ComplaintsforCVETS - Columbia Veterinary Emergency Trauma and Specialty

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 11/17/23 our ***** ******* developed GDV within seconds at 2:35 pm. We had ******** back at our Primary Vet, ******** ********** at 3:00 p.m. Primary Vet, Dr. ********, confirmed her bloat and tried to perform procedure to get the air off her stomach, which she was able to get some, but by that time her stomach had flipped. Primary called the surrounding hospitals for a surgeon and CVETS had a surgeon available & confirmed estimate between $7-9k. Left primary at 4:00 and were at CVETS by 5:00 since it is 30-40 min drive from our primary. CVETS were told we were on our way. $7440.73 paid Portales told us after we had paid, that the primary surgeon wasn’t there, but there was a surgeon there who could perform the surgery, we are assuming (Schick). However, the surgeon who was not there had seniority and they were debating on who was going to perform surgery. 11/17 at 7:02 we called, and we found out she was in surgery. 8:30 Dr. Ashely Schick, said ******** could not have waited any longer and that she lost her Spleen, and some blood vessels were compromised. 11/20 $7,500.00 given from bank account Morning of 11/21/23 she ate and Noelle H******, DVM was confident with her going home. Got home 3:30 pm, drinking a bunch of water, had a bowel movement. At 9:30 pm, extreme diarrhea and discomfort. We had her back at CVET at 10:15 pm. We decided to euthanize. $402.80 11/23/23 (Thanksgiving)-Noelle H****** called to tell us that Dr. Schick, herself had spoken with Alison Calfee, DVM and that it wasn’t a protein or transfusion issue, but most likely there was a compromised area in the stomach lining that perforated and was leaking inside her abdomen. I understand that I signed that there was no guarantee that our dog would live, but if you had followed your policies that are clearly on your website, then just maybe our dog would still be alive, but now we will never know!

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  ******** was admitted to the CVETS ER at 5:03pm. At the time of admission a stat was called and she began immediate emergent treatment. From the time of admission beginning at 5:10pm she had two IV catheters placed, full bloodwork (cbc, chemistry, radiometer and coagulation panel), chest X-rays, abdominal ultrasound fast scan, diagnostic ECG and numerous blood pressures. She was administered IV fluids, an anti-nausea medication, pain medications, a proton pump inhibitor, antibiotics and prokinetics.  Following this she was lightly sedated and a gastric decompression completed.  Anesthesia medications were dispensed at 6:07pm, ******** was under general anesthesia at 6:29pm and the surgical procedure commenced at 6:41pm.
  
  A couple of important points to note. First while a GDV is a life threatening and surgical emergency emergency that does not mean patients can go straight to surgery without any preparation or treatments.  Patients need to have diagnostics completed (like those above) to help evaluate for comorbidities that can affect anesthesia, surgery and/or prognosis.  Other treatments (like the ones listed above) are completed before the procedure to prevent complications, make patients better anesthesia candidates and improve outcomes.  Additionally there is time needed in the induction of anesthesia, removal of the hair before surgery, surgical prep and moving into the OR, especially in a giant breed dog. While our trauma and surgical teams move quickly there is still time involved in all these steps. Inappropriately rushing or skipping the steps leads to mistakes and complications. 
  
  Secondly, immediately after admission Dr. Portales completed a gastric decompression, which involves trocharizing the stomach with a large gauge needle to relieve the accumulated pressure.  This procedure has been shown to improve cardiovascular status and allow for additional diagnostics/treatments before surgery. 
  
  Thirdly, Dr Schick closely evaluated the stomach during the procedure and while it was initially bruised found marked improvement after de-rotation and further decompression.  Unfortunately gastric necrosis is not always immediately evident at surgery and can take 3-5 days to progress to gastric perforation. 
  
  Finally no surgeon lives or is an hour away from CVETS while on call. The surgeon on call that night was 10 minutes from the hospital, however Dr. Schick, was just finishing a procedure and offered to take ******** to surgery.  This caused no delay or slow down in her case. There are no veterinary hospitals that staff board certified specialists within the building 24 hours a day. This is not standard of care in the veterinary world and does not exist.  Emergency doctors are on staff at all times, and can perform emergency surgery, but with our surgeons being close by  they elect to perform these types of surgeries as they have the most experience. 
  
