Patrick M Cotter DVM

SO sorry that he retired — our kitties loved him!

This «business» should be shut down immediately. I had been using Dr. Cotter since my Labradoodle was 11 weeks old, and he is now 17 months. When I heard that Dr. Cotter retired I thought I would try the new vets out — BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE MADE IN MY LIFE. I booked my puppy in at 11 months to be neutered — they explained this was a straightforward surgery, they do them all the time, etc. etc. — WRONG. My dog was given a lethal injection «by accident» by Dr. Francis, which almost killed my dog. Luckily his size (he was 65lbs at the time) and the correct treatment he received at The Animal Medical Center saved his life.
Dr. Francis attached a lethal medication to my puppy’s IVF drip instead of the anesthesia medication. I know, I ask myself the same question — HOW THE HELL DO YOU GET THAT WRONG? By being a negligent, incompetent, dangerous «vet». She knows NOTHING and should not be trusted to care for any animals. After injecting this medication directly into my puppy’s blood stream he suffered from a massive seizure, and they took him to the Animal Medical Center so that professionals could take care of him. They didn’t even have the decency to call me to tell me what happened, and instead I was notified by a secretary at their New Jersey facility god knows how long after this happened. I rushed to the hospital, convinced that they had killed my puppy, and called Dr. Francis on the way. All she could say was that it was a «mistake». Sorry, but HOW DO YOU MAKE A MISTAKE LIKE THAT??? She also told me that there would be no charge for the neutering! What a joke. She promised that they would cover the emergency treatment cost seeing as THEY TRIED TO KILL ME DOG, but 3 months later I have not even had an apology let along reimbursement for the thousands of dollars it cost to save my dog’s life.
Dr. Francis is a disgusting, inept, lowlife. She and this establishment need to be shut down.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS IF YOU CARE FOR YOUR ANIMALS.

These guys are just awesome. Dr Cotter has retired, but the new staff are just as knowledgeable, helpful and friendly as Dr Cotter. Dr Whittington is our new primary vet (they rotate several on a weekly schedule), and she’s been incredibly kind and on top of things. She spent 10 – 15 minutes with me today to discuss some issues in advance of an upcoming visit for our new 10 week old kitten.
They seem to take the same cost effective but thorough treatment protocol that Dr Cotter did. No super expensive, unnecessary tests, but still thorough and very caring.
Also: Danielle at the front desk is so friendly, helpful and warm — she really makes the place that much more enjoyable.
So very glad to see that Dr Cotter’s great business is going to be carried on with the same level of quality, friendliness, and professionalism.

Dr. Patrick Cotter retired (as of 12−31−14). He is no longer in practice. I will miss him. He was an excellent vet. Caring and inexpensive. Never ordered tests that were not needed and knew his profession. I will miss him.

Dr. Cotter has been my favorite vet for decades — dating all the way back to when he was medical director of the Humane Society. Since he’s had his own practice on East 65^th, the rescue group I work with has continued to go to him regularly — monthly if not weekly, for our animals.
Today when I called to make an appointment I was stunned — shocked, actually — to learn that Dr. Cotter retired just before Christmas. There hadn’t been a word spoken to me on any of the 30 — 40 visits & communications I had with his office in the past six months. He seems way too young to retire, but there it is, folks. Gone, without a word.
Dr. Cotter was always gentle with the animals, knowledgeable, reliable and the most fairly priced vet in Manhattan. Now where will I go?

I should’ve written this review a year ago. Originally we took our dog to heart of Chelsea animal hospital which was a great practice but a far it’s from our apt after after was our baby boy. We wanted to find a place the was walking distance from our apt so we went to Dr. cotter based on the mixed Unilocal reviews dying he was great but his office manager was terrible. Huge mistake, the office was a mess and his wife/​office manager is the worst person I’ve dealt with. Yelling at us for being late when we were bringing a newborn 3 minutes after our appointment. We dealt with the check up. We ended moving several months later to Long Island and my wife called to ask for my dogs medical records to be sent over to the new vet. This woman yelled at my wife saying she is going away in 3 days for a long weekend and didn’t know where or have time to send anything over. She never did. we had to call Heart of Chelsea to request records which was done within 2 minutes via email. Stay away frobecause she was going away for a long weekend which was 3 days away.

I am going to agree with most of the reviews that Dr Cotter was a great vet to my dog. He was knowledgable and I would often take my dog there for surgeries because my primary vet did not do operations. The reason why I gave this clinic lower stars is because I also agree with some of the other reviews that his wife was often so rude and just lacks overall sensitivity and empathy needed for this profession. My dog was seriously ill when I brought him in to see Dr Cotter and he could barely walk. It took my dog literally ten minutes to cross the street because of the pain he was in and as a 80 pound dog, I could not lift him. Because of this, we were a few minutes late, She literally yelled and berated me in front of the other clients and said I was inconsiderate of her time. During this appointment, I found out that my dog was dying of cancer and I had to put him down. I was by myself and I did not expect to hear this news. The treatment I received on the worst day of my life was so disgusting and inexcusable. I agree that being on time is important but as a professional, she should be more sensitive and understanding that sometimes things happen beyond our control. I did not want my last moments with my dog to be with this woman so I took him to my regular vet in Brooklyn to be put down.
I was so hurt by the treatment I received, especially after being such a loyal client for so many years. My suggestion to them is to have more tact and just overall sensitivity and respect for your clients.

