An Unpleasant Vet Experience

by Kathy
(Ingleside,Ill. USA)

What's this vet doing? Photo added by Michael - photo by psd (modified)

I haven't been here because I've been back to work and have been spending all my spare time with my cats. I wanted to share my latest vet experience with everyone.

My precious Lia was having a hard time breathing once the weather got hot. We do have air conditioning. We took him to the vet that I worked for back in 2000 because I considered him a top notch vet.

Well we got there and he listened to his breathing and then he proceeded to draw blood and urine. He said we have to take things one step at a time.

So OK I thought he must know what he's doing. When we checked out and the receptionist handed me the receipt to sign it was for $437.00. Wait a minute I said I want to ask him about that. He came out and asked me if there was a problem. I said yes why is the bill so high.

He looked and said it was only supposed to be $247.00, which I still thought was high. So he voided out the first charge and charged us $247.00.

When we got home I called our bank and we were overdrawn by about 200 and some dollars. I called him and he told me he would call his credit card company. He did and told me they couldn't do anything about it until Monday. So OK I thought.

Well on Monday he called me and told me Lia PROBABLY was diabetic. He said he wanted to do a re-check just to be sure. Well we still hadn't gotten our money back into our bank account.

After several calls to our bank they insisted they wanted a letter faxed to them explaining that it was a mistake from him. Well he did that after we went to his office again with all the information he needed to send to them. I called him later and asked him how much the re-check on Lia would be. He told me $35.00 a test.

So I still trusted him and we went back the following Saturday for the re-check. Meanwhile we still had not gotten the money back into our bank account. I questioned him again about Lias breathing and he told me the next step would be a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. Well poor Lia had peed in the carrier on the way over there so he was unable to draw the urine.

When we checked out the bill was $65.00. Again I questioned him and he told me we still had to pay for the urine check and collect the urine ourselves by wrapping a plastic bag around the litter box. At this time I thought (HE'S NUTS)....

I didn't argue and paid the bill. He called a couple days later and said the test was negative for diabetes which I suspect the first one was also. It took us about a week and a half to get our bank account straightened out. When I questioned him about the $65.00 bill he made the comment "Well I could have charged you $965.00"!

I felt that was in very poor taste. Well there is no way I can wrap a plastic bag around the litter box with three cats anyway. Well we feel he really RIPPED us off!!!! We still had no answer on Lia's breathing.

I suspect some of it is due to heat and old age. It doesn't matter he is my beloved and I just wanted him checked out. Well next pay day I suppose I will be taking him back to our old stand-by vet office that has mostly interns and some of them hardly speak English.

It is a filthy place that is overcrowded with customers because their rates are cheap. Needless to say it will be a life or death situation before we go back to my so called trusted vet.

I feel this is another example of the money before care attitude that most vets have these days. Why was the first bill $247.00 and the second one $65.00 when he did the exact same thing the second time???

I guess I'm the fool in the situation. We won't be going back there unless its for shots and maybe not even for that. I trusted him and he really hurt me. My Lia still is wheezing, not all the time, but enough for me to be concerned.

Why he treated me that way I'll never know but I suspect he'll be wondering about it when we don't return there. I suppose he'll be calling me in August when it's time to renew Lia's shots. Well when and if he does, I guess by that time I'll have worked up the nerve to tell him how I feel.

Kathy

An Unpleasant Vet Experience to Cat Health Problems

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An Unpleasant Vet Experience

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Jun 25, 2010

Waiving hand about vet!
by: Lenore

I had a horrible vet. My Mufasa was lethargic, I thought he might have worms so I took him to the vet for a routine de-worming. Mufasa was always terrified of the vet, terrified to the point where he had to be sedated whenever he was taken there.

They sedated Mufasa and said that during palpatation they found a strange mass and wanted to do x-rays. After the x-rays they found that Mu had swalled a dime when he was a kitten and that was possibly why he was lethargic (did anybody check for worms?) They said that they needed to perform surgery immediately to remove the dime (apparently Mufasa had the dime in his stomach for over 2 years and it was never a problem before).

The vet charged me $1450 to remove the dime from Mufasa's stomach. Exactly 4 weeks after the surgery Mufasa suffered a stroke and couldn't move his hind legs. I rushed him to the vet who said it was probably due to a blood clot that happened during the surgery and that we would have to put Mufasa to sleep immediately.

