Terribble and Unethical

Do not take your pet here Dr. [redacted] is unprofessional, irresponsible, and will not be fair in your dealings with her. She's also the only emergency doctor at this clinic and it purports to be open 24/7. They are never busy which should tell you something.

I called at about 8:45pm on Dec 20, 2023 when my dog was ill. I had tried several clinics and none could see us. ER4Pets offered to see us if we could be there within 40-60min. We went straight there.

My dog, Ellie, was evaluated by Dr. [redacted] in the back room and I was presented with a treatment plan which included xrays, blood work, a urine test, the administration of a couple of medications, and admittance to the hospital overnight to for surveillance and iv fluids. A total of $1,480. I spoke with Dr. [redacted] on the phone and she promised to keep me in the loop. I hesitantly left Ellie in her care.

Fast forward the next morning, I had heard nothing. I called at 7am and they told me "no news is good news" and couldn't provide any updates about the results of the xrays etc. They advised I come to pick Ellie up as planned at 10am.

When I arrived, I asked about the results of the tests. They could provide me NO information. They indicated that Dr. [redacted] was not in the building (to be fair she did have COVID) and that she had not completed the paperwork and medical records for Ellie so they could not give me any further information. I was frustrated and was simply sent home with a "certificate of bravery" and a can of wet doc food. I insisted that I be sent her medical records and that the doctor call me immediately. I didn't know how to care for Ellie or if I should continue the previous medication given the results of the test.

I called another vet clinic who called and requested the vet records so they could help me interpret them. They also couldn't get the records. Finally at 2:34pm I recieved a copy of Ellie's record which included brilliant diagnostic insight such as "xrays revealed ....[blank]", "treated with ....[blank]" (see screenshot).

At 7:51pm on the 22nd I sent Dr. [redacted] an email request a partial refund due to incomplete care. I'm not a medical doctor. I can't interpret the results of bloodwork or look at xrays. The medical record she sent was incomplete. Part of what you pay for when taking your dog to the hospital is the tests, but its also the interpretation of those tests. Dr. [redacted] failed to provide that. After sending that email, at approximately 9-9:30pm on the 22nd Dr. [redacted] called me and explained the results. But at this point it was too late - I had already paid another vet to provide a treatment plan for Ellie. To discharge a dog without a medical record is ILLEGAL in the state of California and I fully plan to report her to the board of Veterinary Medicine.

I wanted to compromise and pay 50% of the bill. Dr. [redacted] would admit no wrongdoing and refused to negotiate with me. I explained that I would take this issue up with American Express if she refused to deal with me and I did (and won). In January 2024 she contacted us seeking payment for the bill. We again tried to reason with her and she told us "I do not owe you $740.26." Sure but we also don't owe you $1,480.

We paid the bill but are seeking to take this issue up with the medical board in California and have also filed complaints with the BBB and posted the issue to sites like this.

I would caution against engaging with Dr. [redacted]. I found her to be unscrupulous, dishonest, and fully unwilling to acknowledge any mistakes on the part of her and her staff. She clearly has disputes like this frequently.

Dr. [redacted], I'm sorry its come to this. I'm happy to talk if you would like to discuss this further, you know how to reach me.

Jan. 29, 2024