Anne Hamilton

Review of Garden State Veterinary Specia...

It has been 2 years and we have finally given up a...

It has been 2 years and we have finally given up all hope that our tiny little pug, Skidget, will ever walk again. 2 years ago she walked into Garden State Veterinary Specialists (GSVS) in Tinton Falls, NJ, for an operation that Dr. Noemie Bernier, the neurosurgeon, said she need to have. We later learned that Skidget had nothing more than a simple case of constipation and never needed surgery to begin with. GSVS misdiagnosed her and pushed for an expensive surgery which paralyzed Skidget for the rest of her life.
It started several days before when Skidget suddenly collapsed on her behind and started turning constantly in circles, her head jerking repeatedly behind her. I took her to Happy Tails vet in Shrewsbury, NJ, who referred me to GSVS.
We paid $3,000 for an MRI, after which Dr. Bernier told us that Skidget had 2 herniated discs which were responsible for the way she as acting. We asked if alternative remedies such as physiotherapy and acupuncture would work. Dr. Bernier told us they would not work, and that the only cure was spinal surgery. She also assured us that this was a routine surgery and, while any surgery was risky, in this case the risk was minimal.
When I came to collect Skidget after the operation, a terrible feeling of dread came over me as I saw that she could not stand or walk. Clinic attendants assured me that she would be up and running in a few days, but I knew she would not. I took her and immediately booked her into another veterinary hospital where they did another MRI. It showed the severity of the damage that had been done to her spine from the surgery performed by Dr. Bernier.
We started her on a healing program and extensive physiotherapy, but nothing was going to heal her from the brutalization done to her tiny, fragile spine.
Skidget is less than 4 pounds in weight and was 9 years old at the time of the surgery. Later I understood that she was technically in a very high risk category, and no respectable veterinary professional would have performed that surgery on her.
The best part was how aggressively GSVS tried to get me to pay $5,000 for the privilege of paralyzing my dog, even after they had already secured an initial $3,000.
I wrote to Dr. Scavelli, the head of GSVS, asking for an explanation, but both he and Dr. Bernier went silent.
Unfortunately dogs are considered property, so suing wasn t an option. Besides, no amount of money will restore Skidget s ability to walk again. It is amazing to me that GSVS is allowed to continue to practice, given the many reports of cruelty and irresponsibility towards animals.