Animal Hospital of Fairfield Fairfield, New Jersey

Closed because of the fire.

I brought my dog here to see Dr. Elakbawy for a root canal and crown for a broken tooth. He was sedated for six hours and under anesthesia for 2 hours and 40 minutes resulting in terrible cherry eye for days and had 4 seizures the following day. Then the following morning he had a grand mal seizure. Our regular vet had to put him on Valium to stop the seizures. I work for a dentist and he wanted to see the after x-ray. The mesial root of the one tip was filled incorrectly. Instead of going back in and fixing it, he sealed it up as a completed root canal, knowing this tooth could abscess. I spoke to a veterinary dental specialists and emailed the x-ray. She said this was malpractice and I should sue the doctor and report him to the NJ Veterinary State Board. She said she wouldn’t even take the case because after what happened, he needed to see a specialist with an internist on sight because he could die. If we didn’t have the tooth fixed, it could abscess and I may not even know it, and he could die. Then I called the office to see why they never called to tell me the crown came in. The doctor told me he needed to come in for another impression because the laboratory he uses didn’t have the right equipment to make a crown that big. My dog was 49 pounds. Not a 150 pound mastiff. I do believe he never did a root canal on a molar or he would have known his laboratory could not accommodate him! I told him what my boss said and what the specialist said and that I wanted my money back and the impression/mold. He agreed, if I signed a waiver that said he was not responsible for anything after that. I signed and got my money back but the mold had no opposing bite registration. When I contacted the office, they blew me off by telling me I signed the contract and they’re no longer responsible for anything. Three weeks later, he couldn’t open his mouth. We took him to a Neurologist who diagnosed him with Masticatory Muscle Myositis. He said believed this was triggered by the trauma from the root canal. He also believed the seizures were from being sedated and anesthetized for so long. Three months later the seizures started again. I was told once you get a seizure, scar tissue could form which could cause more seizures, so then he was classified as having epilepsy. He was put on high doses of prednisone for the MMM, plus another immune suppressors and phenobarbital for the seizures. I was told he probably wouldn’t have a long lifespan because all these medications will damage his organs. Plus if he needed surgery, since he couldn’t open his mouth, they would never be able to put a breathing tube own his throat. Three months later, we lost our beautiful three year old Siberian Husky. He developed sepsis infection which couldn’t be fought off due to the immune suppressors. I’m sure it was the tooth that abscessed that caused the sepsis. I’ve since filed a complaint with the New Jersey State Veterinary Board. I’m told my case and several others are still pending. Please beware! 

I havent been here since it burned down but they are rebuilding it. Prior to that, top veterinary surgical.

I used to be a, vet tech there years ago, and still live this place.

My dog was misdiagnosed at this facility, after constantly taking him in the doctor kept giving my dog medicine that kept making things worse and wasnt helping. My dog had a liver shunt but this doctor kept saying it was anxiety and kept prescribing my dog sedative pills to help him sleep and calm down. We took him in about 3 more times because my dog wasn’t doing any better and this doctor kept saying the same thing everytime.. We finally took our dog somewhere else and explained to the other doctor what was happening, This new doctor diagnosed my dog within 10 minutes, sadly my dog didn't make it past the following 2 weeks after. But if this fairfield doctor would have found out and diagnosed him correctly then we would have treated him for the correct illness.

Dr. Akbawy and his team are caring professionals who I trust with my dogs. I’ve been a client for many years and am thoroughly pleased with all the services my dogs have received. Dr. Akbawy spends time with me going over procedures to make me feel comfortable. He has performed various successful surgeries on all of my dogs. Without any reservation, I wholeheartedly recommend the Animal Hospital of Fairfield to all who truly love their dogs as I do.

The most Fair place around nice people

My cat was diagnosed with nasal polyps which needed to be removed through surgery. I went to two different places for help. One could not perform surgery the other quoted an absurd amount without even seeing xrays or other medical reports. I finally went to Animal Hospital of Fairfield. Doctor El Akbawy performed the surgery and removed to his surprise six polyps! My cat Iris had severe nasal discharge which went away after her surgery. I want to thank Dr. El Albany for his skills and the rest of the staff of AH of F for their professionalism and compassion.

