I took my 10 year old Burmese cat in for a routing visit. First I was sold $200 of lab work, then I was told she needed her teeth cleaned (another $300+), but since she had a heart murmur she needed an echocardiogram $700 to see if she was healthy enough for anesthesia. The echocardiogram showed enlargement of her left atrium. In addition her lab work showed renal problems. The dental cleaning was optional and an alternative procedure was available. Dr Harpster told us it was fine to have her undergo anesthesia. Two weeks after that she had congestive heart failure and was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy. (An enlarged left atrium is a very common symptom of this disease. Congestive heart failure in cats with this condition is generally triggered by stress - anesthesia being #1.) We took her to Angell Memorial and spent another $3,000 trying to have her stabilized although the prognosis for a cat with this problem is < 1 year. After 3 weeks during which time she continued to deteriorate, we had to have her euthanized.
Pros: parking
Cons: Quality of care, knowledgeabilty of staff, motivated by money more than what the pet needs
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