  Finally we are all incredibly sorry about the loss of P*******. We know the loss of a loved pet is never easy.  And like we stated at the time of euthanasia their entire family has our deepest condolences.  Unfortunately reported mortality rates for dogs who experience GDVS is between 10-60%. ******** did not succumb to her injuries because of a delay in surgery but because she was affected by a serious disease with a guarded prognosis. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hi, I took my cat to CVets 24/7 hospital on March 3, because he was struggling to breathe from an upper respiratory infection, and I was nothing but nice and so was everyone else. When they rushed my cat to the back, that’s when everything changed. They wouldn’t allow to let me see my cat for the next 3 days. After the third day and still no answers, they called me and told me to “come pick him up. He was dead. That’s when I was met with the front desk staff who brought him to me, laughed at me, and showed no care or compassion whatsoever. I spent almost $8000, and they refused to give me his paperwork. They also refused to tell me why he died. I called for weeks asking for paperwork, and they kept laughing ant me and hanging up on me for weeks. They finally told me I would never get his paperwork. My parents called the vet association, and I had to sign it just to get the paperwork. That was a few months later. When I finally read the paperwork, there was no print up about why the costs were so high, especially after spending only 2 nights in the hospital with no surgery or anything that would’ve added up to nearly $8000. Now they are refusing to send me a receipt with what I was charged for,. I have heard from many others that this has happened to them as well. I have also heard they are “in it for the money,” and they will keep your pet there until they die, so they can make more money. The last time I called to try to get answers, I was told I was never allowed back, or I would be escorted off the property by their “personal cop.” Because my cat’s life was in their hands, I was nothing but nice to all of the people there. I have never been treated so rudely by the front desk staff, and it was the administrator that told me I was not ever allowed back. I felt the need to report this, because it’s happened to many others, not just me. I honestly believe I took my cat there just for them to let him die. Thank you for any help you can provide, Alyson.

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  We would first like to extend our sympathies to you for the loss of you pet, Bailey. On March 2, 2023, Bailey was brought to us, after being referred by your primary veterinarian, on an emergent basis relating to diabetes and also had been treated for calicivirus. Upon evaluation, we assessed that Bailey was dealing with Diabetic ketoacidosis, which is critical, and was also dealing with several other medical problems during this time. We have detailed medical records indicating conversations and the plan for treatment, as well as us updating you during the course of Bailey's hospitalization. During hospitalization, Bailey began to decline further and we discussed the need of a feeding tube to help resolve the hepatic lipidosis. You had mentioned wanting to attempt to syringe feed, which we discussed that we did not recommend as it can cause food aversions but you had insisted that Bailey would tolerate it. On March 4, 2023, we allowed for visitation and attempt to syringe feed, to which there was noticeable increased respiratory rate and effort. Later, we discussed concerns for worsening liver disease and that Lab results were progressively worsening. We informed you at this time that we were worried Bailey was headed into shock, and followed by the cardiac arrest. We confirmed the CPR status with you and initiated CPR while you were in route to our hospital. Bailey did not make it and you had told us that you wanted to come and visit and then take Bailey home with you for burial. Your invoice totaled $5,198.34, not $8000.00. All services on this estimate were discussed, authorized, and anything on the invoice was rendered. We have detailed communications of our discussions with you, as well as all of the communications that occurred after this visit providing you with everything you requested.  We will attach the records here as well and ask that you refer back to old email exchanges to see the communications and attachments provided for your requests. We would never speak to a client poorly, and we have done everything possible to provide you and your veterinarian's with the information requested. This is not an outcome that any of us want and we are sorry for your loss. 

