Vet gives wrong dog lethal injection

[Rottie]

Wow! I sure do feel bad for this guy. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif

I hope this never ever happens again http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/city/stories/010322/5048698.html

[wolflady]

What a sad mishap!! I do find it odd that the vet said go ahead and pay the bill, then preceeded to administer the shot, like it was nothing. I would think that having a dog put to sleep is an emotional thing, and that the owner would want to be present, or at least asked if they wanted to be present. I wasn't actually there when my parents had Misty sent to the rainbow bridge, but I know it was an emotional time. I agree with you, Rottie! I hope something like this doesn't happen again! I feel bad for the guy who lost his dog, but also for the vet who made such a drastic mistake...

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Rottie, that was so sad. The poor man must have been in shock as well as the Vet. The poor dog, it's hard to believe things like that happen. I think it has to do with the fast pace that we live in, everything is hurry up and get it done, we need to step back and smell the roses.

[thelmalu99]

This is horrible! Vets should be more careful with people's pets!
This is similar to how I lost my first cat, Sydney. He had kidney stones and needed an operation. The vet gave him general anesthesia and Sydney's heart stopped. As it turns out, the vet gave him more than he should have.
It's so hard to lose a pet that you love, and it's even worse when it is the result of a veterinarian's carelessness.

[karen israel]

oh God! How HORRIBLE! I never would have thought this could happen cause I never, ever leave the room. I even follow them to the Xray room and surgury room to make sure Cody's Ok before I leave. What a sad chain of events! Everyone must be sooo devastated beyond belief! I would be inconsolable. I am just dumbstruck! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif

[RachelJ]

I'd like to think this would never happen to me. First my vets would ask if I wanted to stay in the room or not and if I wanted to say goodbye. A big red flag would go up if my vet said I should go out to pay the bill and I would question that. But all that said this story is important in that it makes us aware that hurried people are human and mistakes can be made and we should be alert and question anything that seems out of sync.

Karen, you are one good mommie. Our vets do take the dog in the back to do certain procedures and I don't follow them as they've never offered that option. Think I'll tell them this story.



[This message has been edited by RachelJ (edited March 23, 2001).]

[tatsxxx11]

My vet in NJ always took my dogs in the back to do whatever they were scheduled for after speaking with me in the exam room. Here in Mass., everything is done in the exam room in front of the owner. I can't imagine why the vet didn't know the owner/pet well enough to know anything about the situation, or speak to him first, i.e. "Would you like to stay with him" etc., or question why the dog was to be put to sleep. I started, but could not finish reading the story. This is a horror beyond my ability to cope. I would be inconsolable. Being a nurse, I find this type of malpractice indefensable. "Busy world?" Please. This was especially upseting for me as I have always had yellow labs as my best friends. I could not look at that happy, goofy smiling face without crying and grabbing my gut.

[Pam]

It sounds to me that possibly the first error might have been made by putting up the wrong chart since the dog arrived a little earlier than scheduled and both dogs were yellow labs. This could have been done by the girls at the front desk and is a human error. Even so, for a procedure such as putting a dog to sleep you would certainly think the vet would verify who his patient was before starting! This absolutely amazes me!

My dogs have never been taken out of the exam room except to be x-rayed. Everything else has been done right in the exam room.

Sandra.....where in New Jersey did you live? I'm just wondering if you were a "neighbor." http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[tatsxxx11]

Hi Pam. I think a ways from you. I lived in Bergen County, in Tenafly then Demarest after I got married. Little towns along the Hudson river, not far from the G.W. bridge. People in Mass. have a real misconception about NJ! They think we all live along the NJ Turnpike and smell factory fumes all day! Still miss it, so say hi to NJ for me!!

[ownerof3dogs]

I work at a vets office and the docter always asks if they want to be there and also they have to sign a paper saying they wanted it done. Then docter makes sure they want to go ahead with it. and if they say yes then he proceed.

I feel really bad for the owner of the dog and for the vet. Even though he was a little uncarful about it I can see how he could have made the mistake.

We should learn from this and always ask what the docter is doing. like "What shot is that" and so on.

[tatsxxx11]

I just can't stop thinking about this horror, and just wanted to say one other thing. Of all the times I have had to deal with helping my kids to the "bridge," never once was there EVER any mention of pre-paying. Maybe I have just been fortunate enough to have had very caring, empathetic vets. But they seemed to have always understood how distraught the owner is at this time. And out of deep sensitivity re: the nature of the visit, chose rather to send by mail, a bill after several weeks had passed. Before a bill was ever sent, a written note of sympathy was received. I work in an open heart recovery room. And I agree that as humans we are not perfect and mistakes do occur. However, these people are supposed to be professionals. "Errors" of THIS nature are not for me, "understandable" mistakes. Rather they are so grevious as to warrant severe disciplinary action and thorough reconsideration of the procedures in place. If I or a physician acted so negligently treating a human patient, I would undoubtedly lose my license to practice. When one deals with life and death situations, as we are taught in nursing, medical and veterinary school, there is no room for this degree or type of negligence. Sorry if I sound like I'm on my soapbox. But this topic just hits too close to home. I see everyday the ramifications of medical personnel not paying attention. Sometimes with fatal results. We are taught, whenever we administer a potentially fatal drug or carry out a procedure...check everything, every step, every name, 3 times. OK, I had my say. I really am just sick over this.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

tatsxxx11, you are right, in dealing with life and death there can be no mistakes. I had bypass surgery and thank god there were no mistakes then. When we took Kona in to Cross over the Bridge, we had everything settled, the girl asked if we wanted to be in the room and we said yes, Kona passed away in my husbands arms very peacefully, no room for mistakes there, and no excuses.

[tatsxxx11]

Thanks Jackie...Don't mean to sound so pontifical. I hope I didn't anger anyone. It's just that life is so precious to me. If the utmost care, deliberation and compassion should be shown in any aspect of our lives and the lives of our families, it is in dealing with issues such as these. Honestly, there is no one more forgiving of others than myself. And in that light, I do feel very badly for the vet. I just can't honestly say that it was an "understandable" mistake. I just hope they correct whatever circumstances led to this travesty. I can only assume that he must be devastated over what happens. Every day when I lay in bed at night I think back on all that I did at the hospital that day. What did I forget? Did I give the right dose? It is such a very awesome responsibililty and very frightening at times. Perhaps, as you have said, if we all just slowed down, and considered the consequences of our actions in all that we do in life, needless anquish might be avoided. You all probably think I am over-reacting. But I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes. How would I feel? Just those words....the owner entering the room with the dog's head "lolling." It truly did make me sick. That was as far as I got. I have to stop now. Thanks for your kind words. I am so glad to hear that your surgery was successful and without peril!! I know how incredibly frightening it is for my patients and I try so, so hard to be a comfort to them. I hope you were treated with gentleness, love and kindness, and that you are well and whole again. And I have to tell you again, Daisy is just a DOLL!! You are such a special mom with such special furkids! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif Please give them hugs and kisses! Nite, nite Daisy and Perry!

[This message has been edited by tatsxxx11 (edited March 24, 2001).]