Long Island Veterinary Specialists Plainview, New York

Called to check in 3 times and was told to wait for a nurse to come out and check me in. After several calls between 2 hours of waiting with a dog who was actively bleeding, I was told no one had checked me in and would be another hour or …

Don’t take your pets for anything here , inexperienced Veterinarians. They don’t know what they are doing they will just kill your pets with their carelessness and half knowledge. My pet was joined as inpatient on 13th December, he is …

Waited 4 hours for blood work on my kitten. they only have one doctor for emergencies and they forget about the pet that has been in there for hours. Had to call two times already to see what the hold up was. Do not go here.

There doesn't seem to be a negative star so hoping I can post this without a star rating. Basically, I feel that LIVS killed my 4.5-year-old dog. He underwent a very tough operation and it seemed to be a success. They wouldn't let me see him for the week he was there. He was sent home a week later and I saw right away that his left eye was bulging. He had been there for neck surgery, not eye problems. I brought him back and their eye specialist did nothing and sent him home. I was concerned enough about his eye that it was suggested to bring him back for a CT Scan. I did that the next day and dropped him off. They called me a couple of hours later and I thought it was to tell me to pick him up, instead, they told me his heart stopped on the table from the anesthesia. She told me they were trying to revive him and that she would call me right back. She didn't. We waited 15 minutes for the call and when it never came we rushed there and were kept out in the car for 45 minutes before anyone would even tell us if he was alive or dead. They finally let us in to see his dead little body being wheeled into the room for us to say goodbye. Not once did they say it was something they did and never gave a reason his eye was bulging in the first place. I asked the surgeon and he insisted the area he worked on was the other side. I find it hard to believe it wasn't something done to him during surgery. His eye was right near his neck because he was very little, he had a very short neck. I am fairly sure that they gave him too much anesthesia. They never warned me about the risks. He had it before several times. They took no responsibility. I often think if only I didn't take him there for that CT scan, he'd still be here. He was my best buddy and I just want to spare other people the pain of a loss like this that could have been prevented. I still miss him and cry every day.

You may see that this place currently has over a 4 star average, but read the 1 star reviews and you'll see you have to avoid. We brought our 4 year old cat here in early November. He had been grooming himself to the point his front legs were going bald. After being "looked at" (we weren't allowed to go in) we were told he had no signs of a bacterial or fungal infection, and it was stated it was likely allergies causing him to groom so much. They billed for the visit, told us to see a dermatologist and that they had one on site to make an appointment with, and recommended an allergy pill we could order online. We didn't like that we weren't able to go in with him, so we went about looking for an unrelated dermatologist on our own. About a month later, we notice some things resembling "grains of rice" on his hind end. I consulted Dr. Google and learned that these are signs of tapeworms, and called back to bring him back in. I was told we refused a test when we were there last time, which we did not, we would have definitely had tests done and not just accepted "allergies" as an answer. When we brought him in we spoke to the vet and were told the tapeworm was unrelated to his alopecia (hair loss) and that he'd be treated with a one time medication. We were also told to check in with our regular vet after 2 weeks to be sure the tapeworm was gone. Well... yesterday, we went to a new vet in Garden City and let me tell you... we were SHOCKED to learn the problem the entire time was that he just had fleas. FLEAS. You might say hey, how did you miss the fleas at home? One, it was the first thing I checked for, with a flea comb, before the first visit. I didn't see any, though one or two could have been missed as his fur is literally all black (no white or any other color on him, head to toe). Secondly, he's an indoor cat, which I learned at this new vet, doesn't matter -- they recommend using a flea/tick/heartworm preventative on indoor cats as well, and we will be doing that. You would expect professionals to catch this super basic stuff if not the first time, at least the second. Especially when the most likely cause of tapeworms is... fleas. Oh, at our second trip they gave us a liquid sedative to relax him, because we were also told he could just be an anxious cat. After the 2nd time of giving him a dose and seeing just how lethargic (and still uncomfortable) he was, we stopped that. Like a few other reviews have said, this place just wants $. AVOID.

They have the worst doctors and they gave me a wrong report for my dog.I had to take him to a different hospital because of the wrong medication for a surgery.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! This place is a rip off and only cares about money. I brought my dog here the other day because she had gotten attacked by another dog and had open wounds. She clearly needed stitches because the wound was open and blood was gushing out. They held my dog for an hour while they had me think they are stitching her up. Instead, they were shaving her whole body down instead of taking care of the open whole on her back and handed her back to me with with no bandages and blood going down her leg. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH UNPROFESSIONALISM IN MY LIFE!!!! They don’t not care about your dog they only care about money. They tried charging me $1500 for ONLY shaving my dog completely down and tried to make me open credit cards for payments. My mind was blown how much they DO NOT care about animals. Another thing that was was suspicious was they did not let me in the room with my dog so you DO NOT know what they could be doing in the back room!!!!!! If I could give this place a negative review I 100% would. .

