We recently spent time at the EVC with our cat over the course of a week as he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the end, we lost him, and it was one of the hardest days of our lives. His loss is not a reflection on EVC--pancreatic cancer (feline, canine, or human) unfortunately is terminal in somewhere over 90% of all diagnosed cases. Over the course of the week we had the opportunity to meet many of the staff, and they were without exception immensely caring--both for our cat, and for us.
It was expensive--over three thousand dollars expensive when all was said and done. We were provided detailed estimates for all suggested diagnosis and treatment plans and were never pushed to do treatment we were unwilling to do.
24-hour care is costly, as are the ultrasound and other diagnostic services such as pathology reporting. It is unfortunate, though understandable, that some express the sentiment that EVC is money-centric. When presented with the first of several estimates, our initial reaction was similar in that we wondered why the vet was going over billing with us while our pet's health was our priority. In retrospect, I realize that EVC does their best to provide customers with these estimates to avoid surprises later. When we left, we had a balance nearing $1100.00 and our cat was gone--I have little doubt that EVC policies reflect the temptation to leave without settling accounts, or to leave an animal in trouble without returning...
That said, for those still concerned that the staff is uncaring, I can tell you that they treated our cat lovingly. Several of the vets helped us as we had to confront the choice to put our family pet to sleep. We were allowed to visit him at any time--sometimes in his cage for a brief lunchtime visit, sometimes in a private room when we had time to stay. The staff shared our grief, crying with us at times. Bonnie, one of several vet-techs we met, sent us a care package after we lost him including clay paw-prints, a bow of fur, and an incredibly thoughtful card, all of which she did on her own, out of kindness.
We would not hesitate to return when we have another pet.
Pros: Caring, accomodating, competant staff, good facility.
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