poorly ess

[blade]

Right lads need a bit of advise.Got a 4 year old ess has been a fit dog in the year iv owned him.But the last 3 weeks been very ill had 3 days in the vet on a drip

kidney infection.He would not eat or drink and whatever he had came back up.

Has been home 2 weeks and everything looked well blood normal was eating and drinking.

But the last 2 days has stopped eating and drinking again and throwing up.

As you can imagine the vet bill wasnt cheap and he has to go back for check up tomorrow.

The misses is at here wits end trying to get him to eat something.

Dont know what to do for the best he has lost so much weight and is so unhappy.

The misses has had enough of cleaning sick up every morning.

She cant sleep always listening for the noise of im being sick.

And cant really face another big vet bill before christmas just for him to get ill again.

Any ideas or help would be very greatfull and merry christmas

[Spaniel]

If its the same symptons and he has been on a drip before then get him back to the vets asap.

Worry about the costs afterwards cant let him suffer if he is ill

[garyb]

Sorry to hear that, shame your not local else I may have been able to help

 

Hope he pulls through

[blade]

Thanks for your help im taking dog back in morning a week earlier than they asked for.

I dont like to see him like this he is not at deaths door still runs round garden like a loon.

But just not eating always been a fussy eater.But cant justify £300 every 3 weeks to see no permanant result.

If his kidneys are failing after a few days is there any thing they can do apart from transplant

[al4x]

they won't do a kidney transplant at that point its best to put the animal down, but in this case sounds like a repeat infection though odd its best seeing the vet again and if you aren't happy with the diagnosis get a second opinion. Its also worth bringing up whether a period on one of the Hills special diets would be a good idea. Though expensive it can be worth it if a repeat infection keeps hapening

[davecooper1]

Hope your gets well soon mate

[tinytim38]

my dog had the same symptoms last year, lots of ******* about at the vets, finally he cut him open and there was a large stone blocking his small intestine, he made a full recovery, but it was a close call, has the vet x rayed him, or done an endoscopthy (camera)?

[al4x]

that does sound more likely as the cause of constant vomiting

[Evil Elvis]

a SIMPLE BLOOD TEST WOULD TELL IF ITS HIS KIDNEYS....AND THEY DONT DO A DOG KIDNEY TRANSPLANT....DO THEY?

[tinytim38]

any news???

[blade]

Right lads update on the dog. Did all the tests again said he was ok some readings a little high.

So put him on stronger antibiotics was ok for a few days then started throwing up again.

Took him back in last night emergency hours this was the third time he has been in.

Vet done blood tests again everything off the scale again very poorly talk of putting him down.

When i asked the question has he been x rayed yet to which she replied no so i asked for one.

Low and behold what looks like a golf ball stuck in his belly.They are going to operate today

but they are trying to tell me it was his kidneys causeing the trouble all along.

I was fuming last night at the vet dont know were i stand legally and they dont know wether he will recover after surgery.

So the dog and us have been through hell over christmas and he still may not survive.

As you would expect had a fallout with the vet last night and still fuming with how they have treated him.

And us any ideas what i should do just praying the dog pulls through now

[PAULT]

Right lads update on the dog. Did all the tests again said he was ok some readings a little high.

So put him on stronger antibiotics was ok for a few days then started throwing up again.

Took him back in last night emergency hours this was the third time he has been in.

Vet done blood tests again everything off the scale again very poorly talk of putting him down.

When i asked the question has he been x rayed yet to which she replied no so i asked for one.

Low and behold what looks like a golf ball stuck in his belly.They are going to operate today

but they are trying to tell me it was his kidneys causeing the trouble all along.

I was fuming last night at the vet dont know were i stand legally and they dont know wether he will recover after surgery.

So the dog and us have been through hell over christmas and he still may not survive.

As you would expect had a fallout with the vet last night and still fuming with how they have treated him.

And us any ideas what i should do just praying the dog pulls through now

this happened to my dog once he had the op he was right as rain hope your dog gets better atb paul

[al4x]

personally it is unacceptable and I have been in a situation with an arrogant vet not listening to what is wrong with an animal and not considering anything else as a diagnosis. In this case its pretty unforgivable and personally first thing I'd do is change vets, in this case I would be wanting a serious discount on fees and if the dog dies an entire refund plus a new puppy. Not sure how it would stack up in the small claims court but probably quite well as having to diagnose your own dog from obvious symptoms is not why you pay vets.

[garyb]

I'd be fuming!

 

Good luck - hope the little man pulls through

 

Is there a veterinary watchdog you could shop them too ?

