West Michigan Street Veterinary Clinic

West Michigan Street Veterinary Clinic is a low cost, full service, walk in veterinary clinic. We publish our walk in hours on our voice mail and website. Surgeries are done by appointment only, after having a...

consultation with the veterinary surgeon.  We are not an emergency clinic, nor are we a specialty clinic.  While we have 5 veterinarians working at the clinic, we are a 1 doctor practice.  That means we typically have 1 doctor seeing patients presented during the published walk in hours.     
On the day in question, we were seeing walk ins from 11am-4pm for medical cases and 11am-5pm for vaccines only.  The owner called to inquire about coming to the clinic for service and the receptionist instructed her that we can perform an examination and develop a treatment plan, but that she needed to come now.   
On February 9, 2016 at 4pm, the owner presented a 5 year old female spayed Doberman mix for a laceration to the right thigh.  Since the surgeon was not present in the clinic, the veterinarian on staff that day offered to perform a temporary closure with staples.  Owner agreed to the treatment plan and estimate.  The dog received an antibiotic injection.  The dog’s injury was anesthetized with local anesthesia, shaved, scrubbed with chlorhexidine, and temporarily closed with surgical staples. The owner scheduled a laceration repair surgery on February 11, with a drop off time between 8:00am-8:30am.  Since we are a low cost clinic, the temporary staples cost the owner $84, whereas at any other full service clinic it could have easily cost several hundred dollars. 
Even with our already full surgery schedule, we agreed to perform the surgical wound closure two days later.
  
Owner did not cancel the appointment for surgery either by leaving a message on our voice mail or by speaking with anyone on our staff.  She did not show for her appointment on February 11, 2015. 
Owner called Monday, February 15, 2016 to complain that the staples were falling out.  She informed one of the registered veterinary technicians on staff that her dog removed her e-collar the night before (Sunday) and was able to remove several of the staples.  The technician reminded the owner that the staples were only temporary and that she was supposed to return last Thursday to have surgery.  Owner stated she knew that but that she only has one driver in the household and she had another obligation last Thursday. 
The veterinary surgeon and practice owner offered to schedule her dog for surgery the next day.  The owner expressed anger that her dog couldn’t get surgery that day.  Owner’s mother called back and spoke to the surgeon/practice owner and called him a “jerk” and a [redacted].”  Due to the behavior of the owner, the practice owner felt that the veterinarian/client relationship couldn’t continue.  At that time, we instructed the owner that we would be happy to forward her dog’s medical records to another vet as we would no longer be able to provide services to her and her family. 
I hope this provides you with the information you seek.  Should you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.  I’m happy to assist.
KerryAnn [redacted]
Office Manager