BEWARE - MICHAEL WEISS (OWNER & LEAD VET) BLINDED OUR DOG, THEN GHOSTED WHEN WE COMPLAINED.
We had been patients at this office for about 5 years, since we had moved to Philadelphia. Our experiences with the other vets at this practice have been generally positive, but we met with Michael Weiss once due to an emergency, and it was enough to never return with our other pets, for their safety.
Last July, Our poor Harley, a small, 11-year old terrier/poodle mix got bitten by our neighbor's dog. Despite having suffered recent trauma, weighing less than 12 pounds, and having a history of spinal injury, the manner in which Mr. Weiss approached and physically handled Harley during her emergency visit was brutish and abrupt. He handled Harley was like a farmhouse vet and treated her like livestock, unconcerned for fear/comfort.
During our emergency appointment, we had noticed that Mr. Weiss was focusing on external injuries to her face/skull. We had pointed out to Mr. Weiss specifically that we thought her eye was damaged (I had said that it appeared scratched and asked him to recheck it). In response, Mr. Weiss stated that "[he had] already looked at her eye and it was fine." Mr. Weiss had not performed more than a cursory inspection with a light for only a couple of seconds, and no other diagnostics (such as corneal staining) were performed to our knowledge. We suggested that she be given at least antibiotic drops or ointment for her eye (as we had been given them for a similar attack when Harley was much younger); however Mr. Weiss said they were not necessary, despite the white of her eye being extremely discolored. He reassured us no other treatment would be needed. Based on Mr. Weiss's diagnosis and discussion, we left with the understanding that the injury, though it appeared serious, was superficial - merely a black eye that would eventually clear up.
We never received a follow up call or message from this office to this emergency appointment, as is standard with all other appointments. When we pointed this out, we were not offered an apology.
A couple of weeks later, Harley's eye was not getting better. We called to speak to Mr. Weiss and make a follow up appointment. He did not return my message until over 2 days later. Once he saw Harley again, he told us to go directly to a specialist (a veterinary ophthalmologist). Mr. Weiss claimed that her condition was likely a result of swelling getting worse after our visit leading to further injury, which was very common. Mr. Weiss claimed that there were no signs in the first visit (we disagree), and that "this happens all the time in car accidents when the swelling continues after the trauma and causes more injury." If this were such a common occurrence, why was this not told during the original visit, informed of this possibility, and given warning signs to look out for? He did not have any answer, and after we went to the ophthalmologist, Mr. Weiss again not given a follow-up call.
Throughout all of this, Mr. Weiss never offered an apology. Even though we were clearly agitated that he got the original diagnosis wrong, he kept deflecting blame, saying "there is nothing I could have done." Again, Mr. Weiss did not call again after the follow-up diagnosis - we were shocked he couldn't take the time to demonstrate his concern for Harley as a longtime patient at his practice. It became clear that Mr. Weiss did not care about the wellbeing of our poor Harley.
We had never accused Mr. Weiss during these interactions, but it was clear from his responses that he suspected there was something off about his performance during the initial emergency visit. Even if he did truly believe that he was not at error, he offered no words of comfort during any of our follow-up visits or calls. An apology would have been appropriate, and would have gone a long way. Instead, repeatedly telling us that this injury was inevitable was tone deaf and insulting.
TL/DR: MICHAEL WEISS MADE SOME BIG MISTAKES. At best, he did not give appropriate discharge instructions/advice on what to look for during her recovery, which caused Harley unnecessary discomfort and suffering for weeks. At worst, he did not conduct a comprehensive exam and missed the original diagnosis of Harley's eye, which ultimately caused her to lose her vision. Either way, his lack of follow up after said trauma - especially after knowing we were upset - demonstrates to us his level of care and awareness.
When we sent (respectfully-worded) messages to complain about the above, there was NO RESPONSE FROM THE OFFICE. Instead of taking any kind of ownership or issuing an apology, he completely ghosted us. This clearly demonstrates his integrity as a veterinarian, business owner, and human being.
AVOID GOING TO THIS PRACTICE AT ALL COSTS - MICHAEL WEISS IS THE WORST VET WE HAVE EVER DEALT WITH.
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