Icky Emergency Clinic Visit!

12 years ago

I am a bit flustered today.. well actually more than that...

I had to take our new pup Greta to the Emergency Vet clinic today because her spay incision was opening up and oozing. Oh drat. (I thought it looked more swollen and red than it should last night...)

Anyway, so its too late in the day to get in touch with my regular vet and their answering machine says to contact this Tri-County emergency Clinic. Which I've been to in the past, but it was a long time ago. I call ahead to the clinic and the receptionist warns me - well we are busy but come on in.

While I am waiting in the exam room, I notice some bits of dried blood on the floor (not Greta's)... which is kind of gross, but it is a busy Saturday. There is a bottle of cleaner and paper towels in the room. So while I am waiting, I figure I might as well wipe up that blood because I don't want Greta licking it up. After I swiped the floor with the paper towel, the towel comes up black. The floor is filthy. I look around a bit closer and the entire room is filthy. The steel counter top is smeared and cloudy, so I clean that too. Then I am worried about Greta laying on that dirty floor with an open incision. GROSS OUT PANIC! I gotta get outta here. But what about Greta, I can't leave her wound like this until Monday. So I wait, nervously trying to keep Greta from laying on the floor.

Oh good news, the clinic was able to get in touch with my vet and he says the clinic should just take care of my dog for him. I'm thinking that rat b***rd has referred me to this filthy place, after how much money have I spent at his place over the years? more grumpy on my part...

So the clinic vet takes a look at her incision and says that it looks like she is having a reaction to the interior muscle stitches that eventually dissolve. She says the incision should be opened back up, those sutures should be removed and of course it will require general anesthesia... again. I am not thrilled about having her put under and opened back up at such a filthy place, but I'm not sure I have any other choice.

Before they can do the procedure, you have to pay in advance. Okay, so I wait for the estimate. Decision made simple, the estimate is three times the price of the original spay surgery. Are you kidding me? I tell the young lady, that I would like to have something done, but I'm not paying that price, especially at a place where I am totally uncomfortable, with people I do not know. She says well let me get the doctor....

the vet comes back and says in a snotty tone: well I guess we can clean up the wound, put some staples in, give her some antibiotics and have you follow up with your Vet on Monday.

I'm not real happy with this. I'd rather not have my dog uncomfortable until Monday. But I'd really rather not have her opened up in this filthy place either. And I kind of feel like the vet is promoting the most expensive option, at exorbitant prices, knowing that we are somewhat desperate, with no other vets open the rest of the weekend. The attitude from the vet was really annoying. So I agree to the lesser work. They take Greta in the back, where I hear her yelp in pain as they put the staples in. I'm really not sure I made the right decision... because she probably will have to be opened back up again away.

The tech brings me back my dog, and I go to the counter to pay. Then I wonder, if giving her some benedryl might be helpful because of the allergic reaction. So I ask the receptionist, while she is checking me out...and she says let me ask the vet. After we finish up the payment, the receptionist goes in the back. I can hear the vet in the back, in a very snotty and sarcastic tone say that benedryl doesn't necessarily make all dogs drowsy, it may make her hyper. I wasn't asking to make her drowsy, I am asking about something to treat the reaction. I was so annoyed at her tone, and her inability to step out from the back to answer my question, that I left without actually getting an answer.

So I do not know if giving her some bendryl will be helpful or not? Will it help ease the inflammation until I can get her to our regular vet on Monday?

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Comments (11)

laurief_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Since there is a possibility that Benedryl may make her excitable, I would not recommend giving it to her under these circumstances. Allergic reaction or not, the last thing you want right now is for her to get all hyper and risk pulling the staples out and opening the incision further before you can get it properly repaired on Monday.

