I don't know if any of you remember me fostering the sick little GSD pup Merlin. He went to a friend of mine, and he has turned into such a beautiful boy. He had a problem with his right front leg and was referred to Noel Fitzpatrick who said he needed an operation to straighten his leg as his right front foot was turning out.

They had the op a few weeks back and have had nothing but trouble. I am very worried about the poor boy. They (owners) were given about 10 minutes to decide whether they wanted to have the op done (I wouldn't have had that, I would have said I wanted to go away and think about it) but they didn't. Since then the first bandage was flimsy, the vet techs have rebandaged the leg too tightly, causing the toes of the foot to be rubbed raw and bleeding and the leg to become swollen,  he has now got an infection in they think the joint, and Fitzpatrick himself is 'unavailable' to see them or Merlin, but they can see 'someone' else. There is no continuity of treatment. They expressed concern at a follow up a couple of weeks back that the leg doesn't 'look right' and the paw was 'floppy' and the surgeon that did the first follow up wasn't sure and said see how it is in 4 weeks. They suggested physio, which was needed 4 X per day, and which they wanted them to go there to do (a 100 mile round trip) plus, this is not included in the cost, it is on top. They couldn't do this, so they told them to do it at home. Now he has the infection in the leg, he cant even bear it to be touched so they cant do it (although they were religiously doing it).  They are really unhappy with the after care service and they (and I) are deeply worried about the outcome of this whole thing. They have used up their whole £7500 insurance already. It seems like a vast money making machine. I am so worried about him, and feel so sorry for him and them.

Can thier vet not help? I think the vet who did the op in the first place should have followed through with the after care. Mind you a friend of mine has had his dog in Langford vets for diagnostics on a stomach problem and they have faffed about doing nothing but giving her a drip and putting a scope down which told them nothing. It has been going on for a few months with her having a slight improvement then relapsing and has now cost them the whole of the insurance money and still she is no better and they are no closed to finding out the problem. Our local vet (MIne as well) has now decided with the owners consent to open her up and physically have a look. Worrying times for them and you. Is it really any wonder out insurances are going up when the "specialists" can get it so wrong at times. I know that sometimes these super specialists are very good but thier time is taken up with fancy surgery and the basic animal care is left to the team. Surely though if there is a problem they should make the time to see the patients.
Aileen

So sorry to hear this. Unfortunately some speciallists see insurance as a way to make money, I object when the vet asks if the dog is insured before starting treatment, that seems like an awful lot of money.

My Mum's dachsie was diagnosed and treated by the University Vet Centre for a Liver Shunt it,the pre op investigation/ care, surgery, post op care and follow up bloods for 6 months only came to just over £5,000, we always saw the chap who had operated on her, he couldn't find anyone in the country who had treated a dachsie for this condition so was eager to see how she got on, she was 9 back in May.

I think it is time for a second opinion, they shouldn't have been railroaded into making a decision, it wasn't a life and death situation after all, now it has gone seriously wrong due to mismanagement and inability to see a major problem leading to pain and suffering for the dog. Complain to who ever is in charge at the speciallist vets, you have been paying for speciallist care but not getting it,tell them the insurance has reached its limit due to the extra costs involved for treatment, don't know if the insurance company can be approached as to whether the costs have been excessive compared with their knowledge of similar conditions and treatment, you may get a refund or no further charge although I would be reluctant to take him back there.

I hope the infection settles and doesn't leave the leg worse than it was before.

I only know what I've seen on the tv program about Fitzpatrick, but from that he seemed very caring and driven, I'd be inclined to try to speak to him directly and put my concerns to him in person, I'd at least give him the chance to put things right.

She has tried to speak to him directly and was told after leaving her on hold that he was 'unavailable'.

She is also dealing with her own vet. He has currently got him on two lots of antibiotics and painkillers. She just doesn't know what to do for the best now. I don't know what's worse, sticking with a specialist and seeing someone different every time, or mixing her own vet and specialist and maybe doing conflicting things. If something goes seriously wrong, that can absolve Fitzpatricks entirely as they can blame her own vet for doing something different. I don't know.

Yes, he does seem very driven, and somehow that bothers me.  I have always thought his ethics good, but this is the second time I have heard that when things have gone wrong afterwards he didn't want to know.  Aftercare in these situations IMO is almost more important than the surgery. If it goes wrong it can be nothing short of disastrous. Too many cooks with different views making different decisions, it's not good IMO.  If you've done the surgery, look at the result! Make sure it is right. How flipping long would it take to have a look at him? 5 minutes? and at least put the owners mind at rest if it IS OK, and if it isn't be the one making it right and making the decisions. Not a vet tech or another surgeon who may or may not be as experienced. I get the impression he is only interested in the surgery and once that's done you are forgotten. If that is wrong it is certainly the impression that he is giving.  I am not happy at all, and I am worried for Merlin and for them.

