Vets failed to treat appropriately WWYD

[penelope-pitstop]

We recently lost our beloved horse to colic.
Unfortunately despite 3 seperate vet visits in a 24hr window, 2 out of hours due to weekend, the vets failed to accurately diagnose the fact that one she was colicking and two the antibiotics she'd been prescribed by them the previous day were the most likely cause.
The vet didn't take the colic seriously until she was beyond all help, instead medicating, taking samples, drawing blood and sending off testing for a host of unrelated things and treating me like an overreacting timewaster. This meant that she ended up suffering tremendously in her last few hours and the horrible reality of that will haunt me for a very long time.

I know vets are human, mistakes can happen and being reasonable, surgery wouldn't have been an option for her due to her other issues so we may have ultimately lost her whatever treatment they tried, but it is also fair to say that the vets incorrect actions made a bad situation much worse and resulted in significant additional suffering.

The question I am now left with is what action, if any can I/should I take where the vets are concerned? Nothing is going to bring her back or erase the suffering she experienced, I don't want compensation. I don't think it appropriate for them to charge for the incorrect, unnecessary medication or tests they decided to carry out, but not sure I want to muddy the waters getting into an argument over the bill.

My main issue is that the attending vet on call was appalling to deal with, their arrogance, rude, dismissive behaviour led to the misdiagnosis, their complete lack of empathy or even a kind word or soft hand for a horse in agonising pain made a traumatic situation infinitely worse. My faith in a practice that employs such a person is obliterated and I'm stuck with how to handle this. I don't want any other owner or animal to suffer through what we did at their hands so some action needs to be taken, but equally I don't want to overreact from a place of emotion and find myself in a position where we struggle to have a good relationship with our local vets.

For what is it worth her symptoms were not eating or drinking, repeatedly trying to urinate without anything coming out and lying down groaning at frequent intervals. Naturally I called the vets out as soon as this started.
The vet told me she wasn't in sufficient pain for it to be serious colic, they thought the most likely diagnosis was laminitis, or bladder infection or possibly an ovarian tumor behind the symptoms.

 

[AmyMay]

I’m so sorry for your dreadful loss.

Have you put your concerns in writing to the practice management?

 

[ponynutz]

As above. I certainly wouldn’t be returning to that vet practice however agree staying cordial is the best course of action incase you do ever need to use them in an emergency.

So sorry for your loss and in such a nasty way too xx

 

[BigRedDog]

Does your vet practice have a complaints procedure? I think you could very properly use a complaints procedure not only to highlight welfare issue of a horse suffering unnecessarily but also attitude and conduct of vet.

 

[TPO]

I've just had similar. I ended up changing vets and new vets referred horse to hospital as an emergency.

Everyone involved didn't think he'd get home again. Meanwhile previous vets didn't take the colics serious, wrongly prescribed drugs and dosages, didn't record details/symptoms correctly and wouldn't come out qhen I initially called ooh.

Practice before that had a partner who wouldn't come out when I called ooh for a leg injury. Thankfully "my" vet at that practice came put first thing the next morning after seeing the same photos I sent vet who wouldn't come out.

Same "wouldn't come out vet" also wouldn't visit beyond the initial visit when my horse was dying with cellulitis. Told me there was nothing more he could do that I couldn't so just to give more bute. Thankfully "my" vet was on call and I got him ooh on my third call to the practice.

Another previous practice screwed up a pre purchase exam and changed my vet records leaving me eith a very broken horse.

At the end of the day in nearly all of the bad scenarios I've been it it's come down to my word vs theirs. They all close rank and cover so unless you have money to burn, a high threshold for stress and have undeniable proof and evidence of everything I can't see you/anyone making it very far goingnto rvcs

Extremely sorry for your loss

 

[Squeak]

I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss. It's so horrible to lose them like that and it sounds like the vets made a bad situation even harder.

