Happy Tails Veterinary Emergency Clinic

Reviews 3

AN

Anne Smith

I took my cat to a M-F, 9-5 vetrinarian yesterday, because he cat had undergone sudden and severe behavior changes and stopped eating and drinking. Squeaker had a history of chronic kidney insufficiency but nothing that needed aggressive treatment. His BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus were off the charts, and the vet told me that he was in acute renal failure and should be hospitalized for at least 3 days with IV fluids (at $150 to $200 per day at this clinic, which would be considerably less expensive than at an emergency clinic), or I might consider euthanasia since he was very uncomfortable. She said that the hospitalization and IV stuff had maybe a 50% chance of giving him a few more comfortable months based on his bloodwork and a very slim change of giving him another year. I was too emotional to make the decision and asked her if there were any other options for the short term, so I could take him home and have some time with him. She sent us home with mirtazapine (appetite stimulant), reglan (nausea medication) and an aggressive sub-cutaneous fluid injection plan for the weekend to buy me some time before making a decision on Tuesday. He got 300 ml of fluids and his first doses of mirtazapine and reglan at around 4:00. When we got home, he seemed much better and ate and drank voraciously. By 7 pm he was moving around incessantly like he couldnt get comfortable, hyperactive, meowing at me (never done this before), unbalanced and not quite making it when he tried to jump on things. Having just gotten his terminal diagnosis and then seeing him like this, I was freaking out about these medications and called Happy Tails to see if they could do anything about the side effects if I brought him in. I relayed all of this to a tech who told me that his behavior was not due to the medications. The stress of the visit to the vet had exacerbated his kidney failure, he was in pain and I should bring him in right away for euthanasia or hospitalization. I asked her if she was absolutely sure or if there was a possibility that it was the medications, and she said that she was absolutely sure that it had nothing to do with the medications, and I needed to bring him in right away. At first I was bawling and frantic about what she said until I realized that it didnt make sense that a tech could have a solid diagnosis without having even seen the cat, so maybe she was wrong. I got in touch with a vet at another emergency clinic, and she told me if was very possibly the medications making him act crazy, and I should just give it a few hours. Squeaker did calm down after a few hours. Hes eating, drinking and doing some of his usual stuff today. Thankfully, that tech was dead wrong. Hopefully its just one unprofessional tech they have at Happy Tails and nothing more, but I got a very bad feeling about this. I hope that this wasnt part of a company culture to generate business and that the owner will see this review and and have a talk with the techs who were working last night. For the public - keep an eye out if you go here.

A

A Private User

I normally do not write reviews for anything, ever - but I saw these reviews after I took my cat there today and I felt obliged to write one. First, I am VERY picky when it comes to where I will take my animals. For the past four years, I have driven over an hour to get to my regular vet for any of my animals because I have yet to find a regular vet that I trust as much since moving to Greensboro. Happy Tails is incredibly clean, very modern, and in a great location. I live very close to Happy Tails, but (luckily for my animals) never had the need to go... until today. I noticed 4 days prior to my visit that my cat had been having trouble with her eye. She had trouble opening her eye and had some discharge, but it seemed to clear up by the end of the day, so I thought she had something in her eye. I left for a few days to attend a wedding out of town. When I got back (at 3pm on a Sunday) she could barely open her eye and had a large amount of discharge. She was also being very affectionate, which is extremely out of character for her, so I knew something was wrong. I probably could have waited until regular business hours and taken her to my regular vet, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Of course, by the time I got her to Happy Tails, her eye was open and there was barely any discharge (beside the point). Contrary to the review by Jeff, I was treated very politely by the staff. Plus, like I said before, my cat is probably one of the least friendly or affectionate cats I have ever met, but the tech that helped me (I cannot remember her name, she had dark curly hair and was wonderful) was so patient and gentle with her. She was also joking with me, very personable, and most importantly, she definitely knew what she was talking about. The staff was very professional and respectful of both myself and my cat, even though it was not a huge emergency. I had to drop my cat off and pick her up a few hours later because the vet that was working, Dr. Oliver, was in surgery. She did, however, call me herself after she had examined my cat and explained everything she found and what to do. Their discharge information was explained well and the tech actually demonstrated how to give the medication to the cat, giving me pointers to make it easier, when I went to pick her up. Long story short: I highly recommend Happy Tails. The staff was nice, the building was clean, and they were open when I needed them. Not to mention, my cat is back to her wide-eyed, standoffish self.

MA

Mary Novelli

I was dog sitting my grand dogs, when suddenly,my daughters silky terrier disappeared for a few minutes in my backyard. When he returned about 3 minutes later, he shook and acted hurt. Then he started throwing up very strange stuff. Not knowing dog throw up, I collected some in a plastic bag,and rushed him over to Happy Tails. They took him back immediately. I felt comfortable knowing that they had their eyes on him. This was not an appointment. It took about an hour, not unexpected for an emergency room, but the vet came in and asked questions about bird seed. We figured out that he got into some homemade bird suet after she looked at the throw up sample. She explained what she thought was the best treatment, and I gave the go ahead. Yes, It cost more than I had planned on spending. Yes, I wish I had insurance for him. Yes, the vets have the same heavy responsibility that human doctors have. Yes, the vets owe $ for vet school tuition, and have high insurance premiums. I know some people want this to be cheaper, but these professionals deserve their money. They save animals lives. Our animals cannot tell us what is ailing them. The dogs and cats cant talk to the vets. The vets have to know a lot to be able to figure out what is wrong with them. It is always hard to spend money on the animals, or the dishwasher, or the car when we dont have it, but the animals are worth every penny for the joy they bring to our lives. The vet, Dr. Kim Toombs-Rappaport was lovely. She answered my questions and gave me a typed sheet that explained everything. The vet tech was gracious and kind. The sweet receptionist offered hot tea, and chocolate. I think most of the people who gave critical reviews are really upset that they do not have the money to pay for the service. They are also upset because their best friends are very sick. I feel for them. Some other people want to get something valuable for nothing, but the world does not work that way. Thank you, Happy Tails, for your valuable service. I would recommend you any time. I want to give a shout-out to my regular vet, Dr. Karen Kennedy, from Guilford Jamestown Vet. She is wonderful.