My 1-year old cat, Elsa, was a routine patient of Long Animal Hospital. On May 30th, 2021, Elsa went from being a completely healthy cat, to suddenly not being able to move her back legs, they were completely paralyzed. With no hesitation, I frantically rushed her to Long Animal Hospital, as she was a current patient there, and they were also an emergency hospital.
When I get to the office, my cat was yowling in extreme pain and I was sobbing. The staff told me they could not see her, they were busy, and my cat was fine. MY CAT WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. I BEGGED AND PLEADED with the front desk, and they finally brought her back, after about 15 minutes of arguing. They had her for about 2 minutes, before they brought her back to me, and stated the vet claimed she was stable and did not need to be seen right away. They were going to make us wait for 2-3 hours. I WAS ABSOLUTELY MORTIFIED.
I sat for another 15-20 minutes, sobbing in their waiting room, while MY CAT WAS YOWLING IN OBVIOUS PAIN, and researched myself what this was. I knew from the second I saw it, she had saddle thrombus, it was blatantly obvious, she has all the symptoms. Once I saw that, I knew SHE COULD NOT WAIT, IT IS LIFE THREATENING. I immediately rushed her to another emergency vet down the street. I WASTED WHOLE HOUR of precious time at Long Animal Hospital.
When I arrived at the next emergency vet, the staff came running out to triage her. They saw her right away. SHE WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. They did what they could, and referred me out to a cardiovascular specialist at another vet emergency hospital, not too far from where they were located.
I rushed her over to the specialist. They were completely packed, extremely busy, but the staff came running out, seeing her immediately. Later that day, the specialist explained to me what I knew Elsa had, she was suffering from saddle thrombus, a blood clot that affects a cats back legs, paralyzing them. It can happen to any cat, at any time. She stated that treating saddle thrombus is very time sensitive and very high priority emergency for cats. This is because treating a blood clot in a cat is very difficult and the FIRST HOURS ARE CRUCIAL. After that time, it is almost impossible to help the clot, the cat loses all blood supply to their back legs, and it is a DEATH SENTENCE.
Elsa spent over a week in the ICU on oxygen at the specialist, as they were working with the clot. The clot never moved, it never got smaller, it never dissolved, and she had completely lost blood supply to her back legs. She went into heart failure. Her prognosis was looking very morbid.
On June 15th, 2021, just 6 days after Elsa’s 2nd birthday, I drove her back to Raleigh with me, where she was put down by my family vet. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but is was the only option.
IF SADDLE THROMBUS IS TO BE TREATED, IT IS EXTREMELY TIME SENSITIVE, and Long Animal Hospital wasted my time, and did not care about my cats life. SADDLE THROMBUS IS UNBEARABLY PAINFUL, and Long Animal Hospital let my cat sit there, YOWLING IN PAIN, WHILE I SOBBED AND BEGGED THEM TO SEE HER, they did not care that my cat was whaling in excruciating pain. ELSA WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION WITH A LIFE THREATENING CONDITION ON MAY 30th, 2021, and Long Animal Hospital told me she was stable so she COULD NOT BE SEEN RIGHT AWAY, AND WOULD BE SEEN IN 2-3 HOURS.
Both of the other vets were very busy, had a long wait for others, but still saw Elsa immediately, as she was in unbelievable pain and in critical condition. They were COMPLETELY SHOCKED when I told them Long Animal Hospital would not see her.
Long Animal Hospital should be shut down for malpractice. For their practice to claim they treat or care for your pets is not even safe, they are not even capable of telling what a life threatening condition looks like. The whole staff should be ashamed of working for such a place. If you care for your pets, please take them anywhere else.