Performed a surgery without consent on cat and insisted upon payment. Said morally obligated to perform surgery, although it was to correct mistakes made on botched initial attempt. Ethically obligated but not financially I suppose. Initial mistakes included leaving stitches in surgical areal, which led to scarring which led to complications. Very keen to tell you his prices are 1/4 of anyone else. Will guilt trip you into “pets are members of your family and you have a responsibility to pay for expensive surgeries” Stresses the costs associated with being a vet so he can say “I’m practically doing this for free”

Took my Cat there for vaccines and routine care. The staff was very caring and were very gentle with my cat. I know they are known for orthopedic surgeries, but also will take care of your pet for routine care. I definitely recommend this hospital for your pet.

I wish I can give 0 stars if I could. I encourage people to stay away from this “ vet “ and go somewhere better for your animal. I bought a friends of animals certificate and unfortunately my local vet wasn’t participating so this is the only reason why I came here and I regret it. My dog had a spaying done from dr. A and I’ve had multiple female dogs and I never saw such a poor job on a incision done before in my whole life. Not only was the incision botched by him but later my dog had an infection from when not the doctor himself but the vet tech ripped it open and left her wound out in the open and did nothing for her. The doctor wasn’t even there to see her when I came about the complaint about the suture in the first place! They let the tech take it out and not the dr or even had him see what was happening! I’m going to file a huge complaint against this place because of the lack of service and animal care they gave to me. I then called the office manager to complain and ask for assistance on the 160$ vet bill I had to take her somewhere else for because of THEIR part and she had the audacity to tell me I did my animal wrong. Please read the rest of these complaints from people about this place and don’t come here. Your better off saving your money and going elsewhere.

The doctor is absolutely amazing. He performed surgery on my guinea pig when she broke her leg. No doctor in NJ would do this except for him! I now have two dogs who he loves. I called him on a Sunday with a problem and he answered immediately. I highly recommend this practice. We all love him and five years later my guinea pig is alive and doing great.

This office has a nice staff but I think only routine work should be done here. I would do some review research. …

This facilty is very clean and staff is very kind and helpful. BUT please whatever you do do not let dr. akbawy perform ANY surgery on your dog. Get vacines, medicine for your dogs but let him get near your dog with a knife. I may have realized as of late that my dog my only brother didnt last as long because of the surgery done so poorly. These people are nice people but unfortunately dr. akbawy is learning to be a veterinarian as he performs biopsys on your dogs

I have known Dr. Akbawy since 2002. He has treated my pets for a variety of ailments from routine physicals and dentistry to acute renal failure, cancer, heart failure, fractures, diabetes, and overactive thyroid just to name a few. He and his staff our professional, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I and my pets have always been treated with the utmost courtesy and respect. In the days of specialization, it is comforting to find a practice that is capable of treating a pet as a whole and unique.

I drive all the way from Greenwood Lake to go to this office. 2 of my 3 dogs had crutiate ligament surgery in both legs years ago and are now 10 and 11 years old and run like young dogs. More importantly, Dr Akbaway shows concern for our animals and really cares for them. It is worth the 50 minute ride to see him when needed.

In March 2019, my sweet little 4 year old pup ruptured both cruciate ligaments. He was completely crippled. I went around to 3 NJ animal hospitals for orthopedic surgery consultations, including a well known trauma hospital in Bergen County. They all said the same thing..... Perform a 50 year old veterinary technique, one leg at a time, for thousands and thousands of dollars each, with a year+++ long recovery. This was not okay with me, and so I kept looking for a surgeon to heal my Domino's suffering. Thankfully, I found Dr. A and his team. There would be NO quick fix fishline-style ligament repair. There would be NO year++ long recovery. Dr. Akbawy set out to repair both legs simultaneously using a state-of-the-art procedure with pins, plates and screws. I was scared to death for my little Domino. 2 days post-op, he was bearing weight on his hind legs and hobbling around. When the casts came off a few weeks later, I was shocked at what I saw. 3 inch incisions on each of his 6 inch long legs, perfectly healing, clean and without any evidence of infection. And I saw his x-rays. What a sight! My little 13lb pup now had bionic legs! We followed doctors orders for his physical therapy and also began laser therapy to help him heal. Sure enough, as expected from Dr. A's therapy timeline, our Domino was 100% at exactly the 16 week mark. He is running (very fast!), jumping, chasing his feline brother, up the stairs, down the stairs and even stands alone on his hind legs to catch a glimpse of what I might be cooking for dinner on the stove. His recovery from being completely crippled is nothing short of a miracle. And it is the direct result of Dr. Akbawy's skilled and masterful hands in orthopedic surgery, along with his loving, caring staff and technicians. My heartfelt thanks to this entire team who gave my pup his quality of life back. ♥️♥️♥️

Stay away from this place. Dr. A is not even listed of the state board as a licensed vet, nevermind a surgeon who made a poor incision on my dog and then had an infection. Bring your animal to a better place where they actually care for your animal.

