posted
I am just sick about this. My 13 year old dog Sadie had a mass growing on her face, right above her teeth. It continued to grow despite antibiotics. Since she has a complicated medical history: multiple mast cell tumors, peripheral nerve sheath tumors, laryngeal paralysis, and heart rhythm irregularities with her last surgery, I decided to consult with the surgeon who did her last surgery.
I told him all I wanted is for her to have a good quality of life with whatever time she had left. He told me cancers never happen there, it was a tooth abcess, and had the dentist come in to confirm. She said it most likely was ,they'll do an x-ray to confirm. The surgeon recommended that we have a "tie-back" procedure at the same time to help her breathing problems in the summer from the larygeal paralysis.
So, even with her history of multiple cancers, they do the tie-back BEFORE they do the x-ray of her face, and guess what, there is no tooth there. They'll do a biopsy and let me know. So I am very upset, but realize what is done is done and I need to focus the 6 week recovery of the procedure my dog just had. To add insult to injury, I had to pay $2500 for a procedure that should never have been done if I wanted my dog back.
The discussion I had with the surgeon was difficult. How could he perform such a major procedure on a dog with her history without being sure it wasn't cancer. Well it was, osteosarcoma. Now instead of giving my dog the great quality-of-life she deserves, she's in pain from major surgery, can't go for walks for 6 weeks, has to learn how to swallow soft food and water again, and can't have any regular treats, just canned food made into meatballs.
The surgeon didn't even have the guts to call me himself with the results. I don't care if it was his day off. This was his mistake and he should have made the call. Instead it was a vet that never has met myself or my dog giving me this terrible news.
I know it's long, sorry. I just can't believe how this has gone, and need to talk about it.
diana
Posts: 857 | From northern california | Registered: Dec 2009
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I'm so sorry.
I wonder if you have any recourse at all?
Maybe ask around just to see.
Sending you and your puppy prayers of healing and love.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
it makes me sick.
i lost a 7 yr old mini schnauzer in similar circumstance
i feel guilty to this day-it was 8-9 yrs ago
i remember the old vets who knew what quality of life was
the vets coming out of school now just want to make money while torturing our pets
sorry...but i have been very po'ed for a long time after losing dylan and having his last days be so painful..when all i cared abot was keeping him as pain free as possible
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
I would not pay this bill, or all of it anyway. This was their mistake.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
I agree I was a vet tech for 12 years. I was also a Hospital manager. You should not have to pay for the tie back. If they had found the cancer first, you would have declined the procedure. Often times, surgeons suggest 3 chest xrays to see if there is cancer in the chest before doing any major surgery on older dogs, and.especially dogs with a hx of cancer.
Osteosarcoma is a horrible thing. Make sure your dog gets plenty of pain medication for the rest of her days. I would suggest rimadyl and tramadol as a minimum. May need something like fentanyl patches too. Just remember what you said quality of life, not quantity. Feel free to pm me for.advice
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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posted
I am so sorry to hear this.Its maddening when you have to depend on someone to carry out your wishes and they don't listen. We just lost our dog a few months ago and end of life issues were so difficult even when there were no major mistakes involved. Just know you are doing the best you can for her, and she has been loved her whole life. I do understand your frustration and I hope you were able to get the surgeon to understand it too, so that maybe that kind of mistake won't happen again on his watch.
Posts: 34 | From Saratoga Springs, NY | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Thank you for the support. I had to pay the bill to get her back. california has a law that allows that, and if I left her there (which I never would)while trying to resolve the dispute they're allowed to charge a daily boarding fee.
I will file a complaint when this is over. Just focusing on her happiness despite all the restrictions from the unnecessary surgery she just had.
merrygirl thanks, I will probably pm you later when I'm thinking a little straighter.
Posts: 857 | From northern california | Registered: Dec 2009
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
Wow where I live, animal hospitals are not allowed to keep the pet if the owner can not or doesnt pay. I didnt even know that they can do that in some states. I am surprised that they didnt work with you.
Scummy thing to do.
Pm me when you feel up to it.
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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posted
If you paid with a credit card, you could have some recourse. You can dispute charges if you have not yet paid the bill. I have done this twice, successfully. Might be harder with a check, unless you stop payment before it is cashed.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
Yes, you can do a charge-back with your credit card company. If you pd by check, you can sue in Small Claims Court (it's simple). That doesn't solve the problem the surgeon caused your dog, but you shouldn't have to pay for his mistake on top of it!
Posts: 3792 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
I've been in your situation.
And while it's easy to put blame on the vet, you need to ask yourself ' Had they done the xray first, would that have guaranteed a different outcome?'
An xray would have shown no tooth there, but would not have been the determining factor that it was cancer. (But a biopsy would have.)
Is there the possibility that had an xray been done, you would have ended up with the same results (they could have talked you into the surgery, saying it 'probably' wasn't cancer). You go to a surgeon - they want to do surgery.
What I'm getting at is - hindsight vision is 20/20. I've lost 3 beloved pets in 3 yrs and always filled with coulda woulda shoulda thoughts - you can make yourself crazy.
I'm sorry you had to go through this.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I paid in 1/2 check, 1/2 cash. I did question the surgeon about cancer, she has an extensive history of this. Many mast cell tumors removed over the past 4 years as well as 2 peripheral nerve sheath tumors. I told the vet that we had decided not to put her through anymore surgeries but if this would give her a better quality of life we would do it.
I was told an x-ray would be done to confirm,and it was, but after the throat surgery.
So, yes, I do blame him. I've worked in a hospital. With anyone's history of cancer you would not do a major surgery on them that wasn't necessary yet and might take longer to recover from than they have to live.
I am enjoying every day with her, but to have her so restricted at the end of her life unnecessarily is very upsetting to me.
Posts: 857 | From northern california | Registered: Dec 2009
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
It really is a mistake they made. You sure should blame them. What I am surprised about is that they didnt consider a chest xray. With her history of cancer, That is a routine thing to do. They would be checking for cancer that has spread to the chest because if there is cancer in the chest, there is no point in doing major invasive surgery.. Obviously you can decline the xrays, but this situation seems so wrong on many levels.
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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