Parkside Veterinary Hospital

We have brought our dog to this practice for years and have been very happy with them. Our vet retired and we now see Dr. Hotaling, who is extremely knowledgeable. He takes the time to answer all our questions. He is also so gentle and caring with our dog that it puts both her and us at ease! The staff is great and is always willing to help you out. The office can occasionally get backed up, but I think it’s worthwhile to wait for good care.

A good place. They care. Decent people.

Just avoid this place.
But, if it’s the end of the world and all other vets are unavailable be sure to always ask how much everything costs and look at a breakdown of the charges before paying.
Also ask questions about procedures: they called an x-​ray a «view 2» and I didn’t ask what that was, but I knew an x-​ray was unnecessary for the issue my dog was having…$ 285 later…
Vets here are incentivized to have you agree to needless procedures and tests for extra $$$.

After my cat caught a bat, I needed to book an appointment for a rabies booster. Parkside had a really quick turnaround — I called on Saturday, got in first thing on Monday. They were great from the first phone contact, and were even able to accurately quote me the (very reasonable) price of the visit.
When we came in for the appointment, the reception staff was pleasant and kind, and the waiting area was bright and clean. The paperwork was a breeze, and I was seen after a ten minute wait. The vet, Dr. Hotaling, was really great: he explained what he was doing throughout the exam, while still making pleasant small talk. The support staff was great too, including the tech who was helping out with the exam. If I weren’t moving soon, I would definitely return to Parkside for future appointments.
Overall, this was a great visit. Well, from my perspective at least. My cat hated it.

I could tell from the first visit that this was a great place to bring my cat. The staff really cares about you and your pet. They were so good with my cat Eva. I would definitely highly recommended them.

I really find that the practice has changed dramatically. Receptionists and techs are wonderful, the vets are all very young, arrogant, and don’t read the full medical file. I have switched from this hospital after so many pets that my family have enjoyed. In general, the practice simply isn’t the same.

Excellent doctor, courteous staff. I would absolutely go back if I hadn’t moved away. Everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and most of all compassionate. You get a thorough appointment where you don’t feel rushed, and the doctor answers all of your questions without demeaning you. Really great place here.

We had our two siamese kittens altered here yesterday. Front desk staff were friendly and cheerful. Dr. Hotaling gave each kitten a thorough exam and explained the kittens’ conditions, how the procedure would work, etc.
He called around noon to tell us that the procedures went very well and that the kittens were fine. We brought them home in great health, fully recovered from the anesthesia and with good appetites.
The entire staff is friendly, upbeat and the atmosphere is very upbeat.
We will use them again.

They always have openings but it can take an hour or so to actually leave due to the long wait time. I will say that they charged me an annual exam fee ($ 98) every time I took my puppy in for a booster and insisted on only giving one shot per visit to drain my wallet dry. Plus they charged an extra $ 250 on top of my $ 100 spay voucher from Friends of Animals which actually covers the procedure entirely. Decent vets with hidden fees and angles.

I wish my human doctor was this awesome. Love this practice, and they’re always so patient and caring with my crazy dog!

Both my cat and my dog are Parkside patients, and I have always been very happy with the care and service we get there. I have found them to be accessible whenever I needed to get in, and have had great success emailing the practice through the website when I couldn’t get away to make a phone call. Both the staff and the vets are all obviously animal-​people, and they remember me and my animals whenever we come through. We have seen Dr. Burroughs and Dr. Looney as well as a few others, all of whom were very professional and friendly.
I also have to give them a plug because, more than once, when I have asked about a service or treatment that was expensive but unnecessary, they have told me so. I have never felt pressured or shamed by Parkside vets or staff, and I trust them completely with my animals. I can’t imagine going anywhere else.

My dog got excellent care at Parkside. DR Meyer gave the most comprehensive physical exams every time she she saw my dog. I am a nurse, my husband a MD. We are both very impressed with her knowledge and quality of care she gives. An added bonus, she is a very nice, caring human.

Just got back from my first visit to Parkside. I wanted to take my cat in for a checkup and found this place, where else– on Unilocal!And I have to say, they deserve 5 stars. I am SO glad I didn’t decide to go somewhere else (and I almost did because I thought it would be expensive… only $ 60 for a checkup).
My cat saw Dr. Hotaling and he was awesome. The few concerns I had during the checkup he answered and made sure he checked on my cat and explained every possible thing that could be causing the problems. My boyfriend and I thought he was very caring and even talked about his cats so we could see the love for animals he had.
The thing I liked the most about Parkside is that they didn’t push me to buy products or to do extra testing. Dr. Hotaling made sure I knew it was my decision if I wanted any of those extras since my cat was pretty healthy. Some vets would have pushed me to get a test done or buy a vitamin that the Dr. did suggest but said was my decision and not completely necessary.
This place was definitely what I expected and I hoped it to be. The only minor complaint I had was that I didn’t get seen until about 20 minutes after my appointment time, but late in the day at a busy office, this is to be expected. I was still in and out within an hour but didn’t feel rushed and thought the exam was thorough.

