What is your worst "bad veterinarian" story?

I have been a veterinary technician for almost 20 years and have worked with dozens of doctors. Some were excellent, some were OK, and some were absolutely horrible. I've worked with doctors who gave away products and services for free and I've worked with doctors who lied to their clients and charged them for things they never received. I've worked with doctors who would do anything to save a pet's life and I've worked with doctors who wouldn't touch a dying animal unless an estimate was approved by the client.

So, I would like to hear about some bad experiences you have had at your veterinary office. Come on lets hear some of the ugly TRUTH about this profession. I think it will be for everyone's benefit to hear about "reality at the vets office."

My 19 year old cat was on medication for kidney problems and I left her at the vet for a routine blood test whilst I was at work. I'd also asked them to clip a small area of her fur which had become matted. When I collected her at lunch-time, she was unconscious and they said that they'd had to sedate her because she put up a fight when they wanted to take the blood sample. They had also managed to cut her skin whilst shaving her and had stapled the wound back together!

As the afternoon wore on, not only was my cat not showing any signs of regaining consciousness, but she'd began making jerking movements with her legs. I rang the vet straight away and said I wanted to bring her back in as I was seriously worried about her. He told me that her behaviour was normal for a cat who'd been anaesthetised and that he would not see her again that day, that she could wait until the test results arrived the next day. I pointed out that from my own experience with cats, something was definitely wrong and I honestly believed that she would be dead before morning. He still refused to see her.

I had only recently moved to the area, so I quickly searched the Yellow Pages for the number of an alternative vet. They said that it sounded like my cat was in the final stages of kidney failure, and to bring her to their clinic immediately. Unfortunately, the diagnosis proved to be correct. It was too late to save my beloved cat and she had to be put to sleep. This lady vet was very shocked by the treatment (or lack of it) my cat had received at the previous vet's. She even removed the staples and replaced them with stitches, which I was very touched by, even though I was only taking my cat home to bury her.

In the morning, I called the first vet clinic to inform them that I wouldn't be needing the test results as I'd had to have my cat put to sleep. They rang me 3 times that morning telling me to collect the test results. The vet even had the insensitivety to tell me that because the results were good, I'd had my cat put to sleep by mistake! I pointed out that as he'd refused to see her again, he was not in a position to make that judgement. I asked for the practice owner to call me, but of course they never did.

How I beat myself up for a long time afterwards. I blamed myself for her death, because I'd entrusted her health to that vet. It was years before I could even think of her without crying.

"Bad" vet stories are sadly fairly common and the Toonces Project is just one of the many web sites set up by pet owners to alert others to be cautious when choosing a vet. The story of what happened to this cat is truly heartbreaking.

http://www.thetooncesproject.com/whathap...

Thankfully my own experience of a "bad" vet was a one-off, but I do think that veterinarian's disciplinary records should be available to members of the public, so that we can make an informed decision when choosing a health care provider for our pets.

I'm happy to say my worst stories aren't that bad!

My last cat got sick at age 14 with IBD or IBS. I went to a clinic, and one vet I saw said she's old, she's sick, put her down. A different vet helped us get her back to health and she lived another 6 years pretty happily.

Poppy had consistent loose stool, a UTI and was developing a weight problem. That same vet clinic sold me a bag of pricy UTI food and told me to feed her 1/3 cup per day, and that she just had "kitten stomach."

Later on I got on the right path to fix all her problems and am now seeing a holistic vet and I couldn't be happier! It was like a religious experience.

Not that all holistic vets are wonderful but mine sure is.

my vet gave our 19 year old cat with chronic kidney failure Metacam which destroyed what was left of her kidneys and she had to be put to sleep-he didn't warn me of any side effects and he must know how bad this stuff can be for cats kidneys!