Should i make a complaint?

tesla-girl · #1 10-09-2008, 11:35 PM

Ok i'll start from the very beginning..

We've had our rescue GSD Shaney since April from Manchester Dogs Home, no problems with him it all, apart from when he stole a cooked chicken off the side and had a dodgy tummy (dogs, what can you do, eh?). Well late August i'd been having thoughts about getting a companion for Shaney, he's good with other dogs and quite calm (and lazy) so my OH and i decided to make another trip to the Home. We had a look and decided to take Shaney along the next day to make our final decisions..which we did, and i fell in love with Kai. He was (still is..im working on it) a bit skinny and he had no name so we took him home and all seemed fine.

This was until the next day when he developed the most awful hacking cough. Me being the internet wizz that i am discovered he probably had KC so i gave him so benylin and decided to ride the storm. The next day it seemed to be getting worse and with a thick green discharge coming out of his nose, so at 2am we took him to the emergency vets because his breathing was bad. He was given 2 injections, 1 ai and the the other to bring his temp down as it was 104. He seemed a little better after that but the next day he was back to being bad again. After my 3rd sleepless night i booked him into a new vet as soon as they opened and literally had to lift Kai into the taxi because he was so weak.

This is where we get to the part where i want to complain. I got to the vets, and was seen fairly quickly. There were 4 people in the room. and the vet was sat behind his desk, asking me questions, not getting up or anything. He eventually examined Kai, took his temp etc...and diagnosed him with distemper, at which i burst into tears. Nobody comforted me, just stared at me..the vet backed away from kai when he went near him and i was ushered out of the room like a leper. He said i could either take Kai back to the home or keep him either way he will probably die. I called my OH hysterical, made him come out of work and together we took Kai to the Home. I sobbed in there and the manager got their vet to look at Kai, and they said KC. In my paranoia i asked for another vet to come and look, and they too said KC. I got some antibiotics and a a few weeks on Kai is right as rain!

Sorry for the long and rambling post, but it's been playing on my mind. The vet was rude, inconsiderate, when i was trying to speak through my tears he just cupped his hand round his ear and said "WHAT?"...at the end of the day i could have lost Kai if i believed him, and as he is supposed to be a vet i could hve easily done so. Do i have grounds for complaint?

AllyCat · #2 11-09-2008, 08:51 AM

Hunny if that was me I would launch that usless P***K of idiot (aint calling him a vet coz he aint one)

COMPLAIN!!! Play holy hell, he diagnosed wrong and was rude and heartless. As you said if you had listened to him you would of lost your boy.

I am so glad you still have your boy and that you was able to get second opinion which saved him.

LOVEGSD · #3 11-09-2008, 10:00 AM

OMG!!!!!!!!! Firstly I'm so sorry you've been through so much upset, it must have been such a terrible worry for you all and poor Kai!!

I would without a doubt complain, this man (going under the guise of a vet) is an absolute disgrace, his mis-diagnosis and cold hearted manner is appalling...he shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating you in this way. At the end of the day if it wasn't for people like you (and us) he would be out of a job!!!!!!!!!

I feel so angry on your behalf and could quite literally rant about this forever....maybe we should all join together and take our GSD's to him to protest at what a crap vet he is!!!

Keep us posted.....xx

Wooferhound · #4 11-09-2008, 10:19 AM

Good lord! What a completely unprofessional useless AHOLE!!!! Definitely complain!

Cuddles to Kai, hope he's over the worst of his KC now.

Let us know how you get on with it all.

Jo
x

Poly · #5 11-09-2008, 11:14 AM

I had something similar but with my persian cat george....

we got him from a kitten and at about 6months old one day he was wobbly on his feet and then his back legs went completely - we took him to the vets who told me that he had leukemea and that we needed to put him down...I wasnt happy about the vets decision so I took him for a second opinion - the second vet said he has had a fall and that has caused the lameness...so george for the next few weeks sat on his on special chair and we would feed him cat milk and food etc and he recovered no problems at all....unfortunately about a year later george was knocked down and killed by a car - I guess something was out to get him....
but it just goes to show a second opinion is important and I truely wish now Id have made a complaint about the first vet who wanted to end his life there and then!

LOVEGSD · #6 11-09-2008, 12:00 PM

Oh no I'm so sorry to hear about George....it's frightening reading these posts because you would think you should be able to trust what the vet says don't you?

GypsyGSD · #7 11-09-2008, 03:16 PM

like the other members I am sorry you had to go throught this upset,I also have suffered through a incompetent vet, I knew that my gsd was not right and took him to my vets, they did all the tests going and assured me he had a long and happy life to look forward to he died 8 days later on christmas eve age 6. They prescribed tablets he should never have had as they should of been taken with food, they ignored me when I told them my boy never ate a full meal in one go but her words were give him one any way, this caused the look of horror on the face of the senior partner who to be fair did try for over a hour to save him, but like everything else it becomes a closed shop when you try to complain , on the plus side if there is one they took 100 pounds of the bill as a good will jesture my reply to them was unprintable colleen

Petnanny · #8 11-09-2008, 03:25 PM

Sadly, there are many vets around like that

When Zak collapsed just before Xmas last year (he was nearly 13), we rushed him to our vet and was seen by the cruelest female I have yet to meet.

Zak was fading fast and she said that we could take him home since she could find nothing wrong. Before I had chance to say anything else she summoned a nurse who brought a giant sling into the surgery. By this time my poor Zak was having difficulty breathing and I completely lost it.

I shouting that my poor boy was dieing and she could not possibly think of sending us home. At which point she decided to take blood. Of course his veins has collapsed, and she immediately sensed I could be right.

She then drew blood from his stomach and we knew we had to make the heart breaking decision to put him to sleep.

She could not find a vein, and after 10 mins decided to put the lethal dose into his heart. After being unable to locate his heart after pulling and pushing him this way and that, I insisted that another vet be called. He too was an imbecile, and by this time my husband and I were beside ourselves. Eventually the male vet managed to find Zak's liver and it took a further 15 mins for him to make his final breath.

How they sleep at night in beyond me. I will never allow either of those vets near my animals. She has now left, but he is still practicing. Is it worth making a complaint. Maybe, but will anything be done - I very much doubt it

Thank God your dog is well now though

GypsyGSD · #9 11-09-2008, 03:52 PM

Nina, Reading your post had me in tears it was so similar to my situation when I lost mick, its so heart breaking when this sort of thing happens under these circumstances colleen

LOVEGSD · #10 11-09-2008, 03:54 PM

My heart goes out to both you Colleen and Nina, I can't imagine being in that position with Diesel and to be honest I pray I'm not....it angers me that these so called professionals are so quick to dismiss the owner as being neurotic when you know your dog better than anyone so surely if you're adamant that your furbaby isn't right why don't they bloody listen???