Surgiacal guaze left in after surgery

lotocats · 11-26-2005, 02:04 PM

I found out why my cat Freckles was so deathly ill. Unfortunatley I found out too late. She died because the vet who performed her spay left surgical gauze in her. I have of this happening to humans, but am shocked to have it happen to one of my babies. One of my very special babies. She was only 7 months old and had been spayed 3 months ago.

Has anyone else had this horrible experience?

Cat Daddy · 11-26-2005, 02:51 PM

No, but the Vet did completely miss what should of been a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in my cat. Got a second opinoin a week later and after learning about it, I can't see how the symptoms were overlooked.

You must be very angry and sad. I hope you can find some peace for yourself though it is to late for your poor girl Freckles.

I was really angry and thought I would never go back but then realized I had a higher calling to teach the Vet so it wouldn't be a missed diagnosis for the next cat. It ended up he gave me a good price for the thyroid medicine. I still though lawsuit, but tempered myself, and hopefully that was the right solution.

vicki · 11-26-2005, 04:48 PM

oh my god, im so sorry for your loss.

was your cat speyed midline? the only reason i ask is that here in the uk we spey flank and the hole is barely big enough to get a finger in never mind gauze! it could possibly have been placed into the abdomen during a midline spey but i find it difficult to believe the vet didnt notice it, there isnt a lot of room inside a cat with all the other body parts. but i do know that omentum, the fat in the abdo, sometimes 'grabs' things and wraps them up within itself.......anyway im sorry, that probably doesnt make a difference to you.....

once again im so sorry you have had to go through this experiance.

Ianthe · 11-26-2005, 05:51 PM

Oh my God....I am so sorry.

If it were my cat, I would sue.

emma_pen · 11-27-2005, 05:46 AM

I second that. I would look at where you stand from a legal point of view. It's a lot harder to get anywhere in the veterinary world than human medicine, but at the end of the day veterinary negligence led to the death of your kitten. If you can get some compensation, you should try. I know it doesn't make anything easier nor does it bring her back, but the vet deserves to be hit where it hurts - his pocket.

Oh, and in the US, it is 'normal' for cats to be speyed midline.

allissa · 11-27-2005, 07:46 PM

Unfortunately, cats are considered property. Thus, it would be very hard to get anything in court for pain and suffering, I think.

lotocats · 11-27-2005, 08:54 PM

Thanks to all of you for your kind words. They absolutely help during this very difficult time.

I've known this vet for all 17 years that he's been in business. He and I go way back. I knew he was "slipping", but it never became apparent in his surgical skills. I noticed he didn't like to handle chronic illnesses and things like that. However, I never doubted his surgical ability. I consciously put my baby in his hands like all my others because I trusted him.

I'm angry and hurt by what he did her. I don't want to hurt him, but I want him to compensate me for all the money I spent trying to figure out why she was ill and every penny I spent at his hospital to get her spayed, vaccinated, etc.

I did research and courts don't compensate for pain and suffering for an animal or its' owner. I could get lucky and go before a judge who is an animal lover, but that's a long shot.

I'm going to pick up her record tomorrow and have the vet who made the discovery document his findings on paper. Then I'll approach the vet who did this. If he doesn't want to pay the little I ask for to compensate me for his mistake then I'll get an attorney and take him to court. Actually where I live I could just take him to small claims court and I don't even need an attorney. The fact that I'll have the gauze that was pulled out of her and the docment from the vet who pulled it out of her dead body, should be enough. the vet actually look at her insides to show me the damage it did.

I am of the belief that all things happen for a reason and good always comes out of pain. I pray this experience will finally open his eyes and make him realize he shouldn't be practicing medicine anymore and hopefully it will wake up a lot of vets who right this minute are being careless and rushing or just aren't paying attention because they are bored with their work.

I don't want my little Angel to have died in vain.

Thanks again for all your kindness.

