ComplaintsforArk Veterinary Clinic, The

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to formally complain about the service I received from The Ark Veterinary Clinic. I brought my dog to the clinic because she was not feeling well. I felt that the clinic took advantage of my concern for my dog's health by trying to charge me around $1,000 to "find out what was going on with my dog." Despite this, they failed to diagnose her condition.I ended up paying around $250 for the visit, medicine, and some lab tests. After the visit, my dog's condition did not improve. The next day, I took her to the emergency veterinary hospital, where he was diagnosed with dehydration and a urinary infection.I feel that The Ark Veterinary Clinic took advantage of my worry about my dog's health and was more interested in taking my money than in providing proper care. They do not seem to care about the animals and should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of concerned pet owners. In my opinion, The Ark Veterinary Clinic is a scam.

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  The client presented for the following concerns:

  Exam was made 05-20-24 at 12:02p: DIARRHEA: Exam- p has had diarrhea for 2 days now and o just noticed that p started defecating blood as well. Last time p ate was yesterday, acting a bit lethargic
  
  Check in date/Time 05-20-24 at 2:31p: 
  Presents for: Yesterday and today pt has had d+ O notice small amount of blood in it today, O says pt hasnt ate anything that he can think of hasnt changed food or treats
  E/D:  not e/d since yesterday 
  U/D:  Inappropriate urination - on things she normal doesn't urinate on as well as where she is laying - will be wet after sleeping. ****** liquid diarrhea for 2 days. Has bouts of diarrhea intermittently but usually no blood and usually self limiting. Having accidents in the house.
  C/S/V/D: d+ 2 days 
  Diet: ******** dry ****** for small dogs 1 cup bid 
  Energy:active 
  Prevention: bravecto
  Rx: none
  
  Rectal temp 102.2

   

  This was the doctor's ********** of the patient relating to their concerns:

  Hematochezia (Bloody diarrhea)
  -R/O GI parasite, colitis, dietary, SIBO, open
  Urination changes 
  -R/O incontinence vs UTI, endocrine/metabolic disease, open
  
  

  The estimate that the client attached included the doctors recommended diagnostics for diarrhea and urination changes. The items that have a star next to them, were the items that the client agreed to allow us to perform. The items with a line through them were the items that the client refused to let us perform. Based on the diagnostic limitations placed on the doctor by the client, a full workup was not approved. The client declined urine testing which would have been necessary to diagnose a urinary tract infection and thus that condition was not diagnosed here. The client chose to only perform diagnostics related to the diarrhea their pet was experiencing. 

  The client dropped of a ***** sample about an hour after their appointment occurred which was sent to the lab that night. Results were relayed to them the following day and a call was made to check on the pet to see if it was doing better. We had to leave a message for the owner. This was the owners update we received:

  05-21-24 at 11:13a: O called back and I relayed the message that was posted. O said she has noticed a slight difference in the diarrhea, and is becoming less.

   

  This was the last update we received from the client. Records were then sent to the local emergency clinic on 05/29/24 at 11:37am. The client was not at the emergency clinic the next day from their visit as they have stated in their claim. The records we received from the ** stated the following:

  Signs originally started with GI issues a couple months ago that they saw the Community Vet
  Center for. Per owner they did some bloodwork and urine testing and were prescribed
  antibiotics then.
  We have attempted to get records from CVC but have not yet received them at time of exam.
  Pt improved then about two weeks ago developed diarrhea and was seen with The Ark on
  5/20 (records are attached). They did a ***** OP&G which was negative and prescribed
  Proviable paste and caps. Diarrhea improved two days into the probiotics.
  For the last two days pt has been whining, stretching in a downward dog position and having hematuria.

  Based on this history, the pet's urinary symptoms changed from the time that we saw her 9 days prior and the owner had to go to the **. 

  At our clinic, the client was charged for their exam, the ***** testing that they approved to look for possible causes for their pet's diarrhea, and sent home on probiotic and anti-diarrheal treatment while that test was pending. It is our belief that appropriate medical recommendations were made for this case. An estimate was provided. The services that the owner approved were provided and charged for. The services that they did not approve were not performed or charged for. Unfortunately, when diagnostics are not approved, conditions cannot be diagnosed, which is what happened in this case. The cost of care is always something we strive to balance and we understand that the cost of care is rising. When an owner is unable to complete recommended testing, we always try to address patient care to the best of our ability without all of the answers available to us. When an owner declines care items, our hands are unfortunately tied. We are glad that the patient ultimately received additional treatment for their condition but do not agree with the owner's statement that we had negative intent.

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We visited this vets office 4 times in total, I believe, maybe 5. My dog has allergies to food and he had been given the sydlepoint shot 2 or 3 times before and it worked wonderfully. He had the exact same problem on this visit. He had the red itchy skin, everything was the exact same. On this visit, the only visit, we was not asked to accompany our dog and the tech back to the room. The visit lasted literally 2 minutes. The tech walked my dog back, weighed him, recorded the weight, looked him over, prepared the shot, cause it goes by weight, and gave him the shot, in 2 minutes. we even stated "That was fast" when he came back out. The shot never stopped him from itching. We went back a couple months later, cause my dog was just miserable, and the doctor did some test, saying he had a skin infection and gave antibotics and pills. He was still itching so we took him to another vet, he got the sidlepoint injection, with my husband watching, and it worked the first day, within hours, just like it did the first couple times with the Ark clinic. I called the clinic and asked why, the only time we did not go back with him, did it not work? How was it able to be accomplished in such a short amount of time. I advised the rep that I did not believe the shot was given to him. She stated she would look into it and let the head vet look at my dogs file. When she got back to me, she stated the head vet said it was maybe because he had a skin infection and it didnt work for him that one time. My dog was not tested for a skin infection the first couple times, he had the same red rash as always, if that would have affected the outcome, it would had the first couple times, that he didnt get treated for it. I believe he did not get a shot, he was walked back and nothing was done. My dog takes some settling down, because we dont drug him to take him in, so he would not have been relaxed enough for the tech to just give him the shot, and it didnt work. They did not give the shot.

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