I have been a customer of this hospital for over 22 years with more then one dog. Dr.Balbour has always been sweet and caring to all my dogs. This past week I was so hurt and shocked with the way I was treated from her office I will never go back there again. My dog Lucy passed away this week. Having to make the decision to put her down was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Lucy was a patient there for 14 1/2yrs. I had made an appointment for her on Tuesday for a routine check up and to discuss her pain meds. The Dr. and I had previously discussed her end of life ( we knew it was coming) and I had asked if when the time came would she come to my home. She said she didn't do home services but she could recommend a vet. But when the time came I wanted her vet the only Dr. she knew to be the one to help her. She was limping around a little bit but otherwise fine. Tuesday morning my daughter got rushed to the hospital and I had to cancel my appointment but still ran there to pick up her prescription. I told Dana ( the receptionist) that my daughter needed surgery and I would call to reschedule. Wednesday morning Lucy woke up and could not walk or barely stand. I called the office immediately. I knew in my heart it was her time to pass and I wanted Dr. Balbour to be the one to help her cross over. I asked if she could see her Thursday ( i was watching my two very young grandchildren because my daughter was in surgery and I didn't want to take a 4 and 2 yr old with me to do that) Dana told me the Dr. wasn't in tomorrow ( Thur) I said to her I think it's time and I don't know what to do. She said the Dr. can fit her in at 3:15 today but there would be a long wait because she was 'squeezing her in' But it would be for an exam not euthanasia . I was desperate so I said ok. But I couldn't find someone to watch the kids so I called back and Dana said she can fit her in on Friday at 3:30 but again there would be a wait because she was booked. I again made the appointment. As the day went on Lucy was getting worse. She was lethargic and now unable to stand at all. I knew she was in serious pain and did not want her to suffer all the way till Friday late afternoon (plus wait in the office to die because she was 'squeezed in').  So I called Lap of Love a hospice service for pets and they came to my home first thing Thursday morning. They were caring and loving to Lucy in her last moments and helped her go in peace. I feel that Lucy being a patient of Dr. Balbours for her entire life that there could have been something someway she could have been the one to be there for her in the end. I understand she was 'booked' and I understand there were other sick pets but Lucy needed her and I felt like she was nothing more then an appointment.On Friday I got a sympathy call from the Dr.Balbour gee thanks. Making the decision to put your loving baby down is soooo very hard. Being treated like she meant nothing to them was heartbreaking. A phone message and sympathy card after the fact doesn't make me feel any better. I would have preferred a little compassion in our time of need. Read Less

I have never had a worse experience at the vet. I was told that my cat had heart worms and when I asked for more information i was told to googleit. How can you tell someone that their pet has a condition and not even explain it? The vet also tolf me that he was "blindly guessing" on what to do when it came to my cat and ever since we gave her the medication that he recommended she seems worse. Read Less

Dr.Shona Balbour-Lunali. DVM brought our rescue kitten... A.K.A Mia Gallo to her well being for life.......... Friendly & Courteous staff...... Price Savy...... They “EXECUTE WITH EXCELLENE” ACCOMMODATING...... KNOWLEDGABLE ...... LOVING/ NURTURING NO OTHER PLACE WE’D BRING MIA A.K.A OUR BABY 🐈 THANK YOU 🎁 “ Read Less

Dr. Balbour is so knowledgeable and so loving. I've been taking my bunnies to her for years. She kisses them when she sees them and it melts my heart. The office staff is also wonderful. I would (and do) recommended her to everyone! Read Less

I can’t say enough about the staff at Island especially Dr. Balbour and Dana. I recently had to make a tough decision with my Cat and it was very emotional. When the staff gets choked up, helps you feel good about tough decisions and never once steers you in the wrong direction you know you are in good hands. I can’t thank them enough and there is no one I would trust more with my Fur babies than Island Veterinary Hospital. Read Less

First of all, the negative reviews here are completely unwarranted (probably know it alls that also went to vet school.. no? Weird!). Long story short, if you love your pet and want proper, no BS care, Dr Balbour is who you want. She’s considerate, knowledgeable, and she’s the ONLY vet in the office. SHE knows every animal, every condition they have, every medication they’re on, etc. Her staff compliments her well and is the same, they are incredible to their clients. If you want a corporate experience where they kiss your ass and tell you what you want to hear then yah, go elsewhere... there are a few vets on this island that will look at you like a number and a payday - all day. But the best care for your pet is at Island Veterinary Hospital. The best car is what she does. And she does it well. Hands down. Read Less

I have six dogs and continue to use Dr Balbour. She is wonderful and caring. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a vet with professionalism, passion, and true caring for their pet and family. Read Less

We were looking for a local Vet for our new puppy and came across Dr B and the staff at IVH. They were all so professional and personable and made us feel extremely comfortable with our choice. Definitely a great match for us and our girl! Read Less

