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Date Posted: 22:42:06 10/13/03 Mon
Author: Rebecca Konz
Subject: Vet "killed" my baby (Old English Mastiff

I am writing you in hopes you can help me, or lead me to someone who can. I live in Toledo, Ohio. My name is Rebecca and here is my dilemma. On August 21st 2003, I took my 3yr old
Mastiff, named Disney, to my Vet to have her spayed. I had waited on spaying
her because I was debating on breeding her. I decided the responsible thing
to do, and best interest for Disney health wise was to spay her. It had taken
this long to spay her due to lack of timing (either she was going into heat
or recuperating). Well on Thursday, Aug.21st 2003, my husband dropped her off
at the Vet to undergo her surgery. She was healthy and happy and this
surgery was done in best interest to avoid future health problems (example:
Breast cancer). That day at noon I called to see how she was doing. I was
told she was in surgery and doing fine to call back in an hour. I did so. I
was told she was out of surgery and waking up and doing well. I was told to
call at three o'clock to see if and when I could take her home. That day I
had errands to run. I was in the area so instead of calling I dropped by the
Vet's office. When I arrived I was pulled into a room and the Doctor told me
that Disney was in critical condition. I asked what happened. She told
me "I don't know", and that Disney was back on the operating table. She was
having an emergency surgery. She, the doctor, told me the initial surgery
when "quite well", and that at three o'clock they check her gums and that
they were pale so they ran some blood work. She said her blood count was really low
but within the normal range. She said they check her blood count at four
and that her blood count was "dangerously low". She had called on another
Doctor to help find out what was going on. She did state there was a little
leakage from her incision, but that was normal. So Disney was in surgery as
she talked to me. She told me that if she pulled through that they would
need me to drive her to a 24hour emergency veterinarian so, that they could
watch her through the night. She said she needed me because no one there had
a vehicle big enough to transport her. I called home to tell my family what
was going on. I prayed that she would pull through. Disney is my baby. She
just had to pull through. Just as I hung up the phone and returned to the
room I was in the Doctor came in and told me that "we lost her". I begged
her to tell me in was a mistake. Disney was o.k. She said she was 'so
sorry'. I couldn't believe it. This was supposed to be a routine
procedure. What happened? I asked her what went wrong. She told me she
didn't know. She told me she would consult with the other doctor to see what
happen. She said, " maybe he (the other doctor, the one that performed the emergency surgery) would be able to answer some of my questions". She left the room to find him. She returned to the room stating that he had gone home. How could he have left with out talking to us first? Again I asked what happened. Again, she
answered "I don't know". My baby was gone. I trusted them to take care of her. I trusted them to do the right thing. She died for no good reason,
NOTHING was wrong with her when she was dropped off. NOTHING! How could
this happen?
The next day I called and spoke to the doctor to find out what happen. She
told me that a stitch "pulled through” where she took out an ovary. Disney
bled to death! I asked how could this happen and why did it take so long to
recognize the problem? She then told me it may have happened because of her
age and because she was over weight. She weighed 150lbs. Female mastiffs
weigh in the range of 130 to 160 pounds. She was not overweight. The
doctors never told me that she was overweight. I then asked if that was the
case why didn't you warn me that this would be a high-risk procedure since
she was overweight and "old". She then stated " because she was a perfect
candidate for the surgery", and that "she wasn't that old”. I had asked if
they had given her a transfusion. She told me that they do not have blood
available for emergencies. What! No blood on hand. She told me they gave
her IV's but, it didn't help. She bled to death. I trusted her to take
care of her, to do what was best. But she took Disney away for me and my
family needlessly. How can you do a surgery with no blood on hand? No one
will help legally because she was a dog. I'm not into this for monetary
reasons. What I want I can’t have. I want Disney back. I don't want this
to happen to somebody else. I don't want her to die in vain. I want the
doctor's to be held accountable for their actions or lack of actions in
Disney's case. After her letting die, taking her from me, the Veterinarians
sent me the bill. Could you please help me...please?! Help me stop this
from happening again. Disney wasn't my dog. She was a member of my family.
She was my baby; my "furry daughter" and I miss her dearly. Any help would
be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Konz

Please contact me at
Snohhwhite@att.net


P.S. I believe that the Doctor's had Disney's best interest at heart. I
also know that Doctor's are human too, and mistakes happen. I know through
my own research that is not uncommon not to have blood or a donor dog on
hand. But I don't want this to happen to someone else. I don't want her to
have died in vain. I also have to admit I feel that it felt like an insult
after injury when they sent me the bill. My Disney is gone, and it could
have been prevented. Please help me. In her memory, I would like to see that donor dogs would be on site in case of an emergency. I would also like to see the practice of having a collar or choker (as it was in Disney’s case. I went in the surgery room to say good by when I saw her choker on her) off of the animals during surgery or in the handling cage. Disney only had her choker on if she was to be walked.

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