A Chilling Experience at DoctorVet - My Dog's Ear Almost Got Amputated

A Chilling Experience at DoctorVet - My Dog's Ear Almost Got Amputated

Hello everyone!

I'm still trying to process the traumatic experience we had at DoctorVet over a year and a half ago. I wanted to write this review immediately after the incident, but I just couldn't bring myself to relive the horror. It took me a while to gather my thoughts and come to terms with what happened.

I'll start by telling you about my furry friend and the circumstances that led us to visit this place. My 13-year-old dog has been with me for a long time, and we've mostly been going to the Veterinary Hospital, which I think is the most decent clinic in our city. I'm not saying all the vets there win me over, but we've had a favorite doctor for a few years now, and everything always goes smoothly.

However, when our dog fell ill last spring and needed urgent care, our vet was on vacation, and my relative suggested we try DoctorVet, which had good reviews online. Plus, they didn't have a queue like the hospital did.

DoctorVet has two branches - one is located at 17 International Street (district 3 Dachnaya), and the other is at 26A Enthusiasts Avenue (near the Orange Trade Center). We visited the one on Enthusiasts Avenue.

About the Clinic's Territory and Premises:

The clinic doesn't have a closed-off territory or its own parking lot. It's located on the first floor of a high-rise building, so theoretically, parking shouldn't be a problem. At least, we were able to park our car right in front of the clinic's entrance without any issues.

When you open the entrance door, visitors enter a small corridor where you can sit and wait for your turn. There are a few chairs, everything is clean, warm, and comfortable. We came with a prior appointment, so we didn't have to wait, and there weren't any other people in the clinic.

The patient reception is held in a medium-sized room, roughly 16-18 square meters, which can fit a table, a couple of chairs, a surgical table, and a few shelves with medications, bandages, syringes, and other necessary items for the vet.

In my opinion, this room is cramped. Our dog is quite nervous, and he doesn't like vets, so every visit to the vet is accompanied by doggy tantrums. And on the surgical table, he has an absolute meltdown, and I have to hold him tight because he tries to break free with all his might. Despite his age, he's still quite strong, weighing around 23 kg, so it's almost impossible to hold him on my own.

Unlike the Veterinary Hospital, where my husband and I could comfortably hold our dog in the reception room, we couldn't even approach the surgical table in DoctorVet's clinic. It's just too small, and there's no space for us to work together. In the end, I had to step out of the room, and my husband struggled to hold our dog until the anesthesia took effect.

When I took my furry friend to DoctorVet, I was blown away by the comprehensive range of services they offer. From ultrasound and ECG to lab tests, surgery, and even dentistry, this clinic has got it all. You can check out the full list of specialists on their official website, DoctorVet.

About the Specialists and Their Expertise:

I've only been to DoctorVet once with my pup, so I'm not going to pretend to know the whole team. However, the specific vet who tried to treat my dog completely ruined the clinic's reputation in my eyes.

So, here's the story. In 2019, my long-eared buddy somehow picked up an ear infection, and while he was shaking his head, a blood vessel burst, causing a hematoma to form inside. It looked like a big, swollen lump about 1.5 by 5 centimeters. We'd had a similar issue the year before, but with the other ear. We tried different treatments, but it wasn't until we had the hematoma drained under anesthesia that things started to get better. The doc at the Veterinary Hospital did the surgery, and although there were some hiccups along the way, the operation itself went smoothly.

Fast-forward to 1.5 years later, when my dog got another hematoma on the other ear. We knew the drill - the dog needed surgery. When we found out that our vet from the Veterinary Hospital was on vacation for two weeks, we somehow decided to take our pup to DoctorVet. We called the clinic, explained the situation, made an appointment, and showed up without any issues.

The vet asked me a bunch of questions about my dog's condition, filled out some paperwork, and had me sign a document stating that I wouldn't sue the clinic if anything went wrong (which was a first for me, since the Veterinary Hospital never asked me to sign anything like that).

