Vet forgot to stitch up neutered dog

[Misskiwi67]

Holy chocolate What shelter is this so I know to stay as far away from it as possible?

Meh, this seems typical shelter medicine to me...

Thumbelina became so I'll the day of her spay she required IV fluids overnight. She was vomiting so much she became dehydrated.

When I called to ask what anesthetic drugs they had used (assuming it was an anesthetic reaction) they told me she started vomiting prior to surgery... So they put her through a spay while she was sick.

[sharron]

My goodness gracious !!! I would not only file a complaint , I would spread the news to everyone not to ake their beloved dogs to that shelter for ANY surgeries !!!

Zane more than likely licked due to the pain he must have beeen in !

It's unfortunate you didn't notice this sooner...but so glad your vet gave him antibiotics and pain medication !! Poor boy !

When Beau was neutered. I asked for glue to be put on the outside. Inside they used disolved sutures

I hate to imagine what 'neglect' a poor female dog has to endure if this place is too busy to take the care and time for each dog in surgery. I say , 'neglect' should be added to your complaint report !

No excuse !

Sharron

[pblove]

it isn't only done at shelters
when I was at the racetrack some of the horse vets used to stuff the poor male cats into a riding boot and neuter them, no anesthesia, nothing.

[doglove]

For the record this is a public shelter that does not do surgeries beyond spay/neuter on animals adopted out from them. However, I have spread the news that it's not worth it to allow them to do the surgery. I thought I was getting a good deal having Zane neutered there for basically nothing. They do a deposit system where you pay $100 and get that money back upon proof of surgery. I ended up spending $120 at my regular vet to have him fix their mistakes. I still feel like a complete ass for going the cheap route and making him suffer more than he had to. Even if it doesn't bother him that much, it bothers me a lot!

He's doing great, though. It's healing up just fine, he's still not fussing with it much at all even when he's not wearing the cone, and the bruising seems to be fading.

The story with the cats is just barbaric, but I can't say it surprises me. Horse people, at least from what I've seen within the racing/showing world, aren't known for being kind to their animals.

[pblove]

I am glad he is healing with no further issues

[Amie]

Meh, this seems typical shelter medicine to me...

No, it is NOT "typical shelter medicine". Accidents happen (yes, even at "real" vet clinics) but there is no excuse for this, and it is not to be expected just because the facility is a shelter.

[Misskiwi67]

Meh, this seems typical shelter medicine to me...

No, it is NOT "typical shelter medicine". Accidents happen (yes, even at "real" vet clinics) but there is no excuse for this, and it is not to be expected just because the facility is a shelter.

Some shelters do better, and its not an acceptable standard of care to do less, however my experience is this is typical.

I've seen kittens and puppies die post-op because of hypothermia. I've seen dogs overdosed on inhalant anesthetics due to lack of monitoring, I've seen some severe suture reactions, and a total and complete lack of post-op education (wear an e-collar, no licking, no pain medications) for owners after taking their pet home.

You get what you pay for, 90% of the time its good enough, but it really stinks for that other 10%.

[buckaroo]

Meh, this seems typical shelter medicine to me...

No, it is NOT "typical shelter medicine". Accidents happen (yes, even at "real" vet clinics) but there is no excuse for this, and it is not to be expected just because the facility is a shelter.

Some shelters do better, and its not an acceptable standard of care to do less, however my experience is this is typical.

I've seen kittens and puppies die post-op because of hypothermia. I've seen dogs overdosed on inhalant anesthetics due to lack of monitoring, I've seen some severe suture reactions, and a total and complete lack of post-op education (wear an e-collar, no licking, no pain medications) for owners after taking their pet home.

You get what you pay for, 90% of the time its good enough, but it really stinks for that other 10%.

Agreed. This kind of stuff is very typical for low cost spay/neuter programs. You may not find it acceptable but it is more the norm than not. That's reality right now. The only thing that will change it is better funding.

