Took my canine here back in January for a chronic cough, and Dr. Ingrid Rhinehart had diagnosed him with a collapsing trachea. He passed away in March from congestive heart failure. I realize while some symptoms can have overlapping similarities, I can't help but consider if we had caught it in time, the correct diagnosis, my beloved Yorkie would have made it. It seems like the underlying theme for this establishment, along with just about everything else here in this area, is severely inadequate.. read more

SCAM SCAM SCAM DO NOT GO HERE EVER I brought in my cat who was 16 and dying. First, they tell me my cat bit a nurse so I'll be contacted by the health department. They insist I should put her down. She was so close to death I wanted her to pass at home where she's comfortable, not scared to death in a sterile environment. I ask about cremation. They tell me if I want the ashes back it's $600. I quickly learn that the local animal hospital charges $120. My cat died peacefully the next morning in her bed. They also convinced me in my grief to buy a $75 medication that may get her to eat again. This cat was done eating. Then, not the health dept, but a coworker reaches out to me, I tell him all of the above, and I add that I cannot understand how your nurse was surprised that a sick dying scared cat bit her, my cat doesn't have rabies, and stop contacting me. This place also about 3 years ago saw My cat, said she had asthma, and gave me the shadiest instructions to contact a Canadian 3rd party pharmacy for the medicine and the face harness. She didn't have asthma, our old house was just dusty and her symptoms went away immediately after we moved. Total scammers. read more

We have all our pets go through this vet no problems at all the staff is amazing. We had to put one of older scale babies down and they got us right in. Looked him over and agreed with us that it was his time . They made it fast and painless. Their fees were very affordable and made sure to give us the feet impression before we left. We are getting his ashes back within a week. I highly recommend this place they staff knows all our pets and our pets love all the staff. read more

It's truly amazing and TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL that after we went to the trouble of getting all our dog's medial records from 2 separate vets to a so-called specialist of Oriental medicine at Briar Patch Vet Hospital to help our dog live out her last months comfortably, we were just told she is not taking new patients. Of course, we contacted and did all of this work from 2 other vets in LATE MARCH and after I emailed AGAIN asking for updates we were told in EARLY JUNE she is not taking new patients. In our first communication we were put on a "waiting list" because it would take SEVERAL WEEKS for her to go over the records sent. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS PLACE - EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL communication! read more

I love these folks. So does my elderly greyhound who gets acupuncture for a neck problem. He runs up the steps to find his favorite vet tech. (Hint: they are all his favorite.) Dr. Rhinehart is very good with the needles, then Brady and I relax and listen to Mozart for about 15 minutes. Everyone there is friendly and helpful. read more

Briar Patch Veterinary Hospital - Brady the greyhound and/or porcupine. - Veterinarians Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I used to love Briarpatch but I have become disillusioned. I prefer to get my advice from the vet and not the office manager. Twice I have been given "medical advise" that was incorrect from the office manager. When I tried to address the problem with Dr R. She was obviously not listening as she kept saying she was not going to fire the office manager--I never asked her to fire the office manager what I was asking for was advise from the person with a medical degree. Dr R finally replied that this now going to be their normal practice to have other office staff take care of all matters except for emergency care. I love the vet techs and front desk people! I liked the care given by Dr V when I was allowed to see her. Vet care is expensive and I feel that getting actual advise from my vet is important. Office managers are not the same as the actual vet. I have chosen to look elsewhere so my pets can receive better, more accurate veterinary care. read more

Careless handling harmed my pet several times. Frequent misdiagnoses and lack of follow-up. Cheery staff with good intentions but a series of mistakes were made. Luckily we found a far more skilled set of vets at Cornell Companion Hospital via a referral at another practice. read more

Very understanding and friendly people, handled my nervous dog well. Everyone else in the area was booked out or charging super high fees for an urgent care visit. Briar Patch got us in almost the next day! read more

