Review content:
My cat had a ruptured bladder. They operated on her at Gulf Coast, sent her home after two days--even though she wasn't eating as much as she should--and two days later I had to bring her back because she wasn't eating or urinating at all. It turned out her bladder was leaking again. They were ready to charge me another $3000-$4000 dollars before they even bothered to find out if they had made a mistake in the surgery. Not wanting to cause my cat any more unnecessary trauma, I took her to the Veterinary Emergency Referral Group on Katy Freeway instead. They did the surgery immediately, and the surgeon told me they found another hole in the bladder. Later, when it appeared that there still might be leakage, the surgeon at V.E.R.G.I. was willing to go in again without charging me. Luckily, he didn't have to because what had looked like a leak turned out to be just residual liquid from when they had washed out her abdominal cavity. She appeared to be on the mend but was still not eating much. Because I worked long hours and wasn't able to monitor her as much as she needed, I asked them to keep her there until we were sure that she was eating, drinking, and urinating normally. They kept watch on her for a total of SIX days, and the entire bill (including the surgery) from V.E.R.G.I was still slightly less than the bill I paid at Gulf Coast. My impression of Gulf Coast is that it's all about the money. In fact, on the surgical discharge summary that they give you to sign before they bring you your pet, it states in bold print: ?I understand that if further services are required for my pet (even if treatment of the same condition), additional expenses will occur, including recheck examinations, hospitalization, sedation, medication, diagnostic tests, x-rays, and bandage changes.? I think that pretty much sums up their whole attitude.
Cons: Overpriced, over-rated, unethical
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