Yelp or Bitch? Yelp it? Or bitch it?

[kyburg]

My vet has a website. And it includes a comment form to 'help them improve their practice.'

Okay.



Please take this as gently as I can offer it, and as an aid to improving your practice.

If you check your records, you will find our cat Ai-Chan has been a patient of yours since we moved to Torrance in 2003.

In March of this year, we brought her in to be seen for sudden weight loss and anorexia. Initially, it was blamed on stress and fatty liver disease.

Two months (and three visits) later, we were referred to City of Angels in Culver City for an ultrasound that determined our cat had cancer and we had been force-feeding a cat with a developing intestitional obstruction.

For weeks.

We had her put to sleep yesterday.

Dr. Yao was the vet who did the initial intake; it was Dr. Jacks on Friday who made the decision to refer to Dr. Morgan at City of Angels.

I clearly recall asking Dr. Yao after the first visit if she had ruled out an obstruction; her response was that she could not - she'd have to refer out to do so.

Please encourage Dr. Yao to be more aggressive about this in the future. There was nothing we could have done to prevent the outcome, and we were directed to provide treatment that neither provided quality of life or comfort, due to a lack of initial diagnostic workup. We came to your practice to find out the cause of our cat's illness, and never refused a request for testing. We understand it can take time to come to a diagnosis, but I felt that I was always pushing the staff to dig deeper instead of being pro-active and following care.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss further. Either myself or my husband Jim Bell can discuss the case.

Thank you in advance.

*sighs* I also don't mind the money...much. I just wish it didn't feel like my savings account was the bathtub, and someone keeps pulling the drain plug.

And I've been missing her for weeks - I just thought I'd get her back, that's all.

She went quietly, purring - from what Jim said. I'm not one to sit and watch the last moments; I stepped out of the room. She was his kitty after all - and he did a great job.

World, be good to Jim for a while, okay?

And no, I don't want a new cat to take her place. She really was one of a kind.

Comments

[dr-nebula.livejournal.com]

I've never seen much purpose in prolonging life if the quality and comfort is poor and getting worse. It just becomes a major drain financially and emotionally.

[juliekaye.livejournal.com]

Good letter. Got your point across and you stayed calm and respectful.

[amilyn.livejournal.com]

Well said.

And *hugs* to Jim.

[malibrarian.livejournal.com]

I had a similar situation with my cat Beulah, where the junior vet told me to go home with her for a month and see what happened. After two weeks I came in and waited two hours to see the head vet (who had provided most of her care) and told him that my cat would be dead in two weeks and it was time to DO SOMETHING. Same thing as you, cat cancer.

I'm glad that you wrote something, maybe the next family to come down the pike won't have to suffer as long as you did.

I'm sorry for your loss, we lost a cat right after Sarah came home and it was difficult to mourn her while we were trying to do the new parent thing at the same time.

[oberstein.livejournal.com]

Oh kitty. :(

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear it. Your letter is well done, especially under the circumstances.

Hugs to all.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

A very well-done letter, and I hope it helps others in the future.

I'm sorry about your loss of Ai-Chan.

[turandot.livejournal.com]

Poor baby. You are absolutely right in that given what the problem really was, as the cat's owners you would have preferred spending your last moments together with her doing something other than force feeding her.

To their credit, a lot of times vets go with whatever informations you give them... So if you took her in telling them she had not eaten in 3 days, they would have been within their rights to guess that anorexia and resulting fatty liver disease was the main problem. But on any followups they did, they should have guessed that something else was going on if force-feeding did not actually help her gain weight.

Know that in her last moments, she found peace in that release you helped to give, and though she didn't understand how hard that decision was for you, she is grateful for it, wherever she is now.

As for getting a new cat, I don't think pet owners get new pets to replace the old ones. Rather, in time their hearts begin to heal, and they find it has grown just enough to accommodate a new pet who desperately needs a home. It can take weeks, months, or years. Just take it at your own pace.

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Your suggestion to the vet was very well written. It's really sad that the doctor missed this the first time. If she was unwell several years ago, it's possible the beginnings of it were already there. I'm so sorry.

Take care of yourselves. Both of you.

[sekl.livejournal.com]

Extremely professional.

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you guys are going through this on top of everything. It hurts so much to lose a fur baby. {{tight hugs}}