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#21
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"S S" wrote in message ... Last week Monday I took my cat to the Vet because his stomach was bloated (before I had thought it was weight gain). It was a 10:00am appointment, and we got there 9:55am. There was no one in the waiting room, and it seemed there was no patients there except us. 11:20am the Vet finally came in, he checked his ears, his mouth, and eyes... wrote some stuff down and then left the room for 30-minutes. He came back to take an X-Ray of my cat (which cost $65 plus $35 for the visit), then I had to wait 55-minutes for the results. When he came back with the results he said "Whiskas" has fluid in his abdomen and it looks serious. He said the cost of this will be $250 to drain the fluid, and $325 to run tests and a Ultrasound. Well, I didn't have the money in hand for him to drain the fluid. So, since I didn't have the money right away I had to take Whiskas home but was planning to bring him back on Friday when I had the money. The next 2 days Whiskas started to have trouble walking because of the amount of fluid. Then on Thursday morning around 9:00am Whiskas started shaking and gotten very weak then went unconscious but with his eyes open and breathing hard. I rushed him to the Vet and told the lady at the desk of the emergency. Se gave my a form to fill out and then went in the back all the while my cat is in the kennel unconscious. After filling out the form I tapped the bell bell on the desk, she came back and took the form. I went and sat down and waited for 5-minutes until she called me in. Even when I went in with Whiskas "still unconscious" the Vet still hasn't showed up and it's been about 10-minutes. When he finally came he said "Whiskas really looks pretty bad". He checked his heart, his eyes, and his ears... looked at me and said "Whiskas is on the verge on dying" but said his heart was fine. Then suggested me to have him put to sleep. He left the room and I am so confused, angry, and sad all at the same time at how my cat was treated. It took me about 10-minutes to make the decision to have him put down and the Vet did. As soon as he did put him down he immediately said "You have to pay the cost of the visit plus the cost of putting him down." My question is why wasn't my cat immediately taken in and "worked on" to revive him, etc? They call themselves a "Hospital" but yet they didn't act like one. The place seemed "empty" like he didn't have many patients go to him. I watch "Emergency Vets" on the "Animal Planet" channel and they acted like a real hospital. The owners didn't have to pay upfront when they brought in their sick pet, so why was I my cat treated like this? Even when I brought him in last Monday, the doctor shouldn't refuse him treatment just because I didn't have the money on hand. Since it was an emergency they could of drained the fluid, and then ran tests, the give me the bill. They way they acted was like my cat was a "thing" such as a car that nees "repair" but I have to have the money upfront in order to get work done. Are they that money hungry and cruel? He certainly didn't ask for money upfront to have him put down though. I just don't understand. He did NOTHING to see what was wrong with my cat, all he did was checked his ears, and his chest then tells me he is dying when his heart was beating fine. I am very ****ed off. My cat was 11-years old, and could have lived if only the Vet took care of him last Monday. It sounds as though the vet diagnosed your cat with FIP, which is usually fatal. Knowing this, he offered to treat the animal (remove the fluid) in order to make it more comfortable. Did you ask that a payment plan be worked out so that the vet could treat your animal? Or did you just say "not right now" and take your cat home? When your cat inevitibly got worse, you brought it back in. You had already told the clinic that you couldn't pay for the fluid removal, so they were more aggressive in attempting to be paid for their services that you received. No, they weren't very sensitive about it, and no I don't agree that a grieving pet owner should be bulldozed then and there about the costs. But, veterinary care isn't free. It isn't even cheap anymore, what with all of the newfangled gadgets a vet is expected to have on hand in order to give the most up to date care to their patients. It's not unreasonable that a vet expects to be paid for their services, including euthanasia. And, it's not unreasonable that you would ask to speak to the clinic owner about how you were treated. |
#22
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I feel bad for the OP as well as Whiskas. This vet was not just an asshole
but an uncaring and unfeeling individual. -- Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com "MacCandace" wrote in message ... I'm very sorry about Whiskas. The vet sounds like a real a$$hole (and I stress the $$ part). I know vets do get stiffed sometimes but I'm surprised he didn't offer to work out a payment plan with you the first time you took him in considering that it was quite serious. In my experience, the vets I have gone to do not advertise that they will take a payment plan but if you're in a pinch, then they will. It helps to have some sort of a relationship established with a vet so that he/she will give you the benefit of the doubt should you ever need it. I'm sure your kitty had a good 11 years prior to this awful ending. It's very sad for you and, although it won't help Whiskas any, I would do what others have suggested and report the jerk-vet to the vet board, the humane society, the BBB, whoever... He's happy and whole again now and you will meet again someday. Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail) See my cats: http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." (Loren Eisely) |
