Topic: Cleo 16.4.91 - 3.11.06 - kick the Vet up the backside (Read 8981 times)

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #27 on:** November 24, 2006, 20:44:38 PM »

so did you mention cleo at all ?

Yvonne · « **Reply #26 on:** November 24, 2006, 20:29:59 PM »

Sorry to report that everything went without any incident whatsoever. Already knew that they had received my letter as I had asked the Receptionist when I made the appointment. I was told that the Chief Vet, who I have never met took my letter home with him, what for I have no idea.

Turned up at the surgery tonight and met a Vet that I have never seen before, he apparently usually does large animals but was called into the surgery today, Spike had his injection and all in all we went in and we came out and nobody said anything about Cleo at all. I don't know whether the staff that I met tonight were aware of any other issues, if they were then they certainly did not show it.

Got myself a bit worked up over nothing really.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #25 on:** November 24, 2006, 19:08:33 PM »

I've been thinking of you today, too. Hope everything went OK.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #24 on:** November 24, 2006, 18:59:53 PM »

Just coz I haven't posted on this thread doesn't mean I'm not interested. My boy Gandolf was pts last April (it was definitely his time) but it went very badly. I really couldn't face going back and moved vets. Happily it's worked out very well.

What happened today Yvonne?

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #23 on:** November 24, 2006, 17:01:00 PM »

Good Luck

Yvonne · « **Reply #22 on:** November 24, 2006, 16:56:10 PM »

Thank you Sonya Jasmine Gill and Rebecca and everybody else and also a lovely personal message from Lynn which was posted on Wednesday and so unfortunately lost.

Appointment at 5.30 very soon - very nervous, keep your fingers crossed for me.

Yvonne xx

sonya · « **Reply #21 on:** November 24, 2006, 16:45:36 PM »

Such a lovely picture Yvonne . Im sure you'll treasure it

Sonya
x

Jasmine · « **Reply #20 on:** November 24, 2006, 13:56:01 PM »

Hello Yvonne,

Did post the other day, but think it was one of the messages that were lost in the changeover.

I hope your vets visit isn't too stressful today and that your mind will finally be put at rest about Cleo.
That picture is certainly one to treasure forever, how wonderful you managed to capture the moment on camera!

Jasmine
x

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #19 on:** November 23, 2006, 13:37:48 PM »

I agrre with Becca, its a very moving picture as well

Beccles · « **Reply #18 on:** November 23, 2006, 12:58:25 PM »

Awww, Yvonne, that's a really beautiful picture you have of her. Maybe you could get it printed properly and framed? That'd be a nice memory to her.

Yvonne · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2006, 21:41:19 PM »

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all your replies, very prompt as ever and very much appreciated.

I had thought about changing my Vets but I live on an Island and there is not a lot of choice, up until recently I had been very happy with the service, certainly the other Vets that I saw have been fine. ?The young lady I saw on my last visit I fear was way out of her depth with Cleo, fine for Spike's injection that was routine but you know when your pet is not well and if I had my head screwed on properly I would have asked to speak to a more experienced Vet. ?The fact that she said bring her back next week led me to believe that she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with Cleo.

I did not consider a post mortem - it never entered my head.

Lynn - I was so sorry to hear about Archie, yes you were robbed. ?After that length of time they have become one of the family - I feel for you. ?It must be horrendous having to work with her.

Cleo's medication was - Fortekor and Felimazole, the appetite stimulant was Mirtazapine.

I must have been feeling a bit low today, that's probably why I made this post, plus I calculated how much I had spent in Vet fees which made me a bit depressed. ?I felt I deserved an answer.

I appreciate everything that everybody has said although as you will see everybody has different views, I will probably take a copy of my letter to the Vet on Friday and see how it goes.

Hopefully there is a picture somewhere of Cleo and Spike, this happened to be the last five minutes of Cleo's life although we did mot realise that at the time. ?She crawled into his basket, that was unusual hence the picture.

Thanks everybody xx

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CurlyCatz · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2006, 22:08:10 PM »

yeah you could mail me out of interest, maybe there is special courses now, which would be a good thing.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2006, 21:59:01 PM »

Hi lynn,

One of our vets Deff did a course on PM's - i will ask him what excatly he did (unless he lied and just took time off lol)

Littlebobo · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2006, 20:35:51 PM »

Talk to the RCVS i think that is there name when i had an upset with emergency vet..go into the vets yourself and hand over a copy of the letter.

