Advice about veterinary care
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Advice about veterinary care
Last Thanksgiving, I took my dog to the vet
because she started vomiting. They gave her
medication and an injection in her rear right leg
to help with the nausea. Upon arriving home,
the leg where she got the injection was
paralyzed and she couldnt feel anything or
move it.
We called the vet clinic and they said it may be
a reaction and sometimes can last 48 hours.
She never regained felling and would drag her
leg across the ground. She dragged it until all
the hair was pulled out and her skin began to
scrape off.
We made another trip to the vet clinic and they
were clueless as to why this could be
happening. They gave us more medication and
bandages her leg. We were instructed to keep
her leg bandages while it heals. It is now
almost April, 5 months since the initial visit, and
she is still paralyzed. We have made numerous
trips to the vet for an issue they caused,
continue to be charged hundreds of dollars per
visit, my dog remains gimp, and the vet still has
no answers for us.
I am just lost as to what to do. This issue has
caused myself and my wife a lot of frustration
and grief, my dog has gone and continues to
go through a lot of suffering with continued
injury, and it continues to be a financial burden
of an issue that the vet clinic caused in the first
place. Please help
Asked on March 28, 2019 under Malpractice Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
You can sue for vetrinary malpractice (negligent or careless medical care), assuming there is evidence that it was carelesss. That things went badly doesn't prove that by itself: sometimes doctors or vets do everything right but the patient still suffers or has problems. You would need testimony from another vet who examined your dog and reviewed the treatment and who can offer a professional opinion that what was done was inappropriate or careless.
But even if you can show that, it may not be worth suing. The law does not recognize how much pets are part of our families or the emotional impact that harm to them has on us. Rather, pets are treated like inanimate posseessions: all you can get back in a lawsuit is the cost to "repair" them (i.e. of further medical treatment) or to "replace" them (i.e. if the animal was an expensive purebreed and passes away, its cost). There is no compensation for the dog's suffering, or your frustration and grief.
Against those limitations, you'd have to pay for the second vet to examine your dog and the treatment, and for his/her time to testify in court at need. You could spend more on the case than you get back.
As a long-time dog owner, I understand how frustrating this must be for you, and I wish I had more positive information to share.
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