Dr. Balbour is the best vet I've ever brought my cats to see. She is absolutely amazing! She was so patient with me and answered all my questions thoroughly. And she went above and beyond to help us. The entire staff is great too. So attentive and kind. They even have a board in the waiting room where they write the names of new patients as a way to welcome them. Such a sweet and personal touch. You can really tell how much they care. I would highly recommend them to anyone! Read Less

Dr Shona Balbour and her entire staff are the absolute best. The personal and genuine care is one you don't see often in others like you see at IVH. She kept my beloved diabetic chocolate lab well for 12 wonderful years. She has taken care of my now 2 shih tzu's for the past 6 years. There's Nobody better!!!! Read Less

Dr. Balbour is the absolute best vet in the world! We've been going to her for over 8 years now. She is so amazing with our pets and always goes over & beyond. The staff at Island Vet are also phenomenal. Everyone is so caring, it's like a big family when you're there. As long as Dr. Balbour is in business, I will not go to any other vet! She truly is the best! No one else even compares. Read Less

Chloe told me that she cannot wait to come in tomorrow! Buuutttt, she cannot take this weather anymore! Absolutely best veterinary hospital ever! My frenchie went from dying of parvo at just 2 pounds, to this beautiful bundle of joy! We cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow! ....and may I add, the love that every person that works here, brings years to my eyes everytime! The staff loves their clients as if they were they own! Amazing amazing amazing! Read Less

Dr Balbour and the whole team at Island Vet took such good care of my sweet boy, Sullivan. When he was diagnosed with diabetes, Dr Balbour made sure we were well educated on how to care for him, and always there when we needed her.Read Less

I was staying with my parents for a few months with my dogs.  My dog Clarice decided to take a huge jump off o my parents deck and sprained her leg. The staff there saw us right away and took care of "Hello Clarice". And my dog actually behaved herself while there. She is very fussy at the vets. My Dad takes his dogs here as well and has never had anything bad to say about them. Read Less

Dr. Balbour and her staff are the most kind, compassionate, considerate, loving and professional group of animal care providers you will find! They care for all of our animals and helped us through our most difficult time of helping our dear Peking cross the Rainbow Bridge. I cannot stress enough how you will never find another doctor who will do more for your furry family than she will! We love you Dr. BalbourRead Less

I'm gonna make a long story short.. Island Veterinary is the best!! The most friendly that I have dealt with! Dog boarding ? Island Veterinary does it the best!! They made me feel sooo comfortable leaving my very high energy dog with them for boarding. They made my next vacation so much less stressful! I thank Island Veterinary and everyone that works there!!!! THANK YOU !!!!!! Read Less

Dr. Balbour and staff have been amazing with our lab/retriever Peyton, and now our Husky/Shepard Cooper. Always so sweet and caring to my dogs, and always happy to answer any questions or concerns I have. Lifetime clients !! Read Less

I could not be any happier with how my boys first vet appointment went! Dr. Balbour and all the staff were nothing but kind and warm hearted! I will definitely be back! Thank you Island Veterinary Hospital!!!! Read Less

Valentina loves Dr. Balbour and all of her staff!! Dr. Balbour cares for our girl as if she was her own. Very knowledgeable and caring staff, they accommodate us well. My lab actually is happy to go to the vet and see her "friends"!...and what other vet around starts out our visit with playtime and snuggles? We love Island Vet!! Read Less

Dr. Balbour and staff run an amazing hospital. I have been coming here for at least 10 years with my dog. My dog is extremely nervous, anxious and is always treated with kindness and care. Dr. Balbour always answers all of our questions, never rushes through our appointment, is very knowledgeable and always places a personal follow up call when additional issues come up. Recently (November 2015)  i boarded my dogs for 10 days and he had a great experience. Read Less

The doctor is extremely thorough, kind, informative & competent. Unfortunately, we had to recently euthanize a family cat, and we brought her to Dr. Balbour. She explained the entire procedure & politely shared her opinions on the case, which matched our own, all in a calm, caring manner. We weren't left wondering if we had made the right decision after. Also, we asked for a paw print, and what she gave us was lovely-our cat's paw print imprinted in clay along with a little angel wing charm, our cat's name & some other little colored beads and the Rainbow Bridge poem-it made me cry when I first opened it. I would absolutely recommend Island Vet. to anyone. Read Less

Dr. Balbour has always been fair, informative and never made us feel like we weren't doing the best for our pets like some practices make you feel. The staff is friendly and attentive to both our pets and family while our pets are in their care. Reasonable pricing as well, let's face it no matter what it is ppl always think vet care is expensive, though their rates are fair as well as explained thoroughly without question. All options, etc are given and overall communication is excellent. So very fortunate to have found this wonderful office via The Adoption Center pet rescue. Read Less

