ComplaintsforSpay Neuter Clinic Dover

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We took our kitten to be neutered. Max had a previous bill of good health from our regular vet. He was less than a year old, happy and indoor cat. On the day of surgery, he was brought in @ 8:00. Told he'd be ready to go home by 5. My wife received a call @ 4:14 to say he was dead. The cat had NO indication of a heart problem, but we were told it was a heart attack, he was fine during the surgery and when they checked him, he was dead, it happens sometimes. They laid him in his carrier and left him on the floor. They then asked my wife what they should do with him and offered to cremate him for a fee. She said someone would pick him up. They reminded her they closed @ 5. When called the next day for more detailed info, we were told he was fine during the surgery and nail clipping since he was asleep, when they checked him later, he was dead. We dont understand how a healthy animal just dies like that. I believe they didnt monitor his heart or breathing and possibly gave too much anesthesia. I thought they had to make sure animals were waking up before they stop monitoring. We took Max in and he was our child. We have no children and now he's gone. We had him cremated to the cost of $175.00. We think it fair to have a formal complaint with your bureau, an apology from this place and reimbursement for our cremation fees.

  Business response

  06/06/2022

  Tell us why here...To respond to Mr. ******* complaint, I would like to address the following
  
  
   The person listed as the owner of the cat named 'Max' brought him  to our facility on May 9, 2022. Medical records at our facility are list a female as the owner  and she is the person who made the appointment for Max. A male representative brought the cat into our facility and also picked up cat's body from our facility.
  
  
  Max was brought to our facility to be neutered and did not appear to have any external health concerns at the time of his surgery appointment.  Unfortunately, health is a subjective term and there may have been some underlying issues that his owners nor medical professionals would not have been aware of prior to Max's surgery without performing several diagnostic tests.
  
  
  Max did unfortunately pass away immediately after his neuter surgery and resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful.  I did inform the female owner of Max's passing, offered condolences, and offered to have communal cremation (no ashes would be returned) at the clinic's expense.  If she wanted Max's ashes returned, then there would be a fee for that service.  The female owner stated she would have someone come to pick up Max's body from our facility. Max body was not left on a floor as the complaint stated and he was placed in his carrier that was provided by his owners.
  
  
  I did explain to the male and female owners  that sometimes cats have underlying heart condition and can pass away unexpectedly when placed under anesthesia (heart attack like conditions).  Without doing a necropsy (autopsy) there is no way to determine Max's exact cause of death.
  
  
  It is regrettable that patients do die suddenly in every veterinary facilities as health and disease are complex concepts. It is inappropriate to negatively rate our clinic based on an unforeseeable medical crisis.
  
  
  I do offer my condolences to the owners  in their loss of Max.  I do not feel that I should cover the costs of private cremation as that was their choice to have the private cremation service performed.  I also feel that publication of this complaint does not reflect positively on my business as this situation is not uncommon in the medical profession and death is a possibility that can occur with any medical procedure.
  
  
  Signed.
  
  Spay Neuter Clinic Dover

  Customer response

  06/06/2022

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and have determined that this does not resolve my  issue.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered.
  As stated earlier, Max had been deemed healthy by Forrest Ave Animal Hospital.  Max was owned by both myself and ****** and therefore since she had to work, I brought Max in.  If an animal autopsy could havc shown what he died from, why was that not offered?  He was fine when he got there and you offer to have him cremated for a fee.  Nothing was said about it being no charge if we didnt want his ashes back.  And why would we not want his ashes?  He was for all intents and purposes our baby.  At the very least, the cost of his cremation should be reimbursed to us.    I believe if there had not been some mishandling of Max and he had been monitored closely, this might have been avoided.  And if it was nothing to do with his handling, a necropsy should have been done to see what it was that killed him.  And while Max was in his carrier, he was laying on the floor.  You couldn't have held him in a room?  I'd like to say I'm sorry, but no, this experience and actions after have shown me a blatant disregard for the care afforded Max and my wife.  And I've heard from another person who had their cat neutered there how the cat was unable to stand or walk properly, like he was drunk until the next day.  I dont believe Max was ill or had an underlying heart condition.  I believe this was a surgery gone very wrong.  I stand by my feelings and thoughts on the matter and would still like this complaint available for public viewing and reimbursement of the cost of having Max cremated.
  
  
  
  Regards,

  Complaint ID: 17210407

   

   

   

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