Ardsley Vets

My family and pet Yogi endured the most horrific experience with this practice. Our dog Yogi had been a patient at this practice for several years and unfortunately he began to have difficulties with his hips. It had reached a time when Yogi could not get up and my husband decided to put him down. My entire family went to the office to have Dr. Zuckerman take a last look at Yogi to see if there were any other actions to take. Before we even saw the doctor the vet tech Isabel came rushing to start the process even though we had changed the appointment to a consult. She insisted on putting Yogi on the table even though I specifically requested that he remain on the floor where the doctor had evaluated him. Yogi was extremely nervous and in pain and she was insensitive to the comfort of Yogi. It appeared that she was rushing and clearly did not follow any safety protocols to check the tightness of the muzzle as he was able to bite her and my twenty year old son, who was the other helper. Within seconds the vet tech was spewing obscenities and pushing through to exit the room.
And then the nightmare truly began. Dr. Zuckerman sent the vet tech to the hospital and explained that Yogi would be on a 10 day rabies watch but if we wanted to euthanize him immediately, it could still be done. Unfortunately the gruesome facts were that Yogi would be beheaded and his head would be sent to Albany for rabies testing. We could not fathom this so we took this poor suffering dog home to nurse him for a 10 day watch period. As this occurred late on a Saturday afternoon, Dr. Zuckerman reported the incident to the Westchester Health Department the following Monday. He neglected to mention that my son was also bit doing the job which his staff should have been doing and that Yogi’s vaccinations were current. The last rabies vaccine ironically was administered by this doctor in June of 2015.
Unfortunately Yogi took a terrible turn for the worse and we contacted the WHD for advice. We were told that we could take him to Stamen Hospital to be put down and then afterward the doctor would make a small incision to extract brain stem tissue. This tissue biopsy would then be sent to Albany but the WHD neglected to mention that this process involved the brain being extracted. The doctor at Stamen appealed our case as Yogi was a well-​cared for pet with current vaccines.
Yogi had never bit anyone and this bite fell within the provoked bite category. In the appeal by the Stamen Hospital all of Yogi’s health records and the explanations of a provoked bite were presented. However the vet tech that was at the source of this catastrophe was adamant that Yogi’s brain be tested even though he had been put down on the 7^th day of the watch and we were now at the 9^th day of the watch. As of the 9^th day, my son still did not exhibit any signs of rabies. Judge for yourself whether or not you want to subject your family and pet to this nightmare!

I LOVE this vet office, and love Dr. Zuckerman even more. I would absolutely not take my dog anywhere else. Dr. Zuckerman is amazing, he clearly knows what he is doing and has so much experience. I went from vet office to vet office with my pup, Cleo, trying to figure out what was wrong. Zuckerman was the only one who figured it out and he did it so quickly as well. He was patient, never rushed our appointments, encouraged questions, and explained everything in detail. My pup has an autoimmune disease and ever since seeing Zuckerman and being put on the right meds, she has been so happy, lively, and in great health. I owe my pups quality of life to Zuckerman. He was able to get her off of her steroid and onto an anti-​inflammatory which has less long-​term side effects. Yes, this vet office is expensive, but if you can afford it or have pet insurance like me, then there is no better place to take your animals. The reason their prices are high is because they always use the best, up-​to-​date equipment because they value quality and want to make sure every animal gets the best possible care. Since other reviewers have claimed that they try and up sell, I want to state that in the years I have been coming here, I have NEVER once felt like I was pressured into spending more money than necessary. Also, all of their over-​the-​counter meds, like heart worm and frontline, they price match! For example, if you find a lower price online, just show them and they will charge you that lower price instead! That shows right there that they are not out to nickle and dime you. The actually care! I moved to Brooklyn and tried to find another great vet in my area with no luck. So, I commute 2 hours to Zuckerman. He is WELL worth the commute. If you are tired of vets not being able to figure out what is wrong with your love bug, take her/​him here. Zuckerman will be able to help more so than anyone, from my experience, in the tri-​state area. Thank you Dr. Z!!!

This is a scary place to bring your pet. I brought my dog in for a 2 cm mass removal and my dog came out missing about 75% of her leg muscle because the vet, Dr. Zuckerman panicked in the operating room and decided she had sarcoma even after a fine needle aspiration (biopsy) showed inflammation. Well she didn’t have sarcoma. She had inflammation which should have been treated with a short course of oral steroids. He took out a huge chunk of healthy leg muscle leaving my dog with a nearly lame leg for the rest of her life. In fact, he told me that the treatment for sarcoma would be amputation so there was actually NO REASON in the world to do the procedure he did. Stay away. Stay very far away from this office. I have never a bad review before about anything. In fact, I almost never write reviews. But since he would not even admit what he did was wrong, even though we never threatened to sue, I felt I had to do something to protect all the other pets and pet owners from this horrible place. All he ever admitted to was that my dog will never be the same again because so much of her healthy leg muscle is now gone forever. Please go somewhere else. Please Dr. Zuckerman is a butcher not a doctor.

Elise Lovisa, D.V.M is possibly the best vet I have met. No nonsense, honest and I can tell that she is really passionate about her patients. She saved my cat «Otto» who managed to swallow a needle, and I am very thankful for that. This was the third hospital we visited with this emergency, the other places (not going to name names) ran all sorts of tests while the needle moved from his throat into his stomach. Within an hour of entering Ardsley Vets Otto was taken care of even though I have not pet health insurance and the other hospital made it clear that I cannot afford the surgery. Well, this vet made it work.