They work with the Lincoln Avenue Cat Hospital. Great staff, friendly and caring. They put you at ease and explain in detail any procedures that your pet may require. Took great care of my little cat Caesar. Thanks!

Be very wary of Dr. El-Akbawy. He has a disciplinary record with the New Jersey Veterinary Licensing Board. Most recently, he was disciplined for holding himself out as a specialist when he has only taken continuing education courses. I wish we had done more research before we brought our 3-year-old lab to Dr. A. He told us he was specialized to perform a hip surgery and recommended that our dog have the procedure on his left side. He performed the procedure in November 2018, and he was not prepared to handle a complication. He had to stop the surgery and take a week long break so he could ask more qualified doctors what to do. My dog had to go back in for surgery the next week. Unfortunately, my dog developed an esophageal stricture from the second surgery and he will never eat solid food again. My dog did not use his left leg at all following the surgery, which Dr. A. described as a "success." We took him to Oradell Animal Hospital in February for physical therapy and they were pretty shocked at the substandard procedure that was performed. They referred us to a specialist on Long Island. They quickly realized that my dog wasn't using his leg because his kneecap was completely dislocated. They could tell from the x-rays that the kneecap was injured before the hip replacement surgery, which should not have been performed under the circumstances. My dog had to undergo another invasive surgery in February to correct the knee problem. He will likely have to have the hip surgery repaired by an actual specialist in the future. We have filed a complaint with the Board. I hope they stop him from harming more animals. Please do not let this man perform surgery on your dog. He is not a specialist, even though he will tell you that he is. This is my response to Dr. A's response, which I'm sure he will post: Timber.

Dr. Akbawy and his incredible team are the reason we have been a loyal client of Animal Hospital of Fairfield ever since our Wheaten Zoey was spayed. I can't imagine trusting her care to anyone else after experiencing the genuine care and attention here. They've earned our highest recommendation. A+

Like most people, you do whatever you can to help your pets because they are more than pets - they are members of the family. My furbaby is a senior dog with a history of extensive dental problems, a heart condition and early kidney disease. In other words, she's not an easy patient. I rushed her to a vet ER clinic where they were ready to extract all of her remaining teeth because of an abscess! I consulted my primary vet who is amazing but she was unable to perform the required dental surgery. So I did research and found Dr. Akbawy who took the time to show me how clean, organized, modern and efficient his operating facilities and processes are. He gave me the confidence I needed to put her under, knowing he was skilled and quick, but we did so only after extensive blood work, echocardiogram, heart ultrasound, dental x-rays and other tests were performed. No, these weren't cheap but they were less that what other vets charged and most importantly, there were the RIGHT tests to do to make an informed decision about how she would handle anesthetic and surgery. Cheers to Dr. A and his team who took wonderful care of Moo!

Very professional, very friendly and thoughtful. My dog is happy there.

Most of the staff was friendly. The vet was very enthusiastic about the procedure and equipment he had.

My family and I have been going to this animal hospital for many years and over this time span, Dr. Akbawy and his staff go above and beyond to give the proper and safe care for our dogs. Any services, yearly vaccines, to the help of coping and handling of one of our dogs that passed a few years ago, they have been nothing but professional and caring. They treat our pets like they are part of their family, and we wouldn't have it any other way

I took my dog here today. They were able to make me a same day appointment even though I was no a current client. The vet tech did great with my nervous dog and the doctor explained my options, gave me an itemized list of costs for potential treatments. That way I knew up front what it was going to cost. The doctor explained everything and answered all my questions. I feel like he suggested a conservative approach to my dog's issue and then discussed other options so I could decide what would work best for us. I appreciate the transparent billing, the explanations of everything that was being done, and the care they took of my dog. I will definitely be returning!!

I can here because I had a Groupon coupon. Staff was friendly.

Dr Akbawy and his team are excellent! My cat broke his leg and needed delicate surgery which Dr Akbawy performed with care and precision. He followed up personally every week and my cat is making great progress. Thank you to you and your team.

Dr.and staff are all extremely helpful, kind and friendly. My experience in past 2 years has been great.

The Doctor and staff are truly incredible! They are super friendly and knowledgeable! My poor pug needed surgery to help stop his horrible breathing noise which made it seem like he always had a bad cold. In a matter of days, maybe even less honestly, he was back to his normal hyper self and his breathing and noise and improved tremendously! The staff loves their little patients and it shows the care they have for the animals. I do recommend them highly!