# Bad Experience



## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

So on Sat, the 10th, I went with my next door neighbor to take her dog to go get spayed. So we got there and everything went well.Then when my neighbor called be to let me now whats going on, she told me that they found puss in the dog's uterus and that it looks like the dog was absorbing the pregnancy, then the Medical Center called my neighbor back to tell her that the dog needs to get blood work done, but my neighbor said she doesn't have the money, and they said that they already did, with out asking for permission. My gosh, that was a bad situation. So the bill would have costed $230.00, but she told them that they didn't ask permission and that she was not going to pay them and they said fine, so she only had to pay $120. They took advantage of my neighbor and it's illegal for not asking permission for anything.

P.S. the infection is not pyometra, its Puppy Vaginitis. It's common in puppies and its not serious!!!!!


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

If they didn't charge her for the bloodwork, then what is there to report?


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

For trying to take advantage of my neighbor and for not asking permission for the bloodwork, because its illegal for not asking permission...


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

True, but she didn't get charged for them not asking for permission.  It's not like they did surgery without permission - it was just bloodwork.


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

Yeah, but she was going to be charged 214.00 but they apparently didn't want to argue with her and the said fine they won't charge her, because they no they didn't ask her for permission. I think they just wanted to make more money because they thought could get away with it but they didn't!!!


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Well that's pretty crappy if that's the case. Good on her for putting her foot down. I might be changing vets if that happened to me.


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

I know... just never go to ***clinic name removed, libelous***!!!! lol


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## applesmom (Jun 9, 2007)

I seriously doubt that the vet was trying to take advantage of the client.

Does your neighbor understand that her dog had a potentially life threatening situation and the surgery the vet performed most likely saved her life? It isn't "illegal" for a vet to draw blood without asking permission in a potentially life threatening situation. In fact I can't imagine that it would be illegal for a vet to draw blood any time they consider it necessary to the health and recovery of the dog. 

In the majority of circumstances a vet will provide an estimate of costs and treatment with the owner before hand. In this case it obviously wasn't possible. He didn't charge her for it, so why would she choose to report it? 

She can report it to the state veterinary medical association if she wants to. Their response will be very polite and they'll take the time and effort to look into the situation thoroughly. But the odds are probably one in a million that they'll find any wrongdoing on the part of the vet.


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

It wasn't anything serious... we already know that she had an infection.. it's not dangerous.. in fact it's more common in puppies... this dog is about 8 months old... I am just mad that they didn't ask for permission, before... because she doesn't have the money to do that... just like with my cat.. we spent 800.00 on it and nothing was wrong.. but that's another story... but anyways... we're not going to report... because it's over with... and never again are they going to see us... ;D


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## applesmom (Jun 9, 2007)

brie'anna said:


> I know... just never go to Animal Medical Center.. in Hesperia!!!! lol


It's good to know that she's dropped the idea of reporting the vet. Here's some information on what the vet was dealing with. It wasn't as simple as she might have assumed and proper follow up care is vital.

I suggest that you remove the name of the vet clinic from your post since posting these accusations in a public forum could come back to bite you. 



> Here's a real nasty problem . . . *pyometra.* The term means pus in the uterus. Any time a veterinarian is presented with a dog or cat suffering from pyometra the condition is considered serious and immediate surgery is nearly always indicated. This pus formation in the uterus results from infection, hormone imbalance or mucous buildup inside the uterus. Most dogs and cats suffering from pyometra are presented because of loss of energy, increased thirst and poor appetite. Plus a good tip-off would be a foul smelling, purulent (means pus) vaginal discharge. Most of the cases of pyometra I've seen in dogs occurred about six weeks after the bitch's last heat cycle. They may not look it on the outside, but on the inside these dogs are really sick! If that swollen, enlarged uterus happens to rupture internally, the dog will rapidly go into endotoxic shock and whatever the veterinarian does may not be enough to save the dog.


http://www.thepetcenter.com/sur/pyo.html


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## lucy10 (May 7, 2008)

I don't think the Vet was trying to take advantage either. And it might not have turned out to be serious but you never know that in the beginning. Blood work was probably a good thing to do. It's just like you going to the Dr. if there is something wrong that could potentially be something more dangerous, you would pay for the blood work. And most Vets are understanding that if you can't pay in full they will work with you so you can pay in payments.

I agree you should take down the Vet's name!


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

MOST spays, whether routine or not, involve the vet drawing blood; When ever I have a cat\dog spayed\neutered, I always have the blood work done, because you never know what you might actually catch early because of it...

