Pet Referral Hospitals

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Just wondering what the general consensus is regarding Pet Hospitals. Are they worth the thousands spent, or do they take advantage when your pet needs urgent care? (Similar to VetPay) What are your experiences?

I won’t go into specifics as that’s already covered on Facebook, google reviews and product review.

My cat (Missy) has had lymphocyte cancer for 4 1/2 years. She’s on daily medication. About 6 weeks ago she became seriously unwell and was taken to Casey Pet Emergency overnight and then Southpaws Animal Hospital Moorabbin where she stayed for 4 days till she got in to MACC.

Last Monday I had her tail checked at her vet as it had a kink in it and a hard lump. It appears, that her tail is broken, has a gash consistent with it being closed in a door and may have to be partly amputated (half way down) as there’s nerve damage. The timeline puts it squarely during the time she was in hospital. Casey Pet Emergency checked their records. Nothing found. Calls to Southpaws have been made, messages left in relation to her injury, and outstanding cardiopet test results for her brother taken on 31/10 and paid for. No one has returned my calls. It appears once they received $7000 from me, that’s where it ends.

Has anyone else had problems with Pet Hospitals and should they in some way be made accountable?

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Sad story. But my experience with after hours vets and animal hospitals is expect to pay a lot of money up front, and unless the problem is obvious, they do very little for the money.

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I agree. There aren’t a lot of pet hospitals. Thought someone might know of a good one and which to steer clear of.

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I am in Sydney and over the last decade have dealt with 3 Emergency Vet Hospitals. The best of them was Sydney University Hospital, the next best was the Crows Nest Hospital and the worst was Homebush Referral Hospital. In every case the disease (in one case spinal injury) was severe and both cancers proved fatal fairly quickly. But the upfront payments for 24 hours of tests were brutal and in the most recent case, splenal cancer in a middle aged dog the costs for the second 24 hours which MIGHT have included surgery, were worse. Crows Nest staff were excellent, caring and continued treatment after the money ran out. Homebush were too clearly focused on the money. Sad occasions all, impaired judgement on my part, but two I would use again if I had the money, and the third no on your life. The usual story - oit all depends on the individuals and the ethos of the place.

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