Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group

Last month I brought my dog to Vinegar Hill and had a terrible experience With Dr. Neuman. She was disorganized and DISHONEST!! I have never posted anything but feel obligated to warn people about this Veterinarian. more

I took my puppy here to get spayed and she ended up being rushed to the hospital. When the doctor initially called me after performing the procedure she stated ""I cut the wrong vein."" After literally running to the office, I found my dog being driven to a veterinarian hospital by two young girls playing music extremely loud in the car, while my dog's eyes were rolling back in her head. My puppy then spent the next day in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital and now has in incision that covers her entire underside, which was closed with staples. As of today, i have not recieved an explanation as to what happened during the surgery and have found a new veterinarian that is much more professional. If you care for your pet i would keep them away from this place. \r more

I recommend Vinegar Hill Vets to anyone looking for experienced and compassionate care for their animals. I have brought many cats (my own and fosters) to Dr. Neumann, as well as rescued wildlife. She always impresses me with her knowledge, dedication, and communication skills. I've learned so much about cats from her. I referred a friend who had been told her young dog required prohibitively expensive tests to Dr. Neumann who diagnosed the dog's lip lesion as benign and self-healing. Dr. Pizzillo, who joined the practice last year, is wonderful as well. I believe Vinegar Hill offers excellent care at very fair prices. I'm happy to travel from Manhattan for visits. more

So, my cat is very shy and picky and doesn't like most strangers, but Dr. Neumann is special. After having gone to another popular vet who almost killed my Henry and actually tried to neuter him twice Henry was pretty traumatized by the vet experience. Dr. Sara is different. She'll answer emails, be there in a crisis, I've even heard of her making a home visit once. I'm so gratefuI have them for my wonderful (but not always helathy) kitty. more

I live in the Midwood section of Brooklyn and bring all my cats to Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group. I have Ferals and Friendlies and Fosters. Right now I have 35 cats in my household.\r Drs Neuman and Pizillo are wonderful women and , more to the point, excellent vets. They have taken the time to discuss my cats' illnesses and answer all my questions regarding whatever issues I address. the are available for phone consultations and by e-mail to follow up, to answer questions, and to review any information I may have found confusing or may need addional information. When dealing with fatal illnessed, they are warm, loving, caring and compassionate. Their chief technician, a character to be sure, is one of the most effecient, knowledgeable and competent caretakers I have ever worked with. Behind a rather brusk exterior, she is compassionate and attentive, taking the necessary time to ensure that both human and animal receive the best care available, even keeping track of my meter time.\r All the office staff are friendly and helpful. The phones are answered in a timely manner; all of the technicians are competent and caring. At other veterinary clinics I have been left to wait for well over an hour, then a tech comes into the waiting room to take a history or do a preliminary exam. This has never happened at Vinegar Hill. Although I have waited a short time on occassion, because of an emergency, I have been treated with courtesy and respect, and brought into an examining room immediately when one was available.\r Although I live in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, and have many vets closer, I am happy to make the trip to Vinegar HIll to ensure the best possible care and treatment for my cats. more

Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group is an excellent animal hospital and Dr. Neuman and Dr. Pizzillo are wonderful, caring veterinarians. I bring all my pets (3 cats, 1 dog, 2 turtles to see them) as well as the many animals I have rescued and adopted out. The office and hospital staff is very helpful and both doctors work very hard to be accessible - often updating me and answering questions via email - very convenient with a busy schedule. \r \r I have worked with many veterinarians over the years. I believe it is important to develop a trusting relationship with my veterinarian. I don't know what is going on inside my pet and I need to feel confident that the doctor's recommendations are are designed to help my pet not increase profitability. I feel very confident when I see Dr. Neuman and Dr. Pizzillo. They both are willing to answer my immediate questions and explain their recommendations to me. If I have follow up questions they will patiently explain again. They are both happy to explain why they recommended one option over another option I discovered on the Internet. And when I had to deal with the loss of a sick animal, both doctors were careful to consider my desires in how aggressive I wanted to be with a terminal disease. \r \r Reading through some of the other complaints on this site I feel obligated to say that many appear to be the result of a desire to rant. Sure Vinegar Hill is not going to suite everyone. It is an expensive neighborhood and the hospital has new and expensive equipment and the prices are not cheap (although they aren't the most expensive around here). So if price is your main consideration than this may not be the spot for you. However, choosing this hospital will mean that when your pet needs surgery or some other procedure his doctor won't be using equipment from a 1950's field hospital. And keep in mind that without medical insurance and co-pays you can't see a human doctor for less than a couple hundred dollars.\r \r Every hospital and every doctor has upset some of their patients. The only ones that haven't are ones that haven't been in business long enough..... Just give them some time. But people who are angry and want to anonymously rant about their horrible experiences when they only went there briefly are really not providing an good picture of the hospital. My animals have been patients at Vinegar Hill for over 3 years. They have gotten excellent care from the doctors and staff during that time. I have gotten excellent service from them as well (administratively not medically ;-) ). And I have recommended the hospital to many of my friends and acquaintances and they have had uniformly positive experiences. more