Ianthe · 11-28-2005, 12:52 AM

Absolutely. Of course, you deserve to be compensated for the mone this has cost you, but even if you were not going to get a penny, I think it would still be worthwhile, because he would have a record of being sued and it may pervent someone else from going through this heartbreak.

kittycatlover · 12-07-2005, 05:22 PM

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. We had something similar happen, and also investigated whether or not we could sue, but the courts all consider our babies to be "property" and will not reward any monies. However, we did report this vet to the State Veterinary Board, and they are investigating.
Our situation did not include a kitty, but our son's Yorkie puppy. He was just a year old. The vet told him his teeth needed to be cleaned, and since we are supposed to TRUST the medical field, we agreed. "Buddy" went in with 100 percent good health. Six hours later when we went to pick him up, he seemed a little extra sleepy and wobbly. They just told us it was the anesthesia wearing off. Unfortunately, it got worse and worse, until the next day he started having seizures. I'm an RN, but it was SCARY! We took him right back to the vet, but they had no clue (so they say) what was happening. Fortunately, we have a veterinary specialists hospital close by, so we whisked him there, seizing all the way. What an awful experience. They also had no clue, but treated him as best as they could, until that night they had to euthanize the poor baby, 36 hours after he was in perfect health. We did elect for an autopsy, and it was shocking what they found. Apparently his brain was deprived of oxygen for too long. They concluded that the original vet did not monitor the proper oxygen levels during surgery. What could we say?
So our bottom line is....really trust your vet, and brush your own animal's teeth!

siamesecat · 12-08-2005, 07:00 PM

Other than the compensation - which you say isn't of importance to you, you should think of all the animals who are still being treated by this vet. Let that guide you in your decision. Even though you have a relationship with him, you also mentioned that he is "slipping". He really shouldn't be practicing medicine anymore then. He aparently loves animals or he wouldn't have become a vet but I am really concerned about "slips" that may happen in the future with other beloved animals.

11-26-2005, 02:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
lotocats Tom Cat Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 497	Surgiacal guaze left in after surgery I found out why my cat Freckles was so deathly ill. Unfortunatley I found out too late. She died because the vet who performed her spay left surgical gauze in her. I have of this happening to humans, but am shocked to have it happen to one of my babies. One of my very special babies. She was only 7 months old and had been spayed 3 months ago. Has anyone else had this horrible experience?

11-26-2005, 04:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
vicki Cat Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Newcastle upon-tyne, UK Posts: 228	oh my god, im so sorry for your loss. was your cat speyed midline? the only reason i ask is that here in the uk we spey flank and the hole is barely big enough to get a finger in never mind gauze! it could possibly have been placed into the abdomen during a midline spey but i find it difficult to believe the vet didnt notice it, there isnt a lot of room inside a cat with all the other body parts. but i do know that omentum, the fat in the abdo, sometimes 'grabs' things and wraps them up within itself.......anyway im sorry, that probably doesnt make a difference to you..... once again im so sorry you have had to go through this experiance. __________________ Animal Art By Vicki

12-08-2005, 07:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
siamesecat Tom Cat Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 315	Other than the compensation - which you say isn't of importance to you, you should think of all the animals who are still being treated by this vet. Let that guide you in your decision. Even though you have a relationship with him, you also mentioned that he is "slipping". He really shouldn't be practicing medicine anymore then. He aparently loves animals or he wouldn't have become a vet but I am really concerned about "slips" that may happen in the future with other beloved animals. __________________ =^..^= Micah, Levi & Jake =^..^= http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

11-26-2005, 02:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cat Daddy Cat Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,980	No, but the Vet did completely miss what should of been a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in my cat. Got a second opinoin a week later and after learning about it, I can't see how the symptoms were overlooked. You must be very angry and sad. I hope you can find some peace for yourself though it is to late for your poor girl Freckles. I was really angry and thought I would never go back but then realized I had a higher calling to teach the Vet so it wouldn't be a missed diagnosis for the next cat. It ended up he gave me a good price for the thyroid medicine. I still though lawsuit, but tempered myself, and hopefully that was the right solution.

