Complaint Review: 5 Points Animal Hospital - Nashville TN

We were loyal customers of 5 Points Animal Hospital https://5pointsanimalhospital.net and Dr. Janet Grace for many years. However, last year the business was sold to ancompany (Southern Veterinary Partners SVP.net) and Dr. Grace retired. Ever since, their customer service has suffered immensely. However, needless mistakes and carelessness with my dog's healthcare is why I am downgrading my previous review of 5 Points Animal Hospital in East Nashville and trying  the word out to unsuspecting pet owners. Mainly because they are trying to market themselves as a local, family owned and operated vet clinic. That is far from the truth, they are part of a large corporation with a focus on cutting costs and reducing services.

Earlier this summer, Dr. Joshua Good DVM https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-good-a03b1418a diagnosed our 13 year old Chihuahua (Miss Alice) with a "mild fungal infection" in her right ear. Dr. Good spent a total of 3 minutes with us and never mentioned any potential side effects of the medication he was going to administer. Our dog is now almost completely deaf as a result. The hearing loss is permanent and it will not get any better. Our new vet says Miss Alice has a profound hearing loss, with over 95% of her hearing gone. Sadly - this situation was completely avoidable.

Many larger veterinary practices and chains tend to use a "one-size-fits-all" approach to save money by not having to stock various individual treatments. Dr Josh Good is apparently one of those vets..He uses "OTI-E" packs as a blanket treatment for almost any ear condition. "OTI-E" packs are a combination of three powerful drugs: a STEROID, an ANTIBIOTIC and an ANTIFUNGAL. According to a pamphlet from the pharmaceutical company, the antibiotic contained within the OTI-E pack can be toxic to the nerves within the ear, especially with smaller, elderly dogs. There are other side effects, but hearing loss is the most commonly reported and the most life altering. Why didn't Dr Good explain this to us beforehand?

According to our new vet, Miss Alice did not need an antibiotic or steroid. Dr Good said himself, Miss Alice had only a "mild fungal infection" and in only one ear. Our new vet says a homeopathic antifungal or mild pharmaceutical antifungal, especially given Alice's age and small size, would have been a safer and effective treatment. Miss Alice's "inner ear nerves were fried instantly by a megadose of unneeded and oto-toxic drugs".

Dr. Josh Good, nor anyone on the staff at 5 Points Animal Hospital, mentioned ANY potential side effects. We took him at his word and that is a mistake we will never forgive ourselves for. A formal complaint & grievance has been filed with the state board of veterinary medicine. Hopefully the state board will take action, but we will pursue any legal remedy available to deter them from continuing with this type of negligence in the future.

We have accepted the fact that Miss Alice will NEVER get her hearing back. Now we are trying to make her as comfortable as possible. But deafness has taken a serious mental toll on her. Miss Alice is very depressed; she can't even play with her squeaky toys anymore and has lost interest in things she once loved doing. I posted a YouTube vid showing how severe Miss Alice's hearing loss really is. She can't even hear a squeaky toy from three feet away. Before this, Miss Alice could be upstairs on the third floor and hear me squeak her toy; Miss Alice would come running and want to play with us. Now, she lies on the sofa all day long - despondent and depressed. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/shorts/YUjEksvQKgA?feature=share

Worth mentioning, Dr. Good and staff at 5 Points Animal Hospital knew we were unhappy about what happened to Miss Alice.- yet it took them 3 months to reach out to us. Only then because my partner left a negative review on their Facebook page. The lack of concern and focus on preserving their "good reputation and brand" shows how Dr. Josh Good, 5 Points Animal Hospital and Southern Veterinary Partners care more about profits than practicing good sound veterinarian medicine with compassion.

UPDATE: A private equity fund has acquired controlling interest and SVP and 5 Points Animal Hospital. 

Shore Capital Partners Announces Investment in Veterinary Services Platform https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141103005055/en/Shore-Capital-Partners-Announces-Investment-in-Veterinary-Services-Platform