LS1 KLR

iTrader: (2)

Yesterday my ferret caught himself in between his cage and the cage door....when I realized that (happened between 2am - 8am) I got him out and he wasn't looking too well off...still breathing and alert but not moving too much...

My wife took him to an emergency vet on Sunday and I was surprised to hear that everything was "ok" and that he should be fine...they did an examination, took xrays, and prescribed some meds....

Well..."thank god" was what I was thinking...so I told my 3 year old son everything was ok and the doctor had fixed him up...

Well this morning we wake up to find out our ferret had died....and my son is heartbroke!

This really pissed me off!

It's not a money issue at all....I would of rather been told that maybe there was a 50/50 chance or maybe that the vet should of kept him to observe him overnight or something...I'm not a vet so I'm not quite sure how it works but to me it sounds like he was "rushed" thru the process...

We had a vet bill over $300! I just want to know if anyone here has something similar happen to them...

I am going to call the vet tomorrow and see but would like to be armed with some info....

I sure as hell know if a doctor sends someone home and says everything will be fine and that person ends up dying the next day there will be a lawsuit filed!

Thanks!
Paul

ls1 joe

iTrader: (37)

If that happened to Mercedes (Amber and Myselfs Beagle Mix) we would both think of it like loosing a child. Amber said to call a pharmacy and check the medication they gave the ferrat. Maybe there were side effects of the drugs that cause the problem. We always check that as some of the side effects are like human drugs and can cause breathing problems, drowsiness and so on.

PS: Call me sometime and we can go to lunch. The RSI VS HMS crowd

Joe

Josh McGrath

iTrader: (4)

well, at the very least I would tell them you were told he was okay and because he died after that, you shouldn't have to pay the bill...at the very least

CRAGER

Damn Paul, very sorry to hear that man!

If you still have the little guy maybe you can take him up there and bitch to them. Just see what they say, thats what I'd do.


Good luck buddy,
Craig.

LS1 KLR

iTrader: (2)

Thanks guys...yeah..I'll see what they say...It was just hard to explain to my son what happened and why!

Joe - lunch sounds good! I'll give you a call sometime!

Paul

sleek silverado

iTrader: (2)

Well me being a vet tech can tell you that doctors are not always right. Secondly, there could have been underlying causes of why this happened, such as internal bleeding. If you can prove malpractice, i guess you could sue. But it probably would not do you any good. There could have been other reasons why your ferret died besides the injury from the cage. Exotics are not as easy as a cat or a dog. Anyway, sorry to hear the loss of you ferret.

FynAsFmle21

Well I work for a Veterinary Radiologist as a Technician, I can tell you that most Veterinarians don't know what they are talking about. I have worked with a specialist for four years now and can tell you some horrible stories about clients being referred over to us because their vet was ignorant. Ask to borrow or have copies of the x-rays made to you and ask them to send them to a Veterinarian Radiologist to see what was actually wrong. The veterinarian won't be offended if he is a professional since it's a specialist opinion. It only cost a Veterinarian $35 dollars to get the opinion. If you want you can send them to my doc, I can only give you his name though, Charlie B. Quick at the Houston Veterinary Radiology Clinic; let your vet know so they can send it there. That way you can tell your son what was actually wrong.

SuperSam

iTrader: (7)

Sorry to hear about your loss, hope you can get some answers.

LS1 KLR

iTrader: (2)

UPDATE and good news!

I had a necropsy done on my ferret and found out the cause of death. The vet that saw my ferret definitely missed a lot of damage.

I am getting most of my money back now! But the main thing I wanted was to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else...its bad when you're "misled" to believe everything is "okay" and it really isn't!

Thanks for your support guys!

Paul

AgFormula02

iTrader: (13)

There is only one emergency clinic in Houston that I think is worth a flip, and that is Gulf Coast off 610. Is that were you went?
An Exotic animal should have been referred to a exotic practitioner. Many vets have no experience with exotics, specially the one's at emergency clinics. Also, radiographs need to be reviewed by someone who knows what they are looking at. The latest technology allows them as well as ultrasounds to be reviewed by places like A&M and UC Davis the same day by specialists.
Not all Vets can do everything. For exotics, as for a vet that is a diplomate in exotics and radiographs should be reviewed only by DACVRs.

628soon

Wish I would have known that bro, I just sold my two with a bad *** three tier cage for 200 bucks,I could've helped you save the day, and btw I am sorry for your loss.Hope it all works out.