The two stars are for the first appointment and follow up with Dr. Pfeil and staff. My feline companion stopped eating and drinking and was in pain. Dr. Pfeil meticulously reviewed old vet records and based his opinion on that and his exam. His staff was friendly and professional, and the visit included a courtesy follow up call.
The missing three stars are based on the second appointment. The generic protocol of antibotics, pain relief, and fluids did not alleviate the pain and suffering, so I brought him back in, and the welcome at the front desk was considerably less friendly. When the tech came into the examining room, her first comments were "wow, your cat has so many problems for a cat so young," and "he's a very picky eater." I replied that I felt like we were being judged, that Sparkles isn't a picky eater, he's in pain, which is why he's choosing not to eat and that's his only "problem." It was very clear to me we weren't welcome, at least by this tech and the front desk.
Dr. Pfeil came in and was rushed and dismissive with me. He was obviously frustrated that he wasn't able to identify the source of the pain and his diagnosis was incorrect the first time. I told him that I noticed Sparkles was bothered by something in his mouth, maybe his gums. Dr. Pfeil sighed, roughly examined Sparkles' mouth, and said offhandedly, "something is wrong with his gum; maybe he bit himself in there." He left it at that. No recommendation for a more thorough exam, even though both previous vets also noted gum problems. There were also no follow up calls this time. When I got Sparkles home, he was in so much pain that his fur was standing on end.
I have done extensive research since leaving the vet's office. Dr Pfeil is the third vet to mention something wrong with gums, but only as a secondary observation. Another vet I consulted suspects STOMATITIS. It is extremely painful and often goes unnoticed until it is too late, and the cat suffers immensely. The only way this gets treated is if a cat's human is attentive, observant, and advocates for the cat. I did that at Gualala vet, and the response was so negative I've had to change vets.
One of the most troubling aspects of the second visit is discovering the note that Dr. Pfeil added to my file about my feeling too scared and anxious about my feline companion, about being too emotional and not agreeable enough. There is nothing as efficient--or as deeply, ethically wrong--as intentionally discouraging a client's advocacy by shaming her and her feline companion into not coming back.
Finally, Dr. Pfeil shared with me that Sparkles peed himself. He said lots of cats do that. I've never seen Sparkles scared enough to evacuate. Ever, and we've been through some very scary stuff. Just made me think that if Dr. Pfeil can be so callous to a concerned client in person, how empathetic--how patient and gentle--is he with a cat when it's just him and the techs? I will never put my feline companion through a visit here again.
I'm grateful for local word-of-mouth that pointed out not everyone has received five-star treatment from Dr. Pfeil and his staff, even if the mostly 2016 Yelp stars might indicate otherwise. read more