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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
07/06/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
July 1, 2023 My elderly dog who is mostly blind and deaf took a bad fall down some stairs. I called my vet but could not unfortunately be seen and was referred to Urgent Care West. I stated on the phone to Urgent Care she had fallen and was unable to move her head and would yelp and cry if you touched her and that she wouldn't walk. This was repeated once we arrived at Urgent Care and they took her into the back. I could hear her yelping in the back, which is to be expected while they looked her over and assessed the damage. Almost two hours went by and they finally took us into a room. After another 15 minutes waiting in the room a gentleman came in to ask us what happened????? They know what happened it was explained twice AND they were asking almost 2 hours after they took her into the back. He then left and a lady came in wanting almost $1000 to do anything. We then found out that they done absolutely nothing the entire time they had her in the back. They tried to turn her neck which hurt her tremendously (we could hear her in the waiting room) and they stood her up to see if she could stand and then left her in a kennel and us in the waiting room for almost 2 hours. We were charged $255 for the office call and pain meds which we had to wait another 30 min for them to give her because they did nothing the 2 hours they had her. We were there 3 hours. Are you serious??? This is completely unacceptable. I am hoping at this point she makes it through the weekend and I get her into the actual vet. I would like to be refunded the $140 office call charge. They did absolutely nothing for 3 hours and I shouldn't have to pay for that. I do not mind paying for the pain meds and I hope they get her through the weekend.
Business response
08/09/2023
Dear Ms *****,
Thank you for your letter of concern. I have reviewed your medical records at Urgent Pet Care West. I noted that you presented your dog ***** there on July 1, 2023t. ***** had fallen down a flight of stairs shortly before arrival. ***** was taken from you and was brought into the treatment room to be immediately examined by the veterinarian and staff while you were being checked in. According to our records you were checked in at 12:55 pm. ***** was assessed and was found to be stable, with the ability to stand and walk. She was also painful in her neck region. A neck injury was suspected. She was placed in a kennel where veterinary technicians could observe her for any changes. Since she was considered stable and was under supervision, we continued to work with other more critical cases that were in the hospital. At 2:15p pm you were placed into an exam room and the doctor’s assistant came in to discuss *****’s injuries. It is our policy for the doctor assistant to ask about the incident and see if any details were missed or not communicated. This was relayed to the veterinarian on duty. The veterinarian then spoke with you in the exam room, communicated our concerns, and offered radiographs along with lab work to determine the extent of the neck injury. These tests were declined. Pain medication based on her age and health status were then discussed, and, according to our records, administered. ***** received an injection for pain at 2:29 pm. This is approximately one and a half hours after your arrival. Appropriate oral medications were also dispensed, and you were checked out of the hospital at 2:42 pm.
We understand that waiting while a beloved pet is seen and treated may seems like an eternity. A wait time of a little over one and a half hours though is considered excellent by emergency hospital standards. We feel ***** was seen, assessed, and treated in a timely manner. This treatment was also based on your wishes. Therefore, we are going to decline any refund of charges. We wish you the best for ***** in the future.
Sincerely,
****** ********
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Customer Complaints Summary
2 total complaints in the last 3 years.
0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.