The vet is Kristen O'Connell and I came in on Memorial Day weekend (Sunday) with a 5-week-old kitten who was having seizures. The vet told me to euthanize her. We had an appointment with our regular vet on Tuesday and I asked for medication to keep her comfortable until then and she refused and told me the only option was hospitalization and IV meds or euthanization. She did give me ONE vial of valium to be administered in the case of a prolonged seizure (only after I asked for it) and she specified she would only give me one vial.
At the end of the visit at the ER vet with Kristen O'Connell, I mentioned that my husband wanted to go to the Sugar Mill in Deleon Springs for pancakes in the morning but that we wouldn't be going now with the kitten and her seizures. O'Connell replied to me, and this is verbatim, "I would rather eat pancakes than watch a sick and dying cat." It was at that moment that I knew I couldn't let this go without a complaint.
They saved my dogs life. The vet went above and beyond she even helped me transport my dog to his normal vet in the morning, she rode with me to make sure he made it there okay! A+ service great staff everyone was so friendly and helpful. Thank you all so much
Most of the staff was great, however the doctor KRISTEN O'CONNELL was awful. Literally wasn't going to help our dog unless we spayed our dog. You read that right! She was going to let our dog suffer and make us take her somewhere else unless she could do an UNNECESSARY spay on our dog. We were shocked at her attitude and rudeness and lack of empathy. Only take your emergency here if Kristen O'Connell is NOT working, she doesn't know what ethics are.
My suggestion to anyone going to this ER vet is that if Kristen O'Connell is the vet on staff when you have to go, please don't let her treat your beloved pet. If I had not listened to my gut with her, my kitten would have died at her hands because of her atrocious recommendation. I am not sure how she could be so cruel as to not give a suffering kitten medication to help keep her comfortable during a holiday weekend.
I am giving this four stars because I had a great experience with the general staff at this ER Vet and also very thankful that they are available and I don't think the facility is a bad facility. My complaint is with the vet I saw, Kristen O'Connell, the vet on staff that day. I have since found out she was a relief vet and not part of the regular staff which is the reason for the four stars.
Since the visit with our vet, the kitten has only had one seizure and is resting peacefully. Her prognosis is guarded but she is at least at peace now with the medications given and has a chance of recovery.
EXCELLENT VET HOSPITAL!! Treated my pets condition as immediate and serious as an emergency room is expected. Hopefully we won't need to be back, but if we do, this is our #1 choice.
Despite the fact our puppy couldn't be saved, everyone was so helpful and concerned for his well-being...and ours!
She immediately got an attitude when I told her I would not be euthanizing the kitten and we wanted our own vet's opinion. Subsequently, the kitten suffered for 48 hours with seizures every 2 to 3 hours until we took her to our vet. The diagnosis the ER vet made is correct but her treatment plan differed from our vet. He prescribed small doses of valium and phenobarbital to hopefully control the seizures. I also found out that everything Kristen O'Connell told me about the treatment for my kitten was not true. She can be given oral medications to control her seizures and she told me that oral antibiotics (which i had to ask her for) would not effectively work on an infection that had crossed to the brain. I have since had two vets tell me that is not true.
I called the ER Vet and they were very receptive and apologetic to my complaint and said I was not the first person to complain about her. I do want to reiterate, my complaint is not with the hospital itself, but only with the vet on staff that evening.
St Augustine Regional Veterinary Emergency Center is a US Veterinary Care based in St Augustine, Florida. St Augustine Regional Veterinary Emergency Center is located at 2090 US-1, St. Augustine, FL 32086, USA.
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