They are outstanding, kind and dedicated to pet care. My pup is very nervous but the vet techs and Dr V help him relax and take such good care of him that we can be in and out pretty quickly without him freaking out too much. They are absolutely the best and genuine in their care. read more

This is overdue. Dr Vissio was seeing my french bulldog in the last two years before we moved away. She is so professional and knowledgeable. The staff here (technicians and the receptionists) are all beyond nice, friendly and professional. It is really rare to have both. Carrisa and Jett are just great! read more

Great staff. It's always a struggle to find a good vet that is good year after year and reliable. This isn't always the least expensive visit but we know our family is always given the best care. read more

After reading the first review by Brian H., it's kind of a bittersweet feeling to know that I'm not alone in feeling the way that I do about Briar Patch. I selected Briar Patch because they were one of the few practices in Ithaca that examined exotic pets. Up until now, I was really satisfied with the service and Dr. Kaplan. The most recent visit to Briar Patch left a sour taste and I don't think that I'll return due to lackadaisical customer service. Long story short, I had to go back there twice in one day and then once again the next to "miscommunication". The "miscommunication" was more like NON-communication. From a customer service standpoint, I'd go as far to say that it seemed like general incompetence and lack of follow-through. I e-mailed and called the office manager to follow up and dispute a charge on my bill and received no reply. That being said, the only reason I'm giving this place 2 stars is because I think Dr. Kaplan is outstanding. I have a feeling if I were to have seen her at this particular appointment, it would have gone much differently. read more

Very friendly. Patient & gentle with my highly anxious dog. They seem more natural-minded. Flexible with scheduling and responsive to emails/phone calls. Highly recommended. read more

Since Carolyn left, the quality of care here has suffered greatly. Heartless disregard for what this practice once stood for, and for the animals & people they carelessly serve. Do yourself & your beloved pets a favor and go elsewhere. read more

I have been taking my animals to Briar Patch for a few years now. I have always been happy with the quality of care! They not only are fantastic with my dogs and cat, they also have amazing people skills as well, which is a wonderful combination for a vets office I had a hard time finding in the past. I trust them completely and feel my pets are in good hands when they have to go to the vet! I would recommend them to everyone! read more

Great practice! Super nice people who love pets!

I've been taking my cats to Briar Patch for many years. The staff is friendly, passionate about pets, and well informed. They are thoughtful about treating cats -- they put towels on the examining table and put soothing pheromones in plug-in atomizers. They offer a wide range of services but try to work with my budget as my cats age. read more

While vacationing in Ithaca, we discovered our dog had a bad ear infection. With a quick call, we were welcomed to the Briar Patch with open arms. They fit us in quickly and treated our dog with kindness and expertise. We were lucky to find such a great group of compassionate people to care for four legged family member while we were so far from home. Thank you Briar Patch read more

There is no other vet in the area that I would recommend over Briar Patch. Dr. Lyboldt is honestly the sweetest most knowledgable vet I have ever met. She takes time to care for my pet as much as I do. She carefully considers and explains all treatment options available and always considers cost when discussing these options. Briar Patch is also very reasonably priced. read more

I am very happy with the care that my cats have received from Briar Patch. I have several friends that have gone to them for years and are also very happy with the wonderful care they have received. Carloyn McMaster immediatly diagnosed and treated a chronic eye problem in one of my cats, something Cornell was unable to do in the 6 months that we went there. I've gone to a lot of vets over the years and I feel that the vets at Briar Patch have the knowledge and experience that I expect of my vet. read more

