Complaint Review: Utica Animal Hospital - Sterling Heights Michigan

I recently moved to the Detroit area. I called about 15 local vets to declaw my two kittens. I found that the Utica Animal Hospital was the cheapest. I figured the procedure is nearly the same everywhere, so price was the deciding factor. I brought my kittens in a couple days later.

Upon arriving he checked the stool sample from only 1 cat but charged me $15 for each sample I brought with me. There was something in the stool sample...but he didn't do any further tests to see what it was. Why pay $30 to test a sample, find something, and then not do anything about it? That was the first thing that was strange to me.

He then looked at the cats. Said they were very dirty(ears and skin). He offered to give them each a bath for $15 per cat, clean their ears for $12 per cat. I can bathe them at home. Also, they were fixed less than 1 week before that. The Humane Society said not to bathe them for at least 2 weeks after neutering. The vet said that whoever told me that "didn't know what they are talking about!" I assume the Humane Society knows what they're talking about. I brought papers with me that showed they were neutered and received their first set of vaccines. He said that the shelters treat their animals terrible and that my kitties hadn't received anything yet. He also said they probably have fleas, ticks, and heartworm because ally cats usually do. My cats were born in the Humane Society...not in a dirty ally. I got them from the Humane Society...not a shelter. But he insisted that they had received NO SHOTS. I called the Humane Society when I got home. They e-mailed me the same documents I showed the vet at UAH stating when they were neutered and received vaccines. The vet was trying to get me to over-vaccinate my kitties so he could make an extra $100. Don't put my animals at risk to line your own pockets.

He added up a number of things required and optional related to vaccines and declawing. It totaled over $650. They told me on the phone it was $105 per cat including everything I needed. This price seemed very, very high. He assured me there was a few other things they needed to heal correctly. So I told him to go ahead.

After leaving I called my mother who has raised a few cats and had them all declawed. She called her vet and their price was $250 total. So Utica Animal Hospital was getting me for $400 more than elsewhere. So I went back and talked to the vet again. He got very defensive. He crossed off all the "optional" items I was getting for the kitties. Including pain medicine, antibiotics, and more. I asked what of the "optional" items I needed to ensure my cats are comfortable and heal correctly. He said all of them. Well I can't afford all of them and asked again what were the nearly essential items I needed. He added a couple things back. He said stitching was really needed for proper healing.

I picked the cats up the next day. They seemed happy and healthy. I took them home. Within 12 hours, their toes began to open up and bleed. I got the bleeding to stop and the cats didn't seem to be in pain. Avoiding an emergency call, I waited until Monday to call the vet back. He said "I really wish you had let me stitch them like I told you I needed to do." He told me it wasn't really needed!! He assumes I'm stupid. So I scheduled an appointment for Wednesday, he said it wouldn't fit in his schedule until then. Well I want my cats healing properly...why wait another 2 days?!?! I brought them in today. He asked if we ever caged them or if we just let them run and jump wherever they want to. We bought 2 cages to keep them in for the week after healing. I've never heard of keeping a cat caged for 2 weeks after declawing...but he says that it is required. I am the first person I've heard of having a problem with declawing. I assume it is the vets fault and probably intentional after he was so defensive when I questioned him about the price.

I can't suggest a vet to anyone out there looking for a good one. But this should be a warning of who NOT TO GO TO if you are looking for a vet in the Sterling Heights area.

Michael

Shelby Twp., Michigan
U.S.A.