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| - 05-23-2011
Our just-turned-16-year-old cat started acting listless over the weekend but was drinking and eating regularly. By Monday morning he was definitely getting weaker and threw up the water he had drunk that morning. I phoned our regular vet's office but she was out of town. Their staff recommended Indian School Animal Hospital.
I phoned ISAH and advised the girl that our elderly feline was in distress. I stated I wanted a kidney panel done to see where his values were in order to make a decision about care or euthanasia. I was quoted $53.50 for the office call/exam and $51.50 for the basic kidney blood work. They said we could bring our pet in at 1:30 pm but I asked if they could get him in any earlier as our pet was in obvious distress. I was told we could bring him in at 10:30 am.
Upon arriving at ISAH there were no other customers there and we were told we could take our pet right in to the exam room. A technician came in and weighed our cat, said his temperature was low and breathing irregularly. The tech said he was going to take our pet in the back to put him on a heating pad and give him oxygen. I stated we needed to keep costs down as much as possible.
The vet, Dr. Lori Delac, apparently examined our pet in their back area. She came and spoke with us telling us the obvious, our pet was in critical distress...said she would write up a treatment estimate for us.
After several minutes the technician came in with a long list of diagnostic tests and recommended treatments for a total of $934.00. This included the kidney blood work now of $129.00. I stated I was advised that it was $51.50 to which I was given the explanation that would have been the cost if they sent the blood work out instead of doing it in-house. I said I had advised the girl I had spoken with that this was a critical situation and asked for my cat back. We were left in the exam room for several minutes so I proceeded to go through their back door into the back area to retrieve my pet. The vet then approached me to tell me how critical my pet's condition was...I said I know, that's why we are seeking a vet's help, we will seek help elsewhere and asked for my pet back again. Dr. Delac repeated that my pet was in critical condition, I repeated I know and want my pet back so I can seek help elsewhere. Dr. Delac still refused to return my pet and gave me a card for an emergency clinic which I threw into the garbage can again requesting my pet back. The tech came and told us they were charging us for the office call and oxygen, I reminded the tech I did not authorize the oxygen. The tech wanted us to go to the desk to make the payment. Again, I requested my pet back before making any payments. They finally brought our now further distressed pet to us and we paid the bill for the office call as the vet had apparently taken off the oxygen charge.
We got into our car and I phoned another vet's office on our way home. They said they could see him right now, took some basic info over the phone and we arrived at their facility while still on the call. They took us right in, the vet immediately examined our pet and told us the obvious...that running diagnostic tests would not change the fact our pet was in critical condition and she recommended euthanasia to which we consented.
Prior to our arrival at ISAH the staff had been made aware of the serious condition of our pet and did not provide us with the proper information regarding the kidney panel blood test. Once Dr. Delac examined our pet, it was obvious as the second vet stated, that our pet was in trouble and should have given the same prognosis as the second vet had...that diagnostic testing and treatment would not improve his condition...and recommend euthanasia. The main objective of ISAH was to play upon our emotions and to give us false hope through recommending tests and services that were obviously not going to change the fact our pet was dying. Instead, the whole ISAH experience severely increased our pet's stress and pain during his last minutes of life.
Some additional notes: The whole facility reeked of urine and feces upon arrival. The tech had taken our pet's temperature with an anal thermometer instead of the more current method in the ear. When he removed the un-covered thermometer he swiped it with some type of gauze and placed it back into the drawer without further cleaning/sterilization.
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