I've been taking my dogs and cats to Countryside for over 8 years, believing they were a trusted,…read morecaring veterinary office. Until recently, I had only needed routine care--everything seemed fine. But when I had an emergency with my 5-month-old puppy, I learned the hard way where their priorities truly lie.
Before this, my puppy had been diagnosed with entropion (a condition where her eyelids turn inward), and Countryside had scheduled her corrective surgery for April 23rd, when she turned 6 months old. But on April 8th, she developed a painful eye ulcer. Countryside got me in right away, diagnosed the ulcer, prescribed medication, and referred me to a specialist to determine if the ulcer required surgery. That visit cost me $200. That same day, I drove over an hour to a specialist in Cleveland. Using advanced equipment, the specialist examined her eye and determined the ulcer was caused by an eyelash rubbing against it due to her entropion. They confirmed that the entropion surgery was needed, but the eye itself didn't require surgery. Removing the eyelashes causing the irritation was the solution to help her eye heal properly. That visit cost another $300.
The specialist quoted me $4,000 for the surgery, while Countryside had quoted me $1,500 for the same procedure--a huge difference. Since I couldn't afford the specialist's price, I called Countryside to ask if we could move up the surgery date due to my puppy's worsening condition. The surgery was already scheduled with them, and their price was something I could afford. I called daily, waiting for them to get back to me as they promised, saying they would let the doctor know and follow up with me. After several days I was finally told--without explanation--that they were canceling the surgery and advised me to go to the specialist. They refunded my deposit and canceled my appointment.
I sought out another local animal hospital, and the soonest they could see her was April 23rd--the same date Countryside originally scheduled. I had a consult there, they confirmed they could do the surgery, gave me an estimate (less than $1,000), and scheduled her for May 8th, with a spot on their cancellation list. After spending $750 across three different clinics, I finally had a plan.
All three clinics agree on the same thing: surgery is needed to stop the eye irritation so it can heal. The difference is in cost--and who was actually willing to help.
To make matters worse, her condition worsened again on May 1st. The corner of her eye became red, bloody, and began discharging. Her compounded medication (which Countryside had made twice before) was running out on May 3rd. When I called to ask if they could make more, I was told no because I had transferred her records to the new clinic just two days earlier. They said, "Our hands are tied" and claimed they'd "done everything they could." But that's not true. They could've moved up the surgery. They could've refilled her medication. But they chose not to.
Medications provide temporary relief, but they don't fix the root cause--the entropion. Surgery is the only long-term solution, and Countryside left me scrambling to find help elsewhere.
I'm heartbroken and angry. My puppy has been suffering since April 8th. I've done everything I can and made it clear that I couldn't afford the specialist's price. Yet Countryside kept pushing me in that direction and then refused to help further.
When I expressed my frustration, they accused me of being rude and disrespectful. But how would you feel if a vet you trusted for nearly a decade suddenly refused to help your injured puppy without any clear explanation?
As a local business owner myself, I would never treat my customers like this. I used to recommend Countryside to everyone, but not anymore. The true test of care isn't how you treat routine visits--it's how you show up when it matters most. And they didn't.
