Veterinary Emergency And Referral Group Inc

My one month old kitten had a horrible experience w/ Ivomec (administered by Vet my Pet - btw not their fault). Vet my Pet gave the correct dosage of Ivomec for his ear mites but unfortunately, he suffered from the side effects (temporary blindness, lethargic, was dazed, walked as if he was drunk, dehydrated). Vet Emerg provided me with the diagnoses, treatment (over night stay) and stay at home Rx. THANK GOD the side effect of Ivomec was not life threatening to my kitty.
My kitty bounced back as if nothing ever happened to him. I'm thankful to God that they were able to help him. Yes by all means they are way too expensive however - I could not imagine putting a price tag on my babies (kitty & dog) when it comes to any medical or life/death situation. Thank God I had the $$$ at the time (still paying) but a word of advice to pet owners - do your research. A lot of animal medications are for humans as well and if you can get a prescription (from your primary doctor) w/o getting it from vets - DO IT!!!

Pros: Best care

Cons: Too much darn $$$$ for service

Posted 11/16/09

They are there for your money not for your pet. Even a nurse told me that somebody have to pay for the staff and equipment. I was so broken heart seeing my cat dying, they run my credit, to aproved a credit card, after I was aproved for 4000 dollars they started sugesting all kind of test s when actually the only thing my poor beloved cat needed was to put him to sleep. He died even all the hospitalization and examinations they performed in order to get money from me.

Pros: none

Posted 08/26/09

My 17 year old cat developed clots that blocked flow to her hind legs - effectively paralizing her. We rushed her to this office on a Sunday (Mother's Day) because her regular vet was unavailable. The staff was professional and respectful. After her examination, Emma Ryan explained that the prognosis was not good and my cat was in a great deal of pain. She recommended putting her down and I agreed so her agony could come to an end. I was able to hold her as she was given her injection and as life left her. All through this difficult process Ms. Ryan was loving, gentle and treated my Tashi as if she were her own. Afterwards she gave me a hug, which I needed. I can't possibly imagine how anyone could have been more compassionate and made this process any more bearable. I will be forever grateful.

Pros: Emma Ryan

Cons: None

Posted 05/10/09

I think the people at VERG have good intentions, but we had a very unfortunate experience there. We found a kitten that was 4 weeks old and she was in great health overall. She had worms and ring worm, typical street cat stuff, but she was lively and had a good appetite. We took her to a vet that prescribed Albon medication for her worms. She had a bad reaction to it late at night so I rushed her to VERG. They told me it was not the medication and got her better. But then they gave the Albon to her again and she got worse and I had to rush her back to them the next night. This went on like this for 4 nights in a row, and I kept asking about possible allergies, and reading about the medication and the side effects, which was exactly what the kitten was experiencing. By the 4th visit she was so weak I demanded they take her off the medication and flush her out and then I would take her home. They said they would not give it to her and I was relieved. Then I got a call the next day that she was touch and go. I was totally surprised because she was doing better the night before after not receiving the medication. I asked if she had received the Albon again and they said yes, the doctor had decided to give it to her without calling us or getting our consent. The kitten died shortly after.

We were devastated and so upset that they made this decision expressly against our wishes.

Since it is the ONLY 24 hour clinic in Brooklyn, go there if you have to but please be aware that at least some of the doctors are not willing to hear what you have to say about your pet and they may not follow your instructions, which could, as in our case, lead to the death of your animal.

Posted 09/10/08

Last week I was walking my dog on the sidewalk and he apparently licked something off the ground. All of a sudden he was foaming at the mouth and his mouth was bleeding. Obviously I panicked but knew that Veterinary Emergency and Referral group was nearby. I ran in hysterical with my dog. The staff was very comforting and took Nemo in the back and immediately began treating him. Everyone at the clinic was great, they took the time to explain to me everything they were doing with Nemo. Everyone was extremely caring and really helped me, even though I was hysterical. Needless to say Nemo is back home with us now doing well thanks to the prompt care that he received at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group.

Pros: open 24/7

Cons: parking

Posted 09/19/07

A couple months ago our black lab started limping on one of his hind legs. It seemed to get a little better at first but it was clear after a couple of weeks that it wasn't going away. He couldn't take long walks and didn't want to play frisbee anymore (very out of his character). Our regular vet told us that he had probably torn his ACL, a ligament in the knee. Unfortunately our vet told us that Bailey was going to need surgery. Luckily he referred us to Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, which was right around the corner from us. We were able to get an appointment the same week that we called with Dr. Prata. From the minute we walked in it was clear that the staff was caring and competent. The receptionists were helpful, the technician was friendly, and Dr. Prata was great. He made a point of spending some time to get Bailey and us comfortable. He went over the surgery process with us in great detail. He was honest and to the point. Bailey had the surgery the same day and is now back to his normal crazy self, back at the dog park playing frisbee. We've since found out that a torn ACL is a very common problem in dogs. I would highly recommend Dr. Prata and the staff at Veterinary Emergency group if any of your pets ever need surgery.

Pros: Friendly staff, excellent service, 24 hour care

Cons: parking

Posted 08/31/07

Last week I was walking my dog on the sidewalk and he apparently licked something off the ground. All of a sudden he was foaming at the mouth and his mouth was bleeding. Obviously I panicked but knew that Veterinary Emergency and Referral group was nearby. I ran in hysterical with my dog. The staff was very comforting and took Nemo in the back and immediately began treating him. Everyone at the clinic was great, they took the time to explain to me everything they were doing with Nemo. Everyone was extremely caring and really helped me, even though I was hysterical. Needless to say Nemo is back home with us now doing well thanks to the prompt care that he received at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group.

Pros: Prompt care in emergency situations, open 24/7, no appointments needed.

Cons: Parking in the area can be tricky.

Posted 08/31/07

This place has taken great care of my dog two times now.
It is clean, all the Doctors are helpful, smart and caring, and you can call any time to
get an update on how your pet is doing. My dog actually was sad to leave the arms of
Dr. Levitzky, I could not believe I saw her tail wagging during the exam!
It is great to know when your pet is sick there is a safe place to go.

Pros: Great staff, thorough, clean, dedicated

Cons: expensive but all pet care seems to be in this city

Posted 03/10/07

My cat received the best care here, not only did they "JUMP" to attention and examine him immediately when I came in with him, they helped me to calm down. I owe them many thanks for a thorough job. When my husband went to visit him the next day they allowed him to stay for as long as he wanted. This place is great, I hope I never have to come back, sorry but I prefer a healthy cat which you've given back to me.
Thanks C. Thomas

Posted 03/07/07

We brought our cat in at 3:30 am when he realized he was blind (from undiagnosed hypertension, it turns out). Dr. Anderson explained everything to us, told us our options, offered to let our regular vet take care of testing, and was very patient. Our follow up a few days later for bp was handled by techs who were sweet and gentle. Our follow up with the internist, Dr. Shaw, was great. She was super thorough, explained all the options, and was nonjudgmental about our decisions. We are lucky (?) that our cat has enough issues to where we can see her as a regular vet.

Pros: Clean, professional, courteous, compassionate, thorough

Cons: Expensive, because it's emergency care

Posted 12/26/06