Steps to take regarding a Vet misdiagnoses
 

I'm not going to get into the whole story again, but I'll briefly explain. My baby Ace, 4 yrs old passed away 7/19/12 due to eating a big hairball. We took him to the closest Vet we could find because he was vomiting and not able to stand up. The vet diagnosed him with a stomach virus. His white blood count was up. She next did an xray. She showed us xray and said here is his food, showing us an xray of his stomach. We explained he hadn't eaten in a few days although he was drinking fluids and holding down water. She acted like we were lying and didn't believe us about food situation. My husband said "you can feel his stomach it feels like something hard." She didn't even feel his stomach until my husband mentioned it. She said yeah, he could've eaten something, but we'll keep him here overnight with antibiotics and fluids. If that doesn't work we'll look into an obstruction.
The next day they called said Ace was doing worse and it must be an obstruction and he would need an ultrasound and they didn't have that equipment. We had to rush Ace to ER where they looked at Xray and felt his stomach and KNEW he had an obstruction. They didn't even need an ultrasound! Little Ace had surgery but passed away a few hours later.
My question is why did the first vet keep him there when an Xray showed obstruction? Looking back they should have said look "we're not sure what it is but if he hasn't eaten then there is something in his stomach. We're not sure becasue we son't have that good of equiptment to tell so take him to the ER where they can definatley tell you." Instead they kept him overnight and treated him for a stomach virus. I feel like they just tried to get money from us by misdiagnosing him. He stayed overnight and maybe if he had went sooner to ER he would've been stronger and survived surgery.
I know nothing will bring Ace back. I know that the first vet is not directly responsible for him eating the hairball. But by misdiagnosing and being negligent she did not help his condition by keeping him overnight and allowing him to get weaker. I already called up and spoke to front desk but I was so upset and explained but they weren't listening. They said they would call back but didn't. My husband is going to call them tomorrow, he's more calm. The more time passes the more upset i get. I just want her looked into by a Vet board or something. I also don't want this happening to another pet. Also, when she left the room after seeing Ace, she said "yorkies, yorkies, yorkies," in the hallway in a very rude manner. Basically she sounded annoyed. So horrible, my Ace deserved better than this.
If anyone has advice on steps i can look into as far as vet malpractice or something I'd appreciate it. Or has had a similar situation, please let me know. I've tried to research but vet malpractice is I guess more difficult to prove than human malpractice. Thanks.

I'm so sorry.:(
I Agree with you. This is not right if the vet saw what looked like food in the stomach and did not think more of it after being notified that pup had not eaten in several days. A barium study should have been done. Any vet with an xray machine and baium can do this.

When something is sitting in the intestines, they can start to die off. The longer it sits, the more problematic things become. So yes, waiting several days may have caused his death. Abdominal palpTion should be part of any exam done on a dog with GI uoset.

You can file a complaint with our stTe veterinay board.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss, it is devastating. From the sound of it, it really shouldn't have happened. Our former vet, I feel, was responsible for what happened with our Starr too:unlove:

Anyway, I'd start by reporting them to the State Veterinary Board State Board of Veterinary Medicine Since companion animals are viewed as property in the eyes of the law (I KNOW, it isn't right!!!:mad: ) we can only sue for monetary damages in small claims court. I believe that you can go for the cost of "replacing" him, but the law doesn't provide for emotional distress or anything else like that:(

I wish we could change the laws to reflect how a good many of us see our animals, and that is FAMILY. They may be "owned" by us, but they certainly aren't property in the usual definition, that is, they are NOT inanimate objects:rolleyes:

Good luck and I hope that you are able to accomplish some kind of peace in your heart through this, and with your new pup:love:

I am so very sorry for your loss. I am not sure legally what you can do but one thing I would do is tell everyone you know about it and leave reviews and stories about it on every possible review website that you can.

Can you talk to the vet who correctly diagnosed him and did the surgery and see what their professional opinion is? For example, they may say "that's a normal mistake for a vet to make, it happens and there's nothing we can do" OR they may say "that vet was incompetent, any vet would have palpated the abdomen".

Since that second vet is your only witness to what happened, their professional opinion would go a long way toward determining what you can do about reporting/suing that first vet, IMO.

I think that is a good idea. I find it upsetting that the two surgeons at the ER didn't even need to see an ultrasound to know there was an obstruction. All they did was see the Xray from the first vet and feel his little stomach. Makes me so mad. I will get a hold of the surgeons and see what they say. And, I am also going to leave reviews on websites for this horrible vet. Thanks, everyone.

Ultrasound is not usually used to diagnose obstructions.
It would be good to get a statement by the diagnosing vet, but not all vets woud be willing to speak against their colleagues like that.

The board should open an investigation. the vet was wrong about when to do more testing or surery. Unfortunately, that really is not uncommon.

