My husband and I were looking for a new vet closer to our house, and Hastings Veterinary Hospital was recommended. A little over a month ago we took our dog to have her teeth cleaned and her nails cli... Read More
My husband and I were looking for a new vet closer to our house, and Hastings Veterinary Hospital was recommended. A little over a month ago we took our dog to have her teeth cleaned and her nails clipped while under anesthetic. Our dog has lupus, which affects her nails, and trimming them can be very painful. About a month after the procedure we noticed she was limping, and one of her nails appeared to be bleeding. When we looked closely at her paw, one toe nail was significantly longer than all the others, and this seemed to be causing much discomfort when she walked. Since the length of that one toenail suggested that perhaps it was not trimmed adequately, if at all during the procedure, I called Hastings Vet Hospital to explain the situation and ask if they would trim the one toenail in question. I was understanding and very polite, and just wanted to relieve my dog€s pain. My fear, as I explained over the phone, was that I might hurt her if I tried to do it myself. The receptionist, in a very cool tone, responded that the clinic did not trim just one toenail. I was a little taken aback, and reminded her that it was the clinic that caused the issue in the first place. She then told me the procedure our dog had was over a month preceding (inferring perhaps that this issue could not be their fault?). When I pressed her further to trim the one nail, she put me on hold for some time, apparently to consult with someone else. Her tone was no less conciliatory when she returned to the phone, but she consented to the trim, adding that if the vet were to look at it, it would cost us money. Later, when we took our dog in, they were cordial, but cool. They trimmed our dog€s toenail, but did not ask about the status of her nail, if she was still limping, or if there was anymore blood. There was no apology, explanation, concern, or mention of the fact that the one toe nail was so much longer than the others.
This was a very disappointing experience for us. Over the years, we have only ever received kindness and caring for our pets at the animal clinics we have dealt with. Our brief encounter with this one was cold, uncaring and defensive. A very simple response of, €Of course, bring your dog in and we€d be glad to have a look at her nails€, and a few follow up questions when we brought her in would not only have been the professional response, but also a simple common sense one. It would have been a gesture that they cared. We will be not be returning to this clinic in future. We know there are many more out there that can do much better. Read Less