  Customer response

  12/09/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  I appreciate your sympathy, although I never received a sympathy card from your Hospital as promised. And I was promised by more than a few people, and I still have no sympathy card. It would’ve meant a lot. And it would’ve shown your Hospital truly cared. You stated that I was referred by my primary vet, and that was simply not true. Dr. Sheridan at the cat clinic was NOT my priority vet, it was where my other cat had a rhinoscopy. My primary vet was at Grace Animal Hospital, who has now opened her own practice. So because I had my other cat’s rhinoscopy done at the cat clinic, I accidentally added that amount to what I was charged for at the hospital. That was my ONLY mistake that I wrote in my complaint. Everything else I wrote was 100% truthful. I would highly suggest you listen to the conversations a few weeks after Bailey died, a month after that, and then a month after that. That’s when I was constantly refused my paperwork and getting hung up on, nonstop. Your front desk staff was anything but professional. They were extremely rude and uncaring. And by the way, I was nothing but nice, because I desperately needed his paperwork. So let me first start off by saying that Bailey had been evaluated at my primary veterinarians’s office three weeks prior to coming to your hospital, he had his bloodwork done, which they said was nearly perfect. He had NO diabetes as you stated. His liver was perfectly fine, too. And so was everything else. My cats all had a severe upper respiratory infection, and that was it. This was also confirmed by having the test results sent to Cornell University and Texas A&M. As far as me insisting on syringe feeding Bailey, I called Dr. Ghant to ask her if I could try, since I had done it with my special-needs cat for 10 1/2 years with no problem whatsoever. Not one single person told me not to try. So that was also NOT true. Also, I never once put the syringe in his mouth. Instead, I, along with my mom, who is a retired nurse, and my stepdad, who is a retired surgeon, all tried to get him to lick food off of our fingers. We never, ever syringe fed him. So that wasn’t true, either. I even told the vet tech we did NOT use a syringe. I even insisted for him to have a feeding tube, because no one would allow me to come visit my own cat until the day he died. So I don’t know where these lies as me, insisting on syringe feeding him are coming from. I only wanted to see him, since I was denied a visit two days prior to his death. Why couldn’t I see my own cat? Why was I refused a visit? No one has answered me yet. But there is definitely a reason for everything. As far as him having liver disease, I have no idea where that came from, because his liver and kidneys were perfectly fine when he had his blood work done only three weeks before I brought him to the hospital. All of my cats had an upper respiratory infection, and I was trying to explain that Bailey was probably having a bad reaction to the doxycycline. It was three days after they started  taking the doxycycline when Bailey collapsed. But when my other cat collapsed, my primary vet had her diagnosed and stable within two days. Your hospital had Bailey for three days, and they couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I don’t know why my cat spent three days in your hospital, and no one could figure out what was wrong. All three of my cats had the exact same symptoms, and when my vet came back with a diagnosis, it was contagious. So the problem should’ve been solved by an internist. But I will never understand why I wasn’t allowed to visit Bailey, when he was so scared, and so afraid of strangers. I have never had any of my animals in any type of hospital that didn’t allow me to visit them. I can’t help but wonder if he was left in your hospital while everyone there was waiting for him to die. I was warned by so many people where I volunteer with animals that y’all were “in it for the money.” As far as you telling me I was provided with detailed information, I only had verbal communication. My parents had to go through the veterinary medical association just to get the paperwork that I was denied. And that was at least three months after he died in your hospital. So my mom picked up his paperwork from Cvets in West Columbia, where the front that desk staff was actually extremely helpful and friendly. Also, it was only last week (nine months after he died), that I finally got an invoice, and that’s when I realized I had accidentally included the cost of my other cat’s rhinoscopy. Also, I would like to know why every time I called up there to get paperwork for months after his death, I was denied all of it. This went on for about three months. I would call once a week, they would look me up in the computer, and immediately hang up on me. Two of the girls at your front desk even told me I would me I would never receive the paperwork. A third girl told me that I was never allowed back, and no one gave me a reason as to why. I was nothing but nice to your front desk staff. But I promise you, when the guy from behind the desk brought Bailey’s body out to me, he said, “Here’s your cat.” There was no sympathy whatsoever. The girls behind the desk did “giggle,” because apparently, they thought it was funny that my cat died. Again, my parents were right there with me, and they will gladly tell you this happened. All of this should be recorded, and so should the phone calls where I got hung up on seven different times by at least five different girls over the next three months after Bailey died. So when you say your staff cares, your front desk staff does not. If you don’t believe me, read the reviews online. I’m not the only one. I just want to know why I was treated that way, while I was denied my cat’s paperwork until my parents had to go through the veterinary medical association to get it, since I was no longer allowed to walk back through your front door, and why I’m not allowed to come back up there after Dr. Ghant suggested me bringing my other cats to Dr. Johnson. I was also told by a girl in administration a few weeks back that I was no longer welcome in your hospital. I still don’t know why, and she refused to tell me. I would also like to know why it took me nine months to get an invoice, and why it took me three months (after signing the paperwork for my mom to pick up) to get any type of paperwork. And I would love more than anything to know why I was denied a visit to see my furbaby, when he was my son’s therapy cat. I won’t even tell you how devastated he still is, but he is more confused about all of this than I am, because he has special needs. And my special needs son depended on him. 
  