Laurie
Ninapearl
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
benadryl is an antihistamine and will not help with inflammation, only with itching. i would hold off giving her anything at this point. did the place at least give you antibiotics for her? they certainly should have!

this would be a good time for you to find a vet in your area that does after hours emergency calls. my regular vet, as well as the nearest e.r. clinic, is an hour away and that's too far for an emergency. i have a back-up vet i can use if absolutely necessary. it doesn't hurt to get yourself established with a second vet for times like this.

hope greta's incision heals quickly! what an awful experience for you!
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cynthia_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Since the incision has been cleaned and she's on antibiotics "clean up the wound, put some staples in, give her some antibiotics... " I'd skip the benedryl. Also since she may have surgery on Monday at your vets - I'm sure you know no food after midnight tonight. I hope she (and you) are feeling better today. And you should let your own vet and the emg clinic (in writing) know about the hygiene issues at this place.
joepyeweed
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I definitely plan on letting the vet know about the dirt and attitude at the clinic. I think the local vets pay this clinic to act as their emergency services (instead of having someone on call).

Thanks for the reminder about not feeding her, I know that; but I'm so stressed out right now, it would have easily skipped my mind.

I'm sure this whole thing is harder on me than it is on her. Looking at her, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong, well except for the cone on her head. She is bright-eyed, eating and drinking just fine and wondering why I've kept her in the cage so much these past two days.
jomuir
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow, that was an awful visit, wasn't it? I'd definitely have a talk with your vet this week about it. I know we keep a list of all 24-hr. vets just in case of emergencies like yours.

I'd also write a letter to the emergency clinic, a calm letter outlining the dirty conditions and snotty attitude of the vet you dealt with. Maybe CC your own vet on it. Then see if there's another emergency clinic w/in driving distance and pay them a visit just to see if it looks better than the one you went to. And hope you never have to use them! Hope your dog is feeling better now.
User
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Poor Greta! Is it possible that your regular vet does not know about the filth and bad attitude at the emergency clinic? If not, he should. I really hope you live in an area with lots of pet care options and do not HAVE to use this vet any more and certainly not that emergency clinic. Wishing a speedy recovery and good health for Greta!
joepyeweed
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I did look around for another emergency clinic. In case, she took a turn for the worse and needed immediate attention. She is doing fine though. She's bright and chipper. The incision is still swollen and oozy, but not as bad as yesterday.

The emergency clinic that my vet referred me to is the only one in this metro area, its only about 10 miles from my house. However, I made a note for future reference, that there is another emergency clinic in a town about 40 miles from here.

We will be at my vet's office first thing tomorrow morning.
calliope
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You might, instead of checking for other emergency clinics, since you are in a metropolitan area, check to see if there are any practices who have vets who will take on-call cases. I live in the boondocks and my practice will cover any emergency day or night with a set 'emergency' surcharge on top of the normal bill. I much prefer that because the practioner knows my pet, has access to the records and I suspect it is just simply more economical even with the surcharge.

I am not condoning filthy-looking waiting rooms, but unlike a conventional practise, an ER situation is a 24-7 clinic. It's not like they can stop and attend to tidying in a non-surgical setting when they're swamped with clients..........all of whom are bad enough they need to be seen immediately. It can get pretty gross when there is no kennel worker or tech free to police up the area as it's being dirtied, and sometimes just doing the patient care takes up all the available time. I suspect you were the victim of being there at a 'bad' and stressful time. Doesn't make it any more pleasant for you, however.
joepyeweed
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just a quick follow up. Greta's is doing great.

My vet said that she didn't need to be re-opened up and put under general anesthesia and he was glad that I didn't agree to that.

He was able to remove the sutures that she was reacting to, with two tiny adjacent incisions. He did give her some meds to make her groggy, so they could work on her, but they didn't put her totally out. I picked up her later that same day and he didn't charge me for it.

We talked about my problems with the ER clinic. He said he personally hasn't had any complaints from his patients about the ER clinic, but he said that his partner (who owns several clinics in the area) has had several complaints about cleanliness at the ER clinic. So it has been an issue in the past.

My Vet called the ER clinic and told them he would be following up with a more formal written complaint. He was concerned with the Vet's treatment recommendation as well as my complaints about the dirty and attitude.
pamghatten
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That's great news about Greta, and great news that your Vet took your complaints and acted on them. Wish more people would do that!
lynn_d
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I hope she is still doing well, Joepyeweed. And I am so glad that they are being reported. Even if it were (not saying it was) just the waiting area that was filthy, you are absolutely correct in your concerns. Too many critters are taken into an emergency clinic with open wounds or already ill, the last thing they need is exposure to such conditions.

Icky Emergency Clinic Visit!

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