ComplaintsforPeninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic

• Initial Complaint

  03/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 3/10/2022 our puppy was in critical care and we went to their ER, they diagnosed him and charged us ***** and put him on oral medication even though the dog was unable to swallow, but let alone keep his head up. We took him back three hours later and explained our concerns to Kara the vet who saw sancho, and she spoke to us in a condescending manner and told us he is improving and we should take him home even though we said we believe he should be hospitalized. With no improvement six hours later we took him to another ER. They immediately took him back because he has pneumonia so bad he was turning purple. Our puppy is currently under the other ERs care and has a 50/50 chance of living. The peninsula vet are neglectful and put animals in harms way and they don't care what happens to the animals. They don't listen to your concerns or take the animals symptoms into considerations and they make you feel bad about coming into their practice even when it's their job. These vets need to go back to school and be re-educated because not only did they allow us to take our dying dog home, but they also put him on an antibiotic that would do more harm then good. They're neglectful and dangerous to animals and should be shut down.

  Business response

  04/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/03/29) */ Hospitalization was recommended by two of our clinicians. First the day the pet sitter brought the patient to us, and then again when the owner came back. From Dr.'s notes: "Talked to O about exam, recommend next step hospitalization- can do O2 PRN, IV meds, IV fluids as needed, monitoring, can also check full bloodwork- with or without hospitalization to see if additional problems. There are no additional meds or treatments I can add as outpatient- already on everything I would recommend. O does not want to hospitalize. Discussed continued monitoring at home- all that we can do is wait for prescribed meds to kick in if not hospitalizing. O approved bloodwork only discussed findings consistent with overwhelming infection. recommend hospitalization with IV meds and fluids and O2 therapy O declined. O elected to bring home P tonight to monitor and will recheck if still not improving in the morning." The owner declined hospitalization. Also, when the practice manager contacted her about her concerns this is what occurred: Contact owner regarding her concerns about not being able to get records. I apologized as the CSR was new and was frightened by the altercation. She had been directed by another team member in treatment to have her call management on Monday. I explained to her that I let the entire staff know that records can be faxed or picked by owners as this is a service that was provided for. She said she didn't want to get the new employee in trouble and I thanked her. During our conversation and review of the record she stated Dr. ******** recommended hospitalization but was not adamant. I told her I was confused because her initial complaint was that Dr. ******** didn't recommend hospitalization. She said she said the next step was but didn't keep the dog. I explained that the estimate on file show hospitalization was recommended. Danielle said Dr. ******** stated that it would be **** a night; again showing it was recommended. I told her that we could provide copies of the information to anyone that needed it including the board. We also discussed why she would have transitioned the visit into discharge and not kept the patient here. She said it was our job however without client consent to treatment we are not able to do more. This information is documented in the record. Danielle hung up after roughly 15 minutes of our conversation. All calls are recorded if you would like a copy of the phone conversations. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/03/31) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The manager is making me out to be a liar to cover their mistakes. They did not recommend hospitalization either time. Now she's going back on her story saying both vets recommended hospitalization, which is a lie considering the first time they told us to come pick him at 6 pm and the second time she said "THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE HOSPITALIZATION" she did not say it was adamant he stays there because he's critical and never had us sign anything it was against medical advice to take him home or even informed us of it, she said he was improving, and yes I did know how much it cost because she said it was the next step so I asked how much it cost. If she recommended hospitalization we would've kept him there considering we took him to another ER a couple hours later. It's also concerning she's going off of records, but they failed to release them to us so how do we know what they added considering they failed to release them us? Seems pretty shady to me. Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/04/13) */ ***Document Attached*** Attached is the record for *** ******* pet. Unfortunately by law we cannot keep pet's without owner consent. As seen in the record and discharge instructions the patient was discharged per owner request. If you need copies of the signed paperwork by the owner please give us a fax number as those are in the paper file. Thank you for your help with this matter. The pet sitter brought the patient in during the first visit where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. If you need copies of those records please let us know.

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my Great Dane for emergency surgery on 12/6/2021. The vet showed me in an x ray that my dog had eaten fabric. The first estimate I signed was for ******* low total and ******* high total. When the vet determined that he needed er surgery he then replaced that estimate with a new estimate with the low balance of ********* and the high balance of ********* which I signed. ****** survived the surgery. At no time was I given any notice that my expense would exceed the high balance of ********** I spoke with a female vet and a male vet during his stay. I went to pick him up on 12/8/2021 and was required to pay ********** I let the employee ringing me up know that I did not appreciate that no one told me that it would be more than the ********** Also, my dog had to wait over 10 hours for surgery which is poor service for an emergency situation. The fact that the company charged me excessively is not good business practices and needs to be reported. I appreciate your time and any assistance you can give me on the additional amount that I did not approve of nor was I notified that the cost would be more than the high estimate of ********** I have spoken with an employee who told me she is the office manager. She refused to refund me the portion of money that I was overcharged for the service. I told her that I would be contacting you and making an appointment with my lawyer. I have not met with my lawyer yet hoping you can resolve my dispute. Sincerely, ****** ******

  Business response

  02/09/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2022/01/16) */ Mrs. ****** was contacted by the Director of Operations regarding her concerns for the added cost of surgery for ******* I explained the invoice was higher than the estimate due to the additional surgical intervention that ****** required. Dr. ****** had reviewed with her that ****** had injested 3 materials items and that not only was the material in the stomach but further into the instestines. This in turn created more surgical time, postop treatments, medications to go home, etc. Had Dr. ****** not performed the additional surgical intervention it would have been malpractice. We also discussed the item she was not charged for (additional ******** **** ****** for warming, line block, and additional liter of fluids. We also reviewed the estimate was signed indicating that it may be as much as *** if not higher. She thanked me for calling and asked to have her records emailed over so her primary veterinarian Dr. ******* could review them when ****** goes to get his sutures removed. These were emailed. We would have answered this dispute letter sooner than 1/11/22 however it was not received in the mail until 1/15/22. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/01/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Again, I signed the original estimate that was replaced by an updated invoice once it was determined he needed surgery. At no time did anyone tell me it would cost more than the high estimate on the replacement estimate. The vet told me that he was ready to be picked up on Wednesday when I was told he would need to be transported to another er facility on that Friday, so he was picked up earlier than the vet planned or estimated. As a business you cannot charge anything you want when you have given a customer an estimate with a low cost and a high cost. That is bad business and unprofessional. I want to make sure others are aware that this business did not communicate that the cost would be more especially being more than the % it could possibly go over. The company did not have the surgical table ready and disassemble when we came. The male doctor told us that he would have surgery that morning, and he didn't go into surgery until the next afternoon. I do not agree with the total cost, and I want to be credited any overage charged above the high estimate since no one communicated that the cost went over the high estimate. Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2022/02/01) */ Unfortunately the doctor was unable to contact Mrs. ****** while she was in surgery regarding the additional costs due to the areas the material was found. Our clinician would have to leave the patient in the OR to make the call and then scrub in again to complete the surgery. This can have many consequences for the patient. This is why estimates are "an approximate calculation or judgment of the value, number, quantity, or extent of something". Our estimates have a clause that was signed by Mrs. ****** stating it could be *** if not higher. Unfortunately services were rendered that saved ********* life. Our Director of Operations, myself, contacted Mrs. ****** regarding this and while she thanked me for contacting her about her concerns she gave no indication she was not pleased with ********* outcome. We are sorry she feels this way however there was no malpractice nor information withheld as she acknowledged this possible monetary adjustment with her signature on our estimate.

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