About a year ago we took our cat to her usual vet when she started vomiting and having diarrhea…read morefrequently. He prescribed steroids. Her condition didn't improve so we took her to The Cat Doctor, where I had taken a previous cat. They did blood and urine tests and discovered the steroids had given her diabetes. The Cat Doctor prescribed insulin, but didn't address the vomiting and diarrhea, instead telling us to bring her back in a week. When we brought her back, she no longer had diabetes but was still vomiting and having diarrhea. The doctor told us to try changing her diet. When that didn't help, the doctor had her x-rayed. She told us she didn't know what was wrong and would need to do an ultrasound and it would cost $4k. We couldn't afford that, so for this entire year we've been doing our best to manage it with probiotics, diet and over the counter medication. We managed to significantly reduce the vomiting, but her diarrhea has gotten extremely worse, food is going right through her and she's hungry all the time. She clearly feels terrible. I called around to numerous vets, emergency rooms, urgent cares, and a veterinary diagnostic imaging service. I found out that an ultrasound costs only $750. When I spoke with the receptionist at The Cat Doctor, she confirmed the price. But since it's been a year, they want us to do all the same tests again (blood, urine, fecal, glucose and xrays) in addition to the ultrasound. So basically, we paid a bunch of money for almost nothing, didn't get the ultrasound she needed because we were misquoted by over $3k, our cat has been suffering for a year, and now we have to pay for all the same things again plus the ultrasound, all because The Cat Doctor vet grossly misquoted the cost of an ultrasound. We've been offered no reduced costs for her care, or even an apology for the vet's mistake. Now, we have to wait 10 days for her appointment, and we're extremely worried about her health. I called 3 emergency rooms and numerous vet, and was told they couldn't help because they don't do ultrasounds. I'm praying my cat survives long enough for her appointment with The Cat Doctor. I have found a couple of Urgent Cares that MIGHT do ultrasounds, just hoping she won't need urgent care because we simply can't afford it.