[Mooresmajestic]

Better funding has nothing to do with it, its just standard care that's required. Just because its low coat doesn't mean it should be low quality. Its the staffs job to care for animals and if that isn't the case they shouldn't work in the field. I get peeved when I hear people slamming low cost clinics. Where I work we maintain a very high level of care, monitoring and sterility. Because that's our job. I would have no problem having ant of my animals spayed where I work, and both of my cats were done there.

[AllisonPibbleLvr]

Meh, this seems typical shelter medicine to me...

No, it is NOT "typical shelter medicine". Accidents happen (yes, even at "real" vet clinics) but there is no excuse for this, and it is not to be expected just because the facility is a shelter.

One of our clients called us yesterday. He got a better deal to have his german shepherd neutered at another clinic (one that specializes in caring for BYB and mennonite puppy mill puppies). Then he ended up with a $500 from the emerg clinic since the vet where he had the dog neutered did not give him an e-collar, and didn't go over any post-op instructions. But what REALLY gets me is that he took the dog BACK to the clinic that neutered the dog yesterday so that they could go in and reopen the incision in the scrotum to drain the fluid.

[Misskiwi67]

Better funding has nothing to do with it, its just standard care that's required. Just because its low coat doesn't mean it should be low quality. Its the staffs job to care for animals and if that isn't the case they shouldn't work in the field. I get peeved when I hear people slamming low cost clinics. Where I work we maintain a very high level of care, monitoring and sterility. Because that's our job. I would have no problem having ant of my animals spayed where I work, and both of my cats were done there.

I absolutely agree with you...

However, people should know (like I should have known) that clinics like yours are the exception, not the rule, and they should take care in choosing where to have their surgeries performed, and ask questions about what their clinics do and don't do. There is NOT a set-in-stone standard of care in veterinary medicine, and the average person does not know this. Its not unusual for low-cost clinics and/or shelters here to use sterile gloves but skip the gown and monitoring. I have heard of farm vets in the outlying area that don't even use gloves! I don't even know what clinic spayed Lena, it was not done at the shelter.

I had a classmate of mine who interviewed at a clinic in Florida. She washed her hands between clients and asked where the paper towels were... she was told "Thats what your scrubs are for"

[pitsnok]

I feel so so bad for the poor boy. I'm really glad you have gotten it under control though.

I will say, we got Harlow spayed, and Boss and Ollie neutered at our local low-income clinic and I was pleased with the results. They took all the appropriate precautions, monitored them before and after, etc. The only issue we had was Ollie getting a hematoma. (Probably from his inability to sit still after the surgery). And Harlow came home with a little green line tattoo, that we didn't know she was going to get. I know the clinic is only open for surgeries like, twice a week... so I assume the doctors are practicing veterinarians who have 'normal' jobs. Maybe those who are employed full-time by places like low-income clinics and shelters somehow start to 'slack off', or cut corners.---Just speculation though. Regardless, there is NO logical explanation for a dog's surgery site being left open!

[doglove]

Zane is still doing great. He jumped in a pond the other day and got all wet, but beyond that his neuter site has been kept dry and clean, and looks very good. The red irritation has completely gone away and the skin is back to a somewhat normal pink color.

[trexgorawrrrrr]

So, this has me scared to take Bentley to get neutered at the low cost spay and neuter program... Our expensive vet said they always do a nice job, and so on... but this has me scared to take him there.

[Misskiwi67]

So, this has me scared to take Bentley to get neutered at the low cost spay and neuter program... Our expensive vet said they always do a nice job, and so on... but this has me scared to take him there.

If your vet says they do a good job and haven't seen any problems, then they might do a good job... I would let your vet know you heard someone else had a bad experience elsewhere and you wanted to double check that its OK.

Its the monitoring temperature, monitoring anesthesia, and having veterinarians that aren't rushed or overwhelmed that counts the most. Also make sure they do pre-surgery labwork and send home pain meds.