Traumatized. I'm traumatized by how my best friend and really my fur child was treated in his last moments in life. First, let me begin with saying, this hospital is a boutique veterinary practice. If... Read More
Traumatized. I'm traumatized by how my best friend and really my fur child was treated in his last moments in life. First, let me begin with saying, this hospital is a boutique veterinary practice. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken my Max there. I regret my decision to bring him there as I watched him suffer for over an hour and twenty minutes before a vet was available to see him since he was being "fit in between appointments." That's a direct quote from Mary the receptionist. Also to be fair, the vet tech w/ the purple highlights was fantastic. She treated Max w/ care, love, & compassion. So here's my experience and why I regret bringing my baby here on November 01, 2017:Max was my the equivalent of my child. He was everything to me. I loved him dearly and when I found out that he had stage four Lymphoma I made sure I planned out everything for him with his normal Vet. I wanted his last moments to be peaceful and for him to suffer as little as possible. Unfortunately, en route to his Veterinarian Max started declining rapidly. I knew he wasn't going to make the trip. So we found the closest "Animal Hospital" and Valley Brook was it. I called in and explained the situation and specifically asked whether this facility could do an emergency euthanasia. I specifically told the secretary that Max was not going to make it to his vet and his health was on a very rapid decline. She put me on hold--I presume to see if the vet would accept Max--and then when she came back on the phone she said, "yes, bring him in."We rushed over and arrived around 10:10am or so. I rushed out of my car to announce Max's arrival. The vet technicians eventually came out to the car and put Max on a stretcher and brought him in. Then, the worst part of this journey began. I'm already visibly distressed. At this point I just wanted Max comfortable. Max was in an extraordinary amount of pain on arrival, visibly jaundice, and seizing. The staff was aware of his condition.Mary, the secretary, did the intake and explained that the euthanasia process at their facility included a preselected crematorium.I didn't care about the original proffered number (over a half grand). I only cared about getting Max seen by the doctor. I almost agreed until I was told that the veterinarian recommended cremation service would mean the vet would put my beloved Max in a freezer for two days and that the "pick up" was on Friday. My boyfriend and I were thoroughly upset of the thought of Max being stuffed in a freezer and then "picked up" like a pile of garbage two days after he was put down. Needless to say, we opted not to utilize their euthanasia "package." Now, back to Max. Like I said, we arrived at 10:10 am. I tried to deal with the paperwork as quickly as possible. Before Max was even seen, the vet through his secretary demanded payment upfront. (I've never had to pay for veterinary services upfront; this was highly distasteful especially considering the emergent situation). My boyfriend paid by credit card and a receipt was rendered at approximately 10:37 am. Max was still seizing and he still wasn't sedated.Then we waited. We were assured that a vet would be with us as soon as they were done with their appointments. At approximately 11:20 (Max still has not received any treatment) the secretary popped her head in to tell us it wouldn't be much longer--i begged her to get Max a sedative. I told her that he was suffering and she just uncomfortably walked away. Finally, at approximately 11:30 (an hour and twenty minutes after Max arrived) the vet, Dr. Gregory Riskin, DVM came in to give him a sedative. When Max relaxed and took what I believed to be his last breath. He was completely still. The vet checked for a pulse and then Max started thrashing. The vet told me this was normal but I begged for him to please hurry and perform the euthanasia. Max seized and struggled for breath as the vet struggled to find a working vein. Max started bleeding out of his mouth and I just couldn't stand by his head anymore. I had to move toward his rear. He thrashed until he eventually let go. I was and I still am so distressed. I don't even know how to put my pain into words. I share this experience not to bad talk this practice. But to make the owners aware that above all else--the pets comfort and well being come first. Max suffered for over an hour before he was given a sedative. He sat suffering in pain while the regular non-emergency customers were attended to. His entire procedure from beginning to end lasted all of ten minutes. A vet who knowingly is aware that a highly distressed patient is sitting in the exam room next door should excuse him or herself to attend to the suffering patient. It's basic triage. Once the vet accepted Max he had a duty to care for him and to ensure he didn't suffer. Here, it just was not the case. Valley Brook failed Max. Read Less