Complaint Review: Coral-Springs-Animal-Hospital - Coral Springs Florida

For CSAH and all neurologists, be SURE you do not let them do an EMG/Nerve biopsy on your dog. For many breeds there are genetic marker tests which requires a mere cheek swab and costs only $140 and can tell you if your dog is "affected" by polyneuropathy.

What you see in the video (youtube.com/watch?v=UR4RBP4tf4g) went on for 10 days about 5 times a day without any help from Coral Spring Animal Hospital.

In my case the neurologists here I was shocked to discover knew about this completely non-invasive option, never disclosed it, assured me that no nerve damage would result from the EMG/Nerve biopsy when I asked, and I had a dog that was previously in no pain, that was in great pain for far past the recovery period (told 2-4 weeks) and it was more like months, with a leg that will never be the same AND has an incurable disease.   

When I asked for help with his screaming on the Monday before Thanksgiving after 3 days of my pet screaming from Friday until my physical therapy appt., the neurologist reported that she lacked knowledge of pain medications and Coral Springs Animal Hospital amazingly had no pain medication specialist or any further advice (what she prescribed did nothing to stop the screaming when I tried and the pills were far to large and far too weak to be taken or effective, leaving me abandoned to find solutions on my own which I finally did with the help of knowledgeable vets who could be bothered to help a screaming animal over the Thanksgiving weekend).

That Monday before Thanksgiving, Coral Springs Animal Hospital literally sent me and my dog home crying after their physical therapist telling me he had screamed repeatedly during the day, they did nothing, keeping him caged for hours and not letting me know so I could pick him up sooner to save him.  Why they did not let him out, provide love, medication, heat, ice, love, anything or notify me is a mystery, but I guess listening and watching an animal's screaming and doing nothing is par for the course there.

When I sent an update and video of my dog's agony kindly presenting this as opportunity for the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist to learn how to treat pain Thanksgiving morning which the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist received that day, she merely reprimanded me for having interrupted her Thanksgiving holiday after waiting 5 days after receiving it before calling to check on the patient whose agony she had alone unnecessarily caused.

When all I asked of the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist was to be sure to give this option to her patients forward so no other dogs would ever suffer this fate, she didn't care, didn't plan to change what she was doing going forward and hung up on me.

Reminds one of the Hippocratic Oath which I guess doesn't apply to Coral Springs Animal Hospital: First Do No Harm.

***
Response to the Owner where posted -- their Facebook Page is rigged so delete anything negative there -- also be sure to see all the filtered Yelp reviews with more horror stories -- as well as their BBB "F" Rating.

What is stated by the Owner in some places posted is simply untrue as their is excuse is that it is excepted practice not to present the non-invasive option to owners of pets.  The Coral Springs Animal Hospital Owner remarkably is either uneducated in the field, sadistic or greedy. Under no circumstances should it be anyone other than the OWNER'S decision to do a procedure than may severely injure your pet (without warning of any risk from CSAH) when there are non-invasive options readily available for some breeds (which are also about 1/20 the price). Intentional failure to present non-invasive options is unconsciounable especially when it results in agony to an animal that was in no prior pain as it did with my dog then abandoned by Coral Springs Animal Hospital.

Information on the non-invasive genetic testing for Leonbergers is available through the University of Minnesota, for Greyhound as published by the University of Florida (plosone.org/article/related/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258&imageURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258.g004;jsessionid=FC11849533EE0ED9442E20D0192C848B)
and for Malamutes via the University of Copenhagen, Department Of
Veterinary, Clinical And Animal Sciences, Section Of Genetics,
Groennegaardsvej 3 Dk-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark (+45 35 33 28 28,
dir +45 35 33 30 53; [email protected], http://www.sund.ku.dk).

Also see "The Genetic Connection: A Guide to Health Problems in Purebred Dogs" by Lowell Ackerman DVD, DAVCD published by the American Hospital Association Press. All of these discuss and encourage non-invasive procedures primarily and are more than reliable sources.

I have filed a complaint against this neurologist with the State, let's hope this posting and my complaint prevent more sadistic procedures.

For more information, feel free to contact me at my name and number posted under the video.

For CSAH and all neurologists, be SURE you do not let them do an EMG/Nerve biopsy on your dog. For many breeds there are genetic marker tests which requires a mere cheek swab and costs only $140 and can tell you if your dog is "affected" by polyneuropathy. 

Watch the video I posted of the pain my dog was in as a result of the unnecessary procedure  -- this went on for 10 days about 5 times a day without any help from Coral Spring Animal Hospital: youtube.com/watch?v=UR4RBP4tf4g

In my case the neurologists here I was shocked to discover knew about this completely non-invasive option, never disclosed it, assured me that no nerve damage would result from the EMG/Nerve biopsy when I asked, and I had a dog that was previously in no pain, that was in great pain for far past the recovery period (told 2-4 weeks) and it was more like months, with a leg that will never be the same AND has an incurable disease.   