Ask to talk to the senior vets as well.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2006, 20:33:38 PM »

furbaby To the best of my knowledge vets have no other "special " training to do pms as such other than the normal surgical training they normally have, if a vet does a pm in the practice it is even less thorough than if the body is sent to a lab. At the lab i believe it would be a vet prob non practising vet who only works at the lab as the full time job and may be more likely to have been on specific "lab vet (for want of a better term lol) type courses.

i have worked over the years with prob 20 or more in practice vets and non had extra specific pm training.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2006, 20:28:00 PM »

Hi Lynn,

It is the vet that would do the PM - Yes sometimes the results are inconclusive but alot of the time it depends how trained in PM's the vet is.
We have 2 vets and only one of them is trained enough to do a tougher PM.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2006, 20:09:21 PM »

I think you should write again cos when I asked questions after Kocka died the vets just ignored me and I was not able to discuss this face to face, I also tried to get hold of her notes and it took months and on seeing them , no wonder they didnt send em.

Purrrrrsonally I would look for another vet cos I remember this from CC and they basically just fobbed you off.

Although I agree with much Angie has said, and also that anger is part of the grieving process, I think they should have been more proactive and even, have said to you that maybe as she is an older cat, it maybe that her time is coming, cos at least that would have given you a chance to say goodbye over what time she had left.

Having had a cat who lived to 20yrs but went down hill over a period of time, I would have been pounding the vets doors down if they had treated my cat and me like they did you. Many vets do not know how to treat their people clients and they must learn, cos in todays world customer care, animals and people are a right that you should have.

I know that you are still grieving and I do not think that you should speak to them face to face because I suspect you are not ready to cope with that, apart from anything I would want something in writing to show someone else if needed.

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2006, 20:54:40 PM »

Yvonne so very sorry to hear about Cleo. If you don't get a satisfactory reponse from your vet I would contact the RCVS http://www.rcvs.org.uk/

Angiew · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2006, 19:45:17 PM »

I'm sorry about Cleo, Yvonne. I have gone through having to say goodbye to many of my cats, and if I'm not blaming myself I'm blaming the vet, or the world - so upset and unhappy and not wanting to accept that it was just the time.

Cleo was a good age at 15 and, at the end of the day, a vet is not God. However much we expect them to perform miracles with our beloved cats sometimes with an older cat there is so much slowing down at the same time, the vet cannot treat it for everything - if indeed there is a treatment for just getting older.
My vet once told me, that barring accidents and the 'standard' illnesses that can cruelly cut short their lives, the main factor in how long a cat will live is genetic and that theres little you can do to fight that.
Because they have such a short life and age so gracefully its hard to believe that a cat of 15 - 16 years is about 80 in human terms. We remember them as youngster hairing around and sometimes only notice that they tend to sleep more.

If you have been happy with the vet up to now then there is no reason why you should not remain at the practice. I think a visit would be best - make an appointment if necessary but I am sure you're vet will find time to talk to you. It is cetaintly rude of them not to reply to your letter though it has not yet been 2 weeks. It may be that the practice manager is on holiday and your letter has not been seen.

I'm an athiest, but everyday I thank God that my young cats have not met with some terrible accident and my older cats are still happily making their way to the food in the kitchen. I tell myself if I love them as much as I can every day and look after them the best I can then I am doing as much as is humanly possible for them - and I also know it won't be enough to prevent that awful day in the future when I have to bring them home and bury them.

Please don't think I'm trying to upset you or antagonise you or accuse you of somthing, I am not. You're grieving?and at the angry and confused stage and my heart goes out to you.

