Disappointed by the constant upselling and pressure... this place is an expensive money grab…read more
unfortunately, our experiences have become increasingly frustrating. Almost every time we come in, we leave feeling pressured into additional tests, medications, procedures, or services we did not originally come in for. It increasingly feels more like a sales process than a veterinary experience focused on our pets' needs.
We are routinely presented with one thing after another, and the way these recommendations are communicated can make you feel guilty or irresponsible for questioning whether everything is actually necessary. Almost every visit ends up costing hundreds more than we anticipated. We also seem to have a different doctor almost every time, making it difficult to have any continuity of care.
We were even told we needed to see a pet nutritionist if we planned to feed our dogs anything other than kibble after I explained that we feed them a raw food diet.
Recently,
We originally came in because we wanted our dog's teeth cleaned and his nails trimmed. They had a "deal" going on, but once you discuss all of the required steps and additional charges, it hardly feels like a deal. In fact, the total would have cost us more than what I had been quoted by other facilities.
We were told blood work was required beforehand, so we came in for that. They were unable to complete what we needed because our dog would not cooperate without sedation. We were told to go home, give him multiple medications to make him loopy, and bring him back to try again--while being charged for the medications and that visit.
I specifically explained that we had already tried this approach before and it had not worked. I asked why we couldn't simply proceed with sedation since we already knew the medication protocol wasn't effective for him. I was told it was "protocol," so we followed their instructions. We went home, gave him the medications, brought him back--and, exactly as I expected, it didn't work.
This had actually been attempted before as well, and we were charged for the "attempt" plus another visit fee.
We were then told to try an even higher dose and additional medications and come back again. At that point, I declined. I wasn't willing to spend my entire week making repeated trips to the vet, especially when I had already told them this approach didn't work, while continuing to accumulate more fees. Eventually, they agreed to sedation so they could complete the blood work and nail trim.
Then came the blood work.
I received a very lengthy email explaining everything they found "alarming" and recommending additional testing and next steps. There was no cost estimate for the recommended testing, and the actual blood work results weren't even attached. I had to specifically request them, and even then I had to follow up days later before finally receiving my own dog's results.
For an establishment that is so persistent about getting you to do more and calling repeatedly, they certainly weren't in much of a hurry to send me something I had specifically requested--my dog's medical records.
I ultimately shared the blood work with several veterinarian friends for another perspective. They were not particularly concerned by the results and felt the recommendations being made were much more aggressive than what they would have recommended based on the results. They also felt there were other steps that could be taken before proceeding with the more extreme recommendations being suggested.
That experience unfortunately confirmed something I have felt for a long time: I no longer feel confident that recommendations are being made with my pet's best interest as the primary consideration. I constantly feel pressured to do more, test more, medicate more--and ultimately spend more.
The communication during this visit was also excessive. The doctor called me back-to-back-to-back when I didn't answer the first call. I understand wanting to reach a client, but repeatedly calling someone who simply isn't available felt excessive and unprofessional.
On our first day meeting this doctor, he immediately walked in and said, "Hi, I know you denied XYZ vaccines today. I want to educate you," and proceeded to explain why I needed to do them. I had to explain that we were there for something else and that those were things we could address in a couple of months. Again, it felt like the focus was on adding services rather than simply addressing why we were there.
I don't have an issue with a veterinarian recommending additional testing when it is genuinely warranted. What I have an issue with is feeling pressured into a growing list of services and made to feel irresponsible for questioning them.
As a pet owner, I should be able to ask questions, understand why something is being recommended, know what it will cost, and receive my pet's results without having to repeatedly ask for them.