Horrible Horrible Horrible I have been going there for almost 7 years and I am furious at how Dr. Balbour treated me when I came to her with an unhappy experience we had. In the past visits that she has given my dog check ups she will go through the exam not be clear into what needs to be done and the cost for it; only to walk out of the exam with a big bill to pay. This year I made it very clear that I only wanted the required services to be given to my dog. The receptionist gave me a list with prices on each. The day of the appointment I called again to let them know that I only wanted the services that was agreed upon for my dog and the receptionist had it documented with reasons being because of finances. When the appointment was complete we were charged not only for the services i had asked for but more than what was agreed upon. When I finally spoke to Dr. Balbour she not only tried to continuously cut me off as I was explaining my frustration but took no accountability for anything. She continued to say that she did nothing wrong and that her staff was very clear in what was being done. To make matters worst she seemed unsympathetic and had no care in the world that even though I have been with her for 7 years if she can't make us happy to go to another vet. Out of the seven years this has been my only complaint and I would think she would have handled matters better. Do NOT go to her. She is a vet that will talk you into needing services that you might not need right away only to bump up your bill. Be aware! Also.... I found another Vet closer to my home and asked to fax over scripts and records so that the new Vet can order my dog's eye drops and Dr. Barbour refused to fax script over. That comes to show how much she values a 7 year relationship we had with her and the "love" and compassion she has for animals. Not to mention we would drive 30 minutes out of our way regularly to see her. Read Less

In response to Jenilee Santiago. The Veterinary Hospital was aware of the concern Jenilee Santiago had for how much her visit would cost. All recommendations for optimal care were still given to the Jenilee Santiago's husband (since she was not present during the exam she is complaining about) and some were declined at his request. It is common for people to prioritize what procedures are performed and which will be performed at a later date. There is no pressure for clients to do everything but it is still our duty and practice to educate our clients as to what is the best optimal level of care. Furthermore, when the doctor performed the annual exam it was found that the dog's chronic eye issue had gotten worse. This is caused mostly to the fact that the pet owner had not kept on top of the issue by renewing the pet's eye medication (Tacrolimus). Tacrolimus, a medication that was prescribed to be administered to both eyes twice a day should only last about 3 months, however it had been over 6 months since she last purchased it on December 4, 2013. The date of the exam was May 16, 2014. The doctor discussed this with the client's husband. The doctor explained that the eyes are extremely dry and this dryness had caused an infection in the dog's eyes. A test would need to be performed to determine if the medication should be changed or exactly how much medication would need to be administered. Her husband agreed to follow the doctor's recommendations on how to rectify the issue. The client's husband was given the typical course of best medical treatment to fix the problem and he made the decision to follow this best medical advice. On May 16, 2014 the client's husband purchased a 3 month supply of Tacrolimus and Neopolydex ointment to treat and control the eye infection. This was paid for by her husband and given to her husband at the time of the exam visit. The wife states that services were not approved but in fact her husband, being of age, sound mind, and body made a decision to follow best medical advice since she was not physically present. Had the client followed the doctor's recommendations this medication would have been refilled three months prior to this exam and a follow up visit would have been performed to recheck the eyes. Perhaps the eye infection would not have been an issue on May 16, 2014. Another misleading statement is that Dr. Balbour would not fax a script to the new vet. The client told Island Veterinary Hospital that she had recently moved and on occasion had been going to another hospital because it was closer to her. Jenilee Santiago expressed how happy she was with the other vet hospital, therefore, we suggested that she simply continue to go to one hospital since it was closer and more convenient to her home, to avoid confusion, and is unhappy with our prices. Due to this there was no need for Island Veterinary Hospital to give her a prescription (because it was recently refilled) and the other hospital was aware of the eye problem already and could simply give her the medication when the current supply runs out (as stated above this medication should last three months). This hospital followed owner's request, made on May 21, 2014, and faxed the pet's records to the other animal hospital. Once records are requested to be fax/ transferred to another hospital, because a client is changing vets, they automatically became inactive and the other hospital authorizes medications. You decide. If you want a veterinarian that is going to educate you and inform you of all the best medical advice then Island Veterinary Hospital is the hospital for your pets. If you don't want a kind companionate staff to care for your pets the way you care for them than take Jenilee Santiago's advice. Read Less

