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Porter Square Veterinarian
Rating Details »
Categories: Veterinarians, Dog Walkers
Neighborhood: Davis Square360 Summer St
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 628-5588
- Nearest Transit:
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Davis (Red)
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49 reviews for Porter Square Veterinarian
I moved to Cambridge a few months ago with my rambunctious Boston Terrier. We don't have a car, and Porter Square Vet was a few blocks away. Based on reviews, I was slightly skeptical of Porter Square Vet. And my dog needs exceptionally good care: we've moved three times in the last year, so she's had a number of vets, and she tends to get herself in a lot of trouble, so she has long records from each place.
Today was my third visit there after my puppy had a freak accident, mangled her paw, and had to be seen at the emergency vet in Woburn on Sunday. Without a car, Woburn is a pain in the ass, so I was delighted to carry her the two blocks to Porter Square Vet. Dr. Bujalski has seen Sydney twice now and he is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, courteous and most importantly to the point. There's no fluff, just straight up medicine and good care. And he answers all my neurotic questions without giving me that "God, you're neurotic" look. I also really like the staff at the front desk. At first, I wondered because of the reviews, but they are also very professional, to the point, and friendly if you aren't a pain-in-the-ass client. So, five stars for Porter Square Vet. I'd recommend to any family member or friend for pet care, and I'm discriminating.
Terrible, terrible. I felt like I was at a car mechanic with this particular Vet.
We called up the receptionist to ask to have our cat shaved. "Oh yes, we do that." We also figured we'd get her shots up to date. The receptionists were very friendly, as was the vet tech.
The veterinarian was horrible. She instantly says, about my cat, "Wow, what a mess". She looks in her ears, claims she has an infection, and takes a slide, without asking my permission. She then tells me that her teeth are messed up, and she'll need to have at least 5 of them removed, starting at $500.
At this point, the woman hasn't even brought up shaving our cat, which is what we were in there for. After the whole rigamarole of talking about other 'problems', she says, "We'll do that while she's getting her teeth removed, but as a rule, we don't shave cats. We're not a groomer". Okay fine, not all vets shave cats- then don't have your receptionist tell us that you do! We wouldn't have bothered otherwise.
The vet did an 'exam', which consisted of weighing her, saying she was kind of chubby, and looking at her teeth. We reluctantly agreed to the tooth surgery.
This vet was extremely unfriendly and had crazy eyes. She was judgemental and cold. She immediately talked about prices, rather than my cat's health.
We went up to the front desk. It felt like every time I'm at a car mechanic, dreading what the total is going to be. The receptionist tells me, "That will be 280". What!? I looked at the bill, $50 for the 'check up', $25 for 'ear infection test', $100 for blood work, etc etc. Ridiculous, ridiculous.
We canceled the tooth appointment with them and are going with another reputable and reasonable veterinarian.
All around a very negative experience.
I inherited my 11 year old cat about a year ago, and I had absolutely no experience with going to a veterinarian, or what to expect once I was there. I had to make the appointment once I discovered that my cat was having a pretty serious case of constipation. I was initially going with a vet that was very highly reviewed on Yelp and personally recommended by one of my friends. Turns out, they were booked up until mid-December and recommended Porter Square Vet as a place that I might be able to go to make an appointment that day.
I was able to get in later on that afternoon, and I was very impressed with the service. First of all, for being located about 5 min from the heart of Davis Sq, parking is very easy and located directly outside of the entrance. This is huge for me, as I didn't want to lug a pet carrier any great distance.
I was fortunate to get Dr. Grosser, who has a better bedside manner than almost every doctor I've ever been to. She explained exactly what she was doing as she was doing it, and performed a basic exam before getting to the constipation issue. I have to admit, cat dental care is not something that has been on the tip of my mind as a pet owner, but she explained that there would have to be an extraction in the near future, as well as a vaccination update (which I knew).
Overall, great experience. I am surprised at some of the negative reviews. Perhaps the experience varies from vet to vet. The only downside I see is that there seem to be about 150 receptionists/vet techs running around. I think I was asked about 4 times if 'I was all set', while waiting for the vets to finish up a basic medical procedure in the back room. Overkill?
I highly recommend Porter Square Veterinarian.
