Mismanaged.
I worked with the vets though a shared client who needed me to provide pet taxi duties with a several decade client of theirs, and the vets are great. They're experienced specifically in reproductive and neonate care and the dog I tried to go through them with for OFA X-rays was c-section born, in my care, 2 years ago, but the owner of my girl's mother and my boy's mother and other dogs, the owner managed all the appointments, even if I was the face. my puppy's birthing vet was still there today, and for that reason, this review hurts extra.
but I'm glad the receptionist was so rude today... and I opted to not leave my highly trained, but super sensitive dog there all day today.
The pre procedure appointment was performed about 80 minutes after our appointment time, with no updates from any of the staff, with dogs screaming in the back of the clinic for the entire duration of our wait. my girl and I were both fried by the time the vet came in, and he seemed young and freshly educated, but competent, even if I felt that he refused to see me and my current knowledge base (I've been working with dogs for 30 years, including in vet clinics) while explaining very basic, to me, things (tick Bourne illnesses). I wasn't happy to be told that I'd have to leave my girl there from morning til afternoon, over an hour each way from home, for a procedure (OFA X-rays on a giant dog) that I know to take 25 minutes for most dogs to be anesthetized til they wake up, but I told myself it only happens once.
Went in for the "procedure" today... a mere 2 weeks after the full exam and blood test, with a dog I and my normal vet see as always incredibly healthy outside a trauma injury as a pup.
After waiting for 25 minutes with a dog who was growing more and more anxious, either from the ever barking dogs they ignore in the clinic, or possibly my own frustrations at having a time table to pick up client dogs I thought I'd well overestimated, with a dog who's stress panting in my lap, and was clearly upset when she realized where we were (oddly enough, she's excited to see my normal vet, who literally performed 2 surgeries on her Before she was 4 months old) I left the exam room and told the receptionist, possibly snarkily, I was stressed, that I had to go somewhere, and did she have the forms I could sign. To drop off my dog, into this loud, chaotic environment, for a whole day for a basic set of X-rays.... And the receptionist came back with all sorts of snark, about do I treat my doctors office this way?
Well, I avoid doctors because of that exact elitist attitude, and my regular vet, my alternative vet, even my NYC veterinary opthamologist didn't leave me waiting with no check in from the staff when I came to an appointment made on their supposed availability, and as a pet professional, I do NOT waste my clients' time waiting around for no updates for sometimes over an hour? And this was a basic drop off, so I'd thought... they'd seen the dog for a pre anesthesia exam merely weeks ago. My vets, well known to me for my plethora of pets and fosters, make drop off a 2 minute explanation and form signing ordeal, so apparently I expected, inaccurately, Harmony would be similarly efficient.
In retrospect, the arrogant hourly receptionist making me angry was a good thing... Respecting vets, as I do, I was trying to ignore the stress panting 100 lb girl who sat in my lap and focused on the incessant, ignored barking she'd have had to deal with all day had I left her. I have 14 dogs in my house at the moment as a homestyle boarding situation, and my house is contentedly silent, even though 2 of the guests are brand new to being here. Why? Because anyone skilled with animals of any sort knows stress snowballs, and I train the dogs here to be calm and collected. While still being empthetic with clients, and punctual, whenever humanly possible (2 long waits in 2 visits is absurd).
So thank you, arrogant receptionist, for allowing my anger to leave me not worrying about my dog who gets increasingly stressed at specifically this clinic. Because at the end of the day, it's more important that my dog is safe and not losing her hard earned confidence in a toxic environment. read more
