Garden State Veterinary Specialists

When my dog started having fainting spells and bad coughing we took her to our local vet. After a simple checkup and some X-​rays we were told she has a heart murmur and an enlarged heart. Our vet recommended seeing Dr Goodwin (Cardiologist) at Garden State. He did an echocardiogram and a few other tests and diagnosed her with a bad case of chf. He put her on some medicine and she is still going strong 2 years later now. We go back and see him every 6 months or so for a recheck. I can’t speak for the other Vets in this facility but there’s no doubt that Dr Goodwin has kept our dog living longer and happy.

No complaints about the vets yet. But, I don’t understand why the specialists have to schedule their OWN surgery!!! Isn’t that what the front desk folks are for?
This is completely inefficient. I am now trying my third attempt to schedule a surgery, which could have been taken care of up on my first phone call.

Our dog, Maverick, got into a bottle of alcohol as we food shopped Sunday morning. Thanks to an extremely alert roommate, she noticed something was not right in our absence and she brought him straight to the Westfield Animal Hospital. When we finally got there, we were told that Maverick could not stand, see, nor interact. We were told he was neurologically damaged and we were advised to euthanize him.
I don’t know how I even pulled it together enough to think straight but I got right on the phone with this intensive care animal hospital all the way in Tinton Fall (turned out to be Garden State Veterinary Specialists). I called them and told them about Maverick — how we had no idea how much alcohol he actually ingested but his prognosis from this Westfield vet was dire. They told me to bring him in as quickly as possible. What should’ve been an hour’s drive took us 25 minutes as I drove down the parkway and my fiancé, Cory, cradled our baby in a blanket. Maverick’s breathing was so shallow — the drive was excruciating. I prayed out loud the entire time — I prayed to God, I prayed to my Aunt Corinne who was such an animal lover. I would’ve prayed to Harry Potter if I thought it would’ve helped his plight.
This is a long story so there’s no «making it short» but suffice it to say that after hours of waiting on results from blood tests and neurology tests and organ tests, we received the call that we prayed for. Maverick will make a full recovery. We were told to put him down on Sunday morning, and the doctors at Garden State Veterinary Specialists somehow brought him back to life. We are beyond… there are no words, we are the happiest two people on the planet now that we can breathe and know Maverick is going to continue barking like a maniac, chasing squirrels and trying to eat Yoda’s (our other baby) feet. We are also extremely angry at the advice we were given by Westfield animal hospital.
At the end of the day, we have our baby… but advising someone to euthanize their baby when there are very clearly other routes to go is appalling and completely unacceptable.
We will forever be in debt to Dr. Merola and her entire staff at Garden State Veterinary Specialists. From the receptionists down to the doctors, everyone was so sensitive and caring about our situation. They made us really feel like they cared about saving our baby as much we did… I used up all my chips and sold my soul for their care and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
P. S. the users posting here about the amount of money and being ripped off — I can’t speak to that because we were told we would be looking at paying $ 2,000.00 and that had the great potential of going up, depending on whatever Maverick needed. We would have paid anything — so it didn’t matter. But when I picked Maverick up yesterday morning, the receptionist told me that my fiancé had to call them for a balance. I said no problem, I will pay that balance right now. She told me, no — we owe him $ 579.00 — Maverick’s treatments didn’t accrue the amount you originally paid. They could have easily just kept that money, but they didn’t.

I’m so surprised by the low reviews– we had an amazing experience.
Our dog needed to get an ACL surgery and four different dog owners in our town recommended GSV. We drove the hour + for the surgery and it was well worth it. Amazing, tentative staff and they helped us through every step of the process.

Drs. Scavelli and Goodwin literally saved my cat, Morris, from the brink of cardiac death. I originally had an appointment to bring in Morris for radioactive iodine treatment for his hyperthyroidism on September 4^th, 2014. The day before his appointment, Morris had very labored breathing and I figured it was related to his hyperthyroidism (which it was) and just figured best to keep his scheduled appointment. This place is an hour’s drive from my house (I live in Brooklyn) and as I was driving Morris down there the next day, he was panting very heavily and now I was very nervous. Dr. Scavelli sees Morris and immediately takes him to see Dr. Goodwin, the kitty cardiologist, and they determine he is in cardiac failure, and was probably hours away from death. The I131 treatment would be postponed until they treated his cardiac failure, which they did, and it took him a few days to become stable before they tackled the hyperthyroidism. Instead of 4 days of the I131 treatment, Morris’ time at GSVS extended to 8 days, but they called me EVERY DAY to give me an update on my baby. I was asking Dr. Goodwin how Morris was breathing after his treatment, as I was so nervous. And he asked, «Do you want me to do a little video clip of him and send it to your phone?» OF COURSE! And he did. It took a LOAD off to see my Morris breathing normally. It was tough to not visit as I work full time in midtown Manhattan and it’s not easy to get to this place from where I am after work, and then my mom had an accident the next day from which she later passed, so I couldn’t get to the vet’s office to check on him as often as I had hoped. And of course, I wasn’t allowed to visit which the radiation was dissipating, but the office’s daily calls was the highlight of my days that week, including on the day of my mom’s funeral. I so looked forward to having my kitty home with me, which he finally did come home this past Friday. It kills me not to be able to cuddle with him because he’s still discharging gamma rays, or whatever, but I can tell he is so happy to be home and it’ll just be 2 weeks that things will be back to normal — or normal as they could be. Drs. Scavelli and Goodwin made my week much less sad than it could have been, and I’m glad to have my little monkey home. I see many complaints how expensive this place is, and I have to admit, the bill made my eyes pop out of my head. But this IS a hospital, and they DO save lives, and I wouldn’t hesitate to make the same decisions all over again. Morris could not have been in better hands. He is worth every penny.

