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#1
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Cruel Vet
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. |
#2
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My question is why wasn't my cat immediately taken in and "worked on" to
revive him, etc? I think the vet thought that he would probably treat your cat, not get paid, then your cat would die anyway because of the underlying cause of fluid buildup and he'd never be paid. I think he should have been more upfront with you, your cats condition and his chance for survival. I'm sorry you had to experience this besides the loss of your cat. I definitely understand why you're upset. I would be also. I'm in Los Angeles, California and I've never been asked to pay ahead of time for services. |
#3
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My question is why wasn't my cat immediately taken in and "worked on" to
revive him, etc? I think the vet thought that he would probably treat your cat, not get paid, then your cat would die anyway because of the underlying cause of fluid buildup and he'd never be paid. I think he should have been more upfront with you, your cats condition and his chance for survival. I'm sorry you had to experience this besides the loss of your cat. I definitely understand why you're upset. I would be also. I'm in Los Angeles, California and I've never been asked to pay ahead of time for services. |
#4
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It sounds like we have another vet out there that cares more about the
almighty dollar than the animal. I have never had to pay money up front before a vet did what was necessary to help my cats. I would have gotten a second opinion and taken the cat to another more reputable vet. Then I would have asked if they had a payment plan. As for the vet you brought him too, I would check with the Better Business Bureau to see if this vet you took your cat to had complaints against him. You might also have a case against this vet if you can prove that his lack of service contributed to possible death but this may be difficult because you chose to have the feline euthanized. Another possibility of a case is to complain to the Attorney Generals office in your state if they have a consumer affairs division. -- Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com "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. |
#5
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It sounds like we have another vet out there that cares more about the
almighty dollar than the animal. I have never had to pay money up front before a vet did what was necessary to help my cats. I would have gotten a second opinion and taken the cat to another more reputable vet. Then I would have asked if they had a payment plan. As for the vet you brought him too, I would check with the Better Business Bureau to see if this vet you took your cat to had complaints against him. You might also have a case against this vet if you can prove that his lack of service contributed to possible death but this may be difficult because you chose to have the feline euthanized. Another possibility of a case is to complain to the Attorney Generals office in your state if they have a consumer affairs division. -- Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com "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. |
#6
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"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. More important, there is absolutely no excuse for having you wait as you described because that caused still more pain for Whiskas (and for you). Does this vet own the clinic, or is he part of a practice? If the latter, I would send a strong letter to other partners outlining the facts as you described them here. I would also contact groups such as your local Humane Society. They might have suggestions concerning any action that can be taken against this unethical vet. MaryL |
#7
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"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. More important, there is absolutely no excuse for having you wait as you described because that caused still more pain for Whiskas (and for you). Does this vet own the clinic, or is he part of a practice? If the latter, I would send a strong letter to other partners outlining the facts as you described them here. I would also contact groups such as your local Humane Society. They might have suggestions concerning any action that can be taken against this unethical vet. MaryL |
#8
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#9
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#10
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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. Well, to be honest, I don't think we know if Whiskas could've lived or not. It is often very difficult to discern, via a news group. His condition reminds me somewhat of what one of my sister's dogs just went through. Bloat, no torsion, but the x-ray indicated small perforation; peritonitis had set in, & nothing could be done to save him. It is normal to be charged for euthanasia, but it's usually handled very tactfully - & from how you related it, this vet wasn't considerate & tactful about it. In fact, the last time one of my cats was euthanized, the vet went out to the front desk for me & arranged to have me billed later, through the mail. As I was reading your recounting of your experience, I was wondering if you could've put the first set of bills on a credit card? All in all, by how you've related this at any rate, it sounds to me like we can not in reality tell if anything could've been done to save Whiskas, or if it really could've. However, it does sound as if you weren't given much info to go on - that the vet-client communication should've been much better, & that the handling of the situation, client-vet wise, was on the crass/cold side. Cathy |
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