I find it interesting that the surgery itself only costed 70$, especially for a pyo surgery...sounds like the owner just didn't want to pay for much of anything...because most vets will allow a person to pay in payments if necessary...so 'not being able to pay' really shouldn't have been a huge issue.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

brie'anna said:


> Yeah, but she was going to be charged 214.00 but they apparently didn't want to argue with her and the said fine they won't charge her, because they no they didn't ask her for permission. I think they just wanted to make more money because they thought could get away with it but they didn't!!!


The fact of the matter is, that this vet clinic *did right by this dog*, because *it needed to be done given the dog's medical condition*. I'm sure they asked BEFORE they started surgery, and she said no. Once they got in and discovered the pus, they went ahead and ran bloodwork, because it was medically advisable, and may well have been needed to save the dog's life.

I would never have one of my dogs undergo a surgical procedure without bloodwork being done first, and an IV in place - just in case. I realize some people are too cheap to authorize bloodwork or an IV prior to a spay or neuter. It doesn't cost that much more, and lessens the risks associated with surgical procedures.


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## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

My vet gave me an estimate to have Tilba spayed at the end of the year. Including blood work, pain meds, a night in hospital, the op & pain meds to take home - $AU370.00 Things are a lot cheaper in America it seems.


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## reverend_maynard (Aug 4, 2007)

DogsforMe said:


> My vet gave me an estimate to have Tilba spayed at the end of the year. Including blood work, pain meds, a night in hospital, the op & pain meds to take home - $AU370.00 Things are a lot cheaper in America it seems.


They are cheaper if you care more about the cost than the dogs health and comfort. $70 US doesn't cover pre-op blood work, a night in the hospital, or take home meds probably, just the absolute minimum of anesthesia and the operation.


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

I just got more info from my neighbor. She called a week before and they quoted her $87 for the spay. When we got there they said it was $100. While my neighbor was filling out the paperwork I weighed the dog. She was 57 lbs. Then the tech tried telling her it would be a higher price because the dog weighed 67 lbs. We said we just weighed her and she was only 57lbs!!! 

Then she asked about shots.... she had got a price the day before of $24 for the shots. When she asked again at the office they told her $38!

Also we don't know how much antibiotics cost... but my neighbor's friend is a vet tech and when she told her they were going to charge her $64 for antibiotics she was shocked and said she never heard of them costing that much...

So it just seemed they were trying to rip her off everytime she talked to them. Prices that should have been fixed were raised the next time she asked...

This is Jazzy!!


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Ya know you get what you pay for. $70 is insanely cheap for a spay, especially for a dog that's over 50 pounds. At my work it would cost you about $210 for a dog under 25 pounds, and that only includes the surgery and pain meds, fliuds and blood work will cost you extra. If your neighbor doesn't like the way they do things then she is by no means obligated to use thier services.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Sometimes things do come up and the vet clinic is entitled to charge for them. A pyo spay is a lot more work for the vet than a regular spay, and if he does it wrong the dog will die. So it's very good that the vet DID do the bloodwork and take the extra care to get all the infection out. $70 is a very good price for a large dog spay; I think my vet charges about $120, but it's been a long time since I had a dog spayed, so it might be more now. 

If anything is out of the ordinary, it will cost more.....I took my cousin's kitty in to be neutered, but his testicles hadn't dropped so the vet had to go in after them. We were quoted $125 for a "normal" cryptorchid neuter, but the vet had to cut him in 3 places to find and remove both of the testicles, so it ended up costing $175 instead ($25 each for extra incisions). No problem, the vet did have to take the time to do the operation correctly, and I'm glad he did.....it's impossible to live with a tomcat  . 

It's nice that the vet lowered the price in order to keep the customer. I don't think the vet did anything wrong, he only did what was necessary for the dog's health. I'm glad she's spayed now; if she was pregnant at 8 months that's a very bad situation. At least now she'll be safe and a lot healthier.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

brie'anna said:


> I just got more info from my neighbor. She called a week before and they quoted her $87 for the spay. When we got there they said it was $100. While my neighbor was filling out the paperwork I weighed the dog. She was 57 lbs. Then the tech tried telling her it would be a higher price because the dog weighed 67 lbs. We said we just weighed her and she was only 57lbs!!!
> 
> Who wrote down the weight of the dog on the paperwork? Could the 5 been mistaken for a 6 thus the confusion about the weight?
> 
> ...


That being said... Glad all is well. Jazzy is a beauty!!


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## Bextastic (Apr 8, 2008)

I think if the vet was willing to do more than asked to assure the dogs health, thats great. It isn't their fault they have to charge for bloodwork - often the results come from a lab that they don't own and they have to pay the lab for results. Even if it is their lab, thats time the tech spent analyzing samples. 

