Thornwood Animal Hospital

I’ve been using Dr. Patel since he took over the practice from Dr. Polisky years ago. He took great care of my first two adopted cats and now is taking care of my new set cats. He is very honest and compassionate about your babies and gives them the best care. I’ve spent over a decade having only great experiences at this practice. I’ve moved up north and find the Tavel south worth it! Could never see another vet touch my cats.

posted: 06/03/2023

Dr. Patel is the kindest vet, he has been so helpful with a really tough end of life neurological tumor diagnosis one of our cats is going through. He works hard and works late and will always reply quickly. We really recommend him because of his commitment to his patients and their families. The only downside is this is a single vet practice, so for complex diagnosis and procedures you will be referred out, but still Dr. Patel really cares and checks in and will provide advice and peace of mind when necessary.

posted: 08/22/2023

Great experience! My wife and I took our cat there for the very first time Dr. Patel and his assistant Wendy & Maria where awesome the whole staff is just genuine! Gave my cat a clean bill of health 🙏

posted: 03/16/2022

I really really really wanted to like this practice based on the previous reviews and recommendations from other vet techs, but unfortunately I left my appointment very disappointed. My cat went to the emergency vet because he was having trouble breathing, and after an x-ray, he was diagnosed with asthma. We followed up with Thornwood Animal hospital the next day (our first time here) for a long-term treatment plan, and to put it bluntly, Dr. Patel demonstrated an alarming lack of knowledge regarding asthmatic cats. The ER doc had already briefed me on possible treatment plans and the pros/cons of different medications for asthmatic cats. For example, he recommended an inhaler rather than oral or injectable steroids as inhalers greatly decrease the risks of side effects such as diabetes, and the newer protocol is to prescribe inhalers. He explained that amongst inhalers, there were two types, albuterol and flovent. He recommended flovent for daily maintenance as albeterol is used during asthma attacks (just like in humans), so imagine my surprise when Dr. Patel recommended the exact opposite of what the ER doc explained to me. He first stated that my cat's lungs sounded "fine" and that he would wait on giving any further medication. I then asked him if he looked at the x-rays that were sent over, to which he said yes, "your cat has asthma but he sounds fine, but if you want we can give him an oral steroid." I had to tell him that my cat's lungs have always sounded fine, even when we were at the emergency room. When I asked for his opinion on an inhaler vs oral steroids, he said giving an inhaler is "a losing battle for cats," because of how difficult they can be to administer (which btw, I administered the inhaler with absolutely zero struggle from my cat), but when I asked if there were any medical pros/cons besides the difficulty of administration, he quickly switched gears and said he could prescribe me albuterol. I then asked him for his opinion on albuterol vs flovent, and he then said "ok I can give you flovent." He never once explained his opinion on different medications, if I hadn't had such an amazing ER doc, I might've left the appointment with no medication and my cat would still be struggling to breathe. When Dr. Patel wrote me a prescription for the inhaler, his assistant told me "he thinks you can get it over the counter but he's gonna give you the script anyway." In what world can you buy an inhaler over the counter? Additionally, he wrote me a script for a dosage that doesn't even exist. Flovent inhalers come in specific quantities per puff (44, 150, 220 or something like that) and he wrote me a script for 275. I had to go back to the office to request a new script. It's clear that Dr. Patel does not have experience with asthmatic cats, or is working with a very dated protocol. I had to advocate for my cat every step of the way and unfortunately we will not be back. I am still giving the practice two stars because the assistants, especially Maria, were very kind, responsive, and helpful. I truly truly wanted to make this my primary vet but I just can't justify going back to a practice with an uninformed doctor.

posted: 08/26/2023

I really cannot say enough good things about Dr Patel and the staff here! They take such amazing care of my dog and go above and beyond. They answer emails after hours and the dr will take out books to show you exactly what is going on and really explain and show you things. I went to a vet previously for 11 years and my dog is calmer now at the vet then ever before and they really take the time to check everything out not dismiss an issue! They also always squeeze him in if necessarily unlike other places. I have recommended them and have converted my sister and a few friends at this point! Seriously I would not trust my dog with anyone else!

posted: 07/15/2022