  Sincerely,
  Alyson ********

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  Respectfully we vehemently disagree with this review and the response.  All of CVETS phone conversations are recorded - at no time were you ever denied your medical records or a copy of your invoice. CSRs did not giggle at you or hang up when you asked for medical records.    Additionally we always allow family members to visit their pets.  These visits can be limited by the time of day (not when nursing shift changes happen), high ER demand, availability of doctors/nurses or for patients with infectious diseases.  Unfortunately while our doctors are highly trained and specialized they cannot solve any medical problem.  Bailey was very sick and unfortunately became more sick and did not survive.  We are very sorry for your loss and we know the loss of a loved pet can be incredibly hard.  As a hospital we want to be very clear that everyone on our team does this because we love animals.  We have dedicated our lives to treating both animals and the family members that come with them, especially during hard times.  Unfortunately this does have a cost and it can be expensive.

  Customer response

  12/15/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Respectfully, I vehemently disagree with this review and the response. I am a Christian, and I would never, ever lie about any of this. Everything I spoke was the truth, and you know it. And as a Christian, I know there’s a reason for everything. And there’s definitely a reason you didn’t answer 90% of what I asked for. And if you really did go back and listen to those phone conversations where I was talked down to, laughed at, and hung up on SEVEN different times over the next three months of my cat dying in your hospital, you would know the truth, too. And you would know how rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional your front desk staff really was. You say I received my paperwork and invoice? Yes, I did. FINALLY.  My 83-year-old mother had to go through the veterinary medical association to get that paperwork. And it was at least THREE months after my cat died in your hospital. I didn’t get a detailed invoice until over NINE months after he died in your hospital. And that was only a few weeks ago. It was sent to me by one of ONLY two very sweet girls I spoke with at your front desk, who really did care. That’s what it took for me to finally get his paperwork. All I ever wanted was an answer as to why my cat died. I never got that answer. Nor did I get a sympathy card I was promised. Never would never put a price tag on my cat’s life. So the money doesn’t matter. What mattered was your hospital saving my cat’s life, when I was warned by so many people that if I took him there, he would die. What you need to understand is I’m NOT the only one y’all have done this to. I had to go into early retirement after I lost my husband. My cat, Bailey, was my special-needs son’s therapy cat, because he alerted me to whenever my son had a seizure. Bailey’s life meant everything to me, since he saved my son so many times. Also, I used to volunteer at Pawmetto Lifeline, and I have volunteered on and off for Pets Inc for many years. This is where I kept hearing horror stories from not only the workers, but customers as well, about your hospital. And there is another feline rescue organization that warned Pets Inc not to take their cats to your hospital, because they would never come out alive. They had it happen to their foster cats on three separate occasions. But I went against my better judgment and put my cat’s life in your hands. And if you truly did care, obviously I would’ve gotten a sympathy card. Just as I would have received his paperwork after he passed away, and I would’ve gotten a detailed invoice before waiting over nine months. But you really need to go back and listen to those phone conversations, where I was nothing but nice, when I called over the next three months after my cat died, begging for paperwork. I absolutely WAS “hung up on” exactly SEVEN times. And I have witnesses, because I was with my parents every single time. They remembered it more clearly than I did. So this will be my last response to you, because I have been met with nothing but lies. Still no answers, nine months to get an invoice, my mom having to go through the veterinary medical association to get my paperwork, (which was completely ridiculous), no answers to why my cat died to begin with, and getting hung up and talked down to so rudely so many times. So many people warned me, so I will continue to warn everyone else. Everyone told me y’all had a “pick and choose” policy, how you cared about certain furbabies more than others, and how you’re only “in it for the money.” Now I know. There’s nothing I can do to bring my cat back, and I know I will never get a sympathy card, along with no answers, so I’m done here. All I can do is make it a point to warn everyone that owns a furbaby about my experience, so the same thing won’t happen to them, because the truth is, I was warned, as well.

