Subject: [workmom] Compiled list of veterenary and dog training recommendations
From: Nancy 
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 21:26:13 -0500

Thanks so much for all your recommendations.  As requested, here are the responses.  
 

Veterinarian and Training Recommendations

I love Dr. Mark Levine, South Orange Veterinary, (973)763-2600.  Very good and reasonable!

Millburn Vet on Millburn Ave – way overpriced

Valley Veterinary Hospital @ 2172 Millburn Ave. Maplewood is nice and much more 
affordable.  Their number is 973.763.3445.  

We had used Millburn Veterinary for a while, but the vet we liked left and we 
found they cared far more about profit than care as they kept prescribing 
expensive treatments for our old dog who died last August. When we adopted a 
new dog, we returned there and they said she needed an operation (true) and it 
would cost around $750. We then tried Dr. Norman Stack at 2172 Millburn Ave. 
in Maplewood. He eventually did the operation at half that cost.  Number the 
same as above.    

I’ve heard St. Hubert’s is very good for training.  We chose to use a personal 
trainer to start her training at exactly three months and it was too hectic for 
me to take classes at that time. I used a local trainer named Ralph and it 
has worked out very well.  I think he has been training dogs for twenty years and 
a lot of people in the neighborhood used him. We have one more lesson.  If you 
need any info about him, I will be glad to give it to you.  However, he is 
much more costly than group training lessons.

I choose Madison Vet (www.madisonvethosp.com) because I liked their hours, and 
they have a boarding facility.  I thought that if I went a way for a day or 
two it would be convenient to leave her there.  As it worked out, I realized 
that they don’t’ have long runs for the dogs to eliminate and they walk them 
instead.  I will begin using them after she is about year old because they don’t 
walk the dogs often enough for puppies and I don’t want to ruin our 
housebreaking training.   I did book the Morris Animal Inn for 
(www.morrisanimalinn.com) August when we go away to board our puppy.  
Neighbors have mentioned other boarding facilities that they have liked.  
The Morris Animal Inn would not take her until she had all her shots at 
four months.  However, the Vet would have boarded her if we need them 
and we almost did.

I've gone to Millburn vet (Dr. Glauberg) for many years.  He has a reputation 
as a great diagnostician (sp?).  However, they are pretty expensive.  Dr. Levine 
on Valley street in So. Orange has a pretty good reputation and may be more 
reasonable.  Last year  when I got a puppy from a rescue group, I took it to 
Dr. Stack on Millburn Ave.  He is probably the lowest cost around.  He practices 
very basic, no frills care but has an "interesting"/gruff(?) personality.  
I now go there for the basic stuff.

St. Huberts in Madison has always been a great place to go for dog training

Glad to hear you're adding a dog to your family.  I have attached the Vet list I 
compiled.  We have been using Stack and are happy with him.  A very good friend 
of mine loves Mark Levine of South Orange Vet on Valley.  He saw her through a 
very difficult time with a two year old Portuguese Water Dog who turned out to have 
a brain malformation and eventually had to be put down.  I don't want to make 
you nervous, but just to let you know that Levine is well-informed, caring, and 
was very helpful to her.  If we weren't already at Stack we would probably use Levine.

I go to Norman Stack (Valley Vet) for my adopted cockapoo.  What they say is 
true - he's good with animals but not very good with people - very gruff and 
an odd sense of humor.  However, he is much less expensive than Millburn vet which 
is where I had been going.  I've heard from a number of people that Dr. Levine 
(So. Mtn Animal Clinic on Valley Rd) is very good.  St. Hubert's dog training will 
be able to help with the training issues.

Madison Hospital is excellent.  Pricey.  973-377-1515

We used Madison hospital on Main Street.

Eva at Madison Vet Hospital. 

Oradell (sp?) Veterinary Hospital in Bergen County is excellent, but 
not convenient.  Might want to consider for serious situations. 

Sounds very similar to our situation. We used Millburn Vet and loved Dr.
Loftin who has since left. Our rescue dog, who died in August, was very ill, and
simply dying of old age, yet the vets there kept insisting he was just fine and
prescribing very expensive meds that did nothing. We took in another rescue
mutt and took her there immediately and they again charged a fortune and
recommended a very pricey operation. So we went to Dr. Stack. Actually, my husband 
took the dog to Stack. I, too, had heard he was great with animals less so 
with humans. We were pleased with his advice. Personally, I don't care if he's 
not that great with humans, as long as he knows what he is doing with the mutt 
and wasn't trying to gouge us. I would recommend him.

I highly recommend Dr. Steven Winer at Livingston Animal Hospital.  My friend is 
a breeder and she has been using him for years.  I switched when my former vet had 
given me a price quote that was outrageous, Dr. Winer was half the price and I 
have found the care to be excellent.

I really like Dr. Stack.  We switched to him from Millburn Vet.  He is no frills, 
but I really think he knows what he’s doing.  And his fees are very reasonable.  
He’s in it for the animals!

Mark Levine of South Orange Vet. on Valley Road is great and reasonable.

A friend of mine is a vet – she does house calls, but I don’t know if she deals with 
behavior though!  Here is her email.  I don’t think that she is expensive.  I do 
know that she adores the animals and is also personable.  
'Faith Krausman' - faithkdvm@comcast.net