I hate Kodi's lethbridge vet

When I first brought Kodi to live with me in Lethbridge two and a half years ago I needed to find a vet. I picked a clinic close by, made sure they had the prescription food he eats, and had his regular vet back in Calgary send a copy of all his records, most importantly the results of the blood tests that spied the problem with his kidneys. I still take Kodi to Calgary to see his old vet for regular things, but thought a vet here that had all his information would be a smart idea in case of emergencies. Even better, when I first moved him here the new clinic was advertising as a 24 hour emergency clinic as well, and since I wanted it for emergencies, 24 hours a day seemed like a great deal.

My first experience was actually pretty ok. I thought Kodi had picked up fleas, so I had him checked out, learned a lot about fleas, and found out he didn't have them. Life was good, the vet seemed nice and well informed.

Over a year later Kodi suddenly and inexplicably became very ill. He stopped eating, which I wasn't panicked about, because sometimes dog's get upset stomachs and don't want to eat. Then he stopped drinking, then he became lethargic, then he stopped peeing. All these are signs that a dog is entering the final stages of kidney failure. Since kodi had already been diagnosed with renal failure this was very likely. So, as soon as I noticed he wasn't urinating or drinking, I called the vet, it was 8 am. I explained that I had an emergency, that my dog had been diagnosed with renal failure and was showing the above symptoms. They refused to see him until 2 pm. Some emergency clinic.

So I miss classes, stay with him. He's in obvious discomfort. I finally take him to the vet. They draw blood for tests, take a urine sample, and want to do x-rays. They have me leave him behind for x-rays, telling me to return in 3 hours. I come back in 3 hours and he's still not had his x-rays done. I go home, they say they'll call me. They finally call me, I come in to see his x-rays, and there isn't anything there. I go to take him home and they charge me for hospitalization. I had no idea when they asked me to leave him for that time that I would be charged a hospitalization fee. That was never disclosed to me. Blood tests came back the next day, and despite the fact my dog was still not eating, drinking, or peeing, they were normal.

The vet decided that it was imperative that he eat. So I had to make him eat, which started so much vomiting that I called the vet again. She said she would prescribe something that would help him keep his food and water down. When I went to pick up the medication my problems with the front desk staff began. They handed me three bottles of pills, and, wanting to be informed and suprised that I was recieving more than one medication, I asked why there were three.

"Because that's what the vet wants him to take" That was her answer, word for word. It completely threw me off. What I wanted to know, was what was each medication called and what was it supposed to do for my dog? I wasn't arguing against giving it him. I have been spoiled maybe by our Calgary vet, the whole operation from the doctors to the front desk staff is excellent, they are all well informed and have no problem giving me every answer I ask for. Even the front desk staff know so much that if I have a question about a dosage or a symptom they can help me over the phone without me even having to speak to the vet. I'm sure I have "difficult patient" marked on my file in Lethbridge over this incident.

So I got my explaination with some effort on what the meds were for. I went home and determined that I would not continue to force feed my dog as advised. All it did was make him sicker. I made sure he drank, I was thrilled when he started peeing again, and despite losing a massive amount of weight in a week, and doing nothing but sleep the entire time Kodi managed to make a full recovery. Unfortunately the incident, especially the issue with the medications, soured me on the vet here.

So, a year and a bit after that experience Kodi had to have another issue. His stitches for a tooth extraction came out and I needed to take him to the vet to see if he needed to have them put back in. The visit started out alright, except that they were overbooked and our wait was very long and they don't enforce their leash rules so Kodi was harassed by a minipoodle that decided to run up and start a fight while its owner was paying. The vet determined that it would be safe to wait and see for a week if Kodi's mouth would heal on its own without stitches. This required a second round of antibiotics while the wound was open. I wanted to make sure the vet remembered that Kodi had kidney troubles when she was prescribing a medication to him. She looked at the file, that had all the faxes from our Calgary vet in them, including the most recent dental issues, and very irritably said "Well it would have been nice if they'd given us that information" I said they had, two and a half years ago when we started a file at this clinic. review your patient's information much? I was really annoyed. A simple "Oh, do we have that information on record" would have done. I didn't need to hear this vet, at this ill tempered clinic, telling me how horrible my old vet must be. I love my old vet clinic.

So Kodi was prescribed a new set of meds. I bought some food, paid for the meds and the exam, booked a followup appointment, and went home. I went to give him his new meds today and read the lable to check the dosage. "1 tablet twice daily, take with food" When I opened the bottle I was thrown by the number of tablets. Kodi is supposed to be on these meds for 10 days, the lable says there are 20 tablets. That is enough for 2 tablets a day as the instructions indicate. There were only 10 tablets in the bottle. My reciept also says I was charged for 20 tablets.

I wasn't sure if perhaps the tablets were supposed to be cut in two, but it did not say anywhere to do so. So I called the clinic to double check the dosage. Closed for the long weekend. I guess they gave up pretending to take emergency calls. So I called the actual emergency clinic in town and explained my problem over the phone. I gave them his weight, the information on the bottle, and the phone staff there checked with the vet on duty. At the given dosage for ten days Kodi should, indeed, have 20 tablets, not 10. The vet miscounted and only gave me half the medication that I paid for.

I dread the conversation with the front desk staff when I come in on tuesday claiming that I was not given enough medication. I have doubts that I will be believed.

I need to find a new vet in town.

It would be nice to find one where I didn't conflict so badly with the staff. And where the vets weren't afraid of my dog.