I’m deeply frustrated and angry with the lack of follow up care at this facility. LIVS has always been my go to for the best care for my dogs, cat and even goat. The last few weeks have been heartbreaking… a new dog needing emergency surgery for what we were told would most likely be a cyst. Pathology came back as lymphoma. This cancer needs to be treated quickly for best survival chance. I was urged to do further testing to determine lymphoma type.That was 3 weeks ago. The one call to my home phone said test results in on Tuesday or Wednesday, I’ve called constantly all week asking for cytology results and no one has the decency and professionalism to return a call . They are now hindering our dog’s chance by not releasing these test results. We have had 1 oncology consult and heading into NYC this morning for another. If we decide to start today, we don’t have lymphoma typing. Why would any pet lover spend this kind of mega dollars on poor care? I used to believe that Dr. Marino and his team of surgeons cared but something has gone bad at LIVS. Will not be returning… too many other good choices now.

My dog was done at this vet at 845 and they did not release him until 2 hours later after telling me on numerous occasions that it will be 5 more minutes Don't waste your time or your pets time This is ridiculous and completely unacceptable!!! Never going back here again !!!!! Still waiting and have not seen my dog! Update today: they brought my dog out around 11pm with no apology. Once i got home i checked his medications and instead of 120 antibiotic pills they gave me 1 bc apparently the tech read it wrong It was 120 pils with qty 1 It's now 8pm and i still have not heard what the results are from my dogs X-rays from last night Doctor told me she saw a mass but needed the radiologist to look at it. I have called and emailed several times with no response. I asked them to Email me and fax my vet so i can start treating my dog and I still haven't received anything

Had to bring our dog up to LIVS last night. Understood that since it was an emergency and late in the evening that prices would be higher than liked. Most importantly, though, the staff was very helpful to us and wonderful with our dog. From receptionist mobilely checking us in to the multiple phone calls from the Dr explaining his diagnosis, it was as efficient a visit (and calming) as we could have hoped

We noticed a growth on our dog Penelope and decided to make the trip out. We’ve been working with Dr. Selmer in the integrative department for a couple weeks and he has been amazing to say the least. He has been attentive, knowledgeable and went above and beyond my expectations. He truly is the caring vet. With his recommendation, we were guided into the right path and was able to have a very successful surgery with Dr. Larkin. Everyone on staff is very responsive, called us before and after every procedure and made sure we parted ways without any lingering questions. I’m so glad we worked with such amazing people and so thankful for them.

Rushed my family cat here because when she came to live with me I noticed a lump (she had been with a family friend for over a year). I took her there. Was told she couldn’t be seen until she got sedated and to come back the next day. The lump is HUGE and not to mention it’s leaking fluid. No one could tell me anything. I paid well over $500 for blood work and they just sent me the results as if I can read them. I reached out asking for them to be explained to me and have been ignored on multiple occasions. All that I was told was she “might” have cancer and that she’d need $5,000 worth of surgery but they aren’t sure if she actually has cancer. Why do the surgery then? They couldn’t even drain the lump or give me aftercare instructions to take care of it. Now there’s a strange fluid leaking from it and my cat walks around crying like she is in pain. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM HERE. I love my fur babies and will never be visiting here again. If you love your fur babies you would take them someplace else. I sure wish I did.

I was reluctant to leave a bad review but reading others' horrible experience made me want to share my own so others are aware. In my most recent visit this summer, they had me and my pet waiting in the car for hours and hours in the sunny parking lot. My poor dog was so exhausted just from the wait which made his condition worse. When my dog was finally brought in, he waited another two hours inside to be seen by the vet to be diagnosed. And then another hour to be discharged. We spent our whole day there and left with a big fat bill. I immediately tried to contact the office via phone and e-mail but no response! I even spoke with the supervisor who discharged my pet who didn't seem to care. It's unfortunate to see because I used to bring my pets here for all our emergencies. The care and service has been going downhill in the past 2 years or so.

