Owner claims consent form at Upper Thomson vet clinic was only signed after pet was already on operating table
A pet owner in Singapore has raised concerns about a veterinary clinic’s consent process, alleging that her cat may have been prepared for surgery before she had signed the required forms.
The owner, who asked to be known as Sarah, shared her experience online, claiming she only signed the consent form after her cat had already been placed on the operating table.
Cat scheduled for combined procedures
According to her post on 26 March on the Cat Welfare Society Singapore Facebook page, Sarah brought her cat, Ekko, to Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group (Gelenggang) on 25 March.
Her pet was scheduled for a neutering procedure and teeth filing, which Sarah opted to combine under a single round of anaesthesia to reduce risk.
Source: Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group
She said she arrived at about 10.05am and left the clinic at around 10.43am after Ekko was admitted.
Consent form allegedly sent after procedure had begun
According to Sarah, she was not informed of the procedure’s exact start time and only received updates after repeatedly asking.
She later realised she had not been asked to review or sign any consent forms before leaving the clinic.
Concerned, she contacted the clinic to request the documents.
Image courtesy of Sarah
She received the consent form at 11.12am and signed it at 11.16am.
However, she was later told that Ekko had already been placed on the operating table at around 11.10am.
“If this timeline is accurate, it raises questions about whether the procedure preparation began before my signed consent was received,” she said.
Image courtesy of Sarah
She added that based on her experience with her regular veterinarian, consent forms are typically reviewed and signed before a pet is taken in for surgery or placed under anaesthesia.
Claims of ‘unprofessional’ messages from staff
Following the incident, Sarah raised the issue with the clinic manager.
“[I] expressed my concerns regarding the lack of accountability, as well as the receptionist’s failure to ensure that the consent form was completed,” she described in her post.
After this, she alleged that she received WhatsApp messages from a staff member, presumably the receptionist in question, which she described as unprofessional.
Image courtesy of Sarah
She claimed the staff member used inappropriate language and even told her to “come to my house find me”, while sharing a personal phone number.
She also pointed out inconsistencies in the messages, including differing claims about staffing at the clinic.
At one point, the staff claimed she was the “only receptionist working”, while elsewhere she indicated there were other staff present.
Sarah said she has since submitted a formal complaint via email and WhatsApp, outlining her concerns about both the consent process and staff conduct.
Image courtesy of Sarah
She also disputed claims that she had refused to approach reception staff, clarifying that her concern was about unclear communication and the lack of consent forms before the procedure timeline began.
According to her, there were a few customers present at the time, and she was not approached by front desk staff while waiting for test results.
“As a pet owner, I believe it is important that proper protocols and professional standards are consistently maintained when animals are undergoing medical procedures,” she said.
Says collection experience also lacked professionalism
Sarah added that when she returned at around 7pm to collect Ekko, the same staff member attended to her.
She claimed the interaction lacked professionalism, alleging that she was handed a receipt without a proper explanation of the discharge process.
She also said an area manager had separately mentioned previous complaints about the staff member’s attitude.
While Sarah noted that Ekko is recovering well, she said the experience has affected her trust in the clinic.
She hopes the clinic will review its consent procedures and staff communication practices.
MS News reached out to Mount Pleasant (Gelenggang) for more information.
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Featured image adapted courtesy of Sarah and Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group.
