It's very painful for me to recount my experience with Dr. Mayo of Pender Vet, Manassas, but I have wanted to since it happened. I will never forgive myself for trusting him to her care.
Thumbs started losing weight. I usually go to Pender Vet in Fairfax but this time I went to the Manassas location because I could get an appointment sooner. First of all I concur with D.S., here on Yelp, who complained that the intake process was worthless because everything that she/he had told the Vet Tech had to be repeated to the Vet!? But I would add that some things seem to have been reported exactly the opposite of what I had said! For example, their notes on him said that he had diarrhea SINCE he had been adopted about a year ago - and that was not true! I had never said that!?
I was given an estimate of $403.17:
$70 - exam, Drontal - $28.17, $79 - FELV & FIV blood tests, Idexx Senior Profile - Standard CBC - $226. I questioned the need for the FELV/FIV test as he had been tested at the shelter, and I pointed out that he was only about 5 yrs and was not a Senior. I also explained that I was unemployed because of the pandemic and asked if there was anything they could do because of that, and I explained that he was a Rescued cat that I planned to rehome, so that if they knew of any rescues that could help with him, I would consider turning him over to them. I left that day without getting the Senior bloodwork but did get everything else and I was to call back after a certain amount of time if he wasn't getting any better. Meanwhile I got the results of the FELV/FIV test - which was negative. I let them know that I wasn't happy about having had to pay for the FELV/FIV test when I had told them he had been tested and was negative and I asked about getting that $79 refunded - but I had trouble with the doctor returning my calls.
When I finally did speak to her she did not agree with my request for a $79 refund. I told her that I had decided to get the bloodwork even though I couldn't really afford it and wanted to make an appointment for that. Then she told me that she had "remembered" that she herself had a Rescue there, through the clinic, that could take him in. So I made an appointment to take him to get the bloodwork for the next day. I had been hand feeding him and I took some of the things I was feeding him that he really liked with me. She came out with a form to transfer ownership of him to the Pender Vet Center Manassas. Even though I had decided I would pay for that bloodwork, I thought it would be better for him to be taken in by her Rescue as he could then get whatever other things he might need to help him get better - so I signed the paper and handed him to Dr Mayo. She said she would call me that day to let me know how the blood work turned out.
That evening I received a phone message from her saying she hadn't had time to call me that afternoon but that there were some abnormalities. She said that his kidneys were ok but his liver wasn't great and that there was no specific test for FIP but she thought that's probably what he had and that she was going to "euthanize" him and probably wouldn't wait till the next day but would do it that evening.
I immediately called back - and she had already "euthanized" him!?
She did not know what he had and even if it was FIP, there are treatments for that!? Plus that's a highly transmissible disease and she knows I have other cats - and none of them were sick!? Plus she killed him without talking to me first - knowing how I felt- probably because she had the paper I had signed - but I had only done that believing that was the best way for him to get all the medical care needed to help him. Unfortunately what Dr Mayo did was the exact opposite!
She did not really know what was wrong with him and I believe that she decided it was too much trouble to care for him - probably mostly because he needed to be fed. Like maybe it was near the end of the day and she realized someone had to hand feed him and she didn't want to take him home but couldn't leave him there alone - so she made a decision to end his life.
I know she will never admit it but I do not believe he had to be euthanized! He had been in my care up until that day and I know that even though I was assist feeding him - he wanted to eat!
After telling me she/they would do all they could to treat him and then try to find him a home and if a home wasn't found he could live there at the vet center - she did nothing at all for him! She did what was easiest for her. I felt betrayed. To this day I feel as though I was kicked hard in the stomach.
And please remember that she was telling someone with other cats that it was probably FIP - a very transmissible disease!? I think that's irresponsible!
I regret it has taken me a while to write about this, but again, even to this day, it pains me terribly to think about all of this! I'm so sorry to Thumbs!
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