picture. I was able to see the techs in ICU interact with the other dogs and they were incredible; it was as if they were their own pets. A wonderful facility I would recommend to anyone who is in need of care for their pet. Thank you. Read Less

OMG this was by far the worst experience I could have ever imagined for my dog and family. The frontline staff were rude and unfriendly. The second tier staff was unapproachable and mistaken about so many circumstances. The doctors left my dog uncared for for the entire weekend and gave horrible medical advice and opinions. All they cared about was charging an astronomical amount of money and didn't put my dogs interest first. They threatened my dogs welfare to try to collect an incorrect amount of money. I tried to transfer my dog to another hospital and they wouldn't release her to us so we could quickly get her to a surgeon that was waiting at another hospital. BOTTOM LINE: Don't be fooled by the name, they don't care about your pet as much as they care about their fees. Read Less

Outrageous and unprofessional attitude to the patients and their owners. Take your pet to any other emergency hospital and don't be tempted by this great university's prestigious name. In addition to the stress of the entire visit, two days later our primary caregiver was STILL not given any access to our dog's files from the emergency visit. The entire experience was horrible. Our dog, an 11 year old golden retriever, suffered a muscle sprain from falling down the stairs. She was in severe pain, could not walk properly, or lift herself up. We checked in to the emergency room at 9:30 PM and after a short examination by a nurse, we were told to wait for two other emergencies to be taken care of. Two hours later, when both of the other patients were stabilized and their owners had left, leaving us the only visitors in the waiting room, we were told that the doctor would see us momentarily. A little while later, still no doctor in sight, the receptionist went to remind the doctor of our presence. Finally, the doctor, Lisa Carter, appeared and, while examining our dog, once again mentioned that they had much more important cases that night. At the end of the examination and x-ray, Dr. Carter, told us they would need to run some blood tests to prescribe the proper painkillers. At midnight, the receptionists, the only really nice and helpful people in the facility, went home. An hour later, around 1 AM, both us and the dog completely exhausted, had to CALL the emergency number in order to remind them that we were still there. At this point our dog had been in pain for about 5 hours. One of the 3 nurses who were on call came out saying that our blood tests had been finished long ago (and everything was normal) but they were too busy to give us our prescription. I will remind you that we had been the only ones in the waiting room since the departure of the other two owners, who's pets, we were told, were doing well. Finally, another nurse came out and gave us the prescription. Was it really necessary to keep us waiting for so long in order to give our dog prescribed painkillers and our $630 bill, a task that requires no more than 5 minutes? If they did not have time to take care of our dog, they could have simply told us that to begin with and sent us to a different animal hospital nearby (of which there are many in the area). Before we left, we specifically asked that our retriever's files be sent to her primary caregiver ASAP, and they told us that they would be sent in the next few hours to her vet as well as to our email. Now, two days later, our primary caregiver was told that there is no record of the x-rays or the blood test. To summarize, while our dog's injury was not life-threatening, it is scary to think that if another patient arrived in critical condition, they would have been unable to take care of it because the help was not available and they were too busy.Read Less

The internal medicine department at Cornell is the highest level of care you can find for your pet. I had to take my cat there for early kidney issues and Dr. Forman was able to explain everything to me and perform important tests aimed at controlling my cat's disease. He then called my primary care doctor to relay the medical plan. I had to go there once and then after that my cat has been able to continue his care with his primary doctor. This is what Cornell does - they give you a diagnosis and care plan and are happy to discuss with the regular care vet in efforts to keep cost down for the owner (as well as the travel!) Are they expensive, yes, but this is what anyone should expect with quality medical care. You get what you pay for. Read Less

This is a ridiculously expensive and pretentious place --think $1,000 or just under for a single visit--for below par pet care. Nearly all the vets have this in common: none of them went to Cornell Veterinary school. I took my young dog there for stomach issues. They did expensive tests and put him on a daily medication that didn't work. He got worse. We paid their astronomical bill and went to our local vet, who charged us $60 and healed the dog.Read Less

We knew about Cornell Vet specialists from our vet, he said to us since the beginning that if there was any emergency and we couldn't reach them, there was always Cornell emergency room.And well it happend, on labor day, our puppy (at that time she was 9 1/2 months) couldn't stop crying, and she was limping, I freaked out, the H and I took her to the emergency room at cornell, since that moment, they took great care of her, she had to stay overnight for exams, the following day, the result was that she needed surgery, they were very professional they knew what was wrong, and they gave us options, she did need surgery but the doctor explained the options we had and how much it will be, so after getting a second opinion we decided to go forward with the option that the doctor suggested.Leia went to surgery and after 2 months of recovery, she is doing great, every suggestion, follow up appointment and call was part of her been healthy today. Read Less