Giacalone, Douglas, Dvm - Gramercy Park Animal Hospital

I have nothing but positive things to say about this place. Every one of the doctors I have visited with over the last few years with both my cats, has been wonderful, caring, gentle and knowledgeable. The staff is friendly and lovely on the phone and in person. I would recommend Dr. Feibusch to anyone, she is lovely. more

We have nothing but praise for Gramercy Park Animal Hospital! \r While our usual vet is Dr. Kuhlman, over the last 5 years, my 3 dogs have also seen Dr. Feibush and Dr. Giacalone. When I have had foster dogs, this is where I took them also! \r I have referred many people to this animal hospital and everyone of them has been thrilled with the quality of care! \r The vets don't waste your time or money. The animals come first, as it should be! I trust these people! They have the best interest of the pets and owners foremost in their minds! TERRIFIC JOB! more

In our experience, Feibush is a knowledgeable, conservative yet inspired diagnostician, worth the occasional infuriating wait. Our cat had licked herself bald, and we tried many, many remedies on our own before Dr. Karen Feibush figured out that it was a thyroid problem. Now our cat has fur again, as well as a stabilized metabolism, which, not incidentally, ended her skittishness and is prolonging her beloved little life(Just never make appointments on Mondays, since you'll be up against all the weekend backlog. more

First time reviewing anything - I just wanted to respond a poor review that I found unfair. First of all, I will agree that the front desk staff is hit or miss. There is at least one lovely receptionist who greets patients and clients warmly and professionally. On the other hand, there are a few others who are less than friendly on the phone. As for the veterinary staff, Dr. Kuhlman is by far the best. We began bringing our puppy to Gramercy in 2010 and will continue going until Dr. Kuhlman retires. The best thing about Dr. Kuhlman (aside from his clear enjoyment of his job and animals) is that he won't talk you into unnecessary procedures (as many vets looking for an extra buck will.) On our first visit, I asked him whether we should vaccinate our pup against leptospirosis - a water-borne disease (I am considering veterinary medicine, so I've done much research on vaccinations and the like...). To my surprise, he explained that living in NYC, there was really no reason to expose our pup to the risks of vaccination and the expense when the odds of his being exposed to such a disease we so low. Most other vets would be happy to accept the extra fees, but Dr. Kuhlman takes into consideration the welfare of the animal as well as your wallet. As for the reviewer who was dissatisfied with Dr. Kulhman's plan to treat his/her dog for allergies prior to doing a scratch test - they don't realize that most allergy remedies are going to be the same regardless of the root cause. To skip the test saves you time and money and isn't uncommon in the veterinary profession - particularly from someone with as much experience as Dr. Kuhlman. I will also note that we have seen other vets at Gramercy and they're fine, but I often get the impression that they're in a hurry. Also, it always ends up costing a lot more than our visits with Dr. Kuhlman - I'm not sure exactly how or why that happens but I prefer Dr. Kuhlman's bedside manner and hands-off attitude. more

I had most terrible experience with this Vet. Hospital. I brought my rescued kitten to be neutered there. He had to stay over night, so I picked him up next morning because his surgery had complication (one his testicles did not descended). When I came for a pick up, my cat was given back to me in the carrier by a front desk girl, who did not stop texting on her cell and I had to interrupt her to ask some question about post surgical care. Not a Vet or even Vet assistant came out to let me know how everything went and what I should do. Upon my return home, I saw that kitten has a very deep scratch under his right eye (skin looked raw and scrapped off), his stomach was shaved from tail to the chest and stitched made his skin on the belly folded and created a ""pocket"". When I called the Hospital being terribly upset, the Vet (D. Giacalone) simply responded that cat must ""scratched himself on the cage"", ""it's done already"" and ""just put some ointment on it and it will heal"". That was a response from a Veterinarian who works with rescued animals... I had a feeling that my cat was mishandled, poorly treated and maybe even abused at that place. And what was even more disturbing, no one cared enough to talk to me and explain the situation when I picked him up to take home... How can people like that care for animals and how is that they allowed to work with a rescue shelters??? more

