I've been taking my small dog to Dr. Thompson for about 4 years. Until last week, I would have given five stars. Unfortunately, it isn't until something bad happens that you really get to see the true... Read More
I've been taking my small dog to Dr. Thompson for about 4 years. Until last week, I would have given five stars. Unfortunately, it isn't until something bad happens that you really get to see the true character of a business. I took my dog in for a heartworm test. They told me that he was due for his 3 yr Rabies vaccination and a Leptospirosis vaccination. He had a mild reaction to a combination vaccine administered at her office before, but I was NOT told that this particular combination is especially risky for small dogs (he is 15 lbs). I was also NOT told that the Leptospirosis vaccine should never be given to a small dog unless there's an outbreak, and that his lifestyle (almost never goes outside and is never exposed to wildlife or livestock) does not at all warrant the administration of it. If it's known by veterinarians that this is a risky vaccine, and that doubling up on vaccines is already dangerous for small dogs, the doctor should have made me aware of this and NOT GIVEN THEM AT THE SAME TIME. Dr. Thompson told me that she gave an antidote along with the vaccine to be sure he didn't have an allergic reaction. He began having a reaction - vomiting - in her office, in front of her, IMMEDIATELY. She told me this was nothing to be concerned about. Since she's the vet, I trusted her and took him home (Keep in mind, my appointment was at 5 PM, so they closed after I left). He continued vomiting for a few hours, and then began going into allergic shock. His face swelled up, which is a serious warning sign and if left untreated can lead to seizure and then death. I had to rush him to a 24 hour emergency vet clinic at around 1 AM. He was treated with antihistamine and steroid shots. The emergency clinic faxed a notification to Dr. Thompson to let her know that he had to be treated there due to the vaccine reaction. No one from her office even contacted me to follow up. I called and asked her to AT LEAST reimburse me for my expense at the emergency vet, which could have been avoided had she been proactive and treated the oncoming reaction at her office rather than dismissing it. She told me, "No. I can't control whether or not you bring him to the emergency vet" (!!!!) If I hadn't, he could have DIED! Because of HER misjudgment!!! Obviously, if she hadn't been negligent in the first place, I wouldn't have needed to incur the extra expense and anxiety of an emergency room. She claims that giving a dose of the antidote along with the vaccine was her idea of being "proactive", but since he immediately began having a reaction, the antidote was obviously not enough. I've already reported her to the Attorney General and will be reporting this to the vet board along with the BBB. If I could give zero stars, I would. Save yourself some grief, and take your best friend elsewhere. Read Less