My Lovely Puppy Has To Have His Leg Amputated

[yorkielass]

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Hi can anyone help me? my georgous puppy has to have his front leg amputated due to veterinary surgeon error. He had a fracture to start with on his elbow, now he has to have it ampuated. The surgery that we belong to say they will waver my bill above insurance and amputate his leg for free and do his aftercare for free. I am so upset that I can not stop crying. I so out of my depth as this is the first time I have dealt with a vets. Firstly they were only willing to do was let me pay the cost of materials used in the amputation as an act of goodwill and it was not until I got a second opion that my bill above will be wavered as an act of goodwill. I asked for my puppy's clinical notes and well just let say they do not paint me in a good light which I do not understand because I have done anything that they said and anyone who know me, including the staff at the surgery knows how much I love my baby boy. I think that they are closing ranks on me and because I do not know much about vets and do not know what I'm talking about makes it very easy for them. I have no one to talk to about this and feel very alone as anyone been in this situation and can you give me some advice what to do.

 

[posh totty]

so sorry to hear you have been treated so unfairly , the advice i can offer is a friend of mine had a pony castrated, which the vets didnt remove all the tissue which left him still fertile and a risk tbh as his behaviour was very erratic too , she complained and got no joy so sought a 2nd independant opinion whom confirmed in writing the first op was unsuccessful , she complained again to the first vets whom then in turn got in touch with 2nd and they attempted to cause as much hell as possible to her but she had already contacted RCVS and made a complaint sending all evidence to them and she was successful in gaining all costs back

this will not bring your dog back to normality but at least it may prevent another dog going through the same , please try not to lose heart and puppy needs you to be strong , i also have a 3 legged dog! you will be pleased to see how well they cope , but please fight this for puppys sake x

 

[yorkielass]

so sorry to hear you have been treated so unfairly , the advice i can offer is a friend of mine had a pony castrated, which the vets didnt remove all the tissue which left him still fertile and a risk tbh as his behaviour was very erratic too , she complained and got no joy so sought a 2nd independant opinion whom confirmed in writing the first op was unsuccessful , she complained again to the first vets whom then in turn got in touch with 2nd and they attempted to cause as much hell as possible to her but she had already contacted RCVS and made a complaint sending all evidence to them and she was successful in gaining all costs back
this will not bring your dog back to normality but at least it may prevent another dog going through the same , please try not to lose heart and puppy needs you to be strong , i also have a 3 legged dog! you will be pleased to see how well they cope , but please fight this for puppys sake x

 

[yorkielass]

Thanks for your advice. I think this is where my problems started when I mention that I was going to rcvs.

 

[jinnyfizz]

This is so sad You must feel very upset as it's bad enough seeing your pup suffering without having to cope with potential litigation.

I'm afraid vets (and the RVCS) can close ranks.

A friend of mine had her racehorse's leg scanned as she appeared slightly lame after a race and the worry was that damage had occurred to her tendon. The vet said the scan was clear and so my friend went ahead and raced her again. She then damaged her tendon irreversibly and hasn't raced again.

To cut a long story short, my friend got a 2nd opinion and a 2nd scan and she also obtained the pictures from the first scan. The 2nd vet confirmed that the damage was apparent in the first scan and it was only a matter of time before the horse broke down badly.

The first vet involved denied this (of course) but, despite taking the case to the RCVS and having pictorial evidence, nothing was done about it and to this date the vet who made the incorrect diagnosis has got off scott free. The worrying thing about this is that this vet works in an official capacity for British Endurance Riding and checks horses for soundness on the Golden Horseshoe rides in the UK and abroad (w00t)

As painful as it may be, you will probably be better off taking what they have already offered and then devoting your energies to caring for your pup and helping him establish his new life.

I wish you well with his rehabilitation :luck: :luck: .......... and here are some hugs for you both :huggles: :huggles: :huggles: :huggles: :thumbsup:

 

[helsbels16]

This is so sad and im so sorry to hear of your terrible news

I hate vets :rant: they never seem to really care. Its always just a job and money to them.

