Patients of veterinary hospital upset after oncology services end

Some pet owners are demanding answers after what they say was an abrupt end to life saving treatments for their pets at a Mississauga veterinary hospital.

“We had no warning and no communication,” said Dan Green, who had been taking his 14-year-old dog, Luther, to Lakeshore Animal Health Partners at least once a month to receive chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with leukemia this past June.

“Those treatments are what’s been keeping him alive,” Green says.

Earlier this month and days before Luther had an upcoming appointment, Green’s son Cody, who previously worked in veterinary medicine, received word that the hospital’s oncology department was no longer operational.

“If we had not found that out through our son, we would have shown up and been told ‘sorry.’ ”

Green said there was no alert or warning from the hospital and Luther missed that appointment.

“I had to call them and ask what was going on,” Green said. “I finally got a hold of the oncology staff, and they were great. They said, ‘listen, we’re going to try and get your referral to our partner clinic.’ ”

Which they did but that clinic was an hour-and-a-half drive for the Greens. They ended up scrambling to find another location closer, on their own.

“It’s very upsetting for this to happen suddenly and with no communication from management whatsoever,” Green’s son Cody said. “They clearly had no contingency plan for ourselves and the I imagine dozens of other patients who are in the oncology department getting this life saving chemotherapy that’s literally keeping them alive.”

Green said he had asked repeatedly to speak with management but never received a call back.

Speakers Corner reached out to the owners of the clinic, VetStrategy, to ask what was behind the abrupt end to services and to address claims that some patients were never notified of the change.

“At VetStrategy, the health and well-being of the animals in our care is our top priority. We deeply empathize with our clients’ concerns regarding recent changes to services at Lakeshore Animal Health Partners (LAHP),” a spokesperson told us in response to our questions.

“Our team has been actively reaching out to affected clients to discuss individual care options, whether continuing treatment at Lakeshore or arranging referrals elsewhere, as needed.”

The Greens said they have no complaints about the care Luther received while at the hospital, in fact give staff glowing reviews.

“They’re all amazing, very talented at what they do. This all falls on management,” Cody said.

“Look, the proof is that Luther is still here. So, to me, it’s worth every cent we spent but we just don’t understand why they would end services and not tell anyone,” his father added. “If this is something they had to do — if they made a business case or whatever, they should have had plans in place to make sure that nobody missed a treatment.”

VetStrategy says they are working on ensuring that doesn’t happen, asking any current patient of the hospital to reach out with any concerns.

“We thank our clients for their understanding as we work diligently to provide continued care for their beloved pets. Clients are encouraged to contact us directly at (905) 858-6767 if they have any further questions.”

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