A Cautionary Tale: My Disappointing Experience at Pride Clinic in St. Petersburg
Hello everyone.
As a pet owner, I've learned that life with our furry friends is full of ups and downs, and when disaster strikes, we want to help them as quickly as possible, but it's not always easy.
My little taxidermy friend's life took a turn for the worse, and I'm not talking about the usual stuff.
I've got two taxies, and my older boy, Richie, is 14 years young, so I've done my research on the common issues that can affect their spines.
Fortunately, Richie has been a model citizen, with no signs of back problems in 14 years, praise the lord!
But my younger boy, Lord, is a different story. He's a ball of energy, always up for a good time, and loves nothing more than chasing after his favorite toy.
But one day, on a walk, Lord suddenly stopped in his tracks, dropped the ball, and lay down on the path, looking up at me with those big brown eyes.
I knew something was off, and we headed back home on foot.
Later that evening, Lord was moving slowly, more like a sloth than his usual energetic self, and he turned down his dinner.
The next morning, I knew something was seriously wrong – Lord's back legs were paralyzed.
I won't sugarcoat it, the feeling was devastating. Our happy-go-lucky, energetic pup was suddenly grounded.
We rushed to the clinic, and after some searching, we found a neurologist who could see us quickly.
The diagnosis was no surprise – Lord had a slipped disc.
A slipped disc, also known as intervertebral disc disease, is a general term that describes the degeneration of the intervertebral discs, resulting in the herniation of the disc material into the spinal canal and compression of the spinal cord.
We got all the necessary tests done ASAP, but we needed an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
By a stroke of luck, we stumbled upon Pride Clinic, where we were seen the very same day.
Time was of the essence, and we knew that the sooner we got all the tests done, confirmed the diagnosis, and performed the surgery, the better the chances of a positive outcome and Lord's full recovery.
The MRI confirmed our worst fears – an emergency operation was needed.
We started searching for a surgeon, and after researching several clinics and vets, we narrowed it down to two top-rated options in St. Petersburg:
Dr. Sotnikov's veterinary center
Pride Veterinary Clinic, where we had done the MRI
We managed to find a surgeon at Pride, but not at the main clinic – we had to go to the Leninsky Prospekt branch.
The next evening, we took Lord to the clinic for an examination, and the surgeon agreed to perform the operation that very same day.
I made a huge mistake by not staying at the clinic to wait for the surgery to be over.
The surgeon promised to call me as soon as the surgery was over. We waited all night, kept calling the clinic, and they told us the surgeon was on an emergency surgery and Lord's operation had been postponed.
I called the clinic at 6 am, wanting to know how everything went, as the surgeon's call still hadn't come through. They refused to give me any answers, saying the owner's details in the medical record were the son's.
The son tried to reach the surgeon through messaging apps, but got no response. The clinic was also unresponsive, saying the surgeon was busy with another operation.
We went through a rollercoaster of emotions that night - sleepless, frustrated, and unsure of what to expect or prepare for. What was happening, and why no one was giving us any answers.
Eventually, we got the news that the surgery had just been completed, more than 10 hours after it was supposed to be over.
Of course, I should have stayed at the clinic, but I'm not sure what would have changed. Maybe the clinic would have chosen to operate on Lord earlier if they saw me waiting all night. Maybe everything would have turned out differently.
However, the operation was done, but things didn't go as planned.
The surgery itself was a bit of a disaster. Only one segment of the spine was operated on, and in the process, a rib was damaged, and the lung was punctured, leading to bleeding and a decision to halt the operation.
Thankfully, everything turned out okay in the end, and Lord is back on his feet. The recovery process was a long one, with daily massages, physical therapy, and our unwavering love and faith.
It's been over six months now. For several months, we had to teach Lord to walk using walkers. Despite his initial struggles, he eventually regained his mobility thanks to his energy, cheerful attitude, and love for playing fetch.
He even tried to play when his legs were still weak and unable to support him, refusing to give up on his efforts.
Now, I want to talk about the clinic itself. Pride Clinic is seriously well-equipped, with spacious, clean rooms and waiting areas. They've got all the necessary equipment, which is a big plus.
But what really matters is how they handle emergencies. In our case, they dropped the ball. The communication was poor, and it felt like they weren't taking our situation seriously.
The doctors and staff were super attentive after the surgery, but I've got to say, they were a bit evasive about what went wrong and why they had to delay the operation. And to be honest, it was a bit nerve-wracking not knowing what was going on.
The surgery itself was pricey, but the aftercare – including all the follow-up appointments, ultrasound scans, and suture removal – was all free, which was a nice touch.
I guess the clinic did eventually acknowledge that something had gone wrong.
I'm just glad my furry friend is on the mend, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure he's back to his old self – minus the pain and discomfort, of course.
He's still a bit of a handful, even with his wonky back and awkward gait. And let's just say he's not too fond of dogs anymore, poor guy.
I wouldn't recommend Pride Clinic to anyone with pets, unfortunately. I'm not holding it against the staff, though – I know things can go wrong during surgery, and it's not their fault. But in this case, it was just a bit too much for me to handle.
I'm just sharing my honest experience, in the hopes that others can learn from our mistakes.
Thanks for listening.