My cat had been vomiting a lot and I was worried that she might have swallowed something. Dr. Werlin is really great. She explained all of my options to me without lecturing me, and even suggested options that would save me money.
In the end I had to take my kitty to an vet ER that PSV referred me to and they even faxed my files ahead of me so they were there when I arrived. I felt that their prices were reasonable. Overall, a great experience despite the unfortunate circumstances.
I think my first review got deleted?!
I gave them one star for poor service. The doctors here are not very good.
Although I am not happy with the doctors here, the front desk staff is excellent and friendly. I would give the front desk staff 5 stars.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/24/2009
This place is awful! I took my new rescue dog there for a full exam including a stool sample exam.… Read more »
Graciously accepted a HUGE box of donations (towels, bedding, etc.) that I had post-move. If you have these items please donate them! Clean of course, I washed all of mine before donating.
From what I could tell the office was spacious, clean, and well staffed (esp. on a Saturday).
Will likely take my cat here for his next check up.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
I've used Porter Square Vet since I was a child, going with my parents for our cat, when it was in the first floor of a house on Elm Street . At almost 30, I have only strayed from PSV only once and it was a poor decision!
Dr. Bujalski and his staff were amazing to me, years ago now, when I had to put a pet down for the first time. Dr. Cohen was fantastic, unfortunately he left the practice years ago.
My dog now goes to Dr. Parker. He is extremely nice, friendly and practical. He will make follow-up calls when he states he will, and also offers them as a way to prevent having to come back in for maybe only a slight concern (ala we won't make you come back and pay another office fee for such a small issue).
Their staff are always able to squeeze you in if it's something truly urgent. Prices are more than affordable and fair.
It is only twice, over the years, that I've encountered newer techs or fresh out of school Veterinarians whose decisions may have conflicted with my own person comfort level. However, they were slight and everyone at PSV rseponded more than adequately to me when I voiced my opinions.
Thank you Porter Square Vet!!!
would you judge me if i told you i wanted to club my baby kitten this morning?.. she screamed all the way to the vet, at the vet, and on the way home from the vet, and at home for an hour after the vet. why did i name you mouse?? you're not quiet! you're an affront to virginia su society!
anyways, i noticed this morning that something had gone awry... and it's so gross that i won't discuss it. i'd sooner post footage of fat-people sex. i mean FAT people. 800 pounders. for the record, i'd only ever consider you fat if you hit like.. i don't know.. 600. below that it's none of my business.
i'm uncomfortable all of the sudden.
so everything with the little kitty was square- a parasite test, some medicine, and a fever check amounts to 160 bucks.
really? she's the size of a yellow squash. thank you anyways though, for taking me on the fly for my alarming and gross situation. thank you too for being kind, attentive, CLEAN, and professional.
just give me a minute.. i just have to gather up my monopoly money.
Don't love the front-desk staff (sure it's a tough job), but the office is cheery and the techs seem to LOVE animals. I bring Kitty there every year for her check-up, and the thing is, it's really all about Dr. Parker. If you can get him, you're in good shape.
On the first visit, as Dr. Parker was beginning his exam, he spoke to Kitty softly and said, "Okay, Kitty, I'm going to lift your tail now. Is that okay with you?" It was sweet. He always makes time for all of my type-A-parenting questions and even advises us about pet insurance and food options.
The last time we brought Kitty in (last January), we were just about to move and were already worried about the stress it might cause Kitty. Due to a tooth abscess Dr. Parker advised oral surgery. Well, when the women at the front said he was booked and couldn't do the surgery until much later (also meaning we'd have to drive clear over from Brookline--not great for a cat), I went back in the offices area and found him, and told him the situation, and he returned with me and whispered to the woman at the front basically to book it during his lunch or something--all so Kitty wouldn't have extra distress before our big move! He's a keeper, not sure about the rest of the staff.
A friend recommended Dr. Parker and I'm so glad she did!! He is so kind and sweet to my little cat. The office is bright, friendly, and clean. Fortunately, I've only been there for routine yearly visits, but so far love it!
There are two supposedly excellent veterinarian businesses near our house in Porter Square, and my first choice was booked for weeks, so we went with Porter Square Veterinarian on a whim. It turned out to be an excellent choice, as our young Jack Russell Terrier pup was treated with great care.
