Disappointed is the best word I can use to describe my last visit – I brought my 3rd animal into the clinic to get her de-worm and spay. When I called for prices, I was advised that there would be a charge of $14.50 should she have fleas. I have 4 cats – all indoors, never outside – I was confident that the flea charge wouldn’t be applicable in my case. \r
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When I arrived to pick her up, I was told she had fleas and they had charged me. I asked the receptionist about it – what it was they found to warrant charging me cause I’ve had her for over 2 months inside with all my other cats and NOT ONE FLEA has been spotted on her or on any of my other cats. The receptionist told me she’d go speak with the vet tech to find out. She returns a few moments later with a flea comb and shows me what is a live flea along with some dander – says she just brushed this off my animal. At this point, I was frustrated because spotting a live flea on an animal that is sharing space with other animals in a vet clinic isn’t indicative of a flea problem – unless the facility has a flea problem. Plus – 100% confident that I didn’t have fleas in my personal animals – when I told this to the receptionist she suggested I treat my other animals and possibly fumigate my house. \r
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I’ve been a pet owner all my life. I’ve had flea problems. We don’t have fleas in our home or on our animals. I bathed the cat as soon as we returned home and amazingly I couldn’t find one flea or any debris on her to indicate she had fleas. To this day – almost a week later, there has been no issue. \r
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I have no idea where the receptionist got the flea she showed me – unfortunately I was so upset that I didn’t demand to see her go and comb the cat myself – but I also wasn’t informed that was what she was going to do. \r
While it was $14.50 - and not the end of the world – it’s a less than customer friendly approach to handling. What would have been more appropriate is for the receptionist to take me back with her to show me the combing of my pet and/or to bring a vet tech up front to speak to me. Unfortunately, this will be the last straw for me – I won’t be returning- I’ve spent a lot of money in your facility and I love Dr. Phelps – but with this treatment, I’ve decided I need to find a more forthcoming and honest veterinary clinic to take my service to. \r
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