I lost my 5-year old Jack Russell Terrier to bone cancer this week. I'd been out of work almost a year when it was finally diagnosed (a dreadful vet in L.A. said he had an elbow injury and put a soft cast on his elbow, when he had a flat bone osteosarcoma in his SHOULDER), and cancer treatment is so expensive. After his surgery, I contacted Animals and Others for Friends to get options for low cost ancillary care, and they recommended Shipps. I was able to get CBCs, x-rays, and routine care from Shipps at an incredibly reasonable cost, that allowed me to continue his chemo treatments. I can't believe anyone would say Dr. Shipps is ""money hungry."" That is simply ridiculous. Dr. Wilson knew I was struggling to pay for chemo, and gave me discounts and didn't charge at all for some things. The staff and Dr. Wilson were unbelievably kind to me. I cried so much and so often. They hugged me and loved my dog. Dr. Wilson is an incredible vet. I've had large animals and pets most of my life, and have dealt with a lot of vets. Dr. Wilson is as good as it gets.
My dog had a superb surgeon in San Diego and exceptional oncologists there and in L.A., but Dr. Wilson took care of ME. She spent so much time explaining what was going on, and gave me something no one else did ... peace of mind that I'd done everything I could and that my best friend was just the victim of a horrible, aggressive, rare cancer. She spent time with me in the office, and called me on the telephone. ""Above and beyond the call of duty"" doesn't begin to describe what she did. It's not that the specialists didn't provide comfort or try to provide comfort, but they were always ""careful"" about what they told me (vets and medical doctors have to be so cautious about anything they say these days because so many people sue for stupid BS). Dr. Wilson laid it out ... she is very direct and honest. I simply would not be managing my grief without her.
As an aside, I've seen some posts that Shipps has a ""pong."" They share space with a large dog rescue foundation that provides homes (loving homes!) for a lot of dogs who are too old to be adopted. They are providing a great service. It would be a shame if people didn't go to Shipps because it sometimes has a doggie smell, especially if you need reasonably priced care.
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