vet killed pet

What is the name of your state? Kentucky We rushed our very sick 8mo old Chi to our vet. He told us to rush her to emergency care for a blood transfusion. He was not equipped for the procedure. Upon arrival at the ER we told them over and over our Vet sent us for a transfusion and her gums are white and she appears to be bleeding. The ER vet did a blood test and then wanted to do all sorts of tests that were unnecessary. She gave the dog a shot of antibiotic and sent pain pills for us to take with us. She sent us home. Honey Bear was near death by 6am-we rushed her back. Too late. We wanted to know what killed this dog as we have her 3 littermates and 3 other dogs (6) at home. Test came back negative for poison-sample was poor. We had frozen her body so we took her up for a liver tissue sample. Test did not show poison or reason and they wanted another $174.00 which was not mentioned regarding the second test. The background check on the ER Vet is not good. She came to KY just as a big lawsuit was being filed against the CA clinic where she practiced . She' been in 5 states since she graduated in WS 1991. We had the University of Kentucky exam our dog and she had somehow been exposed to rat poison--cost $50.00. A simple shot of vitamin K and a transfusion would have saved her. But this vet was so intent on building the bill that she just wouldn't listen. The antibiotic administered should not have been given-it stops blood from clotting--which is why the dog was in so much trouble she was bleeding internally. There's more to this but we have spent $800.00+and have a dead dog!! This is negligence and poor medical treatment. How can we recover expenses and make sure this vet can't cause this kind of pain to anyone else?

"He told us to rush her to emergency care for a blood transfusion."

Did the first vet ever tell you why the dog needed a transfusion?

He thought she was anemic or bleeding internally

did you tell the second vet why the first vet sent you? did you have your dog's medical records from the first vet when you went to the second vet? did either of the vets talk to each other?

mamacobalt
Why didn't vet #1 administer Vitamin K or another clotting factor to the dog? Why didn't vet #1 call the vet ER and tell the Vet on duty that a critical patient was on the way and required an immediate blood transfusion?

Has any vet stated as fact that the dog would not have died if a 'simple shot' of vit K and a transfusion had been administered?

It is my understanding that treatment for rat poison ingestion is not simple and it is not guaranteed that a pet can be saved after it has ingested rat poison as the agent (poison) acts quickly, destroying the clotting factors in the blood, which leads to massive hemorrhaging, which leads to deprivation of oxygen to the cells, which leads to death of organs necessary for life and, or quality of life if survival is achieved.

Your dog had suffered severe damages by the time the first vet examined her. By the time the second vet saw your dog, the dog's gums were white and that is a morbid sign.

What antibiotic do you understand to have properties that interfere with blood clotting?

In my opinion, the person at fault is the one who left rat poison available for consumption by your pet and unless the act was intentional, it qualifies as accidental poisoning.

EC

Everyone was told as we entered the door. She was 8 months old with no medical history other the puppy shots. We're not aware that they spoke.

Our vet didn't know exactly what was wrong. He did not have the lab equipment to test her-it would have taken an hour. To save time he sent us to the ER. We live in a very small town and the trip to Louisville takes 20 or more minutes. His office was closing and he thought everything would be OK.

Three vet's have stated she needed the K to buy time and a transfusion. Our vet-a vet at the ER clinic and the pathologist.

The first visit to the ER her gums were pale and she was awake. The vet wanted to do all these tests except the blood test[which did get done] and a transfusion. I said I would only take her home if the vet thought it was the safe thing to do. It was recommended that an antibiotic be given and oral pain medicine which she never had a chance to take. She was home by 9:30pm. She laid in my bed with me and I did not know that my dog was slowly dying. At 6am she had labored breathing and was limp with white gums. Rushed her back to the ER clinic as I was told to bring her back if she wasn't better. The vet on duty at that time walked in the room and said it appeared that she was poisoned. It was obvious to him looking at her records. He tried his best to save her but it was too late. We wanted to know what killed her and paid for a blood test. The sample was so poor that it could not be determined and we were asked for a liver sample which we provided and it came back negative. So, I took her to UK for the vet school to find the cause and their lab found the poison used for the mice. The antibiotic Cefazolin should not have been given when internal bleeding was suspected and this helped her hemorrage faster. They concluded the death was unnecessary.

mamacobalt
I found several sites on the web that describe the effects of several rat poison agents and provide the treatments for each. From the information I read, I infer that Vit K possibly should have been administered by the first vet if poison of any kind was suspected. To place the blame on the second vet does not seem appropriate.

As for the three vets who have assessed the information after all of the facts (like test results and outcome) were available--well, hindsight is 20/20. To compare their opinions, which are based on physical evidence and not reported symptoms, does not present the same clinical situation as faced by either treating vet.

You may find an attorney willing to take your case and you should call around and find out if one will. Just don't expect vet #2 to be held accountable for the outcome when vet #1 did not provide Vit K for 'just in case' treatment.

As for Cefazolin, I'd hate for any reader to d/c this worthy antibiotic because of taking a baby aspirin each day or wafarin or LMWH or blood thinners of any kind. Cefazolin does have the 'warning' to report any unusual bleeding, but this is from liver involvement (disease/trauma or toxicity) and not that Cefazolin on its own 'thins' the blood. If it was given in the presence of known or suspected hemorrhagic poison, then it would be contraindicated.

Dogs are curious creatures and if your dogs are not properly penned or chained where they can not forage through the woods or out-buildings or boat houses, etc., then your pets remain at risk for a similar occurence. (If your dog was not kept in the manner required by law, then you may have no case even if vet negligence is obvious and expertly substantiated.)

EC

Thank you so much for helping me see this from another direction. I don't blame vet#1 as he was trying to get us on the LS asap! Our dogs are house pets with a very secure back yard that is monitered often for escape routes and dangers. They are little so we have to watch for any openings that they can go thru. I believe vet #2 was careless and didn't do everything that could have been done to save her. It's like when you have insurance they'll give you every test known to man and build that bill. I recognize the behavior and when I kept telling her to simply transfuse the dog she stopped listening and sent us home. I wish there had been another vet there to help us all reason together. I wish I hadn't given this vet any of my trust.

Although many pets are like family members, this thread is in the wrong forum.

I couldn't find anything related to pets or animals. Where should it be?

I've been on this website for a while, and I don't remember seeing anything specifically related to your problem, either. Barring that - I think you have a case against Vet #2 (the one you mentioned already has a few cases against her). Since you now know why the dog died, you can rest assured (hopefully) that the other puppies don't get into this poison either. I think this vet got her license from a Cracker Jack box and probably deserves to live in one herself. You unfortunately can't do anything for Honey Bear now, except remember her. I'm sure it's painful to think about, and my personal thought would be to find out how many other charges have already been brought against this vet and add to that. She may, hopefully, and finally lose her license to practice anywhere in the U.S.!

And for heavens sake get rid of those green sprinkles and use traps instead!