[Alistair]

How does one go about reporting a vet for negligence?,

I have so far been stung for £300 in vet bills trying to sort out my little Julie's 'infected stitches', it is now 5months since she was spayed, she is still in a collar hood thing, I have just found out that the infected stitch appears not to be a dissolvable stitch and she has been rejecting it (by a different vet)

Now in my mind that means the original vet has messed up, and I want to cause as much fuss as possible, I wish vengeance, I know I can't go round there and Kung fu them to death or anything, but I'm really not happy

So before I speak, sorry meant rant incoherently, at them, any suggestions on professional bodies for vets?, I will be asking for my money back once I've got the written stuff off my new vet

[SallyintNorth]

That's terrible.  And poor little dog, too.    You go for 'em Alistair.

One or more of our vets and vet nurse folks will be along soon and will know exactly how to go about making a formal complaint.

[Alistair]

I hope so, the rcvs doesn't really seem to be the place to go because it's not 'that' serious reading their blurb about complaints

[in the hills]

Poor little thing and seemingly a silly mistake.


We weren't happy about the treatment our little pup had at the vets we were using. The outcome would have been the same  but they just seemed to drag their feet and I believe made mistakes that meant the situation took longer than needed to be resolved and a firm diagnosis reached. They sent urine samples while on antibiotics which they then said was a mistake .... so more urine samples had to be taken. Pup was booked in for xrays using dye to show structure of urinary tract. They began the procedure and then couldn't complete because in the middle of it all they discovered that they didn't have enough dye to carry out the tests  . If I'm baking a cake I check I've got the ingredients before I begin. 
Loads of other stuff too.


Won't say how much we spent.


Ashamed now to say that I did't complain to any other body and paid the bills. Just so upset at the time that I was probably going to lose my little dog.


Changed vets and diagnosis sorted within a very short time and frank discussion given by new vet on lack of prospects. Broke our hearts but at least our new vet is business like and appears so professional in comparison.


Follow it through Alistair .... as we should have done.

[JulieWall]

Our vets is a big practice and they're all good, bar one of them. I don't want to change vets so I ask who's on and dodge the vet I don't like. It's a tactical and diplomatic nightmare as I don't want to diss him to his colleagues but I won't pay for my dogs to be treated by a D/head.
Once I took one in for an op and he took her away to weigh her before surgery and brought her back to me in the waiting room. She dropped to the floor soon after and her eyes rolled back in her head - scared me silly and I thought she was having a fit. turned out he had given her a sedative and not seen fit to tell me. If that had been an old person with a weak heart ..... well, see my point.
Another time I told him one of the dogs teeth were causing her pain and I thought one might need extracting. He didn't even touch her - I had to lift her lips to show him her teeth and gums and he just said ''oh it's just tartar, they're not bad, if that was my dog I'd leave well alone''. I took her back in next day and asked to see someone else on the quiet for a second opinion and told the other vet that his colleague hadn't even opened her mouth. She had exposed nerves on her back molar and I was right, it did need to come out. I wasn't charged for the consult so that tells me his colleague thought I'd had poor service too.
You need to feel confident with your vet and you need a vet who cares more about a good outcome than about spending your money. Most vets are like that but you need to be shrewd and when you find a good un, hang onto him/her.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

[Alistair]

Oh I will, I will, found out that the infection sample came back as being penicillin resistant, shes been on penicillin for the last 6 weeks  , my new vet has really impressed me, she's going back on Wednesday to have the wound opened and cleaned and re stitched, she's on a different antibiotic and she's on anti inflammatory stuff as well

He's doing me a written report on what he has and undoubtably will find on Wednesday, but he has advised me to take his findings back to them, in his words 'it's a bloody mess', he's obviously a proper vet, I think I've now just topped the £600 mark (excluding the cost of the spaying)

[JulieWall]

Is that her picture in your avatar?

[Alistair]

Yes that's Julie sparkles, the one behind her is my other sable border collie Morris and in the background is mini-baby, big George was eating his own poo at the bottom of the garden so didn't make it to the photo call

[Alistair]

Julie. & moz

[happygolucky]

My cousin came to visit with  her young GSP and was concerned as the mother of the pup had just been spayed and the vet cut into her spleen.....not great at all, I suppose any Dr or Vet or Surgeon can make a mistake but they should compensate you at least!! Hope things improve soon!!

[doganjo]

http://www.bva.co.uk/contact.aspx

Make a formal complaint in writing, and include the report from your new vet.  Send your previous vet a copy and ask for your money back, and an apology for the pain and suffering to your dog, and for the anxiety and worry to yourself.

when complaining about anything always remove your emotion, always state what you believe to be the cause of the complaint, always state what you wish the outcome to be.  Send copies of everything to all concerned parties.

[SallyintNorth]

http://www.bva.co.uk/contact.aspx
when complaining about anything always remove your emotion, always state what you believe to be the cause of the complaint, always state what you wish the outcome to be.  Send copies of everything to all concerned parties.

Absolutely 

The old John Cleese management training video had it SCRAP -

• Situation - what we set out to achieve
• Complication - what went wrong
• Resolution - what I want to see as restitution
• Action - what needs to happen now
• Politeness - no bad language, in fact no adverbs or adjectives at all, just plain facts no emotion.

[Alistair]

Cheers doganjo, I've just followed that link and if you delve deep enough it just refers you back to the rcvs complaints procedure.

What I think I'll do is write a very matter of fact letter to the senior partners of the practice as you have suggested noting that if a resolution can't be reached I intend to take it up with the rcvs complaints procedure and enclosing the report from the new vets.

Hopefully they, the owners, will have a different attitude to their staff vets who just seem to want to prolong the condition until the money runs out, cynical I know, but that's how I feel at the moment.

Do you think I should ask for all the money back, excluding the spaying op plus the fees I've incurred for the new op she's having on Wednesday, or just the original vets fees?, I've got receipts for everything

Sally it's a long time since I was at skool, can't remember wat a adverb is think an adjective is a doing word and a noun is a thing word, haf to get my big crayon out and practice my writing 

[doganjo]

Try claiming the lot - as compensation for your pain and anguish and pain and suffering of the dog.  Those are stock phrases - use them!

You can email the BVA direct - or write to them - don't need to go to RCVS

[SallyintNorth]

Sally it's a long time since I was at skool, can't remember wat a adverb is think an adjective is a doing word and a noun is a thing word, haf to get my big crayon out and practice my writing 

lol.  Basically avoid describing / emphasising / embellishing words.  Use, "The dog became sick", not, "The dog became horribly sick", and, "We told the vet on a number of occasions", not, "We repeatedly told the deaf and stupid vet"