I started taking my English Bulldog, Betty White, in September 2015 after I adopted her from a rescue. She had terrible skin issues and that was why I initially took her there. I hadn't had a pet sinc... Read More
I started taking my English Bulldog, Betty White, in September 2015 after I adopted her from a rescue. She had terrible skin issues and that was why I initially took her there. I hadn't had a pet since I moved to Winston Salem, so after some referrals, I took Betty to Animal Ark. She has severe yeast problems all over and severe allergies. About a month after I got her, I noticed a growth in one of her folds. Dr. Spindel kept putting the blame on her yeast. The spot continued to grow and was bleeding. I rushed her in several times over this growth and finally Dr. Spindel offered surgery. Once it was removed, it came back as cancer but the doctor, Dr. Weaver, felt she got great margins. During this surgery, I should mention, that they did a complete fold recession without telling me. Betty is an English Bulldog and this removed the rope fold over her nose. A few weeks went by and the cancer returned. I decided to go to NCSU oncology for a second opinion. At NCSU, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her right lymph node and the left had no indication of cancer. From this visit to her second surgery was 13 days.Between these 13 days, new tumors appeared under the initial tumor (under her right eye). I told the lady checking Betty in for surgery that these had surfaced and needed attention. This surgery was to remove the first tumor and her right lymph node, that had been diagnosed as cancerous. When I picked her up, the new tumors remained and Dr. Weaver removed the left lymph node. For cancer treatment, I decided to do a new cancer vaccine ($1400 paid in full) that Dr. Weaver had encouraged to me in detail. She felt this was her best chance of survival. The tumor and lymph node removed were to be sent to the company that makes these vaccines and would be ready to start treatment within 10 days of the surgery. After several calls from panicked moments about leaving a cancerous lymph node in my dog, Dr. Weaver gave several excuses. She left it to monitor it. The left one was larger (had never been larger than the right. I had my mom, a nurse practitioner, checking every day.) She didn't need to take either but took one anyways. The excuse was never the same and she would never admit she messed up.The vaccines, series of three, came August 1st and needed to be given every 30 days to work. We set the appointments all at once. Between the first and second injections, I wrote a letter asking for a refund of the surgery, since it was done wrong.I had a one-on-one conversation over the phone with Dr. Spindel a week after I asked for a refund. He offered no solutions and told me several times that he stood behind Dr. Weavers decision to leave the right, cancerous lymph node in. He then told me that the vaccine only had a 5-10% chance of working, which had never been discussed with me. The worse part had yet to happen. When, at the end of an hour long battle over the phone with Dr. Spindel, I told him that I would not be returning to AA for services and I needed to get the remaining two vaccines so I could get them to another vet to administer he told me no. I told him I was prepared to get a lawyer involved in order to get my vaccines. The vaccines were at his office, in the freezer. I knew they were because they told me they were the day they received them. Dr. Spindel told me, "If you contact a lawyer, you will not get the vaccines. I will call the company and tell them not to send the next two and you can just hope the first one worked." To say I was mad was an understatement. This doctor, who swore to do no harm, was lying to me. He was refusing treatment to my sick dog. I knew he had the vaccines, so I simple said, "I'll be there tomorrow to get them." I spent the next 24 hours verifying that his office, indeed, did have the vaccines. Since Dr. Spindel refused to tell me the name of the company, I had to go through several phone calls and internet searches until I found the company. They confirmed his office did have the remaining two vaccines, the shipping date, tracking number and even offered me the protocol. Another lie told to me by Dr. Spindel is that only he was licensed to give the vaccine, no other vet in NC was able to administer. The company told me, "anyone can administer, as long as you can insert a needle under the skin, you can give the vaccine."The next day, I walked into Animal Ark to retrieve Betty's medical records and vaccines. They took me back into a room so Dr. Spindel could lecture me. I sat quietly, recording everything he said with my phone since he had a tendency to lie and change his stories often. He handed over the vaccines, admitted he had them the entire time and I went to the front desk. I asked for her medical records, requested the day before. They refused to give them to me, saying, "Dr. Spindel says he needs a day to go over all of them." He needed the day so he could alter her records and he did. Do not trust this man or this animal hospital! Read Less