#23
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I feel bad for the OP as well as Whiskas. This vet was not just an asshole
but an uncaring and unfeeling individual. -- Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com "MacCandace" wrote in message ... I'm very sorry about Whiskas. The vet sounds like a real a$$hole (and I stress the $$ part). I know vets do get stiffed sometimes but I'm surprised he didn't offer to work out a payment plan with you the first time you took him in considering that it was quite serious. In my experience, the vets I have gone to do not advertise that they will take a payment plan but if you're in a pinch, then they will. It helps to have some sort of a relationship established with a vet so that he/she will give you the benefit of the doubt should you ever need it. I'm sure your kitty had a good 11 years prior to this awful ending. It's very sad for you and, although it won't help Whiskas any, I would do what others have suggested and report the jerk-vet to the vet board, the humane society, the BBB, whoever... He's happy and whole again now and you will meet again someday. Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail) See my cats: http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." (Loren Eisely) |
#24
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"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message ... "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message ... "S S" wrote in message ... When he finally came he said "Whiskas really looks pretty bad". He checked his heart, his eyes, and his ears... looked at me and said "Whiskas is on the verge on dying" but said his heart was fine. Then suggested me to have him put to sleep. He left the room and I am so confused, angry, and sad all at the same time at how my cat was treated. It took me about 10-minutes to make the decision to have him put down and the Vet did. As soon as he did put him down he immediately said "You have to pay the cost of the visit plus the cost of putting him down." What an incredibly cruel thing to happen. This vet may even have contributed to Whiskas' death. At the very least, he caused unnecessary suffering. No vet has ever charged me for the cost of euthanasia. All considered this to be a contribution to ease suffering. Whereas I have been charged both times for my cats' euthanasia procedures. A minor charge (approx. $25, IIRC), but.. it *is* a veterinary service - with the vet spending a good 30 minutes of her time (once, as an emergency, on Easter Sunday), so why wouldn't they charge for it? Cathy You are correct, and I didn't make myself clear. I would not have any objections to paying for euthanasia -- I was simply using my vet's attitude as a contrast to what happened to the OP. Of course, my vet has also cared for all of my cats for many years, and that creates a different relationship than what could reasonably be expected from an emergency vet. The element that I considered cruel and unconscionable was (1) the long delay, including sending Whiskas home with no information for treatment, and (2) the rather callous and cavalier attitude. It seems from the description that there was no compassion and almost no treatment. MaryL |
#25
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"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message ... "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message ... "S S" wrote in message ... When he finally came he said "Whiskas really looks pretty bad". He checked his heart, his eyes, and his ears... looked at me and said "Whiskas is on the verge on dying" but said his heart was fine. Then suggested me to have him put to sleep. He left the room and I am so confused, angry, and sad all at the same time at how my cat was treated. It took me about 10-minutes to make the decision to have him put down and the Vet did. As soon as he did put him down he immediately said "You have to pay the cost of the visit plus the cost of putting him down." What an incredibly cruel thing to happen. This vet may even have contributed to Whiskas' death. At the very least, he caused unnecessary suffering. No vet has ever charged me for the cost of euthanasia. All considered this to be a contribution to ease suffering. Whereas I have been charged both times for my cats' euthanasia procedures. A minor charge (approx. $25, IIRC), but.. it *is* a veterinary service - with the vet spending a good 30 minutes of her time (once, as an emergency, on Easter Sunday), so why wouldn't they charge for it? Cathy You are correct, and I didn't make myself clear. I would not have any objections to paying for euthanasia -- I was simply using my vet's attitude as a contrast to what happened to the OP. Of course, my vet has also cared for all of my cats for many years, and that creates a different relationship than what could reasonably be expected from an emergency vet. The element that I considered cruel and unconscionable was (1) the long delay, including sending Whiskas home with no information for treatment, and (2) the rather callous and cavalier attitude. It seems from the description that there was no compassion and almost no treatment. MaryL |