We have been taking our dog here for 8 years and we still take her there, even though we now live in Brooklyn. I am so shocked by some of the negative reviews. All the vets there are great, especially Dr. Kuhlman. They saved our dog's life earlier this spring. I trust them completely and the ladies at the front desk are so nice and so patient. I highly recommend this practice. By the way, there is no Dr Feisch there, so I think the reviewer who wrote that might be a little confused. more

I took my cat there for a check up with his eyes- I made an appointment with Dr Karen Feisch, she was absolutely HORRIBLE- she didn't wear gloves when treating my cat, she did these amateur testing and decided that he need his blood work done and that my cat neurological help. She then proceed to charge me for bloody work and X-ray (Which never happened). Then I went back another time to see Dr. Kuhlman, he took an X-Ray of my cat this time and saw abnormality and said my cat ate some litter- it turns out that my cat has Bowel Lymphoma (cancer)- but he didn't catch that but instead said he had ingested kitty litter. Huge difference! I took my cat to Animal Hospital on 62nd & York to get proper care and proper diagnosis. If I stay with the diagnosis from Gramercy Park Animal Hospital my cat would've died ages ago. Word of advise- if you love your pet, take it somewhere else. more

I love this place...the doctors are great, the staff is wonderful and front desk will show your pets so much love and attention! Thats all I need to be sure that my babies are save here. more

I have been going to Dr. Kuhlman for almost 40yrs. I adore and respect him. Unfortunately, the only issues I have is his front desk employee's. They are horrible. I realize his office is extremely busy but that is no excuse for the their unprofessional nasty behavior. I know that Dr. Kuhlman loves animals and will do anything to make sure an animals is well taken care of. He is a wonderful vet. My only problem is when it comes to his staff he has no backbone. Dr. kuhlman if you ever see this.... fire your staff and hire professional individuals that don't have an attitude and enjoy working with animals. In today's economy there are a zillion people looking for a position and I'm 100% sure they would appreciate it. more

My first review for anything online... but I needed to let this be known for anyone thinking of using Dr Kuhlman or the Gramercy Park Animal hospital... I brought my new puppy in to have his allergy symptoms analyzed and treated. I had read extensively online to educate myself about my baby's condition. I went in knowing that the vet should take a skin scraping in order to identify if it was allergies or some other skin condition like mites, staph, yeast infection or a mix of these conditions. When I ask specifically for the scrape, Dr Kuhlman told me he would rather treat it before that step. I responded by asking, ""So... you prefer to treat the symptoms without knowing the cause!?"". His response, ""Yes."" Ok... you're the doctor. After going back and forth to the vet several times and spending a ton of money(I've been out of work for 18 months), my animal's entire back started oozing puss and bleeding and the animal was in pain. I went to the vet in an emergency and saw another vet because Kuhlman was off that day. After demanding that the vet take a skin scraping to figure out what the problem was so it can be treated appropriately, the vet told me that there was NO MICROSCOPE in the office for months so they couldn't analyze anything. I was told Kuhlman was looking into it. That's all I had to hear!!!! I suddenly realized why Kuhlman had been steering me away from the appropriate treatment... He didn't have the equipment to perform the most basic veterinary procedure. This place is a joke... when they overcharged me for a medication, they gave me a very hard time about refunding my $14. Although, I was told that an office credit could be issued right away... how convenient. I had to wait and call the office manager the following week in order to get the $14 dollar refund because the girl at the desk wasn't authorized to give it to me. I mean, come on!! It took me 4 visits to figure it out, but I will never return. Kuhlman's bedside manner is good and he seems to be a nice guy... but not a good vet. I have been a breeder my whole life and have seen my share of vets.... more

I have been using the Gramercy Park Animal Hospital for years for my cats. All of the doctors and staff there really care about their patients but the one I try to see is Karen Feibusch who is the best. She has seen me through some very sad times with unfailing kindness and sensitivity. She never hurts the cats, but is thorough and is a good diagnostician. Sometimes you wait longer than you like and sometimes not - it depends upon the day. It is a doctor's office, after all and there are emergencies. Pros: Kind, thorough, knowledgeable, loves animals more

