Our cat was diagnosed with Mammary Tumor Cancer, May 2010 and we had gone for surgery, chemo, to a nutritionist and searched for any assistance we could get to prolong her life. After the surgery, she was given 6 months but we were told chemo might help. When chemo wasn't working, we were given 2 months as the tumor was growing. So we quickly went to a holistic vet we heard about from the book by Dr. Marty G. They speak of how much they can do for cancer in pets and how they have saved lives. His practice is in South Salem NY called Smith Ridge Veterinary. We didn't hesitate.
We quickly made an appointment and drove quite a distance for the visit. Dr. ** (one of the associates because G. doesn't take new clients) said the cat looked very good, active, bright-eyed and alert as she roamed around the room. The doctor said there were many options and if one doesn't work, they can try others. I asked what the best option was as I didn't want to waste time because she was already becoming a picky eater. She spoke of the Vitamin C Therapy where the pet is on an IV for 3 full 8 hour days of this treatment to boost their system and to get her to eat more. We were informed this was the best we could do of all the other alternatives. It was more costly but we were assured this would help and scheduled it immediately for their first available appointment.
My husband went to pick her up on the day she was to come home (they wanted him to be there at 6 pm sharp because Dr. ** would be gone and another doctor who would doing the discharge would be at dinner 6:01 pm). My husband said he would be up there earlier so that it wouldn't inconvenience anyone and he went through a major storm to get there in time. Needless to say, he had to wait an hour, the cat wasn't ready and she let out a horrible scream in the room where he couldn't see her. She came home with her veins horrible and her back nail was missing. She came home terrified and not the same as when she went in. Within a day, I saw her quickly deteriorating. Now she wouldn't eat at all for me even though they insisted she ate for them. I had to feed her through a syringe for the remainder of her life and they offered no help. None!
I contacted my primary vet who said they can provide a steroid shot or appetite stimulator to see if she will eat, but I wanted to check with Smith Ridge because she was on holistic meds and cancer drugs (some of which were over $100 and expiring that month) and we didn't know what could or couldn't be mixed. I called Smith Ridge and begged them what to do because she wouldn't eat and didn't look good. All I heard was she ate for us here. When I spoke with the doctor earlier the day our cat was going to be discharged, I was told to keep her informed which I did. But then I was told I would have to pay for a 2 minute phone consult (15 minute minimum) of over $55 to just ask if I could give her an appetite stimulator. They refuse to help you over the phone and won't call you back at the end of the day to answer a simple question without charging you, but the doctor had the nerve to take her valuable time to email me and tell me to make an appointment for a phone consult about the medicine. The email took longer than her saying yes or no. They never once said if she is not eating you should get her in for an appointment right away. Never! I told them constantly she wasn't doing well and won't eat.
We should have saved over $1200 and left our cat home to be with us safe and live her remaining time peaceful. Instead she went through this terrible situation which made her worse and our pockets empty. I understand what cancer can do and I know we would lose her at some point, but they are only out for your money and you don't know what goes on when you are not there. This treatment was supposed to help her even if to just give her a boost and it did the opposite. My cat was not the same when she got home. The way Dr. G.'s book reads and what the doctor herself said provides false hope, all lies. They see you will do anything to help your pet and then take advantage of you.
With your pet being there for days, you have no idea whether or not any Vitamin C was given because the day after she got home, I called them due to the fact that she was sneezing (after so much Vitamin C? ) and they told me to call my regular vet and wouldn't help. Think twice before you subject your beloved pet and your pocket to this bunch. I wish I did because I might still have had her and if not, she wouldn't have gone through this hell! I will never recommend them to anyone and I wish I knew all of this before we went.