Best of luck with it all and just give lots of love, care and attention to your pup :wub: :wub: :wub: Keep us informed )

 

[jakers]

Thats awful for you and your puppy Like others have said and I have limited experience but they do all tend to close ranks, I suppose you coudl get a second opinion on your case IF and it's a big IF another vet in your area are prepared to put their neck on the line.

With a front leg amp I would recommend that you build up the muscle and bone in the other leg maybe try a course of hydrotheraphy as the front leg in this breed can be prone to breaks as it has to take the extra weight. Get your vets to pay for that as well it's the least they can do given the circumstances. :angry:

Good Luck

Liz

 

[snapdogs]

Hi, I too send my heartfelt sympathy to you and you pup... who will cope with what has happened, dogs are very resiliant creatures. I have a whippet who broke both his front legs, one at 7 months and one at about 14 months, the second break had to have a plate, somehow the leg ended up bent, and when the dressing came off he looked like a queen anne chair his leg was so bent he could not walk properly, the vet was happy to leave it like that! I felt physically sick when I saw what they had done to him, and I too complained they had to re-break his leg and he ended up having it pinned he was in pain for months, as he broke his leg in august and did not have his dressing off until a week before christmas! We did not pay anything for the second Op. He went through hell... it was a tough time, but he got through it, today he is a happy, mad whippet..... stand your ground at the end of the day they are not gods merely human beings doing a job for money! You have the right to complain, just hope that your insured... Do you have any legal cover with any of your insurance?

 

[June Jonigk]

I agree with Jane - you should do what is best for your pup now and try and stay positive about the future. Vets have huge protection against negligence claims, and it's quite rare to get anywhere with a claim. Having said that, if you got it in writing from them that they will foot the costs of corrective surgery, that would go some way to proving they were negligent - it just seems that your energy would be best saved for nursing your pup.

I worked for a vets once where there was an old boy vet - he operated on a greyhound to remove his tonsils. When the owner picked up the dog, he was told not to put a collar on the dog, but the owner said he must, as if the dog saw a cat, he would have no way of controlling him. When he came through reception on his way out I noticed the collar was really tight, so I suggested that he loosened it a bit, which he did.

Later that night the dogs throat swelled, and he couldn't breathe - he called the on duty emergency vet (the old boy), and he dragged his heels about visiting the dog, saying the owner should bring him to the surgery. There was an arguement but the owner insisted on a visit, and eventually the old boy did go. He didn't get there in time, and the dog died. I felt myself that it was negligent, as it was obviously an emergency - and in my opinion the vet should have gone there pronto. The owner persued a claim of negligence, but the vet had the backing of the RCVS, and he got nowhere So not only did the owner have the distress of losing the dog, he had more distress on losing a claim, and anger of feeling the vet didn't do enough to save his dogs life.

So if it was me, I think I would go with what you have been offered. I would be angry too, but now it's about your pup, and what is best for him in the long run. If you are insured, and not actually losing out moneywise, then try to stay positive, and move forward.

:luck: Good luck with your pup. They are amazingly tough, and you will be amazed at how well they manage on 3 legs. Please keep us updated on progress :huggles:

 

[~Annie~]

What an awful situation to be in, although I'm sure your pup will cope far better than you think ... I know a tripod dog that does agility !!

Re. a negligence claim ... I too have been in the situation of choosing not to pursue things with the RCVS after a previous vets negligence caused my dogs death. In my case the dog had an undiagnosed cancer of a blood vessel in the oesophaegus, but my vets response to his bleeding from the mouth was to "see if he could" pass a tube down his throat in case there was an obstruction. He did this without benefit of anaesthetic, and when he did meet an obstruction just gave the tube a good shove ... I know this because I was there. He then sent us home saying see how he does, but Jago died in my arms 12 hours later having bled out internally ... it was quite, quite awful and we changed vets immediately. But I do wonder now whether we should have pursued a negligence case ... if none of us ever complain negligent vets will continue to get away with it.

