Ive seen reviews lauding this place, and while I recognize that experiences at a vet can vary greatly, a loving cat owner should be VERY wary of VCAs approach.
My cat needed treatment for an ear infec... Read More
Ive seen reviews lauding this place, and while I recognize that experiences at a vet can vary greatly, a loving cat owner should be VERY wary of VCAs approach.
My cat needed treatment for an ear infection and I noticed a lump near his thyroid. The ear infection was easy enough to treat, VCA cleaned the ear and provided medication for me to apply twice daily. The problem? They only recognized the infection in one ear (despite running numerous tests) and prescribed a treatment plan accordingly.
The main issue, though, was the complete dismissal of the lump near my cats Thyroid. Instead, they focused on his teeth; stressing, repeatedly, that he needed a $2,200 tooth removal surgery ASAP. At the time, I wasnt sure, one way or another, how serious the tooth issue was, but most disconcertingly, I was put off by the fact that they appeared to be brushing off the lump near his thyroid as some sort of natural occurrence not worth investigating immediately. Dr. Simpson simply stated, ad nauseam, that the teeth were the issue, despite my repeated questioning about the mass.
I left with a strong suspicion that I was being taken advantage of. I immediately scheduled an appointment for a second opinion from another vet, and, lo and behold, the lump near my cats thyroid was LYMPHOMA! To be clear: VCA was stressing the need for a $2K tooth removal surgery when my cat, as Ive since found out, was DYING!!!
Im typing this less in anger, and more with a deep sadness. That there are animal doctors who would not only ignore a lump on an animals throat, but harangue me into a non-essential, wasteful surgery is heartbreaking. My cat is a sweet, caring animal but was, evidently, viewed solely through the prism of dollars and cents.
Like I said, Im sure some have had positive experiences here, but the oversight and negligence, to say nothing of their attempt to have me pay for unnecessary surgery, was beyond troubling.
On the bright side, DJ at the front desk was kind and compassionate. I wish I could say the same for Dr. Simpson. Read Less