Need your prayers again please

[maryjane]

Our dog Ravi, who is a breeder for Canine Companions (they use the puppies as guide dogs for disabled people) is in critical care right now. She was spayed this morning at the CC vet, and was with them the past two weeks since she was in heat. When I went to pick her up at three, they said she was having trouble waking up (she was spayed early this morning). When I went back to her cage, she looked dead at first. She wouldn't respond to me at all, not even to lift her head or look at me. They said she had been very cold all day and her gums were a bad color. Obvious signs of shock to me at least. Still they wanted me to get her up and we ended up half-carrying, half-dragging her to my car, I guess because they closed at five and no one could stay with her. They said if she looked worse after I got her home, to take her to the emergency vet. I couldn't imagine her looking worse!!! I wanted her to stay with them until she was at least able to walk on her own!!! She obviously was in distress, breathing very heavily. Out in my car, the vet (who I've known for 18 years and is a very good person, I don't know whose job it was to keep an eye on Ravi today, the vet was breeding other dogs in a different section) went back in and got stuff for another blood sample, while Ravi lay motionless in the backseat, gasping for air. The vet went back in to run the blood and then Ravi began convulsing. I ran back inside and told them and they told me to take her to the emergency vet about ten minutes away. I got there in five and she couldn't walk in, I had to half carry, half drag her inside--where people were standing all around and not one of them offered to help, or get the door, or anything! I was appalled and the receptionist just continued checking out another lady at the desk while my dog is collapsed on the floor and convulsing, and I said, "Can anyone HELP me???" and then they brought a stretcher and we lifted her onto it and they took her back and I had to wait. Finally the vet saw me and said she has been bleeding internally all day since the surgery. She has no blood pressure at that point and was almost dead. What if I hadn't picked her up at three, would they just have let her sit in the back room in her cage and DIE for God's sake? This is these people's JOB, they are the VET CLINIC, and they just let all these signs of obvious distress go right by, ignoring her as they were so busy doing breedings today. One person said, "She is very slow to wake up, I've never had a dog this slow to come out of anesthetic, but she is older....oh wait, she's only five?"

I was able to go back and see her in the operating room before I left and she did respond to my voice and even wagged her tail twice before going limp again. They have her entire stomach wrapped in ace bandages very tightly, trying to get her blood pressure up I guess somehow. She was on oxygen and I asked if she was going to die. They said they just didn't know but they were doing their best. I am SO PISSED OFF right now. The way they left her all day with very bad and obvious signs of illness and distress, in her cage, where she probably would have DIED if I hadn't been there at three to get her. I'm disgusted and very upset, I feel that if they had noticed sooner that she was so ill, they could have caught it earlier and her chances would be better at this moment. Now we are just waiting to see if she will make it, which I believe she will. Please keep her in your thoughts and please pray for her if you are the praying sort. I just had to get this on here first thing when I got home as I know we have such a wonderful prayer/positive thinking network here for us all. Thank you, I am just having faith that she will make it and be okay.

[Lovebirds]

Maryjane........this is terrible. I'm one of those that usually talks first and thinks later and it gets me in trouble LOTS of times......however, there is NO excuse for what you've just described that I can think of. Someone somewhere needs to know what happened. I"m pissed just reading this. IDIOTS is what they are if you ask me. I hope you don't let them get away with this.
In the meantime, I DO hope that Ravi will pull through this and be ok. Wonder how many blind/disabled people would REALLY want a dog from this organization if they knew what really goes on.
This is VERY sad.........
Concentrate on Ravi and getting her well and THEN deal with the morons.......

[spirit wings]

this is very upsetting! I work at a vet and they would have never allowed your dog to go anywhere in that condition. the techs stay with each dog untill they are awake. I wonder if the vet that did the surgery stitched her up right? I will send good prayers your way. I'm sorry this happend to you and Ravi.

[Feather]

Mary Jane,

My heart is pounding. You have gone through so much. I wish that I could be there with you. I'll be praying for a positive outcome. Stay tuff girl, and think positive.

[Snowbird Sue]

Mary Jane, I am so sorry to hear what has happened! I hope there is a way to report these people, as that certainly was NOT professional treatment of your dog. When I had mine spayed, they kept them for a couple of days, until they could walk, eat and pass a bowel movement. Not hours! That is just infuriating! What is this world coming too? I suspect you will know when they send you the bill, which will probably be mailed soon. I wouldn't pay it, either. They could have killed your dog, and not thought anything of it, from the sounds of it. I truly hope she is OK. I would like to know, WHO was supposed to be on "Post-Op Duty"??? Post-Op is a very critical time for a dog or cat. All sorts of things can happen. Hang in there, and keep us posted.