[al4x]

legally I would say you are on good grounds but you would need a vets opinion on what process they should have gone through to diagnose the dog. If you want to make a complaint then here is what you do. I'd register your displeasure by letter initially and see what response you get and go from there

 

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=89916&int1stParentNodeID=89644

[tinytim38]

exactly what I said in my inital post, when I took my springer to my vets last year with the same symtoms as yours I was astounded by the vets reaction when I explained the symptoms to the vet he asked me what I wanted him to do!!!!!, SHALL WE TRY ANTIBIOTICS HE SAID TO ME, my reply was simple and blunt as I have a habit of being that way, I said your supposed to be the vet, fix him, but if it was a mechanical problem, it would be simple, THERE IS A BLOCKAGE SOMEWHERE FIND IT AND GET RID OF IT, so he did as I said, x rayed my dog found, a largs stone and cut the intestine to get it out, dog was back to normal after 4 weeks, but took him months to get back to full fitness, regarding the vet, if your insured pay him, if your not get the job done dont pay him and find another vet, either way change vets...keep us posted on the dogs progress, but dont waste any time now its gone on too long time will not be on your side, as toximia sets in quickly,cheers Tim.

[hodge911]

look in local directory for your nearest citizen advice beurau or law centre and get thier advice try your local solicitors as some give 30 mins free advice see how you stand legally then let the vet know you,ve sort advice on the matter

Edited December 29, 2010 by hodge911

[apache]

I have been mulling over this thread as it has deteriorated. I have typed a couple of replys and deleted them.

 

As I see it [just from the information given] the OP's dog has been vomiting, but at times has stopped vomiting, improved and been back to normal? Usually with any kind of foreign body the animal continues to vomit, despite any treatment. The dog does seem to have partially responded to the initial treatment, which would fit with a kidney problem and not with a foreign body.

 

It is quite conceivable that the dog may have more than one problem going on at any one time and a condition such as pancreatitis could cause the symptoms suggested. This would be the likely reason for the blood tests.

 

My intention was not really to comment on the case, but what you can do if you are unhappy with the care you receive from your vet.

 

1. Speak to the senior partner/owner of the practice and explain that you are unhappy. Most problems can be resolved by simple discussion within the practice. There should be no need to involve any outside parties initially.

 

2. You can always ask for a second opinion on a case if you are unhappy, either a different vet in the same practice or at a different practice. Not vet should stand in your way here, but you are going to get a second opinion, the correct thing to do is go back to the original vet.

 

3. If you are still not happy it depends what your problem is. For a vet to be wrong is not negligent. For a vet to follow a logical diagnostic plan even if it doesn't yield results is not negligence. [Vets may see 50+ vomiting dogs for each one with a foreign body, most will resolve with supportive treatment. This could easily have been a thread moaning because your dog was sick and you have a £1000 bill for bloods, x-rays, drip just to find it was a mild stomach upset that would resolve itself]. Just because a vet recommends a test and it comes back negative doesn't mean you don't need to pay for it!

 

This leads on to another poster saying the vet asked them what they wanted them to do with the dog. What is likely to happen is dog presented to vet vomiting. Vet offers symptomatic treatment at cost of £50, Some blood tests and a drip at £200 or full works, x-rays etc at £500. Most dogs would get better with the cheap treatment, but owners are been given all options for fear of people making a fuss if symptomatic treatment doesn't work! This is the sort of option we give.

 

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons can only investigate claims that a veterinary surgeon’s conduct is "serious

enough to amount to ‘disgraceful conduct in a professional respect’ (this is commonly referred to as ‘serious professional misconduct’) or that a veterinary surgeon’s conviction renders him or her unfit to practise (or work) as a veterinary surgeon". The vast majority of grievances are no where near this serious and are, therefore thrown out.

 

You could seek legal action against the vet, but it is up to you to prove that the vet acted at a standard below that of the average vet. All vets in the UK will have professional indemnity insurance that fights tooth and nail to preserve the vet's reputation. If you win a case the compensation would only be the market value of the animal AT THE TIME THE VET FIRST SAW IT and any direct losses [possibly vet fees]. In UK law a pet is counted as a possession and you can't claim anything for 'pain and suffering' to yourself or 'future earnings' etc.

The important thing here is that the dog gets better, assuming it has something that can be cured. The fact that it has presented in an unusual way doesn't mean that anything has been done wrong.

 

We all need to calm down and see how things pan out. You can't just 'not pay the bill and go elsewhere' you'll find the vet has you in the small claims court. You've consented to the work, you have to pay for it.

 

I won't be drawn on this, anyone feel free to PM me for more info.

[fortune]

Apache is 100% correct on this one. About 10 years ago I had a Spaniel x Lab bitch that was a superb hunter. One day whilst shooting she marked her eyeball on something. I took her to a local vet and he said that It wasn’t serious and said (”I’ll Give you this cream” >> £15 ) and it should be all ok. Two days later the dogs eye was violent shade of red / blue. Back to the vet and this time a woman vet had a look. “The dog has a severely infected eye and I will need to stitch back the third eyelid” she said!! Two days later over Christmas day and Boxing Day I was back at the vets seeing two other vets one of whom was a specialist ophthalmic surgeon. After all of this and the pain that the dog had endured she lost the sight in that eye. I was livid and took legal advice and was told exactly what apache has written. Basically you would have to prove beyond any doubt that the vet had acted in a malicious fashion. The fact that they have misdiagnosed the fault and may have prescribed the wrong treatment is of no consequence. No one is infallible and they did their best.

