Vet Question

[newmembercat]

hello, so 2 weeks ago my female cat has neutering surgery, and after 3 days she was about to die, so I took her back to the Vet, who took her and said he will call me the next day, such as before after neutering surgery, BUT HE DIDN'T CALL ME THE NEXT DAY AND AND DIDNT CALL ME 2 WEEKS BUT TODAY, THAT I CAN PICK HER UP.

I was shocked and told him why they didn't call me the next day as I thought she died (she looked close to death) and I told him that I will call him later, I didn't ask for price or anything, but she was there about 2 weeks!

maybe I was supposed to call, but he said he is gonna call me instead,....

WHAT SHALL I DO NOW???? I DONT HAVE FEW HUNDREDS TO PAY OUT OF THE BLUE!

anyone had similar situation?

 

[Kieka]

Hello and welcome to TCS.

I think your first step is to talk with the vet and find out exactly what they want to charge you. Before you get too upset about the situation it is important to know what the situation is. What did they do for your cat? What are the charges? Is there a payment option?

I know where I live my vet provides me with documentation of what the treatment will be and costs before doing anything. If your vet did not provide you with something or have you sign for treatment you may have some ground negotiate with them.

That said, it is your responsibility to contact the vet if you don’t hear from them in the time allotted. I know you were thinking the worst and not wanting that finality but even if things had gone that way there would have been expenses. I know when I’ve dropped my cats off for procedures or overnight I check up on them and progress each day. So I can’t say I’ve had the experience of dropping off and not following up. I have had the vet not follow up when they said they would, but I will call them if they haven’t called me.

 

[newmembercat]

thank you for your valuable info. i feel played out, i feel lost at words. he clearly said he will call me next day such as before, but he didn't and I thought she died. this is clearly a move to get money out of nothing. I will not pay. thanks

 

[Willowy]

In the US, if you don't pay for vet treatment the vet may keep your cat. I don't know what the law is in your area but be prepared for that.

Be nice, the vet may intend to have provided charity for the cat and doesn't want to charge you very much.

 

[GreyLady]

I agree with other posted dont go in there ready to have a fit. It will escalate the problem and diminish chances that the vet will bargain with you or extend you credit if you cant pay, How could you not call him before 2 weeks? I would be worried sick about my cat and call the day after he didn't call.

I would expect to have to pay boarding charges for all the days she was there at the vet, in addition to what they did to save your pets life.

 

[newmembercat]

i understand but I feel played out in order to get money. Vet may keep the cat. I don't know what the law is but this is outrageous and I just can't believe it. I have no money for this kind of approach. I didn't call because when I was there I told him that cat looks like she might be euthanised, so I thought she actually was. sorry, I can't do this.

 

[GreyLady]

if they were to euthanize your cat they would tell you before they did it, as well. Vets don't just put down cats and then never call. They charge for that service as well, only if the kitty naturally died would they not charge. Either way, they would definitely call you. Have you been to the vet to try and pick up the cat and inquire about the charges? What did they say?

 

[Molly1000]

“Sometimes we do things for free, just because we want to help the pet.” —Sandy Willis, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine consultant in Seattle, Washington.

I have never heard of a vet keeping an animal for two weeks in their care without consulting you first, as they know you may not have the money to be able to pay, although they may refuse to return your cat until you do.

The following is an exerpt from
The squeeze: What happens when owners can’t pay for veterinary care?

At the risk of oversimplifying a nuanced and complex incident, consider this real-life scenario: A dog got sick after spay surgery performed at Hospital A. The night of the surgery, the owners took the dog to Hospital B (an emergency clinic) after Hospital A had closed for the day. At Hospital B, they were given an estimate for many times what the original surgery cost because the dog had lost a lot of blood and was gravely ill. The owners couldn’t afford care at the emergency clinic, so the dog was sent home and later died.

They would have given you an estimate.
It sounds to me like he did not know what to tell you, so he never called.

My female cat had the same surgery and was declawed at the same time, and she was hyper and running all over the place within three days after the surgery. Did they give you pain killers for her?

“A lot of veterinarians have told me matter-of-factly that they still don’t use painkillers for procedures that we know are painful. They think that dogs and cats don’t need it or that feeling pain after surgery is good because it keeps them from moving around too much. But research has shown that pets who are in less pain heal faster, sleep better, and don’t move around as much.” —Dennis Leon, DVM, director at Levittown Animal Hospital in Long Island, New York

Some charitable organizations will help pet owners who are retired, on disability benefits or on a fixed low income and faced with expensive veterinary procedures.

 

[newmembercat]

sorry, i didn't mean I thought she was euthanised, but I thought she died naturally because of the botched surgery, because I asked the vet whether it's not the fault of the surgery that she is in such a state. etc.....I honestly am outraged by the whole situation. I didn't ask the price, because nobody asked me if I am gonna pay it and just because they saw expensive car doesn't mean they gonna play me like this....i just can't believe this.

 

[Willowy]

Well, you kind of have to ask what they want to charge before you can get outraged over it . Like I said, they may have just wanted to help a cat in need.

 

[jen]

So when the vet finally called after 2 weeks what did he tell you? What was your conversation with the vet?

