My Cat Kitten was blinded because of a bad veternarian overdosing her with Baytril

kittens mom · Dec 9, 2015

Thank you all so much. I understand how the process works. Anyone doing due diligence on a new veterinarian will check out the SVB where they live. Which is one of the first things I did. Like a lot of crimes veterinary malpractice is a foot dragger from the get go. I've seen horse doping cases not even get a slap. The real punishment came from the breed organizations barring them from participating in showing, training etc. This case is so glaring in light of what happened to Kitten but also all the mitigating factors surround it. This is a very small town. If the impact of what she caused hasn't hit it will.

Our best course as suggested is small claims. Which we will likely pursue if we can't get some type of reasonable satisfaction after January 10th. It took a lot out of me to go through her medical records today while all this is still raw to get those letters out. Really we're just trying to survive. Our own guilt , misplaced or not is nearly unbearable at times. I can't even see the screen through the tears. My little girl is a box of ashes because of this woman. And we have had to accept that even in small claims we may never see one bit of justice for our little cat. Meanwhile the veterinarian at the heart of it like most criminals in this country has more protection than the victims. And if it's your pet you are likely going to be on your own to seek any justice. You are only a pet parent in advertising via the pet industry. Legally you have very few options.

kittens mom · Dec 9, 2015

I have cleared all the paperwork, medical records etc from my desk. Unless I hear from the vet , lawyer or the SVB until after the first of the year I really need to let this rest for a few weeks. It might be a really good idea to try and have some type of holiday joy here. After all Mercy will only see garland as a baby for the first and only time this year. No they don't get to play unsupervised. I have another cat that has been playing with me all night now. A new baby that needs to normalize into our home. Hopefully all of this will be less painful and raw given a few weeks to heal over. As a couple we need to just have a few weeks of peace. It's not trying to forget Kitten or push her out of minds but rather to let the natural process of grieving to play out without having to constantly be angry over this veterinarian.

kittens mom · Dec 11, 2015

While doing some searching on the internet I came across the complaint form you can send to our states Attorney General. While it's a bit far reaching it's not entirely without merit to send in a complaint and the paperwork associated with this since my little cat is now dead. I am also going to send a copy of all this to the office of the Governor of the state with a cover letter and a plea for some help in resolving this.

The next step is to hire the lawyer we have spoken to after they review the veterinary records. And may help us find someone willing to take the case for a modest fee.

We asked this woman for under 1000 dollars which does not really cover the damage but we felt was well calculated amount that would allow us to settle. So instead of just cutting a check she went straight to the lawyer card.

I may get the door slammed on me in my endeavors. but we only have to get the right person to listen. There is more reason that not to believe that Kittens demise was set in motion by her lousy thoughtless treatment than not. Cause and effect.

BTW I am not a nutjob I'm an angry pet owner that took a cat with a cold to the vet and ended up with a blinded cat and ultimately a box of ashes with her footprints and name stamped on it.

It should be noted that the day we took her in to the ER the first time the vets agreed she was not in need of another antibiotic as her lungs were clear and she had no nasal discharge. So if this woman wants to play the near death card she's going to have a hard time getting that wet ball of crap to fly very well.

My husband really brought this home while he was venting. We debated taking Mook in as she had a cold but whipped it right away . What if this sub standard treatment had been visited on both our pets. Left with two blind cats. Two dead cats.

I found a way to file a complaint through the BBB it's backhanded but valid. It will also play a part in making the complaint to the AG valid.

Of course the we could just come to a reasonable sum to settle for and let the process of the SVB ride it's course.

This is a case where the devil may very well be in the details.

margd · Dec 11, 2015

Is there anywhere you can leave an on-line review, like Yelp? Businesses take those reviews very seriously and you would be doing other pet owners a service by publicizing substandard care.

It is very strange this vet did not just acknowledge the error as soon as you brought it to her attention and reimburse you for the requested vet bills. You have her dead to rights on the overdose. By brushing you off, she has only caused you to look even closer at her shoddy practices, which is not to her advantage. Plus she has the legal costs which will almost certainly far exceed $1000 by the time she's through.

I sure hope you get some positive movement on this soon.

kittens mom · Dec 11, 2015

Margd said:
Is there anywhere you can leave an on-line review, like Yelp? Businesses take those reviews very seriously and you would be doing other pet owners a service by publicizing substandard care.

It is very strange this vet did not just acknowledge the error as soon as you brought it to her attention and reimburse you for the requested vet bills. You have her dead to rights on the overdose. By brushing you off, she has only caused you to look even closer at her shoddy practices, which is not to her advantage. Plus she has the legal costs which will almost certainly far exceed $1000 by the time she's through.

I sure hope you get some positive movement on this soon.

