I have been going to the office of Dr. Alfonso Alexander (next to the Hipódromo casino) many times over the past few years after he saved my dog's life. He had diagnosed what no other vet had been able to, and just in the nick of time. He has always been respectful and professional, and his staff is excellent. They seem to truly love animals. Please do not confuse him with Dr. James Alexander, the other half of the Dr. Alexander chain.
Today, I made the mistake of visiting Dr. James Alexander in Chapultapec. I thought they had opened a new office but, beware, it is a completely different doctor, and he is a far cry from a professional (at least in demeanor). I should have ran when I entered for my pre-neuter appointment, and the doctor, who would not accept the proper words "operate" or "castrate," fished, asking me what needed to be removed until I said the word "testicles." I didn't get the joke at first, I just thought he was busy and maybe not as organized as he should be, but all the attendants laughed. I went to him to have my dog neutered, and when I asked that if he do the standard pre-anesthetic blood work (I was willing to pay the extra $$ for my little guy). His response was to make fun of me, letting me know that he was the doctor and that it is not for his clients to investigate online (especially a woman), that we should leave it to the professionals. My dog is a 5yr old Shih Tzu, and while I think it would come out fine, I wanted to be safe. Mind you, when I made the appointment I asked if it was included, they said no, I asked if they had the capability, they said yes, and I said that I would prefer the tests at the extra cost. I did not expect it to be an issue. He said he would take my money, but that it was a waste of his time and my money because he could see that my dog was fine. I mentioned that he had been on medication to strengthen his heart 2 years ago, he listened to the heart and repeated that the dog was fine, but that if the "little girl" (referring to myself, a 35 yr old woman) wants the blood work, he would probably do it. He then asked his assistant to take out a bag of bloody tumors to show me (shock value?) to get his point across, other pets had harder surgeries and they survived without any fancy blood work.
When I told him that I was going to hold off on the neuter to think about it, a very polite "no thanks," he charged me $15. I stepped outside to ask my friend if that was typical, since they knew I wanted to discuss the procedure and had never mentioned that it was considered a consultation. She wasn't sure but, he had listened to the dog's heart, so I went back to pay the fee, at which point he raised it to $20. At that point the doctor came into the reception and proceeded to berate me to his attendants in front of the other patients. I paid the money, told him he was unprofessional and left.
$20 to rid myself of that doctor was a bargain. Never again. read more