Be Warned!Use Kindred Spirit Veterinary hospital on Fort Street at your pet's peril ...I went into Kindred Spirits veterinary services with my cat Sassafras on January 28th, 2013. He was wasting very ... Read More
Be Warned!Use Kindred Spirit Veterinary hospital on Fort Street at your pet's peril ...I went into Kindred Spirits veterinary services with my cat Sassafras on January 28th, 2013. He was wasting very quickly and I was concerned about his weight loss, rapid heart beat and ravenous eating. Having had cats all my life, cared for geriatric animals, I had a lot of experience to draw from. I suspected diabetes, hyperthyroidism and obviously the possibility of cancer. As I was aware that cancer services for pets can be enormously expensive if you go the chemo / radiation routes, I asked ahead about costs; this enquiry was added to my pet's chart.He was examined by doctor Allyson Belyea, who told us after weighing him and palpating his belly Β that he had liver cancer (a diagnosis she concluded only because of his jaundice - she even told us she could not palpate any mass in his liver, but that it was "hard") and advised had 1 - 3 weeks to live. I asked 3 times during the visit if she would do at least a baseline blood draw, and she advised us not to waste our money, to take him home to expire. After watching him waste for 6 weeks, and doing loads of research, I remained unconvinced it was liver cancer. I discovered that feline liver cancer was terribly unlikely and hyperthyroid diagnosis was far more so, so I changed his diet to very high protein - tonnes of human grade meats, and also some fatty dairy to keep weight on - all of which he ate hungrily and with gratitude! Over the course of a dew days I made several phone calls and eventually hit on an expert in the field who advised us to take him out of Victoria entirely to a wonderful vet in Mill Bay.There they ran blood right there in the office and correctly diagnosed him. They gave appropriate meds for Sassy - and he's been holding his own really well with a cancer which is absolutely NOT a liver cancer! (It was his spleen which was enlarged, not his liver). Nor is this cancer the primary problem at all, it is easily slowed with prednisone - but it is indeed his hyperthyroidism which has been the culprit in nearly all his symptoms. I feel certain he'd be doing much better if he hadn't been forced to waste unnecessarily for an 6 extra weeks, but he's a strong "sassy" guy, and feels pretty great despite it all, as he's been eating like a king for months! I phoned Kindred Spirits, where I was told they will not refund the money for his visit, and where they claim I participated in the decision not to treat! This is absurd! I didn't bring him in to be diagnosed in a half-assed manner, and I certainly expected to be able to treat him were it a possibility! In Portland, our cats always went o the finest surgeon in town - the idea that I would say this is preposterous. And in the end I sought an alternative vet who knew her business, happily paid for all they did - the response I've been given, that I somehow agreed a "choice" of starving him for naught is bizarre.Long story short - if you tell any caregiver money might be a difficulty, should they decide for you whether to treat your pet? How about your child? How about yourself?There are 2 issues as I see it. First, I'd expect anyone who screwed up to own it, accepting responsibility for poor actions by causing further harm through a poor diagnosis in this case.Secondly, I'm outraged that this vet practice is playing god, deciding it's better for an animal to suffer and die rather than do what is being asked by the patient's guardians, (the customer!), judging people who say money might be a concern based upon a scrawl from someone at the front desk. My daughter was with me - I do have a witness; further, anyone who knows me knows I would not tolerate any care but the best for those I love, despite the costSo, should I not have expressed financial concerns at all? It should not have caused further problems!I find it outrageous. I didn't think such behaviour would be tolerated in this community - I'm hoping it won't be. Mostly, I'm putting it out there so that this doesn't happen to you and your fur/feather/other babies! Read Less