Let's face it, in a TV programme you aren't going to hear the bad things are you? No, I would never recommend him.

Fitzpatrick's is in our referral area but thankfully seven years ago we saw Iain Mcqueen at Devises. Iain in my opinion and others I know who have seen him, always puts the dog first, can't speak highly or recommend him enough, having seen both of our dogs (most recently last year for a slipped disc), he is always be available, returns calls, still wants to know how the dogs are (even now) & asks that should we ever be passing to ring as he would like to see them.

As others have said would wish to talk to Fitzpatrick & if still unhappy would go else where, one thing I think is really necessary is to have the reassurance, confidence, & be able to discuss things however trivial it might seem with a specialist. Good luck.
 

I would suggest they start to get firm with them and demand to see him or somebody that is deputising for him and get them to reassess him and come up with an alternative way of treating the problems as it sounds like they are just trying things rather than
Coming up with a proper treatment plan for him.

And also I would definitely question why on earth it has cost south as even a complicated operation and follow up treatment should not be that much.

I don't know that another specialist would take on someone else's patient halfway through. She is so depressed, she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown virtually.  It seems like just about anybody 'deputises' for him. I am going to suggest that she rings and gets a firm appointment with him. Trouble is she needs her OH to go with her to lift Merlin in and out of the car as he is not allowed to jump on it obviously and he is a big boy now bless him, he is full GSD size. So no small feat to manage him on your own. He has been restricted for a month already and is going stir crazy too.

What she needs is 1)Fitzpatrick to take the time to see him and evaluate whether the leg is healing in the correct position and 2) evaluate the situation regarding the infection and what needs to be done about it. Her local vet has put him on the antibiotics and spoken to Fitzpatricks and they said they are a good choice, but she wants Fitzpatrick - not be palmed off to a vet tech or other surgeon who was not involved with his surgery to evaluate it. Too much to ask? She was told to come down and just wait and someone (no idea who, could be a technician, could be a surgeon but definitely not Fitzpatrick), would hopefully eventually see them, they had no idea how long they would have to wait. I thought that infection after surgery, especially in the joint/bone was a true emergency which could cause failure of the whole operation. That was yesterday evening, and they offered no alternative appointments other than Monday, which IMO is too long to wait. They don't do any 'follow ups' on Saturdays - which is when most people can actually get to them either! 

Why dont you ring him on their behalf to sort it out as it sounds like you won't take any prisoners ;-)

LOL tried that already, won't discuss it with me as it isn't my dog!

The one thing I can't do no matter how I try is lie and pretend I am someone I am not! I can go with her if she chooses a particular day of the week though and have offered to. Had it been me, I would have gone last night and sat there until Fitzpatrick came out to see me. I wouldn't have been rude, but I would have spoken calmly and loudly enough that I could be heard by others, stating that I wouldn't leave until he was prepared to spare 5 minutes to look at the dog he had operated on.

Then again, that's easy for me to say, when she is at the end of her rope, and poor Merlin is beside her. She was also terrified they would keep him in. Oh what a mess.

They will speak to you all your friend needs to do is get her to email them saying that she gives permission for you to speak to them on your behalf :-)

I feel so very sorry for your friend.  I agree that going there, and just quietly insisting that you only see who you want to - Fitzpatrick - but how do you know if he's actually working that day?  I am afraid that I would be reporting him to the BVA, and shouting loud enough for him to want me to shut up.  If that was the only way to get his attention, I would do it without any qualms.  I would make a fuss, and become a nuisance.

Funnily enough, like someone earlier, I had a bitch in Langford years ago.  I would never recommend them, and would never use them again.  I have never had insurance for a dog, and always been willing to pay whatever is needed.  The veterinary hospital I use has always come up trumps for me. 

I would be complaining left right and centre if it was me.  I fully understand that your friend has had about as much as she can take, so being there for her is really good of you.  Make a fuss, be a nuisance.  Honestly.  I would be letting them know that I would be contacting the BVA to make a formal complaint.

If they had not contacted me by now,  would be looking to transfer & creating very loudly.

I can't believe the costs involved, you mention your friend can't lift the dog on her own, nor should she & any 'decent' specialist should be  getting the dog out of the car. When ours was paralysed, he waited for us to get there & we carried him in together!

