Bill Beagle

Review of Medvet

Our poodle was having trouble breathing, so we too...

Our poodle was having trouble breathing, so we took her to Medvet. I clearly indicated on her admission paperwork that she had mega-esophagus, was syringe fed in an infant car seat, and could not have water only ice. They admitted her, and no one requested her food, car seat, syringe, or ice. Therefore, I assumed, since they said she would be getting an IV, that she would get any food, water, and medicine intravenously. When I called to check on her the next day I found out that she had been given food and water. When I asked why, they assured they knew how to treat dogs with mega-esophagus and were holding her upright after feeding her and giving her water. Then I asked how they were going about administering her medicines, since we would grind them up and mix them into her pureed food before syringe feeding her. They said they had found some rotisserie chicken in the kitchen and just put her pills in it. I told them she couldn t have chicken. She had mega-esophagus and was syringe fed. They assured me again that they knew what they were doing, and she was fine. Seven hours later we received a call from the emergency room doctor telling us our beloved pet was in respiratory distress. They had pulled a piece of chicken out of her throat and wanted to know if we wanted to have her intubated. Before our wishes could be relayed to the doctor treating her, our precious pet was gone. I am not saying Medvet was the cause of our poodle s death. As I said, she was having trouble breathing when we brought her in, and she had a long history of extensive medical issues. However, you should make sure they really know what they are doing if your pet has a special condition and requires special care. Our poodle should NEVER have been given solid food. She hadn t been on solid food for nearly 3 years. Because I requested an investigation into how it came to be that our pet was given solid food, MedVet did accept responsibility. They acknowledged our instructions were not followed and for that I am grateful. This does speak to their integrity and the situation has supposedly been discussed with their staff. Nevertheless, we re heartbroken and hope no other pet owner has to go through something like this. In hindsight, I should have monitored her care more meticulously and not accepted their statements that they knew how to treat a dog with mega-esophagus. Unfortunately, I will now have to live with regret.