SAGE Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care

Reviews 5

SU

Sunflower Suns

My doctor spoke to Sage clinic prior to me coming in and notified the clinic that my dog had a tumor and we would come in to do an ultrasound, due to our doctors office not having the means to do one, so they referred us to Sage. I was clear when calling in twice, to get pricing and their scheduling procedures, they advised I had to pay $140 to get another doctors visit to examine my dog. (More money down the drain $140 just to walk through the door) I made it clear when I checked in, that I was referred by my doctor to get an ultrasound and she had already spoke to Sage and ran x-rays and blood work. When I arrived I was at the counter filling out paperwork when they took my dog back, without me. I was roomed for 20-30 minutes alone. Then the doctor came in and advised they had drawn blood and did some test....without my consent or knowledge! This doctor advised there wasnt a doctor in to do a (full) ultra sound and suggested we admit our dog (cost $1800 to sleep there for 6 hours waiting for the "doctor that preforms the full ultrasounds" to come in) OTHER option, bring her back tomorrow and repay a visit ($140). (Mind you, theres no blood no vomiting l, no immediate emergency or tragedy) We opted to return and avoid anymore unnecessary cost. I woke up the next day, this was all so overwhelming, that the anger hit me the next day. So I called the manager. She was nice and listened to my complaint. We did end up returning to do the "full" ultrasound and got the bad news that the cancer had spread, and they waived the charge for the actual visit, which they didnt have to do. We paid for tons on meds though. And the topper was that the first doctor suggested we kill our dog! They predicted a few days and shed die! We stopped all meds and Its been three weeks! Shes got a pep in her step, eating, pooping and were loving her as much as possible, before the cancer takes over. Thank you God! All in all- the staff were very nice and professional, but will I come back? Probably not. I need to trust that the doctor thats going to take care of my animals will include me in the loop of choices being made, especially prior to sticking a needle into my animal. They change a cheaper rate after hours. They are professional, nice and caring. Maybe this was a one time or rare incident? (Add 3 stars) Isnt there a law against needling animals without consent? How about letting clients know how much thats going to cost before you run the test? (Minus 2 stars)

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PA

Paulette Sidi

The facility when you enter is pleasant, but the receptionists all lack the bedside manner, kindness, and acknowledgement of the stressful moment that all pet owners need when their pets are in distress. You are made to feel like you are on assembly line with no respect, clear communication provided. You, the customer are made to feel like you have to go out of your way to communicate to them while the receptionists talk to each other as though you are not right in front of them and eat at their desks. Truly unprofessional. They then put you in room and the emergency doctor arrives in with the estimate. Zero bed side manner, zero explanation you have to ask questions to get basic answers as to the treatment plans for their findings. Never smiles, never acknowledges the stressful moment, its all about the money . To top it off the emotional blackmail tactic used to get a customer to pay the treatment fees is disgusting. I am reporting to my vet to the treatment I received from the emergency doctor, Doctor Kollar. I had to pull information from her to try and understand the process. To add to the disgust they put an IV in and took blood from my pet without my consent and I never signed the estimate of charges for this. It was assumed I would proceed with their recommendations. They assumed wrong and when I said I was leaving and not following their recommendations I was told, my pet is suffering. I dont need the emotional blackmail comment made. Its unprofessional, mean, and cruel. We all take responsibility for our pets and getting a 2nd opinion is what I wanted and should not feel guilty of doing. When I went to pay the bill the staff all knew what was going on and made comments at the front desk. I have never been so humiliated. It was already an upsetting moment that your doctor and receptionist team made feel even worse. You had an opportunity to make a client for life and spread the word how great your facility is and all you did was the exact opposite by your unprofessionalism and caring more about the money than the pet!

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RU

Ruben Lemmens

To be lucid my experience was for a complicated procedure and my puppy died. However, in my opinion, and those of multiple other veterinary and medical professionals (mds phds etc) there were numerous errors that may have affected the outcome. The head of the hospital admitted there were errors in communication between the critical care veterinarian and ourselves. However, there was also a lack of communication between the team members that could have contributed to the death of our puppy. In my opinion, its alright to admit if you dont have the capabilities to do a case. You study, communicate with experts and learn. The critical care veterinarian didnt seem to exhibit any of these qualities. We were thoroughly disappointed with the lackluster performance with premium prices. Maybe the dog would have died regardless, but we wanted to give him the best possibility to survive, Sage took away his chances. I wouldnt suggest anyone go to this practice. In complicated cases I would suggest UC David 100% of the time.

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MI

Mithran Gopinathan Menon

I took my cat of 14 years to SAGE after my Vet said that he may not make it due to excessive weight loss from multiple symptoms and not responding to medication (hyperthyroidism, non-regenerative anemia, asthma). The front office was friendly and polite. The nurses were happy and professional. It took us 2 hours to see the doctor but we didnt feel it. The best part is that we got to spend more time with Simba. The doctor was professional and compassionate giving us options. There was no other option but to put him to sleep. They made the process so intimate and respectful with a special quiet room and Simba passed away with my wife and i by his side. We were allowed to stay for a long time in the quiet room to say our final goodbye. Its such a tough job dealing with pets and demanding owners and the staff did it professionally and with respect.

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JA

James Morrin

This place is absolutely amazing! We followed a vet to this practice when our dog was showing signs of a tumor. The vet had saved our dogs life over a year earlier and we knew he would provide the best treatment. Unfortunately our dog was very old and he was diagnosed with cancer. They gave us plenty of options for treatment, but given his age and existing hip problems we opted not to treat it. They respected our decision without question and gave us things to watch for quality of life. A couple of months later we knew it was time and we brought him back to be put to sleep. Sage handled the entire process with respect and dignity! They gave us plenty of time with our dog before and after his passing. When I have an animal that needs emergency treatment Sage will be on the TOP of my list!

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