[Closed] I'm now angry

You're angry that you went away and left your dog behind?

Angry with the vet and angry that no one thought to sedate her for a while until I was back that day before they decided to pull the plug.

jeepers,am sorry to hear that 🙁

I'm sorry to hear of your loss bwaarp, and I can understand your anger. How old was she ? Can you draw some comfort that she had a good life ?

Just be glad they weren't babysitting!

Yeah she had a good life, she was 14....years old....but she was almost as hyper and playful as a puppy. I'd be less wound up and accepting if I felt people had done their jobs properly.

Outwitting fully trained medics and pointing out misdiagnosis seems to be a recurrent theme in my life when it comes to friends illnesses etc.

Could you pay for an autopsy to find out?

The bodies already been cremated!

I feel really sorry for your parents, Bwaarp. A nightmare situation for them. I hope you apologise for cross questionning them.

Nahh I asked nicely lol, it's not their fault really. They had the best intentions in mind.

I just have a major problem with the vet.

Thats so sad, and i bet the vet even charged to put the poor dog down.

A freind had a dog she spent thousands on it, and then one day the vet said best to put it down after she had just paid another large bil and he charged her for putting the dog down.

Vets are up there with estate agents and bankers and dentists as haveing............................

I just can't believe it was put down so fast when I'd had the dog since I was 10, I was only a couple of hours away - that's what massive doses of sedatives are for.

Very pleased to hear that, Bwaarp. I can now join in with offering sympathy rather than wringing my hands about how your parents feel.

That's really shit. I can't imagine to know how you feel 🙁

But on the other hand if it was a stroke she didn't suffer. Been getting quite morbid recently and dreading what it is going to be like when ours gets old. And she is only 4 1/2. I know it's a bit soon but think about getting yourself registered with the NWESSR and get on the waiting list as it's obvious from this and your other thread you need to give a home to a springer who is desperate for a good owner and home.

Can you do the same to the vet?

In Papua they know how to deal with vet like this ...

Any vets on here care to weigh in?

To me this highlights the old adage that vets are all a bunch of failed quacks. To think I ended up on a BmedSci instead of a vet/full doctors course when I was 20 because I didn't have the confidence to really bother trying hard to excel during my A-levels. The medical worlds full of total ****ing mincers. The amount of times I've heard shit like "it's not a seizure if you are still concious" come out the mouths of medics beggars belief and now it appears the veterinary world is full of the same tosspots.

Public school, that's it, it allows retarded monkeys to become doctors or vets because one on one tuition at Harrow, Eton, Uppingham etc allows any idiot to get three A's at A-level.

Sorry to hear that bwaarp. I'm not going to cast judgment on anyone in your example but will say that I have heard of vets making costly mistakes in the past. IIRC one of those led to someone's dog being put to sleep when it really wasn't necessary.

Healing vibes.

Bwaarp, that is terrible, I feel for your loss. 🙁 I would be upset too.

But the vet in question, was his name Chinnery by any chance????

Sorry to hear about your dog bwaarp.
I wish you courage.
SB

Right, I'm probably going to regret this as it's obviously a pretty heated situation but......

If I was presented with a dog with the signs it sounds like your dog showed (Nystagmus, head tilt, circling?), a "stroke" would be right at the very top of a differential list. Yes middle ear disease can show similar signs but rarely is it that acute in onset and usually there are other signs - pain/swelling round the ear, discharge, temperature, general signs of illness etc. Yes it's still a possible differential without this but I would think a very unlikely one.

I can't really comment on the decision to euthanase her but I can't imagine it was one taken lightly, or without serious discussion with your parents. I don't think heavy sedation would have been in her best interest either as that could have simply made the situation worse. The fact they decided to put her to sleep rather than leave her to see if things settled suggests to me that the signs must have been quite severe or there were other complicating factors? I know it doesn't make things any easier but, given her age, surely there are some positives to be had from the fact you didn't come back to a severely ill, suffering animal and can remember her as she was - a fit healthy friend?