I was hysterical. I couldn't stop crying. I said my good-byes to Mufasa and as I was leaving they said "would you like Mufasa's remains?" I nodded my head and left.

3 days later they told me to come and pick up Mufasa's remains. They charged me $250.00, so basically I was charged $1700 to have my cat murdered.

I no longer use that vet.

Jun 23, 2010

That's as bad
by: Joyce Sammons

That's as bad as the vet who told me I had 4 cats die within days from FeLV. It was mothball poisoning. I never went back. We have a traveling vet who gives shots and sets up all over the area. He's cheaper because of no overhead for an office. He'll even see sick animals if you go near the closing time. I'd have hit the ceiling if that had happened to me.

I keep Furby on raw apple cider vinegar. If nothing else, it's a health tonic. I mix it 50/50 with water and squirt it in his mouth. If that doesn't work its' good to spray on for fleas and they lick it off. It won't hurt and may help.

And who gave you permission for a break away from us here? I've missed you!

Jun 23, 2010

To Kathy
by: Ruth

Kathy I'm so sorry about your horrible and expensive experiences at that vets.
When I was vet nursing it was about the welfare of animals, but now it seems to be all about making money.
They should have had a result either way within an hour so so for diabetes,it makes me wonder if someone dropped the first blood sample or something ?
Don't go back there, or if you do please before letting them give any medication, including vaccination boosters to your cats, check the date for expiry !! With money grabbing places like that you can't be too careful.
Like Phil, we lost a cat to breathing problems, she was only 5 years old.We saw 4 vets over 2 months and if they'd only admitted they didn't realy know what was wrong we'd have gone elsewhere.The fourth vet kept her all day then sent her home dying and only then refered us to a apecialist,she died on the way.
It had already cost us a lot of money and sure enough,we even got another bill for that final day.
Please see another vet if you are worried about Lia, you know in your heart when your own cat isn't right.
We've since changed practices but feel we can't trust any vet at all now,which is a terrible thing for someone who worked alongsiide them for many years, to admit.

Jun 23, 2010

Still worth getting him checked
by: Phil (London)

Sounds like the sort of vet worth keeping well clear of, I think!

I don't want to alarm you, but just a quick thought on Lia's condition - my moggie, Triftji, passed away last year at the fairly young age of 7; he had started to develop some breathing problems over a period of several days, progressing to a sort of cough. It was very bad on his last day, and I sped down to the emergency vet who said that it was cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart walls leading to weakness of the heart). In his weakened state he was unable to clear fluid from his lungs and was going downhill fast, and he was put to sleep an hour after I arrived there.

All I am saying is, please monitor Lia's breathing! I sincerely hope his breathing problems are not the same as Triftji's, but better safe than sorry...

Jun 22, 2010

Horrendous
by: Michael

Your experiences sound horrendous. Your vet sounds totally disorganised and hopeless and greedy! A toxic and messy combination.

Your story just supports my views about vets! I would love to like them more but at the moment they haven't earned my respect.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Please comment here using either Facebook or WordPress (when available).

On A Friday I took my dog in to the vet because he threw up. When we got there she said he might have a little upset stomach and gave him some medicine.

The next day he still was not feeling right so I took him back to her and she said will do a full panel of blood and some x-rays. Remember it cost $200 on Friday now we are there Saturday and after all said and done that was $400 but then she came back to the room and said his blood work was fine and his x-rays showed nothing except maybe a little swelling in his prostate because he hadn’t been neutered and she said that was normal.

She also said that she felt he had a little soreness in his spine so she was going to give him a shot of morphine. She took him to the back and gave him a shot when I looked on the invoice it did not say morphine it said BUPRENORPHINR .05mg when I looked it up online it said it was 10 times more potent than morphine and dogs should never have more then .02 she gave my dog .05 and said he might be sleeping for the next 24 hours just make him some chicken and rice tonight you know you like something soothing when you don’t feel good.

We brought him home and laid him on his favorite blanket he did not move the rest of the afternoon not even to get up to drink or go to the bathroom so that night I ran to the store and got a syringe. I thought he at least has to drink so I put some water in his mouth with the syringe and he drank it we’re still going on the pretext that of course she said sleepy and down for 24 hours.

