Extremely concerning experience with Dr. Rachel Garrett at VCA West Los Angeles Emergency. I brought my 1-year-old Shiba Inu, Mochi, in because I thought she might have a tick on her neck. We are established VCA clients, and I expected the same standard of care we have received at our regular VCA hospital. Mochi is a very friendly and social dog with no history of aggression toward people. In fact, while we were sitting in the waiting area before seeing Dr. Garrett, members of the front desk staff were interacting with and petting Mochi without any problem. People were commenting on how sweet and cute she was. When we were finally taken into an exam room, neither Dr. Garrett nor the technician physically examined Mochi or touched the area I was concerned about. I held Mochi and lifted her neck myself to show them the spot. I was then told it was a tick and that Mochi would need to be sedated to remove it because she was "aggressive." I was shocked. Neither Dr. Garrett nor the technician had made a meaningful attempt to approach, touch, or interact with her. Mochi did not lunge, snap, growl at, or attempt to bite anyone. When I questioned why she was being labeled aggressive without even being approached, Dr. Garrett told me that Mochi had looked at her as though she wanted to bite her and said she would not "risk her life" trying to remove the supposed tick without sedation. This entire interaction occurred in front of my 9-year-old daughter, who witnessed the way our dog was being described and the conversation about sedating her. I then became even more concerned because Mochi had not been weighed and, to my knowledge, basic vitals had not been obtained. I specifically asked Dr. Garrett whether she was saying that she did not need Mochi's heart rate or blood pressure before sedating her. Dr. Garrett told me that she did not need those vitals to perform the proposed sedation. I asked again because I wanted to make sure I had understood her correctly, and she again confirmed this to me. At that point, I refused sedation and left. What makes this experience particularly concerning is that VCA's own medical record confirms that no physical examination was performed. Dr. Garrett's note states: "No PE performed. Unable to touch dog." The same record lists Mochi's weight as "n/a." I immediately took Mochi to another emergency veterinary hospital that same evening. The experience there was completely different. Their staff calmly approached and handled Mochi, obtained her vitals, and performed a physical examination. They used a muzzle as a reasonable safety precaution, which I had absolutely no objection to. Their veterinarian was able to examine the exact area on Mochi's neck without sedation. And the result was the most disturbing part of this experience: There was no tick. It was a small scab. No sedation was necessary. No diagnostics were necessary. No treatment was necessary. I completely understand that veterinary professionals must protect themselves from potential bites. I have no objection whatsoever to reasonable restraint, a muzzle, or even sedation when it is actually necessary for an animal's safety or the staff's safety. What I cannot understand is how sedation could be recommended to remove a presumed tick when the dog had not even been physically examined and the lesion itself had not been physically examined. Had I simply trusted the recommendation and consented, my one-year-old dog potentially could have been sedated to remove something that was not even a tick. I have filed a formal complaint with VCA and am submitting the documentation from both hospitals to the California Veterinary Medical Board for independent review. This was the most concerning experience I have ever had with a veterinarian, and based on this experience, I would not allow Dr. Rachel Garrett to treat my dog again.
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VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital
1900 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
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