Unless you have a blank check to indulge their «we’re not sure, lets order a battery of tests and see» approach to veterinary medicine, stay away from this place. My pet suffered needlessly for four days while we awaited the results of tests that were expensive, unecessary and completely unrelated to my dog’s ailment and at the end of the day they did NOTHING to aid her suffering. After the 2 visits to Garden State, with a severely ill dog, crying and in extreme discomfort, they refused to provide her with medicine to put her at ease while we waited the results of their recommended fishing expedition tests. The veterinarian that saw my pet, (who was rude and had a bad attitude) finally confirmed my dog negative for thyroid imbalance four days later. However, no surprises, she suggested yet more blood tests. Since she did not improve with the poor treatment we received at Garden State Veterinary Specialists, I brought her to be euthanized at another more professional and caring facility; upon admitttance, they examined her and confirmed within minutes that my dog had suffered a severe neurological event and had lost all feeling in, and the use of her hind quarters/​back legs, most likely due to a brain tumor, or blood clot or cancer in her spine. They concluded again, IN MINUTES, that it had nothing to do with hormonal imbalances. Most importantly, there was never any hope for her and she suffered needlessly because either Garden State Veterinary Specialists were incompetent, or determined to run up my tab. They also preyed on my hopes instead of just telling me flat out their was nothing that could be done. I guess I would describe what they do as «ala carte» veterinary medicine. If you can’t afford the CAT scan, lets try something else that you can afford even if it’s hopeless. I will never bring a pet here again, and I would absolutely never recommend this place. They made a bad situation worse, and my dog suffered because of it.

Pros
Dr. Pierce, the ophthalmologist, is great! I’ve been taking my older dog there to see him for a little over a month now and he always takes the time to answer all of our questions honestly and with care and does a thorough examination. The vet techs that are in the room with us have been very helpful and caring as well!
Cons
They are extremely expensive and I agree with the other reviews that some of the charges seem so unnecessary. Also, the receptionists/​front counter people have been either really nice or downright incompetent. When we first brought our dog there, the woman who was checking us out after our visit said we were all set to go. I hadn’t even received any of the medicine for my dog nor did she set up a follow up visit for the following week… I had to remind her of this, which seems strange since this is her job! Once the Pharmacist came out to give me the medications and the follow up visit was scheduled, we were set to go. When I get home and am ready to give my dog the first dose (directions say to split the pill in half), we found out the Pharm. had given us a capsule form which would make it difficult to split. We had to go back and pick up the right prescription, which isn’t really that big of a deal, but leads me to doubt the staff (not necessarily the doctors, though).
Bottom Line
If you have an animal that needs a specialist or is in need of emergency care, this is definitely the place to go! But be prepared to wait (even with an appointment we waited at least 45 minutes, not including waiting to be discharged) and to pay lots. Also, make sure you’re being discharged properly!

I recently went to GSVS to see an eye specialist for my nearly 16 year old dog. I filled out the information forms online before I went but had to fill them out again when I got there and waited about a half an hour with a scared dog to see the vet. My little old man who has never been muzzled in his life though he has been to the vet plenty including weekly acupuncture treatments was immediately muzzled and clearly stressed more than I’ve ever seen him.
Though the vet techs seemed caring the vet himself didn’t seem to have any compassion for me or my dog. He told me I was wrong about how my dog’s symptoms were presenting. There was nothing wrong with him. $ 250 please! They dilated his eyes and sent us back out to the noisy waiting room and then also had me sit again to wait for my final diagnosis and sit there again to wait to pay.
They said they would fax my vet the results of the appointment. Never did.
I realize that this is an emotional experience when you love your pet and believe he is in pain. But after 16 years, this isn’t my first vet visit and I also worked at one of the largest animal hospitals in NYC, so I feel like I know the difference. If you look at my other reviews you will see I only take the time to write about good experiences. But this one was too upsetting not to share with fellow dog lovers. I know that this place may be the only choice in an emergency or a specialist, but I hope I never have to go back.
PS my friend brought her dog there for knee surgery and they operated on the wrong leg.

