Three Years of Being Dismissed After Airway Surgery - My Honest Experience…read more Three years ago, I brought my French Bulldog, Bambina, to this hospital for nares widening and elongated soft palate (BOAS) surgery because she was having breathing difficulties. I had originally considered going to a specialist in Dallas with excellent reviews, but I chose this hospital because it was right across from my office and I trusted what I was being told. I was told this surgery would help her breathing. What I was not told at the time was that: * The surgery might not fully resolve her symptoms * Tissue could regrow * The correction might be insufficient * She could still struggle long-term Had I been clearly advised that the surgery might not work or could require future corrective procedures, I would have seriously reconsidered keeping her. French Bulldogs are expensive, and I had already invested thousands of dollars. I was not financially prepared to face repeated airway surgeries or watch a dog slowly suffer from something I believed would be corrected. Since the surgery, Bambina has continued to struggle. For three years, I brought her back repeatedly. I saw multiple doctors at this facility. I complained about: * Ongoing respiratory distress * Loud breathing even at rest * Exercise intolerance (she cannot walk even short distances, even at 5 AM) * Repeated sinus infections * Vomiting and inability to keep food or water down without risk of aspiration Over and over, I was reassured she was "fine." One night, listening to her gasping for air while awake, I was devastated. I realized I could not continue being dismissed. I requested to speak directly with the surgeon who performed the procedure, as she travels in from out of state and is not regularly available. I also wrote her a letter explaining the severity of Bambina's condition. She agreed to meet with me free of charge. At that appointment: * She acknowledged Bambina is not breathing correctly. * When I pointed out that her nostrils still appear extremely tight, she stated she "could have possibly opened them more." * When I asked how that made me feel about the soft palate portion of the surgery -- whether that too may not have been done aggressively enough -- she declined to discuss revision. * She stated she did not want to perform corrective surgery because I "didn't trust her." For clarity: I never said I did not trust her. I said I did not believe the surgery had been done adequately because my dog has struggled for three years. When I asked why I was never advised at the time of surgery that this procedure might not work or that new data suggests these surgeries may not always resolve airway issues, I was told that information more recently suggests that results can vary. That possibility was never explained to me beforehand. Instead of discussing solutions, she stated she would "let her insurance company handle it." After this appointment, I requested Bambina's medical records. I was told I would receive information within 24 hours. Several days passed without receiving records. When I followed up, I was informed that Bambina had been terminated as a patient of the clinic. After three years of loyalty -- and after bringing two French Bulldogs to this hospital -- my dog was dismissed after I advocated for her. Bambina did nothing wrong. She is just a dog struggling to breathe. Watching your dog gasp for air is heartbreaking. It is devastating to feel unheard for years, to finally be acknowledged, and then to be terminated from care. I am sharing this because pet owners deserve full transparency when making life-altering surgical decisions for brachycephalic breeds. Ask detailed questions. Ask about failure rates. Ask about revision policies. Ask what happens if symptoms persist. Advocating for your animal should never result in losing access to care. Shame on you, Dr. Carter I truly believe you should care more about your patience and their quality of life. and can you believe they had the nerve to tell us at the end? Bambina is no longer a patient there because I simply asked to advocate for her if you listen to this video that is gonna be underneath, you tell me $4000 later this is the surgery that went well absolutely not In the hospital's public response to my Google review, it was implied that this matter involved a request for reimbursement. That is not accurate. At no time did I request money back. I requested a medical discussion regarding possible revision because my dog continues to experience breathing difficulty. My sole objective has been corrective care and improved quality of life for my dog -- not financial compensation.

Extraordinary vets! The only place we will take our cats. They go above and beyond to provide the…read morebest possible care, and are kind and compassionate with difficult situations.