My vet was careless

[AmandaG]

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for your sympathy and advise about Macey
A day has passed now, and I am starting to get pretty angry. My cat, Boston isn't doing too well. I realized that the vet that performed his neuter and declawing, didn't give me and antibiotic for him. In the past, we have always gotten one. He also didn't tell us anything about the bandages either (we took him home the same day.)
We called our old vet, and took him in right away. The vet took one look at him, and said there was a problem with his neuter, and he also had a fever. So right now, he is being put back to sleep for the correctional surgery, and the vet will let us now how he looks under the bandages then. I am really nervous, and I feel so horrible.
Also in response to how careful a vet has to be when administering anesthesia, and that he needs to have assistance... I doubt he did. As far as I know, it is only his wife and him, and I don't think she is certified to be helping him (I am just guessing.) I mean, he works from his home. I never even saw an operating room, or any equipment.
I feel like a really bad mommy for even taking my babies there in the first place. I had no idea it was going to turn out like this. Everyone always had good things to say about him.... probably because he is cheap.
I really think he did something wrong with Macey's anesthesia. He was so informal about the whole situation. As soon as we got there to pick Boston up, he got in his car and left us to talk with his wife.
What do I do? I want to find out why my baby died. I have a feeling if I would have taken her somewhere else, somewhere better, she would still be with me, and that kills me.

[Cudda84]

I had my first yorkie die the same way. I was only sixteen at the time and just thought these things happen. Sometimes they do. Soon afterwards my neighbor told me her German Sheperd died at the vet during an operation also. She later found out he really ODed. I know yorkies have a low tolerance to anethesics so I am really leary when one of mine goes under for any reason. I have the vet do blood work and anything preventive.Just like with people it is always a risk.

[Marie]

Im so sorry that your cat Boston is not doing so well after his neutering. I think this vet needs to be reported. I will have Boston in my prayers for him to come out ok from surgery. Please keep us posted. We are here for you.

[Patti]

I don't blame you for wanting to know what happened. I would definately pursue it. It doesn't sound like the vet was very apologetic either.

[omare]

May I ask how your yorkie died and what the circumstances were.

[schatzie]

This is so horrible for you and I truly feel for you. If you feel your vet was indeed inadequate to perfom such a surgery, can you call the better business bureau to report him? I would hope there can be some sort of report on him to help future pets who are brought into him. Not to mention all the pet owners who are given such possible needless grief.

Thank goodness your Boston is at a vet with whom you trust and is receiving the proper care. Possibly this vet can also aid in some direction as to the best way to handle the other vet.

My thoughts go out to you during such painful times.

[omare]

It's ok I've just read what happened in your other post. I am so sorry to hear this. I had the same thing happen to my cat and she wasn't very old. She went in for a routine operation and not long into it she went blue and her heart stopped, luckily the vet knew what to do and brought her back. She was allergic to the anesthetic and from that day on we had to warn other vets about what had happened to her. We changed vets and paid alot of money for extra safe anesthetic everytime she had to be operated on, thankfully it wasn't often but they took extra care once they knew she had an allergy to it. My yorkie is the same, when he has anesthetics it takes him ages to come round properly. My heart goes out to you, I am so sorry, god bless. R.I.P.

[AmandaG]

We took Macey to the vet's house (he works from home) yesterday morning at 7 a.m. At around 8:30 we received a phone call that her heart stopped beating when she was anesthetized, and they had restarted it once but it stopped again. When we went in to pick her body up, the vet did not come out, because he was working on Boston (alone.) The wife was pretty much like "Sorry, never happened before. Bye."
My mom never signed anything before or after the surgery. In fact, we have absolutely no papers for either of our animals.
I can sort of explain how I feel about the situation with an analogy. It is like going to a puppymill to find a dog, compared to finding a reputable breeder. We went to what I feel is a "short cuts" type of vet, with little resources, instead of an office with a highly trained and large staff. I will regret that decision for the rest of my life.

[chachi]

This is so sad and scary it is what we all fear will happen when our pets are put under. I would report the vet to the Better Business Bureau and anywhere else you can find to report him. I am so sorry this happened to you.

[rrosenberry]

I would get more info from the vet you have the cat at now... Get him to say what is wrong with the procedure the other vet did, does he know this other vet? He probably wont say anything bad about him, but normally you can get a feel for how he feels about him.
I would report him,, too many problems.. all at once,,and NO paperwork is strange! I filled out so many papers when I had Bailey neutered, it was crazy. Mostly that they would NOt be held liable if somthing happened, so you probably didn't sign anything like that,,so they ARE liable.. ask they new vet what he would suggest.. Good luck, your in my thoughts. Keep us posted on what happens with Boston and with the vet.

[txshopper73]

document everything including what the other vet finds on your cat. I'd contact a lawyer. this is horrible and they need to pay for the mistakes that were made. nothing can replace her but this mobile-vet needs to own up for what he did.

[omare]

If you didn't sign any consenting papers before the vet operated on your pet then I would reckon you have a pretty good case for taking legal action. It's it law that vets have to get all owners to sign papers to allow them to give anesthetic to pets, surely he would want to cover himself if anything went wrong. Is this vet registered to operate on animals? Is his wife qualified to give anesthetics to animals? If I were you I would definately take it further. I realise you can't bring your dog back but think of all the other animals he's gonna be operating on. This doesn't sound right, a vet doing operations in his house without a proper operating room. Get him investigated and if so get the newspapers involved, it's amazing what can be uncovered when the press goes sniffing around.

[chachi]

We had to sign papers also before my dogs were spayed/neutered.

[AmandaG]

I feel so lost in all of this. I am only 18, I've never had to deal with something legal like this before. I don't know where I start. Do I get an autopsy? My baby is already in a box, under the ground. What is my first step. My mom thinks I should call the Better Business Bureau and ask if anyone has ever filed a complaint about him before. So where do I go from there?

[rrosenberry]

Originally Posted by AmandaG

I feel so lost in all of this. I am only 18, I've never had to deal with something legal like this before. I don't know where I start. Do I get an autopsy? My baby is already in a box, under the ground. What is my first step. My mom thinks I should call the Better Business Bureau and ask if anyone has ever filed a complaint about him before. So where do I go from there?

That would be a good place to start.. see if he has a record of complaints.