Do NOT bring your animal here. I used My Family Vet about 5 years ago and remember being unsatisfied with the doctor's diagnosis, but after returning to Houston and needing an emergency visit, I went ... Read More
Do NOT bring your animal here. I used My Family Vet about 5 years ago and remember being unsatisfied with the doctor's diagnosis, but after returning to Houston and needing an emergency visit, I went back. I have, after all, known parents who were satisfied. Side note: My dog is a 70lb shar pei mix who is 6 years old. She, at the time of the visit, could not even move. I was carrying her everywhere, including in and out of an SUV (not an easy task), and up and down the home stairs. My dog was experiencing fever, vomiting, lethargy, not eating, not urinating or defecating, and a HUGE swollen leg. She was seen by Dr. Torrance, who immediately says he doesn't believe it to be a broken leg (in fact, he said it's "highly unlikely"). They said all those symptoms were caused by her pain. He decided to stick a needle in her to see if he could get puss to see if it was an abscess. After the test, he said he could not get any puss, and that it was likely not an abscess. He then said we should get an X-ray done just to rule out a broken leg. The fun part is that their X-ray machine was down, so I had to load up my dog and take her to another clinic. (NOT INCONVENIENT AT ALL! They could have mentioned that when I called to schedule the appt and said my dogs leg might be broken). I was told the X-ray would be $150. I came back to the clinic, and after reviewing the X-rays, he concluded that it was not a broken leg. He then said it HAD TO BE an abscess. When we asked questions like "how does this happen?" "what causes this?" "what can we do?' His response was that something EXTERNAL did this to her. He prescribed amoxicillin and rimadyl, and told us to feed her chicken to get her to eat so she doesn't become dehydrated. I asked a million questions about how long before her symptoms improve, and he said "As long as her mood is better, she should be fine...but it could take up to 4 weeks for her leg to go down." 4 weeks??? Seriously?? Within 3 hours of leaving the clinic, the receptionist called me to tell me they forgot to bill me for the X-rays, which she said would cost $178 (what happened to $150???). I gave her the medication, and within 4 hours, another symptom occurred-- panting. As I was worried that she could be having an allergic reaction, I called MFV to see if that could be it. The receptionist, who clearly knows nothing, told me immediately to rush her to the ER (who tells a worried parent that???). Finally a vet tech told me that she could be euphoric from the rimady and not to worry. Within 24 hours after taking the medication, her symptoms got even worse. Her leg was getting bigger and bigger. And I went ahead and emailed MFV some photos so they could see how it had progressed. MFV had also sent me ePetHealth registration so I logged on. I clicked on "Breed Info" to start my own research. I saw "Shar-Pei Fever," and immediately started reading up on it. The symptoms are: fever, swelling of a joint, reluctance to move, mild vomiting, panting, etc...ALL OF HER SYMPTOMS. She had every single one. And after looking at pictures online, I knew that's what she had. I took her to the Emergency Clinic.Turns out, yes, she does have Familial Shar-pei Fever. The doctor said this is the worst case she's seen. The doctor told me that she should be on a protein-restricted diet (thanks for the chicken recommendation, MFV!). This is a hereditary disorder (INTERNAL, NOT EXTERNAL!!) that if left untreated can lead to amyloidosis (essentially kidney and liver failure). Test results show her kidneys are not working properly. She should be on Colchicine to prevent amyloidosis. It took a second opinion and almost $500 to figure this out. I understand Shar-peis are a rare breed. But a simple google search on the breed could have helped the doctor at MFV figure this one out. Every single one of her symptoms matched up! Every one. While I understand he is a young doctor, there are several other doctors at the clinic, and he could have asked for a second opinion. And if none of them would have caught this, then that tells you something!If you're going in for vaccinations, they are fine, but otherwise, find somewhere else. I am so disappointed in this place. I've spent almost $1000 in the past 3 days trying to find her diagnosis. Now I have to take her back to a doctor so I can find her a primary that will write her Colchicine (this is a medication she has to be on for life). I am searching for a shar-pei specialist now. Good luck everyone. Skip this place though!! Read Less