When your pet is sick and you don’t know why, you experience a panic like no other. You take your beloved animal to the vet and hope for the best. And, at the end of the day, you trust that you’ll do their job and keep you informed.
But is your vet keeping you in the loop?
TikToker Summer Jones (@901sumo), from Memphis, Tennessee, is claiming that when she took her cat, Tommy, into the VCA Aventura Animal Hospital and Pet Resort in Aventura Florida, she was ultimately misinformed as to his problems.
Jones compiled her complaints in a video she posted to her TikTok account this month. The call-out has since gone on to rack up over 1.7 million views.
“Do NOT take your animal to this vet hospital,” she tells her viewers, identifying a Google screenshot of the VCA Animal Hospital with a Florida address.
Jones claims that she took her cat, Tomm, to the vet and received a diagnosis of an ear infection. Jones says she followed the suggested treatment regimen but brought Tommy back because “he wasn’t using [his front feet]. Like he wasn’t walking at all; he was crawling. I said that’s not normal.”
Its website states, “VCA Aventura Animal Hospital and Pet Resort is a full-service veterinary medical facility.” The hospital provides multiple services including, chemotherapy, EKGs, Ultrasounds, and other “diagnostic imaging.”
A vet visit to forget
Jones claims she agreed to a set of X-rays costing $600, with two-hour results. She says the hospital never called.
She claims that she called the clinic an hour before closing time. “Mind you, dropped {Tommy} off at 12 [or] one, whatever, I called them.”
She claims the receptionist asked her, “Was he alive when you brought him in?”
Jones then stares incredulously at the camera. She states she replied, “Yes he was. When can I come pick up my baby?”
Jones claimed they released Tommy to her and said they would call back when they had information regarding his X-Rays. Jones claims she later talked to a vet at the hospital who recommended she “talk to a neurologist.”
However, Jones says the neurologist’s number despite assurances by the vet that the front desk would contact her.
She claims two days passed before she reached out again. “I’m not going to bust their phone on the first day, I’m going to wait and see if they send it on the second day.”
Jones claims she contacted the office after two days and stated, “You need to have my number down and have a manager call me immediately.”
“And if I don’t get a call from a manager, within a certain time period I’m going to come up there,” she claims she told the front desk.
Jones says that despite the message she received no message. However, she claims an explanation for Tommy’s behavior reached her, unlooked for, from the internet.
As diagnosed on TikTok
“An organization on TikTok saw Tommy and knew exactly what he had,” Jones claims. “Not a hundred percent sure but he did definitely showed signs of having FIP.”
Feline Infectious Peritonitis “is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus,” according to the Cornell Feline Health Center. According to VCA’s own website, “the first signs of illness may be very vague. Listlessness, lethargy, decreased or absent appetite, weight loss, and a fluctuating fever are commonly reported clinical signs.”
The site also notes that FIP is “particularly difficult to diagnose. There may be abnormalities in a routine blood analysis, but none are specific for FIP.”
Jones claims that Rags To Riches Animal Rescue reached out to her via social media and provided her with free medication for Tommy.
The Cornell Feline Health Center states that FIP “is usually progressive and almost always fatal without therapy that has been available in countries Australia and the UK for several years and has recently become available as an oral compounded formulation in the US.”
“How is it that a page on TikTok seen videos of Tommy and knew exactly what it was and was able to connect me with resources within a few hours; got the medication within two hours of speaking with them?” Jones asks her viewers.
“But when I take him to y’all’s vet, y’all don’t know what’s going on? But you’re quick to recommend me to a neurologist that’s $5,000?”
Jones’ claims video gathered plenty of support in the comments.
“I’m so glad you found an organization to help! Not all hospitals & clinics are good, unfortunately,” Introvert Jacque (@introvertedjacque) wrote.
Another viewer commented, “As a vet receptionist this is heartbreaking. Taking notes and contacting clients back asap is soo important.”
“Took my shepherd to an er vet bc she wasn’t acting right. Kept her 2 days, $$$ later, no answer still. Took her to her reg vet & found out same day she had cancer. Had they done tx she’d still be here,” Sunflowerlover (@sunfloweredangel).
The Daily Dot reached out to VCA Aventura Animal Hospital & Pet Resort for comment and received the following reply from Misty Holbert, Senior Director, External Communications on behalf of the company:
“The care of pets is our highest priority, and we take client feedback, in addition to harassment, very seriously. The results of our initial review do not align with what has been shared. We have a zero-tolerance policy for threatening behavior. We always aim to create client/hospital relationships built on mutual trust and respect but unfortunately that trust was degraded here and our Associates felt unsafe. The diagnosis that we shared with our former client about their pet was thorough and although the delivery of the updates was not immediate, we will always err on the side of due diligence for the sake of medical quality.”
@901sumo Rags To Riches Animal Rescue is the page that helped me. They are the ones who reached out, gave me answers and immediate help. Please spread the word about this vet. The treatment Tommy and I received at this facility was absolutely ridiculous. This is my son ya’ll are messing with. I do not play about mine. #foryoupage #capcut #educationalpurposes ♬ original sound – Summer Jones
We have sent up a follow-up request to VCA to address their accusations of harassment and threatening behavior.
In a video posted a day after the incident, Jones states that Tommy is “doing better and fighting so hard.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jones via TikTok messenger and comment for further comments.
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