 

[nagblagger]

Sorry for your loss.
I have encountered a vet with similar attitude but i what he didn't know was that i had all the partners phone numbers in my phone who i called direct while he was still with me. Attitude soon changed as you can imagine.!!
I would write everything down in chronological order, what happened, what was said his attitude etc, then reread it to 'sieve' out the bullet points. Once i do this i normally can think clearer of what action i want taken, eg an apology, the bill, acknowledgement that the vet will be spoken to and further training if appropriate.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Sorry for your loss and for the trauma both yourself and the horse suffered.

I would go two avenues with formal complaint using the governance complaint process. Send a factual non-emotive letter outlining the lack of professional process followed as well as the attitude of Vet and send to both Practice lead and Veterinary governing body in your country.

You need to outline in your letter that it is a formal complaint and you are expecting a formal response addressing how the breach of duty and breach of code of conduct will be addressed.

 

[94lunagem]

You don’t say exactly how recently this was but I agree with the above, write it down and when a few days/weeks have passed revisit your notes to take the emotion out of it. Then raise your concerns with the practice in line with their procedures.

If you have another option locally, I would be moving. Or at the very least requesting another vet next time.

I’m also so very sorry for your loss, I’ve lost two over the years and its hard enough even with a fantastic vet by your side. I’m sorry your beautiful mare (and you) suffered unnecessarily.

 

[Dreamer2020]

I agree with the advice above about making a written complaint to your vets. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss & to lose your mare in such a traumatic way. Thinking of you xx

 

[SusieT]

I would contact the practice manager or senior vet and ask for a face to face chat to discuss the issues and see what the response is. they may be able to explain the thinking behind the treatment, and go through it with you. might be most successful approach?

 

[Chucho]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Having been through something similar earlier this year with a dog not a horse, I would say do whatever will help you find peace with the situation. Ours was at a large referral vets. It was out of hours, he was under their treatment for diagnostic tests which ultimately caused him a partial gastric torsion and his death... the treating vet actually looked my husband in the eye and said with a straight face she couldn't find anything wrong with him as he lay writhing on the floor in agony with a hugely distended stomach. In the end, we fed back verbally through our own vet who now no longer refers any animals to them. We're 9 months on and I could probably put pen to paper to them now. Just about. But I'd rather just vote with my feet and focus on the happy memories we have of our special boy.

 

[Bob notacob]

Again. so sorry for your loss. I lost my first horse ,my dream pony .to colic at pony club camp . I suspect I have never got over or confronted the PTSD. I blot it out but panic if a horse on the yard has colic. The trouble these days is that we now have so many explanations for what is ultimately a disaster. The best advice I got back then was from an inspector in the met mounted branch. Horses will break your heart. I learned that the love I have of horses came with a price and I had to be prepared to pay that price. I dread the day that Bob will go . But the love and affection I get from him makes it worthwhile.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would make a formal complaint to the practice, (either the manager or the senior partner, depending on the set-up). My next step would depend on the response.
In the past I have refused to have a particular vet on the yard, after similar treatment, when I liked and respected the majority of the vets in the practice. I made sure that it was written in my notes that my animals were never to be treated by that vet.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm so sorry for your loss it's an awful terrible situation and totally understand your distress and frustration from it, I would speak to your vets and explain how you feel and put it in writing and say you want to take it further.

I know alot of horses show such different symptoms to colic now I'm older I've seen so many, one of mine will still eat but he shakes and gags its weird but I thought he was cold the first time!

 

[meleeka]

I’d write a letter to the practice manager outlining your complaints. They can then contact you to discuss it further, but will have all the points without the emotion attached.

 

[ozpoz]

I am so very sorry for your loss. To lose one to colic is hard enough with a caring and competent vet at your side, and I can only imagine your distress. Xx

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

We recently lost our beloved horse to colic.
Unfortunately despite 3 seperate vet visits in a 24hr window, 2 out of hours due to weekend, the vets failed to accurately diagnose the fact that one she was colicking and two the antibiotics she'd been prescribed by them the previous day were the most likely cause.
The vet didn't take the colic seriously until she was beyond all help, instead medicating, taking samples, drawing blood and sending off testing for a host of unrelated things and treating me like an overreacting timewaster. This meant that she ended up suffering tremendously in her last few hours and the horrible reality of that will haunt me for a very long time.

