The two women veterinarians that work URGENT VET in CRYSTAL RIVER FLORIDA, should not be working with animals. Natalie Mercer is the name of one of them and I don't have the name of the other one. I brought my cat Bootsie in due to the fact that he couldn't urinate. While waiting in one of the rooms they both came in and told me they will not treat my cat due the fact that my husband had called there and complained weeks ago, when I brought my cat in at night and they sent me to Ocala. I didn't arrive back home in Homosassa that night until 12:30am, traveling on dark roads that I am unfamiliar with, that are not divided, on a Saturday night....Unsafe travels. They told me to go back to Ocala, after I had informed them that I had just gotten back from a driving trip from New England, had driven for 8 hours that day, had driven 14 hours the day before. I was tired, stressed out because of my cat, (who was in obvious pain, crying) and under duress due to the fact that they were adamant that they would NOT treat him, unless I called my husband and told him to never call there again to complain, which I promptly did, as I sobbed. They told me that if I didn't want to take Bootsie to a Ocala, take him to Gainesville. This was at 8:30 p.m. They are supposed to care for animals, not care about their pride being hurt because someone scolded them. After refusing to leave with my cat in pain, they gave me two options... #1. Having them do the surgery at a cost of $2,500, which they obviously didn't want to do because it would have taken them past there 10:00 closing time, with no guarantees that the cat would make it through the anesthesia. I saw
THAT writing on wall!!
#2. Euthanizing him at a cost of $376.
I have since learned that they could have easily drained his bladder that night ( Vet on YouTube) and I could have taken him to my regular vet the next day. Also that this is a common occurrence in male cats urinary tract. Not wanting my cat to be in any more pain or distress I chose option #2.
I'm sorry Bootsie. You were the best cat EVER. I love you, I miss you and if given the choice again, I would NEVER EVER take you to those two uncaring, pride filled, self-centered, money hungry,power tripped so-called veterinarians, THAT COULDN'T HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT YOUR PAIN OR YOUR LIFE!
I will say that in finality they seemed like they felt empathy for me since I was uncontrollably sobbing the whole time that I was there. They DID walk me out and carried the box with Bootsie in it. And they seemed sincerely sorry for me. I really wish they would have given me that feeling of empathy from the moment I walked in there.
p.s. my advice would be to do your homework ahead of time, find a place that you would take your cat or dog or any animal under emergency conditions, so that you won't be subjected to the same pain that I'm going through. read more