These people care more about money than they do your fur children. My feline fur child was…read morediagnosed with renal failure here. Recently, because he has stopped eating and has been struggling, I asked for a refill of the same two medications THEY previously prescribed him to help with nausea and appetite.
I recently lost my job and simply do not have extra money for inflated office visit fees. I went there in person, hoping someone might show even a little compassion for the situation. Instead, there was none. No empathy, no concern, no attempt to help problem-solve -- just "it's been almost a year since we've seen him, so he needs another office visit."
To be clear: it has NOT even been a year. Not years. Not multiple missed appointments. Less than a year.
I explained that he had just had emergency labs done at urgent care a couple weeks ago, that those labs had been requested to be sent to them, and that they were very similar to the labs THEY themselves previously took when diagnosing him. I explained that he is very sick, stressed easily, and forcing him into a car and putting him through another unnecessary exam could honestly do more harm than good at this stage. I explained that I had just spent all the money I had on his emergency care and was simply asking for a one-time refill of medications they already knew he needed.
The woman I spoke with initially acted sympathetic and said she would ask if the doctor might make a one-time exception given the circumstances.
Then they called me back.
First, they mispronounced my name. Then they said, "Oh, they can't prescribe something they've never prescribed before."
I had to explain that yes, they absolutely HAD prescribed it before -- that's why I was requesting a REFILL.
Then suddenly it became, "Oh yes, I see that now... well, since it's been almost a year, they're not going to do that."
That was it.
No compassion. No alternatives. No "maybe try this." No "we're sorry your cat is suffering." Nothing.
Just another demand for money.
Even human doctors will often refill medications if it has been less than a year, especially for chronic conditions. But apparently when it comes to a dying animal, there is no room for grace, empathy, or humanity unless another office fee is attached to it.
What hurts the most is realizing that while I was sitting there terrified of losing my fur child, emotional, financially struggling, and begging for help to keep him comfortable, the only thing that seemed to matter to them was collecting another $100 office visit.
I posted about my experience on Facebook afterward, and sadly, multiple people commented saying they had experienced the same thing from this facility -- that it felt more about money than genuine care or compassion for animals and the families who love them.
People are already hurting enough when their pets are sick. The last thing they need is to feel dismissed, unheard, and financially cornered while trying to help an animal they love like family.