When I asked for help with his screaming on the Monday before Thanksgiving after 3 days of my pet screaming from Friday until my physical therapy appt., the neurologist reported that she lacked knowledge of pain medications and Coral Springs Animal Hospital amazingly had no pain medication specialist or any further advice (what she prescribed did nothing to stop the screaming when I tried and the pills were far to large and far too weak to be taken or effective, leaving me abandoned to find solutions on my own which I finally did with the help of knowledgeable vets who could be bothered to help a screaming animal over the Thanksgiving weekend). 

That Monday before Thanksgiving, Coral Springs Animal Hospital literally sent me and my dog home crying after their physical therapist telling me he had screamed repeatedly during the day, they did nothing, keeping him caged for hours and not letting me know so I could pick him up sooner to save him.  Why they did not let him out, provide love, medication, heat, ice, love, anything or notify me is a mystery, but I guess listening and watching an animal's screaming and doing nothing is par for the course there.

When I sent an update and video of my dog's agony kindly presenting this as opportunity for the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist to learn how to treat pain Thanksgiving morning which the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist received that day, she merely reprimanded me for having interrupted her Thanksgiving holiday after waiting 5 days after receiving it before calling to check on the patient whose agony she had alone unnecessarily caused.

When all I asked of the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist was to be sure to give this option to her patients forward so no other dogs would ever suffer this fate, she didn't care, didn't plan to change what she was doing going forward and hung up on me.

Reminds one of the Hippocratic Oath which I guess doesn't apply to Coral Springs Animal Hospital: First Do No Harm.

***
Response to the Owner where posted (Google, etc.) -- their Facebook Page is rigged so you can't read anything negative there -- also be sure to see all the filtered Yelp reviews with more horror stories -- as well as their BBB "F" Rating.

What is stated by the Owner below is simply untrue as their is excuse is that it is excepted practice not to present the non-invasive option to owners of pets.  The Coral Springs Animal Hospital Owner remarkably is either uneducated in the field, sadistic or greedy. Under no circumstances should it be anyone other than the OWNER'S decision to do a procedure than may severely injure your pet (without warning of any risk from CSAH) when there are non-invasive options readily available for some breeds (which are also about 1/20 the price). Intentional failure to present non-invasive options is unconsciounable especially when it results in agony to an animal that was in no prior pain as it did with my dog then abandoned by Coral Springs Animal Hospital.

The non-invasive genetic testing for Leonbergers are available through the University of Minnesota, for Greyhound as published by the University of Florida (plosone.org/article/related/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258&imageURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258.g004;jsessionid=FC11849533EE0ED9442E20D0192C848B)
and for Malamutes via the University of Copenhagen, Department Of
Veterinary, Clinical And Animal Sciences, Section Of Genetics,
Groennegaardsvej 3 Dk-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark (+45 35 33 28 28,
dir +45 35 33 30 53; [email protected], http://www.sund.ku.dk).

Also see "The Genetic Connection: A Guide to Health Problems in Purebred Dogs" by Lowell Ackerman DVD, DAVCD published by the American Hospital Association Press. All of these discuss and encourage non-invasive procedures primarily and are more than reliable sources.

I have filed a complaint against this neurologist with the State, let's hope this posting and my complaint prevent more sadistic procedures.

For CSAH and all neurologists, be SURE you do not let them do an EMG/Nerve biopsy on your dog. For many breeds there are genetic marker tests which requires a mere cheek swab and costs only $140 and can tell you if your dog is "affected" by polyneuropathy. 

Watch the video I posted of the pain my dog was in as a result of the unnecessary procedure  -- this went on for 10 days about 5 times a day without any help from Coral Spring Animal Hospital: youtube.com/watch?v=UR4RBP4tf4g

In my case the neurologists here I was shocked to discover knew about this completely non-invasive option, never disclosed it, assured me that no nerve damage would result from the EMG/Nerve biopsy when I asked, and I had a dog that was previously in no pain, that was in great pain for far past the recovery period (told 2-4 weeks) and it was more like months, with a leg that will never be the same AND has an incurable disease.   

When I asked for help with his screaming on the Monday before Thanksgiving after 3 days of my pet screaming from Friday until my physical therapy appt., the neurologist reported that she lacked knowledge of pain medications and Coral Springs Animal Hospital amazingly had no pain medication specialist or any further advice (what she prescribed did nothing to stop the screaming when I tried and the pills were far to large and far too weak to be taken or effective, leaving me abandoned to find solutions on my own which I finally did with the help of knowledgeable vets who could be bothered to help a screaming animal over the Thanksgiving weekend). 

That Monday before Thanksgiving, Coral Springs Animal Hospital literally sent me and my dog home crying after their physical therapist telling me he had screamed repeatedly during the day, they did nothing, keeping him caged for hours and not letting me know so I could pick him up sooner to save him.  Why they did not let him out, provide love, medication, heat, ice, love, anything or notify me is a mystery, but I guess listening and watching an animal's screaming and doing nothing is par for the course there.

When I sent an update and video of my dog's agony kindly presenting this as opportunity for the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist to learn how to treat pain Thanksgiving morning which the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist received that day, she merely reprimanded me for having interrupted her Thanksgiving holiday after waiting 5 days after receiving it before calling to check on the patient whose agony she had alone unnecessarily caused.