 

[denice]

That is highly unusual. I had a cat that was hospitalized 3 times by two different vets and I was given an estimate each time. He needed additional diagnostics and I was given the revised estimate. I know in Ohio the actual price can only vary from the estimate by 10 percent. The vet that I have now always goes higher on the estimate, a nice surprise when I go to pay the bill. State law plays a big part in things like this.

 

[maggiedemi]

Am I the only one that would have been overjoyed to find out that my "dead" cat was alive? I would be throwing a party!.. I feel you on the huge bill though. I wouldn't be able to pay thousands of dollars. I hope it's not too expensive. Let us know what happens!

 

[1 bruce 1]

sorry, i didn't mean I thought she was euthanised, but I thought she died naturally because of the botched surgery, because I asked the vet whether it's not the fault of the surgery that she is in such a state. etc.....I honestly am outraged by the whole situation. I didn't ask the price, because nobody asked me if I am gonna pay it and just because they saw expensive car doesn't mean they gonna play me like this....i just can't believe this.

When you pick her up, nicely ask to speak with the vet and ask them to provide you with a DETAILED, ITEMIZED list of what she got in their care and the price per procedure. Make the vet go over everything on the list and explain what it is (if you don't recognize the name of a medication, ask what it is, what it does, what it helps, etc.)
Is it possible that the vet told a technician to call, and they either forgot (they are humans, too!), or wires were crossed and each thought the other did it?
What exactly did they say was the matter with her (when they called you 2 weeks later) that they needed to keep her for 2 weeks time?

 

[1 bruce 1]

Am I the only one that would have been overjoyed to find out that my "dead" cat was alive? I would be throwing a party!.. I feel you on the huge bill though. I wouldn't be able to pay thousands of dollars. I hope it's not too expensive. Let us know what happens!

I wouldn't be able to either at this time, but I would be pissed if a vet kept my cat for 2 weeks with no contact with me on what they were doing for her. If my cat were old, terminally ill, in pain and they pumped thousands of dollars into her to prolong her hell without my consent (and charged me for it), I would be cracking my knuckles walking into the clinic.
Something with this story seems really off. I hope the poster who started it will fill us in a bit more because now I'm curious what happened.

 

[LTS3]

Something with this story seems really off. I hope the poster who started it will fill us in a bit more because now I'm curious what happened.

I'm not sure why any pet owner would have a vet care for a sick pet for 2 weeks and not ask for a daily update Vets and their staff are busy and oftentimes don't have the time to call each owner and give an update. It's up to the pet owner to call and request an update. If the hospital forgets (it happens) and doesn't call back before the end of the day, call again and request an update. Or physically go to the hospital and ask for an update and / or to visit with your cat.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I'm not sure why any pet owner would have a vet care for a sick pet for 2 weeks and not ask for a daily update Vets and their staff are busy and oftentimes don't have the time to call each owner and give an update. It's up to the pet owner to call and request an update. If the hospital forgets (it happens) and doesn't call back before the end of the day, call again and request an update. Or physically go to the hospital and ask for an update and / or to visit with your cat.

I don't know where the poster that started the thread is located, so I'll guess that geographical concerns might be a deciding factor as in some locations, companion animals can be treated but aren't looked at like family members to some and in that case, the vet might have written the owner off without being asked for updates, etc.
One of our dogs needed semi-emergency surgery a few years ago. I was sick all morning and 5 hours later got a nice call that said the dog was out of surgery, recovering well, and would be ready to go home in another few hours. Had I not received the call all day, I would have wiped the nervous vomit from my face and placed that call.
(Edit) To the owner of the cat in question I am NOT picking on you or at you, because sometimes our emotions take hold. I just hope you'll let us know what happened and I hope your cat is home, safe, and happy and the situation was resolved so that everyone is happy.

 

[FeralHearts]

Hi there NewMemberCat.

Like most posters here I think the first order of business is to find out what happened to the cat. What happened with the surgery. Why she was there for so long. Why was there no contact when they said they would call you, then, lastly what the charge is and why. Don't fly off the handle just yet. There could be a logic reason - though what - I can't even guess right now. Two weeks is a long time for no contact.

The only time I had a similar experience was when Charlie had to go get his heart looked after with an ultrasound. He ended up being there the whole day, he wasn't suppose to be, they did call and say it would be longer than they thought. Then when I arrived at the time they stated, he still wasn't ready. I think I waited another hour but they returned him to me in perfect condition, no extra charges - and stoned out of his mind. They had some delays - but I can understand that. I was worried something had gone horrible wrong somehow, but I knew he was in good hands.

Now, if I had gone back and he was staying overnight... there certainly would have been questions and I'd have been on the phone first thing in the morning and probably freaking out all night.

 

[GreyLady]

I'm not sure why any pet owner would have a vet care for a sick pet for 2 weeks and not ask for a daily update Vets and their staff are busy and oftentimes don't have the time to call each owner and give an update. It's up to the pet owner to call and request an update. If the hospital forgets (it happens) and doesn't call back before the end of the day, call again and request an update. Or physically go to the hospital and ask for an update and / or to visit with your cat.

I know. It seems off like you said. And it is hard to comment further on the situation or offer advice/opinion when OP's posts are not clear on what actually happened at the vet, what was wrong with the cat, what the charges are and why, ect. Without info it is hard to understand why 2 weeks could go by without OP inquiring about her cat or why charges the vet may or may not have made for saving the cat's life are unwarranted as OP suggests :/

 

[jen]

Any updates??