Our experience at this clinic was very unpleasant, and unfortunately, we cannot recommend it…read more
Before our appointment, we called to confirm the prices for the heartworm prevention injections. We even provided the weight of our dogs so we could be sure of what we would be paying. We were told that the injection for one dog would cost $45 and that the injection for our larger dog, who we said weighed 65 pounds, would cost $90. However, when we arrived, we were told that his injection would cost $103, even though he actually weighs around 62 pounds. When we explained that we had already confirmed the price over the phone, there was no willingness to honor the information we had been given or to provide a clear solution. We were simply told that the people authorized to make that decision were not available.
Something similar happened when we asked about deworming. One of the employees told us that it should not cost more than approximately $8, but when it was time to pay, the price was higher than what we had been told. For us, this is not simply about spending more or less money. We fully understand that properly caring for our pets comes with a cost, and we make every effort to keep them up to date with everything they need. What we expect is transparency and clear, consistent pricing from the beginning.
In addition, we were initially told that our dogs were due for certain vaccines according to the records the clinic had on file, but that information was not up to date. We had to provide our own records to clarify that those vaccines were not due at that time.
The most concerning part of our experience was how the blood draws were handled. Our dog was naturally nervous about being at a veterinary clinic. During the procedure, he was held very firmly, and when they attempted to collect the blood sample, he cried out in pain. There were several attempts because they were unable to obtain enough blood. During the process, the syringe and other materials were repeatedly dropped, they had to change needles, puncture the same leg again, and later use another leg. At one point, his leg was visibly covered with blood while he was still being restrained.
Our other dog also needed to have blood drawn. She has been through veterinary procedures many times and normally gets nervous, but she has never cried out during a blood draw. This time, she also cried out in pain. Seeing both of our dogs react this way, combined with the multiple attempts and the way the procedure was being handled, made us extremely uncomfortable and concerned about how our pets were being treated.
At that point, I asked whether they were sure they knew what they were doing, because I was watching our dogs suffer and the procedure appeared disorganized. Our concern as pet owners should not be confused with an intention to be rude to the staff. When you see your pet crying in pain, bleeding, and being punctured repeatedly, it is completely reasonable to ask what is happening.
At the end of the visit, we requested copies of the invoices and certificates, documents that we normally have to ask for. The certificate we received was so faint that it was barely readable, apparently because the printer was running out of ink.
Even details of the environment contributed to the poor experience. The area is very narrow, and while we were there, an employee passed through carrying a large bag of trash. He asked me to move so he could pass, but as he went by, he ended up hitting me with the bag.
We do not expect a veterinary clinic to be perfect, nor do we expect animals to never become nervous. We are also not questioning the fact that veterinary services come with a cost. What we do expect is accurate information, clear pricing, organization, readable documentation, and above all, careful and professional handling of our pets.
We left the clinic extremely uncomfortable with the entire experience. After what happened, we better understand why other people have expressed similar concerns in their reviews. We are simply describing exactly what we experienced.