He's since been back twice more, and I'm happy to say that we'll be sticking with this place from now on. The staff is all very friendly no matter how busy they are, and the vets were helpful in explaining shots without trying to sell me on all of them (which is what happened with our first vet).
The other nice thing about this place is that they don't try and charge you for every little thing. If they need a stool sample, they'll ask you to bring one in rather than charge you for doing it themselves (which isn't really fun for any animal I'm sure).
I last posted in July. Out of desperation and after spending hundreds of dollars at this place, panicking about our pup's life and health, we got an appointment for Labour Day at Dr. Ulrich's (at the suggestion of someone who owns an animal supplies store). That was a long time away - but miraculously, they called to reschedule, and we got a date immediately. ONE visit at the new Vet was all it took. Less than One hundred dollars on medicines, visit, and tests - and it is 3 months since - but our puppy is healthy, good, and I am happy. I would have loved to pursue some way to get all my money back from Porter Square vets....what a shame to be in the service of caring for animals, and end it all with nothing but money.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/17/2009
This is a week later, I was prepared to start anew, live without medical help, ever for my pup (!)… Read more »
I really like these guys. Dr Jabolnski is great, and I feel the she provides great care w/o over doing it (i.e. I never feel that she's asking me to put my cat or my wallet through tests that are not totally necessary).
The front desk people have always been really nice and helpful as well.
I'm torn. I brought one of my cats in because he was peeing outside the litter box. I feared he had a UTI.
The front desk staff - super helpful and friendly.
The woman that saw me acted like I was some kind of asshole for only having 1 litter box for 2 cats who have lived together since they were little kittens and shared a box for the last 6.5 years. She said I needed a MINIMUM of 3 litter boxes for 2 cats!!! HELLO last time I checked I live in a freaking apartment in SOMERVILLE!! Does she think I live in 5,000 sq ft?? Well I don't. Which means I do not have room to have 3 litter boxes in my 900 sq ft home. She insisted I must have that many, and shouldn't have covered boxes either. Yea, I've done that 'uncovered' thing before - not fun to clean up the floors/walls.... etc. so no that isn't happening either.
She then pointed out that my cat needed his rabies shot (even though he's an indoor cat) and that if I refused to give him the shot this vet's office would never treat him again. So I had to over-vaccinate my cat so if I needed to come back here they would see me.
$200 later turns out he didn't have a UTI at all - he just didn't like the new litter box I bought. Switched back to the old one all was fine again. So no doesn't look like I needed 3 litter boxes to keep them happy, just his old one back.
They are very close to my house, but I didn't like being treated like I was an abusive pet owner because I didn't have an excessive amount of litter boxes.
Went there in 2006. Did not treat my cat well during physical exam which I was there for. The projected price of my cat's dental work started at $700 for one surgery and she would probably need a second surgery at $700. Yeah... Right...
I went to Arlington Animal Clinic in 2007. My cat's physical exam including shots came to $100 and her dental surgery came to $600. And she could not have had better care.
I've been taking my cat here for about 5 years. It's only worth going if you can see Dr. Parker. He's great.
It's time I gave props to the good people here, because they have kept me sane in a crazy year where I've had to go to the vet way more often than one should with the minimum of suffering my cats have had!
I started going to Porter Square after I stopped working at a veterinary clinic in the city - since the care was no longer free there, I decided to relocate to somewhere close to home, and Porter fits the bill at 1/2 mile away. I had the sheer good fortune to get Dr. Grosser for my cat's first appointment, and have continued to see her since, with one exception when I needed an ASAP appointment. She is as sweet as can be, very gentle and patient with the cats (I now have a second), and always keeps me fully informed. She also goes out of her way to make sure that I don't have to spend egregious amounts of money unnecessarily.
My continuing problem this last year has been ringworm, which started with my roommate's new cats from a shelter who'd been misdiagnosed, and we've had it on and off a lot. The medicine for this is EXPENSIVE - locally it's $200 for a month's supply and you usually need to treat 2-3 months. The second time it came up, Dr. Grosser made some calls to vet friends in the southwest and located a supplier that could get it to me for $35 for a month's supply, and called in the order for me. She is SO patient with all my questions and never leaves me wondering - just the consummate professional.
The other staff are great too. Always get me in and out SUPER fast (I have never, ever had to wait more than 5 minutes past my scheduled appointment time), techs are nice and gentle with the cats, easy to get appointments - just a well run and well staffed place all around.
