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| - Don't go here. It's just not worth it.
I found North Scottsdale Animal Hospital & Dr Josh like most of you, on Yelp. The reviews sounded great so I made an appointment.
The night before her appointment, I found a small, round mass under her fur. I was so thankful we had an appt the following day. This would now be the priority.
The next day, I took her in. Dr Josh took a needle biopsy. I got a call several days later saying it was malignant. The doctor hypothesized that it was the side effect of an old immunization, said it was common, that he did these routine surgeries often, and would need to be removed asap. I panicked and said of course.
I was on vacation so I called my sister and asked if she would take Callie in for the surgery. We would schedule it the day I got home so that I could return and take care of her. She said of course.
I did research and learned that in 20% of these cases, the tumor metastasizes to the lungs. I stressed to my sister to have the vet do a chest xray before the surgery to ensure this was it - that we would catch everything. My sister stressed the point over and over to the clinic and the doctor - in telephone conversations and the day of the surgery. We were told it was a waste of money, that tumors like these "almost never" metastasize.
My sister took Callie to the vet the morning of the surgery and again asked for the xrays. She was told by reception that they would pass it on to the doctor and that if he thought it would be at all helpful that it would be done. He did not so it was not done.
She picked her up. My sister wasn't prepared for the size of the incision, neither of us were. We were told this is a routine surgery, Callie would take a few days to recover, but that it would be nothing serious. This looked serious.
I rushed home from the airport. I got home, Callie didn't even lift her head. The was huge, but what was worse was that Callie had her IV catheter still bandaged and sticking out of her arm. I asked my sister why that was. She didn't know. I asked for the discharge instructions. There were no instructions, no 911 number if I had questions. I called the vet and the recorded message referred me to a 24-hour emergency vet. I rushed there.
That vet said that the IV catheter should not have been left in. It was a portal directly into her body that could expose her to a virus or bacteria. They removed it.
Dr Josh called the next day & apologized. I calmed down. He said they had felt her entire body for more tumors and there were none. He said in 3 months when the fur grew back, it would be like nothing had ever happened. Callie didn't live 3 months. She didn't even live 2 weeks.
Four days after the surgery, she got a cold. The hospital had apparently exposed her to sick animal. I felt awful - my baby was cut up, hurting & now had a cold. One week later, I got home from work to find her stomach convulsing at a different rate from her breath. We were living somewhere else so I got online and found a well-rated vet 12 miles from home. We rushed in.
The vet that night found the tumor in her lung - the one Dr Josh said wasn't there. The tumor was half the size of her heart. I made an appointment with a cancer specialist. The next day, a vet found her paw had multiple abscesses at the nail bed - 10 days after leaving North Scottsdale Animal Hospital! She was an indoor cat. The day after, they did an ultrasound on her stomach. They found a third tumor wrapped around her adrenal gland. There was nothing to be done.
The tumor on her skin was an indication of what was happening inside her body. It was a symptom. Dr Josh had only bothered to acknowledge the symptom leaving the rest to behind to kill her.
We went home and Callie crawled into the closet. I found another tumor under her skin. It was 1.5" from Dr Josh's incision & within the area they had shaved to do the surgery. He had assured me they had checked her entire body & there was nothing. That was a lie.
I said goodbye to Callie 13 days after the surgery performed by Dr Josh. Would she have survived this cancer if Dr Josh had done his job? No. But her quality of life would have been drastically improved & likely extended. The surgery & the cold, took the last of her strength. I could have better informed with more options.
My doctor at my new home said all of these cancers were so rare that no one could have predicted them ... BUT I'm pissed because I know that my cat didn't get (a) the care I specifically requested, nor (b) the care a human would have received given the circumstances. Corners were cut, mistakes were made. There's a great deal of people who love their animals as much I love my cat. We want/need the best possible care for them. The worst case scenario should have been ruled out. I did my homework, I asked for the right tests, and Dr Josh decided not to perform them. He said I was being overly cautious.
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