I’ve been going through the week from hell after my normally very healthy and active but elderly cat suddenly became seriously unwell. She started vomiting, stopped eating, zero energy and her breathing became somewhat shallow and rapid.
I took her to her registered vet’s practice (first visit as I moved to the area several months ago) as soon as possible. One blood test later, the vet said that she was dehydrated with slightly raised liver enzymes. All other organs are in good shape and no diabetes, etc. Some fluid was injected under her skin, anti-sickness given and arranged for her to return the following day to receive IV fluids. My cat seemed a little perkier that evening and ate a full meal, but was still clearly not right.
I returned the following morning to drop off my cat for standard IV fluid therapy. At the end of the day, I made the journey to pick her up. She certainly didn’t seem any better; instead, she was noticeably worse. The vet came to meet me, a different vet who just so happens to be the founding director of the entire veterinary group.
He declared that my cat had “eaten a full meal” and that he was “looking at a very healthy cat!” I next asked why she had become so unwell, and he advised that it was “most likely her teeth.” He explained that the tartar on her teeth might have acted as a toxin and caused raised but nothing to worry about liver enzymes. Once again, I thought this sounded highly unlikely. I asked if it was possible to give my cat a scan of her abdomen.
Unfortunately, in my confusion, I said “CT scan” instead of ultrasound. I was next repeatedly told that they had “no provision to scan an animal.” The vet and nurse must have realised that I meant ultrasound but did not correct me as you would expect and came across as altogether disinterested. The nurse then said that “scans are very expensive”, even though I had made it clear that I had medical insurance for my cat. I began to wonder how I had managed to register my cat with a practice unable to create an image of small animal organs.
Due to Covid, all appointments took place publicly in the waiting area. Sat across the room was an elderly couple who had brought in their cat. This same male vet returned to brief the couple but said that he “couldn’t really examine the cat because she was hissing and scratching”, or words to that effect. I thought it was strange that he couldn’t call in a nurse to help hold the cat. The vet’s tone made it clear that he blamed the couple for their cat’s demeanour, and they looked bemused.
The following day, a Friday, my cat deteriorated further. Concerned, I phoned the vet again for an appointment, only to be told that no vet was at the practice. Another staff member has now advised me that this was ultimately “due to Brexit.” The only option I was given was to drive with my very ill cat for just under 1 hour to visit another one of their vet practices in another county. I failed to see how any part of this is acceptable and was clearly blamed for taking this stance.
The next morning saw the start of the weekend. I managed to get an appointment at 10:40 am for my cat. I arrived on time, to be told flatly by the nurse in reception, "oh, we were expecting you 1 hour ago." I knew that this was wrong, as I'm meticulous about putting all appointments immediately after phone calls in my hardback diary and phone calendar. My mother, who has been helping out with my poorly cat, also overheard the phone call and confirmed that it was categorically a 10:40 am appointment.
There was no apology, and I was left to sit there through 2 other people's appointments whilst my cat's breathing became increasingly shallow. The nurse then said, "why didn't you take her to out-of-hours?" in an accusatory tone. I explained that since the most senior vet in the building declared my cat to be "very healthy" a little over 24 hours ago, I was led to believe that this wasn't necessary. I didn't receive a reply on the matter and began to feel as though I was losing my sanity.
Finally, I saw a vet, who I once again had not seen before. I handed her a bullet point print out list of my cat’s symptoms, which I had compiled the night prior, as I was exhausted trying to fight. The vet examined my cat before admitting that she was incredibly unwell with severe jaundice and that if she doesn’t go to out-of-hours care, she won’t make it. Upset and beyond frustrated that the two other vets had failed to accurately assess my cat (you would have thought they’d be able to recognise a yellow cat), I was left with no other choice but to drive my cat to emergency care. By now, this was my cat’s 7th car journey.
Arrived at out-of-hours care to be met outside by a female vet who was incredibly on the ball from the start. She expressed great concern that my cat had been offered absolutely no pain relief throughout her ordeal and questioned why there was no scan or diagnosis. It was great to feel heard finally. To cut a long story short, my cat ended up requiring emergency 24-hour care for the next two and a half days and nights. It was very much touch-and-go, and her long-term prognosis isn’t great due to the ultrasound results, but for now, my cat is back home, eating, drinking and purring, with a healthy heart rate and breathing pattern. The emergency team went above and beyond; I cannot fault them and remain incredibly grateful and impressed.
The morning after collecting my cat from emergency care, I decided to register with another veterinary practice as soon as possible. The receptionist was very pleasant and showed great concern for my cat’s wellbeing. She advised me that I would receive a phone call from the receptionist at current vets to give my consent for my cat’s medical history to be passed across. At a quarter to noon, I still hadn’t been contacted by the vet practice and so decided to phone.
From the offset, the receptionist was incredibly curt and rude. I was at least expecting her to say something along the lines of “sorry this didn’t work out; I wish your cat well”, but no. There was no apology, and instead she started retorting, “you can think what you think” and “that’s what you think.” She was so bitter and evidently angry, I hung up the phone physically shaking with disbelief.
Within the next 10 minutes, I received a phone call from a staff member from another one of the branches to discuss my reasons for dissatisfaction. On this call, I learnt that in the notes made following my appointment with the senior male vet, the word ‘deteriorated’ had been used to describe my cat’s condition. At no point was this voiced to me; in contradiction, this was the same appointment I was told by the vet that he was “looking at a very healthy cat!” I can now conclude that this was flagrant dishonesty.
I took my cat for her first appointment with her new vets the day after being released from 24-hour care. The vet was fantastic, incredibly thorough, picked up on another condition that my cat was suffering from that the first vet practice missed entirely, and, importantly, seemed genuinely concerned about my cat’s health and wellbeing.
My experience of dealing with the first vet practice has been nothing short of harrowing. I have been gaslighted, brainwashed and vital information was not relayed, and as a result left with no choice but to take my cat to out-of-hours, leaving me with a bill that has wiped out my annual insurance cover. I'm still very much dealing with the aftermath.
Any words appreciated. Thanks for reading.