Lake Veterinary Hospital Charlestown

The lack of action and behaviour of staff at Lake Vet Charlestown and Belmont resulted in the death of our pet. Staff failed to act in the first instance, then failed to act quickly enough. We watched our 5 month old kitten slowly and painfully die. They were alerted he wasn't eating weeks before he became critically ill. We were told several times they were too busy to see a very sick kitten. We aren't new clients either. Been bringing pets to this practice for years. I've felt dubious a number of times about treatment and costs charged at this practice. Also told by others who took pets there they only did so the once, as they were over charged and up sold unnecessary services. Our kitten declined rapidly over a week where both vets and nursing staff at Lake Vet showed a distinct lack of care or commitment to find out what was wrong and act. He was in their care for almost three full days. Sent home four times and each time was worse when handed back to us. We were treated with condescending comments and dishonesty when we we expressed our concerns, contacting several times and begging for help. They failed to do all the tests required to rule out all illnesses all the while he is further declining. They failed to chase up test results when our pet has a matter of hours to live. On the final occasion handed back to us he could not stand, he could not eat, nor drink, he is clearly dying. I tell the receptionist on the day he died when I ring to ask for urgent help that he is dying, she goes 'awwwwww, better bring him in then' - in a flippant sing song tone as if I'm exaggerating. Even after bringing him in for a 4th time in a week where he is struggling to breath and has mucus coming out of his mouth, they do nothing. They wait hours, which he does not have, and then tell us to come and pick him up and take him to the Emergency Vet. BUT they actually tell us he could go home, but they 'prefer' he should be watched at the Emergency vet that night. So we take him to the emergency vet as instructed. We get there, he is triaged and we are immediately told his condition is extremely grave and he is unlikely to survive the night. They immediately put him in an oxygen tent, they tell us he should have been on IV fluids that day, that he is extremely dehydrated and that he clearly has pneumonia and he is so weak his blood is not flowing around his body properly. They tell us that he is VERY COLD and they are having trouble bringing his temperature up. But he has been in the care of Lake Vet for most of that day and we had immediately driven him to the emergency vet after picking him up from Lake Vet. We're advised he urgently needs a blood transfusion, which Lake Vet would have known days beforehand but did nothing. And cat blood is impossible to find. At 2.30am we are rung and told he won't make it, not without a transfusion. The emergency vet recommends euthanasia, he is suffering terribly trying to breath. The vet tells me I need to decide. We have watched him slowly die over the a week where Lake Vet did nothing but run a few tests and not all the ones they should have and not bother to chase results when they weren't back and he is gravely ill. Nothing was said by Lake Vet staff about a blood transfusion, nothing was said about how gravely ill he was. Yet I could see it, my daughter and I knew he was slipping away and we were helpless because we are not vets. In my stress, I did not realise how utterly incompetent Lake Vet staff are. I should have immediately taken him to another vet after he was returned to us the second time. I should have known then, the level of incompetence when told 'It's too late in the day to do anything now'. We should have been told to take him elsewhere as they jyst couldn't be bothered. Took money and did nothing. The level of utter unprofessionalism handing him back to us again after they had him for two full days, where he declined further. Their inaction resulted in his death after taking him back to Lake Vet several times and being charged thousands of dollars to just let him die. Read Less