I know vets are human, mistakes can happen and being reasonable, surgery wouldn't have been an option for her due to her other issues so we may have ultimately lost her whatever treatment they tried, but it is also fair to say that the vets incorrect actions made a bad situation much worse and resulted in significant additional suffering.

The question I am now left with is what action, if any can I/should I take where the vets are concerned? Nothing is going to bring her back or erase the suffering she experienced, I don't want compensation. I don't think it appropriate for them to charge for the incorrect, unnecessary medication or tests they decided to carry out, but not sure I want to muddy the waters getting into an argument over the bill.

My main issue is that the attending vet on call was appalling to deal with, their arrogance, rude, dismissive behaviour led to the misdiagnosis, their complete lack of empathy or even a kind word or soft hand for a horse in agonising pain made a traumatic situation infinitely worse. My faith in a practice that employs such a person is obliterated and I'm stuck with how to handle this. I don't want any other owner or animal to suffer through what we did at their hands so some action needs to be taken, but equally I don't want to overreact from a place of emotion and find myself in a position where we struggle to have a good relationship with our local vets.

For what is it worth her symptoms were not eating or drinking, repeatedly trying to urinate without anything coming out and lying down groaning at frequent intervals. Naturally I called the vets out as soon as this started.
The vet told me she wasn't in sufficient pain for it to be serious colic, they thought the most likely diagnosis was laminitis, or bladder infection or possibly an ovarian tumor behind the symptoms.

So sorry you lost your horse. my mare was misdiagnosed and I lost her to Laminitis.


Difficult situation to be in.

 

[Red-1]

I am sorry for your loss.

I would write a complaint and change practice as you feel the vet didn't take your concerns seriously and you know the horse best, as well as being the person who pays the bill.

However, the symptoms of trying to urinate but not could be many things, such as kidneys. I think running other tests was reasonable. I also remind myself, when things have not gone to plan, that I pay the vet for their time and experience, not to be infallible.

 

[Birker2020]

I am so sorry about your horse OP. How let down you must feel and rightly so.

My reply is number 22 in this thread 'Changing vet practice (feeling very bad)' https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...ractice-feeling-very-bad.828092/post-15180675

I wrote to the practice manager about the two incidences of the first vet I wrote about in my post. They just sent me a letter saying that they stood by their decision making process in respect of the wobblers horse and made no mention of the euthanasia incident.

I was very disappointed and should have taken it further. Like you I just wanted an explanation, maybe even an admittance of liability and an apology particuarly in respect of the vet being 'delighted' my horse might have EHV so she could write her stupid thesis. However, I get that they are probably advised by their insurance company never to do either.

I wasn't after compo. Nothing could have brought back my two boys and no amount of money would have made up for the suffering endured by either horse.

 

[Marigold4]

It might make you feel better if you write to the vets' practice setting out your concerns, but realistically, the practice are likely to read it and say "it's one of those things" and shrug it off. I wrote to Liphook to complain once when their treatment ended in a lot of unnecessary suffering to my horse and didn't even get a reply - and they were very much in the wrong and had ignored my concerns which turned out to be right.

Unless you threaten to take legal action, you'll probably just get a standard response. I would do it anyway though, as it will make you feel better. I waited a few weeks before I wrote to make sure I was in a rational frame of mind so I didn't write something emotional.

 

[ycbm]

I am sorry for your loss.

I would write a complaint and change practice as you feel the vet didn't take your concerns seriously and you know the horse best, as well as being the person who pays the bill.

However, the symptoms of trying to urinate but not could be many things, such as kidneys. I think running other tests was reasonable. I also remind myself, when things have not gone to plan, that I pay the vet for their time and experience, not to be infallible.

I'm really sorry for the dreadful way you lost your horse but I do agree with this. Bladder stones present like colic in many cases and I've personally never heard of a horse with gut based colic straining to pee, only renal colic, which is named that for a reason.
.

 

[scats]

So sorry for your loss.
I echo the others who suggest putting your concerns in writing.

