Account of July 5th and 6th, 1999
Monday July 5, 1999
11:30 a.m. Isis taken in to VetSmart/PetSmart (also known as Banfield) in Virginia Beach, VA for x-rays due to recent slight lameness in hind quarters. In the lobby area she was preliminarily examined by the nurse as she suspected Isis was having spinal problems. X-rays revealed a mild condition in spine called discospondylosis .
06:00 p.m. Isis discharged from VetSmart/PetSmart(Banfield). Very wobbly and disoriented and not able to support weight on hind quarters very well. she would collapse after only a few steps. I was advised this was due to the anesthesia.
06:15 p.m. Arrived home and she did not lay her head down at all for the rest of the evening. She did not eat, drink for sleep all that evening or night. She whined throughout the night periodically and stayed in the same spot until the next morning.
Tuesday, July 6
09:10 a.m. I called Dr. Farris in advance of my husband , who was on his way to admit her again. I explained her problem to Dr Farris and he said the following :" I NOTICED A LITTLE BLOATING THE PREVIOUS DAY (July 5) AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO GAS", and "I SAW NO REASON TO MENTION IT TO YOU". THIS IS CORROBORATED IN THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF JULY 5. He said he would check on her when she came in.
09:30 a.m. Isis was admitted to VetSmart/PetSmart(Banfield) by my husband who again explained her condition to staff.
11:00 a.m. I called in again to Dr. Farris, who assured me that it was a good idea to bring her in and that he would monitor her.
02:00 p.m. I called in again to Dr. Farris, and he sad he saw nothing unusual and that I could pick her up later in the afternoon.
05:20 p.m. Isis was discharged from hospital with the assurance that she was fine.
05:30 p.m. I arrived home with Isis. She was not interested in moving at all. I had to coax her to her bowl and she would not drink. She showed interest in going outside. There she began violently retching and bringing up a very thick clear mucus. I phoned Dr. Farris and he said that since she hadn't eaten in a while she probably just needed some food. He advised me to offer her food and encourage her to eat. She refused all offerings.
17:55 p.m. Isis continued to retch and I became terribly concerned and called the VetSmart/PetSmart(Banfield) clinic again. When I asked to talk to Dr. Farris or another vet, the nurse advised that the veterinarians left early for the evening (Vet hours are scheduled until 07:00 p.m. for that day) and that if I felt Isis was in really bad shape to take her into an emergency clinic.
06:10 p.m. I rushed to take Isis to the emergency veterinary facility. She was crying and whining in agony in my vehicle the whole time.
06:20 p.m. I arrived at an emergency veterinary facility and the attending vet recognized her condition out in the parking lot where she was needed to help get Isis out of my vehicle. She said she was suffering from "bloat".
After a preliminary exam and x-rays, the vet said the only chance she had to survive was to perform exploratory surgery. After the exam she revealed that Isis appeared to have had this condition for a few hours, judging by the damage to her internal organs. After the exploratory surgery I was advised that so much damage had been done to her from the rotation of her internal organs , known as bloat, that the veterinarian said there was nothing to do to save her life and that I should allow her to euthanize Isis. If I did not allow the euthanization, Isis would live out the remaining hours of her life in excruciating pain. She assured me if this were her pet she would avoid Isis the agony.
The doctor allowed me a few moments before the euthanization to say goodbye to Isis . After walking into the examining room I saw her laying on the table with her head down, eyes closed for the first time in 29 hours. She was finally out of misery. While she was still breathing I told her I was sorry..... I actually apologized to her for not selecting a better veterinarian than and for not recognizing her condition in time. This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life.
My decision to keep her healthy and happy for as long as possible caused her death by my decision to choose VetSmart/PetSmart(Banfield). The legal system failed me in many ways: incompetent attorneys who gave careless advice ( although I did find a very diligent and knowledgeable one when it was too late). The Virginia State Veterinary Board admitted they botched the hearing and refused to allow another hearing.
I can't reverse the damages, but I can share my experience with others. Please, PLEASE be careful how much confidence you place in your vet. Your pet has no way of conveying to you just what they are experiencing. Second opinions are also recommended. I don't know how you feel about animals , but I find them worth the effort in researching, researching and more researching the facility you are about to put your trust in. Finally, please do not ignore your intuition. Have faith in your gut feelings. You or your pet can't afford to take a chance and the courts ( and most attorneys) do not consider pets worthy enough of their time. Even the Virginia State Veterinary Board was sloppy in their investigation of her death.
Feel free to write if you have any input or questions !!
Regards,
Yvonne Minor-Harvey