Business ProfileforVCA Animal Hospitals, Inc.

This is in regard to our cat, ***** that was referred to your ER ********* ******* Animal Hospital by our regular vet. On Thursday January 4th, I had an appointment at my regular vet. ***** was given a **ray at our vet they looked at the **ray and advised ***** needed to be seen at ER VCA ********* ******* Animal Hospital, they could not read **ray there was a line on ****** intestines that looked like a blockage. I was given a CD copy of the **ray and paid for **ray at our vet. I proceeded to drive ***** to ********* ******* ER. I came in and advised I had ***** due to a blockage and our vet called ahead of time to let them know I was coming. I waited in the Lobby and I hurried to filled out the papers, so ***** could be admitted. I wrote on the papers ***** was eating Hillls ********* wet food. I was taken to a room with ***** and ***** CD from our vet. ********************************** came in and spoke to me regarding why ***** was here today. I gave her the CD /Xray and advised her I was refereed to this hospital from Quad City. I advised per our vet ***** had a blockage and needed fluids. ***** was taken out of the room and I was given the paperwork regarding the deposit that would be needed for ***** to be admitted. I was told to go to the cashier and pay the deposit that was needed for ***** to be admitted. I left and went home to my house that is 45 minutes away. I received a phone call regarding ***** by *********************** advising ***** was doing okay and was getting fluids, she advised I would receive another call from her around 9-9:30 PM an update on *****. I never received a second phone call Thursday night. On Friday morning I called and left a message for someone to call me regarding an update on *****, I was told the doctors were doing their changing of their rounds and I would receive a phone call later in the morning. I received a phone call, Friday morning around 9:45- 10 am from Doctor ****** advising ***** need an ultrasound to figure out why his numbers are off the charts and his kidney function and make sure no cysts. I agreed on the ultrasound and she advised it would be done in the morning and she would call me back with the results when it was completed. I waited for a call back and received nothing. I called at 1:02 PM on Friday and left a message regarding the results of the ultrasound and find out how ***** was doing. I received a phone call back from Doctor ****** at 3PM advising the ultrasound was not completed and they would be doing it at 3:30 PM and she would call me back at 4:30PM. I received a phone call from her and she said I have good news, ***** has a 80 percent chance of recovery, no cancer and no chronic kidney failure. ****** kidneys on the **rays were enlarged and the ultrasound his kidneys were normal and he would need to stay a few more days to get his numbers down. I was advised he would need a surgery called P/U due to him having crystals in his bladder and he would need to be put on urinary food for the rest of his life. I advised her we had an issue with him eating, he has been really picky and would no longer eat that food. I advised I could mix it with tuna, she advised he would be only able to eat the urinary food without any tuna. Doctor also advised the surgery would be round 5k if a non board registered surgeon did the procedure and if a board certified surgeon did the surgery it would be more money. After this phone call advising ***** had an 80 percent recovery I was relieved, he is the heart of our household and loved him so much. How do you talk about 80 percent recovery and what kind of food he will need and cat needed to be put to sleep the next day? On Saturday morning my husband took the phone call from the doctor and was advised his numbers were not good and he was still getting fluids they were concerned he would go into heart failure if given too many fluids. My husband advised we would come down to see *****, we needed to be there before ****** had another procedure. We hopped in the car, drove down to see *****, we checked in and sat in the waiting room for ***** minutes waiting for Doctor ******* front desk paged her twice. A Uber eats delivery was dropped off at the front desk, was the doctor eating lunch and left us in waiting area?? Finally, a lady came and got us and put us in a room and we waited again for ***** to be brought in. Doctor ****** came in with ***** and asked us if we had any questions? We were so happy to see him we said no. I was taken back when she said, It always happens to the nicest families. I didnt ask what she meant because we were so happy to see ***** but what was that meant? She advised ***** had a blockage and he cleared it himself and she advised that never happens. Doctor ****** said when she brought him in he was sleeping in his litter box, he may smell. Sleeping in his litter box was another red flag that he couldnt go pee, he has never slept in a litter box. I asked if she could bring him so food because I can always get him to eat, she brought in a bowl with dry food. Dry food should not be given with an animal that is dehydrated. I said he will not eat the dry food, he hasnt touched dry food in weeks, her answer was thats what he went for, she left and came back with wet food. On ****** check in papers it asked what kind of food he is on, I wrote wet emergency Hills. ***** would eat sitting on my husbands lap and me holding the bowl. I believe at this point the doctor should have addressed what was going on with ***** not ask us if we had questions, we were paying for emergency services for her to do her job. On his papers that I filled out I advised he will eat the emergency wet Hills wet food. Doctor ****** left and were able to spend time with ***** purring and very happy to see us. Twenty-thirty minutes later a vet tech came into get ***** and said he needed to go back. I never in a million years would have thought that was the last time we would have seen him alive. We were told we need to make another payment before we left, which we did. We got in the car and said we were so happy to see him and how good he looked with the fluids. I called when I got home and asked for *********** and doctor notes to be emailed to me. Once I saw *********** numbers were off the charts that was not a good sign. I honestly was concerned how doctor ****** could have advised ***** had 80 percent chance of recovery. This was a red flag for me giving us false hope. We received a phone call Saturday evening, Doctor ****** said she was sorry, when I answered the phone, she advised ***** was blocked and needed to be put to sleep. I was very upset and crying, I asked if there was anything else they could do for him and to call us back in 15 minutes. My husband and I were very upset, Doctor **** called back and advised there was nothing else they could do, he needed to be put to sleep. We ******* minutes away and we did not take the phone call very well. Why didnt ***** have a catheter and pain meds when they were well aware he had crystals in his bladder with 2 **rays and an ultrasound?? Why was I advised he did not have cancer and his kidneys looked normal in ultrasound and enlarged on 2 **rays?? We thought we took ***** to a place where he would be well taken care of and had been told honestly what the outcome ***** would have had. I believe we were given false hope that we would recover/ all about the money. If ***** would have received the ultrasound when doctor advised it would be Friday morning and had a catheter with pain medicine, would ***** be alive today? Why wasnt ultrasound done when she advised Friday morning?? Did ***** only have dry food and refused to eat and suffer because no one was smart enough to think he could get blocked again after an ultrasound and two **rays that showed crystals in his bladder?? My heart hurts knowing our pet suffered at your facility. We paid for ********* services 4K and your facility failed ***** and our family. I hope no other family has to live with this nightmare for the rest of their lives. I look back and wished we would have taken ***** home on the day we went and saw him, he probably would be alive today at a caring facility. Your facility is all about the money, the family pet should come first. We *************** everyday, he was only 3 years old. If any cat deserved to be in heaven, it would be ***** he was one of kind. It has been very sad without him, we thought he would be here for another ***** years. We are very disappointed by the lack of honest communication from your facility. We paid for ER services and received poor service for our beloved *****. Our pet should have been treated like it was one of your own. Giant ER 4k bill and we lost our beloved cat.