The vet killed Kiwi!

[xke4]

Just wondering if the consent you signed stated that you agreed to sedation without any preliminary blood test. I work for a vet now ( and love it) and before that was an Operating Room charge nurse at one of our major hospitals. More often than not, people rush to scribble their name on the consent before I have even finished my explanation. It was not uncommon for people to arrive for their surgery (big procedures...like lung removal for instance) and not even read what they were signing.
Most of the time at my present job, when I offer clients the preliminary bloodwork option, they say "Oh no. I don't need that. She LOOKS healthy. As if they had xray vision or something. Most of the time the animals do well with sedation but there is the odd time that there is an underlying problem that nobody suspects. And in defense of your vet....he was probably concerned for your puppy that he would do more harm to his leg if he tried to manipulate the cast on a squirming ball of fluff. But I am sorry for your loss.

 

[pixiechick]

I did it. I picked her up from the vet and buried her in the butterfly garden. I feel a bit better after talking to the vet. He said that he didn't realize that things were really going bad until almost 3:00. They gave her .4 of creatinine to sedate which isn't supposed to take them all the way under. He did an autopsy and sent biopsies off hoping to get some answers. He said her liver was enlarged and thought it might be some name that included the word "shunt", a defect common in yorkies.

One thing that comforts me some is that he said they took turns carrying her around all day, rubbing/ stimulating her to wake up. I know she was asleep, but at least she wasn't just laying there alone all day.

Since she was under a year old, she is still insured by her breeder. I don't know how a feel about having another tiny dog, though. They just seem so defenseless and fragile, and I know it wouldn't be Kiwi. It's just something to think about later. Any little pup would find a loving home here. Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers.

 

[michaelvcrowder]

pixiechick,
pets come and go. my condolences to you and your family. it is hard every time you loose a pet. i worked at a vets office for a full summer when i was in school. it was very enlightening. from what i saw then and over the past 30 years of taking lots of pets to lots of vets that most of them are very sincere and caring. of course they are not perfect and accidents happen.

my advice is to put this behind you. the dog is dead and nothing will bring him back. mourn appropriately, and then move on. i have not replaced my last dog since it died. i am waiting until i get through all of my issues with my back before i jump into the involved job of properly training a dog.

folks,
my wife is a registered dental hygienist. rather than taking our pets to the vet to have their teeth cleaned we did it at home. we realized that sedation is risky so with me holding the dog or cat and talking to them we have always managed to clean the animals teeth without sedation. i have actually been looking at the legality of us doing this for other folks. the animals need to have good oral hygiene but if it can be done without sedation it really narrows the chances of them being harmed in the process. i have a gift with getting animals to follow my commands and i think i could hold most dogs still for long enough for my wife to clean their teeth. at least i have been able to accomplish this with our pets.
michael

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
It is a good idea. Just make sure to look into ALL the legality stuff. Get great insurance for you and your wife, as well as your "business". I've worked in a vet office and around dogs that would come in for a basic teeth cleaning, many of them were not friendly and didn't want you around their mouth, unless your hand was in it.

Let us know how that works out for you, that is very interesting!

-Kim

 

[SpottedCrow]

That's so awful. I'm sorry for the loss of Kiwi.

 

[warcard]

Quote:
So sorry for the lose of your dog. :aww

I'd be a little leary about your breeder. Liver shunts are bad news, and often a genetic defect. Yorkies really shouldn't be that small (3lbs), the teacup size is often a niche market filled with bad breeding practices.

If you still want a Yorkie check both the AKC website and the Breed Club website for breeders. Neither are perfect, but it does up the odds of you getting a well bred dog. If you can't afford what the breeders are asking for a pup consider breed rescue groups. You can also find purebreds at your local shelter and humane society along with nice mixed breeds.

To everyone - please before you consider the puggles, and -poos, ect. at a pet store remember you can most likely find all these "designer" breeds at your local shelter for MUCH cheaper.

 

[pixiechick]

As I've said, thank you all so much. It's been a nightmare going through this when all of my family is away. Having people to talk to has helped so much and you've given me lots to think about. This forum has helped me through several crisis ( though none this bad) since I signed on a few months ago. I am very, very greatful.

 

[Jolyn]

I'm so sorry for your families loss!

Did the vet say WHY she needed to be dropped off and put under just to check her cast???

 

[chick4chicks]

I am so very sorry this has happened to the cute sweet puppy. So sorry you were all alone thru this tragedy.

 

[dogzrule5]

This is terrible! I am so sorry little Kiwi died. And I don't understand either why she would need sedated just to check the cast. This sounds fishy to me.