Argo Vet, Calgary, AB

Senior cat mama here I usually leave positive reviews, but senior cat owners need to hear my experience with Argo Vet. My 16.5-year-old cat, healthy all his life, started losing weight and showing unusual interest in my food. At Argo Vet, Dr. Louise Lam run a test, which showed high bilirubin levels—a sign of liver damage. She didn’t recommend immediate treatment. My vet in Mexico warned me these levels were dangerous and suggested starting an over-the-counter supplement right away—later I learned it was the same compound Dr. Lam would eventually prescribe. Dr. Lam recommended a blood work and a liver biopsy. I expressed concern about anesthesia and the invasiveness of a biopsy on a senior cat and asked for alternatives. She said an ultrasound could also detect cancer risk but was “more expensive.” Cost was never my issue—my cat’s safety was. We scheduled the ultrasound, and I was told to give him a sedative beforehand. On the day of the procedure, staff asked me to sign an anesthesia risk form, causing confusion and stress. later the vet said it was to authorized more sedatives if needed, odd. When I picked him up, Dr. Lam wasn’t there. The receptionist handed me a box of wet food cans and a bag of dry food as a “new diet,” ignoring my clear note that he’s a picky eater and has always eaten another brand for digestion, which was the same she was recommending but in a different brand. I bought some out of courtesy, but it was a waste and made feeding him harder after the stress of the tests. They also didn’t have his medicine yet—luckily, I already had the same compound at home. There was no real treatment plan: no supportive supplements like B12, milk thistle, or pheromones, no appetite stimulants, no empathetic follow-up. I found all these necessary and useful supplements by myself. Instead, I got repeated emails to book the same bloodwork again to “monitor progress”. It felt like just an urge to get more of my money before my cats liver finally stopped working. After my own research, I found out appetite stimulants exist for cats including a topical version -I didn't know abut these stimulants but I think Dr Lam might. I politely emailed asking for a prescription of Mirtazapine- got that info by myself, attached the screenshot of the email. The receptionist, Kieran, replied that she would speak to the vet, but again pushed for me to book a recheck and more blood work, saying I could ask Dr. Lam about appetite stimulants at that appointment, I thought that was optional. I waited a couple of days for the prescription with no answer. Over the weekend, I felt forced to write an email outlining just some of the mistakes I’ve described here, pointing out that I shouldn’t have to request something that should have been suggested from the start. Doing that was uncomfortable, since I hate confrontations, I'm kind and I also have a business, so I like to be a good client myself. I expressed my intention to write a detailed review on their profile. Only then did the vet and clinic owner, Dr. Alan Leung, contact me to apologize, claiming it was all a misunderstanding? and that Dr. Lam only works there part-time. He expressed concern for my cat’s health—after everything I’d gone through, it felt awkward. He prescribed the medication in pill form; I had to request the topical (safer and easier) version myself. This isn’t about ego—we all make mistakes. But the lack of a clear plan, poor follow-up, pressure to pay for more tests, and lack of proactive care can be the difference between life and death for a pet. My cat is alive today thanks to my vet in Mexico, my love for him, and my own research—not because of Argo Vet. I spent around $1,500 here in about 2 weeks for consultation, tests, ultrasound and food, plus everything I bought on my own. If you have a senior cat, think carefully before trusting this clinic.