I took our sick cat, Mr. Jones, to Porter Square Vet today. Where is Porter Square Vet? Davis Square, of course! The receptionist says this results in a lot of confusion and the occasional missed appointment. "We used to be in Porter Square and never got around to changing the name." Maybe it's hard to accept that they are in Somerville now.
Despite the identity crisis, it's a great place to bring your pet. They are highly professional and kind and helpful. Mr. Jones is feeling much better thanks to them. We use Dr. Grosser, she is very nice and never pressured us to try expensive treatments. I think they are a little on the expensive side, but sometimes you get what you pay for.
I went here many times over the last two years with my dog. I never saw the same vet twice (which admittedly could be my own fault due to not asking for the same vet when making appointments). Some of the vets were great, some were cold, some seemed to have no idea what they were doing.
The final straw came when I found a lump on my dogs leg, and he began to limp badly. I made an appointment for a few days later, which was the earliest they could see me. I got stuck in traffic on the way there, and was about 15 minutes late. I was told at the counter when I arrived that I missed my appointment and would have to reschedule, with the next appointment available being several days away. When I explained that my dog was clearly hurting and should see someone faster, the receptionist told me that they could fit him in right then, in a emergency slot, for an extra charge!! (approx $50 I think, it was a few months ago). I left in disbelief.
My girlfriend then called immediately and asked to speak to the head Vet. After waiting on hold for some time, this Vet explained to her that the receptionist was wrong, that was not their policy, and that I should have been instructed to wait for the next available vet at no extra charge (which of course I would have). They fit me in later that day, but only after the complaint.
The vet I saw at that point was very nice and knowledgeable. However, on a subsequent visit I waited for quite some time just to ask a question. and realized how many animals go in and out of there on an hourly basis. This place is clearly interested in quantity over quality, and while some of the vets are good, the care isn't consistent.
There are smaller places in the area that provide much better service. I'd stay away from here
Great staff, great location: you may not get an appointment same-day, but they can usually fit you in tomorrow.
We started taking our Maine Coon here when he was 8 weeks old -- he got his shots and neuter done, and we were really happy with the friendliness and knowledge of Doctor Werlin. This cat is now a little over a year old, and one of the healthiest, beastiest kitties around.
So when we got our new kitten Pipsqueak a few days ago and he started sneezing all over the apartment, I gave Porter Square Vet a call. Pipsqueak had just seen a vet *the day before we got him*: the Revere Pet Clinic, with Dr. Olga. We were told that our new kitten had a completely clean bill of health.
Things Porter Square Vet found, which Revere Pet Clinic seems to have missed entirely:
* oral herpes
* ear mites
* intestinal parasite
* upper respiratory infection
Not to mention we were given an *unlabeled* antibiotic from Revere after his neuter and simply told "give him .3 mg/day", which is, if not illegal, extremely inconvenient when trying to figure out what's going wrong. (Porter suggested we throw this mystery-bottle away.)
Thank god for the great people there: now our kitten is de-ear-mited, on antibiotics that actually *come with instructions*, and I feel confident that he's been thoroughly checked over.
I'd give them five stars, but I'll grant you that they may be a little pricey. I haven't compared them with many places, so it's four stars + question mark.
I'm really surprised by the bad reviews of this Vet. I've been taking my dog here since he was born and I've never had a bad experience. Of course I like some of the doctors better than others, but that's natural and I always request the doctor I like. We love Dr. Grosser!
I chose Porter Square Vet becuase it was close to our then apartment, but I've since moved to Hyde Park and I make the trip to go to this vet (about 45 minute drive!). I tried one in my area after we moved and it was gross, dirty, and the doctor looked like he had just rolled out of bed.
Porter Square Vet is CLEAN, FRIENDLY, UP-TO-DATE and I feel like they care about the well being of my dog. I never feel like I overpay, I get good quality care for my dog, who I of course want the very best for.
We did a lot of shopping around for a vet for our two new kitties. At first I had avoided PSV because of the wildly-ranging reviews, and instead opted for a vet in Cambridge that was highly-recommended.
WELL - the highly-recommended vet was rude, inconsiderate, and had ZERO interest in taking on new patients. (Booking 4 months out for kitten shots isn't good care).
