Advice please! Sedation without my permission.

[Biggles83]

Hi,

Can anyone help?
Booked a vet for a routine dental visit. Appointment for 3.30pm. My horse has had dentist out previously 3 times and never needed sedation. Locum vet this time and I got to the yard and they had already sedated my horse! (at 3.15pm) as they were early.
Their story was that the stable hand (young girl) holding my horse had said it would be ok to sedate. I asked this girl and she said they hadn't asked.
My thinking is that someone should've called me OR they should've waited until the actual appointment time for me to arrive.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
Thanks!

 

[_GG_]

Hi,

Can anyone help?
Booked a vet for a routine dental visit. Appointment for 3.30pm. My horse has had dentist out previously 3 times and never needed sedation. Locum vet this time and I got to the yard and they had already sedated my horse! (at 3.15pm) as they were early.
Their story was that the stable hand (young girl) holding my horse had said it would be ok to sedate. I asked this girl and she said they hadn't asked.
My thinking is that someone should've called me OR they should've waited until the actual appointment time for me to arrive.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
Thanks!

It was a non-emergency appointment, the vet had no right to carry out any work without your prior permission and administering a sedative is a procedure.

I would have been furious and I would not pay for anything that I hadn't ok'd first.

 

[PolarSkye]

It was a non-emergency appointment, the vet had no right to carry out any work without your prior permission and administering a sedative is a procedure.

I would have been furious and I would not pay for anything that I hadn't ok'd first.

This . . . and I'd also be worried about my horse being sedated in my absence (never mind the cost) . . . who was monitoring the horse while he was sedated? Who looked after him after vet left until he came round fully? Sedation may seem like a common procedure, but it's not without risk . . . I'd be spitting feathers if a vet sedated Kali without my permission or knowledge.

P

 

[NOISYGIRL]

I would be furious, what if horse was allergic to sedation ? as a locum he or she might not know this from your records

 

[loopylucifer]

Yes ideally they should have waited or phoned you to tell you they were early, but i would more be questioning as to why the yard allowed them to start in your absence (it sounds like you are in a livery environment?) as they were holding your horse they must have greeted them and taken them to your horse. Even if the vet hadn't asked for actual permission they should have said no you need to wait for the owner assuming they were clear you were to be present for the appointment.
I don't think the vet is totally at fault in this situation i would be more cross at the yard for allowing it to happen.
And just to note my horse did have a reaction to sedation (i did know she was being sedated) in my absence at a dental appointment all was fine vet and yard delt with it me being there wouldn't have stopped it. it is clearly marked in her notes so any booking for appointments its flagged up and she has never reacted again (finger crossed) and thsi was over 3 years ago

 

[Spring Feather]

I don't think the vet is totally at fault in this situation i would be more cross at the yard for allowing it to happen.

I agree totally with this ^^. If you are on a DIY yard the yard workers had no place taking control of your horse for the vet visit. I do on my yard, but mine is full care and control of all horses living here and my owners expect me to make decisions on their behalf.

 

[Dumbo]

This happened to me too.
When I first bought my horse (in terrible condition), I had mentioned he needed his teeth doing but turned up on the fifth day for them to tell me the vet had done his teeth this morning and how funny he was when he was sedated...
I was annoyed that he had been sedated but more so that I had been in contact with a recommended EDT and I would rather a dentist had done it.
Urgh!

 

[Fides]

I have turned a vet dentist away as they refused to do any work without sedation on my horse that had never been done before. I don't want to sedate unnecessarily I had a lovely dentist out who did both of mine in less than an hour and the horses behaved impeccably

 

[SusieT]

Likely the girl is lying to cover her back - many yards have just grooms handling horses for this sort of thing and no owners anywhere near so vets are used to dealing with stabl ehands..

 

[Tnavas]

I have turned a vet dentist away as they refused to do any work without sedation on my horse that had never been done before. I don't want to sedate unnecessarily I had a lovely dentist out who did both of mine in less than an hour and the horses behaved impeccably

From experience I now have an unknown horse sedated for dental work. I do the same for clipping. I'd rather be safe with a calm horse who has not had a traumatic experience than have a fight and risk horse, handler or vet/EDT injured.

When you consider how infrequently we do teeth or clip you have to be impressed with how sensible our horses can be.

SuzieT that's a very harsh statement to make, she may have been told to hold the horse by the YO. Busy vets don't like hanging around for owners to arrive at a livery yard.