I wish my vet had been that attentive when my cat was spayed. I took her back the next day because the area under the incision was swollen - they said it was nothing, just fluid build up. Ok. Day later, its bigger. I call them, they say not to worry. Every day it gets bigger, I call, I visit, they brush me off by glancing at it and saying its fine. Finally its bigger than an egg and dark red/purple. I march in and demand they do something. They say, again, that its just fluid, but they'll drain it so it looks better and I stop complaining. When they went to drain it, guess what? They discovered that her internal stitches had opened up and she now had a hernia. They had to do a whole new operation to put everything back inside her and give her steel stiches, sew up another layer they hadn't sewed before, re-do the external stitches, and watch her overnight. They felt horrible for not checking it closer when I complained before and didn't charge for any of it.


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

Here we go.....

*The difference between pyometra...and...puppy vaginitis...*

*General information on Pyometra*

Pyometra is a condition in female dogs where the uterus becomes puss-filled. This usually occurs after the dog is 5 years old. It is caused by and ovarian dysfunction that produces too much of the female hormone progesterone.
Area: *behavior*
Primary Symptom: *depression*

_Secondary Symptoms:_
*vaginal discharge*
*appetite loss*
*lethargy*


Area: *genital and urinary tract*
Primary Symptom: *vaginal discharge*

_Secondary Symptoms:_
*appetite loss*
*fever*
*vomiting*


Area: *genital and urinary tract*
Primary Symptom: *puss- like discharge from the vagina*

_Secondary Symptoms:_
*fever*
*swollen vulva*
*appetite loss*



http://www.helpmyhound.com/view_dsyms.php?ds=1262

She had none of these symptoms....she is not 5 years old...either

*Puppy Vaginitis*

Vaginitis is normally in puppy bitches from 4 - 10+ months of age (until their first season) and although it is often treated as an infection, which it is not, *it is simply a condition caused by the normal sloughing off of cells and part of hormonal and developmental changes.* I will not use any antibiotics internally for this problem - this is only a temporary condition and will pass as she matures. Here is part of a discussion with Dr. Hutchinson, one of the top reproduction specialist in this country. He is the Veterinarian we use for all our breedings.

*Dr. Hutchinson -what is the treatment for puppy vaginitis & does it lead to problems later in breeding *

*DrHutch: Puppy vaginitis is a NORMAL mucous production in young bitches before their first heat cycle, the total treatment is warm water on a cotton ball and wipe these bitches DO NOT need to be on antibiotics it does NOT lead to infertility and it does NOT make them prone to pyometritis it is not an infection at all usually it's worse when the humidity is high. *


http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/vaginitis_puppy_acne_demodectic_mange.htm

This what she had...but not anymore...Thank goodness!!!


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

brie'anna said:


> So on Sat, the 10th, I went with my next door neighbor to take her dog to go get spayed. So we got there and everything went well.Then when my neighbor called be to let me now whats going on, she told me that they found puss in the dog's uterus and that it looks like the dog was absorbing the pregnancy, then the Medical Center called my neighbor back to tell her that the dog needs to get blood work done, but my neighbor said she doesn't have the money, and they said that they already did, with out asking for permission. My gosh, that was a bad situation. So the bill would have costed $230.00, but she told them that they didn't ask permission and that she was not going to pay them and they said fine, so she only had to pay $120. They took advantage of my neighbor and it's illegal for not asking permission for anything.
> 
> P.S. the infection is not pyometra, its Puppy Vaginitis. It's common in puppies and its not serious!!!!!


There was pus present in the uterus and dead puppies because the dog was pregnant. This was a pyo. Dogs younger than 5 years can have this type of infection. I work at a vet clinic and we just had an ten month old min pin come in for emergency spay surgery because she had a pyo infection. Vaginitis is an infection of the vagina. Kind of like a yeast infection in people. It does not produce pus in the uterus.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yes, the whole "the dog was absorbing the pregnancy" part is what made me think it was a pyo. If a dog is pregnant and loses the litter, she can easily get a bad infection from the rotting in her uterus. Very nasty. And there wouldn't be pus in the uterus with vaginitis. I think this was a very bad situation that fortunately turned out great for everybody  .


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

We weren' t there so who knows if there was pus in the uterus...Jazzy didn't show any signs of pyometra..so I believe that they made something a big deal when really there wasn't... she's supposingly had that for two weeks... but she's not dead...


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## applesmom (Jun 9, 2007)

brie'anna said:


> We weren' t there so who knows if there was pus in the uterus...Jazzy didn't show any signs of pyometra..so I believe that they made something a big deal when really there wasn't... she's supposingly had that for two weeks... but she's not dead...