Oh yes , several. And I will. Initially I didn't because we were hoping that by not doing that and keeping this between the vet and ourselves would help facilitate a settlement. And yes. Initially we let a lot of things go. Going back and even reading my complaint to the SVB revealed numerous counts of sub standard care and behavior. A normal veterinarian would have appalled at this mistake and paid for whatever reasonable treatment we wanted for Kitten. I sent her lawyer a picture of the RX bottles. That alone with nothing else makes the case for her responsibility in this. I have sent the same information to the SVB along with a veterinarian , two actually ascribing the cause of Kittens vision loss to the overdose.

I had really wanted to leave this stuff until after the holidays so It doesn't get lost in the pile. And I probably won't send them until after Jan 1. On Dec 10 I gave her and her lawyer 30 days to respond with the requested information. I also sent the same packet to the SVB. If I don't hear back we'll file in small claims by Jan 15, 2016. Might as well get the case in the queue.

I'm not posting this thread for sympathy or support. I am sharing my journey and learning curve on negotiating this kind of situation. I am not the first or the last person who will have this kind of grief dumped on their doorstep and left trying to figure out how to get some form of justice.

kittens mom · Dec 16, 2015

While it's important to not let a legal case linger or delay filing there is much to be said about taking a step back and returning to the beginning and running through tangible evidence. The veterinarian in this case didn't even dispense the drugs in a manner complaint AMVA. Considering how hard it is to get justice in these cases a lot can hinge on the details. Crossing T's and dotting your I's might make the difference between nailing the bad veterinarian and seeing them skip off with a smirk to continue their bad behavior.

kittens mom · Dec 20, 2015

So the reply from the SVB indicated they don't keep records of any malpractice insurance she might have and that I can only file a complaint with them if the people I indicated in numbered invoices are registered with the state. I'd like to think someone dispensing medication and calculating a dosage was not just someone off the street. I have demand their names from the vets office. I have no idea if they have to comply. I guess if she refuses to reveal who she has working for her and their professional capacity /training that will simply be another cause for action. They did send me more forms so it's not like I'm being brushed off. Luckily most of the paperwork I'm going to have to put together works for the SVB, the complaint to the AG and for small claims. Very early on Baytril was shown to have negative effects on a cats vision. The standard dose is on every label no matter what the size. So finding much to support this vet being the cause of death simply doesn't exist. We are going to rely on cause and effect. Cat had simple URI and was overdosed , blindness and just under three months later became ill and had to be euthanized. So our case has two tiers. One is the absolute fault of the vet for overdosing her and causing harm. The second is the circumstantial evidence that the overdose caused unnoticed harm at the time that later resulted in her death. Three months is hardly a stretch if you consider how well animals hide their illness and the simple fact that some behaviors were simply attributed to her loss of vision. My husband says he doesn't care about the money we spent. Neither do I. We'd do it again in a heartbeat on the off chance she might make it in a do over. However it is the only way to actually exact a pound of flesh for what we lost. Obtaining some form of justice isn't fun. You have to constantly rehash what happened over and over to make sure every detail is covered.

Again I hope this vet has found this online and is reading. We don't have any devious strategy. Just the truth of what happened. And this seems to be one of those rare cases in veterinary malpractice where the owners of the animal victim have tangible evidence of the wrong doing. Feel free to make an offer to settle. People who have the mindset you do will out themselves without any help from us. All that is happening now is the deepening of our anger towards you.

Once again we brought our sick cat to you and under the VCPR. We followed your directions as vague as they were and it resulted in the death of our Kitten. You Madam are not the victim here. Our pet was and by association us.

kittens mom · Dec 23, 2015

So it now appears this dim wit vet is not releasing BabyMooks records to the pet insurance company. You have to admire this woman . Keep shoveling darling. I stood there and asked you not only to correct Kittens age the day we came in for the URI but to correct BabyMooks name since you had it listed as Baby Luke. I certainly hope we aren't playing with semantics here. You're going to need a bigger shovel. Maybe a backhoe if you aren't keeping records to send.

We're on the second request now. Chop chop.

margd · Dec 23, 2015

Kittens Mom said:
So it now appears this dim wit vet is not releasing BabyMooks records to the pet insurance company. You have to admire this woman . Keep shoveling darling. I stood there and asked you not only to correct Kittens age the day we came in for the URI but to correct BabyMooks name since you had it listed as Baby Luke. I certainly hope we aren't playing with semantics here. You're going to need a bigger shovel. Maybe a backhoe if you aren't keeping records to send.
We're on the second request now. Chop chop.

Sigh. I am so sorry you have to deal with petty vindictiveness on top of everything else. What a jerk.

zed xyzed · Dec 23, 2015

What a vile person that vet is, I hope you bury her and her practice. I respect you for standing your ground.

kittens mom · Dec 23, 2015

Margd said:
Sigh. I am so sorry you have to deal with petty vindictiveness on top of everything else. What a jerk.

