ComplaintsforAdvanced Veterinary Care Center

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Trans 12/29/23 We were referred to Advanced Veterinary Care by our usual Vet at ***********************. They received us after several hours in their waiting room. My dog had been previous examined at Balasky separately, her paperwork was sent to Advanced Care-so diagnosis etc. was not necessary. (Kidney failure). They reviewed the paperwork from *******, put a hold on my card of over $4600, stating they didn't know what would need to be done, but that they would put my dog on an IV with observation (which they specified would be needed or they would not provide any care to my dying dog). I wasn't provided any transparency on how dire the state of my dog's condition was, but I was told I could return in the morning to see if there was improvement. I returned the next day (the dog was brought out to me) and I was told that her vitals were improving, though she did not look well. I left and showed her chart to a Vet I trust who resides out of state. She stated that they should have told me upon arrival that my dog was dying and that the human thing to do would have been to euthanize. I picked my dog up the next morning (less than 40 hours after her admittance) and was presented with a bill exceeding $4k with a long list of charges and services that seemed far beyond reason for the care she received (next to nothing). We were treated with complete indifference throughout the process by all employees, and upon being presented with the bill we asked who we could speak to. They shooed us out, saying that the Financial Manager of the office was not there, but we could call for more details. We were then given the run around for weeks. The financial manager (who I had never spoken to) went so far as to lie to my husband on the phone and state that they DID tell me to euthanize upon arrival and that I instead insisted they do all life prolonging measures. We tried to dispute some of the charges, they fought me. We hoped to work something out, seems like we were scammed.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  BBB,

  This is the first email I received from your organization or I would have responded sooner. This client continues to insist on an inaccurate account of her experience at our animal hospital. Furthermore, she has already attempted and failed to receive a refund through her credit card company, and she wrote an inaccurate and defamatory ****** review. She also sent multiple email correspondences which included a statement about coming back to our hospital if she did not get satisfaction, which we took as a threat to the safety of our staff. She was referred to our facility by her family veterinarian specifically because they were concerned that the dog had a very serious medical condition (kidney failure) for which intensive testing and treatment were needed. An assessment, medical plan, guarded prognosis, and a detailed itemized good faith financial estimate were provided for review and the client was given multiple opportunities to ask any and all medical and financial questions. The client then gave informed consent to all of the treatment and all of the associated expenses before any services were provided or any expenses were accrued. Her spouse subsequently called complaining about the costs of care after she had given consent. The day after the pet was admitted, it seemed that the client had finally understood the gravity of the situation and prognosis and opted to have the pet discharged. I reviewed the medical record and spoke with the attending doctors and staff, in addition to reviewing the financial records. I could find no impropriety or support for the client's complaints. Multiple members of my team spoke with this client during and after her pet's stay in the hospital, including myself. From what I could tell, the owner simply did not understand that she was referred to our specialty/emergency hospital for a reason, specifically because her pet was seriously ill. My manager and I both did our best to work through the client's concerns in an amicable fashion. Had there been any substance to the client's claims, I would have offered a settlement.

  Sincerely,

  ************* VMD DACVIM

  Medical Director - Advanced Veterinary Care Center

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