Complaint Review: Animal Medical And Surgical Center - Scottsdale Arizona

My cats have been seen by all of the vets at AMSC and  I cannot fathom this kind of experience. I have always recommended AMSC to anyone I know and will continue to do so. We have had nothing but positive experiences and everyone that works there is extremely knowledgable and professional. They have extended hours and are open on the weekends which is wonderful for those who work M-F. The facility is state of the art, nothing like other vets offices I have been to. I have always been impressed with the concern and care that my cats and my parents dog receive when they are treated there. You can always expect a follow up call a day or two later and if you have any questions, someone is there to answer them or will call you back promptly when they find out.

My cats have been seen by Dr. Mack and I found her to be very kind and knowledgable. She didn't rush the exam and gave detailed explanations to everything that needed to be done. She has a great demeanor towards both pets and their owners which I appreciate, as my anxiety level is always sky high when one of the girls is sick. I would highly recommend her or any of the vets at AMSC.

I just want to lend my support for Dr. Mack. Dr. Mack is indeed pricey, but I was rewarded with my cat's life in the end. I firmly believe any other vet would not have been able to save my cat, but Dr. Mack did. He is now alive and well 2+ years after she performed surgery on him and is the happiest I have ever seen him. She presented the options to me very clearly. I think the hardest part is that she did leave the decision totally up to me on what to do - and that is a hard decision to make. I have another cat which she euthanized about four years ago. In that case she also explained the options to me - from euthanasia to expensive treatment and what the odds were. I actually was doing an on-line search for her to thank her for saving Oscar's life when I came across this complaint. I think being a vet must be extremely challenging work; especially when pets are our family members, rather than just pets. I greatly miss have her here in our community - she was worth every penny of care she gave to all my animals. Kelly B

I recently had a similar experience with a vet who pressured me into approving a procedure I did not want. However, in my case, the vet was not promising to save my pet's life. Instead, the vet repeatedly told me my pet would die if I did not allow the procedure that second. I told the vet I wanted to take my pet somewhere else for a second opinion. The procedure? Extracting teeth. Have you ever in your life heard of an animal dying because it's teeth weren't extracted at precisely the second the vet decided to extract the teeth? A routine teeth cleaning turned into an emotional nightmare because the vet wanted to line her pockets. I was coerced into allowing the procedure. No, the vet didn't hold a gun to my head, but she did lead me to believe my pet would die. I wasn't worried my pet would die from bad teeth. I was worried that my pet might die as the result of a little too much anesthesia from a pissed off vet and I was too far away to do anything about it because my pet was already in the process of having it's teeth cleaned and I was at work. I complained to the state licensing board. The rep said there is nothing the board can do about the vet's beside manner. I know they teach "bedside manner" in vet school, but they might as well call it extortion 101. Some vets don't care what you can afford or about the welfare of your pet. They care about the limit on your credit card.

September 12, 2007 To Whom This May Concern, I am saddened by the sentiments expressed by Mr. English regarding the treatment of his dog Shenzi. Mr. English presented his dog to me at Animal Medical and Surgical Center for examination in July of this year. Shenzi had been diagnosed with Diabetes earlier in the year, and was obviously not doing well. She was not eating and was lethargic. I suspected a problem with her Diabetes control, or possibly a pancreatic tumor, and asked Mr. English if he wanted to treat his dog. He said yes, and I proceeded to create an estimate for the plan of diagnosis and treatment. He did not bring up euthanasia. He was presented the estimate for treatment by a staff veterinary technician, and carefully reviewed the plan. He declined an ultrasound of the abdomen and x-rays at that time. After receiving the signed estimate form by Mr. English, the support staff ran blood work and discovered that Shenzi's blood glucose was very high. I called Mr. English and alerted him that we would start insulin intravenously to stabilize her glucose levels. Her glucose levels began to normalize with treatment, and Shenzi started to feel much better. Earlier in the evening, Mr. English's daughter came in to visit Shenzi and feed her food she brought from home. Later that evening, her blood glucose levels started to rise again despite our continued efforts, and the next morning, Shenzi started to vomit with dark blood flecks. I called Mr. English to alert him, that despite our best efforts, Shenzi's condition was declining. I suggested euthanasia as an option, as I felt it was the responsible thing to do. Never did I guarantee that Shenzi would be fine after treatment. Mr. English's allegations that I guaranteed such an outcome is wildly and irresponsibly fictitious. As all health care providers, I do guarantee my absolute best effort to promptly diagnose and treat patients with compassion and care. It is my oath. I did my very best to help Mr. English and his dog Shenzi. Obviously hers was a critical case, and we are all disappointed with the outcome. I am sorry Mr. English feels remorseful about his decision to treat rather than request euthanasia for his dog, and offer my condolences for the loss of his dog. Sincerely, Paula Mack, DVM

We had a "vet" that, when our dog was diagnosed w/heartworms commented 'you're a big dog, you'll need lots of pills'. I had paid this creep over $100 at that point and was shy I believe about $15 for our pet's blood test. He KNEW she was sick, he refused to send her blood in until I came up with the extra money. Our dog died, I believe as a result of his wanting money more than caring about our pet's health. I contacted the Arizona State Vet. Board and this individual's license was suspended. Good luck, Valerie Apache Junction, AZ