In response to J.S of Sayville. The Veterinary Hospital was aware of the concern J.S of Sayville had for how much her visit would cost.  All recommendations for optimal care were still given to the J.S's husband (since she was not present during the exam she is complaining about) and some were declined at his request.  It is common for people to prioritize what procedures are performed and which will be performed at a later date.   There is no pressure for clients to do everything but it is still our duty and practice to educate our clients as to what is the best optimal level of care.  Furthermore, when the doctor performed the annual exam  it was found that the dog's chronic eye issue had gotten worse.  This is caused mostly to the fact that the pet owner had not kept on top of the issue by renewing the pet's eye medication (Tacrolimus).  Tacrolimus, a medication that was prescribed to be administered to both eyes twice a day should only last about 3 months, however it had been  over 6 months since she last purchased it on December 4, 2013.  The date of the exam was May 16, 2014.  The doctor discussed this with the client's husband. The doctor explained that the eyes are extremely dry and this dryness had caused an infection in the dog's eyes.  A test would need to be performed to determine if the medication should be changed or exactly how much medication would need to be administered.  Her husband agreed to follow the doctor's recommendations on how to rectify the issue.  The client's husband was given the typical course of best medical treatment to fix the problem and he made the decision to follow this best medical advice.  On May 16, 2014 the client's husband purchased a 3 month supply of Tacrolimus and Neopolydex ointment to treat and control the eye infection.  This was paid for by her husband and given to her husband at the time of the exam visit.  The wife states that services were not approved but in fact her husband, being of age, sound mind, and body made a decision to follow best medical advice since she was not physically present.Had the client followed the doctor's recommendations this medication would have been refilled three months prior to this exam and a follow up visit would have been performed to recheck the eyes.  Perhaps the eye infection would not have been an issue on May 16, 2014.Another misleading statement is that Dr. Balbour would not fax a script to the new vet.  The client told Island Veterinary Hospital that she had recently moved and on occasion had been going to another hospital because it was closer to her.    Mrs. J.S expressed how happy she was with the other vet hospital, therefore, we suggested that she simply continue to go to one hospital since it was closer and more convenient to her home, to avoid confusion, and is unhappy with our prices.  Due to this there was no need for Island Veterinary Hospital to give her a prescription (because it was recently refilled) and the other hospital was aware of the eye problem already and could simply give her the medication when the current supply runs out (as stated above this medication should last three months).  This hospital followed owner's request, made on May 21, 2014, and faxed the pet's  records to the other animal hospital. Once records are requested to be fax/ transferred to another hospital, because a client is changing vets, they automatically became inactive and the other hospital authorizes medications.You decide.  If you  want a veterinarian that is going to educate you and inform you of all the best medical advice then Island Veterinary Hospital is the hospital for your pets.  If you don't want a kind companionate staff to care for your pets the way you care for them than take J.S's advice. Read Less

I have been going there for  almost 7 years and I am furious at how Dr. Balbour treated me when I came to her with an unhappy experience we had. In the past  visits that she has given my dog check ups she will go through the exam not be clear into what needs to be done and the cost for it; only to walk out of the exam with a big bill to pay. This year I made it very clear that I only wanted the required services to be given to my dog. The receptionist gave me a list with prices on each. The day of the appointment I called again to let them know that I only wanted the services that was agreed upon for my dog and the receptionist had it documented with reasons being because of finances. When the appointment was complete we were charged not only for the services i had  asked for but more than what was agreed upon.  When I finally spoke to Dr. Balbour she not only tried to continuously cut me off as I was explaining my frustration but took no accountability for anything. She continued to say that she did nothing wrong and that her staff was very clear in what was being done. To make matters worst she seemed unsympathetic and had no care in the world that even though I have been with her for 7 years if she can't make us happy to go to another vet. Out of the seven years this has been my only complaint and I would think she would have handled matters better.Do NOT go to her. She is a vet that will talk you into needing services that you might not need right away only to bump up your bill. Be aware!Also.... I found another Vet closer to my home and asked to fax over scripts and records so that the new Vet can order my dog's eye drops and Dr. Barbour refused to fax script over. That comes to show how much she values a 7 year relationship we had with her and the "love" and compassion she has for animals. Not to mention we would drive 30 minutes out of our way regularly to see her. Read Less

After going to another place in Coram, we found this Vet and I am so glad we did. The staff was super nice and the Doc was wonderful. The care was top notch and we felt immediately at ease and like family. We had to put our beloved cat down, and the care and finesse and gentle way we were handled was truly a blessing. We received a sympathy card today in the mail and it made my husband cry for his little kitty. We have a young, healthy Boxer dog and another feisty cat. We intend for her to be their Doctor! No need to go anywhere else! Daniel and Thelma Corpas Read Less

After going to another place in Coram, we found this Vet and I am so glad we did. The staff was super nice and the Doc was wonderful. The care was top notch and we felt immediately at ease and like family. We had to put our beloved cat down, and the care and finesse and gentle way we were handled was truly a blessing. We received a sympathy card today in the mail from Island Vet and it made such a difference. We have a young, healthy Boxer dog and another feisty cat. We intend for her to be their Doctor! No need to go anywhere else! Thelma Medina Read Less