Strong trend towards corporate ownership of veterinary practices; typically, they buy a good practice (big money opportunity for the principal(s)), and pump it up big time - lots of (typically new, young and hungry) DVMs, lots and lots of "strongly encouraged" tests, extreme emphasis on revenue increase as goal of the business, rather than patient care as goal of the professional practice. Lots of venture capital money in this.
The Vet practice with whom we had traded (and my parents before as well): brought my critters in for routine annual exam, many (an amazing quantum) tests strongly pushed, forecasts of doom if I did not. Declined all, still got rung for an amount which was probably tripe what I paid the year before (and the practice had by no means been struggling). Only when I saw the receipt that I saw the name had changed - it was no longer "Central Expressway Animal Hospital, " it was "VCA Central Expressway Animal Hospital, a Veterinary Corporation of America Facility."
So I left and started using Doctor Larry, great guy, neighborhood vet. Then (be amazed) some years later, exact same thing happened - went in, and there were suddenly four (yes, four!) veterinarians practicing in the office which had been built for two and run by one; they bragged about all their new equipment and such, and advised a $1,500.00 test sequence (with overnight boarding at a vastly-inflated rate) for a minor issue. Practice had been bought by another VC outfit, and (from the web site) every director (except one) was strictly VC, nothing related to veterinary medicine (they all had a dog in their publicity shot, of course). About a year later, we got a letter from the corporate owner telling us that Dr. Larry had left, and pretty much calling him a turd. Very unprofessional, and if I had still been a client, I would have left then.....
)
Funny you should post this.. Up until this morning I assumed it was still a owner /operator DMV practice.. As I was calling around to other local vets to pick which one to switch to, I became aware that SCAH I have been going to for 20+ years was indeed bought out by some conglomerate...
The entire interaction for the last month is becoming crystal clear now.. First visit was no doubt a "high pressure" sales tactic laced with guilt trips.. I knew kitters was failing and at 18 years old, it is expected.. 170 for a basic office visit had my surprised... Then the ( you need a complete blood work up or she will die) second 300 dollar visit was them trying to set the hook.... I find it excessive but I wanted to be damn sure what the status of kitters was... Results... Kidney failure... I knew it was just a matter of time and I watched her close to make sure she was not suffering.. After 3 days late last week I took her in on Fri so she could go to sleep.... They talked me into the IV and shots just to jump start her for 12 hours and that cost me 180 bucks.... I should have just stuck to my guns and put her down then... So, on Sunday morning I was DAMN sure it was time so I made an appointment and took her in......
In hindsite and now that I know the clinic is now a corp driven money pit, several things I didn't put two and two together then , make perfect sense now..
I was put in a room and told to hold kitters...
The gal comes in and gives her a sedative shot and says "this is to ease her pain" and left the room.... I know kitters and she was NOT in pain...
Gal comes back a couple of minutes later with the propofal and the yellow stuff...
She starts into a ( don't put her down, she can be saved by intense therapy rant).....
I stuck to my guns and said thanks for the advise, BUT,kitters needs to go to sleep now....
So the gal gives the propafal injection and once again says " are sure you want to go through with this, we can save her" guilt trip speech "
I was firm but polite " NO Ma'am.... Put her to sleep.......
At that point the gals attitude changed from compassion to slightly angry and the yellow stuff went in... Kitters lasted maybe 20 seconds and died...
I rolled her up in my towel, put her back in my cage and left......
Looking back, there is NO doubt it was a pressure sales tactic to extract as much money from me using kitters as a bargaining chip... Disgusting business practice.... I will NEVER set foot in there again....
How those people sleep at night is beyond me.....
.
...
