Common Sense For Animals Veternarian mistakes cost us and our pets! Broadway New Jersey

Let me first make this clear: I am not reporting any indiviudal, rather, this practice as a whole- I hope after my experience they work to make things better. I realize that human nature is to make mistakes- not one individual on this earth is perfect...however, there were a series of mistakes in my case and I wish only to prevent this from happening to another!

So we adopted a cat from CSA (Dr. Blease in Stewartsville) for Christmas. He's a great cat, friendly and affectionate, always uses the litter box- even our other cat, #1 has grown to like him. Ok, so we got him home and noticed he had a cough. I called CSA and they prescribed him Ammoxicylin (sp?) over the phone. He was supposed to go back 1 month after the adoption for his distemper update. He was still coughing and I had called, the stupid receptionist told me to wait for his appointment. So we arrive on the schedule day at the scheduled time and another receptionist tells me, "You didn't adopt #2" and I'm like what?!? He's in the cat carrier with me. Well apparently these idiots screwed up paper work and STILL don't know which cat I really adopted. So she was nice about it and said she thought it was this other cat "X" who was a female with similar yet DIFFERENT markings! I said there's no way that is the cat that I have. So this other lady, a technician/nurse or whatever walks by and says "I don't see what the big deal is anyway." All snotty-like. So I reply, "Well, I would like to know as much of the cats medical history as possible, what if it has lukemia or kitty AIDS?" {She assured me all of their cats are tested- even though they can't find a piece of paper}. Yes, I was upset, but still calm and reasonable at this point.

So I decide it really doesn't matter, we love the cat regardless. Go in to see the doctor, some lady, not Dr. Blease b/c it was a Saturday. So she won't give #2 his distemper booster because of his cough and prescribes yet more antibiotics and tells me that they're good for him even if he doesn't really need them. I don't know what medical school she went to but antibiotic over-use = antibiotic resistance! Anyway, still calm I go to leave and the tell me it's $60. Now, I was expecting this distemper booster to be no charge as it was supposed to be included in the adoption fee. So I apologize and ask them to send me the bill. Upon which the "what's the big deal lady" becomes agitated with me and even less friendly than previously. I explain that I was expecting no charge blah blah blah and she tells me that I would have been charged for the distemper and doesn't know who would've told me that it would be no charge (it was her 1 month previously that told me that!!!) Because of the situation and her unpleasant attitude I am now in tears because I don't have the money at the moment and not to mention the adoption papers also say that if the cat needs any medicine in the 1st 30 days that it's no charge! I end up sending my boyfriend in to pay her or tell her to piss off. He paid her, I don't care at this point I couldn't deal.

So I get over this- I was going to call Dr. Blease and inform him of my discontent with the situation, but decided not to waste my time and move on. I give #2 another week of meds and now our first cat, #1 is coughing, and #2 hasn't stopped. So at this point we make an appointment at our regular vet- Warren Animal Hospital. The night before we're going I look at #2 and his eye is all bloodshot. So we go to the vet. They're stumped about his eye because it's burst blood vessels in his iris (the colored part) and his 3rd eyelid is closing over his eye and he really can't hold it open. Long story short: we're at the vet 2 1/2 hours. They suggested he be tested for Lukemia and some other awful things because of the whole paperwork mix up (i.e., incompetence) at the other office. Well, #2 has feline Leukemia! It's basically a death sentence. 80% of cats with FeLV die within the first 2-3yrs. 20% make it to 8-9yrs. That's what's up with his eye. FeLV essentially is like HIV in people. It makes it so that the cat is much more likely to get sick and its very hard for their immune system to fight the illness, even with antibiotics.

#1 tested negative on Friday but needs to go back in 2weeks for a FeLV vaccine booster shot and then again for another test. By the way, none of this is cheap.
It wasn't cheap to adopt #2 and all this testing and antibiotics aren't cheap either!

So Saturday morning we went to Dr. Blease's office and spoke with him for about an hour, holding up his other appointments about all of this baloney. He was very kind and understanding and might I add, professional. Although, the lady with the attitude overheard me informing the Dr. of her inappropriate attitude and she had the nerve to come into the room, point her finger in my face and tell me that I was the one with the attitude. I simply said, We are having an adult conversation about this situation, you interrupted me and I do not appreciate that. Dr. B told her to leave. So she proceeded to stomp and huff around the office until we left.

Now, Dr Blease offered to refund our adoption fee ($150) and the $60 from the 2nd visit (should have been no charge no matter how you figure). We told him to keep it and that it wouldn't change a thing. We still have a sick cat, have put our other very healthy cat at risk and will no doubt have medical costs in the future because of this. What we really wanted was to prevent this from happening again. He told us they are re-testing the cats there, and having staff meeting s on how to deal with customers.

The whole thing really sucks, is upsetting. I work in public service and no matter how shitty a customer of mine ever is you don't give them an attitude back. I really wonder if that lady has a guilty conscience about mixing up the paperwork or she just can't handle her job. Maybe her husband beats her- I don't know.

Dr. B told us that if they had known he had FeLV he would have been relocated to a kitty nursing home to live his days- this is probably BS but he certainly shouldn't have been up for adoption.

I feel sorry for the animals there and anyone who's had a similar experience! Please just take this as a warning and get your new pets examined but your own vet!!! I will still donate food to them, it's not right to punish the animals because the people who work there are stupid, incompetent!!!!!

Anonymous :)
Broadway, New Jersey
U.S.A.