UPDATE: Unfortunately, I have to update my original review…read more
I initially had a very positive experience with this office when I brought my 9-year-old Yorkie, Chance, in for his dental evaluation and cleaning. I was impressed with the communication, the detailed estimate, and how everything was explained to me beforehand. Unfortunately, after his dental cleaning, I discovered that approximately four teeth on the right side still had a significant amount of tartar buildup, despite Chance having already been under general anesthesia for the procedure.
About two weeks after his cleaning, I noticed the remaining tartar and contacted the office. The manager asked me to bring Chance back in so they could take a look. I also took photos and emailed them to the office. After reviewing the photos, the veterinarian apologized and acknowledged that this was not up to their standards. They agreed that a partial refund was appropriate, which I do appreciate.
They offered a $125 refund, explaining that the cleaning portion of the approximately $1,300 procedure was around $160. They also offered to put Chance under general anesthesia again and complete the cleaning properly at no additional charge.
While I appreciate that they offered to correct the issue, we are not comfortable putting Chance through general anesthesia again simply because the original cleaning was not thorough while he was already under anesthesia. He is 9 years old, and we feel that if he was going to undergo anesthesia for a professional dental cleaning, the expectation was that all of his teeth would be thoroughly evaluated, cleaned, and X-rayed during that procedure.
Because we don't feel comfortable having him anesthetized again, we now have to pay another $185 at another facility that uses a different approach, wrapping him up like a "burrito" and cleaning the tartar above the gumline. It's not the ideal solution, but we would rather do that than put him under anesthesia again. Ultimately, this means we are paying additional money and going through the inconvenience of having his teeth treated a second time when we had already paid approximately $1,300 for his dental procedure.
I completely understand that mistakes happen. We are all human, and I don't expect perfection. What was disappointing to me was that the inconvenience and additional expense this created for us did not feel adequately reflected in the $125 refund. I also had to take time out of my day to bring Chance back to the office so they could confirm what I had already documented in the photos, that there was significant tartar left behind.
I do want to give credit where it is due. The veterinarian apologized, acknowledged that the result was not their standard of care, offered to redo the dental at no charge, and emailed me copies of Chance's dental X-rays when I requested them. I appreciate those things.
However, as a dental hygienist myself, I understand the importance of a thorough cleaning, and as a pet owner, I trusted that Chance's dental procedure would be completed properly the first time. The biggest disappointment is that he went through general anesthesia for a procedure that ultimately wasn't completed as thoroughly as we expected, and now we have to find another way to address the teeth that were missed.
I wanted to update my original review because while our initial experience was very positive, the outcome of Chance's dental procedure and the way the situation was ultimately handled left us disappointed. I hope the office takes this feedback seriously, because I do believe mistakes can happen, but the goal should always be to make the patient, and in this case, the pet and their owner, whole when something goes wrong.