Dr. Joseph Zuckerman is the absolute best veterinarian you can find. He has been caring for my pets since he started practicing. Intelligent, kind, clear and patient Dr. Zuckerman takes the time needed at every visit to assure you understand everything that is happening with your pet whether it is routine exam, lab results or something more complex and serious. I have never felt rushed, ignored or overcharged in all of my years as a client. His main concern is the quality of life for all animals. My cat Chloe lived to the age of 22 with a beautiful quality of life and it is because of the preventative, conservative, noninvasive care provided by Dr. Zuckerman. The entire staff at Ardsley Vets is professional, kind and understanding which alleviates any stress you and your pet may encounter when going for a routine visit or an emergency. The main goal of the entire practice is preventative, quality, humane care for your pet. Dr. Zuckerman believes in keeping your pet healthy in order to avoid distressing, painful and costly measures in the future if they should occur. I have recommended many, many friends, neighbors and colleagues to Dr. Zuckerman and all have been grateful for the recommendation and continue to bring their pets to him for care. He is, as the entire practice is paws and hands down THE BEST you will ever find. We all want the best for our pets and with Dr. Zuckerman that is exactly what you will find.

Ardsley Vets
The best to care for your pets. The entire staff is amazing, caring, professional and like no other in the pet health field.
Put yourself at ease with your precious pet and be rest assured they are in the best and most caring hands and getting the best care possible.
What a relief to know that my furbabies are getting the best treatment possible.
Highly recommend without a doubt!

Not going back! There are two things I won’t tolerate from my vet — No.1) Being overcharged for visits –and– No.2) Using scare tactics to push unnecessary tests and procedures in order to charge the client more. This place is like the «used car lots» of vets but very expensive.
I’ve been taking my two dogs here for over a year now. I found out early on that Ardsley Vets like to nickel and dime you and somehow finds it appropriate to charge you expensive examination fees every time you go for a visit — even if the visit was a followup –or– you’ve brought your dog in a few day before. When we first go our puppy, the vet would have me bring my dog in for a shot then come back next week for the other shot and re-​charge another examination fee.
Also, every time I’m there I feel like I’m being upsold for unnecessary examinations or procedures… «Just to be safe» –or– «because it’s going around». I feel they really love to exploit the love you feel for your pet.
But the final straw was yesterday, My dog needed his tri-​annual Rabies shot and Lyme Booster. So I brought him in — I was told that they need to test him for heart worm. I told them its unnecessary since he has been taking heartgard all his life. A few minutes later they stress how he really needs to be tested for heart worm because he is in the country now. FINE! Then they try to sell me teeth cleaning… $ 1000?! No thank you!!! Then they asked me a couple of times if I needed Heartgard… No I already have some. A few minutes they asked me again and said it’s on sale. Fine! After I paid (more like being extorted for a few hundred dollars) I looked at the bill to see why it was so high? I was charged an Annual Examination — the issue is that my dog already had his annual examination a few months back and this charge was double a normal examination fee. When I asked why I was being charged this fee? They said they charge that higher fee when you take your dog in for a new issue. To which I replied they was no issue just a booster and his rabies shot. To which they responded, we don’t make the rules when it comes to how much to charge and you’ll have to take that up with the doctor in charge.
So I’ve had enough! This is the last overcharge they have taken out of me. In the past year, I have spent the equivalent of $ 2000 (at the very least) for each of my dogs. So either Ardley Vets has been up-​and-​over-​charging or they are just plain bad luck for dogs. Either way, I’m finding a vet that’s no so money hungry and actually just gives you the care that is needed — without all the «hard selling».

One junior vet here who just got her license within the last two years, diagnosed my kitten with liver disease and told me to just take her home to slowly die under my supervision. Insane, right?! Turns out my poor kitten was just dehydrated and needed fluids. THAT’S IT. When I returned to question what tests they ran for the cost of over $ 800, one of the senior doctors there dismissed me and pretty much told me to get lost. My kitten would have died if I had not gone to another doctor to get a second opinion. Go anywhere else if you care about your pets at all.

While I haven’t been to Ardsley Vets, I’ve known Dr. Lovisa (& known of Dr. Zuckerman), and I recognize a couple of the tech staff’s pictures. If it were practical (and fair to my cats!) to make the 2 ½ hour drive downstate, I’d be a client again. For that reason, and after seeing the other reviews, I’d give this clinic 5 stars. My cats were seen and cared for by Dr. Lovisa, from the first stray I rescued until I moved upstate, over a span of more than 15 years. She has consistently gone above and beyond, as a gifted vet & diagnostician, and as a caring person. I’m very happy to see that this new clinic exists. People in Westchester are lucky to have this resource for their companion animals’ care.

Dr Joseph Zuckerman of Ardsley Vets took care of my cat Grace for many years. He was wonderful with her — he’s a vet who truly loves animals. He also was great with me, too, always explaining what was going on with her. At his office, both you and your animal will be well treated.

I am so glad that Dr. Joseph Zuckerman and Dr. Elise Lovisa are still in the area. They are the most caring vets that I have ever dealt with. Their new offices are very modern, clean, and the staff is great!