This review is my opinion of my experience, and my best recollection of the events. I would not…read morerecommend this veterinary clinic to anyone after my recent experience with this team.
Because this will be a long review and some might not want to read it all, the short and sweet:
IN MY OPINION, they:
#1 - Charge excessive costs for procedures.
#2 - Have very poor communication and emotional intelligence to understand the experience of the pet and family
#3 - Provide unnecessary testing and pressure to make the most amount of money they can off of the concerned owner.
#4 - Treatment for a misdiagnosis and lack of empathy for the out of pocket money that it cost my family.
#5 - Extremely rude and unsympathetic to my personal situation once I declined their proposed treatment plan.
BOTTOM LINE:
Symptom - 9 year old dog suddenly starts peeing in the house.
Treatment plan at Cudahy vet clinic:
Visit #1 - 300.00+ for first visit and Arthritis meds and rabies vaccination.
Visit #2 - 700.00+ for 2nd sitting visit, Urine, Blood, Heartworm test etc. Police called on me less than 30 min after declining and leaving the office in frustration and not paying my second sitting bill.
Treatment at another neighborhood clinic
Visit #1 - 259.00 First visit, Blood and urine. Complicated diabetic diagnosis. A 3 out of 6 heart murmur.
Out of respect for the good employees, impacted by my negative experience, I will start this off by stating there are some aspects which were exceptional.
#1 - The receptionist was amazing. Kind to me as I was going through it. She might have been the only kind face I saw during this ordeal. I am thankful to her.
As for Mr and Mrs Shampo - yikes. I brought my dog to this clinic, as we have for years. I will admit that I am not the kind of owner that constantly brings my dog to the vet. I come when there is something wrong. Just like I do for myself and the doctor. I do not go just to go. My dog had recently started having accidents in the house, after never having an accident in the house in the 9 years previous.
We wanted blood and urine work, as I thought it was something related to his kidneys. Dr Shampo believed it to be arthritis, or at least he said that is his belief, and sent my wife home with a 300.00 + bill and some arthritis medication. Very interesting diagnosis for a dog peeing in the house, but he is the "expert".
Fast forward a week and my dog is still peeing in the house. This time I decide to take the dog myself. I tell him that I know my dog better than him, respectfully, as I spend all my days with him. I tell him it isn't arthritis, as he pees all day every day on every scent he finds outside, and his leg isn't keeping him from peeing. I want blood and urine checked. They come to me with a list of items that they want to check on my dog, heartworm, blood, urine (withdrawn from his bladder via a procedure), etc. 700.00+ in total costs. Included in this bill is a second office visit charge. Its Christmas, I have kids, and quite honestly, it's a ton of money. My jaw drops, I ask why blood and urine wasn't tested the first time and his answer is that he was trying to spend the least amount of my money as possible. I was angry and in shock at the bill. I state that I feel like they are trying to sell me a car warranty and that I would go to a different vet, and I leave. My dog is going through it and I feel like he is dying, and the vet is trying to treat for arthritis and rule out heart worm? I walk out the door frustrated and call a different vet, in the same area of the city, who is able to not only see my dog, but also complete the blood work and urinalysis for 259.00.
Within 30 minutes of leaving, they have the police calling me and insisting that I come back to pay my bill as they saw me and need to be compensated. They called the POLICE! I am stressed about my dog, left out of frustration, and they got called out trying to rip me off and didn't like it. I came back to the office and paid my bill. I then requested my dogs records and they make me pay an additional 30.00 PER DOG for the records. Needless to say we did not leave on friendly terms. I finally got my records 3-4 days after, which if you ask any other vet in the city, that is almost unheard of, and they do not charge you for the records. They will tell you that those records, they are costs built into the office visit charges.
The other vet, in a matter of an hour, AFTER LISTENING TO ME AS THE OWNER, taking my dog outside and catching his urine manually, determined for 259.00 that the reason my dog is peeing in the house is he has complicated diabetes and needs insulin medication to be treated.
I see many elderly people taking their dogs to this vet and it pains me that they probably do not have the technical skills to read online reviews and as a result will likely continue to be taken advantage of by this vet.