second opinion??

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solhayward

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30 January 2009
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Has anyone ever been concerned about something their vets have done and needed a second opinion? My horse died after surgery recently and there are a few concerns i have after reading the report on his death. How do i proceed from here other than contacting the vets that performed the surgery? I have since found out (since the death of my horse) that they have had numerous complaints and have recently settled out of court for a dental issue. I would very much like a second opinion on the report i have to either put my mind at rest or confirm my suspicions so i can proceed with a complaint.
 
My only concern solseb hun is that this could end up costing you a lot of money and might take for ever. Presumably your poor ned has been cremated or buried (rip) so any 2nd opinion would have to be a review of the records (a) kept and (b) released by your vets. Things can get tricky there. People get defensive. Not sure if your insurance would cover this. You might end up needing a solicitor and at that point things can get VERY expensive for absolutely NO guarantees. So sorry for your loss. Was it colic surgery your ned needed? xxx
 
Yes i got told by a vet once that my pony had a tumor on one of his teeth, I was a bit annoyed as the xrays at the time were £500. (the pony was on loan at the time so it was the loaners vet choice) So i got the xrays took them to my vet he said no problem took 2 teeth out pony still here 8 years later. Explain that one!
 
My friend once lost her horse in a situation which could probably have been avoided if the vets had done something differently. However, she didnt do anything about it as it would have resolved anything. I think she was right - best to just remember your horse and let things be than be bitter and ask yourself if anything could be different.
Different if the horse was still alive then deffo worth a second opinion,.
 
you could if you can afford it , but will it bring your horse back ? NO, but may help someone else in the future if they are rubbish vets. so sorry to hear about your story , altenatively you could but the money towards another horse that needs a home there are plenty out there that need a caring owner like you, dont waste your knowledge that you have with regards to caring for a horse, buy another one and enjoy it , good luck and look to the future.
 
Hi,
Thanks for your replies. I don't think i would have been concerned if i hadn't heard stories since my horses death concerning this practice. I hadn't realised that the majority of people use them for more routine things but take horses to Oakham for anything more important. I am also aware that they have had to settle out of court recently for doing something wrong (not a death but a dental issue). I think i just want to know that everything had been done right and if not i would hate to think it would happen to someone else.
 
Regardless of whether you choose to take it further, I would contact the practice that carried out the surgery and ask to discuss the events with them. Sometimes things go wrong an no one is to blame, but you are entitled a full account of what happened and how it happened. Doing this may answer your questions and put your mind at rest.
 
I would certainly jot down your feelings on paper and ask for either a meeting with the vets concerned or a full reply in writing. You are entitled to that by law. I wrote to my vets following the death of my horse about the misdiagnosis of my horse with something completely different (but with the same symptoms) as what he was eventually put down for. However I felt very strongly that my horse was incorrectly diagnosed due to a junior vet who believed my horse's condition was quite rare. I was actually present at the yard when she excitedly exlaimed that she would be able to write a thesus on the subject of my horses illness. I think she got rather 'carried away' with being 'famous' and sadly lost sight of the fact that my horse could have had more than one similiar symptom for a different disease/illness. Unfortunately my horse was the one to suffer and spent a good many weeks being diagnosed with the wrong thing, suffering mentally as well as physically. Of course following my letter to them the reply I got was not one of any admission of fault. They closed ranks and stated that they believed they had diagnosed correctly, and that they were not God type of thing, and it was only after receiving the results back from the equine hospital Rommy had gone to they finally came to realise that it was something else, but I got no apology as such, just a sorry to hear about Rommy statement. I did not want monetary compesation, just an admission of an apology from them and the junior vet being 'talked to' to ensure a similiar thing did not happen again. As a consequence i changed my vet, and haven't looked back.

RIP Rommy x
 
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