The cat is now 14, and I recently took her to Dr. Cotter because of a bump on her forehead that specialists determined could not be biopsied without sedation due to its location near her eyes. This led to visits to a cardiologist who for $ 1,000, told me the cat has a heart condition that makes sedation extremely risky.
I was worried and not satisfied with waiting and seeing if the bump would keep growing. So I took the cat to Dr. Cotter. Dr. Cotter felt the bump and determined that a small biopsy could be done without sedation and give results with a high confidence interval.
Before I (or the cat for that matter) knew it, a needle came out, the bump was pricked, a slide prepared, examined and a benign diagnosis rendered. Dr. Cotter’s experience and gentle way with animals enabled him to take a sample that many less experienced vets would not be able to do. The cat never even flinched. He gave the cat a thorough exam exam as well. Again, no upsell on other products, just a professional, compassionate and cost effective visit.
We are lucky that Manhattan has so many specialists, even for our pets. Sometimes, the general practitioner is all one needs, and Dr. Cotter with his decades of experience is great.

Wonderful place! I moved to Bay Ridge in 2008 and still schlep my kitty to Manhattan so she can be seen by Dr. Cotter. It is well worth the trip; he is patient, caring, and knowledgeable. He takes his time with his patients and handles them extremely well. He is willing to answer all questions and makes sure owners understand what is going on with their pet’s health. He does not recommend unnecessary treatments and your animal’s welfare is the only priority here. Prices are more than reasonable for NYC.
I have always found the receptionist to be helpful and understanding. She is a practical person and it’s a busy office. She doesn’t suffer fools gladly but, as with Dr. Cotter, her dedication to the patients is beyond question. I highly recommend this practice.

Good solid veterinary medicine — no bells and whistles.
No taking your dog into another room where an $ 800.00 blood test is mysteriously performed. Dr. Cotter diagnosed a yeast infect in our rescue dogs ear by doing a smear on a slide and locking at it under a microscope right in front of us!
Extremely reasonable in cost — extremely caring.

August 26, 2013
Dr Cotter, DMV
310 East 65^th St
New York, NY
Dear Dr Cotter:
As you know when Dearie came home from his last teeth cleaning he could not stop coughing. Although you prescribed Codeine which I gave him, he was fading fast. So I took him to see Dr Giangola at 1676 First Avenue where he managed to save his life.
Upon Xray Dearie was found to have a collapsed trachea. This likely kicked in a problem with his heart. Dr. G managed to keep him alive for 7 months with 6 heart medicines & home cooked food.
Since Dearie was fine before his teeth were cleaned, I believe the collapsed trachea happened during the teeth cleaning. You are welcome to call Dr. G & see the Xray if you wish. His telephone number is 212−360−5820.
Dearie died June 28^th & I am trying to recover. As you know he was my Service Dog & my constant companion for these last 9 years.
I am requesting a full refund for his check up and teeth cleaning. Please send me a check or telephone me for my credit card number.
Sincerely your long time client —
~ Needless to say no refund was forthcoming. Dr. Cotter is a good & caring vet for routine matters but do NOT have your animals teeth cleaned there. His wife is a Nightmare to deal with & over the years I have heard the same from many animal lovers who have used Dr. Cotter’s service. ~

I was referred by my vet to take my dog here to get spayed. I have to say Dr. Cotter is very caring and nurturing to the animals. I did read all the reviews and I have to agree this place is definitely reasonably priced. Natasha didnt seem at all rude or condescending as I read in most of the reviews. She was actually quite nice and patient as I called three times to schedule my pet for an appointment.
I was very nervous about the procedure but when it was all done and over with my dog seemed fine. The stitch was very small and so far its healing nicely

The Cotter’s are a duo that truly care about the animals that come through their office.
We own 2 cats Zappa and Fleck. One of our cats has a few issues that were quickly corrected mostly with advice Natasha provided us. Folks, the Cotter’s are NOT their to tell you what you want to hear, hold your hand or comfort you. Go see your family doctor for that. They do what you hire them to do… treat and put your uncomfortable ANIMAL at ease.
People, do not expect miracles. If you own an animal or animals you have a certain responsibility to your animals. This includes providing good NUTRITION, a clean environment for your pet to eliminate itself and a good routine. I know this b/​c I Iistened to the advice given to me and have passed it along to other pet owners.
You may have to spend a little more money and time on your animals! Research good nutritional options for your pets, there are many out there! If the food is very cheap… that should be a red flag. Don’t cut corners when it comes to your animal companions. If you opt to cut corners, please do not shift 100% of the blame onto your VET.
Many Thanks for your advice Natasha!
— Christine G