I would wait to leave any bad reviews until after any and all legalities have been resolved....

:thumbup:

I have a right to tell other people about my experience with a Vet. The vet misdiagnosed my baby, plain and simple. She did not listen to us and didn't even feel his abdomen until my husband suggested it to her. This was our experience and I have a legal right to tell people about this. That's why they have patient reviews. If the shoe was on the other foot, and I was a yorkie mama or any pet mama again, I'd wanna know. In hindsight, maybe it would save another animals life. :animal-pa

Don't they usually run a little flexible scope down and look around the eso/tummy if they suspect a dog has swallowed something or has a possible FB in the belly, whether it shows on x-ray or not?

You would think that they would do something like that. The vet that ended up killing my Starr never did that, he said he had to open her up to see and retrieve the obstruction. :(

I don't know if that equipment even exists for animals, and if it does, if a regular vet would have something like that? Good question!!!

She can request the written report, usually one is drawn up by the surgeons and sent to the general vet.

Also for the OP. Write down everything now! Journal it with days and times and symptoms. Write down what you told the vet on all your visits, timing of phone calls you made to the office,etc.

I would also request (if you don't have them) all your dog's medical records from the general vet. Just a note; nothing gets done on my dogs without a hard copy report that I leave with. I then document in point form the discussion we had that day. Any questions I asked, and answers given. It takes me maybe 10 minutes to do.

I also ask about pulse rate, heart exam, etc. I also make a note which leg, any shots are given and if blood is drawn where from.

I know when Tibbe was young and I took him in for some upset or other and the vet said that anytime he suspects a FB or obstruction of any kind in the tummy he just scopes the dog and it is very fast and efficient, but that not all objects can be retrieved through it so some FB's or obstructions have to be removed thru a small belly incision. But he said he never uses the scope unless symptoms, other testing and history lend to a diagnosis of possible FB or obstruction in the belly. He said B4 the flexible scope, they had to open the belly for those cases but now, the scope is further diagnostic and very often therapeutic and far better than an incision.

Sounds like a scope of Ace might have shown that hairball day one if the vet had listened to Ace's mommie about the dog not eating for a long while. Such a tragic and seemingly senseless loss of a wonderful little Yorkie who should be playing in the den floor tonight.

Not every Vet Office has that type of tool, and then the animal must be seen by specialist to have it done.

I would consider changing vets. That sounds like a tool every single vet should have as soooooo many animals swallow things they shouldn't!!!!!

I know my Vet has one. Some Vet Offices that are smaller just don't have the money to purchase that type of equipment, but are still very good Vet's.

This is on the Human side of medicine, my PCP doesn't have this type of equipment, and if neeed to be scoped after an x-ray would have to be referred to specialist. so it holds true that some Vet Offices are this way as well.

That is probably what a normal Vet would do. Unfortunately, the vet I took him to apparently did not know of such things. Nothing like that was did for Ace.

But humans don't routinely eat anything such as a dog will, unobserved as they are in back yards and such. Vets are a dog's first line of defense and life saving in a case where the dog has something in his belly that can kill him and vets all need to have this equipment. And where an obstruction or full item in the belly is palpated, you would think the vet would have to take a "look see". With humans, we know if we've swallowed a button or if our child ate a knob off a toy before we could get to him, as babies are watched a lot more closely than dogs are, especially when the canines are let out to potty or play. I would think vets would have a flex scope at the ready to use in cases where suspected ingestion of FB's have occurred and supported by history, exam, other testing.

I 100% agree with this post. Furthermore, had the 1st vet had a clue they would NEVER have suggested it COULD be an obstruction BUT say lets keep him over night for fluids & observation. This is just inexcusable when there is a possible obstruction & had something been done at THAT time instead of waiting , this pup would most likely have survived. Time is of the essence when any animal has an obstruction.

You have every right to tell your story anywhere and everywhere...of course be careful of beibg very factial and watch legalities.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

Misdiagnosis happen, but that Yorkies Yorkies Yorkies comment might have cost her some front teeth to have been snidely said to the wrong Yorkie mama!

Absolutely make a complaint to the board- they will review it. If nothing else hopefully this vet will be more throurough abd it can save another animal in the future.

I can only say from my experience with a dog with pica everytime there was a tummy issue a scope was used vefore xrays were done if at all, maybe its not standard equiptment everywhere but consideeing an obstruction should be IMHO.

It soubds like to me she automatically assumed to throw some antibiotics at the problem hoping it would go away?

Again very sorry for your loss one complain wont cause the vet a loss of license so being good abd mad and having thia looked at cant do harm but can only IMHO cause improvement if needed.

No one is perfect everyone makes mistakes some are more costly than others, but a change in attitude and diagnostic procedure is something everyone needs to prevent future mistakes.

