Need Help About Vet Situation

I use to work for a vet and know that they can't always see how bad they are until the get them in there and get them under anesthesia. They are correct that it could cause the infections to spread to the rest of the body, having bad teeth can cause heart trouble in dogs. Was she having a hard time eating, you would have noticed that. Why did you decide to have her teeth cleaned. Had you gone to the vet before. If you think they are trustworthy then I would not worry about them taking advantage of you. They should have at least called to let you know. I don't think that a vet it going to pull 12 teeth unless the dog needs it. It is not an easy job to pull the teeth.

Something very similar to this happened to a friend of mine. I think it's completely outrageous. Vet charges are out of control these days. I don't know what the solution is, but I would say with no prior warning that you were looking at nearly $1000 (!!) the vet should reduce that bill or get threatened with a lawsuit. Maybe if more people stand up for themselves, vets will stop taking advantage of us all.

Yikes! You have every right to be angry, confused, and disappointed. Definitely meet with the vet, DEFINITELY find a new vet, and make the suggestion about calling the owner before any MAJOR work is done...

P.,
Wow. I would be HIGHLY upset with my vet did he/she do that.True,infection is bad in any form,however,it only takes a minute to tell his receptionist or nurse to call you and tell you the situation before proceding.Most vets I know would have treated the infection first with antibiotics,then rechecked the gums.Yeah,the release form covered his a**,but its still an unethical way of doing business,as far as Im concerned. And thats what I would tell him at your meeting.If he gets upset or defensive,I would tell him this... "I will pay this bill,but Im done with you and your office.Ill be finding another vet that I can trust to communicate with me as a pet owner.I will also be telling others about your businesss practices."
Then,leave. Dont draw it out and dont let him sway you back over. Just like us Massage Therapists..doctors,vets,dentists,nurses all have a database website that ppl can and do report to about the way they are treated.Alot of ppl dont know that.They feel powerless to question the person in the 'white coat'. Remember,they are there to provide a service to you and to help your pet.You pay them.They dont control you simply because they have the initials after their name.It just means they have the education and expertise that you are looking for.
Your puppy will be ok tho. She will adapt once the swelling recedes.Give her lots of love and soft foods. :)
Good luck.

P.,

I have not heard anything about your actual Vet, but I have found that vets are like mechanics.. If you don't have an great one, you pay for things you never knew you "needed".

I am a breeder, and an animal lover, so I am not trying to compare your family pet to the family car... but, it seems that word of mouth is the only way to find a good Vet, as is a good mechanic.

I am sure that your vet covered his tail.. with having you sign something, so you may not have anything to fight. If you want to make for sure, I'd call a lawyer, and simply ask. Maybe all he needs is someone to call him on what he is doing. Most would rather, keep something like that quiet.

As far as using a good vet.. My favorite is Knappenberger Vet in Olathe. It is solely family owned and ran. A dad and 2 adults sons, and the mother and a wife are the receptionist(they are BIG k-state fans)###-###-####.

Another one is Southside Pet Clinic Hospital, in Olathe. They have about 4 vets, young ones, and are very honest too. ###-###-####

I hear there are two other great vets, one in Gardner and one in Spring Hill as well. But I am not familiar with the names.

As far as your almost toothless pup is concerned, My old Tom Cat, Monster (who lost teeth by fighting the neighborhood cats I assumed) was loosing weight, until I switched him to soft can food. (Our vet DID have to pull a couple more teeth on him as well, but he let me know before hand, and talked about the infection chances with me first)

Soft or Can food does make an animal create more "waste" and even smellier and softer-mushier ones too, but Monster was not able to eat dry food any longer, so I did what I could.

One more thing regarding Vet Clinics, if they are associated with a big pet store, such as Petland, they tend to be in it for the money, instead of for the animals.
I an not saying they all are, but when you "purchase" an animal from say, Petland, they tell you who to use as your vet, and even give you a "free Visit" sometimes. Stay away from those... please.

Good luck, and remember he can live years without teeth. Just make sure you keep his fur clean, so he does not have to "chew" at it, and soft food is everywhere. He'll like it more anyhow. It has more flavor, they say.

N.

If this happened to me, these are the steps I would take:

1. Call the vet's office and ask for a copy of the consent form I signed to be faxed to either myself and/or my lawyer's office. Provide them the fax number for the Better Business Bureau and ask that they fax a copy of the form there as well. Be clear that, if these forms are not received at these locations, I will come by for an original copy so that I can fax them myself.

