Our experience with Chuckanut Valley Veterinary…Our retriever blew out his CCL ligament recently. After checking around the area it turned out it was Chuckanut that had the soonest possible surgery appointment available. So, we took him in for a surgery consult. The vet confirmed that the dog needed surgery and said he had sent out the x-rays for interpretation and would call back with results in a couple days. From the beginning we asked for a detailed cost estimate of the treatment plan for TPLO surgery. We never heard anything back from the vet. The surgery date was five days out and no call back and still no cost estimate for the surgery. We finally called and asked what the deal was only to be told the doctor wasn’t available until the next day. No explanation as to the lack of the cost estimate. We finally got a cost estimate only after having to file a complaint with the corporate manager. We didn’t hear anything back from the vet about the x-rays until the following day. We started looking over the cost estimate and noticed that our overall cost quoted was right up there with the high-end orthopedic surgery clinics with board certified orthopedic surgeons. Dr. McWilliams is not a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Just a DVM with surgical training. The next thing we noticed was that they had quoted 60mg Codeine pills at a cost $450.00 for sixty tabs!!! That’s seven dollars a pill folks! A seven hundred percent markup! Codeine is available without health insurance at $1.20 a pill in every pharmacy between Bellingham and Seattle. In addition, there was a note at the bottom of the cost estimate stating that any after care treatment charges would be charged separately. The next day my wife spoke with the corporate manager to voice our concerns with the cost estimate. A half hour later they called and cancelled our dog’s surgery stating that the vet was no longer comfortable operating on our animal and that we should seek a second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon. So here we are left with an animal that is now left to suffer in pain while we scramble to find a surgery appointment with somebody with some ethics. How dare we question the ethics and honesty of the almighty Chuckanut Valley Veterinary! I demanded a refund for the $700.00 I paid for the surgery consult and was only offered a refund after threatening to turn them in to the State Attorney General’s office. I have never dealt with this level of dishonesty, lack of ethics, and poor customer service from a veterinary practice in my whole life. Do yourself a favor and take your animals anywhere but here. Big corporate rules here, it’s all about up-charging the customer with bogus charges and procedures, and no one could give a damn about your animals well being if you should have the audacity to question it!

***update she is applying for carecredit and will call the vets sugggested.**** I have been contacted by a neighbor for help with her dog. Her dog is very sick and needs to be put down but she is low on funds right now. Is there a vet open Sunday that can possibly work with her so the dog doesn't suffer? Thanks.

Emergency Vet! We usually go to kulshan but they are now partnered with the emergency clinic in Bellingham and we will NOT take our dogs there again. Anyone know of a vet that will take emergencies today? We have called Mountianview as well and they go through the emergency vet as well on Sunday :(

Just to throw this out there Jason Miller we need a large animal Veterinary clinic up here there are enough farms to support it. Best one we have is Puget Sound Vet Group in S. Mt Vernon and after our vet trip yesterday figured I'd throw that out there again. I'm sure all the other goat and above owners would appreciate it not to mention the small animal owners.