So, reluctantly, I called PSV. We were seen almost immediately (within 48 hours), the staff is REALLY NICE and friendly. Our vet is AWESOME. We've only been three times, but they know us (well, the kitties) by name and everyone's shown interest in their development.
I couldn't be happier.
Any pet owner knows that choosing a vet is pretty important. After all, we trust these folks with the lives of our furry kids. Porter Square Vet is truly a great place to take your kibble-munching friend.
I took my elderly cat there, and they gave him excellent care until the end of his days. When he developed cancer, Dr. Parker was not only extremely sensitive about it (he gave me plenty of tissues and time to process), but he also gave my little guy wonderful treatment. He made sure my cat was comfortable, and is pretty much responsible for giving us the months we had left together. He honestly went above and beyond what was necessary.
The entire staff was super when we had to put my kitty down. They were very thoughtful and kind.
When I adopted another cat, the first place I brought her was Dr. Parker's office. If I hadn't moved, she'd be seeing him for every check up. If I ever live closer to this place, I will take my pets nowhere else.
We went here for years. The quality of the care and the hospitality fluctuates too much for my liking. One day you get nice helpful vets and techs and the next you get mean impatient ones that make you feel like you are wasting their time.
Although the Vet was kinda and patient once our dog died, they were cold and miscalculating leading up to it. misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis and a series of "why dont you feed her X and we will wait and see what happens, then take it from there" eventually lead to kidney failure then death.
Your dog died Pete, why not one star? In all fairness there is some slight controversy as to whether or not, even if this was caught in its early stages, she would have survived it.
I'm not too impressed with Porter Square Veterinarian, which is part of the reason why I changed vets. The other reasons include bad location for parking, difficulty scheduling timely appointments, and pretty unwilling to squeeze us in when my little dog was completely lethargic and vomiting. Not that I expect the world to stop for me, by any means, but I knew the dog was really sick and extremely dehydrated, and I don't exactly have the funds to make emergency trips to the vet. Maybe the receptionist was having an off day, but I felt like I got the cold shoulder... Or maybe not, since every other time I've tried to communicate with the receptionist, I've been stonewalled, put on hold, and told faxes would be sent when they actually weren't.
Which is too bad, since the vet was a very friendly, helpful person when I went in for the annual vaccinations. But the service from the receptionist (aka gatekeeper) really turned me off and made me look for my animal love elsewhere.
I have a crazy dog. Seriously, he's insane. His incredible puppy-cuteness does not offset his violent tendencies when other dogs walk too close to him, give him dirty looks, or poop in his general vicinity. As I actually own a second dog, this means I visit the vet on a rather regular basis because cute-but-insane has a bad habit of slicing gashes in my much more relaxed (read=slower) dog. In addition, relaxed dog has a heart murmur and is determined to maintain his current weight despite my efforts to rid him of some excess.
So as you might guess, I spend a significant amount of my money on pet health care, and have been overall quite pleased with Porter Square Veterinary. They've always been good about fitting me in when I have to bring in a dog with a sliced ear, or gashed eyelid. And also about not making me feel too bad about having dogs that fight a bit.
This is not to say that every appointment has been a bed of roses, as I took a while to discover which of their veterinarians I liked the best. That honor goes to Dr. Parker. He's thorough and understanding, and I've really appreciated his follow-through when it comes to test results.
On the cost front, they're pretty average as veterinaries go. If you have a younger pet that needs to be put under for surgery, you might be able to get it cheaper due to lack of blood work (which costs a fortune!). Office visits won't break the bank, but for those with more than one animal, I suggest you stagger your yearly check-ups unless you have a large chunk of change to drop at one time.
As per usual with vets, all payment is due at the time services are rendered. It's possible they might set up a payment plan with you, but I've never asked, so I don't know if they make exceptions for that.
I take both my cats and my dog here and have been since 1999. I love the atmosphere (did you know there are office dogs and cats? so cute)
All my cats see Doctor Parker. He's been especially helpful recently when my pug developed allergies. Twice I've called the office looking for appointments with him and the receptionists have said he's full, so I've left my number so I can get advice. Both times he's had me swing down and has squeezed my dog in so he can check her skin out and make sure she's not too itchy.
He also very good at explaining where her allergies might have come from, outlinging all courses of possible treatment, and then letting me decide which one I think is best.