My husband and I used Briarpatch for years and although they were on the expensive side - we appreciated the wonderful care they gave our canine family members - which we have 3. A few months ago we brought all three in for their annual visit and were really miffed with the nickel and diming we received on the bill. Like $4.75 needle disposal for each shot, $11.00 to set up a new medical record for our new puppy. Not to mention about 50% of our visit was spent trying to sell us on a variety of tests and meds. So we were deciding whether to return - and delayed getting part 2 of two of our dogs shots for a few months there. We were told when we originally complained about the bill our next visit would just be shots with a technician and wouldn't be much. So I finally called and made the appointment for the shots - we went yesterday. I was very confused because a supposed 20-30 minute visit became another sell job with the vet and tech. I understood when I was handed a $318 dollar bill charging us for two more "annual visits". We were so upset and just received a message from the office manager blaming us telling us it was our fault for waiting a couple months to bring them back - that it was their practice to examine a dog before giving immunizations. Would have been nice to know this upfront! And to boot - our puppy was scheduled to be spayed there next week - which I have now canceled and rescheduled elsewhere. When I contacted the new vet about the spaying - they told me we should wait 2 weeks after the immunization our puppy received to have surgery. Briarpatch was going to do the surgery in one week. I do think the vets themselves are ok - just think the practice has become way too focused on the dollar - losing sight of why we chose this practice for the last several years. We've moved on! read more

I have been taking my dogs to Briar Patch for 8 years. What I appreciate most about the practice is their dedication to educating me about the numerous options available for my animals. I have always found their staff knowledgable, friendly, diligent and incredibly responsive. When I was dealing with end of life issues with an older dog they were always wonderful about making me feel comfortable balancing what I could reasonably afford with doing the most I could for my dog. I was always very appreciative of their compassion and understanding. I can't recommend this practice strong enough! read more

Had a great first experience at Briarpatch recently with my newly adopted cat. Felt as though we were in good and reliable hands. Lots of helpful advice. Very caring and personable staff. I will be going back. read more

I have been using the services of Briar Patch for 24 years and counting. Everyone there cares about animals and their humans. I first started going there because it was conveniently located, now I can't imagine going anywhere else. Each doctor who has cared for my cats was competent and caring. read more

We are extremely satisfied with the services we receive at Briar Patch. The entire staff clearly love the work they do and the furry babies they care for! Dr. Costigan takes the time to make our kitty and me both comfortable and aware of care or treatment needed or of benefit to a long and happy, healthy life. read more

I have been extremely pleased with the care my animals have received from Dr. Lyboldt at Briar Patch. My dog is always greeted as if he were a king. I am always treated with respect and am given several options for the treatment of my pets. I recently adopted a new kitten from the SPCA and she, also, was given excellent care for her initial visit. I recommend this clinic, and Dr. Lyboldt, with the highest confidence. read more

They seem fine as far as knowledge and interaction with the dog are concerned. I find it difficult to make decisions about care there, because they push so many products that when they make recommendations it's difficult to figure out what the animal really needs and what they are just tacking on to squeeze every penny they can out of you. I have been to other vets where I feel more comfortable having that conversation. read more

They're responsible for the death of my dog. They performed a surgery on her that they were not skilled enough to perform. They should have referred it. Fuck Briar Patch. read more

I changed from Vets from Candor to Briar patch; I felt like my vet in Candor didn't care and had a serious lack of bed side manor. So after switching I was very happy with how much it seemed like the vets and techs at Briar Patched cared even though a visit costs DOUBLE. I've had many problems with my dog including allergies, ear infections, nausea, etc. Typically I'm quick to rush her in asap, and every time I bring her in I get 2 fulls sheets of papers with tests, pills and procedures that are being pushed on me to buy; more and more it feels like i'm dealing with car salesmen trying to sell me some cure all. After I just had to pay $300 to Cornell (who wanted to keep her for 2 days and charge us $1500 on the low side) after my dog ate half a block of mouse poison and was FINE, I'm a tad low on money. My dog now has another ear infection in the opposite ear as last time ( 2 months ago). I called to try and just get another ear drop script but because it's been a few days over 2 months I receive a lecture on how it's illegal. COME ON, it doesn't take a rocket scientist for me to see my dogs ear is red, smell it and decide she needs drops, and no I don't want to pay you and extra $50 to test to tell me what kind of ear infection it is.... read more