Veterinary Internal Medicine

Dr Chaitman is amazing - what a great soul! She has seen two of my dogs for non-routine items, one with a growth and the other with an abscess and she has given such love and attention to each matter, I'm amazed! I would recommend her to all dog owners - with large or small pets - she cares for them all and with great care and pride in her work. more

I went here because of all the good reviews & was so disappointed-- over & over again. Finally I decided to seek out another vet but I was so discouraged by the treatment here, I want to write this review not just to advise prospective patients, but in the hope that Dr. Chaitman reads this! First, each time I visited- I was charged approx $600, no matter how routine the service (I was warned this was an expensive place but I was told it was worth it. Not so). Two vets I've gone to since have looked at the records & questioned Dr. Chaitman's actions- apparently she did unnecessary stuff that was costly AND she neglected to give a puppy routine vaccines. I wouldn't have known of course had I not gone to these other vets (I went to both to get a 2nd & 3rd opinion. They said the same thing without knowing each other & without knowing Dr. Chaitman.) They were both recommended & are in pretty much the same neighborhood. SECONDLY, the man at the front desk is pleasant but useless. I'm sorry to insult him, but one would expect the staff there to be on top of things. I asked numerous times for a copy of the vaccines (because dogsitting places & groomers require them) & he continually forgot to mail them to me or leave them for me. When he finally did, he left incomplete records. And again the next time he left incomplete records! I also left a couple of messages for the doctor during the time I was a patient & those calls/questions were never returned/answered. Apparently he never gave her the message. I give this place an F, honestly. For these prices, I would think this place would give clients good treatment medically AND personally. I would stay away because you can easily get better care elsewhere. Too bad, very disappointing. :( more

Dr. Chaitman has been our vet for ten years and we have had nothing but the most positive experiences. She is extremely smart, easy to talk to and in complete command of any resource you might ever want to access in the care of your pet. We recommend her wholeheartedly! more

Never had any problem, seven+ years, complete trust in her. You know what convinced me? She said she had taste-tested multiple dog foods. Now that is dedication - and imaginative doctoring. more

I found Dr. Chaitman when my 2 year old dog was injured and incorrectly diagnosed at two other vets. Dr. Chaitman reviewed the case and helped me find a specialist for free. I have been seeing her ever since and my dog is now 10. She is smart, thorough and known for catching things other vets miss. She loves animals and always puts them first unlike other vets I have visited. Also, her practice is never a crazy scene of animals which really stresses my dogs out. They like going to see her. Her staff is great as well. For the person making the comment about her not getting back, I've never ever had that problem unless she was handling an emergency or urgent cases and since my dogs have had numerous emergencies over the years and have likely been the cause of her having to delay getting back to someone, it would not bother me. If you are looking for the best vet in the city and for the best care for your pet this is the place. Pros: Smart, thorough vet who takes the time to be sure your pet is healthy Cons: It is on the East side and I live on the West side more

Dr Chaitman is pretty unreliable and very hard to get in touch with. I don't care how many animals she's helped, if I leave several messages for a doctor begging her to call me back and she leaves at the end of the day without having gotten in touch with me, it's just plain unacceptable. more

I highly recommend Dr Chaitman to all who really need expert advice or have a difficult diagnosis. She absolutely nails the problem every time I've had to bring my dog there. I trust her comepletely. I really appreciate the written report and summary of the your visit before you leave the office. more

5 years ago, i virtually stumbled past Jen Chaitman's office - and given the proximity to my apartment, was stunned that I didnt know about them earlier. After finding out that other ""dog-obsessed"" clients of mine had their pups treated with Dr. Chaitman, I decided to switch the care of my beloved pups to VIMA. To say that it was my best decision in years is a massive understatement. Over the past 5 years, the level of care that my ""kids"" have recieved have been nothing short of remarkable. PEOPLE DONT GET THIS KIND OF CARE!!!. And for 4 1/2 of these past 5 years - the checkups have been complete, the appointments have been handled properly and the pricing - completely fair. But just about 6 months ago, after not eating for about a week, my beloved Yorkie, Tigger was diagnosed with an aggressive Lymphoma. It is not an overstatement when I say that without Dr. Chaitman and her entire team at VIMA - I would have went completely off the cliff. From the initial diagnosis to orchestrating his surgery, consulting with his chemotherapy and assisting in setting up his protocol with an oncologist - Dr. Chaitman's expertise and sheer knowledge of all things canine was as amazing as it was comforting. Personally, I tend to run toward the O/C type of New Yorker - and when it comes to my pups - nothing is too good for them - and I wouldnt hesitate to take them ANYWHERE for the best care possible. It is absolutely my good fortune and probably the Tao of my Bichon that VIMA is a ""stone' s throw"" from my apartment - but no matter - if they were miles away, I would trek to wherever they were....They are THAT good at what they do and equally as good at how they handle the owners and the immense anxiety that comes with a sick companion. Pros: The level of care - the attention and the knowledge make it a great vet hospital Cons: dont really have any cons. more