I've recommended Porter Square Veterinarian and Dr. Parker to several to several people at the dog park.
I had been referred to PSV by a friend of a friend when needing to take my first cat for their 6 month kitten exam. My cat received a thorough exam. I have been back a few times since I also got another cat.
I've also had to call when either one or the other cat seemed to not be feeling well and I was feeling anxious as to what to do. In both more urgent situations, the receptionists and vet techs have been curteous, concerned, would answer all my questions calmly, and would offer to squeeze in a tentative appointment early the next day in case my cat seemed to get worse overnight.
My cats have seen Dr. Werlin who, although not warm and friendly, is thorough - and to me it's about thoroughness not bedside manner.
My cats have also seen the fill-in Dr., Dr. Wroten who is also thorough in exam and in answering questions, calm, and very gentle with my cats.
Overall, the place is clean, the schedules timely, the operation efficient. the doctors thorough, and the staff friendly.
Andrew Parker is the best vet I've ever been to. He's thorough, kind, warm and cheerful. The surgery is clean and bright. I highly recommend it.
I've brought in two kitties (both rescue situations) and I've had a mixed experience at Porter Square Vet. The office staff have always been very helpful and pleasant, which is comforting because i get extremely stressed out when I have to take creatures to the vet.
The orange kitty was absolutely traumatized by the vet visit. They ended up having to get the big scary leather animal control gloves with him because he was so scared/angry. After all of that, the vet I saw told me that my new friend was FIV positive and that he should be euthanized. Having consulted other veterinarians and veterinary medicine sources, I believe this is really not the case. Anyway, the orange kitty has a new single-kitty home in Sudbury, MA because I could not keep him due to the FIV negative cat already in my household, and he is happy and healthy and well-loved today.
I brought in the stripety brown kitty because he had a weepy eye problem. The first vet I saw told me that it was probably just stress, but it developed into something worse and I had to take him in again. The second vet I saw (Werlin) was extremely thorough and helped me give him the care that he needed. I would have really preferred to have not had to take him back in the first place because this vet office is quite expensive. In the future, I ask to see Dr. Werlin instead because the stripety brown kitty loves her.
I give this office three stars because the second vet, Dr. Werlin, is quite helpful and knowledgeable, the office staff are very sensitive and kind, and when needed, they have provided good emergency care. However, they are very expensive, even for this area.
Dr. Parker at Porter Square Veterinarian is wonderful. We've taken our two cats to him for three years, and never had anything but friendly, warm, extremely competent care. Whenever I've had a question about anything, he's made time to call me, and he genuinely seems to care about our cats and all the animals in his care. One of our cats has to have her second dental surgery with him, and I have complete confidence that it will go as well as the first time. Dr. Parker is the best vet we've ever had by far.
I need to find more stuff to write bad reviews about, but I have to admit that this "Porter Sq." vet, when it's actually Davis Sq. Vet, is an awesome place for Lucy.
Everyone is very attentive and helpful, and the doctors are very knowledgeable and explain everything to me. I don't at all feel like I'm being fooled into buying more stuff than needed for my baby.
I know I can always call and get in when needed and the hours are good too.
Party on.
Definitely the best vet office I've been to around here.
You walk in and it looks like a real doctor's office. There's a roomy waiting room with water available for your pets, the staff are friendly and it's obvious they all truly love animals, and there are multiple exam rooms for your pet, cutting down on wait times.
My only complaint is that during the year+ that I lived in Somerville and took my pooch there, my vet changed 3 times. This was very frustrating in the beginning because as a puppy, our dog had a lot of issues so it was difficult to review things from the start every time we met someone new.
I am actually thinking of changing back to Porter Square vet now even though we live in the city now and it's a bit out of the way for work-week visits (though they are open on Saturdays too).
This is the place where I take my cat and they have always done an excellent job taking care of her. My only complaint is that there is always at least a 30 minute wait after the time of your appoinment before you see anyone (if not more).
The doctors are very good though. A good friend of mine has a kitten who fell off her five storey apartment building into a bush and survived. However her leg was badly broken. With the help of the Porter Square Vet the cat recovered full use of its leg and is now a perfectly healthy cat!
So I think it is worth the money (expensive) and the wait.