I've lived in the DUMBO/Downtown Brooklyn area for 15 years, and haven't been happy with the choice of vets in the area. I have a multiple cat household and a dog. A couple of my cats are special needs and require additional care. So it has been no easy task to find a vet I can rely on. Until Dr. Neuman and Vinegar Hill came along, I was traveling all the way to Park Slope to see a vet there. My entire experience with Vinegar Hill has been very good. From the moment I walk in, it's clean, professional, the receptionists are responsive and polite. The vet techs are also a cut above the ones I've dealt with at other vet practices. To me, a good vet (and even a good people doctor!!) can diagnose a problem within a few minutes of examining an animal. It's a sixth sense, accompanied by years of experience. Dr. Neuman has that gift. She and two of her vet techs have even come to my home to help with fractious cats I have who don't do well at her office (semi-feral cats). One of my senior cats became very ill, and she and her staff helped coach me through the cat's palliative care and were so sensitive and empathetic at this sad time. When the cat did pass away, the staff and Dr. Neuman went out of their way to call, to send a card and went well beyond what you'd expect of a vet practice. I highly recommend Dr. Neuman and Vinegar Hill. more

On a follow up visit, I had Dr. Neuman examine my cat. Dr. Neuman was very brief and inattentive in dealing with me. When I explained that they only gave me enough medicine for my cat until the night before, she said that they could not do the blood work necessary because she had not had her morning dose. I would need to leave my cat there for 4 hours so they could give her a dose then wait to take a blood sample. I had no desire to leave my cat there, and it would have been completely unnecessary if they had given me enough prescription medicine following the original visit. I also had no choice, and left my cat there. I picked up my cat later that day along with more of her medication. This is where my experience became even more troubling. When I went to give her her dose that night, I noticed the expiration date on the back of the packaging. ALL OF THE MEDICINE THEY SOLD ME WAS EXPIRED. I was terrified. I also was shocked because the new doses they gave me had expiration dates on the back of the packaging. The original doses they gave me of the same medicine did not have any expiration dates on them. Were the previous doses I had given my cat over the past 3 weeks also expired? Why did they have no expiration date on them when the new doses did? Were the expiration dates removed? I have no idea. I had given my cat 3 weeks of medication, and no idea whether it was expired or not. That is very troubling and upsetting. I called Vinegar Hill as soon as they opened in the morning and asked to speak to Dr. Neuman. It should be noted she is the head doctor and part owner. They informed me she was not in on Thursdays and Fridays. They gave me an email address to contact her. I sent her an email and she called me promptly. I explained all of the above to her. She immediately became very aggressive and confrontational with me. She raised her voice, she cut me off and would not let me speak. I was talking to her in a calm, collected manner just trying to explain all that happened and to figure out what to do. She said they did not remove expiration date labels from medicine, but offered no explanation why the first set of doses had no expiration dates on the package, and the second set of doses had expired expiration dates on the packaging. She said she would refund the money for the medicine and gave me a very insincere apology. She expressed no real concern for my cat's health, or for the situation that had happened. While she did agree to refund my money for the medicine, she still charged me fully for the appointment with her. This whole ordeal still cost me around $150. That they would charge $150 to give me this kind of treatment is beyond offensive. I have now scheduled an appointment for tomorrow with a different veterinarian at a different vet clinic. I will have to pay for another examination and blood work because I do not trust the accuracy of anything that Dr. Neuman has done. My cat is also currently without medicine until I can see the new vet. In the 12+ years of having my cat, I have never endured anything as outrageous as the treatment I received at Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group. If you care about your animal, please, please, please stay away from Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group and Dr. Neuman. more

Dr. Neuman's veterinary practice is simply, the B E S T! Open seven days - great hours. I've gotten appointments the same days I've called. Always punctual - no waiting - honest! Terrific service: Dr. Neuman and her staff are dedicated, and caring. I'm so happy to find such a W O N D E R F U L practice close-by. more

I have never been to a veterinarian so friendly to both me and my pet. From the representative at the front desk to the assistants, everyone went out of their way to ease my scaredy cat. The vet quickly diagnosed my kitty's torn ACL after an XRay and gave her the meds she needed. Her staff also brushed my fluffy cat and pet her. Anyone who complains about pet bills has clearly never been to any vet. If you're concerned about the bill and want to give your pet the medical attention they need, sign up for pet insurance. I have VPI, which Vinegar Hill accepts. Pros: Friendly, professional, more

