My cat's visit to Noah's was the weekend before Christmas 2006...
I was going out of town and needed to board my cat for two nights. The only other time he had been boarded was when he was neutered two years ago on the day I found him. I am also pretty new to the area and had not found a vet in Indy for him yet. After a lot of searching I had made reservations at another place the week before. I felt good about the one I had decided on because they offered large two tiered areas for cats and made me feel at ease with all the specific concerns I had.
Since then my cat started urinating on furniture in the house which was completely unlike him. The day before he was to be boarded I called the kennel where I had booked him to stay. They thought it sounded like he was possibly showing signs of having a urinary tract infection. They were strictly a kennel so I needed to take him to a vet. It was especially important for him to be checked out before he was boarded. If he was indeed sick he could end up getting worse while I was away.
The vet I called and went to was Noah's. I decided against them the week before when I needed only to board him because it sounded like they only had tiny cages, which I did not want, but thought it would be good for his veterinary needs. I chose them because it is the closest one to my house. I wanted to hopefully start a relationship with them so he would have a good regular vet that would be quick to get to in the event of an emergency.
His appointment was in the morning on the day I was to leave town. The plan was to have him examined there and then take him to the kennel where I had the reservation. The vet at Noah's said she could not feel his bladder and would not be able to draw urine from him. So she said he would have to be boarded with them so they could wait for him to urinate in a tray and collect it for analysis. I felt bad that he was going to have to stay there and not at the spacious place where I wanted him to stay, but I trusted that if he was sick he would get the care he needed. So, I did not go look at his accommodations in the back because at this point there wasn't much I could do if I was unhappy with the size, etc., but I am leery they did not offer to let me come back with him and see.
I called to check on him two hours later before I left town and the woman I talked to seemed like she cared. She told me he hadn't urinated yet, but was given pain meds and was resting comfortably. She said they would call when they had results and that I could call anytime. So at this point I felt okay about them, but already knew the vet I had visited where I used to live was MUCH better.
With traveling I did not get a chance to call back that day before they closed, but I called them the next morning. THEY never called like they promised. I got another woman who kept putting me on hold. It turned out he did have a urinary tract infection. They also DID draw urine from him with a needle after I was told they could not/would not do that. I asked why because NOT doing that was the whole reason why he had to stay THERE. If they would've done it to begin with, I could have boarded him at the other place, where I already paid a deposit, as planned. She said it was PROBABLY so they could wait for him to drink more and make his bladder more full and easier to find. This was absurd!
I got back to town this morning and picked him up as soon as they opened. I waited awhile and they brought over this three page report which was strange. One woman explained how to administer his antibiotics and pain medicine. Then she said he was given a PILL for fleas. I told her I had already said I only wanted him to get TOPICAL flea treatment when I was at the initial exam. So she said t hat if that was what I requested that they PROBABLY did give him TOPICAL treatment, but she would find out. She brought him out finally and said they wanted to see him in 2 weeks to make sure the infection had cleared up. She said the next time would be no extra charge, but contradicted herself by saying it WILL cost. The bill came from yet another woman working there, so I asked HER about his flea med and explained once again because the other woman disappeared. She was rude and arguing that they HAD to give it to him, it was policy because he already had fleas and there are other animals there, and only cost $2.00. I told her that NO other vet has ever done that to one of my animals. I don't care that it cost less. It is NOT what I asked for. The report they gave also said they suggest TOPICAL. NO WHERE on that paper did it include the pill with all the other procedures they did. The bill was also higher than the amount they told me to expect in the WORST case scenario. They are also completely unwilling to work with you on partial payment, even when asked up front. He was ill suddenly with this huge bill racking up, just days before Christmas when money is getting tight. I feel that they did things that were unnecessary to add more to the bill. They also charged a lot more for boarding than the nice place was asking for.
The flea pill also contained heart worm medication and they failed to test him for heart worms before giving it to him!
I had brought a bag for him on the first day which held his food, bottled water, towel and toys. I wanted him to have the things he likes at home so he would be comfortable. I had told them this and they said it was okay. I got the bag back today and it was obvious they had not given him any of his toys and hardly any water or food. The report also worries me because I noticed later IT says to give his pain med in SOFT food which he has ALWAYS refused to eat. If that was how they were giving it to him, they were changing his diet without consulting me. I am worried that he therefore was not eating or getting ample, if any, pain medicine. The soft food is yet another detail left out when they spoke to me.
After having his diet changed so abruptly by them, he had diarreah for a week!
I only saw the ACTUAL vet once for maybe 10 minutes when she FINALLY came in the exam room and was trying to feel for his bladder. She was much less cordial than what I am used to and expect in a veterinarian. She did not introduce herself, smile, etc. She did not explain any results herself, etc. There are WAY too many people working in this place. I couldn't keep all the names, faces and voices on the phone separate. I don't even know which of them were actually vet assistants or were just office assistants or what. SOME were sort of friendly but did not have exact answers. It seemed like they mostly just made it up as they went along. I was told what PROBABLY happened over and over instead of ACTUAL FACT. I was kept waiting beyond reasonable times before and during the initial exam with an appointment, on the phone, and picking up. The building was also shabby and in need of updating. The front step is a rather high slab and my father who is disabled almost fell getting down on the way out. I don't see how anyone in a wheel chair could possibly get in there and I am pretty sure that is against the law. An old or arthritic dog would have trouble climbing that thing.
I was NOT impressed with Noah's. I have a bad feeling about this place and the people who work there. I only want the best for my cat and for EVERY animal out there and this vet is not even close. There ARE good, caring and trustworthy vets out there because I've seen them before. Surely worst exist as well, but if you care about your "pet" AT ALL, please do him/her and yourself a huge favor and go somewhere else! I know I will never go back.
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