Dr. Rina Maguire is the best! Backstory: Dr. Maguire used to work at The Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine in the UWS. I took Buster, my dwarf hamster, to see her when she was having unidentifiab... Read More
Dr. Rina Maguire is the best! Backstory: Dr. Maguire used to work at The Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine in the UWS. I took Buster, my dwarf hamster, to see her when she was having unidentifiable bleeding from her private parts. Dr. Maguire was thorough in her exam and while palpating her abdomen, mentioned she felt some "thickening" around her reproductive system. After administering oral medication, Buster's bleeding stopped.Fast forward 4 months and Buster's bleeding came back with a vengeance. I called the Center who said that Dr. Maguire had left and they weren't sure where she went. I googled and found that she had returned to work with the vet she had originally studied with, Dr. Heidi Hoefer. I didn't trust anyone else with my hammie, so I took the LIRR from Manhattan out to Long Island with Buster. Buster had lost a lot of weight and looked unwell; I asked Dr. Maguire what she would do if Buster was her pet, and she said we should do an exploratory surgery to determine if the bleeding was from a tumor, cyst, abscess, etc. I decided to go ahead and have her do the surgery (mind you, this is a dwarf hamster, no more than 3.5 inches tall). Dr. Maguire was skilled enough to anesthetize Buster and perform an oophorectomy. Yes, my little hamster got both her ovaries removed. The receptionist even said "We called her the little miracle hamster! We saw her little body on the operating table, it was amazing!" Dr. Maguire is awesome, and I'm sure Dr. Hoefer is as well. I especially appreciate that this veterinary center's "only purpose is attending to the medical & surgical needs of birds, rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, small rodents, lizards, snakes, turtles and tortoises. The hospital is predator-free; we do not see dog or cats." (taken from their website). Another big plus is that they have someone on staff 24 hours, which means that if your beloved pet has to stay overnight, there is always someone there to check up on them.Throughout the whole process, Dr. Maguire kept me updated, and immediately called me after the surgery to let me know that Buster was okay. Aftercare medication was provided and follow up appointments were easy to schedule. I ended up spending many hundreds of dollars (including LIRR fare both ways, taxi to/from Huntington Station to the vet clinic, the medical expense itself, etc.), however it was worth every penny (and still cheaper than what I would have spent at The Center for Avian and Exotics). Buster is happy and healthy. I can't thank the staff and Dr. Maguire enough. Read Less