This animal hospital is wonderful! I unfortunately a few years back had to bring my daughters puppy here due to an unfortunate accident where she had eaten a poisonous mushroom while being walked by a dog walking company… During that time the staff did everything possible to revive my daughters puppy… Even though the puppy did not survive, the staff was caring compassionate gave my little girl everything that she needed as she suffered through this terrible time. Tonight, our new family dog who is now four years old was having some digestive problems and in fear of the situation a few years ago… We decided that we should take her to an emergency vet hospital, but As a mom, I decided to take our dog to another hospital to try and save my daughter from some horrible memories of what happened to her first puppy. Terrible decision on my part, as the first hospital was a horrific experience with rude unprofessional staff, waiting over three hours and just being treated like our situation was nothing. After the third hour of waiting, I decided to call this hospital, and I was treated with the upmost respect and professionalism the care and compassion as I was treated the first time around a few years ago!Their staff here is wonderful… they always go above and beyond, for pet and Owner the same! I would highly recommend this hospital to anyone that has unconditional love for their furry family member as they have for their owner! Their customer service is impeccable! Your dog or cat will be looked at right away! You will be treated with such care and accommodation! I will never take my pup to another another hospital again… this place is worth the drive, even tho I have 3 closer to my house, the staff here is amazing to me and my dogs.. I wouldn’t trust them with anyone else!! Thank you guys for everything, your guys are the absolute best at what you do and in this industry!!!

I waited over a month for an appointment that took 30 minutes. You are not allowed inside which I thought was a little strange considering we are not in the middle of a pandemic anymore. It seems they are operating out of a trailer because the front of the building is completely under construction. No one told me when booking my appointment, which they should have! They also spelt my name completely wrong, along with my address and when I arrived the other person on the phone had a hard time finding me in the system. The address is still incorrect as I discovered when I received the bill… I had the absolute displeasure of speaking with Dr Kim. I asked her if my dog was blind and she responded to me by saying “well I can’t ask your dog, if they are blind” Is it really that hard to be professional doctor Kim? Why would you say something so condescending about a sensitive matter. Along with numerous negative reviews from other patients, they also have horrible reviews from former employees!!! Like many others have said in these reviews if you love your pet don’t bring them here. I would rather drive out to NJ. This clinic demonstrates that they are insensitive, unprofessional, lack empathy and perhaps in the wrong field!!!

Dr Selmer and his team in the integrative medicine department at Long Island Veterinary Specialists have been giving our pug exceptional care for a year and a half. Not only does the acupuncture and cold laser therapy help her immensely, but the individual attention and care for her are outstanding. Dr Selmer speaks with us at each session and adjusts the therapy according to our dogs needs. He is so attentive to her condition and always gives us his time when we want to speak with him or have any questions. We completely trust him and his team.

My cat came here after complications from a surgery at her regular veterinarian. We were on the verge of losing her but dr. Wadell, dr. Burkett, and all of the ICU team and doctors were truly incredible during one of the toughest times for our family. They were so compassionate, and did truly everything they could to ensure that she had the best treatment plan possible for her situation. They kept her in the icu for almost a week and everyday gave us updates on how she was and truly made us feel so much better about the entire situation. Our cat suffers terribly with separation anxiety and makes herself sick when she is not with me - but for being with people that she doesn't know for so long, I've never seen her come home so happy. They truly gave her all of the attention that she needed and they spoke of her to me in the most sincere way possible and it truly made my time apart from her so much easier knowing that she was being truly cared for. We truly cannot thank the entire team enough for the effort that went into saving our fur baby's life. I will forever be so thankful for the entire staff of this hospital and the care the put into our babies

Would give ZERO...Spent $5000 for unnecessary tests..ALL INCONCLUSIVE...no treatment..no diagnosis..INTERNAL MEDICINE AWFUL...DOG DIED... I am heartbroken and devastated...Mine was a therapy dog..5 years old..fabulous..can NEVER get over this..

If you love your pet , never ever ever ever bring him here! They are money hungry and put my dog through hell. He had a routine aspiration and they botched him... ultimately shortening his life. I’m kicking myself for bringing here!!!

Dr. Karapet was extremely rude, insisted we pick our cat up even though we wanted to hospitalize her another night. Dr. Karapet told us she was stable and didn't need to stay another night. Had to wait 2+ hours in the parking lot to pick her up. She passed away the next morning. Staff is very disorganized, horrendous wait times when calling and unable to call the hospital manager directly - we had to call for weeks and leave a message for him, in hopes he would call us back. If you love your pet, take them somewhere else.

Want your pet to suffer in a parking lot for hours in pain without being seen by a vet or anyoe?then this is the place to go.No one and I mean NONONE came to my car to check, triage or even look at my puppy the enire 3 hrs that I waited in the parking lot. Not sure who decides what's considered an emergency at this place .After waiting 3hrs and complaining several times I had to take my crying puppy bloody eye and all to a different emergency pet center at almost midnight... staff just doesn't care and they show it...

I was happy to find an office open on a Sunday and would return to this office for that reason alone. The Doctors here are eager to give every test under the sun no matter how repetitive or unproductive. They prey on concerned pet owners to keep their doors open. If you visit this office, know your information and don’t be bullied into unnecessary testing.

