DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE. I typically don't write reviews, but this situation warranted a review. I have a 3 lb malti-poo who was stepped on and fractured his leg. I took him afterhours to the ER an... Read More
DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE. I typically don't write reviews, but this situation warranted a review. I have a 3 lb malti-poo who was stepped on and fractured his leg. I took him afterhours to the ER and saw Dr. Jimenez. Dr. Jimenez kept him overnight to do some X-rays. He told me he would consult orthopedic specialists and we would discuss the treatment options with me the next day. The next morning, I picked him up and we went over the options. He told me inserting a plate via surgery would be too complicated to do on a dog so small. So, he said the best option was to just immobilize it with a cast and let it heal on its own. He seemed to care and know what he was talking about, so I trusted him. I should of paid attention to some of the red flags. Every time I called the clinic with a question, the receptionist would answer and tell me that someone would get back to me, but no one ever did. I would have to just keep calling until I was lucky and got a hold of him. I brought him in one week after, and then every two weeks after that. Each time they did X-rays on his leg and the vet said the bone looked like it was healing well and that there was a "95% chance that it would heal properly." I took him to see Dr. Jimenez 4 separate times. I was moving from Miami, so when I took him for his last checkup/x-rays, that's when I realized something was wrong. He told me that the bone didn't look like it was healing well--it wasn't healing straight. He advised that maybe I should go get another opinion from another vet...which he knew I was going to do anyway, because he knew I was moving. When I asked for the records of all my visits and X-rays, he was missing the X-rays and information from an entire visit. I moved back to Orlando and took him to an orthopedic specialist. They were alarmed when they saw the condition of my dog's leg. They said the fracture was NO WHERE near healing. In fact, the fracture had rotated 90 degrees. Because of the non-healing fracture, there was not enough blood supply to maintain a healthy bone, so my dog was at risk of LOSING HIS LEG if they didn't act fast. The surgeon stabilized the fracture (which had rotated 90 degrees) via an internal fixation with a small plate and bone graft to improve the chances of healing. If it wasn't for the orthopedic vet, my dog probably would've lost his leg. The surgeon didn't understand how Dr. Jimenez could have advised me the way he did--the chances of healing were almost none, especially after the second and third X-rays showing nearly no signs of healing. Also, anytime an ER vet gets a complicated fracture like that, it needs to be referred to orthopedics. I should've maybe taken my dog to other clinics for second opinions, but I really thought my little one was in good hands with Dr. Jimenez. It's really disappointing that people who devote their life to taking care of our animals can be so careless :(Even though thousands of dollars were spent, I am just so relieved that my dog's little leg is healing properly now! Thank goodness I moved from Miami, because if I hadn't...who knows what would've happened!!!Long story short, I recommend you save yourself the trouble and take your pet elsewhere. Read Less