2. Write a letter explaining that you do not find that this form discloses enough information with adequate clarity to be considered consent for such a major procedure or an extravagant expense.

3. Include in the letter that, unless there is proof that your pet truly required the removal of all 12 teeth, you will not only be expecting the charges to be reduced, but that you will also be reporting this action to the Vertanary Licensing Board.

4. Follow through on every step with as much courtesy and patience as possible, but with unswerving devotion.

In addition to these 4 steps, I would call several vet's offices, without disclosing the above matter, and simply state that your dog may have several teeth that need to be removed and ask how many should be removed at a time in order to avoid extreme discomfort or health risks for your pet. You may be told that as many as 12 or more can safely be removed at once, but you may learn otherwise, which would be helpful to know. If you tell other vets what this vet has done, they will most likely avoid your questions. You might also ask if there are standards set for such procedures by the veteranary board in your state. You can also call your state representative's office and ask how you might find more information about such standards.

I'm so sorry this happened to that poor little dog. Best wishes in your efforts to rectify this situation.

He COMPLETELY overstepped his boundaries in my opinion and his license should be revoked! Never, ever have I had a Vet do such extensive work on my animals that didn't provide me with an update or a quote prior to doing the work (and this was at THEIR doing...calling me mid-prodcedure with an update and how do you want to proceed because this will cost XXX).

I sincerely hope you turn him over to the Better Business Bureau, the state Veterinarian Association, and the Attorney General! Not to mention consulting an attorney on a possible legal action. He performed a surgery that was NOT authorized (blanket waivers are NOT a carte blanche to pull 12 teeth...dentists don't even pull that many in a human in one day, it's barbaric!) and was traumatic to both you and your dog. Even the receptionist said "a tooth or two." It's not like you can get your dog dentures to compensate for the pain he's in, not to mention his ability to eat dry food for the rest of his life or even chew on a bone!!!

I agree that you (and your dog) have been taken advantage of in the worst possible way. I would contact the local ASPCA and the Humane Society to see what recommendations they may have as well. There are reasons why groups like them exist for our furry friends who have no voices of their own. Please keep us posted on the results of this...my heart goes out to you and your family and especially your dog.

I would certainly let the vet know how dissatisfied you are with the situation. It isn't like it was a life and death situation and the vet could have taken a few minutes to call you and discuss it with you before proceeding with such a serious and expensive procedure!!! If you have an established relationship with this man I would hope that he is going to be willing to cut the outrageous bill down to a reasonable size. I would think that cutting it in half would be a great place to start!!! If you do not receive any satisfaction from him I would seriously consider contacting the ethics board of your state veterinary board, or whatever group has oversight responsibilities on the states Veterinarian clinics.
Granted...you DID sign a consent form but they needed to have some consideration for you at the same time!!!
Good luck
R. Ann

I agree that you were taken advantage of. I can see them going a little over what was quoted, but $906 is crazy! You should have been called before you were charged something like that. I know after I saw your post I will never sign something like this at a vet, I will always tell them I have to be called if the charge goes over what they quoted and if I have to sign it I won't until I add that to the contract! Sorry you had this happen, but I think you have a legal action there!

Bad teeth causes heart disease. We had a similar situation with a cat. We took her in for a variety of things and the bill ended up to be 600 dollars. In his defense, that covered getting medicine for eye infection, ear infection, pulling 6 teeth, front declawing her, and catching her up on her shots. Not only that, but we were in San Diego! I do believe that 906 dollars is a LOT out of control and it's very similar to how a car repair shop should call people first. You could have gotten a second opinion.

I would try and knock that bill down to size. Did they do anything else at all?

Suzi

First, I would ask when the last time was that your dog had her teeth cleaned or examined and did the vet mention anything about a potential problem then? I would say pulling 12 teeth should have warranted a phone call. Does he have the teeth to show you the problem or the xrays? That's almost a third of her teeth! Dogs only have 42 teeth. I hope all goes well with your pet! She will be fine. It's tough when you see them in pain. I know, we had to have our 12 year old mix's front leg amputated due to cancer. She hopped out of their office the next morning and that was 2 years ago and my little "hopalong" is still going strong! Good luck!

