"Just like with people, there's a second level of care," says veterinary neurologist Richard Joseph. Some of the vets on our list of the best specialists in New York are affiliated with the city's veterinary hospitals, but we've also included many private-practice specialists. Every doctor here was nominated by multiple peers, and our list includes both board-certified specialists and general practitioners whose reputations are built on their expertise in a specific field. Among other things, these specialists tend to have access to the most advanced equipment; so the more technologically reliant the field (dentistry, oncology), the more worthwhile a visit to a specialist might be.

Just ask some of the pets that these great specialists have saved, like Oakley, the dog who swallowed a spiky rubber ball; Sammy, the cat who couldn't meow; and Bonkers, the cockatiel who wouldn't stop laying eggs. What do these animals have in common? Owners who can -- and will -- go to great lengths to keep their pets healthy and happy into their golden years. "The oldest cat I've seen was 31," says Paul H. Schwartz, a general practitioner at the Center for Veterinary Care. At first, Schwartz didn't believe the animal's owner. "Then I looked at the record and saw that the cat's name was Groovy."