I called for an emergency appointment because my 6-month-old puppy was vigorously shaking her head and was clearly in distress from what appeared to be an ear infection or other ear problem. Because I was concerned about her condition, I accepted the first appointment they offered, at 1:15 p.m., and drove 1½ hours to get there.
After we arrived, we waited for several hours. At one point, we were told another emergency had come in and that they would be with us shortly. By then, I had already been waiting about two hours and had driven a considerable distance, so I did not want to leave without having my puppy treated.
When they finally examined her, they separated her from us. I was then told they were unable to properly treat or resolve the problem because she was highly anxious. They did not clean out her ears or otherwise resolve the immediate issue. Instead, they gave me a prescription for medication that had to be filled by a compounding pharmacy.
I explained that I still had a several-hour drive ahead of me, and they directed me to two pharmacies in Flagstaff. Neither pharmacy was able to fill the prescription. I then contacted a compounding pharmacy in Prescott, but they told me they could not accept the prescription from me directly and that the veterinarian had to call it in.
I was then told it could take several days before I could obtain the medication. Because my puppy was still in distress and I considered the situation urgent, I called the veterinary office back and asked whether they could prescribe a medication that I could actually obtain promptly. Instead, I was told they had called in the original compounded prescription and that I should receive it the following day.
The result is that after driving 1½ hours for an emergency appointment, waiting several hours, and having my puppy examined, I left with her ear problem untreated and without medication I could obtain immediately. Meanwhile, my puppy remains uncomfortable and in distress.
This has been an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience, particularly because I sought emergency care specifically so that my puppy’s problem could be addressed promptly.