Annie (who's current vets truly can't be faulted)

 

[nina]

Hi can anyone help me? my georgous puppy has to have his front leg amputated due to veterinary surgeon error. He had a fracture to start with on his elbow, now he has to have it ampuated. The surgery that we belong to say they will waver my bill above insurance and amputate his leg for free and do his aftercare for free. I am so upset that I can not stop crying. I so out of my depth as this is the first time I have dealt with a vets. Firstly they were only willing to do was let me pay the cost of materials used in the amputation as an act of goodwill and it was not until I got a second opion that my bill above will be wavered as an act of goodwill. I asked for my puppy's clinical notes and well just let say they do not paint me in a good light which I do not understand because I have done anything that they said and anyone who know me, including the staff at the surgery knows how much I love my baby boy. I think that they are closing ranks on me and because I do not know much about vets and do not know what I'm talking about makes it very easy for them. I have no one to talk to about this and feel very alone as anyone been in this situation and can you give me some advice what to do.

My advice would be that there is NO WAY i would go ahead with an amputation without a second opinion. I would ask for a referral to an Orthopaedic Specialist.

One of my igs broke a leg many years ago & the vet was totally out of his depth & suggested an amputation but i insisted on seeing a specialist who operated & pinned the tiny leg & it was a great success.

I would only ever agree to an amputation if every other avenue had been exhausted.

Push for a second opinion or take your pup yourself to a different vet. Good luck :luck:

 

[Myfairlady]

Yorkielass, I am so very sorry that your boy has to have his leg amputated (I have a 3 legged staffie who is coping marvellously).

You are trying to deal with so much here. Lets break it down....First things first, does your boy definitely need an amputation? If it were me (and I stress 'if it were me'!), I would contact the citizens advice bureau and see where you stand legally. You may find that somewhere in our legal system you can opt to have the operation done at a different surgery and have the ones that messed up pay for it (I don't know but its worth a try). Secondly, you need to establish if he definitely needs an amputation....if he does, then you need to devote all your energy to getting him well.

I can help you emotionally and practically dealing with it so please don't feel alone...never ever feel alone on this site...okay all that said, you probably feel emotionally wrecked and drained. You have to take it one step at a time. Your boy comes first so get him sorted and then deal with the rest. There will be time to take this further legally with the vets but let that time come when your boy is well again.

Its not going to be easy but you can do it...

Please feel free to message me if you need some support. Everyone on this site will support you.

Lots of hugs

S

x

 

[Rae]

So sorry this has happened to your pup :- (

I totally that agree I wouldnt go ahead with the amputation unless an ortho specialist agrees it is the only action available for your pup, so if you havent already had one, make sure you get a second opinion. Where do you live, perhaps someone on the forum can recommend a good and trusted vet near you.

You can sort out who is paying for what later on, but once the leg is off its too late to wish you had seen a specialist (if you havent already) If it were me I'd get it in writing from the practice that they will pay for any costs over your insurance threshold, and get on to a specialist for a second opinion.

I dont agree that all vets are useless and only want our money, we have a brilliant vet, and our previous vet in Newcastle was amazing also. It sounds like you should ask around and see if anyone can recommend a good practice to you and change your vet.

Good luck

 

[clairej810]

Hi Yorkielass

I'm so sorry to hear about your pup. xx Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and do things in stages. I know it's easy to say, but I was told the same when Max broke his leg and fractured his skull in a nasty accident in October, I thought he was going to lose his leg for ages, but people on here kept me strong and he still has 4 legs - one with a plate.

First thing to worry about is your pup, see if you can get a second opinion and specialist referral. Someone looking in from the outside will be able to make a clearer judgment.

Next thing to worry about it you - make sure you are taking care of yourself and getting enought to eat and sleeping properly, you will beed loads of energy to look after your pup.

Last - worry about the vets negligence, I would leave this a week or two until things quieten down and you can deal with it when things are a bit calmer. I've never mde a claim against a vet so don't know how hard it is, but if you feel they are genuinely negligent, it is definitely at least worth looking into, even if it gets no further that a comlaint to the RCVS, at least it might make them tighten up their procedures.

I hope this helps, sorry if it sounds blindingly obvious, but I know when Max was hurt, I couldn't think straight or make decisions for weeks. He's doing really well now and can do a 2 mile walk one day a week with shorter walks the rest of the time, which considering everything, I'm really pleased about. He limps a lot and is suffering in the heat, but he's happy, and he's enjoying all the extra cuddles he gets from strangers when they see the difference between his two front legs (you can see the outline of the plate quite clearly). :huggles: :flowers: