BluePearl Pet Hospital

St. James, my 9-year-old chihuahua, died within three hours of a blood transfusion at BluePearl. When he was released to me, he was acting strangely and had labored breathing. I showed the nurse, and I was told this can sometimes be an initial transfusion reaction. Terrified, I pleaded for help, but was told all tests had been completed and he was still discharged. The doctor never spoke to me. For the next three hours at home, I watched St. James deteriorate — breathing heavily, confused and delirious while I was completely powerless to help. No words can truly capture how it felt to watch him go through this. St. James deserved so much better than that. We are left heartbroken and still without answers about what caused his death.

We brought our cat, Bix, to Blue Pearl multiple times over a month long period after he broke his leg and during his recovery. The night it happened the staff and Doctors at Blue Pearl communicated clearly to us about Bix's condition and what next steps would need to be taken surgically. Dr. Patricia Joyce was especially kind and compassionate and was transparent about the severity of Bix's fracture and the complex surgery needed to fix it. She referred us to a great orthopedic surgeon! After his surgery we came in multiple times for emergency bandage changes and other concerns and every time the staff at Blue Pearl went above and beyond to attend to not only our pet's care but our worries as pet parents. Yesterday we got the all clear on Bix's recovery and he is back to his old self! He is on a healed leg and running around happily thanks in no small part to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital and their excellent staff of veterinary medicine professionals. Know Before You Go - Wait times can be long at Blue Pearl as they take care of patients in order of immediate medical need. Depending on how many pets are there it can take several hours to get word on your pets treatment but that in no way impacts the quality of care. Additionally, care at Blue Pearl is expensive! Most out of pocket pet care is, but the emergency aspect of the services provided at Blue Pearl does make it pricier than a standard trip to the vet.

When Something Felt Wrong, This Was the Right Place 🥰 🫶 💜 Huge thanks and appreciation to Dr. Stack and the entire Blue Pearl team--from the front desk to the nurses--who couldn’t have been more accommodating, kind, or helpful to me and my almost-5-year-old pup, Harry. Long story short: I highly recommend Blue Pearl if you’re trying to decide where to bring your beloved pet. FWIW, during the pandemic I consulted with Blue Pearl’s oncologist when my first dog was diagnosed with terminal canine lymphoma. Although we didn’t pursue chemo, the oncologist compassionately guided me to alternative care--and later helped us through saying goodbye. Despite that heartbreak, I still trusted Blue Pearl completely when Harry needed care, and I’m so grateful I did. FOR THOSE WHO LIKE BACKSTORY, READ ON... My rat terrier mix Harry is normally a very active, fun-loving dog who spends most mornings at Prospect Park with his playgroup. At home, he’s affectionate and playful, and at night he’s always cuddled in bed with me. So in mid-December 2025, when Harry stopped wanting to go to his playgroup, seemed listless, showed little affection, and no longer jumped into bed, I knew something was wrong. He was also shaking at times, which I initially attributed to the cold. After five days, I began to worry something serious was going on, like a stroke and he’d never be the same again! 😢 Even though the last time I’d been at Blue Pearl was in 2020 to say goodbye to my first dog, I still felt deep trust in the people there and knew it was where I wanted to bring Harry. I even called the front desk first to ask how busy they were--since Harry was “stable,” I didn’t want to take up space if they were overwhelmed. They were kind, understanding, and let me know they had no wait. We were taken into a room right away. Shortly after, a vet assistant completed intake and brought Harry upstairs to meet the vet on duty, Dr. Stack. They even let me stay in the room, which felt like such a gift. I was slightly worried his case wouldn’t be taken seriously since it was more behavioral than obviously physical--but that wasn’t the case at all. Dr. Stack returned and explained that everything looked normal on Harry’s exam except for one area that caused him to yelp. Based on my descriptions, she suspected a back injury--something I never would have guessed. When she asked if anything had happened around the time his behavior changed, I suddenly remembered that the previous week Harry had engaged in a long bout of rough play with a much larger dog. The timing made perfect sense. I agreed to lab work to clear him for pain medication, and at my request Dr. Stack also ordered an X-ray to rule out obvious issues. Because I have pet insurance (Healthy Paws), I was prepared to do more advanced imaging, but Dr. Stack thoughtfully talked me out of a CT scan--explaining it would cost far more and likely wouldn’t give us better answers. We agreed to wait for the radiologist’s review and see how Harry responded to the pain meds and exercise restriction. When I picked Harry up, Dr. Stack had decided to give me his medication in syringes, remembering Harry is a major pill resistor. Getting medication into him is usually a nightmare, so this made a huge difference and made me feel incredibly cared for too. 🤗 When we got home, I gave Harry his first dose--the easiest medication experience I’ve ever had--and within hours I could already see improvement. His tail was up, he had more pep in his step, and he just seemed happier. It felt like he finally knew, “Mom’s got my back.” Over the next few days, I found myself apologizing for waiting so long to seek care. I hadn’t realized he was in pain. By the end of the week, his energy, affection, playfulness, and nighttime cuddles had all returned. Prayers answered! Final note: I emailed follow-up questions and Dr. Stack personally called me within 24 hours. Truly exceptional care--for pets and the people who love them. 🙏🐾

My sweet little Chihuahua was diagnosed with a disease called MMM. I have never heard of before and was totally terrified for my baby. Very grateful to the staff from the front desk to the ER doctor to my internist and nurse and entire team was very compassionate and helped me through this new process. Gratefully my boy is getting better and I have the support of the entire team if needed for any future issues. I highly recommend Blue Pearl and grateful for the knowledge care and compassion they give for my little Joey. Thank you!

I’d like to say a big thank you to the Blue Pearl team for helping us through our cat’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent euthanasia. We had been to VERG before for our two other pets however, VERG didn’t have an internist on hand that day. My wife and I brought our cat, Sheldon, in after a mass was found at our regular vet visit x-ray. Upon an ultrasound and testing it was confirmed our baby had cancer. The staff was very gentle and explained our options and timelines. I would like to give a huge shout out to Fern who walked us through each step of the hardest day of our lives. Having a kind soul with us made the entire process easier and she validated every choice we made with care. We were never rushed or forced into a choice, and we were able to spend as much time as we needed in the comfort room. While Bluepearl prices are a little bit more than VERG- I would pay them again just bc of the care we received. RIP Sheldon, our best boy