My legal person told me that their insurers would play me uphill and down dale until I either gave up or ran out of money. Now if I had persevered and taken them to court AND WON I would only have been awarded a sum of the value of the dog as a possession (How much is a cross breed mutt worth?) and to add insult to injury might have had legal costs possibly running into many thousands awarded against me. I think that it is high time that all this stuff like vets, solicitors, architects, surveyors and the like should come under much greater control of their culpability in situations like this. Some act as if they are above all others and can do as they please without any redress at all. How much damage and suffering have some rogue doctors caused to many patients over many years before they are ASKED to take early retirement >> on a full payout! And that is for people that can talk and complain about their treatment. What chance have dogs got?

[blade]

Quick update on dog been home 2 weeks now after op not eating great but is eating and drinking something.

Luvs hotdog sausages not great for him but need to biuld him up.

Went back to the vets wednesday for blood checks kidney readings all normal now so thats good.

Looks like it could have been the obstruction all along.

Vet bill stands at £1100 plus the £300 we already paid.

The vet understands my concerns on the matter and is only going to charge for the surgery.

And not the treatment for his kidneys which will bring the bill down considerably.

Dog looking healthier now and is gaining weight slowly fingers crossed

[gwb]

Quick update on dog been home 2 weeks now after op not eating great but is eating and drinking something.

Luvs hotdog sausages not great for him but need to biuld him up.

Went back to the vets wednesday for blood checks kidney readings all normal now so thats good.

Looks like it could have been the obstruction all along.

Vet bill stands at £1100 plus the £300 we already paid.

The vet understands my concerns on the matter and is only going to charge for the surgery.

And not the treatment for his kidneys which will bring the bill down considerably.

Dog looking healthier now and is gaining weight slowly fingers crossed

 

good news keep us updated

[Gareth]

Good news! I hope he keeps on improving

[southpoint]

Mmmmm this brings back memories of troubled time with a top Spaniel I had in my kennel.

 

This Spaniel was a trial 4yr old 2x open trial winning bitch and soooo fast it was amazing!

 

I had 2 other bitches in at the time which were not making the grade so I decided to let them go to another good home and run with a litter from the 4yr old bitch with a view to having a kennel of **** hot dogs in 2 seasons - the best laid plans of mice and men ?

 

The 4yr old bitch came into season but after a few days I could tell something was wrong as she kept lifting her front right BUT still went out to work as normal. The strange ting was she then started lifting her front left - WELL - now this is weird - not seen this in 20 years of training Spaniels so off to the Vet.

 

Diagnosis 1 - General muscle problem -> antibiotics.

Result 1 - improved for few days on the antibiotics but them was the same if not worse.

 

Back to the Vets again!

Diagnosis 2 - Must be a joint infection!

My Comment - 'This dog is getting really barrely and round - unusual'

Vet - dismissed this [seemingly] and continued to focus on the joint infection.

Result2 - More antibiotics.

 

I was kind of getting agitated now because something was not right.

 

Back to the Vet's again!

Diagnosis 3 - still the same - they had all consulted and they were convinced it was the right thing!

Me went away not happy but 'hell' I am no vet BUT I know my dogs.

 

The Result:

Basically at approx 10:30 at night the bitch had a major Open Pyometra - the mess in the Kennel you can only imagine - it was vast - basically she had massive womb infection [ where the virus was so ingrained and strong - it was causing the lameness ] and the uterus had given out under pressure and the discharge of puss/rotten matter just came out - which as I found out was lucky!

 

The amazing thing is I normally feed all the dogs at 9:00 - job done - kennelled in - for the night, but I had been out for a few sherberts and came in around 10:15 and went to feed them.

 

Lucky Spaniel bitch [ or maybe not so lucky ]

 

We immediately got this bitch off to the local vets 'A&E' [ this was 23:00 now ] put he dog on the table an was told it was very serious 'open pyometra' and if the dog did not get fluids it would only be a couple of hours before death.

 

OMG - this dog as worth £3000 in money but I had brought her on since a pup and is worth far more than money to me.

 

No Insurance - BUT I said go and do what you gotta do to keep this dog alive.

 

The Conclusion.....

 

Dog Survived - Excellent

Vets Bills - £1200

 

Dog is worth nothing to what she was in money as she has been spayed BUT I still got her!

 

The amount of money I lost in he litter was vast [ this was going to extend my little kennels - remember I am no pro - I just love to work Spaniels ]

 

 

Took me nearly 6 months to get this dog back to form - had to take it very steady - never seen a personality change like it - bit that is only to be expected I suppose after all she has been through.

 

NEW VETS

NEW WAY OF THINKING

IF THE VET SAYS SOMETHING [ YOU KNOW YOUR DOGS BETTER THAN THEM ] STICK THEM OUT - I WILL IN THE FUTURE.

 

Just an experience but I thought it worth writing.

 

Cheers,

 

Russ

 

P.S. Looked at mis-diagnosis complaint via a local lawyer and he said 'FORGET IT' they are like doctors - you cannot get anywhere - Ahh well - soo I am skint BUT I still got my dog....

Edited January 19, 2011 by southpoint

[darebear]

Glad to hear the dog's better.