Vet Ombudsman?

[ozpoz]

Reading the article in todays H+H re dodgy or inaccurate vettings.

I know plenty of people who don't have a pre purchase vetting, because they aren't convinced that potential problems will be picked up. My personal experience of a vet not seeing lameness, didn't exactly fill me with confidence when rider and groom could both see unlevelness/different way of going.

I also feel the BVA will give vets their full support, regardless, and with the cost of good horses nowadays, surely there has to be some recourse for owners?

 

[gallopingby]

Vetting will only give you a picture of a horse on the day and time its vetted!! Also depends on the experience / competence of the vet. Yes if the horse is very lame this will be picked up as will heart murmurs and eye problems assuming the vet knows how to test but even if you spend £££++++++ you don't know what's going to happen an hour after the vetting. If you think a horse is lame and the vet doesn't what's the point of the vetting?!!!!!

 

[EQUIDAE]

Yes if the horse is very lame this will be picked up as will heart murmurs

My friend had a 5 stage done for a horse to compete at BE110 - it had a grade 4 heart murmur that was picked up at a later date by another vet.

The insurance of the vet would pay out for the value of the horse, but not the investigations or treatments - and they wanted the horse to send to auction to recoup their losses. Seems the veterinary insurance doesn't work like LOU - if the horse isn't fit for purpose you get your money back but you don't get to keep the horse.

 

[Amicus]

My friend had a 5 stage done for a horse to compete at BE110 - it had a grade 4 heart murmur that was picked up at a later date by another vet.

The insurance of the vet would pay out for the value of the horse, but not the investigations or treatments - and they wanted the horse to send to auction to recoup their losses. Seems the veterinary insurance doesn't work like LOU - if the horse isn't fit for purpose you get your money back but you don't get to keep the horse.

I'd be very surprised if a vet missed a grade 4 heart murmer unless they didn't actually use their stethoscope, could it have developed the heart murmer later, grade 4's are pretty glaring.

 

[EQUIDAE]

I'd be very surprised if a vet missed a grade 4 heart murmer unless they didn't actually use their stethoscope, could it have developed the heart murmer later, grade 4's are pretty glaring.

They did - it was found 5 days later when another vet checked the heart pre sedation to do his teeth. Grade 4s are pretty glaring - you could hear this with your ear on his chest but somehow the vet missed it. She had a specialist in with a portable colour ultrasound in at considerable cost and never got the money back.

 

[Mamamia]

My horse has a heart murmur that comes and goes. It was noticed as around Grade 5 last year prior to sedation. I had a cardiologist look at him who found a mild aortic leak. This week I called the vet as he was very quiet, he had a temperature but no heart murmur. So, not necessarily the vet's negligence.

 

[pepsimaxrock]

My horse has a heart murmur that comes and goes. It was noticed as around Grade 5 last year prior to sedation. I had a cardiologist look at him who found a mild aortic leak. This week I called the vet as he was very quiet, he had a temperature but no heart murmur. So, not necessarily the vet's negligence.

Perhaps...

 

[ozpoz]

gallopingby, this was our horse, vet was called to identify an issue, not for pre purchase purposes.

The experience has coloured my opinion and I used it as an example. I wouldn't bother with a vet opinion if I had doubts about a horse I wanted to purchase.