This place is awful. I have a little pup and i took her there for her second pup shot. I got charged double then my regular vet. I dropped off a stool sample and they said if i dont get a call in one week, she is healthy. I find out a over a month later she has parasites..... and the method of being informed was an extra bill because apparently it cost more if there is something in the stool.\r The dog has been sick, so i have been trying different food and whatnot, and its all due to not being informed...do not go to this vet. more

One of the hardest parts of moving is finding a new Vet, human doctors and a hair salon right? I finally found a Vet I loved! Unfortunately we had to move and we miss Dr. Kuhlman so much now. It will be hard to find someone of his caliber in New Orleans. He is the best Vet we've had and NY was our 3rd city in 3 years! My grandfather was a Vet and I grew up with large and small animals... I know a professional when I see one! He is truly a class act! \r PS He is an expert in traveling to the EU with your pet also... we passed effortlessly through customs with our Yorkie Bello!!! Pros: Convenient, Good Prices, Dr. Kuhlman Cons: Always have to hold when calling more

Last year, my mother passed away, and Luke, my cat (who is 15 and going strong) started falling. Dr. Kuhlman diagnosed that Luke was picking up on my grief and trying to absorb it for me. He said ""little buddy,\r you can let go of that"" and Luke was fine! So, I think Dr. Kuhlman has a spiritual approach, which aids the medical diagnosis. Pros: tells the truth, in a positive way Cons: cost is usually twice more what they quote more

Yes the front desk staff is very busy and overwhelmed, but it's all worth it to receive the excellent care that Dr. Kuhlman provides. Many years ago, my 9yo cat became very ill w/ liver faliure and he saved her life! Dr. Kuhlman was the 3rd vet i went to. The first said to me since i did not have a lot of money that my treatment options were limited and that since my cat was 9years old he was suggesting, not in so many words, that i put her to sleep. the second vet wanted to do a liver biopsy which would have been painful and expensive and would not have cured her.\r i was not too happy with these vets (especially the 1st one) so a neighbor recommended Dr Kuhlman. he told me to force feed my cat and if she gets better problem solved, if not there might be something more serious. So i force fed her and a week later she was back to her normal self!! SHE LIVED TO BE 18!!!\r just imagine if i had listened to the 1st vet! her life would have been cut in half.\r so to me Dr Kuhlman is a miracle worker, and i am forever grateful to him. he is very courteous & intelligent and takes time to answer any question.\r long story short - my cat's diagnosis was a reversible liver faliure caused by the fact that she stopped eating. she probably stopped eating because about a week before she got ill she had a UTI and was antibiotics which ruined her appetite. that kind of liver faliure was reversed by me force feeding her until she got enough strength to eat on her own. Pros: Dr Kuhlman Cons: the office is very busy more

When I had to put my beloved dog to sleep, Dr. Feibusch (and all the front desk women) were unbelievably kind to me and my pet. I intend to keep seeing this doctor when I get a cat. Sensitive, wonderful. more

My cat needed a follow-up visit, so I tried taking her to this vet. I have no complaints about the vet's capabilities, but I did not like having to wait for a very long time, when I had a scheduled appointment. I waited in the waiting room for almost an hour after my scheduled time. Pros: reasonable rates. nice vet. Cons: long wait. more

I have been taking my dog Max to Dr Kuhlman since he was a puppy five years ago. He went out of his way to help me with travel documents when I wanted to take Max overseas and is very thorough (without going overboard) when doing checkups and treating problems. The staff are busy but always make time to say hello to Max. If it's busy, you'll have to be a little patient but I don't have a problem with this as I have always received good service. The fees seem reasonable also. more

The staff and the vets are very caring and thorough but expect long waits and long hold time when you call. Try to schedule at least busy times for best service. more

My cat had an absessed tooth that had to be removed. I called a few other vet services before coming to Dr. Feibusch. The care was phenomenal and quick and well-priced. Just to give you an idea of what some other vets can do, a different service said over the phone they would want a stool sample and analysis. This is just gauging for a cat with a sore tooth! Dr. Feibusch and her partner doctor made a thorough examination of our cat, did not come up with any extra silly unnecessary charges, and were kind, professional doctors. They called the day after to see how the cat was doing. Everything went super-smooth. I'll never go to another vet! Pros: Wonderful care at a fair price. Cons: Not that close to where we live. more