NEVER TAKE EXOTICS TO THIS PRACTICE IN AN EMERGENCY!!!

NEVER TAKE EXOTICS TO THIS PRACTICE IN AN EMERGENCY!!!

Our beautiful girl Orion (mini Rex rabbit) fell ill at the end of January and after another practice could not heal her, we took her to this place. The ONLY reason we took her there was because of Dr Dorianne Elliott who used to run the exotic practice at Onderstepoort. Dr Elliott did not want to admit her but we were not comfortable to take her home and trusted 100% that Orion would receive the EXPERT care that this place shouts they have. These are some of their ‘slogans’ plastered everywhere: ‘Pet Friends Forever’, ‘Because your Pets Health Matters’, ‘We take pride (mixed with lots of love) in providing the best possible care for your pet!’

We received an update the following morning and I visited my darling child that afternoon, taking some of her favourite treats. She really looked like she was getting better and Dr Elliott advised that she was indeed happy with her progress. Then in the early hours of Friday morning, she crashed and contrary to the expert care that this practices shouts, there was no exotic vet at the practice. Orion passed away and I `received the call at 07:00 on 7 February. The grief was overwhelming. It still is. We went the next day to say goodbye to our angel. Dr Ami brought her to a consulting room, respectfully wrapped in a clean towel. She had been cleaned and apart from her eyes, looked peaceful. At least we had some closure and that she was in a better place. We organised to have our girlie cremated and were told that we would be contacted in two weeks to collect her ashes.

Then on Saturday, 15 February, my darling girl Snickerdoodle (Netherland Dwarf) fell ill. We rushed her through this place. On arrival, she was taken from us with her super soft blankie. And then we just sat and waited and waited and waited. Eventually someone deigned to come to and update us. Dr Uys told us outright that she was not an exotic vet. She further alarmed us when she commented on how much Petcam (half a mil) we were giving my girlie for her spondylosis. This was the dosage that Dr Elliott had prescribed two years earlier when she had diagnosed the problem. She then left leaving my husband and I completely panicked knowing that she had no idea what she was doing. But my baby girl was sick and I was trusting the ‘experts’

The call came at 12:13 the next morning. Our angel was gone. All I remember hearing is ‘pupils fixed and dilated’. I felt like my heart was shattering into millions of pieces. Not again. Why was this happening to us again? We drove through on Sunday morning to say goodbye. Again. To another one of our angels. Dr Michaletos took us to a procedure room not a consulting room, surrounded by equipment and paraphernalia. Our beautiful little angel was wrapped in a FILTHY blanket that had food stains on it. She had blood on her flank and her little ears looked like they had been chewed on. Her perfect, tiny little white ears were mauled. My husband and I are so traumatised we couldn’t speak but we kissed her little head and said our goodbyes. At this point we were too devastated to ask for her blankie.

We oraginsed her cremation and again were told that it would take two weeks. I asked about Orion’s ashes and was told that ‘THEY WERE NOT BACK YET’.

And then on the 19 February, I received a message to say that Paw Print, the cremation service, had collected Orion and Snickerdoodle. Not just Snickerdoodle, Orion as well. ORION LAY FORGOTTEN IN A FRIDGE FOR TWO WEEKS!!!!!! They forgot her there. I confirmed with the cremation services that they collected both of my angels on the Tuesday 18 February. They treated Orion like a piece of garbage. Thrown in a fridge and forgotten.

The pain that this has caused us, apart from the overwhelming grief for the loss is unbearable. I feel like a zombie. Like the sun has stopped shining and I will never feel happy again.

And what did this cost us you may ask? R 16, 000.00!!!!

Today is 28 February and I collected my precious girls. I had sent messages and emails asking for her blankie and not a single person responded. So my little girls blanket is also gone. We have lost another precious piece of her.

I beg you not to take your babies here in an emergency. Rather go through to Bryanston. They are a 24 hour vet that specialise in exotics. Your children will be cared for by professionals who know what they are doing and have you and your children’s best interests at heart.