I can't help feeling that I was just conned. $300 vet bill???? My cat was a little swollen around the mouth--this was not a major surgery or anything! I guess I should have read some of these reviews before I went--other people have complained about the unnecessary ""fluid"" injecting expense. I did not like that my cat was removed from the room to get his injections and bloodwork. I was waiting around a lot, too--an hour, with about 20 minutes of facetime. If money is no object, then enjoy. It is a pleasant environment, and they are friendly. Pros: clean, friendly Cons: EXPEN$$$IVE, slow more

i was wondering if you guys over there might have some of the breeders info would like to get the papers or info so i can breed him with my female he has 8 little spots around his growing area and a black nose and lips or maybe some other vets that i could contact or i heard about the dna registery but i need to find were at exactly he was born at the guy i bought him from is from brooklyn or phily please try to help me out as soon as possible Pros: breed type is terrior Cons: hes has a allergy to pork and a lot of dog foods more

I have to say I used a different vet for years. DR MADDOX.. he retired and told no one. I needed to find a new vet and decided to try the DUMBO vet everyone is talking about. My groomer told me she is awsome and I have to agree. I used them and am hooked. What a great experience. The Doc is well versed, speaks to you in english and follows up with all your needs. The front desk is professional, caring and sweet. I ahve a new vet and friend.. Thanks Pros: Awsome vet and staff more

Great facility - very clean and state of the art. Dr. Neuman and staff provided wonderful care to my cat. I found the prices reasonable and the overall level of service higher than what I received in NYC. more

Dr. Nueman is lovely, but she passed the cleaning of my cat onto her tech who was not very friendly. The receptionist, a male, was a total moron as well. For a general checkup, she gave unnecessary fluids, antibiotics (as a ""just in case"") and didnt even personally treat my cat! The unfriendly tech did! Plus, the vet didnt even know the different conversions of cc's and mLs! She had to keep asking the tech! That made me nervous! How could a vet not know about medications and measurements?! Total cost: $245! I literally could not believe it when I saw the bill - all of which was non-specific as to the services provided. \r \r Definitely go elsewhere. Otherwise, you're just helping to pay the rent on the place. Pros: Beautiful, clean facility Cons: No personalized doctor attention, exhorbitant cost more

I' am very happy with the new place =) .... When i brought my dog home from the shelter she has kennel cough, and they would not help me out. So i decided to go to the local vet and I am happy I did. Dr. Neuman was so good with her, even got my pup to be happy while she was sick. I this was a wonderful experience for me and i would defiantly refer her to my friends and family. Pros: Staff and office were nicer then i expected! more

My 7 year old rabbit went to see Dr.Neuman for a cheek abscess.This had been an on going problem and i have seen many other vets over the corse of a year.At the other vets my bill would be paid but the abscess never truly healed.It was a waste of time and money.Then I found Dr Neuman ,I was truly lucky to find her. I have brought my pet elsewhere before and did not receive anything close to the care that i received at Vinegar Hill.The nurses are kind and patient and Dr Neuman as well!!Since my visit my rabbit is doing better then ever and the abscess has not returned. more

I've lived in DUMBO for 6 years and have heard some bad things about this new vet, mostly that they add up the charges very quickly without explaining anything. Several locals complained of sticker shock. Still, I gave Dr. Neuman a chance because they are so close to my home. BIG MISTAKE! \r I adopted a cat a few months ago, and unfortunately he came to me with a case of worms. When I saw the symptoms I took him to this vet. Sure enough, the visit took no more than 15 minutes, the vet disappeared with my cat into another room and came back with a bill for $200! The receipt came back with various charges such as ""fluids"". I feel most of the charges were erroneous. My cat received a clean bill of health just 2 months ago from his last vet. He was not a stray from the street, and certainly not dehydrated. He didn't need an injection of fluids. Still, I sucked it up and paid the $200, only to receive a phone call from the receptionist an hour later telling me she ""forgot"" to charge me $75 for sending the fecal sample to the lab. They already charged me to take the sample, to look at the sample, to give him several injections and now they won't finish their job without another $75? \r I'm sorry, but it doesn't even cost $275 for ME to visit the doctor. He's a cat, and worms are a common problem with a simple treatment. Wouldn't you know it, 2 weeks later, the worms are back!\r This vet's office is squeaky clean, but it's a rip off and I don't trust them to treat my animal well. Their main goal seems to be capitalizing on a gentrifying neighborhood. I guess if you have lots of money to throw around you should go there. I'm taking my $75 and finding a new vet. more

Excellent and extremely thorough care for the series of cats I've brought through. It's true you might pay a little bit more, but you know you are in good hands. Dr Neumann has the best ""bedside"" manner ever. We would never go anywhere else! more

Modern clinic with a polite, considerate, and well informed staff. The doctor was great with my bird and my dog. She was thorough and helpful. She explained everything to me very clearly. Plus, I didn't feel the slightest bit rushed but my wait was minimal. They have really got their stuff together there. Pros: This vet sees exotics. She is thorough, polite and explains everything, making it all very simple for pet owners. Cons: A little on the pricy side but you have to take the neighborhood into consideration. Prices were similar to hope vet , I think. more