ComplaintsforNortheast Veterinary Hospital

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So we are very disappointed in the last 2 visits for our cat. We took her into the vet's office because she was throwing up blood, would not eat and was very lethargic. They ran blood work, labs, x-rays etc. and could not find the root cause. They explained that they could not rule out possibly her getting into something without further blood work. At that point our bill was close to $800.00, we left with several medications for her to be administered. When we left she seemed to get a bit worse, and this time she was having trouble breathing because she her nose was stopped up. They asked us to bring her in for a follow up visit one week afterwards. We returned a week later and she still was not better, only for them to tell us she has an upper respiratory infection, and she needed antibiotics. That cost was another $100. We are extremely disappointed because we feel with all the blood test, lab work and x-rays this was something they should have been able to diagnose while she was there her initial visit. So for one week she was taking unnecessary medication and getting worse without proper medication that she could have been given her last visit. So in all we spent close to $900 for what would have been a $100 visit. After todays visit she is just declining, they dont even do a thorough exam today and just said our pet was fine. Now she is struggling to breathe and use the bathroom, she is worse off and this clinic still hasnt assisted in getting her well, they just keep charging for visits and medicine without properly diagnosing her.

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  **************,
  
  Cheddar was seen emergently for vomiting up ***** blood.  Bloodwork and x-rays are considered to be a standard part of work-up to screen for pancreatitis, diabetes, liver/gallbaldder disease, kidney disease and foreign body intestinal obstruction.  Bloodwork showed her platelet count was very low to the point where she was at risk for spontaneous hemorrhage.  Additional diagnostics would be needed to determine the cause of the low platelet count (rodenticide ingestion, coagulopathies, ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal cancer, or autoimmune disease).
  
  She was not showing any signs of an upper respiratory tract infection (fever, sneezing, nasal congestion, oculonasal discharge) at the time of her initial evaluation.
  
  An upper respiratory tract infection would not cause her to be vomiting up blood and likely flared up because she is sick or under stress (similar to cold sores in humans)
  
  If she is no longer vomiting - she is likely responding to the ulcer treatment or the prednisolone for autoimmune disease or inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  It is critically important that her platelet count is rechecked to ensure it is not dropping which can lead to life-threatening internal hemorrhage.  Please let us know where you would like Cheddars records sent for follow-up care.  We hope she is feeling better soon.
  
  *****************, DVM
  Northeast Veterinary Hospital
  **************
  

  
  

  Customer response

  11/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 20813578
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  We feel that the clinic did not do due diligence in properly diagnosing our pet. Despite the thorough examination, the root cause remained elusive, and we were advised to consider additional blood work to rule out any potential ingestion of harmful substances. Our disappointment stems from the belief that, with the extensive diagnostic measures taken during the first visit, the upper respiratory infection should have been identified. This would have spared *******'s unnecessary medications during the week between visits, allowing for more effective and immediate treatment. Regrettably, the cumulative cost of these visits, medications, and procedures amounted to close to $900, far exceeding what we anticipated for what should have been a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan. As responsible pet owners, we value thorough and accurate veterinary care for our beloved companions. We called to follow up with our feedback only to be offered a refund of $54.00, which to us was ridiculous and almost a slap in the face considering the amount we spend for unnecessary medications. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

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