When all I asked of the Coral Springs Animal Hospital neurologist was to be sure to give this option to her patients forward so no other dogs would ever suffer this fate, she didn't care, didn't plan to change what she was doing going forward and hung up on me.

Reminds one of the Hippocratic Oath which I guess doesn't apply to Coral Springs Animal Hospital: First Do No Harm.

***
Response to the Owner where posted (Google, etc.) -- their Facebook Page is rigged so you can't read anything negative there -- also be sure to see all the filtered Yelp reviews with more horror stories -- as well as their BBB "F" Rating.

What is stated by the Owner below is simply untrue as their is excuse is that it is excepted practice not to present the non-invasive option to owners of pets.  The Coral Springs Animal Hospital Owner remarkably is either uneducated in the field, sadistic or greedy. Under no circumstances should it be anyone other than the OWNER'S decision to do a procedure than may severely injure your pet (without warning of any risk from CSAH) when there are non-invasive options readily available for some breeds (which are also about 1/20 the price). Intentional failure to present non-invasive options is unconsciounable especially when it results in agony to an animal that was in no prior pain as it did with my dog then abandoned by Coral Springs Animal Hospital.

The non-invasive genetic testing for Leonbergers are available through the University of Minnesota, for Greyhound as published by the University of Florida (plosone.org/article/related/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258&imageURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011258.g004;jsessionid=FC11849533EE0ED9442E20D0192C848B)
and for Malamutes via the University of Copenhagen, Department Of
Veterinary, Clinical And Animal Sciences, Section Of Genetics,
Groennegaardsvej 3 Dk-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark (+45 35 33 28 28,
dir +45 35 33 30 53; [email protected], http://www.sund.ku.dk).

Also see "The Genetic Connection: A Guide to Health Problems in Purebred Dogs" by Lowell Ackerman DVD, DAVCD published by the American Hospital Association Press. All of these discuss and encourage non-invasive procedures primarily and are more than reliable sources.

I have filed a complaint against this neurologist with the State, let's hope this posting and my complaint prevent more sadistic procedures.

It is widely accepted practice that the best way to obtain a diagnosis for any primary neuromuscular condition, such as a degenerative neuropathy, is via electrodiagnostics and nerve/muscle biopsies (EMG/Nerve biopsy);  this is the standard of care in veterinary neurology.  These tests allowed us to correctly diagnose this patients problem definitively and rule out other conditions which can cause primary nerve and muscle disease.  The biopsies are needed to rule out any other concurrent, treatable conditions which could also be present in the muscles and nerves (such as inflammation, infection, or neoplasia). 

The genetic test that Ms. Judith Silver referred to is in the early research stages and not widely accepted at this time.  It is a new test which first became available in July of 2012 by a research group in Copenhagen and we do not yet know its accuracy, so performing it prior to, or instead of the biopsies may not have diagnosed her pets condition correctly.  Additionally, we are not aware of any published studies in veterinary literature to support the accuracy of this genetic test.  This genetic test was offered to Ms. Silver by Dr. Lipitz in order to contribute to the research being performed in Alaskan Malamutes after biopsy exam correctly diagnosed a degenerative nerve condition. There are a large number of breed-specific neuromuscular conditions that have been identified in the field of veterinary neurology; some of these conditions have well established genetic testing available and others do not.  The tests cannot be considered interchangeable and equal in reputation and accuracy.  It remains unknown in most of these cases how many genetic variations of the same breed-specific disease are present, meaning that genetic tests may miss affected dogs if there is a slight variant of the specific genetic form being screened for by a given test.  This is the reason that a biopsy examination is the gold standard way to obtain a diagnosis in these instances.  Biopsy samples are then sent to the Canine Neuromuscular Laboratory in California for examination, the premier facility in the world for evaluation of neuromuscular disease.
 
Electrodiagnostics and nerve/muscle biopsies are routine procedures in veterinary neurology.  It was clearly explained to Ms. Silver in the course of treatment, that there is a several week period of recovery after the biopsy where pain management is necessary and we provide the necessary medications to ensure our patients comfort at home.  Several weeks after the biopsy was performed, Dr. Lipitz was in fact out of town for five days over the Thanksgiving weekend and unavailable for consultations.  Dr. Lipitz was in contact with Ms. Silver regarding her pets treatment and comfort level frequently surrounding this holiday; they spoke via phone two days prior to her planned absence and again on the day she returned.

Every effort was made to provide pain medication and ensure her pets comfort at home. 

Unfortunately, most of Dr. Lipitz recommendations for pain relief were not followed and the medications prescribed were not properly administered by Ms. Silver.  Ms. Silver indicated that she was self-medicating her pet with medication that is not considered safe or effective in dogs. 
Every effort was made to explain the above facts with Ms. Silver to no avail.  .
Coral Springs Animal Hospital strives to practice evidence based veterinary medicine and surgery with the highest degree of ethics and professionalism.   We have worked hard and have earned a reputation for doing just that. We invite anyone who reads this response to visit our website and/or Facebook page to read the countless testimonials from pet owners whose expectations were met and exceeded in every respect.