Our opinions are based on your oriiginal post which stated that she was only 8 monts old, was reabsorbing her puppies and had pus in her uterus. If those statements are factual; your friend was extremely fortunate that it was caught when it was, she only had to pay 120 and her dog is recovering without incident. Many dogs do not survive these infections, and if they do, the costs can be much much higher.

It's great to hear that the dog is doing well and won't get pregnant again whatever the problem may have actually been!



> So on Sat, the 10th, I went with my next door neighbor to take her dog to go get spayed. So we got there and everything went well.Then when my neighbor called be to let me now whats going on, *she told me that they found puss in the dog's uterus and that it looks like the dog was absorbing the pregnancy,* then the Medical Center called my neighbor back to tell her that the dog needs to get blood work done, but my neighbor said she doesn't have the money, and they said that they already did, with out asking for permission. My gosh, that was a bad situation. So the bill would have costed $230.00, but she told them that they didn't ask permission and that she was not going to pay them and they said fine, so she only had to pay $120. They took advantage of my neighbor and it's illegal for not asking permission for anything.
> 
> P.S. the infection is not pyometra, its Puppy Vaginitis. It's common in puppies and its not serious!!!!!


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## triaxle32590 (Feb 19, 2008)

Puppy Vaginitis

Authored by: Becky Lundgren, DVM 

Puppy vaginitis is a sticky, cloudy, white or yellowish vaginal discharge. Puppy vaginitis usually occurs in puppies that are six weeks to about 8 months of age. Episodes can occur intermittently, and can last for weeks to months.

Most puppies don’t show any signs, but others may lick their vulva a lot and develop perivulvar dermatitis. Sometimes the haircoat outside the vagina gets crusty. Some puppies have a lot of discharge and some don’t. Cytologic examination of the discharge will show suppurative inflammation. Your veterinarian will need to perform enough diagnostics to rule out more significant causes of vulvar discharge and feel comfortable with the diagnosis of benign puppy vaginitis.

While other causes (a bladder infection or an anatomical abnormality) of vaginal discharge in puppies call for medical treatment, basic puppy vaginitis is more an annoyance than a medical concern. The important thing is to differentiate between puppy vaginitis and a more serious problem.

Treatment of puppy vaginitis is mainly time and patience. You can remove globs of discharge with a wet baby wipe to keep the vulvar area clean. Douching, antibiotics, or a lot of diagnostics are not appropriate for a puppy that has no symptoms other than discharge. Puppy vaginitis usually goes away on its own, once the dog reaches puberty. Your veterinarian will advise what is best in your puppy’s case.

Date Published: 12/11/2006 9:00:00 AM


I would think the vet would check before doing a costly test .... I have never heard of vets doing test with out permision...She needs to find a new vet..


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## applesmom (Jun 9, 2007)

triaxle32590 said:


> Puppy Vaginitis
> 
> Authored by: Becky Lundgren, DVM
> 
> ...


Puppy Vaginitis has absolutely nothing to do with an infection that requires spay surgery due to reabsorbing puppies and pus in the uterus.

IMO if the vet did anything at all wrong, it was his failure to convey to the owner just how serious the situation really could become! 

Normally if a vet runs into the type of problems as described, the owner doesn't get off with just the price of a routine spay. IMO she should be thankful, not complaining!


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## triaxle32590 (Feb 19, 2008)

applesmom said:


> Puppy Vaginitis has absolutely nothing to do with an infection that requires spay surgery due to reabsorbing puppies and pus in the uterus.
> 
> IMO if the vet did anything at all wrong, it was his failure to convey to the owner just how serious the situation really could become!
> 
> Normally if a vet runs into the type of problems as described, the owner doesn't get off with just the price of a routine spay. IMO she should be thankful, not complaining!


I think the point of the op was that the vet did tests before they asked permission...Not what the dogs diognosis was...When My corgi went in for a routine operation and they found something else and they called me before they proceeded with the operation... The dog Im sorry to say did not make it due to the fact it was advanced bladder cancer... But they still called me... And they did not charge me for the extra stuff they had to do for him....Thats was just a kindness my vet extended to me....


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## brie'anna (May 7, 2008)

triaxle32590 said:


> I think the point of the op was that the vet did tests before they asked permission...Not what the dogs diognosis was...When My corgi went in for a routine operation and they found something else and they called me before they proceeded with the operation... The dog Im sorry to say did not make it due to the fact it was advanced bladder cancer... But they still called me... And they did not charge me for the extra stuff they had to do for him....Thats was just a kindness my vet extended to me....


Thank you... It's about time someone understands the situation...


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