The next morning I went to work and he was still laying there so I’m thinking 24 hours it hasn’t been yet. When I got home from work he was still in the same position I gave him a syringe of some chicken soup just the broth and he started to gurgle then my husband picked him up and put him on the couch and he was shaking. I said to my husband maybe he is cold my husband said no way let’s go.

This was Sunday now so the only thing open was a veterinary hospital about 15 miles away. I raced down the road 80 miles an hour went through a red light while my husband was sitting in the backseat and telling him to breathe just breathe. When we reached the hospital the nurse came running out and grabbed him and took him in the back about a minute later she came out and with her finger said come here.

So I’m thinking we’re going to see him and she says I am so sorry he passed. I was devastated and started to whale and cry right out loud at the hospital. I know for certain there was nothing that serious wrong with that dog till the vet gave him that shot.

I called her on Monday and told her I want my $600 back and she killed my dog !! I told her the reason I’m calling her is not only for the money to be returned back but to tell her the next time she gives an animal that shot she needs to inform the owners about the side effects which online it said could be respiratory distress and death none of which we were informed about.

That is what happened to my dog. I do not want anybody else to go through what I went through he was my best friend and I still miss him to this day!

Reply ↓

Comments

An Unpleasant Vet Experience — 4 Comments

Jan Griffiths on December 26, 2018 at 4:39 pm said:
Lawsuit time!!! So sorry for your tragic loss, Kathy.
Reply ↓
Kathy on October 13, 2017 at 10:44 pm said:
On A Friday I took my dog in to the vet because he threw up. When we got there she said he might have a little upset stomach and gave him some medicine.
The next day he still was not feeling right so I took him back to her and she said will do a full panel of blood and some x-rays. Remember it cost $200 on Friday now we are there Saturday and after all said and done that was $400 but then she came back to the room and said his blood work was fine and his x-rays showed nothing except maybe a little swelling in his prostate because he hadn’t been neutered and she said that was normal.
She also said that she felt he had a little soreness in his spine so she was going to give him a shot of morphine. She took him to the back and gave him a shot when I looked on the invoice it did not say morphine it said BUPRENORPHINR .05mg when I looked it up online it said it was 10 times more potent than morphine and dogs should never have more then .02 she gave my dog .05 and said he might be sleeping for the next 24 hours just make him some chicken and rice tonight you know you like something soothing when you don’t feel good.
We brought him home and laid him on his favorite blanket he did not move the rest of the afternoon not even to get up to drink or go to the bathroom so that night I ran to the store and got a syringe. I thought he at least has to drink so I put some water in his mouth with the syringe and he drank it we’re still going on the pretext that of course she said sleepy and down for 24 hours.
The next morning I went to work and he was still laying there so I’m thinking 24 hours it hasn’t been yet. When I got home from work he was still in the same position I gave him a syringe of some chicken soup just the broth and he started to gurgle then my husband picked him up and put him on the couch and he was shaking. I said to my husband maybe he is cold my husband said no way let’s go.
This was Sunday now so the only thing open was a veterinary hospital about 15 miles away. I raced down the road 80 miles an hour went through a red light while my husband was sitting in the backseat and telling him to breathe just breathe. When we reached the hospital the nurse came running out and grabbed him and took him in the back about a minute later she came out and with her finger said come here.
So I’m thinking we’re going to see him and she says I am so sorry he passed. I was devastated and started to whale and cry right out loud at the hospital. I know for certain there was nothing that serious wrong with that dog till the vet gave him that shot.
I called her on Monday and told her I want my $600 back and she killed my dog !! I told her the reason I’m calling her is not only for the money to be returned back but to tell her the next time she gives an animal that shot she needs to inform the owners about the side effects which online it said could be respiratory distress and death none of which we were informed about.
That is what happened to my dog. I do not want anybody else to go through what I went through he was my best friend and I still miss him to this day!
Reply ↓
- Michael Broad on October 14, 2017 at 5:49 am said:
  Kathy, this was so distressing to read. I was tense reading it. I could almost sense the ending. I can really feel your pain. I think I’ll turn your comment into an article today if that is okay with you. It is full of love and sadness. Thanks for sharing and I wish you both the best.
  Reply ↓
- Michael Broad on October 15, 2017 at 12:54 pm said:
  I made it an article:
  https://pictures-of-cats.org/woman-believes-her-veterinarian-negligently-killed-her-dog-with-buprenorphine.html
  Reply ↓