  Sincerely,
  Alyson ********

• Initial Complaint

  11/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We took our dog, Milo, to CVETS on Oakcrest Drive. After waiting in the car for 2.5 hours a female came out and got our dog but refused to let us come in due to his illness being possibly contagious. She brought Milo back out to us and said the doctor would call us to "discuss the plan." I asked how long it would be, and she said it could possibly be up to an eight-hour wait. Milo was coughing really bad. In the notes, it said that Milo had been diagnosed with Kennel Cough at Garners Ferry Animal Hospital, which was not true at all; he had not even been seen for his cough. The notes also said, "also eats a lot of things, wants us to do an x-ray, also not true. I told them my sister's dog had been diagnosed with Kennel Cough and that Milo tends to chew on sticks, pine cones, etc, and we didn't know if the vet might check him for that in case he needed an x-ray. I knew we couldn't wait in the car with a dog for eight hours, so I called my sister's vet, Shandon-Wood Animal Clinic, and they were willing to see Milo within 1.5 hours. We left, and I called CVETS back to see if there was a charge for his visit. We were charged $168.00 which we would like refunded. We went to Shandon-Wood, where he was seen immediately and diagnosed with bronchitis, suspected pneumonia awaiting the radiologist's report.

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  Mrs. *********, I would first like to apologize for the misunderstanding in the relay of information relating to Milo's presenting problem. Our presenting problems come from the appointment information when the Client Service Representative was initially speaking to you for the reason you and Milo were going to be headed to CVETS for treatment. All of our calls are recorded, so I was able to get the exact information that was relayed and I will update the presenting problem section with the appropriate information. I also apologize if you had requested to discuss this matter with management and it had not been dealt with since this is the first I am hearing of any issue. The information that was relayed on the phone conversation was that Milo was a 10 month old Golden Retriever who had been couging really bad. Your sister's dog goes to the same daycare as Milo and was also coughing really bad. Your sister took her pet to the veterinarian who prescribed them an antibiotic and an antinausea medication. You mentioned the virus that is going around but that Milo was vaccinated. You mentioned that Milo also liked to chew on everything and that you would feel better if he had his stomach x-rayed. You stated that you were manipulating his throat and he would cough but then he stopped coughing when you attempted again but seemed to choke himself on the harness that he has and you weren't sure if his trachea was bruised. Before ending the call, we confirmed your primary veterinarian and you said it was Garner's Ferry Animal Hospital- Dr. Hendrix. Upon arrival around 9:15am, we asked that you park and we got your vehicle information and when we had a room available for you, we would get you in one. You and the Client Service Representative seemed to agree with this plan because of the potential risk of other animals and exposure in case anything was infectious. An emergency consent authorization was brought out to you upon arrival asking if you were okay with immediate treatment, if necessary, or if not that an examination would be done and you would be responsible for the $168.00 examination fee. The nurse called you to get a history on Milo at 10:14am and it was relayed that the coughing Milo had resembled Kennel Cough but that he was fully vaccinated. We did vitals on Milo and our doctor did her physical examination some time between then and 11:30am. The doctor attempted to call you at 11:39am to discuss the assessment and plan for Milo, but we were not able to get in touch with you. You had called in a minute later stating that you had been waiting for 2 hours and that you just wanted to pay for what had been done; we relayed that the doctor was attempting to call you guys to discuss plan but then you stated you had left and were able to get in with Shandonwood since we told you that it could be upwards of 8 hours. We do apologize for the extended wait times and do our best to accomodate each patient that comes to our hospital. Patients are prioritized as critical first regardless of the time that they walk in to be seen which can create further delays for more stable cases. Being a young dog who is coughing, we felt it the safest for Milo to stay in your vehicle with you just until we had an exam room open up. Shandon Wood & CVETS' physical exams are essentially the same, with the exception that Shandon Wood was able to perform x-rays and assess a diffinitive diagnosis in order to prescribe treatment. We are happy that Shandon Wood was able to see Milo within a shorter time frame than we were anticipating with caseload at that time and hope that he is doing well. The $168.00 is for the physical exam that was done by our doctor and does not include any diagnostics that would have been recommended. When you called to pay for what we had done, you had mentioned that you wanted an itemized copy of the invoice and medical record so that you could submit them to your Pet Insurance company for reimbursement. Because of this, if you could please call our office and ask for Autumn T****** or email her at ****************** to discuss this matter further. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Experience was not good at all. Took our 5 year old German Shepard Bear in at 12:30am with bloating. X-rays/scans showed GDV which is deadly. I was told that it was imperative they do surgery or he was going to die. The surgery was going to be between $6 and $8,000. We agreed to the surgery. They would not even start until they were paid. We had the money to them before 2:30am. They stated that the surgeon had been called and was on the way. My son and husband stayed in the waiting until around 5:00am and the surgeon never showed up. By the time they did the surgery our sweet boy had been in this condition for right at 7 hours. After surgery he did not recover as we hoped and had to have him put to sleep. We ended up paying them $10,627.00 to basically let him die. With a condition like GDV the surgery needs to be done at least 2 hours from the onset of symptoms. Bear obviously was not important enough for the surgeon to get out of bed and do what needed to be done to save him. I will not stop with just this review. Bear was loved and he loved us. He doesn't have a voice so we will be his voice. We miss him so much.

