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| - The Scottsdale Hills Animal Hospital is a nice-looking facility, and the people who work there were very kind. However, throughout the course of our visit, there were some things that we really didn't like. We got a second opinion from another vet clinic in Phoenix because this place left a bad taste in our mouths and, overall, I'm so glad we did because the other clinic was a million times better. We had some major reasons for not liking this place, and we were so happy that the other place we went to proved to us that it's not like this at all vets.
1. We didn't really feel listened to as we were explaining our symptoms. Our normally energetic cat with a huge love of food had quickly become lethargic and had a minimal appetite. He was losing weight. He was drinking a lot and then peeing a lot.
They suggested he might have dental problems, which would mean putting him under to get a good look. They suggested this despite telling us his teeth looked good during the quick oral examination as part of his initial physical exam. No other possible diagnoses were voiced.
At the other vet clinic, the doctor gave a few possibilities but immediately honed in on the possibility of lymphoma and suggested diagnostic options for that. Also she said his teeth looked great--she asked if we cleaned them because they looked so good--and examined his mouth much more closely than they did at SHAH.
2. Despite the discount they offer if you visit them for the first time on a weekday, they're very expensive. We had a blood test done that cost *hundreds* of dollars.
At the other vet, it cost *$80* dollars. That's a ridiculous mark-up.
3. They take away your pet to do procedures. Maybe some pet owners don't like to be around when blood is drawn but in that case they should ask what the owner wants. They didn't give us the option and just took him away to a back room, which we found more upsetting than seeing a blood and urine draw.
At the other clinic, they asked what we wanted and allowed us to stay while it was being done. It felt way less stressful to stay in the same room the whole time with him and know that he was being handled well.
4. They have credit card machines in the examination room. The reasoning for this might be to provide privacy? But it just felt completely awful to do that. An examination room isn't meant to be like the check-out at a grocery store. I don't think I've ever been at a place--vet clinic, auto mechanic, or anyone--who had a credit card machine ready and waiting in the exact same place where they were doing their work.
As you can guess, the other clinic did NOT do this. When I asked for new estimates for different options, they brought them to me in a print-out. I paid at the reception desk.
5. Overall, it felt like their focus was on business, not on pet care. They sent us on our way with no answers or advice, just a hefty bill. They didn't even give us suggestions on how to help with his appetite. It felt like their main concern was charging us for expensive procedures rather than helping our cat.
At the other vet, they tried to help treat the symptoms while we scheduled an ultrasound to get more answers. They offered appetite stimulants and showed us how to give him subcutaneous fluids to help for very small fees. In addition, they fed our cat a little during the examination until he didn't want anymore, they gave us FREE food, and they suggested ways to make food more appetizing if he turned up his nose at it. It really felt like they cared for helping him.
In the end, our cat didn't have dental problems. He had lymphoma with two enlarged kidneys and a massive liver tumor. And although we had to put him down, I'm glad we decided to not return to SHAH and instead found a place that showed concern for us and our cat.
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