Ellen
Los Angeles,#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, April 14, 2009
Unfortunately, the reality is clear: Wages have stagnated since the 1970's yet veterinary costs have risen 50%. Veterinary care is out of the reach of many people, especially when an emergency is involved. Unfortunately, when I was a tech, I used to hear the cruelest comments like "Well, if they can't afford the treatment, they shouldn't have animals!" All the while these employees know they get deeply discounted veterinary services themselves. Their was a solution that could have been implemented by the hospital if they had one shread of compassion. They could have agreed to hospitalize the pet overnight or give him subcutaneous fluids or put in a temporary IV catheter and send you the next day to a low cost vet. Parvo is not that hard to treat. Instead, they muddied the waters ethically by having you give up your pet because like most Americans, including me- you could not come up with 3000 dollars. They should never have done that. It is stealing. Vets love to talk about the human animal bond when you have money but if you don't- well then I guess your bond is not as strong and can be broken by the hospital itself. Misty, check the site www.yelp.com I found it to be a great source for reviews on many things, especially vets and they are very accurate for the most part. I found a great vet in Glendale who charges reasonable fees and will not do unnecessary tests or vaccines. I hope you are doing better.