On August 27, 2009, my 13-year-old rescue cocker spaniel was unable to walk. I got him to my local veterinarian, Downtown Veterinary Clinic. The veterinarian was unable to specifically diagnose him and suggested that we take him to the animal medical center. We paid Downtown Vet $370.00 and the next day, we took him to the Fifth Ave Veterinary Specialists. They had a suspected diagnosis but to be sure, they suggested we take him to the Animal Medical Center. We paid Fifth Ave Veterinary Specialists $495.00 and then at 6 PM, Saturday, August 28, we took him to Animal Medical Center. We were admitted by a Dr. **** who immediately sent us to the cashier and we paid $2250.00 before any diagnosis. My son-in-law who was with me paid for half and I paid the other half and he is a witness to everything that occurred. They took my dog away for diagnosis at 8 PM.
We were very specific in telling Dr. **** that we wanted a diagnosis so that we could discuss it in the family and see how to proceed. Since no one came back to us, we went home at 9 PM. At 10 PM, I called the Animal Medical Center to see how my dog was doing and after arguing with the telephone attendant to put me through to the doctor, I finally was put through to a Dr. **** whom I had never heard of. She informed me that my dog was shaved and anesthetized for a spinal operation. The diagnosis was T3-L3 myelopathy.
This was the first diagnosis I was given and I would not have known in advance of the operation if I had not called. I told her to stop the operation and I wanted to come there immediately at 10 PM on Saturday night and pick up my dog. She argued strenuously that he must have this operation and painted a dire picture of an invalid dog with no quality of life, bowel and urinary problems, inability to walk with painful disc disease and a generally terrible existence.
I was adamant that I did not want my dog to have a spinal operation and that I wanted to pick him up. Finally, I was told that after 10 AM on Sunday, I could get him. In order to get him out of there, we paid an additional $373.00. So we paid $3,388.85 for 2 non-diagnosis and a thwarted operation. One week later, I received a bill for $370.00 for emergency procedures and anesthesia. I called someone at Animal Medical Center and I told them that I was not paying this last bill. Subsequently, I received a letter from a collection agency, Paul Michael Associates, dated January 20, 2010, threatening to report me to a credit agency. I have all invoices, diagnosis reports and any other correspondence relating to this matter. I have notified by certified mail, Downtown Veterinary Clinic, Fifth Ave. Veterinary Specialists, Animal Medical Center and Paul Michael Collection Agency of what I am telling and stating that I will not pay this last bill of $370.00.
The reason is simple. They want to charge me for anesthesia and an emergency procedure fee for an operation on my dog that I did not agree to have performed and they were planning to go ahead with an operation before they told us what the specific diagnosis was. Also, their alarming prognosis was completely inaccurate. My dog, with no further medical treatment, was fine within a few days of bringing him home. Six months later, he goes for 3 to 4 walks a day, his appetite is hearty, his bowel and urinary system is perfectly healthy. He is a 13 or 14-year-old dog that enjoys a good quality of life and none of his current good life is in any way a result of the dire medical picture painted by the Animal Medical Center.
In fact, whatever they prescribed, I was careful not to follow their advice and he's fine. One really has to wonder if the procedure they were trying to perform on my dog who did not need it was an attempt to drum up big medical bills that we would be forced to pay or maybe just a research operation for the enlightenment of their students and at the expense of me and my dog, if indeed he had even survived the operation. I have everything documented and will be making a short video of my dog to show his health and good spirits if this goes to litigation.