Good Morning P., I hope they showed you the teeth that were supposedly bad and the places that were infected.
Gee-mon-nee Christmas. Our vet never does anything extra, even with a consent signed, they call me first to let me know of the problem and what is entailed. Then I can decide if to go ahead or wait. Seems to me there would of been antibiotics that could of been given to your dog to clear up the infection. THEN proceed if needed.

I would of taken her to another vet right after you got her from the first one and had them check of infection etc.

I would be hopping mad though to find out what they did to my dog without informing me before hand. I would think if it was THAT bad your dog would not of been eating well, and or acting as if they were ill. If there was infection you would think there would be swelling of the gums and possibly bleeding. Not sure how I would do it but I would try and MAKE them PROVE to me the teeth were that bad. Amber would need dentures if a vet did that to her,she is a Shih Tze.

Geez I feel so bad for you and I hope you can get other ideas on how to follow up with this situation.
Maybe contact the State Veterinary Board and take it up with them. This just sounds so bloomin Wrong.

God Bless P., maybe other Mama's have better information and suggestions.
K. Nana of 5

hi P.,
So Sorry for you and your doggie. I think meeting with the vet to get the facts and let him know how you feel. Then when you have the facts that he tells you. I would certainly find out the facts about your rights, and if he runs his business like this he will be out of business before to long. A Good vet would never do that without calling and talking to you, or even offering some different options to save some of his teeth. wouldn't just pay this bill with out checking on all my options. Please let mamasource know so we will know what happened.
J.

Wow, something sounds fishy about that! I have never heard of such a thing, and it really just seems cruel! If nothing goes the way you would like, I would call Fox 4 Private Investigators. They will definitely get some answers, and also make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else. I hope you can get something done about this. Best wishes.

Oh, and generally when a contract is involved, both parties have to fully understand the contract in order for it to be a legal binding contract. You obviously did not have a full understanding; therefore, it will likely be void. I would approach an attorney, if you are going to try to go the legal route; otherwise, most businesses do not want to deal with Fox 4 Private Investigators, and the good thing is that they are free.

So sorry for your doggie! We, too, had a bad experience at Oxford. The vet wanted to do way too much "diagnostic" work and also reamed my husband a new one when our dog had an ear infection. Certainly made us feel like neglectful owners. We never went back. We did have had wonderful luck at Stanley Vet Clinic (151st and Antioch) the next time we had any concerns. For routine shots, we go to an old country vet. And, our dog has never had a teeth cleaning and is now 14 years old... Good luck!

P., I know that this is late and that you are going today - but I just could not beleive that this happened to you and your dog. We never have our dogs teeth cleaned (except for brushing with a tooth brush). My vet doesn't even like to do it and only does it if really necessary. My husband works on life support and anestisia machines and I've heard horror stories about dogs getting their teeth cleaned, some that he knows of have even died during it. Not all vets know how to use the machines properly. I would contact another vet and the BBB to report them. Spread the word on what they did to you and your four legged baby!!

I know this is a late reply but I just wanted to confirm what the other moms said.

That was extremely aggressive and you should have gotten a phone call. Plain and simple. Any vet with an ethical mind would have called you.

I hope you get it resolved in your favor.

I recently dropped my dog off at the vet's office for shots and grooming.The nurse called to ask me some questions like is he on heart worm meds and if not CAN WE RUN THE TEST!!!!
I am with everyone else,they should have called you if they needed to do more for your dog then what you dropped her off for.I would definately dispute the charges,and get another opinion from a vet on this vets actions!Now you might not ever know if that was nessicary!Unfortunately I am afraid that he might have lied and put your pet through all of that to make more money!I also agree that you should warn everyone and talk to someone that might help you!

Hey P.,

I've never had anything like this happen, but I would be furious. I can't believe any vet would just pull that many teeth without even talking to you first. I would have thought while they had him under they would have called and explained the situation to see what you wanted to do. I feel so bad for you and your dog that is horrible. Please let me know how it goes tomorrow with the vet and good luck!!! Poor little thing.

T. Cogan
Work At Home United
Your Life, Your Dreams, Your Business!
Website: www.allgood4life.com
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Phone: ###-###-####

"Nothing is difficult to those who have the will." --Dutch Poet's Society

I'm so sorry you and your dog have to go through this. I'm not sure you have grounds for legal action because you signed the consent form. That doesn't prevent you from contacting the Better Business Bureau, though. After reading through the responses, a case could be made that this a pattern of behavior for this particular vet. I believe that you were taken advantage of. A jury might believe that, too, signed consent or no. If I were you, I'd contact every agency I could think of to make the public aware of this preditory vet: The BBB, Angie's List, the American Veterinary Medicine Association, Call for Action, and anyone else you can think of. There are plenty of decent vet's in this area. Don't ever go back to this guy again.

