I was referred to Ross Lirtzman by a local vet in North Scottsdale, Arizona. I said I wanted the best treatment option for my 8 year old golden retriever's hip dyslpasia. The vet said she had no experience working with Lirtzman but recommended him because of proximity to my townhome in Scottsdale and said she heard his office and equipment was high quality.
The Appointment
I arrived with my dog 10 minutes early. The receptionist said Lirtzman was running behind but it shouldn't be too long. Shouldn't be too long? It was almost an hour after our appointment that we were led in to a room to see him. No apology, no acknowledgement, nothing. That should have been my first clue something was wrong.
Lirtzman did a quick exam of my sweet dog and abruptly said he had obvious hip dysplasia. What's very odd is he showed no sense of caring or genuine concern for her. I felt like I was then thrown into a sales pitch being led by a snakeoil salesman. I could tell he wanted to sell me on surgery so he could move on to his next "victim".
The Decision
Unfortunately, I fell for his $5,000+ scam. The office is like a Four Seasons of vet clinics -- everything looks nice, clean and modern. That's where it all ended. I told him we wanted to get the surgery as soon as possible. He said they would take care of the scheduling and payment up front, and the experience spiraled from there.
The Surgery
I brought my dog in for surgery about 2 weeks later. The front office staff had been somewhat pleasant on the initial visit, but this time they seemed cold, almost demoralized. "Would you like to watch the surgery on our live TV system?" Uhhh, no! I just want my dog fixed. That's all they said as they led my dog away to the back. They recommended he stay the night (more cost of course) so they could monitor him and would call the next day to confirm pickup.
Lirtzman claimed the surgery was a success but to not have high expectations. He wouldn't go into more detail and said we'll see over a few weeks how she does. To make a long story short, the surgery resulted in much more severe pain and ongoing problems over the next few months. Thousands of additional dollars in vet bills were racked up visiting other vets and specialists for opinions and other treatments. The one common denominator: Ross Lirtzman has the reputation of an unethical, fraudulent, overpriced and poorly skilled veterinarian.
The Lesson Learned
Please, make sure you do your homework and visit as many vets as possible before deciding on someone to do surgery for your beloved pet. In the emotional state I was in, I made a very poor decision that ultimately cost the life and wellbeing of a dog that I considered my best friend. I have been told by several other vets that his practice is under investigation on the state level for negligence and other serious issues. I've also noticed the name of Lirtzman's practice keeps changing, possibly to hide all the bad reviews he's received from other "victims".
Don't let your family member be the next victim. I pray for your dog's successful recovery.
Animal Specialty Group Reviews
I was referred to Ross Lirtzman by a local vet in North Scottsdale, Arizona. I said I wanted the best treatment option for my 8 year old golden retriever's hip dyslpasia. The vet said she had no experience working with Lirtzman but recommended him because of proximity to my townhome in Scottsdale and said she heard his office and equipment was high quality.
The Appointment
I arrived with my dog 10 minutes early. The receptionist said Lirtzman was running behind but it shouldn't be too long. Shouldn't be too long? It was almost an hour after our appointment that we were led in to a room to see him. No apology, no acknowledgement, nothing. That should have been my first clue something was wrong.
Lirtzman did a quick exam of my sweet dog and abruptly said he had obvious hip dysplasia. What's very odd is he showed no sense of caring or genuine concern for her. I felt like I was then thrown into a sales pitch being led by a snakeoil salesman. I could tell he wanted to sell me on surgery so he could move on to his next "victim".
The Decision
Unfortunately, I fell for his $5,000+ scam. The office is like a Four Seasons of vet clinics -- everything looks nice, clean and modern. That's where it all ended. I told him we wanted to get the surgery as soon as possible. He said they would take care of the scheduling and payment up front, and the experience spiraled from there.
The Surgery
I brought my dog in for surgery about 2 weeks later. The front office staff had been somewhat pleasant on the initial visit, but this time they seemed cold, almost demoralized. "Would you like to watch the surgery on our live TV system?" Uhhh, no! I just want my dog fixed. That's all they said as they led my dog away to the back. They recommended he stay the night (more cost of course) so they could monitor him and would call the next day to confirm pickup.
Lirtzman claimed the surgery was a success but to not have high expectations. He wouldn't go into more detail and said we'll see over a few weeks how she does. To make a long story short, the surgery resulted in much more severe pain and ongoing problems over the next few months. Thousands of additional dollars in vet bills were racked up visiting other vets and specialists for opinions and other treatments. The one common denominator: Ross Lirtzman has the reputation of an unethical, fraudulent, overpriced and poorly skilled veterinarian.
The Lesson Learned
Please, make sure you do your homework and visit as many vets as possible before deciding on someone to do surgery for your beloved pet. In the emotional state I was in, I made a very poor decision that ultimately cost the life and wellbeing of a dog that I considered my best friend. I have been told by several other vets that his practice is under investigation on the state level for negligence and other serious issues. I've also noticed the name of Lirtzman's practice keeps changing, possibly to hide all the bad reviews he's received from other "victims".
Don't let your family member be the next victim. I pray for your dog's successful recovery.