Angie

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2006, 18:37:02 PM »

In reponse to furbabystars post (and quite a few others over the few months ive been here on the same subject)

postmortems in animals dont always provide the answers, i do not know exactly who carries these out (im presuming vets but ??) and i do not know how thoroughly they are done but i would expect no where near to the same capacity as what i know they do in human pm's, i think basically they "have a look" for anything obvious and do cultures n stuff for bacterias etc etc and i suppose it does help if they have an idea what they are looking for but i have personally submitted several bodies of varying species away from pm's and more often than not results came back inconclusive.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2006, 19:20:39 PM »

Just so you know most vets dont open their own mail !! Practice manager or similar type person usually does this and leaves all relevant mail in the vets "piles"

Personally i would phone and explain and ask for the vet concerned to phone you back, A reply should have been sent to you but perhaps it genuinly hasnt reached the vet for whatever reason and if you wait till you go in with spike then you will just stew and say something that isnt perhaps fair on the vet in question if he/she wasnt actually to blame and if appropriate meds had been given (sorry i dont really know about this case to past comment)

what exactely medication was cleo put on ? what appetite stimulant did they use (there isnt many)

Also i am very sorry about cleo, We had an unfortunate incident with my dog archie when he was already dying and someone from my own work made a severe dispensing mistake that robbed me and my husband of our last day or so of our beloved boy and nearly resulted in me possibly having a still born child and was off work for a couple of weeks because of it and then had to face this person who'd made the mistake and work with her !

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2006, 18:12:59 PM »

I would ask to speak to that vet on Friday Yvonne.

Did you have a post mortem done ?
The reason i am asking this is because if you did and now know what she died from it will help you to ask why he missed what was wrong.

Good luck, i feel that you have been let down by your vet

Ela · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2006, 18:09:01 PM »

I personally think at least an acknowledgement should be sent within 48 hours.

Perhaps you could write to the vet again asking him if he is in a position to reply to your letter of 10 November 2006, send the letter recorded delivery and advise him that is you do not receive a reply with 7 days you will contact RCVS.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2006, 17:56:48 PM »

Sorry to hear about Cleo?

? I do remember your thread on catchat although I don't remember the details of Cleo's condition.

I hope this doesn't sound insensitive, but I'm not clear from reading the letter what you're asking for or whether the vets knew that she had died before your letter (you say she died at home)?? Do you think she died from a reaction to something she was given at the vets?? Or think they should have spotted something given that she died so soon afterwards?? I do think the best thing would be for you to actually speak to the vet face to face and discuss what happened and express your concerns.? I know that is difficult to do when you're grieving but I think it would be the best thing.? If you're not satisfied then I would follow it up with a letter explaining why you're not satisfied with the explanations you've been given.

Yes they could have replied to your letter by now, but it is still less than 2 weeks so there's still time.? The vet concerned may have been on leave or something. Where I work we aim to answer letters/complaints etc within 10 working days (I think) and it's only been 7 working days since you wrote so give them a bit more time.

DaveD · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2006, 18:42:46 PM »

Perhaps you should start looking for an alternative vet now, just in case you are unable to bite your tongue, assuming you haven't already. Your letter was polite and should have been replied to, even if the vet did all that s/he could.

sonya · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2006, 18:39:44 PM »

Maybe you could take a copy of the letter with you Yvonne and ask to speak to the vet who saw Cleo, it maybe that it hasnt reached him/her and if you are really unhappy with her treatment im sure that they will be more than willing to listen to what you have to say , my vets would im sure. So sorry for you losing your girl, (((((((((((hugs))))))))))))

Sonya

Yvonne · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2006, 17:34:40 PM »

I have still received no reply to my letter to the Vet, copied and pasted here:

----------------------------------
10th November 2006

Cleo ? Manx Tabby ? 16.4.91 ? 3.11.06

I write to request your clarification regarding the circumstances surrounding my cat Cleo.

As you are aware she was being treated for a thyroid condition and loss of appetite. I attended the surgery on Thursday 26.10.06 where the appropriate medication was commenced. Cleo went off her food and I called into the surgery on Saturday 28.10.06 for an appetite stimulant.

I was unhappy with Cleo?s progress and so I took her back to the surgery on 3.11.06, again Cleo was given an appetite stimulant and I was told that if I was not happy with her progress to take her back to the surgery in a week?s time. Imagine my shock horror then when Cleo died just a few hours later at home. I would have been in touch sooner but I was too upset.

I look forward to hearing from you,

-------------------------------------------

I have as yet had no response to my letter of the 10th November. I feel that I have been very patient so far.

Of course the letter could have got lost in the post but I think that unlikely.

I am due to go back to the Vet on Friday for Spike's injection, if I have heard nothing by then I will probably end up saying something or doing something that I may well regret later.

Anybody have any better ideas??

Author Topic: Cleo 16.4.91 - 3.11.06 - kick the Vet up the backside (Read 8981 times)