I took my cat to Dr. Selmer after seeing numerous vets in the hopes that he would provide an integrative/functional care as advertised on his website. I was treating my cat for liver issues and wanted to do a follow-up bloodwork to see if the treatment had worked. Upon examination, Dr. Selmer provided me with a long list of suggested treatment, diagnostics, vitamins and supplements, totaling over $5K. Acupuncture at $351/session was on top of the recommended list. I decided to do the follow-up labs, including bloodwork and urinalysis, and asked what else Dr. Selmer recommended. I ended up paying over $1,400, including almost $500 in supplements, most of which were for liver issues with a mark-up of more than 3 times of retail price. Some supplements don’t even have an expiration date on the bottle, one supplement is clearly stated “for dogs.” When the labs came back, it turned out that my cat’s liver was much better as his ALT/AST/ALP values were within the norm. I called Dr. Selmer’s office and had to leave a message about returning the supplements for liver treatment as I had no use for them with my cat. They responded via email stating supplements could not be returned and that my cat’s bilirubin was elevated thus showing liver issues. Dr. Selmer’s office basically told me “buyer beware.” First of all, my cat’s bilirubin was always at that level, i.e., that’s his normal and only slightly elevated at 0.1, whereas all liver markers indicated above have come down a lot since the prior tests done 3 months ago. Secondly, it is a borderline malpractice to prescribe treatment, including supplements, based on old tests and before getting the results of the new tests. I have an MS in Human Nutrition myself and am well aware of integrative/functional approaches in medicine, although I deal with people not animals, but I do understand the basics. My advice: take your pet elsewhere if you don’t want to overpay for unnecessary treatment and medicine that is more than triple the price. Bloodwork was $400 and urine test was almost $300. They use the same lab as my prior vets, but their prices are out of control.

All you seem to care about is MONEY Every conversation was "we will collect payment"...."you need to pay"....You prey on the fact that we love our animals and you exploit that and charge OUTRAGOUS amounts for visits. The reception team has a lot to learn and is very unprofessional. Our Doctor, Dr. Sapienza and his assistant Donna are the only two people there that seemed to give any sort of quality or compassionate care. If you need care here be prepared to open and empty your wallet fully.

Amazing stuff! Was at 5am with my baby Angel as an emergency walk in!, he was taking care of right away. Friendliest stuff amazing service, great team, Doctor where great on following up and explain everything on test. Got to visit my baby to cheer him up so he could eat. They saved my poodle’s life. Will eternally be so grateful on this tuff times is becoming harder to find amazing service and you guys are doing amazing thank you so much! I 1000% recommended this team!

I went here about a month ago for an emergency for my pup. They were extremelyyyy efficient, kind, accommodating and thorough! They saw my pup within the first 30 minutes I was there and kept me updated throughout. The doctor was very detailed, thorough and patient in his explanations! The amount of relief and peace of mind he gave me for such a serious situation was immense! I’ve tried other animal hospitals but, no one came anywhere close to this type of experience. I’m very thankful for them and will not go anywhere else!!!

Made the trip from Astoria out to LIVS because they had ophthalmology specialists and my dog was suffering with a perpetual red eye with discharge. I was told she had entropion and that she needed surgery. After one round of surgery she still had the problem and was told she needed another round. After another round she still had the problem, the Dr wouldn't even talk to me anymore and tech told me they couldn't do anything further and that it was allergies. Allergies in only one eye? The other eye has been fine all along. In any event after six trips back and forth, no follow up call from the Dr, and over $5k with no improvement I can't recommend this place, at least for eye care.

I took my dog to LI Veterinary Specialist this morning because he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and treated but he wasn’t getting better. My vet is away. I arrived, called the number, checked him in and waited. A woman came out with paperwork and told us to fill it out and wait to be called. I waited an hour an a half. At one point I had to use the bathroom because we were there so long and use told “the portapotties in the parking lot are for our clients to use.” Disgusting. Then after an hour and a half I called to see how much longer and was told “Your pet is not an emergency. It will be a FEW hours until he will be seen. You can’t leave and comeback. If you don’t want to wait, go to another hospital. “. Needless to say we left. I’m telling my vet about the uncaring unprofessional treatment I got there. Clearly they care nothing about my pet. Hopefully he won’t recommend them anymore. I certainly will never take my pet there again.

My son’s 9 year old dog was operated on twice within a couple of years for the same ear problem. Despite being told that the surgery was successful she died several hours later. He has never been given a definitive cause of death. We are concerned LIVH may have been negligent in her care thereby contributing to her death.

This place is the absolute worst! Stay away and don't bring your animal here in an emergency. I begged them to see my dog that was bleeding from her lungs and nose and they make you wait and wait, extremely unresponsive, rude and incompetent. And that was my parking lot experience what does this say about what really goes on inside the hospital. Don't waste your time.