My husband arrived at the vet's clinic on time and was told that they did not have an appointment in their records. After several minutes of back and forth, they were able to squeeze our cat in for a check-up. That's about the nicest thing that they did. Our cat was weighed, examined and a stool sample was tested. Thankfully the test results were good, tso the diagnosis was a potential food allergy. We walked away with a prescription for special food and were told to come back to the office on Monday to pick up some medication, to treat her just in case, she did have a minor intestinal issue. I showed up on Monday to pick up the medication and was told that it was not ready. The tech/nurse in the office took down my phone number and promised to call back the next day to let me know when it would be ready. Needless to day, I never heard from her or anyone else in the office. On Tuesday, I called the office and Ceasar informed me that the medication was ready to be picked up. He also informed me that he called my husband and left a message. I showed up at the vet's office and much to my dismay was told that they could not find the medication. I also spoke to my husband who confirmed that he did not have any missed calls or voicemails on his phone from the vet's office. This has been a huge hassle and apparently its indicative that they really don't care about your pet or the lack of customer service that they provide. In addition, what's the point of having 24 hour care, if they cannot contact a vet or a tech when need be? I tried to rectify the issue by asking them to try and contact the person that I spoke to on the phone, but surprisingly, they were not able to do so. This place is a total and complete joke with a bunch of incompetent morons working there. How good can the care be if the vet's are not intelligent enough to realize that hiring competent front desk staff is as important as the care they are supposed to provide to helpless animals? Cons: Everything more

Three years ago my baby (Sophie, a Labrador Retriever) came into my life. Dr. Chaitman was referred to me by someone who only knew of her, but had never gone to her. Ever since, Dr. Chaitman has been both loving and caring. Sophie actually looks forward to going to the doctor! Dr. Chaitman's care has been outstanding! Everyone that works with Dr. Chaitman is wonderful. Sophie loves Marco as well as Duwanna (sp?) and absolutely ADORES Cesar, Dr. Chaitman's office manager/receptionist. I think the fact that Sophie is never uptight about going to Dr. Chaitman's office says a lot about the care she receives, and the people she receives it from! more

Dr. Chaitman provides exceptional animal care. My dog suffered from chronic skin problems, and Dr. Chaitman diagnosed her with seasonal allergies, something our orignial vet never even mentioned. As an educated professional myself, I was truly impressed by her intelligence and sensitivity. The hospital is immaculate and organized, the facilities are state of the art, the waiting area is pleasant, and all the staff is very friendly and helpful (particularly the receptionist). I enthusiastically recommend Dr. Chaitman and her animal hospital. Pros: Efficiency, intensive care, diagnostics Cons: Upper East Side and I live downtown (but I find it worth the commute) more

Dr Chaitman is one of the kindest, smartest people I have ever met. My dog really does not need a specialist, but we use her anyway b/c she is amazing. I tend to be a worrier who can't wait for my pet to be seen the second I detect a problem. jennifer will literally drop anything for her patients. She will calm down the worried pet ""parent"". She takes your anxious calls regading test results as soon as she can. With a degree from UPENN in Internal medicine, she has an amazing education to back up her instincts. She explains things to you in a simple way without making you feel stupid. You get great quality as well as a bedside maner that you would never get at a larger hospital. I only wish she could treat my human kids! Over the years, I have come to consider her as a friend and I know that most of her patients feel that way. I actually feel sorry for people who go to other vets. Pros: extremely compassionate and intelligent, keeps current on veterinary medicine issues, and PHENOMENAL bedside manner Cons: a little pricey, but everything in Manhattan is more

I really can't say enough good things about Dr. Jennifer Chaitman and VIMA Specialists. They took care of my cat Roy for several years while I lived in New York. He was their very first cat patient, and he ended up having two surgeries there. Dr. Chaitman and the staff truly treated him like he was one of their own pets. They were wonderful throughout the entire ordeal, even calling and emailing my friends and parents in another state to let them know that Roy was doing okay after his surgeries. more

the vet is great. a bit expensive, but definately recommended. the receptionist needs to learn some manners and people skills tho. but you don't go there for the reception, so again, definately recommended. Pros: great vet Cons: bitchy receptionist, expensive more

Some vets are nicer to animals than they are to people, but Jennifer is as sympathetic to the worried humans as she is to the sick dogs. She has been very thorough in pinning down some unusual problems my dogs have had and in thinking outside the box for treatments. The only problem is that my old dog is always so happy to see her that his symptoms temporarily subside when he gets there, leaving me struggling to explain his problem. Expensive but worth it! Pros: Loving vet and staff, The latest treatments, Super clean office Cons: Expensive more

Jennifer Chaitman DVM at VIMA was truly a refreshing experience. This friendly, gentle, knowledgable vet was the cure for my seriously ill pets. The practice is very clean and cozy, my pets and I feel very comfortable. Keep up the great work! Charlie+Lotus+Martina+Yoli and the Pack. Pros: loving, professional, friendly more

VIMA (Veterinary Internal Medicine and Allergy Specialists) is a 24 hour specialty animal hospital with state of the art diagnostic facilities and board certified veterinarians offering the highest quality care in the city. My cats have received the best veterinary medicine of their lives from brilliant doctors and kind, caring and attentive staff. Personalized care is provided in an intimate and clean environment. Relax and know that your pet is in the care of some of the best...... Pros: Skilled doctors, Personalized care, 24 hour availability more