Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Saturday evening January 14, 2023, I called Dr. Michelle C******* of Creekside Veterinary Services regarding a health issue with a young female Nigerian Dwarf goat. On a previous occasion, Dr. C******* had visited my farm to put down a goat which she diagnosed with Listeriosis, she said it could not recover, but said that recovery of this illness is possible when detected early. I called Dr. C******* immediately when noticing symptoms in the young female goat on January 14th. I took the goat to the veterinary office and Dr. C******* advised keeping her overnight for treatment. I received no communication from Creekside Veterinary services the next day. I also did not receive any communication on Monday until I called and ask for an update. When Dr. C******* did return my call on Monday, she told me my bill was $469 and that she could continue with treatment for another 7 days to see if there would be improvement. Dr. C******* originally told me she would know "overnight". I ask if I could take the goat home to treat it, but Dr. C******* said it would be extremely difficult and mostly likely not work out. I ask if the goat could recover from the illness as she originally said was possible. She was very ambiguous would not not give a clear response. I told her to put the goat down. I first realized a problem with the information I was receiving from Dr. C*******, when I received the invoice for the bill. Dr. C******* listed on the invoice that she treated the goat for Polio, Listeriosis, and Rabies, she never mentioned to me that she was guessing as to the goat's illness. She showed no hesitation in diagnosing the first goat and putting it down and it had identical symptoms. Rabies is a disease that can be passed to humans; the vet never mentioned this me! The amount charged to my credit card was higher than the amount listed on the bill. I also learned to late that I could easily have brought this goat home and administered treatment. To much disinformation!

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  To Concerned Parties: 

  
  This letter is to respond to complaint ID #******** by **** ******** on 1/18/23. 
  **** called my emergency phone on Saturday at January 14 at 5:28 pm for a goat that was down and could not stand up with its head bent back to it side. I was not in the office but told him to bring the goat to the office as I would be back to the office before he could drive the goat to the office. 

  
  History on the animal said that it had recently been purchased 3 weeks earlier along with some other new goats from varies places. The animals were being housed in a barn hay and minerals with no grain. The animal was normal on Saturday morning. 

  
  The Goat was about 1.5 years old and present in sternal recumbency with her head pressed firmly against her side. I examined the animal and it had drooling from it lips with paralysis of the lips and eye on the face and could not vocalize. **** was able to feel the difference in the lips between both sides of the face and see the lack of ability to blink. I explained to **** that these signs were consistent with a brain infection. The most likely cause is Listeriosis. Other Rule cuts to consider would be rabies, Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis or Polio Encephalitis. I suggested we treat with IV antibiotics and steroids 2x a day and keep in a warm padded environment and give 48 hrs. to determine if the goat would respond to treatment. **** agreed to the treatment since he had recently purchased the animal and wanted to try and save her. I explained to **** that survival rate from brain infections are about 50 % in my experience if treatments begins early Delays in treatment cause lower survival rate. 

  
  The advantage to hospital care is warm environment since the animal could not stand and move. Sedation possible if seizure activity appeared and IV antibiotics to get higher drug levels to the brain. 
  The goat was given IV antibiotics immediately on Saturday pm with steroids and supportive thiamine. The Immune system was booster with vit E and Copper Zinc and Selenium to help fight the infection. Therapy was continued 2x day on Sunday with unsuccessful attempts at drinking water on her own because of paralysis. **** contact my office on Monday morning about 8:00 am for an update the goat. I evaluated the progress on the goat in the overnight and called him back in about 20 mins prior to any additional treatments Monday morning and with a total on charges to that point. I explained to **** that the goat still had its head pressed against it side but had enough strength to hold it on its own. It still had no ability to drink water when offered. But it did make slight sounds.

  This was mild improvement at 36 hrs. We discussed the bill on the phone and **** did not observe the animal or ask to observe the animal. I suggested we give her another 24 hrs. in the hospital to see if improvements would continue. The additional hospital stay with therapy would be about another $150. He asked about trying to care for the goat at home but I felt that this would difficult since she could not drink on her own, So tube feeding would be the only option. Aspiration Pneumonia or placing the food tube in the lungs was a concern because of paralysis. 

  
  By phone conversation **** elected to euthanize the goat because of cost of treatment. We discussed sending the animal head away for rabies testing and to confirm the cause of the brain infection and rule out rabies because he and I had both handled the animal's mouth. **** agreed to this and paper work was completed to due rabies testing and additional diagnostic to find the cause of infection. The goat was euthanized. **** asked that his mom could pick up the body if we could package it for her without the head. When ****'s mother arrived to pick up the package carcass later that afternoon, she told my staff Mrs. K******* that *** could not afford to do the addition diagnostic testing for the cause of infection. She arrived at my office after the head had already been picked up for immediate delivery to lab.

  Mrs. K******* explained that since the pickup servide had already picked up the head we could not stop that process at this point. We did email the Lab to ask them to stop any additional diagnostic on this case even though **** had agreed to it in the morning conversation. Mrs. K******* did explain to ****'s Mom that we had a pending charge for shipping the head for rabies testing. Mrs. K******* estimated what that charge might be and added that to the bill. This was the first rabies submission for the office for 2023 so we are expecting mild increases in shipping charges for the year. This is why credit card is charge more that than the bill to include the shipping charge estimate. 

  I see 1-2 brain infections in sheep and goats a month. I see about 1 rabies case a year. We send many sheep and goat head way for testing but have been vary fortune not to have any of them test positive to rabies but it always a consideration. I am sorry that I was not able to communicate to **** well enough. I spoke with ****'s father only when I examined the first goat with the likely brain infection. She had been shown sign of illness of Saturday and had progressed to no longer being able to sit up by late Sunday morning with cold exposure when I examined her .So the duration of infection and the exposure to bitter cold winds suggest a grave prognosis. I did as his mother ask to stop additional charges. Please see the attached email to the diagnostic lab. Also attach is the charges. 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
   
  Regards,
  
  **** ********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