[Reti]

This is such a horror story. I can't believe people like this run clinics and survive. I am so sorry this happend to you and especially Ravi. I am praying she will be alright.
Ethically they should have watched the dog post-op and NOT send her home after hours in thais condition, actually it is their duty to fix whatever the problem is. Unless you're an idiot and you don't know what you're doing you do everything to address the situation.

Please keep us updated on sweet Ravi.

Reti

[auroraborealis]

Hello MaryJane !

So sorry to hear about this terrible situation. Something similar happened to my cat who was released too soon after an operation. These clinics should be closed or under strict scrutiny after such inacceptable lack of professionalism.

Susan

[AZWhitefeather]

I am so very sorry to hear about Ravi, MaryJane.
Sending positive thoughts she will make a complete recovery.

You need to make sure you take care of yourself as well.
Please keep us posted.

Cindy

[Charis]

That's terrible Maryjane. I definitely think you should report them. I had an awful experience with a veterinarian here that preformed a hysterectomy on a chicken. The hen laid eggs after. When I questioned her, she said the hen had two shell glands. Same thing happened with another hen two years later and then I knew the vet wasn't removing the right part. I don't use that vet anymore and at the time was talked out of making a formal complaint to the state. I've always regretted that I didn't make that complaint.
I hope you have access to other veterinarian clinics that will treat your animals in a more honoring way.
I'll be praying for a healthy outcome.

[maryjane]

Thank you everyone....Ravi has come through the surgery and they fixed the uterine artery that was bleeding. Canine Companions is a very large corporation and they have had their vet clinic for over 20 years, and in general they do a good job. Today it seems they were very busy, and seemed to me that they didn't pay enough attention to her even if her surgery was "routine". They have performed this operation on thousands of dogs with very little problems and I know that everyone is human and can mess up, it's not that I am mad that they missed something doing the surgery, but that they just didn't notice how sick she really was afterwards. They technically "own" Ravi until her release papers are signed, so she is really "their" dog at the moment. Her release papers will go through soon and then she will be ours.

The emergency vet has given her blood and they are waiting for her to wake up. Her blood pressure is a main concern as it is only 70 and should be 120. They are going to give her more blood soon. I hate going to that E vet, they are very good at what they do and they are very nice there but every animal (with the exception of Gracie for her surgery) I've ever taken there has died.....from cancer, but still it is so hard to be there. The vet said if she makes it through tonight then her chances are good. So keep up the prayers and good thoughts guys. Thank you so much.

[clhbubba]

Maryjane, I do not post often on this site, though I read the posts everyday and I've learned a lot about my pijjies doing so. I do enjoy reading about your animals and the pics you post. I have been a veterinary technician for 18 years and I am shocked Ravi was sent home in the condition she was. A dog that has bad color in the gums is in shock, bleeding internally, or both. And the fact that she was cold and still basically comatose should have been a clue to the people there that something was terribly wrong. I'm shocked that they didn't give her something immediately to control the convulsing before sending you away to another vet clinic, no matter if it is only 10 minutes away. I am extremely angry(and teary eyed) at the treatment she received, or should I say lack there of. Also at the way you were treated. Many people in the veterinary profession do not see our pets as family members. To some they are 'just animals' and are treated with less than compassionate care. I am so sorry. I hope that she continues to do well at the emergency clinic and I will pray for her. The ice packs on her stomach are to shrink the blood vessels and to help control the bleeding. Did they have to do a transfussion?? Is she on IV fluids? Did they do any bloodwork? I would ask them what her PCV(packed cell volume..red blood cell count) is. If it's over 30% it's not too terribly drastic, if it's below, there's certainly cause for great concern. Aside from Oxygen, I hope they have her on heat as well. A dogs norman temp is 101.0, give or take a bit. With her temp already low, plus the ice packs, she could chill more. I hope I'm not over stepping suggesting these things, I'm just so angry at how she/you have been treated. Please keep us posted.

[KIPPY]

Praying for Ravi, so sorry for what Ravi and you are going through.

Nothing good to say about the vet clinic.

[Margarret]

MJ,
I just read your post about Ravi. I'm sending healing energy/prayer to her as soon as I end this note.

Margaret

[Victor]

Count me in too. I will say a special prayer for Ravi tonight.

It is hard to belive this kind of thing goes on in this day and age. No excuse.

[Birdmom4ever]

That's just appalling, Maryjane. I understand they are busy, but how could they possibly send Ravi home when she was obviously in great distress? Didn't anyone check her while she was in post-op? You're right--if you hand't picked her up when you did, she probably would have died. That poor dog! I'm praying for her.