Vet in STT

LesaE,
Go down on the message Board till you come to Veterinarians, Islander Posted Names and Numbers.

Thanks, Lizard - have a great day.

Lesa

Dr. Williamson. IMO, the best.

I agree. He might be grumpy but that's who I use.

He might not do this to you, but he's always lectured me about how my dogs are too spoiled (like his aren't! ) 🙂

In 2004, we took our cat Tippy to Williamson as his office is 1 block away from our home.
Tippy had recently developed problems urinating, & was a 2 year old very healthy (otherwise) cat.
Williamson told us Tippy had a blockage in his urinary tract, gave us a prescription we filled @ his office.

As a person, he was quite rude & condescending in his manor (I wanted to kick his a$$, but his hand was on my beloved cat’s privates)!
He informed me this was quite common in a way that a very worried/concerned wife & I must be retarded BC we were unaware, but because of Tippys age & condition, he would be fine!
Tippy was the model of health, all muscle, he loved chasing geckos,palmettos, whatever moved, he was a very happy cat!
Tippy didn`t like wet/canned food, wouldn`t eat it, we were told he needs more moisture in his diet(Williamson was right about this).
A couple days pass with no improvement, Tippy is worse!
I bring him in & a very rude Williamson hastily gives Tippy a stronger prescription (he insists I don’t know jack & should be more patient & let the weaker meds work)< I wholeheartedly disagreed, I know my cat, I can see HE`s DYING!!!!
A couple more days pass, Tippy isn’t well, now hardly eats/drinks water I INSIST Williamson look @ him, he tries to "make time" on his schedule, we want Tippy well, & ask if there is ANYTHING else he/we could do!
He says "sure, we could operate to remove the blockage which would be expensive, but we should be patient & let the meds do their thing, Tippy is a young/very strong cat"!(He was scared of Tippy at first, he said so,& got a towel so he wouldn`t get scrached, he didn`t know Tippy has never harmed a human!)
My wife & I discuss it, & disagree with Williamson; our cat is dying, and WE WANT THE OPERATION ASAP!
Williamson gives us a date 4 days later, we ask for a sooner date, we get 3 days...
3 days later, we bring a very weak Tippy in who has hardly eaten or drank other than the baby food we force feed him.
Tippy stays overnight as he is recovering, but Williamson tells us he is not sleeping well, as he needs the space for dogs he boards there & they are freaking Tippy out!
We take Tippy home, in 2 days there is no improvement, and I feel he will be dead in a day or two!
I call Williamsons office, & I’m told he is meeting with his accountant & can’t be bothered...
I tell the receptionist, my cat is dying, and I must see him!
The receptionist tells me she will ask, I hold & then I’m told, no, he isn’t available.
I ask, what can I do? My cay will soon be dead, if he won`t see him now, he will be killing my cat!!!!
She says if I really feel that way, to take him to someone else as Williamson will not see him!
So, I take a nearly dead Tippy to Dr. Saunders, who is also busy, but on my word that my cat is dyeing, and after begging him, he agrees to see him.
It`s late, we have called everyone, it`s after dinner time by now.
Dr. Saunders examines Tippy, & does feel some blockage in his urinary tract & his bladder is full!
I tell him of the expensive operation, & how Tippys health has been declining, how he won’t eat/drink.
Dr. Saunders tells me I wouldn’t eat or drink either if I couldn’t relieve my bladder! He tells me of the awful pain my cat is experiencing.
He relieves Tippy bladder, & agrees to take care of Tippy in the morning...
7 A.M, we get a call from Dr. Saunders, Tippy died! He couldn’t understand as he was sleeping well & looked better.
When I asked why, you relieved his bladder, how did he die?
Tippy died of Uremic Poisoning, which is the accumulation of poisonous wastes in the blood stream!
When I checked online about this I found:
Uremic Poisoning is caused by the inability of the kidneys to eliminate poisonous wastes from the body, can cause permanent damage to the bladder and will also cause death if not immediately treated by a professional, skilled veterinarian. Many sources state that you only have 72 hours (at the most - many cats have much less time than this) at this acute stage to make sure the blockage is corrected before the bladder ruptures and the cat dies. The bottom line, however, is that the cat is suffering a great deal of pain and distress at this point, and every minute counts to save his life and prevent permanent damage.

We have to drive past Williamsons white picket fence everyday, I can’t wait for the day I see this jerk in person, in public!
For whatever it’s worth, my tenet loves Williamson, as does some friends of mine, I think he’s a rude, arrogant jerk who killed my cat(I hope he & his accountant enjoyed counting my $ as my cat was dying)!
My wife & I still Miss Tippy!
I’m sorry Tippy!
In loving memory of our favorite cat, Tippy...We still love you!

I have used Trip Stewart near the large Banco Popular near the airport - he has sold the business but still works there part-time. He was very nice. I also really like the vet that is near Red Hook Family Practice - sorry, don't remember his name or the office name, but it would be easy to find in the phone book.

If you don't like your initial visit, seek a new vet. It's just like finding a dr. - ask for recs and then see who you like. Obviously if you have an experience like the one above, move on! Good luck!

That would be Dr. Moore in Red Hook. He's very good also. Sorry about Tippy, Dun. I know how hard it is to lose beloved pets. As far as I know, cats aren't put in the same area as dogs are boarded. Are you sure you didn't misunderstand that?

Andy's saved my pets on more than one occasion including emergencies as well as diagnosing a problem with one that 2 other island vets couldn't.

Thanks for all the advice - I am sorry about your Tippy - how horrible. We saw Dr. Moore in Redhook and he was very nice. He and his staff treated Tiger like he was the most important animal in the world and they were just waiting all day to see him. I think we've found our vet!

Lesa