Gambrills Veterinary Center

Reviews 3

JI

Jimmy John

The Gambrills Veterinary Center (GVC) systematically failed at providing care and treatment for my dog’s UTI infection which cost us time, over $1100, and my dog’s well-being. Over the THREE months of treatment for the UTI infection, I have personally experienced failed communications, poor treatment, bait and switch charges, and uncleanly conditions. My dog is still not cured and the veterinarians don’t have an explanation for the continued problems. I will be finding another vet in the area and submitting a complaint to the Better Business Bureau and the Maryland Veterinary Board for their inconsistent fees and questionable practices. Below I have outlined in detail my experience with GVC that has brought me this position. I recently moved to the Gambrills area for a new job. Prior to moving, my dog had been diagnosed with a UTI infection and we had already performed treatment: a 14 day round of antibiotics, a urinalysis and lab analysis of the specific bacterial infection, and a 6 week round of antibiotics. After the 6 weeks of antibiotic, we began seeing the veterinarians at GVC. My first visit consisted of an urinalysis via free catch to identify if the UTI infection was gone. Free catch is a way of collecting urine whereby the urine is naturally excreted by the pet and caught in the process of disposal. GVC can do urinalysis in house so they can provide immediate treatment. The result came back with normal with no signs of bacterial infection. However, the vet saw that my dog’s protein levels were a little high so the vet was still concerned. We were told to come back in a month to do another urinalysis. One month later, we returned and had another urinalysis performed using the free catch approach. The bacteria levels came back high thus another UTI. My dog had no symptoms of a problem. The doctor did not know what it could be if we weren’t seeing symptoms. I was told that it might be kidney stones so they took an x-ray of my dog’s bladder and kidneys. No stones were found. The vet was concerned that the free catch approach may have tainted the analysis by adding bacteria not present in the urine. This was because the results were just outside normal. The vet decided to do a culture grow letting the urine sit for a few days to see if the bacteria would grow. Unfortunately, the urine extraction could not be done at the same visit and I had to return in 5 days for urine extraction. I called two other vets to ask about the free catch procedure. Both vets said that doing a free catch after identifying/treating a UTI will not provide in the type of critical and precise information we needed to address the problem. GVC should have been performing urine extraction directly from the bladder for all the urinalysis. Furthermore, the doctors did not provide other care procedures to help eliminate potential causes of the UTI. I had to look online to find out that aging dogs may have leakage which can cause recurrent UTIs. This can be addressed from cleanings after bowel movements and vitamins. This information was not provided nor hinted at by GVC. Days later, we returned to have urine extracted for the culture grow. Two days after, we received a call stating that the bacteria did grow and they were going to send out the culture for bacterial analysis. The intent was to give us more medicine to treat the specific bacteria in the UTI. The results came back the same exact (and most common) UTI infection we previously had, ECOLI. The doctors prescribed a different antibiotic this time for a 14 day treatment. They informed use to return 7 days after the antibiotic for another urinalysis. I asked how much that visit would cost. I was told $150. I asked what would be the list itemized charges. The assistant to me I would only need to do a urine extraction and grow and not see the doctor so it would actually only be $100. We returned and incurred a $250 charge. Due to character constraints I need to wrap up. We are no longer going to GVC.

KE

Kelli C

We have been going to the GVC for a little over a year. In our experience, GVC routinely brings up tests, blood work and labs during every office visit no matter how routine. The way the information is presented is as if this is needed today, right this minute and youre put on the spot to make a decision in that second and in a tone that is judgmental if you dont jump and pay for the tests right then. Their prices are absolutely ridiculous and this is coming from several friends who have lived in Maryland for many, many years and from those who have actually worked at vets offices. While Maryland is known to have a high cost of living and everything here is ridiculously expensive, even by THAT standard, GVC is out of bounds. They are preying upon good owners fears, making them feel as if every test under the sun is needed. In a GOOD veterinarians office, they proactively plan ahead and give owners a heads up. They provide education, quotes and give owners time to consider the options. At GVC, there is no quote given, no planning things out with the owner such that they may make financial plans, no consideration given that people cant just come in and throw down $1000 unexpectedly. You come in for a routine ear infection (something pretty common in dogs) and you walk out having been tested for other things and paying $200 or more. Every.single.time. They are over-charging people BIG TIME. They have to pay for that pretty building somehow, right? We are not cheapskate owners who dont want to spend money on our dogs. In fact, weve spent quite a lot on them through the years. But up until moving here a year ago, our former vet let us know we only needed to bring them in once a year for their health exam and *gasp* they actually did the vaccinations at the same time so owners wouldnt have to make a 2nd costly office visit! Imagine that, a veterinarians office that actually thinks about owners finances. Our one dog is prone to ear infections & so we would go once or twice a year for that. We were always out the door for no more than about $118 and that was WITH medicine. GVC wanted to charge me almost $80 for one medicine the other day. I will never go there again and if youre wise, you wont either. While Im sure their vets on staff care about the animals, unfortunately, its clear they work for a money-hungry, greedy person.

DE

Deserae Simoni

I was nothing but a debit card to these people. I brought my cat in multiple times for simple things such as her shots, flea prevention medication, and an eye infection that she had. The main doctor (whos name I have since forgot) was very rude to my cat and treated her almost like a stuffed animal. When he showed me how to put eye drops in her eyes, he held her down with such force that she started to cry, and my cat barely ever meows at all. when he took her temperature, he messed it up somehow the first time and had to do it again. He was always recommending that I purchase the most expensive medications for my cat, even thought I argued that there were cheaper alternatives that had equal reviews and ratings. Also, for one of my cats shots, it had to be split up a few weeks a part, dose one and two. I was explained when I went to pay after the first dose that I was going to be paying for both visits, for dose one and two and the visit fee itself. I was fine with that. I paid, but then on the second visit for the second shot, when I went to check her out, the woman at the front desk told me I had a bill to pay, when I said that she was wrong because I had payed before, she told me that I must have misunderstood and that I had only paid in advance for just the appointment, not the shot. I again responded that she was wrong, and said that I had been charged almost $300 the last time I was in, and demanded to see a copy of the receipt as I did not have it on me. after several minutes of her searching in her computer, she printed a sheet that just said I owed them just over $100 for the shot AND the appointment, which she said I had already paid for. When I asked about that, she didnt have an answer and said, "all I know is that you owe this much and you cant leave until you pay it." I paid, and before I left told her to take me out of their records because I was NEVER going to go back to that TERRIBLE vet clinic.