Well if she won't release the records she has no right to keep the money from the exam does she. I have requested records and the insurance company has made two now. I'll simply print out my correspondence with the pet insurance and include that in the amended compliant. There are laws pertaining to the length of time a vet has to maintain records on a pet and the owners right to have a copy of them. I would call her office but since I've requested the names of certain employees I'm pretty sure I'd get no where. I don't have an email addy for the place. I might see if its listed somewhere.

I honestly believe this is why I continue to have such rough rotten days. I wish it wasn't necessary to pursue this mess. But I look at that little wooden box with a name and footprints on the top and know I don't have a choice. Mook is going to the VCA with Mercy first week of January for a wellness check for our own peace of mind. I have to thank the kind people at Embrace for working with me on this awkward situation and more sympathy for what happened to Kitten than the vet that hurt her.

margd · Dec 23, 2015

She absolutely has no right to retain the records. You're wise to include this in your complaint. This is no different from a medical doctor refusing to release records to your medical insurance. It's obstruction and should ultimately count against her. I just wish you didn't have to deal with all the stress and frustration and anger in the meantime!

kittens mom · Dec 23, 2015

Zed Xyzed said:
What a vile person that vet is, I hope you bury her and her practice. I respect you for standing your ground.

I wish she would have settled for the original vet bills. Even with the outcome being Kitten losing her life doubt I would drag myself and my husband through this sewage to try and get some form of justice. I'm a pacifist by nature. An odd personality for someone who lived in the trenches of horse rescue for so long. The best way has always been to get cooperation rather than attacking. So when I get pushed this far as my husband says. The back down button doesn't work anymore. The request for records was made over two weeks ago. I can find a file and attach it in less than a minute. Best guess there aren't any real notes.

kittens mom · Dec 23, 2015

Margd said:
She absolutely has no right to retain the records. You're wise to include this in your complaint. This is no different from a medical doctor refusing to release records to your medical insurance. It's obstruction and should ultimately count against her. I just wish you didn't have to deal with all the stress and frustration and anger in the meantime!

Margd. I really don't have much of a choice but to simply endure this do I. The only other option is to just drop it. I'm fully aware that none of this is going to bring back my Kitten Kitten Kittenlee ( high pitched sing song voice.) I just don't know what else to do.

margd · Dec 23, 2015

Kittens Mom said:
Margd. I really don't have much of a choice but to simply endure this do I. The only other option is to just drop it. I'm fully aware that none of this is going to bring back my Kitten Kitten Kittenlee ( high pitched sing song voice.) I just don't know what else to do.

Yes, I totally get that. I'd do the same thing. This incompetent should not get away with this. And Kitten (love your nicknames) deserves it.

kittens mom · Dec 23, 2015

Margd said:
Yes, I totally get that. I'd do the same thing. This incompetent should not get away with this. And Kitten (love your nicknames) deserves it.

My personal opinion. No veterinarian would make such a glaring mistake and then deny it and run to a lawyer unless there was much more going on. She didn't even counter offer. Just dived for the bunker. My husband suggested we pay for an extensive background check on her. Probably will. Just not in the mood to deal with that at the moment. I thought the issue with the medical records had been settled several weeks ago and there it was in my inbox this morning.

kittens mom · Dec 26, 2015

So It now appears on top of everything else this vet injected my cats with a 3 year rabies that most likely had an adjuvant in it. We had a long detailed and very specific discussion on the phone when I made the appointment that we wanted the three year that had been approved for felines without the ADJUVANT. Both Kitten and Mook were a year overdue because I refuse to vaccinate two housecats every year no matter how safe the vaccine was and I knew it was in the works. So I waited.

This was not some passing question to the vet. I was specific in not wanting any vaccine with an adjuvant for my cats. I mean seriously do I sound like a cat mommy that would be ok with my pets being injected with something that could give my cats cancer ???

margd · Dec 26, 2015

How did you find out about the adjuvant?

There is no excuse for ignoring you on this issue. It shows a callous disrespect for your concerns.

kittens mom · Dec 26, 2015

Margd said:
How did you find out about the adjuvant?

There is no excuse for ignoring you on this issue. It shows a callous disrespect for your concerns.

Current thread about vaccines on this site. I Know what I asked for so I just pulled out the paper with the tag on it and looked. I was beyond specific. If she hadn't said they had the right vaccine I would have never went there in the first place. I planned on this being the last vaccination of any kind Kitten would ever get. I sure wasn't going to shoot the dice on what was used. And of course now that crap was given to Mook also. This is starting to resemble the 9 levels of hell.

margd · Dec 26, 2015

I was just curious how you found out the vet had used the wrong vaccine because my records for Paul and Chula just show the lot number. I didn't know about the cancer link when my guys got their vaccinations so I am just hoping for the best.

Really hope Mook is okay. But grrrr that you have to even think about it.

My Cat Kitten was blinded because of a bad veternarian overdosing her with Baytril

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Chula and Paul's roommate

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Chula and Paul's roommate

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Chula and Paul's roommate

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Chula and Paul's roommate

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

Thread starter

Chula and Paul's roommate

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Chula and Paul's roommate