$328.13 - Total
I am just glad Sam is OK.
$36.00 - Quill Removal
$110.00 - Exam
$87.00 - Outpatient Monitoring
Finally, after being there for over 45 min, they took Sam for the procedure, telling me it would take 45 min or so and if I wanted to leave they would need a deposit.... This left me with a terrible feeling that this place was all about the money and that something bad might happen during what should be a routing procedure. After 20 min in the waiting room they came out and said everything went great, they had administered the reversal agent and we should be on our way int 10-15 min. After another 30 min a tech came out and said Sam had not woken up yet (my heart stopped) and that he is a "light weight" (90 lb lab) and I should tell any future vets this when it comes to sedatives... This is seriously what they said they to me. After another 20 mins or so they bring him out, he could hardly stand, kept lying down when not being actively walked, looked like he was barely conscious. This is almost an hour after they administered the reversal agent that was supposed to take 10-15 mins.
My dog Sam was quilled by a porcupine last night, a first for both of us. After removing 1, I was not able to control him enough to remove the rest by myself so I was forced to travel an hour and 15 min to BEVS (my normal vet used to have 24 hour service but apparently does not any more). By the time we arrived it was ~11:30 PM (~2 hours since the incident), Sam was breathing heavy the whole way and unable to lie down/relax due to the quills in his mouth, he was clearly in pain and very anxious. We were the only ones there but the priority when we entered was not care for Sam but rather paper work, which prominently asked "how will you be paying". After 10 plus mins we were taken to a exam room where the tech listened to his heart for ~10s then left us for another ~15 mins before the doctor came in for the "exam", which took about 2 mins (at a cost of $110), and she told me it should be an easy removal but they would need to use a reversible sedative. At this point the doc left to prepare an estimate, 10 mins later another tech came in and informed me the cost would be ~$325-$425 depending on how it went. This seemed very expensive for the severity/duration of treatment, but I of course said OK.
All of the staff at BEVS was understanding and very supportive when I brought my 15 year old cat in. He had suddenly gone into congestive heart failure and fluid was flooding his lungs making it very difficult for him to breathe. He was terrified and so was I, but they took him in immediately and were extremely gentle with him which both of us appreciated. It was a horrible experience ONLY because my cat was sick. I trusted them whole heartedly and they provided immediate and wonderful care for him and helped him to live another six months!
$29.86 - Butorphanol
$30.94 - Atipamezole
Bottom line the vet clearly overdosed the meds, I have had other dogs receive reversible sedatives before and it was nothing like this. The quill removal was trivial, it was the medical procedure at BEVS that was the true incident. Added to this is the outrages pricing:
After lifting him into my truck we headed home, I stopped every 10m to make sure he was still breathing, that's how bad it was. Even after the 90m ride home (with all the stops) he was no better. I had to carry him in the house and put him on his bed. I barely slept all night but thankfully he was better in the morning, only about 50% back to normal, but enough to know he should be ok. Almost 24 hours later he seems fine but still not quite back to normal, I am sure he will be at this point, but it was not a pleasant experience for either of us.
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Caring, knowledgeable and top notch emergency vet hospital we are very lucky to have this place in our area. The staff is very caring and we felt we had the best surgeon and oncologist for our boxer they saved his life. Every step was explained thoroughly and thought out with time for us to make our decision on the options that were offered. Communication was ongoing with our local vet so they were always informed on BEVS medical care. They took incredible care of him and we are so very grateful. Dempsey says thank you !
Had a strange and uncomfortable experience here. The vets insisted our dog take potentially liver and kidney damaging painkillers for a broken toe, accusing us of not caring for our pups wellbeing.
They clearly realize they have a monopoly on 24 emergency vet care in Northern VT and are taking advantage of it. The overall experience was terrible and I would NEVER go there again unless absolutely necessary. I question the credentials of any vet/tech working at this place. I am sure the issue is from the top down, they likely employ questionable/cheaper staff to increase profits. Beware.
$34.33 - Dexmedetomidine
We brought our dog to BEVS late one weeknight after he attacked a porcupine. We called to say we were on the way about 45 minute out, and the woman who answered the phone was very professional and helpful. This was a severe attack ("one of the worst they had seen," according to the vet), and he had to be put under for a few hours. I feel the care he received for this procedure was adequate, although we did end up taking him to our vet a week later to have more quills removed. The first problem occurred when he was back with the vets and apparently a back toe nail got caught in a floor grate, and it was pulled out. The vet said this grate had been a problem before and she had complained months ago. The second problem occurred when he was given a non-steroidal med at check-out even though he's on a steroid currently for allergies. I had indicated that on the check-in form, but either no one read that or didn't catch it; I had to point out the conflict upon reviewing the med list. After the severity of the attack and those two mistakes, not one person called to inquire as to his condition. The only call was to offer a refund of $20 for the med that we apparently paid for which he couldn't even take. In contrast, our vet called the next day to ask about him. I'm glad BEVS is there, but I wish they showed more care and had a higher standard of quality than what was exhibited. Very disappointing. My direct complaint to them was never acknowledged.
Burlington Emergency Veterinary Specialists is a US Veterinary Care based in Williston, New Hampshire. Burlington Emergency Veterinary Specialists is located at 200 Commerce St, Williston, VT 05495, USA.
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