ComplaintsforAlways Compassionate Vet Care

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  February 14, 2023 Veterinarian charged $509 Refund requested $353 ******* * ***  Cat sick 10 items on invoice ------------------------------- LETTER sent to them: March 7, 2023 Always Compassionate Veterinary Care **** ******** **** *********** ** *****  RE: ****** *Refund Requested* On February 14th, Valentine’s Day ?, when my beloved cat, ******, was euthanized at your facility, you could tell, hopefully, that I was extremely distraught and because of that, it was difficult to make decisions. I relied on your expertise. So I am kindly asking, for a second time, that the items NOT checked on the invoice, be refunded – a total of $353. Sincerely, ****** * ******* ------------------------ ****** was seen at another Vet in Leetsdale a few days before and this current Vet knew about it but did NOT even contact them, which would have been the right thing to do. They knew he was on the verge of dying with cancer and not able to move. His heart was pumping and breathing fine. They gave him oxygen, which was NOT needed. They did tests that were also NOT needed unless I had tons of money to spend on his healing, which I did NOT, but if I did I would have taken him home and given him IV fluids. This VET was very dishonest because they did tests that they knew would NOT save him and they intended to euthanize him from the first moment he was seen. They took advantage of a pet-owner who was NOT able to make wise decisions. I was crying my eyes out and just did whatever they told me to. I then had to call my son to help me get through this horrible time. I believe this VET should give a refund and that other should know how they treated me and my beloved kitty. Thank you. ******

  Business response

  03/30/2023

  Always Compassionate Veterinary Care, P.C. 
  4701 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236 (**** ******** 
  March 30, 2023 
  
  Dispute Resolution Specialist 
  Better Business Bureau 
  520 E. Main Street, Suite 100 
  Carnegie, PA 15106 
  *** *** ********** ** * ******** 
  

  On 2/14/23, the owner walked into our clinic holding her cat who was non-responsive in lateral recumbency. The technician who met her in the waiting room asked what was going on and she said, "please save my cat." Our technician took the patient to our treatment area, where the doctor saw the cat was having difficulty breathing and began oxygen therapy. Our doctor fully examined the patient and went in to discuss the poor prognosis with the owner. Owner stated he stopped eating & was not being active a month ago. Owner wanted us to save her cat so our doctor had the staff put together an estimate of the diagnostics that would be necessary to give her some answers and to help her make an informed decision. We went over the estimate with the owner. She signed the estimate and wanted us to do the diagnostics. We started with the x-rays and went over the results. At this point, she finally mentioned that he was seen at another hospital on the previous Saturday, but they did not do any diagnostics and they mentioned possible liver cancer. Our doctor brought the owner back to the treatment area so she could see how he was struggling, but she still wanted us to continue and do the bloodwork. We proceeded with the bloodwork and our doctor reviewed the results with the owner; the liver enzymes were within normal values however patient was severely anemic, and his jaundice appearance was caused by red cell destruction and not liver disease. Our doctor recommended euthanasia because of the very poor prognosis and owner declined. We strongly recommended going to an emergency facility for blood transfusion and feeding tube, but owner declined that as well. She stated that she wanted to take patient home and our doctor explained it would be unethical for her to send patient home without providing medications to help with the distress the patient was in. The owner then spoke to her son on the phone, and she decided to euthanize. 

  We were very clear at every step during our diagnostics the condition of her cat and the poor prognosis, but she insisted that we do the diagnostics. We provided her with a written estimate of the diagnostics which she signed and agreed to have done. We can not second guess or question an owner's decision regarding their pet. We can only give them all the options and make our recommendations. If they still want to proceed, then we must honor their request. We were not dishonest; we were very kind and compassionate in trying to honor her wishes and to help her make an informed decision during this difficult time. 
  If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact me at ************* 
  

   

  Sincerely, 
  Barbara A. H*** 
  Hospital Manager 

  Customer response

  05/09/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  Attached are:
  1. the invoice from Pet Well Clinic in Leetsdale

  
  2. my letter to the vet that I wrote but did NOT send

  
  First, I would like to point out that I wanted so badly to put a negative review
  online to let others know how this company has taken advantage of a loving,
  caring pet owner who was in a period of huge sadness and inner pain!! But I
  could find nowhere to do that! Hmmm!

  
  What is “lateral recumbency”? It simply describes an animal lying on its side.
  Non- responsive? He was very responsive!!! : breathing fine, excellent
  heartbeat, alert and awake. .
  So far in their very first line, there is no agreement!
  Yes, they grabbed him and took him to the exam room without his caring owner
  to watch and ask questions or be told what was happening.
  Why give oxygen when he was breathing fine! His body had shut down and was
  limp because he wasn’t eating
  Who doesn’t want their pet saved?! I was told it would cost $4000 + to save him!
  I just don’t have that much to spend. They just kept doing tests when they knew
  his prognosis was end of life. At the beginning, they did NOT recommend a blood
  transfusion nor feeding tube because of the expense.

  
  And if they would’ve asked me about the previous vet, not a hospital but a clinic,
  they could have called them to see what they found, then the repeat tests could
  have been avoided. The clinic in Leetsdale did a complete exam.
  It was NOT liver cancer but mouth cancer. Duh!!

  
  They took me back and he was on oxygen even tho he was at the end of life in his
  body, not mind or lungs or heart!

  
  During all this I was in such distress, pain, crying so hard, shaking, unsure of my
  surroundings, NOT able to make wise decisions. They took huge advantage. They
  don’t deserve any of my hard-earned money! She keeps saying I make this
  decision and that decision but I was pretty much going along with what they were
  doing because I was hurting so bad.

  
  Reading through this is like a story of fiction. Making up a story to make them
  look like saints!

  
  I called my son and he agreed with euthanasia! I wanted to take him home and
  find a vet who could bring him back to a healthy life. Again, if was inexpensive
  and a good prognosis and if my life was NOT so busy, I would have done so!

  
  They NEVER once said, we do not recommend treatment at the office because he
  is at the end of life, unless you have tons of money to spend and be unsure of the
  results, we recommend euthanasia.
  
  Asking for partial refund. $353
  
  ****** * *******
  
  Sad and disappointed pet owner.
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