I have had disagreements with vets on several occasions and have been proved right and a huge bugbear of mine is when vets tell you that it can’t be something because a horse isn’t in enough pain etc. The reality is, every horse is totally different and will react differently to pain. Oh how easy it would be if they all followed the textbook symptoms!

Did you feel it was colic?

 

[PSD]

So sorry you lost your horse. my mare was misdiagnosed and I lost her to Laminitis.


Difficult situation to be in.

Me too. Mine was misdiagnosed as a tendon injury, lost her 6 months later as I moved vets and she was too far gone to being right. Heartbreaking.

I went to see a solicitor about it but was told that unfortunately these are very hard cases to prove and unless your losses are massive (I would say mine was, I lost my horse and almost 10k in bills - apparently this didn’t count) then there’s no interest.

I’m so sorry for your loss

 

[Trouper]

I, too, would write to the practice. However, I would take a bit of time to process all that happened and then write a comprehensive report of the facts and the vet's behaviour. He may have been right in his clinical judgement but there is no excuse for an uncaring attitude and behaviour when there is an animal in any pain and a distressed owner.

I am so sorry you had to go through this.

 

[Glitter's fun]

I am sorry for your loss.

I agree that a letter is better than a face to face. At a meeting you would be emotional and maybe remember things afterwards that you wish you'd said.
Stick to the facts and be moderate how you express yourself, it's a small world & you may need to interact with the same people again. The point of it would be more to get things off your chest, rather than making a difference to the vet concerned. You will probably get a "lawyers' reply" that is carefully worded to avoid anything that might sound like an admission of making a mistake.

Change vets. You need a relationship of trust and good communication.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Me too. Mine was misdiagnosed as a tendon injury, lost her 6 months later as I moved vets and she was too far gone to being right. Heartbreaking.

I went to see a solicitor about it but was told that unfortunately these are very hard cases to prove and unless your losses are massive (I would say mine was, I lost my horse and almost 10k in bills - apparently this didn’t count) then there’s no interest.

I’m so sorry for your loss

OMG you could be talking of my case. Vet no interest after my MOAL pts most here remember my case and it was heart-breaking and traumatic.


2011 - April. My mare went footy - tripping - lethargic is what I told the vet, the week before she was amazing on a sponsored ride. He came up heard my symptoms got his stethoscope out, said it was her asthma prescribed - ventapulmin. I had never had hands on laminitis at this point.
2012 April. different vet at the practice again a pot of ventapulmin

In July that year I saw she was lame in the field and brought her in. Called the vet, he said maybe I should check her feet (duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)



LAMINITIS!
1 1/2 years fighting for her

She would have been saved had they diagnosed it. 10k vet bill and then they have the audacity on their reviews to say they have no recollection of my case. Liveries horse was forced to get on the horse box then off and forced to get into the vets clinic. Youngster should never been moved as they caused his spleen to rupture.



OP sorry to hijack, just vets can and do make mistakes, one case ongoing now, we all think was caused by vets needle but how do you take on a vet practice.


Its a hard time for you and its worse when you know the vet who you trust with your horse failed you and your horse and you pay the price. You have support from all of us here as many go through this, your among friends here. x

 

[ihatework]

I think when you are feeling a bit more emotionally stable I’d ask for a sit down meeting with the practice manager. Their attitude and actions based on that meeting would probably influence whether I took it further.

 

[Tarragon]

What a terrible thing to happen! So sorry for you and the suffering your horse endured.
I think you should complain, as otherwise the vet and the practise will perhaps not realise what they have done and will not make any changes. They need to know so that lessons can be learned and corrective action taken, to reduce the risk of it happening again to some other poor horses and owner.

 

[Orangehorse]

I am so sorry for you loss and the whole experience.
I agree that a letter to the practice is the way to go, after a few days, but don't leave it too long.
Keep it factual, bullet points as you describe in your first post.
See what the response is and then decide what to do.

Someone who was on the staff at our local vet practice had a similar experience and I think in that case the vet, who was on a temporary contract, left (or was sacked).