This is the email I have sent to Aloha Animal Hospital that had referred me to LVVSC for a biopsy for my cat, Trixie -
Dear Dr. Jason,
I need to share my experiences with Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center. It was awful and expensive and I feel I have been ripped off. Please be aware when you refer customers to that establishment.
As you may remember, you had referred us there to have Trixie 'scoped and biopsied' to see what was causing the inflammation in her intestinal tract. I contacted them and made an appointment for what I thought was that procedure. We were seen by a Vet Tech and questioned at length and then advised that we were not there for the procedure but instead were going to meet with their veterinarian for a consultation. We met with Dr. Applegate and she refused to perform the exam you had sent us for until she re-did the blood work and reviewed the ultrasound that I had just had done at Aloha. She told us that if we didn't also go through a 6-8 week hypo-allergenic food trial she would not provide treatment or even consider doing the biopsy that you and I had discussed. The Vet Tech came back with a bill for over $750! When we questioned the cost and why they needed to redo the tests and why the bill to review the ultrasound was so high we got frustration and attitude and told that if we didn't want to pay for their services that was our decision but then they wouldn't be able to help us. Come to find out that when the Vet said she needed to review the ultrasound she really wanted to perform a whole new one which was why we couldn't understand why the fee for that was over $200.
Under the stress of the situation and being upset that we couldn't move forward with the biopsy that we wanted we went ahead and agreed to it. The vet said she was setting an appointment for Thursday morning first thing "just in case Trixie won't eat the new food" but that as long as she was eating she would only need to be seen again in 2-3 weeks. So Monday morning the Vet Tech calls me and I tell her Trixie is eating the new food just fine so we should be able to cancel the Thursday morning appointment. She calls me back and says we don't have a Thursday morning appointment (somehow I am supposed to know that even though the Vet said we would come in Thursday morning at 7:30 and included that in the written instructions that the Thursday appointment was not real unless we took additional steps) and that they do need to see Trixie right away because Dr. Applegate quit and they want to "introduce me to the new Doctor" before Dr. Applegate's last day. They wanted me to come in mid-day while I am supposed to be at work and pay the $150 visit fee again so that I could meet another doctor. Why does that make sense? Since they insisted the new Vet needed to examine Trixie I tried to see if I could do a drop off but was told that the entire purpose for the visit was for their Vet to meet the clients. So they left me a message saying my options were mid-day during the week where they would try to squeeze me in or we could come in on a Saturday a few weeks out.
While I wouldn't say that they don't care about their patients, I would certainly say that they did everything they could to maximize the bill and guilt or threaten us into agreeing to pay it. I don't want anything further to do with that organization. As per our conversation of this afternoon, if we determine we need a biopsy going forward we will have to go the surgical route. We love everyone we have met at Aloha and have always received excellent treatment. We intend to stay with you and refer everyone we can to you!