Stephanie Hodges

Review of Medvet

I'm one of the lucky ones. My 3-year-old cat neede...

I'm one of the lucky ones. My 3-year-old cat needed a CT scan and polyp removal from his ear, deep in the tympanic bulla. I was referred here by my vet, whose office isn't equipped for that kind of surgery. I was scared to death after reading a review where someone's young cat had the same procedure and died as a result of it. However, my boy pulled through and his incision healed quickly, he was able to stop wearing his cone after 10 days. Dr. Dudley and his team explained everything thoroughly in the consult so I knew what to expect. They also called frequently on surgery day with updates. The office even called a couple days later, after I brought my cat home, to see how he was doing. All in all, I felt I received excellent care and my fears were alleviated.

However, the cost is absolutely ridiculous for such a small, common procedure. I wasn't about to refuse and let my cat's polyps grow and ruin his hearing/vision/balance, but still. Onto the credit card it went, it'll get paid off in time. Based on other reviews, it seems like the company, which has offices all over the country, is eager to gouge patients. If you love and value your pet's life, you'll pay anything, and they bank on that.

There's a lot of staff behind the desk, and they are continuously busy. Be prepared to wait and be shuffled to the waiting areas (I would like to note that there's a cats-only area, walled off so dogs aren't rushing at your cat carriers. Doesn't do much for the noise, but it's still considerate). For as busy as they are, the clerical staff can sure keep themselves entertained. During one of my checkouts, I watched as they swapped personal stories while an upset person brought in her dog with a mystery ailment, she was beside herself. They checked her in but mostly ignored her while laughing at their stories. At the same time, they were saying to bring out a cardboard coffin for someone else's pet who didn't make it, in a tone that was more like "we're out of paper clips." I suppose in this line of work, you have to keep distracted and positive, but from the point of view of a worried or grieving pet parent, it's highly insensitive.

Like I said, I was very lucky to get out of there with a healthy cat. Someone I work with recommended I cancel my appointment and take him to a low-cost, walk-in clinic, but after looking into that place, I decided I'd rather take my chances here. Looks like I made the right choice.