  Business response

  09/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2022/09/09) */ As Dr. ********** discussed with you during the phone call, treatment on *** began as soon as he was admitted to CVETS. Initially, your family elected for euthanasia, but once the decision was made to go forward with surgery, that process began immediately. Within a short period, *** was placed under anesthesia and a tube passed from his mouth to his stomach to rapidly decompress his extended stomach and remove the life-threatening portion of the GDV disease. Recent research shows that patients can have better outcomes undergoing a period of medical therapy after this decompression (aggressive IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-emetics, and potentially blood products). With the stomach decompressed, immediate surgery is not warranted, and patients are better candidates for anesthesia and allow the stomach additional time to re-vascularize before surgery. This information was all explained to your son (the family member present) during the entire process. Once stabilized, *** was moved to surgery at approximately 7 am and did very well under anesthesia. Unfortunately, over the next 48 hours, he developed a coagulopathy (inability to clot his blood), and once his prognosis became grave, you elected for humane euthanasia. Unfortunately, GDV has a mortality rate of 20-40%, and while some cases do very well, some can succumb to the disease. CVETS follows the most current evidenced basis research in our medical practices, but we can never guarantee results. We understand your grief but blaming a team who worked tirelessly and provided exceptional care for *** is misplaced. We hope you find comfort in the great memories you shared with him.

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son took our dog to Cvet today due to a lump on her right hind leg. Cvet quoted a $200-500 cost for the potential service our dog would need. When they presented the bill it was $1,500. This cost might have made sense if they had actually treated her or looked at the lump. The documentation shows that looking at a pit bull when the dog is an American Bully and there is a difference. They diagnosed her with a reluctance to stand or walk" of course she is reluctant she has a lump on her leg. They also noted she was running a fever when she first arrived. That is most likely it is because the lump is infected, but since they did not examine the area we will not know. They sent her home with Gabapentin and an anti-inflammatory and suggested she lose weight. Her emergency issue was never addressed in any of the documentation they sent home with her.

