Ocean State Veterinary Specialists really the only emergency vet hospital in the state?

Submitted by ihavebigboobiezz t3_115tq0i in RhodeIsland

My primary vet was closed so I brought my cat to this emergency vet and he ended up undergoing emergency surgery for a blockage in his intestines.

My experience with this hospital has been nothing but a nightmare and I never ever want to go back there.

It seems like that the majority of places that provide emergency surgery care require your pet to actually be a patient. I love my primary vet and really don’t want to find a new one.

Does anyone know of any other emergency vet hospitals in Rhode Island or Mass that provides emergency services for non-patients?

Thanks!

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shellster7 t1_j940kf0 wrote

Had very good experience here: Bay State Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Services 76 Baptist Street Swansea, MA 02777

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fuckyeahcaricci t1_j949ohn wrote

It's very RI adjacent for those reluctant to go far. It's right off 195 and is near a Dunkin.

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j947alp wrote

I have taken three pets there for emergency services, and only once didn't like the bedside manner of one particular vet. The other two times were excellent, and I would go there again if need be.

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februarytide- t1_j94g53j wrote

We’ve had family utilize this one and were very happy, saved their cat, also from a blockage. it’s also the place our vet (which is just down the road - shout out to Abbott animal hospital) recommends for any emergency/urgent/after hours things he can’t help us with.

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Jlee143xo t1_j94lg0b wrote

Agreed. Ocean state owns bay state but they are WAY better in terms of compassion and care

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toadstoolfae3 t1_j94ntc3 wrote

Yes! I live near there in MA and they are nothing short of amazing. Highly recommend

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dupattaluella t1_j95vv26 wrote

Bay State and Ocean State are owned by the same people and the vets and techs go back and forth between the two. They have different policies, but neither are truly that great.

Source: My SIL used to be an ER vet with them.

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sarrrah89 t1_j93ajmp wrote

Tufts

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Tbear369 t1_j95tmif wrote

I brought my cat to Tufts two years ago and they were absolutely wonderful. And they were about half the price of ocean state

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ihavebigboobiezz OP t1_j93aot4 wrote

Where is that?

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sarrrah89 t1_j93aydu wrote

Located in Walpole, Ma. Have heard nothing but good things!

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Mrmojorisincg t1_j953rwr wrote

When I was young in the early 2000s my family’s dogs had a litter of puppies (puggles specifically) one was born too small with obvious mental deficiencies, and physical issues. Like when she was a puppy when she would run her front legs would often lock up and she would fall forward. No vet could diagnose her and everyone suggested she should be put down because it effected her mobility deeply.

My parents took her to Tufts on a suggestion and they are the only ones to try to treat her. They ran a multitude of tests and kept her for a week. They gave her back with a vitamin regiment. It eventually went away, the physical issues i mean, mentally she always struggled.

she ended up living 14 years thanks to Tufts. She did die from a likely combination of both Cushings disease and cancer

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RandomChurn t1_j95gevz wrote

Awww. Your family was so kind to find her the help she needed. Most would have put her down early on.

Tufts being a teaching hospital helps a lot. I believe it's among the best for veterinary in the US

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notprivatepyle1 t1_j96938w wrote

They are also in North Grafton, MA outside Worcester, which may be either just as far or closer depending on what part of the state you're in. I can't say they're any much better than Ocean State Vet though, pretty much all emergency vet services in my experience are an absolute crapshoot and always far less than ideal, if not borderline endangering in some instances. Not to say you should avoid them if there's an emergency, but low expectations should unfortunately be set.

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FoleyisGood t1_j95rh7u wrote

A tufts student group recently brought in "trainer" Tom Davis - who uses outdated punishment based methods and literally has no qualifications to call himself a behaviorist or trainer. He is a celebrity trainer like Cesar Millan. He has no qualifications to discuss medication yet he's in front of aspiring vets with slides about medication.

It's concerning that no actual staff stepped in to prevent this.

So my point is we have to be careful with Tufts these days

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Rhody1964 t1_j93o42t wrote

It should be illegal the way they gouge people with their pricing. They take total advantage of people at their weakest moments

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morbidpete84 t1_j93qr3n wrote

I supply IT services to two vet clinics and I used to think the same. After a long business relationship with one of them just last weekend I was having a discussion with the owner while replacing his X-Ray PC. Looking at his bills from the vendors he uses for imaging, labs, medications, licenses for software that runs the practice the bills added up over 100k just for that month. The hourly rate charged (so what he actually makes and not what he is paying vendors that is passed into the patient) is actually lower than my hourly rate for IT support and I don’t have to pay 8 employees like he does.

