The week I got my puppy, I made a first appointment. Even though we had an appointment, we waited in the waiting room for 15 minutes. When we were in the exam room, we waited again 10-20 minutes twice. My children were going nuts. Still I remained with them.
This past Wednesday night, my puppy broke her leg. I called Tri-State Thursday morning to set up an appointment. They couldn't see her for six days! That appointment was only a consult and would cost me $190 just for the exam and xrays. I asked what I could do for the suffering puppy until then. They replied, "I don't know what to tell you." They were actually getting agitated with me that I expected them to do something for my puppy with her broken leg. I asked them to call her something in to relieve her suffering until the appointment. They said they would call back; they never did. I asked them if there were other vets I could take her to. They gave me a few names, none of whom performed orthopedic surgery.
I searched for vets using the yellow pages. Hurricane Animal Hospital got her in the same day. They even stayed open past normal business hours to perform the orthopedic repair. They stated there was no way I could've waited six days with such a badly broken limb. Although I was only there to get the leg fixed, Hurricane performed a complete and thorough physical. The dandruff my dog has been presenting with, that Tri-State claimed was a reaction to the fleas she had from the breeder, was actually diagnosed as a nutrition problem. I was instructed to simply change her dog food. They put a splint on the puppy's leg. I was shown xrays of before and after, and they thoroughly explained the recovery process. My puppy needed strict rest, and my crate would be too small for such a long confinement. So they allowed me to put a small $25 deposit on a larger crate of theirs to be returned with full refund after her recovery. I was also given pain medication to give my puppy daily to keep her comfortable while she heals. These people were quick, thorough, kind, and true heroes. My puppy is now well on her way to a speedy and happy recovery.By the way, the entire bill for exam, physical, a fecal test per my request, x rays, splinting, etc was only $220.
If I had not taken action to find another vet, Tri-State's negligence and lack of concern would've resulted in my puppy's leg being amputated. Imagine if you broke two bones in your leg, went to the ER, and the ER told you come back in six days for a "consult!" Then when you went back in six days, your leg had to be amputated but could've simply been casted six days prior. Can you say mal-practice?
They claim to be an Emergency Veterinary Hospital. If "emergency" is classified as nearly a week prior to even a consult, then we all need to worry. Save yourself the heartache, and quite possibly save your pet's limbs. Take your pet to a place that actually cares about animals. Stay far away from Tri-State.
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