QUESTIONING CAT DIAGNOSED WITH F.I.P....VET/TECHS...help!!!

[Traci]

Jessica, the first vet is a total incompetent jerk!!! Didn't even bother to diagnose properly in which to initiate proper treatment!

I'm still leaning toward punctures that allowed air into the chest/abdomen and subsequent infection. By now, you should be at your new vet's, PLEASE post an update when you can, and know we're thinking of kitty and you and sending good healing thoughts.

You can call your state's veterinary board and file a complaint against the first vet. Keep all copies of paid receipts, log on paper what you can remember of the exam, his comments, his neglect in diagnostics and immediate treatment. Particularly if kitty's breathing was distressed at that time. Note that he didn't even clean or treat the wound. Note also that you currently feel (pending on your new vet's assessment) that the first vet jumped to the conclusion of FIP without offering you specific diagnostics to make that definitive diagnosis and you felt written off, and your kitty was without qualified veterinary care for what you considered an emergency and required treatment.

As Cleo mentions, you can also file in your city or county small claims court. This may be easier and less expensive for you since the state veterinary board may choose not to review your complaint in a timely manner, or worse, they may feel no reprimand is necessary against the vet. Veterinary boards are like that at times, but they are required to review and base their reviews on facts. (this is where the paragraph above come in handy). You do not always need an attorney to file a claim in small claims court, but to protect yourself fully, you should try to get a free consult with one.

Keep all your paid receipts or services rendered sheets AND any health records concerning your kitty, by both the old vet AND the new vet. The new vet's records could come in handy when in court, and potentially proving the first vet's negligence. We don't know the entire story between the vet and you, so you have to weigh your options based on your evidence, and how far you're willing to take this.

As a matter of fact, when you're not otherwise preoccupied with kitty's current treatment, go to the old vet and request a copy of every single page in her health record (or you can call them and tell them you'll be dropping by to pick them up, request the records be ready when you get there). You may have to pay for them to be printed (should only amount to a dollar or so, if that), and you do NOT have to state your reasoning for obtaining copies. If pressured, simply tell them you always keep copies of veterinary health records on your pets for safe keeping and future reference.

The main focus in the immediate sense is your new vet and her assessment and getting kitty treated quickly and properly.

[Cleo]

Yeah, that too.

Also I wanted to ask you if there's a particular "right" way to file a complaint against a vet?

Usually the most effective way is to file a complaint with the state licensing authority (either the department itself or a regulatory board). In Florida, it would be the Board of Veterinary Medicine which is in the Department of Health. Some googling should help you find the right entity in your state.

[Cleo]

As a matter of fact, when you're not otherwise preoccupied with kitty's current treatment, go to the old vet and request a copy of every single page in her health record (or you can call them and tell them you'll be dropping by to pick them up, request the records be ready when you get there). You may have to pay for them to be printed (should only amount to a dollar or so, if that), and you do NOT have to state your reasoning for obtaining copies. If pressured, simply tell them you always keep copies of veterinary health records on your pets for safe keeping and future reference.

That's exactly what I did BEFORE sending my letter. I wanted a copy of her file as well as the recent records. They treated her the following week after the ER visit - free - so was more than glad to see us go I'm sure. Then once I got the records and bid my farewell .. BAM hit them with my letter. Got no response DOUBLE BAM hit them with small claims court. I didn't have or need a lawyer but did consult with one who allowed me to cc her on the letter so they knew I meant business.

[Tina B and crew]

Hoping that all everything turns out ok for your kitty....and so glad that you are seeking more competent care. I can't believe the actions (or lack thereof) of the other vet. Horrendous!! Good luck. Keep us updated.

[Traci]

Jessica, is your kitty ok?

[darksatellites]

My cat did not make it, unfortunately she had to be put down. The 1st doctor was so negligent he ignored her wound which caused a terrible infection. She did not have FIP at all. She was born with a heart abnormality of her right atrium the vet speculated...it was thickened / enlarged along with a valve (which i was told was rare)...so she said there were a few things going on and that basically all the money in the world couldn't have saved her for more than 2 more months at best, even if she was in ICU for days and given all the treatments money could buy. She also had to be put in an oxygen chamber because the insides of her mouth were turning purple because the fluid in her abdomen was filling so rapidly it was pushing on her lungs.

At any rate, if ANY of you live in Portland, OR ...NEVER go to Banfield Pet Hospital, ....ever.....

I highly recommend The Cat Hospital of Portland in Sellwood....

-In Loving Memory of Sienna-

[Traci]

Jessica, file a complaint against the old vet, first with your state's veterinary board, then if you don't get a resolve from that, in small claims court if you feel you should.