We first time there was with our sweet puppy, Murphy who was just three months old. He just would not stop crying. We were so upset. We took him to his regular vet immediately. After dropping $ 700 there they sent us straight to Garden State. Murphy stayed overnight, was testes and tested. There was nothing wrong. We received a refund immediately. Every single person from folks cleaning to the top notch doctors could not be kinder. My phone calls at 2:00 am, 3:00am, 4:00 am, no matter what time of day or night were handled with talc.
We were back just four months later because Murphy ate the cob from a half piece of corn. My husband had just read how dangerous that could be. Oh brother! Same treatment, kindness and courtesy!
I wouldn’t bring my dogs anywhere else!

The vets, techs, and assistants have worked with two of my dogs. My cocker spaniel most recently and my English Bulldog awhile ago. They are GREAT. They are very accommodating. I visited my dog daily, who knew you could do that. They took care of me as much as my dog. If a dog needs to be at a vet, this is the place to be!!!

GSVS has literally saved the lives of a few of my animals, and I am grateful for that. I do have to say, though, that having spent well in excess of $ 20,000 in this building over the last ten years, I believe that some of that money has gone toward testing or extraordinary measures that were unnecessary or unwarranted. However, I am not a vet, so I do not know that for a fact. I do know that when you spend a couple of grand to run tests on an animal, and the end result is a recommendation to euthanize, one is left to suspect that there might have been a less expensive path to that destination, such as mere professional experience.
My only real complaint with GSVS is a very recent one. For years, we have been seeing the (recently former) staff ophthalmologist with one of our dogs, on whom she had performed surgery and all subsequent follow-​up care. We found out recently, while trying to get a prescription refilled, that she had moved to Maine. Fine. Good luck, Dr. Lackner. But even a hairdresser or a real estate agent sends out a postcard to announce that he or she is moving on; I expect more from a veterinary specialist. And even if she couldn’t have been bothered, and clearly she could not, the facility itself should have sent out a notification. Nothing like being left high and dry.
Anyway, aside from that, GSVS is a great facility staffed by qualified people. My sincere hope is that I never have to take anyone there again, but if I did, I would feel certain they were receiving the best possible care.

We had heard that they were the best for the serious operation our 6 yr old Lab needed after hurting her knee. She had the operation 7 days ago and she is doing very well. The staff has been great and the doctors took time to explain everything. So far, I’m very pleased with service but disappointed in the cost. Expect to pay a premium for their excellent care.

Horrible. From the nasty woman that answers the phone to the overly busy, couldn’t be concerned less vets, I beg you to stay away from this place.
Our vet referred us here for our beloved dog’s newly diagnosed cancer. His prognosis was poor, but we were hoping to give him some additional good time with treatment. Without getting into specifics (I gave a negative review on another site and received a harassing phone call from one of the vets, not in the mood to deal with that again) our dog was experiencing a problem. We drove him down there (an hour from our home) for treatment, mentioned it to the vet and we were told there was no issue. Fast forward four days and we’re in our local emergency vet, having him admitted for possible kidney failure. Needless to say, we were NEVER taking him back to GSVS.
We were able to find a new, better oncologist closer to home thankfully, but I feel like a horrible furmom for entrusting these people with my «son».

We have been there many time’s, unfortunately! Most recently, we had our beautiful GSD, our 3^rd., in 4 yrs. Buddy, the daddy of 10 pups and only 6 yrs. old. He had a second bout of pneumonia, and they were very good with him. They did what they could, and when they couldn’t do any more they did not feel it necessary to go on with any more expensive treatments. They know we have been there many times and treated us with respect. You have to realize that this was the 4^th GSD. we have had to put down. They were very sympathetic and very caring.
They could have let our poor, sick Buddy go on, but they didn’t. They are humane in my eyes and the Dr. we had, told us a million dollar’s could have not saved our Bud. What we did was the right thing as hard as it.

Very good service but they really need to learn to work around a tighter budget.
My sister’s cat was in and out of there for about 10 days and it cost her over 5k (not to mention the most expensive tests they’ve done were not conclusive). What they will do is give you a cost estimate (usually a range) in the beginning and work their way up to reach the cap, if not several hundred dollars more. My suggestions is to plan a budget before sending your pet in unless you’re filthy rich. For example, tell them how much you can afford and ask them to work around that budget. When I look back at the first few bills, some of the things they’ve done didn’t even seem absolutely necessary, but because they were within the estimation range, which we’ve paid ahead of time already, they did it anyway.
There are some miscellaneous charges that also seem pretty ridiculous. For example, there’s a fee just to hook up an IV line, another fee to put a pump up there, another fee for whenever something is given by injection, plus the cost for the actual fluids/​medicine your pet needs. They even charge extra for giving oral medication even if you provided the medicines yourself.
Anyways, they are a group of good and competent people, but the specialists seem to be more interested in spending thousands of someone else’s dollars to figure out something they are not absolutely sure of, rather than come up with a plan right away (they usually have an idea of what’s wrong with the pet before all the expensive diagnostic tests) to save the owner money.
I also recommend CareCredit if its hard for your to pay off all the costs at once, it allows you to pay the balance over 6 – 12 months w/​o interest.