Since my initial review we adopted a second dog and two kittens. Dr. Hotaling and the staff at Parkside have been wonderful about absolutely everything. Dr. H. is open-​minded and respectful of the fact that we feed the dogs a raw diet. He’s thoughtful in his approach and we trust him implicitly. The front desk staff and the vet techs are great, they seem to love what they do, despite the fact that it’s not all puppy kisses (although I’m sure puppy kisses make up for the less glamorous aspects of their jobs!).
Wouldn’t it be great if we all loved our physicians as much as our vets? It makes me happy to see all the love on here for Parkside, it’s a wonderful clinic.

Dr. Devries is the best. Took my cats here for the longest time while i lived in the area. Unfortunately I moved cross country, and the vet wouldn’t come with me.
Highly caring group of people, and unfortunately for vets in my area, they have a very very high standard to live up to. Still haven’t found my permanent vet yet.
They’ve been here through the highs and the lows. They are a little pricey, BUT they won’t shove a treatment on you that is needed, or won’t help. They’ll tell you what they can do, and they’ll tell you if (and why) it’s necessary. I don’t think i’ll ever find another vet I like so much.
If you want a vet that gives top notch care, and CARES about both you and your pet, then go here.

There is a reason why so far every reviewer has given Parkside Vet five stars. The staff is always extremely accommodating and very friendly, I have been to a few different doctors there and have had a great experience with all.
In particular, I’d highly recommend Dr. Nina Caires. She has experience and listens well to worried pet owners. She talks to you like a person and doesn’t talk down to you, even if you haven’t done everything 100% right! She has helped with two sick visits for our animals and now we see her regularly.
I can’t compare Albany prices, but Parkside Vet has been relatively similar to what I’ve paid else where. An exam is $ 60, and of course the fees do add up quickly, especially for a sick pet. I guess I expect a vet visit to be expensive, especially when something is wrong, but that’s the price you pay for being committed to your animals.

Thank you Dr. Hotaling and all the staff at Parkside Vet!
I adopted a new dog a few weeks ago, and we found that she badly needed surgery for her tail. I was very happy with Dr. Hotaling’s care for my new pup. An hour after her surgery, he gave me a call and told me how she was doing. I got a little freaked out when he told me that they needed to keep her overnight, but I gave them the OK anyway. (Also, kudos for feeding her Wellness!)
Weeks later… my dog has been healing nicely after hitting many rough patches. The vets and staff here have been all supportive and compassionate, and I’m thankful to them for being there during every step in my dog’s recovery.
Parkside was recommended to me from a friend and some Unilocal people, and I highly recommend them for anybody who wants to give their pet the best care.

Parkside was recommended to me by a friend who had been taking her dogs here for several years and loved the place.
The biggest thing that stands out for me is the great staff who are all extremely friendly and gentle. It’s very apparent that each of them genuinely cares about the animals they treat like they are their own. The vets and support staff all handle the animals — and their parents — with kindness and patience.
Husband and I took our young cat here because he was beginning to act crazy and we knew it was time for his ceremonial scrotum-​snipping. We were a little stressed when they informed us that we had to leave him overnight for the surgery. They were happy to answer all our questions and were very pleasant in explaining their accommodations. When we picked him up the next day, the man who handed him over told us how well he did and even commented on some of his unique personality traits. Although this was clearly a routine procedure for Parkside, they did a great job making it very smooth for both the pet and pet owner.

Our pooch became really sickened from what we suspect was contaminated dog food. (The serial number on the bag we had matched the numbers listed in a recall of pet food due to possible salmonella contamination.)
Without going into too much detail, let’s just say our giant boy was a giant mess. Not only was he suffering severe GI distress, but he was also uncharacteristically listless. After a couple days, it got worse and my boyfriend called me frantically at work. This being the closest vet, he took him here.
The vet was very sweet as she sedated him and took X-​rays. Also, the SO points out that she was quite easy on the eyes.
While she wasn’t able to completely diagnose the issue due to a lack of, er, a «sample,» the antibiotics she prescribed had Junot back to his regular self within the week. Her advice to feed him nothing but rice, boiled poultry and other basic, bland foods for awhile also seemed to do the trick.

Best veterinary in Albany hands down. I have not heard a bad word about this place. The clerical staff are all very warm and helpful and are always good about following up and calling to remind clients of appointments. Dr. DeVries has been my veterinarian for my dog since I got her 5 years ago and he always remembers her by name and gives excellent, compassionate care.
All of the support staff put both pet and owner at ease with their kind words and gentle handling.
I have total peace of mind with my dog in the care of Parkside Veterinary and have recommended this business to several friends who made the switch here and have had no regrets in doing so.