  Business response

  09/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/08/29) */ Good afternoon Ms. *****, My name is ****** and I am the Customer Service Manager at CVETS. A complaint was brought to our attention and we wanted to have the opportunity to discuss this with you. I reviewed Quinn's record and spoke to the team who were involved in Quinn's care. When a patient comes in through our emergency department and is emergent or urgent, we have a nurse come up and evaluate the patient to see if immediate treatment or action should be taken. An emergency consent authorization was discussed and approved. When approved, this document has a range of $200-500 to be used for the exam and any immediate treatments/diagnostics needed in order to stabilize, provide comfort (ie. pain medication, oxygen, etc.), or be used to identify issues. This is not an exact quote for all treatments but rather a cost range of immediate services should they be needed for a pet needing emergent/urgent care. After the doctor does their physical exam and assessments, they come up with a medical treatment plan and present the estimate for additional services that may be needed. We had a nurse come up to triage ***** and get a brief history from your son. There was a note about there being a lump on the leg on the admission form but a full history is done verbally with your son. During this time, Quinn was breathing heavily and we were informed she hadn't been walking for the past 3 weeks. Quinn attempted to get up but showed exhaustion and laid back down. Because of this, she was taken into our triage/treatment room for us to get her vitals and have a doctor take a look at her. ***** had a fever and the doctor ran bloodwork which came back normal. An estimate was created that included the services we did under the Emergency Consent authorization + services we were recommending to do such as radiographs. Radiographs can show us multiple things such as arthritis, detection of a septic joint, lung disease, bone cancer etc. This estimate totaled $1243.86, but the radiographs were declined. Because further diagnostics were declined for ****** we elected to move forward with outpatient care and send her home with some pain management. The invoice for services totaled $635.03 which included those medications to go home. If ***** continued to have issues, we recommended having her evaluated by a veterinarian again and ideally moving forward with diagnostics to rule out any arthritis or sepsis. As for the lump on the leg, a hygroma is a possibility, which can form pretty quickly in patients who are not very mobile or when there is continuous pressure on those areas. Again, radiographs could help us determine exactly what is going on in that area to be able to treat her or be able to make further diagnostic recommendations. We hope that ***** is feeling better. If she does end up needing further care and you take her to another veterinarian's office, please let us know so that we can forward all records there. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/08/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Nothing that ****** said in the respond was accurate except ***** is over weight. She did not have a breathing problem or difficulty walking. She was not dehydrated as she drinks a lot and urinates frequently. These facts were confirmed by Pets Inc today. In their assessment it is normal for her breed to breath heavy at times. She had no problem walking and no we did not give her any medication. With the exception of the benign lump on her leg and being over weight, the vet at Pets Inc said she had no health problems. At this point I want a refund because I feel CVet took advantage of my son's lack of medical knowledge and scammed him. Again, she went for lump that was never addressed according to the paperwork I have. Even the parts my son refused were not addressing the area we were considered with. I am a master's degree nurse and I know if they truly examined Quinn they would have send the abnormal lump on her leg. A refund is the only way to resolve this. ***** ***** Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2022/09/20) */ Unfortunately CVETS has been unable to resolve the complaint from this client. Additionally Ms. ***** (person making the complaint) was not present during the triage process or the exam. During the verbal triage process the person who brought ***** into the hospital reported that she had not been walking in 3 weeks. An estimate was provided and most of the diagnostics that were recommended were declined. The total invoice was $635, not $1500. A discharge summary was provided to the owner who was present and no concern about the care was noted at that time. At this time CVETS has no further action. Consumer Response /* (4200, 20, 2022/09/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It does not matter who was with the dog at triage. The paperwork indicated the Vet did not look at the large lump on her leg. None of the test that were decline would have been used to determine the status of her leg. You were focused on her respiratory status which the vet at petsinc stated is normal for her breed. If my son said she has been having trouble walking why doesn't your exam indicate you were focused on her legs and hip joints instead of her chest and respiratory status. You need to admit you did not provide appropriate care and refund our money.