Doctor Cotter is patient and loves his job.
They are a couple that is there for the assistance and joy happy, healthy animals provide. Like most animal people we all have our quirks and if you understand that about this the Cotters will be a couple you will love beyond the years of pet parenthood.
They were recommended to by the pet store I adopted as a reliable and reasonably priced vet.
The valuable experience and treatment options provided come from a background of what is truly best for a loved critter.
If you are a NY person than you should completely understand why you may get raised eyebrows for showing up late to an appointment or not respecting your animals needs. Get over it — they are there for the animals not to feed your ego.

Dr. Cotter gets 5 Stars and then some!
There is nothing remotely bad about Dr. Cotter and his practice. Everything is just perfect and if you are looking for someone to care for your pet, your family member, the way that you do… then you need to go to Dr. Cotter.
We have been going to Dr. Cotter for over 10 years. He has always been honest and caring about our late dog, Snoopy.
Throughout Snoopy’s old age, Dr. Cotter ensured to let us know our real options when it came to his health and duration of life.
When the day came for us to put our best friend down… Dr. Cotter was just amazing. He is so humane and gentle. He was such a good doctor to our Snoopy. He allowed us, his family to be in the room with him when he was going to sleep. We held him and waited for his last breath. All without Dr. Cotter making us feel weird or anything. He was right there as a support, right by our side. He was strong for us when we wanted to just break down because we put our best friend to sleep. I cry just thinking about this situation but I tell you, I couldn’t have imagined having anyone administer this process that wasn’t Dr. Cotter.
His wife, she is another amazing person. She loves animals as much as he does.
They loved our dog as they love every animal that comes through their door.
They are in the business because they care about animals NOT for the money. There have been plenty of times that I have had to call in my credit card because I forgot it at home or anything!
Dr. Cotter is just amazing and when we get the nerve to add a new dog to our lives, we will be back in Dr. Cotter’s office.
Thank you for everything Dr. Cotter!!!

I live about a block and a half away from this clinic, and I packed up my two cats and schlepped them howling and meowing the entire way. When I got there, the office manager scolded me for having one of my cats (the older, more timid one) in a soft-​sided carrier. «It’s not secure. She’s going to jump out and die.» she said, because she felt the cat could escape easily from it. I had never had an issue with my cat in there, and was a little put out at the way she talked to me.
I saw Dr. Cotter, he addressed my concerns, and I found him friendly, warm, and knowledgeable. They took some blood to run labs, and we talked about a few issues that they’d been having.
As I was leaving, I put the cats away in the carriers, and wouldn’t you know, the cat in the soft-​sided carrier managed to get her head out of the top of the carrier and could have escaped in the middle of the street. So… score one for Natasha.

I just got a Yorkie Puppy, he is two months and I needed to take him for a check up. I found this vet thru Unilocal and I had a good experience there, Natasha was in the front desk and I think she is a very direct person, this is not bad in my opinion. She was very friendly to me.
Dr. Cotter was very gentle with my puppy, he examined him and we talked a little bit about his behavior, I will be coming back by the end of the month for vaccination. I am very happy I found this vet, it’s conveniently close to my place plus I paid $ 65 for the consult, what in my opinion is a reasonable rate in the city.

THIS IS THE MOST HORRIBLE CLINIC! They do NOT have the care or consideration for people moving to other countries. I do NOT recommend that you get ANYTHING done at this place if you are moving to another country!!!
Natasha is the rudest person and most UNPROFESSIONAL person to deal with!!! She doesn’t need to be in this business if she can’t help people’s pets get where their owners need them to go. She’s curses in frustration when you speak to her and it’s totally uncalled for. She’s very unwilling to assist with any export process and documentation and they should also not be relied on for vet work as they’ll probably get that wrong too!
Maybe if you’re bringing a cat for a first check up and vaccination they might be okay, but I would guess that you’d only be okay if you’d NEVER HAVE TO GO BACK AGAIN!
TAKE MY ADVICE… DON’T COME TO THIS PLACE IF YOU ARE MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!

Dr. Cotter is incredible! He is so nice and such an animal lover. I used to go to another vet in the neighborhood but they would always do unnecessary testing on my dog and charge me a fortune. He is great and now has me as a lifetime customer!
As for his office manager, who happens to be his wife is great!

5 Stars for Fair prices, excellent service, warm welcoming, wonderful people.
They took excellent care of my kitten and kept me informed every step of the way with his surgery.
I was recommended Dr. Cotter by the woman I adopted my kitty from. I checked them out on Unilocal and was a little hesitant due to the mixed reviews.
However, I am so glad I went for it. I will continue to use them whenever my kitty has veterinary needs. (hopefully not very often!)