Vet error!
 

I know this probably belongs in the yorkie brothers and sisters section but I just want everyone to be aware that these things happen. My sister took her teacup persian cat to the vet because Lucy had diarrhea. She had changed her food because she was itching and her hair on her belly was falling out but the new food gave her horrible diarrhea.
The vet examined her and said she thought it was food allergies, changed to special diet and sold her Revolution in case it was mites told her she would give her medication. They vet tech gave her a bottle of pills and she went home. This was at 9am yesterday and at 4pm the vets office called the vet tech (wth-they fill Rx?) called and said she had given my sister the wrong medication. Instead of diarrhea medication she had given her ringworm medication and hoped my sister hadn't given it to her but my sister gave the cat the medication as soon as she came home (who would wait that long to give an animal with diarrhea it's medication?)
My sister went back to the vets for the right medication and they asked her to give back the wrong med but she refused and told them to copy her records and that she will never comeback again. The vet came out and tried to tell her ACCIDENTS happen. My sister wanted to know how much medication she had given the cat and the vet replied, enough for a normal sized animal (duh! we are dealing with a full grown cat who weighs 6 pounds) So now she is looking for a new vet as she doesn't trust them any more.
Another problem is I take my two yorkies there. My daughter takes her Cavalier King Charles, my other daughter takes her two French Bulldogs there and my Mom takes her Golden there also. So I guess we are all looking for a new vet.
So be careful, check your babies medication and make sure someone with some knowledge of medication is filling the Rx.

Yes accidents do happen..:eek: my old vet killed my 5 year old yorkie.. so I know,,:mad: but I tell you that once you know this.. you need to be changing your vets.. you should not hesitate..:confused:
It is very scary in my case the as little a file as my yorkie had he did not look to see how he did the year before after his needles and he had had a reaction.. gave him the same shot and it was fatal..
So this is only something for you to think about...
It is all pretty scary...

its horrible that your sister's cat got the wrong medication but accidents DO happen sometimes. everyone makes mistakes. i would be pissed as hell if that happened to me and demand it gets taken off my bill plus the right meds for free. i wouldn't find a new vet if i had always been happy otherwise and know lots of other people that are happy there too.

I have been using this vet for about 20 yrs now. It is a large practice owned by two partners with about 6 other vets employed. One thing I have noticed over the past several years is that the employed vets don't seem to be staying there very long. We find one of the vets that we really like and all of a sudden that vet has left and the office staff is constantly changing except for one receptionest. I'm loosing confidence there and will start looking too. After this has happened if anything were to happen to my babies I would blame myself forever

sounds like they are having a little trouble with their employees and they have a high turnover rate. in that case i would be worried that all the new tech's aren't up to par. its hard to get comfortable with a doctor if they leave after only a short while. i guess i would be looking around too.

Goodness, everyone's worst nightmare.

I agree. Humans do make errors...doesn't at all make it right, but one mistake wouldn't automatically make me switch vets. If I had been happy otherwise and the vet handled the mistake well, I'd probably stay. Luckily the medication they accidentally gave didn't harm the cat..and actually ringworm would be worth looking into if the cat is losing hair. I would be very upset if a mistake happened as well, but it would depend on how the vet handled it and the extent of the mistake..

Side note...TEACUP Persian cat :confused: LOL I have Persians and they are anything but teacups...both 8lbs (small for their breed) but Persians are bred to be larger cats. First "teacup" dogs, and now "teacup" cats...when are we going to start having "teacup" humans?

That's what I was wondering.... :confused:

LoL! teacup humans. I'm only 5'2. Would I qualify?

I am also 5'2...I guess a lot of people think I am a teacup too....

Off Topic: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=118586

My mom is a pharmacist tech ................... she has "NOT" done this ...................................but she has seen it done.................................check any and all medications ...................I get all my meds where my mom works and she personally checks our meds but she told me they fill over 2000 prescriptions a day..... Be cautious!

medication
 

I learned early in life that meds are often given wrong amts and wrong meds. My cousin has a son w/ CP and when he was 1yr and in the hospital they almost killed him. Since that time I am a med. nazi. When docs and nurses come in my kids hosp. room I ask that they wash their hands in the room. I ck the chart w/ my own notes so they do not double medicate at shift change (and believe it or not this happens ALLLLLL the time... at vets shift change too I bet). I drive them crazy but I have just seen too many mistakes. I feel sorry for the parents who can't afford to miss work and have to leave their kid's lives in the hands of hospital workers while they are away! I just can't imagine! I feel the same way when I leave my furbaby's at a vets.

Moral of the story always double ck... it happens w/ the best of docs and vets. I agree w/ the person that said if you like them give them another chance. I think you see turn over because a lot of vets ...dentist... those kids of docs like to start in a practice and then if they can't be a partner they choose to strike out on their own. It is really very common. I think it makes for better vets in the long run.

Unfortunately mistakes will happen occasionally and I'm sorry this happened with your sisters cat. Depending upon the mistake involved and the what the vet's response is, would determine whether or not I left their service. I'm big on taking responsibility for errors and would expect my vet to do so also.

I did change Ruby's vet earlier this fall for her vet's inability to admit he had created an abscess on her neck from drawing a blood sample. At first they tried to say it was a swollen lymph gland, due to infection. It wasn't swollen until the day after they took blood. She initially had pancreatitis I believe, but they wanted to do liver shunt testing, hence the blood test.

Because they wouldn't admit it was an abscess initially, and didn't administer antibiotics, the abscess grew out of control and almost killed her. I had to syringe feed and water her for two weeks, she lost a pound that she didn't have to spare at 3.5lbs. And, the hole in her neck took a month to heal.

If they would have only admitted their mistake and treated her correctly this could have been avoided. And, the almost $500 in vet bills could have been greatly reduced too.

5'1" here...I am teacup! This could be BIG! No more petite... I AM TEACUP! Love it!

:D

worked in a vet hospital for years
 

:eek: seen the wrong stuff go out many times...expecially near closing time when a lot of walk- ins show up for life and death problems....everybody is rushed. Have received Gentocin otic for ears instead of optic for eyes.

thank goodness I know the difference and caught it fast.


I urge everyone to be aware of what medications are called and what they are used for...

the internet is wonderful for this......a little education goes a long way...go to a good veterinary website and read up on stuff.....

roxanne

Accidents happen but if you are unhappy with your vet for something else, then I would leave.

At Ellie's vet office only vets fill prescription which I really like. Most techs are great but a couple in her vet office in particular really "concern":rolleyes: me. They just don't seem to be "in there".:p

I'd want to know that they were very sorry for what happened though.

I guess that makes me a teapot then.:mad:

a good tip:

if you get medication from your vet make sure they go over it with you at the time they give it to you. if there is something wrong with it they will usually catch it if they are looking at it and reading the directions to you. I always make sure to show the clients the pill bottle and the instructions, plus i tell them exactly what it is so there is no confusion.

I am 5' 2" also, but a little wide in the girth.
Would I be considered a teacup/teapot? :D


Rose and Lexie