Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/04/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Took my dog to ER vet who was not able to stand and was having difficulty breathing. They told me it was a heart condition and prescribed me heart meds, a shot, and some other meds. They put dog on oxygen for an hour and said she was breathing fine and standing up. When they returned her to me she was still breathing hard and could not stand. My dog died in the car 5 minutes later on the way home. I want refunded for the unnecessary medicine they told me to buy that wasn’t needed since my dogs condition was fatal. I spoke to them in person already and they refused to refund, claiming they would be at a loss for the money. I didn’t even want refunded for the visit or the X-rays, a $300 charge. Just the $200 in medicine that they knew wasn’t needed but told me it was.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2023

  To Whom It May Concern:
  I am writing in response to complaint with the ID of ********. The client who made the complaint was seen at Tri-State Animal ER, Inc, on 12/30/2022 at approximately 8:15 pm. His dog was examined and the veterinarian recommended that radiographs and bloodwork be done. The client only agreed to the radiographs. The radiograph showed a cardiac silhouette enlarged, mild interstitial pattern to the lungs, possible mass in the cranial abdomen. He was told by the veterinarian that bloodwork may also aid in the diagnosis. The client declined. He wanted the veterinarian to tell him if it "was time" to euthanize their dog. She said she could not make that decision for them. They were not jnterested in any further diagnostics and stated that they did not want to put a lot of money into the dog if it was just going to die. The veterinarian offered heart medications to help the patient's heart function because the client stated they were just going to take the patient home. The client agreed to the medications.
  Unfortunately, the dog died on their way home. He was told that the veterinarian could not guarantee the patient's survivability and the client chose to take the patient home anyway.
  The client called back and asked that the medications be refunded. The prescriptions and the injection given at the ER totaled $191.50 (the prescription portion was $120.75). The staff told him that he would have to speak to me (the office manager). He returned the next day to see me. I consulted with the president of our board of directors who is also a veterinarian. He confirmed what I already knew, that it against the WV Pharmacy Board to take medications back after they have left the building. We do sympathize with the client's loss, but feel that is not morally our place to either say to euthanize their loved one or not. There is also no guarantee that a patient will live even with treatment, especially limited treatment due to restrictions placed on the veterinarian by the client. The client then stated he would just contact his bank and dispute the charges. I do not feel like this should reflect badly on TriState Animal ER in any way and it is not only our policy, but the pharmacy board's as well.