I signed up on Citysearch just to review this vet hospital. I'm sorry I ever took my pet there. While they appear to mean well, at least on the surface, the #1 factor that drives this practice is greed. They will literally allow an animal to die in front of them if an owner cannot pay in full right then and there. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I was able to pay, and pay I did, through the nose.
My pet was diagnosed with cancer and the oncologist at VSH recommended chemotherapy. He was quite optimistic even though statistics (and one of their own surgeons) indicated a far more grim outcome. In hindsight, the oncologist was peddling expensive treatments that would benefit the practices' bottomline far more than my pet. His quoted price for each treatment was at least 35% lower than the actual total cost of each treatment, because he didn't take into account all the tests he would order and he didn't consider all the other miscellaneous charges that would be piled on top. His estimate was $400/treatment. The actual charge was $600+/treatment. The oncologist was always in a hurry and spent very little time with my pet or with me during followup appointments. After several rounds of chemotherapy (that didn't work), this oncologist's attitude changed and he became flippant and dismissive.
While I'm sure it's hard to have most of your patients die, and one has to emotionally separate themselves to deal with hundreds of dying patients, each pet is precious to their owner and each one is important. Flippancy has no place here.
This practice and the vets only know conventional medicine. They have no expertise in (or even an interest in) alternative therapies that could be a helpful compliment to traditional medicine. State-of-the-art vet hospitals are interested in exploring ALL modalities that could assist their patients. This one only knows surgery, radiation, and chemo. (cut, burn & poison). They maintain a head-in-the-sand stance about any other type of complimentary therapy.
The final act (or rather, non-act) that showed VSH's true colors: after my pet died, they never bothered to acknowledge the passing. I literally gave this practice thousands of my hard earned income and they couldn't bother calling or sending a card of condolence. That really said it all to me. They got the $$$$ and that's what was important.
Never again will I subject a pet or myself to this hospital, with their fake veneer of care & concern, but greed-above-all-else environment. I implore other pet owners to consider their options in exploring advanced medical treatment for their beloved pets.
VSH is not the only game in town, but I guarantee you they are the most expensive and the greediest. They'll be really, really sweet as you write them check after check though.
Pros: It's Local
Cons: Greedy, Overpriced, Cold, Smug, Fake
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