Making an Appointment

Appointments are generally 30 minutes long (except most second-opinion appointments and bird feather picking examinations which are 40 minutes long).

All appointments involve a complete physical examination with Dr. Hess and a discussion with her and her technicians about your pet’s specific problem. You will also hear about the current recommendations regarding nutrition, housing, and caring for the specific type of exotic pet you have, and you will be given printed information on these topics, as well.

Please see our animal care page for general recommendations regarding exotic pet care. Although most appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes, we often need to take x-rays or draw blood, which can make the appointments last a little longer. Please try to leave enough time in your schedule to allow for this, or, if you cannot stay longer for us to do any unplanned testing, we are happy to have you leave your pet with us for a little while after the scheduled visit, so we can help your pet while you do what you need to do, and you can pick him/her up later.

If you are already an existing client whose exotic pet we have examined before, we are happy to have you drop off your pet with us for the day if you can’t make it to an appointment. All that we ask is that you give us a call first explaining why your pet is coming in and that you leave us a phone number to reach you during his stay with us.

Before your appointment…

If you are coming into the Veterinary Center for the first time, please try to arrive a few minutes early to fill out forms. To save time, you can download and fill-out ahead of time both the client registration form and one of the patient history forms specific to your type of pet, which can be found under "Download Forms" near the top of the page.

If your pet has been examined by another veterinarian and you are coming in for a second opinion, please ask your veterinarian for a copy of your pet’s medical records to bring with you to the Veterinary Center, or better yet, have them fax them ahead of your appointment to (914) 864-1413.

If your veterinarian is referring your pet to the Veterinary Center, ask him or her to fill out patient referral form ahead of time for you to bring with you to your appointment.

In addition, if you can, bring a fresh stool sample (ideally, passed on the day of your pet’s appointment) with you to your appointment so that we can have it for analysis. Samples can be kept fresh in an air-tight plastic bag or jar. In addition, to keep your pet safe, please bring him or her in an enclosed carrier. Top

How do I know whether I need to bring in my exotic pet?

The Veterinary Center receives numerous calls every day from exotic pet owners asking what they can do to help their sick exotic pets at home, and almost always, our advice is to make an appointment to let Dr. Hess and her staff examine the animal.

If you were ill and you called your doctor, he would tell you that to provide you with proper medical care, he’d need to examine you. The same is true with exotic pet patients. In fact, as many exotic animals become very fragile when they get sick, it is essential that you have them examined as soon as possible when they start to show signs of illness.

Regular, annual examination of all your exotic pets helps keep your exotic family members healthy and keeps you updated about the latest developments in exotic animal care, so that your exotic friend doesn’t become ill. But if he or she does, please call us right away so that we can schedule an appointment. Top

How much will my pet’s visit to the Veterinary Center cost?

Depending on what type of exotic pet you have and the reason for your call, the Veterinary Center’s receptionists will be happy to explain the fees for an examination when you call. Receptionists will not be able to give complete estimates over the phone.

Since it is impossible for Dr. Hess to tell you what she would do to help your pet before she examines him or her, the receptionist will not be able to give estimates over the phone. Depending on the reason for your pet’s visit, after Dr. Hess has examined your animal, she will formulate a detailed medical care plan individualized to your pet’s needs that she will review carefully with you at the appointment so that you and she can decide on the best course of treatment to help your pet. Top

What methods of payment does the Veterinary Center take?

The Veterinary Center accepts major credit and debit cards (Master Card, Visa, Discover, and American Express), cash, and checks. Payment is required at the time services are rendered or upon discharge from the hospital. A 50% deposit is required at the time your pet is hospitalized.

Before any treatment is begun, we write a detailed medical care plan individualized to your pet’s needs, which we review with you, so that you are well informed of estimated costs associated with providing your pet with the best medical care.  When major medical problems arise, we offer financing through CareCredit®, if you qualify. Top

How should I contact the Veterinary Center?

You may contact us via: Phone - (914) 864-1414; Fax - (914) 864-1413; Email - info@avianexoticsvet.com. If you need an immediate response, please call us. Top

Directions to the Veterinary Center...

The Veterinary Center at 709 Bedford Road is conveniently located on the corner of Route 117 and Green Lane in Bedford Hills, NY (map). By car, the Veterinary Center is approximately 20 minutes from White Plains, 45 minutes from Manhattan, 25 minutes from the Tappan Zee Bridge, and 25 minutes from Danbury, CT.

By car:

From points south (Southern Westchester County, the Bronx, and New York City): Take the Saw Mill Parkway North to Exit 38 (Green Lane). Go over the railroad tracks to the light. Make left at the light on to Route 117 (Bedford Road). Entrance is immediately on your left.

From points north (Connecticut, Dutchess and Putnam Counties): Take I-684 South to Exit 5 (Saw Mill Parkway South).  Take Saw Mill Parkway South to Exit 39S (Route 117 South/Bedford Hills). Turn right on to Haines Road and after 0.1 miles, make sharp right on to Route 117 (Bedford Road). Continue on Route 117 for 1.1 miles. The Veterinary Center will be on your right.

From Rockland County and New Jersey: Take I-87 over the Tappan Zee Bridge to Exit 8A (Saw Mill Parkway North). Take the Saw Mill Parkway North to Exit 38 (Green Lane). Go over the railroad tracks to the light. Make left at the light on to Route 117 (Bedford Road). Entrance is immediately on your left.

By train: From Grand Central Station, take Metro-North (Harlem Line) to Bedford Hills Station (approximately 1 hr). The Veterinary Center is a 3-minute taxi cab ride from the station. Taxi cabs are readily available at the station. Trains leave go back and forth between Grand Central and Bedford Hills every hour. Check www.mta.info for details. Top

Directions to Cross River Pharmacy (Compounding pharmacy):

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