I just got back late last night from Fort Worth to visit my wife's family. My in laws have two cats, Wubbe and Dinky. My brother in law had flown in a couple of days before we got there, and he had noticed a lump on Dinky's jawline. Thinking it was a tumor, we made a vet appointment for Dinky on Thursday. On Thursday December 26, we took Dinky to the vet a 6:30pm. The vet diagnosed Dinky with a simple abcess. The vet then administered ketamine and lanced the abcess. He told us to take Dinky home and place her in a dark room, and that she'd wake up in an hour or so....then the wound would heal within 24 hours and Dinky would be just fine. We took her home and did exactly as the vet directed. When my mother in law went to go to sleep at 11:00pm, Dinky was dead. She apparently had a bad reaction to the sedative and suffered a pulmonary adema. I have since learned that the vet should NEVER have released Dinky while she was still under the effects of the medication. My in laws wish to report this act to the licensing board for vets. Does anybody know where I can find the appropriate information on how to do this? I don't want anybody else to lose a pet like this.
Sorry Man. Hope this helps. http://www.state.tx.us/tbvme/ Found this also from a dead page - got the google cache though.
I don't think she realizes it yet. Wubbe and Dinky were sisters actually from the same litter. Wubbe has never been without her sister. It will be an adjustment for all. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.
Probably...but the vet refunded the office visit money and is having her cremated...so no monetary damages. For me...this is about making sure the vet has to answer for his actions so that he'll be sure NEVER to make this error again.
Actually, this isn't as bad as I could've said. I really thought about this one before I posted. It could've been much "worse".
When you report this, make sure you put the time of the apointment because it seems like the vet was trying to get out the door - 6:30 is about the time my girlfriends vet closed. Sorry about the loss.
Would the cat still of died from the sedative irregardless of where the cat was? Seems likely. Sorry for your loss.
If the cat started to suffer a pulmonary adema, many things could have been done, including a simple adrenaline injection. It is possible the result would have been the same...but she at least would have had a chance. I understand where you're coming from though. Thanks for the condolences. Everybody has been great...it is appreciated.
If the cat was under observation, they might of had a chance to resuscitate it. There is ways to help a bad reaction to medicine.
Do you happen to know if ketamine was the only drug administered or if the vet used a cocktail of ketamine and another drug? The reason I ask is because guidelines that animal researchers follow expressly forbid them from using solely ketamine as an anesthetic while performing surgery. This is because ketamine is a paralytic agent with very few, if any, anesthetic properties. Anyway, my cats and I are very sorry for your and your in-laws' loss.
