My Disappointing Experience with the Spectr-Vet Clinic: A Warning to Pet Owners

Hello everyone.

I've got a pretty disappointing story to share about my experience with the Spectr-Vet clinic, and I'm hoping that by sharing it, I can help others avoid the same issues I faced.

My journey with the clinic started back in autumn 2016 when my husky puppy started coughing. Based on the symptoms, I suspected adenovirus, but the PCR test results showed the presence of mycoplasma.

The puppy was treated for a long time, almost a month. Throughout the month, the treating doctor regularly called me to check on the puppy's condition, which I really appreciated.

A few months later, I used the clinic's home visit service. My cat and dog needed revaccination. The clinic's head doctor came to our place, updated their veterinary passports, and administered the shots.

Half a year later, I visited the clinic again. This time, I brought two pets. My husky started coughing again, and there were scratches on its cornea. Two weeks prior to that, I had taken my 13-year-old Persian cat to the clinic. The cat had cystitis that turned into MKB, and to be honest, the whole family thought it wouldn't make it. The doctors prescribed the necessary shots (Bayertril + Papaverin), and two weeks later, the cat was running around the apartment. The vet recommended not changing its food.

Excluding revaccination, my next call to Spectr-Vet was in winter 2019. My dog suddenly started experiencing eye problems - you can read more about it in our review of the veterinary ophthalmology center. The ophthalmologist who was treating my dog was on leave, so I was looking for someone who could at least provide first aid until I could get an appointment with a vet the next day (it was late in the evening, and most specialized specialists only accept appointments). Over the phone, I clearly told the therapist that I suspected glaucoma in my dog (which was later confirmed by the ophthalmologist the next day), and they responded with a smile, 'glaucoma doesn't develop suddenly.'

It was a harrowing morning on November 14th, 2021, when my husband and I arrived at the vet clinic with our 17-year-old cat. The poor guy had lost a ton of weight, refused to eat his dry food or wet food, but was still drinking water and using the litter box. He looked so miserable that we didn't have the heart to carry him in a carrier, so we held him the whole way there.

The vet took some blood work and a biochemistry panel, gave him an IV and a shot of something to help him feel better. The next day, the soonest we could get an ultrasound of his abdomen was at 1:30 PM, but the vet recommended waiting until his condition stabilized before proceeding with any further tests.

We gave him a shot of something at home, and he perked up a bit, but still refused to eat. That night, his back legs started to seize up, and we spent the whole night helping him get up to drink water and use the litter box, rushing to his side every time he made a noise. By morning, he was completely lethargic, and I called the vet to see if we could get an earlier appointment for the ultrasound. I didn't want to wait until 1 PM, so I went in early to see the vet and get some answers.

The test results were not good, and the vet recommended waiting for the ultrasound to adjust the treatment plan before admitting him to the hospital. She also warned us that the prognosis was grim, but that there was a cat in the hospital with even worse test results who was making a recovery. That gave us some hope.

The ultrasound didn't show any tumors, so we admitted him to the hospital for observation. I asked the vet to keep me updated on his condition at any hour of the day or night, and they assured me they would.

That evening, I called the clinic to check on his condition, and they told me he hadn't been eating because he wasn't digesting his food, but that his temperature had gone up from 35 to 37. My mom came to visit him around 9 PM.

I couldn't sleep that night, and I had this terrible feeling that something was wrong. My husband convinced me to wait until morning to go back to the clinic and check on him. By 8 AM, the calls were pouring in, and I wasn't answering them because I was still in bed, waiting for morning.

I woke up to my husband handing me my phone around 9 am. I had received the devastating news that my elderly cat, my best friend for life, had passed away. Within an hour, we were at the clinic figuring out what to do with his body. When I saw my cat, I was in shock... I won't go into details, but the sight of him sent me into a hysterical fit and left me with a million questions for the doctors and what had actually happened to him. To start with, they had taken him for an X-ray overnight (as the administrator told me), and they found fluid in his lungs due to the IV fluids (according to the administrator), which they didn't inform me about. Moreover, they discovered heart failure. Yes, the recommendations included an ultrasound, but the doctor said 'after stabilization.' So, there was a catch-22: to stabilize his kidneys, we needed to administer fluids, but with his weak heart, we couldn't administer fluids. Additionally, I found out that my cat had passed away at 4 am. I had specifically asked them to contact me in case his condition worsened! The calls from the three emergency contacts (my number, my husband's number, and my mom's number) didn't start until 8 am!

Eventually, we decided to go for individual cremation for my cat, but since he passed away on the first day of his stay in the hospital before the calculated hour, I was entitled to a refund of 8000 rubles for the unused second day. The administrator started telling me that I owed the clinic money! Hold on a minute, I had paid everything upfront and was providing receipts, and there was already a queue forming.

It turned out that the administrator had made an error and had paid for the ultrasound and the repeat examination using the deposit for the hospital stay. I don't know how, since it was two different receipts and we paid with different cards. After 30 minutes of being in this tense atmosphere with a queue forming behind us, and the administrator not understanding how to rectify the situation, I started looking for the 'book of complaints and suggestions' and couldn't find it in the consumer corner. Well... Luckily, I have an account on irecommend...

Here's the thing: at this point, the clinic still owes me around 500 rubles, they haven't told me when I can collect my cat's ashes, and the video recording of the cremation (not that I'm some kind of weirdo, I just want to bury my cat with dignity and know that the ashes in the urn are actually my cat's, who was with me for 17 years and whom I couldn't save due to his age, condition, and possibly the veterinarians' lack of professionalism, which we'll never know). They told me 'we'll call you,' but when? Honestly, I'm not even sure how I'll be able to step foot in this clinic again... Yes, we can discuss this in the comments all day, but I really tried to do everything I could... And, in fact, they only called me when my cat's condition worsened, when they took him for an X-ray, and finally at 4 am when my friend was gone.

I'm also aware that the main doctor and owner of the clinic, Spectr-Vet, constantly monitors reviews, and I really hope they'll take a look at this situation.

So, why wouldn't I recommend the Spectr-Vet clinic?

Yeah, the clinic is open 24/7, which is a huge plus. They've got a wide range of veterinary services and a pharmacy on site, which is also a big plus. But what's the point of having an ophthalmologist if they only take appointments once a week and don't have the right equipment or a private room? That's why my dog gets treated at a nearby vet center instead of Spectrum-Vet. What's the use of scheduling an ultrasound if you're not going to make it at the appointed time? What's the point of an echo scan if you can't get it done on the day you need it, especially if your pet's in a critical condition? Honestly, what's the whole point of it all? Yeah, Spectrum-Vet's got a great head vet, but good luck getting an emergency appointment – you'll be lucky to find a free slot. I've been taking my pets to a different clinic in the area for vaccinations for the past two years because their prices are lower (it's about a 300-ruble difference, and when you've got multiple pets, that adds up). I only use Spectrum-Vet for emergency care, and a couple of times they've helped with relatively minor issues, but when it comes to serious cases, they've fallen short (although that's a rhetorical question, really). To top it all off, they made a mess with the invoices and receipts. While I was leaving this review, I noticed that there are an awful lot of suspiciously positive reviews. I get it if people living nearby or with other reviews in Moscow are writing in, but where are all these reviews from people in Siberia and other cities (and this clinic is the only one in Moscow)? That's just speculation, though.

Update 26.11.2021: The clinic paid off the debt, and they even returned the urn with my pet's ashes. However, Spectrum-Vet claims that I didn't pay 16,000 rubles for the hospital stay. How nice that I took a photo of the receipt, and my reader can decide who's telling the truth.

I hope this review was helpful to you!