My family has been taking our cats here since I can remember (I'm 20 so approx. 15 or so years). We have an 11 year old cat who has asthma/allergies (they still can't tell us which 10 years later) and... Read More
My family has been taking our cats here since I can remember (I'm 20 so approx. 15 or so years). We have an 11 year old cat who has asthma/allergies (they still can't tell us which 10 years later) and has been getting steroid shots every 3-6 months since he was about 2 yo. for his wheezing attacks. Every time we take him we must clearly specify that we JUST want the steroid shot (about $60), if not then they WILL charge you for a health exam, and advise that he needs every money-wringing procedure and vaccine that could possibly apply to your specific animal.Here's the background story, Recently I adopted a kitten named Patron (yes, like the tequilla. no, not like the customer at a restaurant). I got Patron all the way from a Crystal River pet rescue however they didn't tell me that he had a history of URI (upper respiratory infection), he also still needed 2 more rounds of vaccines and rabies shots (that they did tell me). I also have another 10 yo. cat named Magic, whom contracted the URI from Patron since I didn't know he was infectious when I brought him home. Magic, the poor baby, also got some kind of terrible eye infection in both eyes around the same time, having just recovered from some unknown sores on his legs.Here's where I started loosing faith in Shores. I took Patron in for his 8 wk shots and paid for a bundle for both 8 and 12wk shots all to be paid upfront and was told that his 12wk shots would not cost anything (more on this later). While I was there I mentioned Patron's sneezing and mucus-y discharge, they explained the URI, prescribed an antibiotic and we went on our way. A week later I had to bring in Magic for some sores on his legs they gave me a variety of possible reasons for them but no straight answer, I asked about his cloudy/runny eyes and Dr. Shores told me he just had cataracts b/c he's old, but my cat is just barely 10 which is only middle age. Then I took him home (with $100 bottle of topical antibiotic). A week later his sores had healed but suddenly over the course of a weekend his eyes had gotten swollen and pussy and the poor guy had rubbed his face and his front legs raw and bloody trying to get all the uncomfortable goop out. I had to wait until first thing Monday morning(Shores is closed on weekends) to schedule an emergency appointment (which, by the way, meant "squeezing" him in 10 minutes before they close for my cat whom is quite possibly going blind in both eyes!!!). I saw a different vet than Dr. Shores and she said that he had a major infection in both eyes, she chalked it up to an allergic reaction from eating the new kittens food, she also was the one who told me that the cloudiness wasn't cataracts because my cat is not that old and it was clearly a sign that something was wrong. I got a tiny tube of $100 topical cream to put on his eyes and the same liquid antibiotic for the URI as Patron got. 3 weeks later his URI is gone and the eye infection but his eyes are still cloudier than ever, he looks almost blind. This I can live with, at least the things they prescribed, albeit very expensive, worked for the most part. Yes I'm peeved about the eye problems they should've caught but hey, everyone makes mistakes. However, the aforementioned "bundle" for Patron's shots, yeah total bs! I go in 3 weeks later for his last few boosters and rabies and I'm charged $70! I told them there was a mistake but the receptionist said that they don't offer a bundle plan for just 8 and 12wk shots, "we only offer the entire 6, 8, AND 12wk shot plan for kittens", so I had to pay $70 on top of the $100 bundle I thought I was receiving. If this is how they treat 15+ year loyal customers then I'm finding a new vet because that is an outrage!)The only reason they don't get 1 star is because they gave me the URI antibiotic for free but I had to go get it filled from a publix pharmacy (I guess Shores has some kind of deal with Publix for discounts if they use their pharmacies or something). The only reason we stayed with them for this long is that they are the ONLY half decent vet in the NW side of town. Shores only cares about the money they can make off of you. And forget about working out any sort of payment plan for people like me (broke college students who are just trying to keep their unfortunate pets healthy). Because of this I had to leave my older cat with my parents because I can't afford the pet rent for 2 cats at my apartment. Read Less