• Initial Complaint

  12/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Visited CVETS 12/18/21 was given estimate for $2500-$3300 for my dog Dixie. I went in asking for surgery on her shoulder as she had been attacked by a wild boar hog. The doctor informed me this price was for two nights stay, wound management, medicine, surgically repairing her other smaller wounds that she felt comfortable with on Saturday and Sunday and then her main surgery Monday morning where they may or may not close her wound on the shoulder. The vet tech or her assistant then came in to talk to us and let us know that they shoot high on estimates and there was a good chance we would get money back and that it might really just be $2000. I read over each check box which talked about surgery and procedure etc. and signed it told them to proceed. Fast forward to Monday morning when I am called by the doctor who said she would be doing dixies surgery and was quoted $8,000-$9,000 I informed her I had already received a quote for way less and she said that surgery was not included in that. Upon looking at the itemized quote you can see things listed like PT which I would assume was physical therapy but she was right surgery was not listed. I had been deceived. This is not what we were told. The doctors did all her smaller surgeries like they said but that wasn't listed either so why is it when they get to the main surgery that she was there for they are going to say no that's not what it was for. I asked what my bill was at that moment prior to surgery and she said a little over $4,000 double what I was told! Her red blood cell count was low and so we did a blood transfusion that I approved for $650 after the fact and they would not do the surgery for the original price so I went and picked her up and brought her to my local vet who will be preforming the surgery for $500-$700. The owner of CVETS called me 2 days after I asked to speak to management to let me know he could give me a discount on surgery but not do it for the quoted price. Acknowledging a miscommunication.

  Business response

  03/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2022/01/10) */ ***Document Attached*** Mr. ******* presented his dog Dixie to CVETS on Saturday 12/18/21 with a large and heavily contaminated wound on her right shoulder. She was admitted by Dr. ****** ******* (an emergency veterinarian at CVETS) who recommended open-wound therapy (clipping the hair from around the wound, multiple wound lavages, IV antibiotics, IV fluids and IV pain medication). Provided is a copy of her medical record and plan to continue this therapy on Sunday and then transfer Dixie to a surgeon to evaluate the wound and decide if it should be primarily sutured closed or managed as an open wound long-term, allowing it to heal naturally. Dr. ******* provided a financial estimate for Dixie's care until that Monday, when the surgeon would evaluate Dixie. The provided estimate does not include any anesthesia or mention of any surgical procedure. The 'PT' mentioned by Mr. ******* is a blood test for clotting times, not physical therapy and this was explained to Mr. ******* numerous times. We have discussed the case with all of our staff that were present that day and none of our employees told Mr. ******* that "estimates are for shooting high and there is a good chance you will get money back". Our estimates are made to provide accurate ideas of what planned care will cost and final invoices are usually between the high and low end numbers. Additionally, it would have been impossible for Dr. ******* to make an estimate for Monday's surgical procedure as she clearly stated that the wound may not need surgery and instead be managed open long-term. When Dr. ****** ****** (surgery service) evaluated Dixie on Monday, she recommended a large wound debridement and closure, bacterial culture of wound, drain placement and additional hospitalization/IV antibiotics/IV pain medications, etc. Additionally, Dixie's red blood cell count decreased over Sunday and Dr. ****** also recommended a blood transfusion to make her a better candidate for general anesthesia. She informed Mr. ******* of this change and that the blood transfusion would increase his invoice to $4,400. The client approved the blood transfusion but elected to have Dixie discharged to his primary veterinarian for closure of the wound as he felt it could be completed for a lower price. Prior to discharge, ********* ********* (a surgical technician at CVETS) had numerous conversations with Mr. ******* explaining the change in estimates and the potential plan for Dixie's care. These conversations extended for over an hour in total. It was explained again that the original estimate was for care until that Monday when a surgeon could evaluate Dixie and then a new plan and estimate would be completed. Following discharge Dr. **** **********, a board-certified surgeon and the owner of CVETS, called Mr. ******* and had another hour-long conversation explaining the process once again. At this point, CVETS learned that Mr. ******* had not taken Dixie to his primary veterinarian and was instead managing the wound at home. The following morning, CVETS provided Mr. ******* with a discounted estimate to surgically close the wound. This was not done in any admission of wrong doing, or due to any errors at CVETS, but instead to prevent Dixie from suffering any further at home with a large open wound. Since that time, we have not heard back from Mr. *******.

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