ER vet charged us ~$4k, didn’t help our dog, another clinic fixed it for $42. What can we do?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping for advice.

Two weeks ago, my dog suddenly got very sick. She vomited with blood in the morning, then again in the evening. We rushed her to the ER vet.

They ran bloodwork and pressured us to do X-rays. All looked “normal” except one blood marker was significantly elevated — but they ignored it. They gave her sedation (for X-rays), anti-nausea injections, and sent us home with a bill of about $2,000.

Over the next few days, she got worse: refusing food, severe diarrhea every 20–30 minutes, losing 2–2.5 kg, eventually almost unable to stand, super lethargic. We brought her back to the same ER.

They admitted they didn’t know what was wrong, gave her another anti-nausea shot even though she wasn’t vomiting, then pushed us toward an ultrasound. And they pushed us to do it immediately. Again – pressure from them, talked about how it could be serious. After it came back “normal,” they aggressively pressured us to pay for a very expensive Addison’s disease test. We declined. We also asked for just 1 anti-nausea pill, but later discovered they billed us for 3 (the same cost as an injection). Before this, the doctor whom I have spoken to were really rude and forced me to do injections without any justification. Just because ‘I think we need to do it’. When I asked why and refused, she acted unprofessionally and aggressive.

When we picked her up after they kept her from 8 AM to 5 PM, we were horrified:

• She had not been given water all day, despite having nonstop diarrhea and dehydration. When we gave her water, she drank an entire bottle instantly.
• She was covered in feces, clearly left in her kennel without being taken outside.
• The final bill was higher than what they originally quoted, with extra items added.

In total, we paid  ~$4,000.

That same day, desperate, I called another clinic. The vet there immediately said parasites were the most likely cause and asked us to bring a stool sample. He checked it under the microscope on the spot — parasites confirmed. He prescribed antibiotics, probiotics, and GI food. Total cost: $42.

Within one day, my dog started improving. Within three days, she was back to her normal self, regaining weight and energy.

So now:

• The ER clinic charged us over $4k, ignored the obvious parasite indicators in the initial bloodwork, denied her water while hospitalized, kept her in unsanitary conditions, and forced us for unnecessary and expensive tests.
• Another clinic solved the problem in 15 minutes for $42.

Questions:

• Is there any realistic way to get at least part of this money back?
• Should I file a complaint with the state veterinary board, BBB, or consumer protection?
• Has anyone here successfully disputed charges like this?

I feel completely devastated by the experience — not just financially, but because my dog’s life was put at risk due to negligence and greed. I don’t want other pet owners to go through the same thing.

Location: San Jose, California
ER: MedVet at Santa Teresa