I got a dog from a local animal shelter, and she had to be spayed before coming home to us. The Shelter does not contract with my Veterinarian of choice, so I agreed on one that they recommended - Dr Rex. When my husband picked up Betty from Dr Rex's office, he was asked to read the post-operative instructions and to sign the page, indicating he'd done so. They did not have a copy of the instructions to send home with him. That evening I telephoned Dr Rex's office to make sure I understood the post-op instructions, as repeated by my husband. I reached an answering machine, so left a message. The following afternoon I had not received a call back, so I called Dr Rex's office again. After about a dozen times of getting a "busy" signal, I finally got through to a live person. She basically confirmed what my husband had told me, and dismissed my malcontent. My dog was clearly uncomfortable with the WIRE sutures and there was some swelling, but otherwise o.k.. Seven days later, I noticed that Betty was bleeding from her vagina. I telephoned Dr Rex's office and left an urgent voicemail message. I waited all day for a return call. I called them again at the end of the day and left a very irritated-sounding message regarding my dog, who had just had a hysterectomy and SHOULD NOT BE BLEEDING. The following day - day #8 post-op - I once again called Dr Rex's office and left a v/m message. I waited a couple of hours, then called again. The gal who answered the phone gave me the brush-off (AGAIN), explaining that it was Dr Rex's short day and he had come in for only about an hour, but offered to put Betty on the schedule for "next week". "Never mind," I told her, "She is already coming in day after tomorrow for her suture removal, and apparently you people don't seem to think it's anything important, anyway." So day #10 arrives, and my husband takes Betty in to have her sutures removed. Dr Rex's diagnosis for the vaginal bleeding? "Vaginitis". And his prescription? "Just give her some yogurt - it'll clear up." My husband is a wonderful man, but hasn't a clue when it comes to "female disorders" (i.e. "vaginitis"), so didn't question the all-knowing Dr Rex. I, on the other hand, had MANY questions for the good doctor - especially about the suture still remaining - so made yet ANOTHER phone call to his office. And, because it was after hours, left yet ANOTHER v/m message! The following day I did not wait around for a return call (they'd already proved their lack of care and customer service in that area) and telephoned them just after they opened. This time the call was handed over to Dr Rex, who repeated his diagnosis of "vaginitis" and his prescription of "yogurt". I asked if vaginitis causes bleeding? (I know it does NOT). He said, "Sometimes." And when I asked about the suture he left in, if that was intentional? His response sounded more like a bumbling fool, "Oh, uh, I left a suture? Oh, uh, I thought I got them all. Well, uh, you can bring her back if you want me to take it out." IF I WANT HIM TO TAKE IT OUT??! NO, DR REX, WE WANT YOU TO LEAVE THE WIRE SUTURE IN!! DUH!!! Needless to say, we did NOT take Betty back to Dr Rex - we took her to our regular family vet, who gently removed the wire suture from Betty's abdomen, diagnosed conjunctivitis (Dr Rex ignored Betty's weepy eyes) and prescribed eye medication, and explained that Betty's vaginal bleeding - now subsided - was because she was going into "heat" when she had the surgery and her body was just finishing out the cycle. He also noted that the suture sites were irritated and swollen, and suggested we put a little Neosporin on them. Betty is fully recovered now and doing well - no thanks to Dr Rex in Highland, CA.