Not saying there are not vets out there living it up but the costs are much much higher than I personally thought. Also anything after hours is always a premium. IT, HVAC, plumbing ect. People value their time off and charging higher rates for nights and weekends are more of a deterrent for things that are not an emergency.

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raddishes_united t1_j941gyq wrote

Yeah- I’ve been to a lot of vets and have a family member and some friends who are vets/ vet techs and I assure you they are not making money off of people in a time of weakness. This is a very expensive business (like all medical providers) and every single V/ VT is doing this for love, not money.

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PJfanRI t1_j94k3mr wrote

Tufts in Walpole was great for us in our time of need.

I found the care at Ocean State to be incredibly deficient. They dismissed my 6 month CKCS's symptoms as kennel cough. A couple weeks later symptoms persisted and we took the pup to Tufts. Turned out to be a serious auto immune issue that took her from us.

Who knows, maybe an extra month would have made the difference. Either way I will never go to Ocean State again.

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RandomChurn t1_j95hqks wrote

So sorry: that must have been devastating, particularly losing such a young pup. Poor sweet girl. Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss 💐

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mrcphyte t1_j95iryy wrote

One of the vets at Ocean State aggressively and persistently tried to convince me my 19 y/o dog had diabetes, despite running no tests. Turns out he had a UTI. The guy was ready to fight me on it

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ihavebigboobiezz OP t1_j9627km wrote

My cat is a healthy one year old with no prior health conditions.

An obstruction showed up on an x-ray in his intestines. They really told me they would rather euthanize him, a one year-old cat, then actually attempt any level of medical care. Absolutely ridiculous.

Glad you’re sweet boy is ok!

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SeveralResident1455 t1_j93ngk5 wrote

I just went through a nightmare with Ocean State in the last two weeks. They were absolutely horrific with my dog, and they told me that he had cancer which later at Tufts turned out to be pneumonia. Going to Tufts is well worth the 40 minute drive. Ocean State Vet needs to be investigated for providing sub par and worse sheer negligence and treating pet owners terribly. And for charging outrageous prices for services. If anyone knows any local reporters I have a Facebook page full of complaints and experiences just like yours. I hope your cat is doing ok.

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RandomChurn t1_j95haul wrote

>If anyone knows any local reporters

There are two who frequently post here and on the Prov sub.

Doubt they'd do an overt hit piece on the state's sole emergency vet but given RI's ratio of pets to people, the story might be how shocking it is that there aren't more emergency vets in the state. (Which btw likely explains why Ocean State is so arrogant: no local competition.)

There's certainly a story in how much all our vets were absolutely buried during the pandemic without a break (I know mine didn't get any time off) and are still overwhelmed now. I hear it's very difficult to find a vet taking new patients 😣

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SeveralResident1455 t1_j968u7c wrote

Arrogance is one thing, negligence is another. Three years ago my other dog swallowed 6 wooden skewers. I witnessed the last one go into her mouth. Took her to Ocean State and they brought her back out and said she was fine. I told them she would perforate when she tried to pass them and would likely die but they didn’t listen. I took her and drove to Mass where she had emergency surgery, 50 staples and they handed me the skewers they retrieved from her stomach.

The story should be on their carelessness, lack of compassion and the absurd amounts they charge. They just sold it for $150 million.

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Silly_Brilliant868 t1_j93adhe wrote

https://www.massriveter.com/faqs-about-our-emergency-hospital-services

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WarExciting t1_j9553ur wrote

I read this website as Mass Riveter (one who rivets) before I broke it down in my head as Mass RI Vet ER…. I’m pretty dumb.

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PigpenMcKernan t1_j93mvo8 wrote

Can’t speak highly enough of this place. My doofus hound mutt once cut her cornea and once sliced open her paw pad bad enough to need stitches while trying to escape the yard and both times Mass/RI was great. Both cases needed follow up, meds, cone, etc…and both times they were great and got us right in. Our regular vet was closed once and less then helpful the other time.

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CatH2222 t1_j941h6k wrote

I refuse to go to Ocean State. Blue Pearl in MA is tip tier. Far better than OS and very good at emergency vet med. Never, EVER trust OS.

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ihavebigboobiezz OP t1_j941t83 wrote

After this experience where they recommended I euthanize my animal before even beginning to attempt medical care and I had to fight tooth and nail for them to actually give my cat medical attention. This place can fuck right off I will never go back.

Thanks for the Rec!

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takenoprisoners513 t1_j95o34j wrote

I worked as a veterinary technician in Rhode Island for years before I moved across the country- came from IL and couldn't believe there was only one ER in the state. We always recommended Bay State, Angell, or Tufts in Massachusetts for animals that needed specialty care ASAP- Ocean State is usually inundated with patients so you're better off driving to MA.

