Homestead Animal Hospital

I took my 4 year old Golden Retriever into Homestead Animal Hospital for an ear infection. The Vet, who was new to the hospital, strongly urged that my dog be neutered.
The day after the surgery, Saturday, I noticed that Lucas’ belly was very hard on one side. On Sunday it was even harder. On Monday morning, my dog was breathing shallow and rapid, his belly was very hard as a rock, and a large bulging liquid soft mass had developed on his belly and chest. I immediately took him again into Homestead Animal Hospital. The Temporary Vet who saw him said it was normal.
By 5 p.m. that same evening, Lucas began to shake profusely, was having great difficulty breathing and he refused to stand up. I rushed him to the VRCC hospital on Hampden Ave. Lucas was require to stay in intensive care for 4 nights at a cost of nearly $5,000. He had contracted a STAFF infection from the surgery at Homestead Animal Hospital. It took a month for him to recover.

I immediately complained about this situation to Homestead’s office manager. She said that “they will make it right”. A week goes by and there was no response. Finally, after repeated calls, the manager provides me with their insurance company’s phone number. The insurance company refused to pay.
I have seen two other vets since the surgery and both indicated that Homestead should have covered the VRCC hospital costs based on how their clinics would have handled it.
I wish I had done more research. I would have avoided this entire costly and unfortunate series of events. My suggestion if you Love your pet is to read the reviews, heed them and be very cautious.

Dr. Geislehardt,

We trusted you with our beloved English Bulldog Boss, just 13 months old. We trusted you because of the care you showed Peyton our other English Bulldog with her pallet surgery. For Peyton's surgery, you personally stayed with her overnight at your hospital to ensure a smooth recovery.

That trust was destroyed with you punted our baby boy Boss just hours after his surgery to Animal ER. Animal ER obviously did not do the correct thing with our boy. Your desicion to send Boss away created this situation, Animal ER did nothing for him when he aspirated at midnight, then next morning, he should have never been sent home. When we picked our beloved Boss up, he was covered in urine, and vomit.... The veterinarian did not speak to us just a tech saying he was fine.

The hours post surgery were critical to survival, after much research with other veterinarians, if Boss had been managed properly post surgery his chances of a full recovery were very positive. The fact that he aspirated, and was not treated immediately while at Animal ER, that created a snowball effect of wet lungs and sepsis.

After the initial aspiration/vomiting episode at Animal ER, proper protocol with this surgery and this breed would have been X rays and starting on a course of antibiotics to prevent pneumonia. None of that was done, he was sent home.

You created the cascading turn of events by opting to send him away, not what we expected and not what you had done with Peyton after her pallet surgery. Now we are devastated by our loss, $6,500 in vet bills in the hole, money we don't for we dedicate our lives to saving animals and have 40 rescue horses to provide for each day.
You have broken the hearts of two very empathetic animal loving beings that will forever be scared. He was fine when we brought him to you, we simply wanted a better life for him, and your decisions caused his death.... shame on you.

Devastated,

Jodi and Paul Messenich
Zuma's Rescue Ranch

Dr.Labonde and his staff are absolutely fabulous! I have taken my baby exotic bird to Dr.Labonde and he was both kind and through with the inital consult to the end process of the treatment. Today my bird is thriving and doing great! I have also taken my older schnauzer to see Dr.Labonde just recently and the experience again was equally amazing!! I completely recommend this fine team at Homestead f you are lookin professon