11-26-2005, 05:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ianthe Premier Cat Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 5,157	Oh my God....I am so sorry. If it were my cat, I would sue.

11-27-2005, 05:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	I second that. I would look at where you stand from a legal point of view. It's a lot harder to get anywhere in the veterinary world than human medicine, but at the end of the day veterinary negligence led to the death of your kitten. If you can get some compensation, you should try. I know it doesn't make anything easier nor does it bring her back, but the vet deserves to be hit where it hurts - his pocket. Oh, and in the US, it is 'normal' for cats to be speyed midline.

11-27-2005, 07:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
allissa Jr. Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 68	Unfortunately, cats are considered property. Thus, it would be very hard to get anything in court for pain and suffering, I think.

11-27-2005, 08:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
lotocats Tom Cat Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 497	Thanks to all of you for your kind words. They absolutely help during this very difficult time. I've known this vet for all 17 years that he's been in business. He and I go way back. I knew he was "slipping", but it never became apparent in his surgical skills. I noticed he didn't like to handle chronic illnesses and things like that. However, I never doubted his surgical ability. I consciously put my baby in his hands like all my others because I trusted him. I'm angry and hurt by what he did her. I don't want to hurt him, but I want him to compensate me for all the money I spent trying to figure out why she was ill and every penny I spent at his hospital to get her spayed, vaccinated, etc. I did research and courts don't compensate for pain and suffering for an animal or its' owner. I could get lucky and go before a judge who is an animal lover, but that's a long shot. I'm going to pick up her record tomorrow and have the vet who made the discovery document his findings on paper. Then I'll approach the vet who did this. If he doesn't want to pay the little I ask for to compensate me for his mistake then I'll get an attorney and take him to court. Actually where I live I could just take him to small claims court and I don't even need an attorney. The fact that I'll have the gauze that was pulled out of her and the docment from the vet who pulled it out of her dead body, should be enough. the vet actually look at her insides to show me the damage it did. I am of the belief that all things happen for a reason and good always comes out of pain. I pray this experience will finally open his eyes and make him realize he shouldn't be practicing medicine anymore and hopefully it will wake up a lot of vets who right this minute are being careless and rushing or just aren't paying attention because they are bored with their work. I don't want my little Angel to have died in vain. Thanks again for all your kindness.

11-28-2005, 12:52 AM	#8 (permalink)
Ianthe Premier Cat Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 5,157	Absolutely. Of course, you deserve to be compensated for the mone this has cost you, but even if you were not going to get a penny, I think it would still be worthwhile, because he would have a record of being sued and it may pervent someone else from going through this heartbreak.

12-07-2005, 05:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
kittycatlover Jr. Cat Join Date: May 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 39	I am so sorry to hear of your loss. We had something similar happen, and also investigated whether or not we could sue, but the courts all consider our babies to be "property" and will not reward any monies. However, we did report this vet to the State Veterinary Board, and they are investigating. Our situation did not include a kitty, but our son's Yorkie puppy. He was just a year old. The vet told him his teeth needed to be cleaned, and since we are supposed to TRUST the medical field, we agreed. "Buddy" went in with 100 percent good health. Six hours later when we went to pick him up, he seemed a little extra sleepy and wobbly. They just told us it was the anesthesia wearing off. Unfortunately, it got worse and worse, until the next day he started having seizures. I'm an RN, but it was SCARY! We took him right back to the vet, but they had no clue (so they say) what was happening. Fortunately, we have a veterinary specialists hospital close by, so we whisked him there, seizing all the way. What an awful experience. They also had no clue, but treated him as best as they could, until that night they had to euthanize the poor baby, 36 hours after he was in perfect health. We did elect for an autopsy, and it was shocking what they found. Apparently his brain was deprived of oxygen for too long. They concluded that the original vet did not monitor the proper oxygen levels during surgery. What could we say? So our bottom line is....really trust your vet, and brush your own animal's teeth!

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