The only thing I can say to lend pause to the anger is if ahed done it all right and your babay still went to rainbow bridge would you be upset...I'm guess the answer is no, so be mad and follow through.

I hope you get through all this and are able to then mour and heal.

I didn't say you don't have the right to tell your story, but it is up to the board in your state to make a determination of whether or not this vet was truly negligent. Just hearing your side of the story, I agree, it seems she was in this case.

I'm so sorry you lost your pup especially in this kind of way. You put your trust in someone to provide the best care and you got the worst. I know how devastating this can be. When it happened to me I was soooo angry. I just couldn't let it go. I had to file a small claims suit against my vet. He had his attorney contact me to settle, so I did.

I just wanted him to know my pet mattered. I also knew I has a slim to none chance to win. I settled for the price I paid for my pup and the total cost of the medical bill he charged me. I didn't want him benefiting from my pets death.

I did file a report with the vet board. This is a joke also, they protect their own. From the stats I've found at least 80% of the cases that are filed are dismissed with no repercussions at all for the vets. No one is watching them, no one tracks this kind of malpractice, abuse, or negligence. There is very little accountability. If I had to over again I would have pushed for pain and suffering too....Because that is what I am still living with today.....

Maybe you can find some helpful info in these links....

Veterinary Malpractice

Veterinarian Malpractice

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.....

Yeah, I'm already looking into making a complaint with the board. I know probably nothing will come of it but it needs looked into. By her delaying 1 day and knowing now that time was of the essence is the hardest thing. Looking back, I wish I had advocated and pushed more for the obstruction. I honestly just thought the vet knew what they were doing. :confused:
I found it upsetting that animals don't really have malpractice laws defending them like humans do. I know in PA animals are just considerd peresonal property and aren't held in the same reagrds. I feel if Vets had malpractice laws on the same levels humans Dr. did, there would be less Vet mistakes. I've been reading horrible stories about Vet negligence, it's terrible. :thumbdown
As far as Ace goes, I'll never know if maybe they would have operated a day sooner if he would still be alive. That is something that I don't know how to deal with. I'm trying, it's just there aren't any answers and it is beyond unfair. I know when he first started vomiting I didn't immediately take him to the vet. I waited because he stopped vomiting and was drinking fluids and holding that down. He also was running and jumping on couch and running upstairs. I knew he didn't feel 100% and wasn't eating but I thought he was getting better...
What I wouldn't give for one more day with him. Make sure you guys hug your little ones daily and tell them how much you love them, and spoil them rotten! I spoiled Ace and I don't regret it! I actually realized how precious Ace was when I had him, and I used to feel so warm in my heart when we cuddled on the couch. It's so weird and empty now trying to get used to not having that warmth anymore. Sorry to go on but he was a little rock star and the light of my life! Love You Ace!

i am very sorry for your loss of ace. rip ace. i too would be beside myself with grief and very angry. i hope your story saves another baby from ever having this happen to them. the vet should have never made that comment and im sorry you had to hear that. i will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Husband and I are going to file a small claims suit as well. I figured filing a complaint with the board will be a joke. Did you file the small claims suit first or file a complaint with the board first?

I filed first then within a day or two I mailed in a complaint. I had to write a detailed explanation as to what happened. I received the reply i expected. They saw no indication of wrong doing.....Make sure your written report is detailed because that is what they based their decision on. They never spoke to me directly.

We spoke to a magistrate that said if the judge would decide in our favor it would then be up to us to decide how to go about getting the money. The magistrate said we would have to file a lawyer and then go about putting a lien on the vet property as to go about assuring that they pay us in a monetary means. Did you have to get a lawyer? Thanks.

Endoscopy is a great tool. It is very expensive and not all vets can do it. Xrays come first. If it is clearly in the intestines and not still in the stomach, the dog has to be cut. The scope reaches the stomach and some vets can get it ino the proximal duodenum. It takes some level of talent just like sonography. So it will never be found in every vet hospital. If it is in the intestines, simetirs a small hole can be cut to take the object out. Other times the i testines have started to die off in that area and a resevtion and anastamosis is needed (cutting out part of the intestines and sewing the ends back together). Just saw one of these on Saturday and it was too far down to consider scoping. It had also been in there for too long and the intestines were very unhappy in that area. It is always good to catch things early so the scope is an option.

No I didn't...I just went to the courthouse to file a small claims for about $20. He was served a notice that I had done so and he was to appear in court concerning the case. Our small claims court does not allow lawyers, it's just between the two parties. I guess he didn't like this so he had his lawyer contact me by phone offering a settlement to drop the case. That is what i did.....I settled so I had to go back to the clerk of courts office to sign a paper stating I was dropping the case.