Bet have wrong diagnosis

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Horse1979

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Our pony got kicked in the field, bet came out and stitched him up on his lower left hind just above fetlock. Lots of blood and pony in a lot of pain. Asked my vet if he needed X-ray he said no it's a clean cut, should be fine to ride again in 14 days. He said box rest him for 3 days then turn him out as normal as u can imagine after 3 days in he went in field bucking rearing bombing around like a lunatic! On day 13 I asked my vet to come back out as swollen and hot and I was just not happy with how the leg looked, he was on the yard less than one minute and said yep all fine ride tomorrow. So we did. Within half a minute the pony was clearly not right so we intacked. I decided the day after to get a 2nd option. New vet came out and said X-ray and scan straight away as it shouldn't be so swollen for day 16! He went for scan and X-ray and discovered he had a broken splint bone and very damaged suspensory. Need a year off! Obviously I'm annoyed my first vet didn't diagnose this and said to turn him out and ride him! Pony is now under ongoing scans to see if the broken bone should be removed or not.
Do I have a case against my first vet? I have a bill for almost £500 for the stitches and antibiotics and bite and feel annoyed having to pay it! The turning him out must have damaged the leg further ? as he went mental!! anyone else had a car like this? This pony was worth a lot of money! I asked my first vet if needed an X-ray and said j would rather double check I'm not worried about the money issue.....
 
Call BHS legal helpline.
You can ask for bill to be ripped up as treatment inappropriate.
Or you can sue, which is not cheap or predictable.
You could have predicted behaviour and seen the leg was not 100%, not that you did anything other than do as advised.
Was this an non equine vet?
Just how much different is the cost and outcome, it could be megabucks not just £500.
If you settle for £500 you may lose out if things escalate.
 
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Pony will need to go back and be rescanned in the another 5 weeks. Realistically we are doubtful that he will be able to do the workload he did before the kick. I can't help but think the turning out and told to ride has made things worse.
I will call BHS helpline- see what they advise. Yes he is an equine vet, my regular vet- but not anymore! I specifically said I'm happy to pay for an X-ray as I'm concerned but he told me I was worrying , it was a simple cut from a kick and no more! 😢
 
Forgot to say I did call my vet onday 11 aswell to say I was unhappy as heat in the legend he said just change dressing daily rather than 7 daily. He didn't ant t
 
Sorry, pressed send too quick! He didn't want to come out so a few days later on day 13 I phoned back and demanded he came out which is when he came.
 
When you phone legal helpline have diary of events written down AND take a note of their questions, they will be pertinent.
I would consider sending the vet a letter, along the lines of advising him that you consider the treatment and advice was inappropriate, and there may be ramifications.
Unless BHS advice otherwise I might pay up, but would first read vet t&c carefully, ask for a written copy relevant to the date the vet was first called. Any letter should be formal, factual, and headed "without prejudice".
Try to remain reasonable, but vets are insured, and they might well settle out of court for the full value plus ongoing vet and legal costs.
 
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Horse1979 said:
Our pony got kicked in the field, bet came out and stitched him up on his lower left hind just above fetlock. Lots of blood and pony in a lot of pain. Asked my vet if he needed X-ray he said no it's a clean cut, should be fine to ride again in 14 days. He said box rest him for 3 days then turn him out as normal as u can imagine after 3 days in he went in field bucking rearing bombing around like a lunatic! On day 13 I asked my vet to come back out as swollen and hot and I was just not happy with how the leg looked, he was on the yard less than one minute and said yep all fine ride tomorrow. So we did. Within half a minute the pony was clearly not right so we intacked. I decided the day after to get a 2nd option. New vet came out and said X-ray and scan straight away as it shouldn't be so swollen for day 16! He went for scan and X-ray and discovered he had a broken splint bone and very damaged suspensory. Need a year off! Obviously I'm annoyed my first vet didn't diagnose this and said to turn him out and ride him! Pony is now under ongoing scans to see if the broken bone should be removed or not.
Do I have a case against my first vet? I have a bill for almost £500 for the stitches and antibiotics and bite and feel annoyed having to pay it! The turning him out must have damaged the leg further ? as he went mental!! anyone else had a car like this? This pony was worth a lot of money! I asked my first vet if needed an X-ray and said j would rather double check I'm not worried about the money issue.....
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I had a very similar thing happen to me with my horse many years ago when he was kicked by another horse in the field (this is why I no longer turnout in a herd). His leg was sliced on the inside of the stifle and the vet felt that the ligament that was in that area could have been effected which would make him not be able to move properly in future, so it was very serious. It was stapled/stitched (I forget which) but not xrayed. He said turn out after a week and then start riding him again. He felt it was just bruising.

When I turned him out (luckily) he was sensible, but when I started riding him he was lame. Very crippled in trot so called the vet right out and said there was no way a horse should be this lame with just bruising. They came out straight away and xrayed the leg, and there was a bone chip. I was told "lucky he didn't gallop around in the field or this could have turned into a catastrophic frature".

It really upset me at the time, but just proves that vets aren't invincible and we shouldn't expect them to be. Luckily he lived to tell the tale.
 
I'd be disappointed vet did not assess the swollen hot fetlock beter at the second visit - first visit is appropriate and you can't query the bill for stitch up /call out as a the original cut probably made the pony quite lame.
I'd be sending them a letter to the practice owner outlying the facts and requesting a discount tho (and not paying for the second visit)
 
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