My dog slipped a disc, which put pressure on his spinal cord. He therefore temporarily lost the use of his back legs. As any vet (as well as google!) will tell you, this is an urgent problem which req... Read More
My dog slipped a disc, which put pressure on his spinal cord. He therefore temporarily lost the use of his back legs. As any vet (as well as google!) will tell you, this is an urgent problem which requires immediate attention. Any delay risks permanent damage to the spinal cord which can result in dysfunctional back legs.
My local vet booked an urgent appointment with the Chester Gates as soon as I brought him in, as it was the closest place that the operation could be done urgently. I drove the 1.5hrs to get there (which chester gates were aware of) only to be told that someone else had bought in a dog while I was driving there, and they had taken my place. This resulted in my dog not being seen for 4 hours, despite the fact he was in severe pain. Finally, when he was seen, I was told that it was too late to operate that day, and he would have to be kept in overnight. The operation took place the following afternoon, well over 24hrs after he originally slipped his disc. Given the 6000 the operation cost me, I was quite upset that he was not treated better. I could and would have driven anywhere else in England for an operation if they had been clear with me when I arrived.
The physiotherapy that my dog received here was excellent. However, despite 10 months having passed, my dog is still a bit wobbly on his legs. I don't know for sure that it was because his operation was delayed, but it would be nice if it weren't a possibility.
Despite the large delay, I received no apology from Chester Gates, and no real explanation as to why it happened. Although this might have been a one-off, I would definitely not recommend bringing a pet to Chester Gates for emergency surgery. Read Less