VCA Animal Emergency Hospital Southeast

Reviews 3

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T W

Short Version: Listen to me. Please do NOT take your pet here. I was charged $200 to my dogs anal glands expressed. They lied and said they would talk to me before the treatment but never did. When I saw the vet he explained what had ALREADY been done and I was left to foot the bill for devices I never had the opportunity to authorize Long Version: If youre the kind of person that walks into high end stores using phrases like "money is no object" this is your place otherwise AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE. Before I detail my visit I encourage you to review the reviews on Google+. They are much more representative of my visit than the reviews here. Also, I want you to know that I am an animal lover and spare no cost when it comes to MEDICAL NECESSITIES for my pets. Look through my other Yelp reviews. Ive spent $3000 on eye surgery for my pom. It is not about the money. But at this point I might as well be a dog with a bone. I will not stop until these robbers refund me whats due. I took my dog here to have his anal glands expresses. Any groomer will do this for $10 on the high end but since it was a Sunday and they were bothering him I took him to this ATM, I mean vet. I check in with the front desk and am led to the back to a waiting room with my pup. Technician comes in and explains they are taking him to check his vitals. She said they would bring him back and the doctor would be in to see him. Im thinking why do you need to take him out of this room to do vitals? But nonetheless I agreed. Heres, where it goes downhill. About 15 minutes later the doctor returns (alone). He says they expressed the anal glads and gave him an antibiotic shot. Antibiotic shot for what? This is a maintenance procedure thats done anytime you take your dog to be groomed. What the heck did he need an antibiotic shot for? Vet says its "standard" and I knew this visit was not going to end well. That was a clear sign that these folks were liars out to get my money. Antibiotic shots are not standard when anal glands are expressed/ Of course I go to check out and am handed a $200 bill. I blew a gasket and went OFF on the receptionist. I mean I leaned into this poor girl. I asked for the doctor. He was seeing another dog (conveniently). I asked for the number to corporate. She claimed I had to call back and speak to the office manage on Monday. Called the office manger Lisa on Monday who was no help. She took my information and said that someone would call me back. Dr. Klein, the Medical Director, called and basically called me a liar. He said the vet told him that he talked to me before giving my dog any treatment and that the assistance corroborated his story. That was a flat out lie because the assistant was never even in the office when the doctor told me what had already been done. We went around a few times and I realized this guy didnt buy into the "customer is always right" adage. He was going to believe his lying thieving staff members over a patient so upset I was literally crying on the phone. Being crooks and taking advantage of people at their most vulnerable point is bad enough. But these guys take it to a new low by being flat out liars. I dont care how much they say theyre going advise you of cost beforehand or that the vet will be in to talk to you before treatment is administered. They are not being honest. The truth is that once they whisk your pet away to the back you are at their mercy. They are unethical and dishonest swindlers.

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Rachael Farmilette

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. TLDR; they dont care about your pet or its survival. Money is their main concern and they make sure you know it. Only go here if your pet has NO other options. This place is only here for the money and could care less about animals or their health. My 3 month old puppy accidentally got into some antifreeze and transmission fluid left under a truck being worked on in my familys garage. I immediately took him to VCA. Visit charge? $95. Expensive, but whatever. Its a 24 hour facility so I get it. To induce vomiting? $125. This can be easily done with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, but VCA charges $125 for it. Again, whatever. My puppy needed it so I paid for it. After agreeing to pay these charges, the vet (DVM Bevill) informs me, essentially, that she doesnt know what to do for a dog with antifreeze/transmission fluid poisoning and that I need to call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline and pay $65 for a DIFFERENT vet to give a recommendation/treatment plan to the vet at VCA. Why am I paying these people again?? The vet saw me after about 1 1/2 hours of waiting only to tell me that she "wasnt sure" of his prognosis and would need to do a $94 urinalysis and a $206 electrolyte level test to see how his kidneys were functioning. If those tests came back positive or abnormal, he would need an array of other medications, IV treatments, overnight stays, and a dose of Everclear that would total up to be $1,400. When I asked what would likely happen if I declined further treatment, the vet said that she couldnt be sure since the length of time since my puppy had ingested the toxins was unknown...except it wasnt unknown at all and I had TOLD the receptionist that I had caught him in the act and immediately brought him to VCA. Once I told the vet that, her story changed to how rapidly antifreeze absorbs and that any amount of time between ingestion and vomiting could prove fatal for my puppy. She was horrible. She didnt try to console me at all or act understanding about me not having $1,400 to pay for further treatment. She actually asked me when I was crying telling her that I had to decline further treatment due to monetary restrictions: "So you just want to cross your fingers and hope that hes alright?" She was absolutely preying on my emotions trying to squeeze any money she could out of me. These people shouldnt be allowed to work with animals. $$$$ is their only concern and they make sure their customers know it. Side note, the vet also didnt mention any other homeopathic remedies (like activated charcoal to absorb anything in his intestines). She was extremely rude and didnt seem to know much of anything.

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Julian Rodriguez

I had to take my poor Black Jack here last night. Earlier that night I thought he had twisted his leg or something as he was dragging it, however things got really bad fast. He had pooped on himself and lost total control of his lower body. He was in so much pain, I called a vet friend who advised that I gave him some asprin and then bring him to clinic tomorrow. However seeing him suffer was too much, so I googled 24 hour vet and this place came up. When I got to the clinic they took him back and left me to fill paper work, shortly after the vet came in and explained he had a 20% survival rate with treatment. That he was in really bad condition, after a moment talking with my vet friend on the phone I decided it was time to let my dear cat go. I was sitting in the room waiting for the vet to come back for 5 mins and nothing. I walked out of the room and said hello and she was on the computer and the admin stuff were just chatting, I felt ignored. I saw my cat laying there, and asked if I could be with him. The vet asked me "did you decide? I said yes, I want to euthanize him but would like to have him sedated first, but she said its ok the final medicine will do that anyway. I spoke with my vet friend who said that it was easier on the pet to be sedated, and as I was already at a $200 bill, I really didnt care about paying extra for my 9 year old cat to die with some comfort. But whilst going back and forth he was starting to decline and they basically just straight gave him the lethal injection. The reason for two stars, is that 1) I would have liked to have been there with him during those scary last moments. 2) I have no idea if they even gave him any pain relief (im guessing not as I was not charged!) That should have been the first thing they did, as that condition is extreme pain. 3) The cold demenour of the Dr, never even saw her after the last shot... It was like they were complete robots. The check in lady was nice enough to give me a cat pin, and another nurse took his footprint. That was maybe the only nice touch.