The vet then examined my dog, inserted a catheter (which took a few attempts, which already raised my suspicions), gave my dog a few shots, and my dog promptly zonked out. We were asked to wait in the hallway while the operation was underway. The procedure involved draining the hematoma, letting out the accumulated blood, and stitching the ear shut to prevent further bleeding and hematoma formation.

About 30 minutes later, we were called back to the exam room to pay the bill and collect our pup. By that time, my dog was starting to come around, and the vet told us he'd given him a shot to counteract the anesthesia. I was surprised, since the last time my dog had surgery, he slept for eight hours without any intervention. My dog's ear was tightly bandaged and taped to his head, so we couldn't inspect the vet's handiwork. The vet prescribed some meds, including antibiotics and a strong corticosteroid, and told us to come back in 10 days for the stitches to be removed.

As we drove home, my dog was in a pretty rough state. He was shaking like a leaf, and his eyes were rolling around like crazy (which hadn't happened before). He was like that for about 1.5 hours before he started to feel a bit better, but he was still pretty weak and sluggish for the rest of the day.

I thought things were going smoothly, but boy was I wrong. The next day, my dog's ear started to swell up something fierce. To make matters worse, he was lethargic, wouldn't eat, and just lay there like a lump. The swelling lasted for two days before it started to subside, but he was never the same. I administered the meds that the vet had prescribed, and I chalked up his lack of energy to his age and the surgery he had just gone through.

But things took a turn for the worse. A week later, my husband noticed that my dog's ear was starting to turn black. We were freaking out, big time! The affected area was only about 1-1.5 square centimeters, but it happened so fast – the ear was fine in the morning, and by evening, it was dark. We rushed him to the Veterinary Hospital, and thankfully, we didn't go back to DoctorVet.

Our regular vet quickly diagnosed the problem: the vet from DoctorVet had tied the stitches too tight, cutting off blood supply to the ear, which started to die. That's why my dog's ear was swollen in the first place, and he was so lethargic. The doc removed all the stitches, and it was a nightmare – the dog was in agony because the vet couldn't even get the stitches out with tweezers, they were tied up so tight.

The verdict was not good: we're waiting to see if things get worse before we have to amputate the ear. I was horrified, to say the least. I wanted to sue the clinic, but I had signed the waiver, so I couldn't.

And if that wasn't enough, my dog took a turn for the worse the next day. He was in a world of pain – he just lay there, couldn't get up, and whined when my husband tried to pick him up. We rushed him back to the hospital.

When we asked about the meds the vet from DoctorVet had prescribed, the vet at the hospital was shocked and said those were massive doses usually given to grown men, not a 23 kg dog. And to make matters worse, my dog didn't need the steroid meds in the first place – he could have ended up with diabetes from the overdose. Essentially, my dog had a severe reaction and withdrawal symptoms. His organs were all affected, so he was in agony when my husband tried to pick him up or even just lift his head.

We ended up taking him to the hospital to get his blood sugar checked (thankfully, it was okay), and then we left him on an IV drip. He spent two miserable days in the hospital on the drip, and only after that did he start to recover. We managed to save his ear, and I'm forever grateful to the vet at the Veterinary Hospital. He fought tooth and nail to save it, prescribing special bandages, meds, and solutions to clean the wound. In the end, we got off lightly – the ear was saved, and only a small hole remained where the dead tissue had been. That's the spot where the ear had died on the first day.

My Verdict:

I wouldn't recommend DoctorVet to anyone. Maybe they do have some great vets who know their stuff and genuinely care about their furry patients, but we didn't get to meet them. After our visit, my pup almost lost an ear and then ran off due to an overdose of medication prescribed by the vet. So, I'm giving them a solid 1 star and strongly advise against it.

Thanks for reading my review! I hope it was helpful. Wishing you and your pets all the best!