I have now had a month to dwell on this and I am still seething.
Some of you may be aware that my young pup (not my main breed but still a sled dog),broke his femur at the end of October.He had it pinned and plated,and after lots of apprehension after loosing Silvana last year during a G.A and same vet,he did remarkably well.Never a grumble despite a heavy dressing and complete crate rest.My concern was that the vet gave him a GA twice a week to change the dressings and inspect the wounds.I repeatedly questioned this as I thought it was frankly over the top,but the vet and staff said it was necessary,despite my pup being soo laid back and accepting of his treatment.My first concern was the cost of his treatment,he is insured,but all the same the bills mounted to almost £250 twice a week for dressing changes and over £450 if an x ray was carried out.Even charging per minute for putting on the bandages.My insurance company Agria(Kennel club) paid directly usually within 5 working days which I thought was brilliant of them.The vets put a claim in after each visit.
However my concerns continued.When I initially took my pup to the vets after he fractured his NOF,the vet banged on about an overshot jaw and he would need teeth removed at a later stage.Glad to have my pup back and eager to get him home I nodded and left.When I got home I was alittle perplexed,he has a lovely scissor bite(breed standard),and I again checked as did my O.H and he was going to ringcraft reguarly and his teeth was checked many a time.
About 3 weeks later I had a phone call from the practice manager asking for payment as the insurace company had mistakenly paid the money staight into my account.I said I would have to check with the insurance company and bank and if this was the case I would be up as soon as I could with the money.The insurance company confirmed this but warned me it could take 5 working days to clear.I immeadiately rang the vets and explained that as I was loking after my baby grand daughter I couldn't leave her as she was in her cot but would go to my local branch on Monday(it was Thurs afternoon and I work fri to Sunday)and pay by cash if the money was in my account.She said this would be fine.However a little while later she rang back to say the vet wanted the money NOW and if I didn't pay then she would not treat my pup the following day(dressing change etc).This made me so angry as did my other half.I had to leave my Grand daughter with my other daughter and drive into town.I then paid deliberately issuing a cheque.This would take a few days to clear if they waited until monday they would have had cash and received funds more quickly.
The following week when he was at the vets I had a phone call to say he caught his leg in his kennel and needed another x ray.(more cost) the x ray was fine and he was due back on monday to have his dressings removed for good.Oh I forgot to add that after 3 weeks the pin came out and he had another op to remove this and the plate.
When he had the dressings removed it was horrendous.His femur was completely smashed in the same place despite starting to calcify and he had a new fracture above his ankle.Fearing a congenital/bone issue he was reffered to a vetenary orthopeadic surgeon at the local hospital - ironically my old vets when we had GSDs.He  checked the x rays and felt that as his bone density was good he couldn't see any issues,though he took blood samples to check.
We agreed a care plan where he would pin and plate both fractures.He said dressings were completely unnecessary and he didn't require crate rest,just light exercise.For the fractured femur he quoted me £1400.My vet had already charged £4200.(I still had to pay 10% of the claim,my excess and he had £5000 annual cover per condition).But thankfully the specialist thought it was easily operable and the prognosis was good.
However that evening I had a phone call to say that my pup had a severe quadriceps contracture and the prongnosis was extremely poor.This was pulling on his leg making it impossible for him to straighten it and caused the 'stress' fractures.He had to choices -to euthanise or amputation.Well after my emotional melt down we decided to amputated.The vet couldn't comment on the record,but bad positioning for the last 6 weeks could have caused the contracture.Thankfully my pupster has made a brilliant recovery.But I am still concerned and angry.I should have known better than to go back to the same vets after Silvana.The same vet had to take 2 attempts on my older Mal when I had his hips scored as the BVA couldn't read the original ones.
I am considering contacting the BVA but have had mixed responses from friends as they feel that they will 'stick together' but I would hate for someone else to go through the same.
Hasten to add that my 10 dogs have been registered at a different vets.
Jude x

have had mixed responses from friends as they feel that they will 'stick together'
That may be true but if they receive 10 complaints then the cumulative effect must kick in! :(
Sounds like a horrendous experience. :(

I mentioned my concerns to the insurance company,after all its mostly their money,but the said it is up to me to make a complaint.Jude

Have you complained to, or questioned the vet direct?  I'd be inclined to do this first and take it subject by subject

Teeth - I might just ask why they felt it necessary to check and advise upon another procedure when the pup was being treated for a different and unrelated condition

Payment - I would complain about the aggressive action to get the funds from you when you have no prior history (I'd guess) of non payment and it was clearly an error

Treatment - this is the bit where it's worth taking your time to detail your concerns.  I'd also be keen to know why they felt GA was necessary each time, what were the other options and why did they reject them?   Do you have copies of the xrays at home or are these still with the vet?

Before you write the complaint ask for a full print-out detailing your pups treatment.  Tell the vet that you need it for a discussion with the insurer.  At least this way you'll have an unedited copy should you wish to take the case further.  So sorry to read of your situation and it's very sad for your pup - I must admit to being relieved at the end to read that he OK though, and doing very well.  I thought the tale was going to have a teary ending :)  Good luck

I mentioned my concerns to the insurance company
The Royal College Veterinary Surgeons is the place to contact if you are not happy with a Vets' treatment. :)

I would request a copy of your dog's history from both the original vet and the second one, put your side of the story in writing (concerns about so many GAs rather than sedation, the aggressive demand for payment etc) and submit both with a complaint to the RCVS.