The vet took a "body x-ray, a heart ultrasound, and blood work", as you stated in your first post, and 9 times out of 10, when there is an enlarged heart, it will SHOW UP ON XRAYS. Also, an ECG will detect abnormalities, particularly if she had any breathing distress at the time you first took her in - even if there was no breathing distress at the time, FLUID would have been seen on an xray, and he should have given you the option to aspirate it since he KNEW her chest or abdoment was distended. Even listening to her heart and lung sounds should have alerted the vet to a problem.

As for the wound, unless you actually declined treatment, then you should add his neglect and failure to treat the wound, prescribe antibiotics, and/or pain medication.

I would never trust any Banfield pet hospital, they seem to only hire the new graduates, or those vets who can't seem to get hired elsewhere. That's not to say there aren't good vets in the Banfield clinics, but I would always choose more experienced, private practice vets over a chain vet clinic any day.

I am so very sorry about your precious Sienna, my heart just breaks for you. Please know that you did everything you could, she knew that, and felt your love and concern.

Safe and gentle journey, sweet sweet Sienna...((((((((HUGS)))))))))

[Cleo]

I'm so sorry!

Once your emotions are calm and all is taken care of for kitty, definitely file a complaint as well as a court case. File with your state's vet board, file with Banfield & I'm assuming Petsmart (they work through them right).

I understand no amount of complaints or monetary compensation will make up for the loss you have endured as well as the pain sweet Sienna suffered but it'll still be nice to give them a swift kick in the wallet, credibility and nuts for Sienna's sake as well as all future kitties who might cross their paths.

Safe journey Sienna.

[darksatellites]

He said after he took the heart ultrasound, which he elected to do instead of a chest x-ray "because he is rather good at it" that the walls of the heart were normal and she didn't have what he 1st suspected to be cardiomiopathy (sorry, don't know the correct spelling). He also recommended not aspirating because it would essentially drain her of other vital fluids and that her breathing troubles were not at the point to necessitate aspirating because the fluid would re-fill more rapidly and cause the immune system to attack harder (on the diagnosis: this was FIP). I also had a person with me each time to support my claims.

He also 1st said he wanted to take a fluid sample of her abdomen, along with a blood sample, and that to properly to that as well as clean her wound that he would have to sedate her...then he said he wanted me to leave her for a couple hours....I called a couple hours later to check up (my suspicion is that he was so backed up he still hadn't even done these tasks, but didn't want to mention this). He said because she was so uncooperative he wasn't able to properly clean her wound or sedate her to get a fluid sample. He also did not prescribe any medications for pain nor antibiotics.

I will DEFINITELY be filing with the Veterinary Board and sending a letter to Banfield.

[Traci]

You first said he didn't want to aspirate any fluid, but now stated he wanted to after sedation when he cleaned the wound. There is a bit of inconsistency here, whether on your part, or if the vet's statements have changed.

ANY fluid can be aspirated from the chest or abdominal cavity, the vet is an idiot. Since he was only suggesting FIP, he's even more incompetent, since any competent vet WILL drain fluid on suspicion of FIP because that's the only way to get a sample to test!

An echocardiograph (the heart ultrasound) will usually detect fluid and size and shape of the heart, including any abnormalities in heart function. Since there was already fluid and I assume some breathing distress, it would have picked up on both the echocardiograph as well as listening with a stethoscope (there would have been "crackling" sounds and possibly irregular heart beats). You first said he had done a "body xray" but now are stating he didn't take an xray? Had an xray been taken, heart disease would most likely have shown up clearly on the film.

If he had heard "crackling sounds" from the stethoscope, took an xray and determined there was a heart enlargement, there was fluid, then heart disease would have been the first suspicion of any vet, thereby proceeding to drain fluid, relieve pressure on the lungs, and give diuretics to disperse the fluid, and other medications to support heart function.

The fact that he didn't bother to drain fluid, take a chest xray, or utilize his technician to help get Sienna sedated to clean the wound, is, in my opinion, negligent on all accounts. Having said that however, in a distressed cat with a heart condition, sedation/anesthesia is not always a good idea, it depends on the case, the overall health of the cat, and the urgency. Since he wasn't suspecting heart disease (but should have looked more closely, particularly with an xray), he's still negligent. The excuse of not being able to handle her for sedation is just pathetic. (unless of course, she was clearly distressed and if he felt stressing her would increase any breathing problems.

Either way, the diagnosis was wrong, he didn't take her health status into account, he didn't utilize the correct diagnostics (the xray was the most important of all, followed by a fluid aspirate, followed by complete wound care and prescriptions to keep her comfortable).