I have a 14 year old cat who has been acting up and I feared a UTI or worse kidney infection and looking for a new vet that was closer to home I checked into Porter Square Vet. Honestly I'm pretty baffled by the bad reviews on this site and question the legitimacy of a few of them.
Dr. Bujalski:
(other reviews mention him as cold and impersonal) He spent at least 3-5 minutes petting my cat and scratching him behind the ears while chatting with me to make sure my cat felt comfortable with him before starting the exam. I've never been to a vet that has shown such an interest in making sure my cat was that comfortable before starting. A++
The Cost:
(other reviews say that they nickel and dime you and are too expensive) Well for me I believe that if you want free/cheap pet care you should seriously question if you are ready to own a pet. But that's just my opinion. As far as PSV goes. Dr. Bujalski was very clear on all the costs. My cat will have to have a tooth pulled and he explained what the base cost of the procedure would cost but explained that sometimes they can't tell all the oral problems a cat may have until they have them sedated and can actually exam the whole mouth, and informed me of the potential maximum cost. Guess what? If you have ever tried to brush your cats teeth or examine them yourself (which I try to do regularly) it is almost impossible to keep your hands in a cats mouth and to get a good look for more than 20 seconds. His honesty on the costs was appreciated and understood. He also didn't make me get unnecessary shots for my indoor older cat. And the costs of the tests and regular visit were in line with most other vets.
The Staff:
(other reviews mention them as being rude) OMG they were so polite and nice I almost couldn't take it. The lady at the desk was helpful and was quick to get my paperwork taken care of and the girl who brought my cat back after he had his blood and urine samples taken for the tests was cradling my cat and scratching him behind the ears with an honest sense of caring for my pets well being.
Overall:
In the 14 years of owning my cat and of all the vets that I have seen in that time (I've moved quite a bit) this place by far was one (if not the) best.
I've seen 3 of the vets at PSV over the years (including Drs. Cohen and Bujalski, who have both left the practice) and I have had consistently excellent experiences. My most recent visit resulted in a referral to MA Veterinary Referral Hospital for thoracic surgery (for my cat), and I received several calls from PSV staff to check in on my little guy to see how he was doing -- they didn't have to do that, but it left a big impression on me. Their prices are average and in some cases a little lower than at least 1 of the other vets I've visited in the area.
However, I don't like some of the recent reviews posted here -- I'm not sure who these newer vets are. Dr. B and Dr. Cohen were amazing, though, and I have to hope that the hospital has hired similiarly stellar staff.
I moved far away from their office and have called them about a dozen times to have them fax my pets' records all over the place, and never once have they complained about it or been anything but helpful, polite, and speedy.
Dr. Parker is really good. He explains everything and is reassuring and never scolds. Unlike some other vets he doesn't push unnecessary procedures.
opps. i thought i had reviewed this place already.
thanks to all the yelpers for reviewing porter square vet. i was about to take oscar to the closest vet i could find, but after reading the reviews we went here.
i'm super happy we did! we haven't had any major problems (*knocking on wood*) but as far as the regular vet stuff goes they do a great job.
they're also wonderful about not trying to squeeze every nickel out of you. oscar had a tape worm and rather than have an appointment, i just dropped off a "sample" - read my Pooch Palace review if you want to know where he got it from...
By far the best experiences everytime i go to this animal hospital. Luckily i was introduced to this place through a friend and have been going there ever since. I take both my cats and my dog to Dr Parker. He is one of the most knowledgeable doctors who specializes in cats and dogs. You might have to shell out a large chunk of change but that is expected of any vet you go to in the city of Boston. Highly recommended to anyone who seeks great care for their cats or dogs.
I take my dog here and have done so since I moved to the area over a year ago. We see Dr. Parker exclusively now, after trying a few of the other doctors. I think Dr. Parker is by far the best vet there -- he was the only one who had the common sense to test my dog for a torn CCL after she'd seen a few of the other docs there. Sure enough, it was a torn CCL and we were able to get it fixed. But not only is Dr. Parker knowledgable, he's also really nice and caring and I feel totally comfortable with him caring for our dog.
The rest of the staff is also extremely nice and helpful -- I've never had to wait for longer than 15 minutes. It's also usually very easy to get an appointment. The facility is clean and modern.
This is a great veterinarian. The prices are pretty much the same as anywhere else around.
