North Paw Animal Hospital Just say NO! to North Paw Animal Hosptial durham North Carolina

JUST SAY NO TO NORTH PAW!!!!!!

I've been taking our 3 mixed-breed-pound-puppies to North Paw Animal Hospital for 12 plus years.... care has been both very good and very bad during this time.

They misdiagnosed our 1 year-old terrier-mix (Izzi) who impaled herself on a stick running in the woods.  Luckily Triangle Vet Hospital was able to save her via emergency surgery.  Still, those 3 trips to North Paw for fluids, transfusions, X-rays when they kept missing the root cause?   As the emergency vets said... "The films/X-rays were right there?"  

OK, I figured, everybody misses once.  Sometimes twice.  Even to the tune of $10k in vet bills.  They meant well.... just missed the target.  We're officially dog crazy.

Our most recent experience was bringing our 12 year old rescue (Puddy) in for bite on his back leg:  Because of a mix up at another vet one of our other dogs was given Puddy's rabies booster by mistake... consequently, his rabies vaccine had lapsed by 6 months at the time of the bite.  Now we're looking at a 6 month quarantine of Puddy thanks to North Paw, Dr. Grossi.... and ourselves.

We certainly should have been more vigilant and caught the rabies mix up.  Still, the dog wasn't bitten by a rabid animal.   No, the neighbors cat did this one and a few others....  when it see's Puddy coming... it chases him and he runs as fast as his TPLO knees (he's had his 2 rear knees replaced... TPLO procedure it's called... at $3k per.) will take him.  Obviously, not fast enough!

I'm old fashion enough to believe that a vet hospital/clinic you've had a 12 year relationship with would/should go to bat for you... when faced with the possibility of 6 month quarantine or putting down an otherwise healthy animal.  North Paw Animal Hospital and Dr. Grossi instead opted to report the bite to state/local health dept. when they couldn't confirm (via eyewitness) who or what had bitten him.  We told him "cat" was the likely culprit... as he'd been bitten before.  Moreover, when did it become standard operating procedure by a Vet to assume that when a family pet gets bit by something... it must be a rabid animal?

So, I'm a frustrated owner.  Paying to have old Puddy quarantined for 6 months because if you don't, they'll put him down... and test for rabies after the fact.  Also, I'm trying to tell anyone who'll listen... don't be surprised if North Paw & Dr. Grossi manages to disappoint you when your animal's hurt or at risk.  

 
What they should have done when Puddy came in with a bite and they suspect he might have lapsed in current rabies vaccine was at a minimum?

1) FAVN test to determine rabies titer (amount rabies vaccine still in his system)
2) vaccinate Puddy for rabies immediately!

NORTH PAW failed to do any of this!!!!!

Please keep all your pets up to date on all their shots.  
And think twice about your Vet (Dr. Grossi) and what they'll do for you and your pets when you really need them?