I was a client of Dr. Budde and Alta Vista Veterinary for years. I think Dr. Budde is smart,…read moreknowledgeable, and a very capable veterinarian. I continued taking my dogs there despite the higher cost because I believed they were receiving good medical care.
Appointments were almost always significantly late, but for years I gave her grace because I could see that she gave each patient her undivided attention rather than rushing. I knew I would want the same if one of my dogs were seriously ill, so I simply accepted that time had little meaning at Alta Vista.
Over time, though, I became increasingly uncomfortable with her demeanor. Owners weren't allowed to accompany their pets into the exam area, and afterward Dr. Budde often discussed medical issues very loudly in the waiting room. Conversations could become lengthy lectures that felt more like being scolded than advised. She also tended to overshare about her own life, which wouldn't bother me except when everyone's appointments were already running very late. The staff also seemed progressively more unhappy.
My final visit was almost a year ago. I waited to write this until my dogs were fully established elsewhere.
The previous year, I had specifically pointed out a couple of tiny, temporary bumps on my dog. They would basically pop up and be gone in a couple of weeks, like a little hard pimple. Dr. Budde essentially called me a helicopter dog mom, said dogs, particularly this breed, commonly get little bumps, and told me to "calm down."(All I did was mention it during intake.) She suggested applying an Epsom salt-soaked washcloth and said unless they became larger or burst, they weren't something to worry about.
A year later, my dog had one small bump at her annual exam. Based on those instructions, I didn't mention it.
My appointment was at 10:00 a.m. At approximately 11:15, a tech finally took my dog into the back. Other waiting clients eventually left and rescheduled. My dog remained back there far longer than usual, and when I asked the front desk what was happening, I essentially got a shrug.
Shortly after noon, Dr. Budde ARRIVED at the clinic. They took my dog into the back before the veterinarian even arrived, and she didn't show up until 2 hours after my appointment time. Instead of seeing patients immediately, Dr. Budde first had an impromptu staff discussion about the phone system, then talked about where she'd gone to dinner the night before.
My dog was finally returned after being away from me for over an hour. She was agitated and whimpering, which was extremely unlike her.
Dr. Budde then came out and loudly lectured me in the waiting area for not disclosing the bump, suggesting I might have been trying to save money and accusing me of neglecting it. She said she had sliced it off to examine it under the microscope without discussing that with me beforehand. She said everything she saw was fine and that she wouldn't charge for the test, although I now needed to buy ointment because the spot had been cut.
While she was speaking, I looked down at my whimpering dog to see why she was upset. Dr. Budde loudly and in a very snippy voice said, "I am speaking to you. You will look at me when I speak to you, or I can just walk away."
That was the moment I knew I would never return.
The most frustrating part was that I had followed Dr. Budde's own advice from the previous year. I had raised these bumps as a concern and been told I was overreacting. A year later, I was publicly accused of neglect and possibly trying to save money for doing exactly what she'd told me to do.
There was no apology for being more than two hours late or for my dog spending approximately an hour separated from me while we waited for the veterinarian to arrive.
Ironically, she ended by telling me I was doing a good job with my dog and recommending a dental cleaning. She said a dental special was starting the following month and she "would not be mad" if I waited to save money.
I paid the bill and never returned.
I don't question Dr. Budde's intelligence or veterinary knowledge. That's why I stayed as long as I did despite the cost and chronic delays. But excellent medical knowledge doesn't excuse disrespectful treatment, publicly accusing clients of neglect or financial motives, contradicting previous guidance, or performing a procedure on their pet without discussing it first.
I wanted excellent veterinary care, but I also needed a practice where they treated both my dogs and me with respect.