#26
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your cat's life is at stake and you're a
little short of cash, keep a counterfeit Rolex near the carrier and wear your best clothes to the emergency vet... Phil Better yet, how about understanding the responsibility and expense of pet ownership, and having a credit card or emergency fund for such instances. How about having an ongoing relationship with a vet for your pet, so they know you when you arrive and have a stake in the well being of your pet? How about going to an animal ER instead of a regular vet (who it doesn't seem the OP had been to before?). I'm lucky to have several veterinary ERs in my area. ALL of them state the ER fee up front. I go prepared to pay that fee plus whatever it takes for diagnostics or treatment - that's my responsibility as a pet owner. As luck would have it, most of the visits I've made to vet ERs have been at some ungodly hour. That means I'm certainly not dressed in my Sunday best - If I have a watch at all, it's a Timex or such. Rarely time to put on jewelry, makeup, or "nice clothes" (and if we're dealing with a sick animal, ratty clothes are generally more appropriate!). I go in with full knowledge that this visit will cost me though. To do otherwise is pretty naive. None of us knows whether this cat had any chance of survival. It sure wasn't helped when the OP chose to take his very sick cat home for 4 more days. Why not go beg, borrow and grovel for money MONDAY? And get that cat back to a vet asap? Easy to blame the "money grubbing vet" (most vets don't make a whole helluva lot of money), when ultimately, the owner has a huge responsibility they have failed to live up to. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
#27
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your cat's life is at stake and you're a
little short of cash, keep a counterfeit Rolex near the carrier and wear your best clothes to the emergency vet... Phil Better yet, how about understanding the responsibility and expense of pet ownership, and having a credit card or emergency fund for such instances. How about having an ongoing relationship with a vet for your pet, so they know you when you arrive and have a stake in the well being of your pet? How about going to an animal ER instead of a regular vet (who it doesn't seem the OP had been to before?). I'm lucky to have several veterinary ERs in my area. ALL of them state the ER fee up front. I go prepared to pay that fee plus whatever it takes for diagnostics or treatment - that's my responsibility as a pet owner. As luck would have it, most of the visits I've made to vet ERs have been at some ungodly hour. That means I'm certainly not dressed in my Sunday best - If I have a watch at all, it's a Timex or such. Rarely time to put on jewelry, makeup, or "nice clothes" (and if we're dealing with a sick animal, ratty clothes are generally more appropriate!). I go in with full knowledge that this visit will cost me though. To do otherwise is pretty naive. None of us knows whether this cat had any chance of survival. It sure wasn't helped when the OP chose to take his very sick cat home for 4 more days. Why not go beg, borrow and grovel for money MONDAY? And get that cat back to a vet asap? Easy to blame the "money grubbing vet" (most vets don't make a whole helluva lot of money), when ultimately, the owner has a huge responsibility they have failed to live up to. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
#28
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"J1Boss" wrote in message ... your cat's life is at stake and you're a little short of cash, keep a counterfeit Rolex near the carrier and wear your best clothes to the emergency vet... Phil Better yet, how about understanding the responsibility and expense of pet ownership, self-righteous, sanctimonious crap snipped As hard as it may be for you to believe, some people have financial difficulties from time to time and live paycheck to paycheck - so give the self-righteous crap a rest. |
#29
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"J1Boss" wrote in message ... your cat's life is at stake and you're a little short of cash, keep a counterfeit Rolex near the carrier and wear your best clothes to the emergency vet... Phil Better yet, how about understanding the responsibility and expense of pet ownership, self-righteous, sanctimonious crap snipped As hard as it may be for you to believe, some people have financial difficulties from time to time and live paycheck to paycheck - so give the self-righteous crap a rest. |
#30
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"Phil" wrote:
As hard as it may be for you to believe, some people have financial difficulties from time to time and live paycheck to paycheck - so give the self-righteous crap a rest. But it's ok to condemn a vet on some hearsay, and to ignore the fact that pet ownership IS a financial responsibility? Yes, we all have our financial limits. And we all have to be able to willing to deal with the consequences of those. Facts of life. If you remember, you condemned me for making a choice not to spend $1000+ for an MRI to rule out a brain tumor. Hmmm - seems a tad hypocritical of you. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
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