I'm very sorry for your loss but any decision for euthanasia in veterinary practice has to be made with the animal's best interest in mind

Bwaarp - other half is a final year vet student. She can't stand the thought of treating humans and loves animals. She was only in briefly before going back out to work so didn't get a chance to ask her but I'll show her what you wrote when she gets in. She may only be a final year but she is very good and I remember when she spotted a brain infection in a ewe earlier in the year when we were lambing and sorted it out quickly.

I know how you feel. Really sorry to hear about that. My dog was left with my mum and sister after an operation and they were worried about him and took him to the vet who just said it was easier and kinder to put him down so they did not knowing nay better. From the description he was just the same. It's absolutely gutting not being there for a pet and it worries me every time I go away.

right at the very top of a differential list. Yes middle ear disease can show similar signs but rarely is it that acute in onset and usually there are other signs - pain/swelling round the ear, discharge, temperature, general signs of illness etc

Thanks. She'd had nystagmus the night before apparently and was a little slow and disorientated on a walk and then it happened. I had an inner ear infection at 19 and had no prior warning, discharge or pain in the middle ear. I was all nice and normal drinking a coke outside the pub then boom, violent vertigo with strange visual disturbances and I was on the floor thinking I had a brain tumour - then spent the next few years dealing with reactive anxiety after that - especially in elevators. I guess it's probably different in dogs though. Thanks for the reasoned post, I've calmed down a little more now - I can be a bit hot headed. Having the BmedSci has also made me unable to tolerate reasoned guesses based on clinical experience as opposed to evidence based practice or getting the right tests - to me..... everything always has to have hard evidence and if there isn't any I'll usually go overboard looking for it. I guess I'm just not used to that kind of decision. Sorry about the jokes aimed at your profession.

Sorry to hear of your loss Bwaarp.

It is always tricky making decisions when an owner isn't present and not contactable.

Can't really comment on the diagnosis as there are a variety of possibilities for those symptoms and without more details or being able to do a clinical exam it would be wrong to suggest a definitive diagnosis.

The decision to euthanase a dog is done normally based on the quality of life and possible outcomes from treatment options available. Heavy sedation may not have been appropriate in this case and may have caused more distress to the dog. I would hope that the choice was made due to the severity of the signs meaning there was significant impairment of the dogs quality of life.

I can understand how you feel as my parents had our 1st dog put down when I was away camping one weekend and I never got the chance to say goodbye. It hurts.

Bwaarp - don't worry none taken. I don't blame you in any way for being angry at a time like this. I'm sure I'd be exactly the same in your situation - questioning everything and assuming the worst. I'm sure the right decision was made at the time.

If it helps, I've been in practice longer than I like to admit, I went to comprehensive and had to resit A-Levels before finally getting where I wanted to be 😉

Thanks for the kind words guys, cheered me up.

Here's the silly bugger aged 12 1/2. She had a good life, working stock, note how clear her eyes were.... a little cloudiness but really....not much at all...... she had some good genes I reckon.

[img] [/img]

I think I would be very hard to find a dog that was as intelligent, hilariously daft and aged as well as she did but fingers crossed when the time comes I will. What does break my heart a little over the past few months is she had been following me everywhere, up and down the stairs etc (where she's not allowed) and would get moody if she wasn't allowed to. She had started tip toeing up the stairs to find people if doors were left open. Maybe a sign of something but that's all done now.

Remember getting a phone call in Italy from my mum back home telling me that Ben our family Deerhound cross lurcher that I'd had since he was a puppy when I was fifteen had to be put to sleep. I never got to say goodbye to the old bugger. There is something in my eye as I write this. That was thirteen years ago. I'm really sorry, remember the good times!

so sorry to hear that mate. i too have an increasing anger with vets. my vet who has always been brilliant is nearing retirement so i dont get to see him much any more and the idiots working there are hopeless.

I took my dog in with a cauliflower ear to get the blood drained before it congealed. the dozy cow couldn't get any blood out and at one point the needle went in one side of her ear and out the other into my hand!!

after paying my bill!!! i went to the needle exchange and successfully got the blood out in about two mins. said ear is now fine

She was a beauty bwaarp. No wonder you are upset.
Dogs, they are ace, but they do hurt.
SB