What would you do? Careless vet?

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orangepony

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Brownhorse managed to entangle himself in something in the field leading to a nasty injury to his stifle. Vet came out as a out of hours call out (dark outside so treated horse in stable with lights) and used scalpel to tidy up the edges, and removed thin dangly bits of flesh with lots of grit attached. Jabbed brownhorse with antibiwhatnots & some bute and left a syringe to flush the drainage hole. I thought I saw something fall out of the vets hand whilst tidying up but vet didnt think so. Lo and behold it was a needle which had fallen into the haylage :eek:. Vet very apologetic and I thought what a lucky escape as horses are all fed from the floor.

Horse has since had 4 bales of shavings on top of existing bed as on box rest; so imagine my suprise when skipping out the edge of the bed yesterday to hear a clink in the wheelbarrow..... it was only the b****y used SCALPEL the vet had dropped too!!!:eek::mad:


Mummy nearly had kittens, and I must confess it was a heart in mouth moment, especially as brownhorse is a bit of a hoover and doesnt actually seem to pause for breathe when eating haylage or chasing his stable ball!!


So, what would you do? call vets immediately or wait until I see them again as they are coming tomorrow to check the leg anyway. Or do you think I should just be grateful that knobberhorse has not decided to mouth it and it was one of those things?

When i worked at a vet practice we had to be super careful that used sharpies went straight into the sharps bin and were 'accounted for'; is this not normal practice?!
 
I would wait until they came back, then produce it saying something like 'Oh yes, you left this behind when you came last time, would you like it back?' It was in the bedding.' in a non-angry tone but with a significant look attached... I would want to mark the vet's card, but since there was no harm done, not have a big go.
 
Yes vets are human. I have had worse where my dog was treated and specimens taken - completely unnecessarily costing me a considerable amount (I was away and dog was in a friend's care) and it transpired and was quite obvious to me that the dog had suffered a wasp sting and reacted to it.
We can all make mistakes.
 
That is the thing, they are human and we like our vets (especially as they happily come out to sew up errant horses without charging a fortune!). I think it is more the 'what could have happened' which put the wind up Mum.

Thanks, will give it back when they come tomorrow so they can dispose of it safely.

I'm a bit of a soft touch really and don't like confrontation or having a go; no harm done though which is the main thing :)
 
Spudlet said:
I would wait until they came back, then produce it saying something like 'Oh yes, you left this behind when you came last time, would you like it back?' It was in the bedding.' in a non-angry tone but with a significant look attached... I would want to mark the vet's card, but since there was no harm done, not have a big go.
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That's what i'd do too. Surely you would know if you'd dropped a needle or scalpel, otherwise, where else would they be!
 
I have to say, this is a tricky one. On the one hand, the vet ought to know so that he is more careful next time, but on the other hand, as Amy says, we are all human. I left a shavings fork in a stable the other day as a delivery arived just as I was mucking out. Sods law it was the day the owner brings in her horse. I usually do it and would have spotted the fork right away. Said owner delighted in telling me I had left the fork in the stable. Grrr. So annoying as I know I woul.d have removed the fork and no harm would have been done, but now she probably has me pegged as a scatter brain. I wouldn't mind, but said owner has left scissors, and forks in her stable countless times, even a stanley knife, on her mucking out days and I just remove them not saying anything. I know it is just an error, and no harm done.
 
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