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campmoreworryless t1_j95x8dx wrote

I’ve never heard anything good coming from ocean state. I hope your little one is okay. Wishing the best.

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burton8493 t1_j948jxy wrote

Mass/RI vet services on Milford rd in Swansea is also amazing had to go multiple times and always had great service and cheaper than my reg vet by far

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KemperTemper1 t1_j966w5l wrote

Ocean state took 6k from me and killed my dog. They knew her bowel cancer was too far along and they did it anyway. Should have sent her home to be with us rather than have her die in a cage there.

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sarrrah89 t1_j95izzh wrote

I know you asked for MA/ RI (and this is a Rhode Island sub) but I’d rather share all options for emergencies than not, especially with ER Vet wait times….

Pieper Veterinary Hospital in Middletown, CT without a doubt saved our German Shepherds life. Our boy saw a board certified surgeon there who was able to remove a tumor that allowed him to continue walking (our regular vet removed one previously that was smaller and ended up doing a partial amputation). They are wonderfully compassionate & experienced and our family was impressed & appreciative of their follow ups.

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Ryv0n t1_j983wxn wrote

I’ve only ever had mid to straight up bad scale experiences at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists. The first time we paid around 1.5k for exams on my cat just for them to tell us that they still didn’t know the issue, only providing the same variety of possible issues that I could (and did) grab from a quick google search. It would turn out she had a UTI and the droplet meds we grabbed from amazon did her amazingly, all better to this day. The second time was when my dog had eaten a small portion of a roach (blunt) that was irresponsibly discarded somewhere on the property. To us it had looked like she was having some sort of seizure, and being blind to the cause of it, we were sobbing the whole car ride thinking she was living out her last minutes in our arms. When we finally got there she was less limp than when we found her, but still so visibly lax. The young man working the counter expressed little to no concerns and even hit us with “Well, she looks fine to me.” God, I wish I could provide you all with a photo of what she looked like because she did not look fine at all. Anyone other than that jackass could’ve told you that. The other workers took one glance at the situation and seemed to go about their merry way, even cracking jokes casually. These were all young folks who looked no older than 19. You’d think that at the very least they’d show some concern, I mean we were still fearful and in tears over here. They eventually took the pup in and did some exams and it was about 2 hours before we heard back from them. At this point they said she threw up and her breath smelled like marijuana and they’d have to do some more exams and she’d even possibly have to stay the night. We had went back to the waiting room to think about our options. At this point I had told my mom that we should take her back home since she did throw up. It would’ve been another 1.5k or so down the drain otherwise. Money we couldn’t spare. And get this. When we were speaking with the people who were checking us out, also young folk, they couldn’t even tell us what exactly what they were charging us for. They kept repeating the names of what was on the paper when we wanted elaborations. It’s like none of the people working there had the proper experience or etiquette to deal with the customer’s questions. Similarly, at the front desk checkout, we were charged with a final mysterious fee of $12 that they also couldn’t verify where the heck it had come from. I had asked if it were a checkout fee but they simply laughed it off. The trip was an entire headache. I pray that my pets’ health and of all the others on this thread stay great because that experience was one of the worst I’ve ever had.

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boiler49 t1_j93beb7 wrote

My dog had an injury a few months ago and I took him to Veterinary Urgent Care Center. It’s in North Easton, MA but it was the only place within easily drivable distance that would take him without an appointment since we are new to the PVD area and hadn’t established care for him anywhere yet. They’re walk in only, but you can check in online before or call to see what their wait is. It sucked having to drive so far (about an hour for me) but overall it was a great experience and worth it to get him taken care of. We won’t hesitate to take one of our dogs back there if we need urgent care outside of their vet’s hours.

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susiqzer t1_j93l27d wrote

I believe there’s now one in east providence too!

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DentMasterson t1_j95v29k wrote

I've used Tufts in Massachusetts.

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wowcool_ t1_j97ae2z wrote

Veterinary Urgent Care Center. Their prices tend to be comparable to standard veterinary offices. While they are not open overnight, they are open until 10 PM weekdays. They’re are a few in MA, but I do think an East Providence office is opening soon! I’ve used the Plymouth, MA office a few times and I have nothing but great things to say about the staff and care received.

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kingbowser313 t1_j93x08q wrote

Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists in Bourne are great. They just did my dog's TTA surgery and I can't say enough about them. Definitely a bit of a drive though depending on where you are coming from.

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GlotzbachsToast t1_j94bfbn wrote

And you can go to the Mezza Luna across the street and get a great Italian meal while you wait!

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manicmonday122 t1_j95zper wrote

It’s a true pet emergency hospital, they do and see everything, I’ve used them in the past, one of my labs had seizures, they were great. Never had an issue with them or the service. I hope I never have to go back but it’s nice to know they are their if needed!

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