A Beautiful Facility, a Heartbreaking Day, and 11 Hours of Waiting…read more
We brought our sweet boy, Drake, to Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center because he was having breathing issues. We arrived just before 7 a.m. and were registered as an emergency. We were told he needed a heart scan and that it would take a while because they had other appointments and cases to handle.
Long story short, we were there for 11 hours. We were the first to arrive and, as it turned out, the last to be seen. Throughout those 11 hours, we received only a couple of updates. Communication was definitely not their strong suit, and that made an already stressful and frightening situation even harder.
While we waited, our sweet boy was receiving oxygen and sedation. When you're sitting there worried about your dog, wondering what's happening and whether he's going to be okay, the waiting and lack of communication take an emotional toll.
When they finally performed the heart scan, there wasn't much more they could do for Drake. We were faced with the most heartbreaking decision any pet parent can make: letting our boy go.
I want to give credit where it's due. Dr. Payton was kind, informative, and compassionate. When it came time to say goodbye to Drake, she treated us with kindness and compassion during one of the worst moments of our lives. For that, I am truly grateful.
The facility itself is beautiful and spotless, and most of the staff we encountered were friendly. Those are definite positives.
However, my biggest complaint is that we simply did not feel like a priority. We were told other emergencies had come in and that we would have to wait. Excuse me, what? We brought in our dog because he was having breathing issues, and he was registered as an emergency. I understand that emergency hospitals must triage patients, and some situations may be more critical than others. But waiting 11 hours for the necessary heart scan, with so little communication along the way, was incredibly frustrating and difficult to understand.
When you bring your beloved pet to an emergency hospital, you expect urgency, communication, and some reassurance that your pet's condition is being monitored and taken seriously. We were left waiting far too long with too little information.
Another major frustration I have with emergency veterinary care in general is the enormous financial deposit required up front. When your beloved pet is struggling, the last thing you want is to be worrying about how you're going to pay for treatment. Why aren't there more assistance programs or funding options to help families get their animals the care they need without having to come up with a huge amount of money immediately? I understand that veterinary hospitals have operating costs, but it breaks my heart to think about families who may have to make decisions based on finances when their pets need help.
Would I recommend Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center? Yes, in an emergency, I would consider it, and based on my own experiences, I would choose it over MedVet. The facility is impressive, and Dr. Payton showed genuine compassion when we needed it most.
That said, the communication and waiting times need serious improvement. An emergency is already frightening enough without spending 11 hours wondering when someone will be able to help your pet.
At the end of the day, this review isn't just about a hospital or a long wait. It's about our boy, Drake. He was family, he was loved beyond words, and we did everything we could to help him. We are grateful for the kindness Dr. Payton showed us when it was time to say goodbye, but the experience leading up to that moment left us frustrated and disappointed.
Our pets depend on us to advocate for them, and when we bring them to an emergency hospital, we need to feel that someone is advocating for them, too.
Rest easy, our sweet Drake. You will always be loved and never forgotten.