It's so difficult when you get differing opinions from own vet & a specialist, which is why it's so important to have trust & communication. Feel so sorry for your friend she must be at her wits end, but be proactive, phone & phone again, call the BVA, ring around other specialists her own vet can't be impressed.
 

Could her own vet be persuaded to give Fitzparrick a phone ?, perhaps a call from a fellow professional would get through to him.

I'd like to balance things out on this surgery, they did a brilliant job on a dog for me and also many of my friends dogs..

However in this case I don't see why another surgeon at the practice can't be spoken to, why Noel? They are fully trained and once there refuse to leave until you or your friends have the right answer. This dog needs to be seen and regardless whether it's Noel or anyone in his surgery deals with it, it needs to be sorted for this poor puppy.

Get an appt, explain or your friends explain the problem and that they are coming down to get this sorted.. I'd go with them if possible to be the strong person in this party. They won't want any bad press so should deal with this ASAP.. Not good enough of I'm honest with what you are saying but the surgery need to sort this out!

Suejaw
Initially they weren't too concerned about seeing someone else. Nobody expects that the surgeon does basic follow up care or sees you at every follow up.

However, they have had various problems with that, bandage put on too tightly, without padding the toes, so that the leg swelled up badly and he couldnt put weight on it and he had to be taken back again within 2 days, and the toes were bloody and raw (not very well trained IMO) On another follow up, questioned the leg looking a little crooked in shape, saw a different surgeon who said he 'wasn't sure' but if it was still the same in 4 weeks it may be a concern.  These incidents and others have eroded her any confidence and they would they me. So whilst you say they are all fully trained and I would expect them to be, it's vet nurse 101 to put cotton wool between the toes before you bandage a foot, and not to put a bandage on too tightly and cause a major problem. I personally also don't think you wait 4 weeks if youu are in any doubt as to whether a leg is healing in the correct position following surgery, especially if you didn't do the surgery yourself. I would have expected that surgeon to get NF to look at it.

I would be very willing to go, but I work and it would have to be on the day that I don't, but I have offered to go with her if she can organise something on that day. I think that the scheduled post op follow up is due soon and I have told her to insist that this is with NF himself. In the meantime she has decided to work with her own vet on the infection, as she trusts him more! She is going with her gut on it, and I just hope she is right, though it seems as though it is improving thank God.

He was a little better over the weekend. Hopefully this infection is coming under control. I have told her to insist on her follow up being with NF, and I will go with her if she can get a Friday appt, but I think she wants to go with her OH, which is fair enough so long as they stand up for themselves!

Am not pressuring her for updates......just biting my nails to the quick.

I have had two dogs under Noel Fitzpatrick (personally) and have nothing but praise for him and their service. Yes, they are expensive but the care they both received was great. They even accepted direct payment from my insurance when I couldn't pay upfront with my second dog!

I think Noel would be quite mortified to hear about all the problems your friend was having. I would simply insist on speaking to him and call every day if necessary until you get to speak to him!

Well unless his staff aren't telling him, he doesn't seem mortified enough to speak or see her. And if his staff aren't telling him then THEY are not very professional.

BTW most vets accept direct payments from insurance companies, especially when it is for large amounts, it's not that unusual.

She has been pressing and pressing and calling and has been put off.  Did you have any problems with your dogs under Noel, or did everything go smoothly? There seems to be a difference in the response from some of the feedback I have had.  I am pleased that you are happy with the service you received, I know of others where everything went fine too. The problem seems to arise when things are not going according to plan. For my money, that's when you're needed most.  I still haven't heard from her and don't know whether to worry even more. I will have to email her tonight. I don't want to keep on at her when she is so stressed anyway, and she at her wits end trying to keep a young dog from doing himself any harm 24 hrs a day just by wanting to be a 10 month old pup on top of it all!

BTW most vets accept direct payments from insurance companies, especially when it is for large amounts, it's not that unusual.

I know many vets do (as does mine), but you will find that most referral vets don't!

They were very good accommodating appointments and when Dylan had an infection after the op (because he nibbled on a wound), they were good sorting it out. I really can't complain about them.

I am glad everything went well for you LurcherGirl. I just wish it was going as well for this (not so little) boy. He had a terrible start, and I fostered him and it broke my heart to let him go. Now he is going through this and missing his puppyhood. I guess it's inevitable that there are always cases that don't go right, but I am not happy that it is not being handled well. 

My referral vet years ago for hip replacement took direct payment from the Insurance Co, and another friend of mine whose GR just had a couple of toes removed due to tumours had a referral vet who has done the same. I thought it was quite common practise (I assume they contact the insurance co. first to confirm they have agreed the claim :)

I have had both good reports (yours) and similar experiences to my friend's.