As in human medicine, things don't always go smoothly or have the desired outcome, but your poor dog seems to have been put through unnecessary procedures which weren't in his best interest.

Both myself and my husband voiced my concerns directly to the vets and to the practice manager.I have been with this practice for the last 4 years,choosing this practice because it was a new fledgling practice,the vet was previously a vet nurse at my original practice and trained to become a vet and was close by it I needed emergency treatment.
I have always paid at the time of treatment,which up to now(apart from Silvana) has been routine eg boosters,hip scores,etc.
I was going to send copy of all corespondence to the RCS.
I have also heard of other unhappy clients,one of which is going to court according to a friend.

I was going to send copy of all corespondence to the RCS.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is the way to go with as much evidence as possible.

As others have suggested. Put all your paperwork together and contact the RCVS. I think you'll find you'll be taken very seriously and there is no 'sticking together' once an official complaint has been made. It has to be investigated and it has to be investigated fully.

i think the rcvs only deal with professional misconduct.

£250 to change dressings seems pretty fair, i paid £80 a time for a cat several years ago and yes things go wrong when we choose to give animals this kind of treatment.

I'm so gald that I live in Scotland.

My bitch has been at the vet all day after an accident this morning. She badly gashed a front leg just above her foot, the muscle was cut through, but luckily the tendons are intact.
She has had GA, stitching, dressing, antibiotics and basic follow up treatment is included (unless she chews and needs anything major doing) total bill £160

£250 for changing a bandage my god are they made of gold thats a rip off big time when they only cost about £2-5 pounds to buy yourself my bitches c-section cost less

>i think the rcvs only deal with professional misconduct.

Bumping up bills unnecessarily because they're covered by insurance comes under that category. £250 to change bandages is pretty steep.

Jude. I am so sorry to hear of your pups problems at the vets and it's outcome, not surprised you're seething I would that and alot more.  As others have said would definitely follow up with a complaint to the RCVS, treatment  seems less than professional.  Demanding immediate payment 'Now' when on the one occasion insurance money paid into your account, the need to put in a claim every week? I like you would have been questioning the need for a GA twice a week, the need to mention sugery require for teath. Appalling.
Dog insurance can give peace of mind but being a sceptical sort of person it all also allows 'some' vets to suggest alot of unnecessary treatment/procedures. Go with how you feel, not how friends do, it's not their pup and treatment questionable. Best wishes.

along with a GA ? imo of course..

> I am considering contacting the BVA but have had mixed responses from friends as they feel that they will 'stick together'

Jude,

I'm not sure that it's predominantly a case of closing ranks but more having hands tied... as was confessed by the BVA during a recent TV documentary on a franchise of Vets practices in North London Boroughs.
   By happy chance a friend of mine was a  researcher on that tv prog, I will email her for you Jude and see if she has any ideas of how to go about this (tips etc) I'll pm you.

I absolutely think you should follow this up, not least becuase you know deep down your gut feeling is you want to and its going to gnaw away til you do! But I would like to see this practice Culpable.

*Passes large Gin!* x

> £250 to change dressings seems pretty fair

It seems a ridiculous price for a dressing change! It cost me a bit less than that to have a giant breed pup xrayed (7 plates) and that included an orthapedic specialist report.

along with a GA ? imo of course..
A sedative maybe but a GA shouldn't be necessary to change a dressing. :(

>along with a GA ?

Definitely. That's more than a spay, which is a much more time-consuming and risky procedure. Sedation, which is cheaper, safer and quicker, should be the most that's needed for a bandage change.

westcoast, i agree but a vet will think up an clever answer for doing so, its hard to complain and win. as i mentioned my cat earlier, i had excactly the same as the OP it so difficult.
no harm in trying but i dont think the op's going to get anywhere going by whats written.

£250 to change dressings seems pretty fair,

I think if you re-read the post you'll pick up that it's a bit more than the cost of changing a bandage that the OP is concerned about ... and indeed I would be.

yes - this what alot of vets do!

so in effect your pup lost his leg due to negligence of this vet and his staff id bloody sue them

> i think the rcvs only deal with professional misconduct.
>
>

This may be of interest.

Jude, it is not easy to make a complaint to the RCVS but please do. Unfortunately I have been through the procedure when a friend lost her young bitch due to (in my opinion) the Vets negligence and lack of care and found the RCVS not a lot of good but I believe you would not rest if you didn't take the complaint forward. From your story I would say that the Vets have been thoroughly negligent and have definitely overcharged. One of my girls broke her leg at 13 weeks old (many years ago) and because she was young, the bandages kept slipping as her muscle tone deteriorated rapidly. My Vet only ever sedated her and she would be back home in a hour. Why your dog had to have a GA everytime astounds me and to now have lost a leg is shocking. Definitely make a complaint to the RCVS but check on their website about procedure. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Also try this group.

rights4petsatvets.co.uk