I agree with the ones who say confront them and tell them you had no idea of the cost or how that they would pull that many in one visit, I would explain you will consider other actions if one the bill is not reduced and I hope you kept a copy of what you signed. Ask for proof on why he had to extrct that many. I wish we knew the vet so we dont go there, but dont because of legal reasons.

I'm not sure on what you should say to your vet, but my cat had to have all but her four front teeth pulled and she does great. She even eats dry food. After a couple weeks your dog's gums will "toughen up" and she will be able to eat normally again. Just wanted to let you know that your little girl will be just fine. Good luck!

P....I used to use Oxford Animal Clinic. Note the words "used to." I found that taking my 5 pound Yorkie to them for his annual shots turned into almost $200.00 every year. When I questioned them, they said all shots were necessary. GARBAGE!!! I have learned that the older a dog gets, the less shots are necessary as they have immunities built up.

Oxford also cleaned my dogs teeth ONCE...outrageous pricing! And, they wanted me to have it done twice a year for him...LOL, I don't spend that much on my OWN TEETH!.

Lionsgate Animal Hospital...Dr. Ann McHugh...she is awesome and recognizes what is in the best interest of the animal, but would always consult with the owner first prior to taking such drastic measures.

Best of luck to you all. We live and learn.

If you thought you heard somebody shrieking "WHAT?!!!", that was me. I am beyond belief at this vet's actions.

You are correct, one or two teeth are fine, but somebody from the clinic should have called you before they continued to proceed with your dog.

I would tell him that you will pay for two teeth and he is going to eat the rest of the bill. Then, I would call my credit card company and contest the charges. I agree with other posts - go to the BBB and others and report this.

Finally, I would give everyone at Mamasource the name of this creep to ensure that our precious animals never see
the interior of this place. I am so sorry that this happened to your dog (and you!). Please keep us informed and please release the name of this vet! Good luck!

PS - We use Mission Road Animal Clinic and really like them. I have also used Martin City Animal Hospital in the past, and they are good, too.

Hi P.,

Wow, I would have been shocked and angry about that too! I am a collie breeder and I have worked in our vet's clinic in the past for a number of years. Sometimes, we did have to extract more teeth than we expected to stop the spread of infection but 12 is a huge number especially if the vet was just planning to do a cleaning and had never told you that he or she might have to remove teeth.

I would definitely ask to have the bill reduced. If the teeth were extremely decayed, as you would assume if the vet had to remove 12, it is almost effortless to remove them. So I would think that if he were wanting to keep you as customers, he would not charge a full extraction rate for every bad tooth.

I would probably recommend that you visit some other vet's offices too. If you could get a chance to visit with the vet and the staff to find out if they are friendly and really seem to care about you and your dog, that can help so much.

I'm sure your little lady will be feeling better soon with all the loving care that your family is giving her. I'm sure you have tried soft foods for her already. If she is not eating enough though, we like to give our dogs some NutriCal and usually dogs will be able to drink a milk and eggs mixture. (Try just a little at a time so she doesn't over do it and get an upset tummy!)

Hope this helps!

A.

I agree with getting a new vet and Southside is great. They have several doctors and are very good, one even came to our house once to give our many cats shots. They would call you before doing something this major I'm sure. I think someone else gave you their number.

You signed a consent form for the dog to be treated at the checkup.

On a sidenote, start soaking the food in water for a few minutes before you give it to her (then pour out he water). Chewing w/ such a tender mouth will be hard for her.

I find it odd that he pulled that many if she had problems you would have smelled really bad breath I would think. Mine is at least 7 an I have never had her teeth cleaned, I usually just give her a chew bone to knaw on to help clean them. I sure would be questioning that vet bill. I really think that if she had problems she would have been yelping when she ate dry food. I sure do hope you didn't get a shaft job. I would also feed her hamburger an rice while she is like this poor thing, when you cook the hamburger make sure you blot up all the grease off of it, an then just add instanct cooked rice with it. Mine eat hamburger an rice frequently its a bland diet for her to eat.