Around 1:30 PM on 3-31-18, my cat vomited and I discovered that she had eaten leaves from an Easter Lily. I had no idea how many hours had passed since she ate the Easter Lily leaves. I rushed over... Read More
Around 1:30 PM on 3-31-18, my cat vomited and I discovered that she had eaten leaves from an Easter Lily. I had no idea how many hours had passed since she ate the Easter Lily leaves. I rushed over to Augusta Animal Emergency because I knew that it could potentially be lethal and that the quicker she got treatment the better the chance for survival. It took me about 40 minutes to drive there. I assumed that she would get treated right away, to keep as much as the poison as possible from entering her system. When I got there I explained that she had ingested Easter Lily, that she had vomited, and that she had eaten quite a bit of the leaves, and I didn't know how much time had gone by since she ingested it. I was required to pay an initial $105.00 and then was instructed to take my cat to an exam room. After a while, a Veterinary Assistant came in and I explained the situation to her. I then waited, and waited, and waited. Finally a veterinarian came in and I explained the situation again. She left and came back with an estimate for treatment of over $2,000.00. After explaining to her that I could not pay that amount of money and that I did not want blood work done, and that I just wanted to get my cat treated, she agreed to do one activiated charcoal treatment administration and SQ fluids for an additional $112.00. So one and a half hours after I walked in the door, my cat finally got treated. Since time is of the essence in a situation like this, why did they not treat her as soon as I walked in the door? They seemed to be more interested in working up a $2,000 estimate than saving my cat. They could have given her the initial treatment, to save her life, and then discussed additional treatment. It is lucky for me that my cat vomited. Had she not, then she may not have survived, given the one and a half hour wait before she received any treatment. Read Less