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Complications after spaying - advice needed please.

2 replies

Gorran · 09/12/2012 19:38

Daisy (8m old choc lab) was spayed on Tuesday. Friday she had her post-op check where the vet declared her all ok, we mentioned the wound looked worse than it did when she first had the op. but we were told all normal.

Yesterday around 4.30pm watery blood started dripping from the wound. Called the vets who did the op but they don't operate an OOH surgery, referred to the local PDSA who they have a reciprocal link with. Rather than take her there, took her to another local vet as it was closer and we needed her seeing asap.

They checked her very thoroughly, diagnosed a seroma, bandaged her and told us to remove the bandage this morning and call them to let them know how it was.

All was ok this morning then about 30 minutes after removing the bandaging I noticed some skin tissue hanging out of the wound site. Took straight to vets who saw her yesterday and the vet advised it was fat hanging out, not the first level (?) but second. Daisy needs to be operated on again to resolve this.

Now, we have been quoted £700 to do this. The original spay was £108. I am going to try and get the original vet who performed the spay to do this next operation, would you expect to have to pay for this? Naturally the other vets will charge, but said if they had performed the spay and this had happened, they would reoperate to fix this new issue without charge.

I'm just looking for advice really. The vets have kept Daisy in tonight, rebandaged her and given antibs in case of infection.

I just need opinions on the situation really, and if anyone has any advice or dealt with this before then I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.

OP posts:
Bakingtins · 09/12/2012 20:50

I'm a vet. We'd normally charge for any post op complications as materials only e.g. You'd pay for antibiotics, dressings but not consultations. If repeat surgery was required we'd make similar concessions. £108 sounds VERY cheap for a bitch spay in the first place, but neutering is heavily discounted, compared to when everything is priced separately for a non routine op.
I'd speak to the first vet and at least give them the chance to put it right. Get the practice who have her now to fax details across - it's not clear from what you said if it's just fat from under the skin poking out, which means the skin wound needs repair, or if the muscle layer has broken down and it's fat from the abdomen. £700 would suggest the latter, even if that includes out of hours fees.
Your decision to take her outside your own practice's OOH arrangements isn't helping though. We use an OOH clinic and they would waive or reduce fees for treatment of any post op concerns for a routine op, this is part of our arrangement with them. I don't think you'll get that money back. Part of choosing a practice is making sure you are happy with the OOH arrangements should you ever need them.
I hope you can get her sorted out tomorrow and that subsequent recovery is uneventfull.

Gorran · 09/12/2012 21:02

Thank you for your advice. The OOH vet was the PDSA, who are the ones who have quoted £7-800. The second vet we saw has said it would be cheaper than that for him. And incidentally, the PDSA wanted £86 for the OOH consultation at 5pm last night (non-refundable and chargeable there and then), we decided to take her to the second vet due to proximity and as we had to pay anyway, we thought it irrelevant at the time.

I do completely understand that part of choosing a vet is being happy with the OOH service, it's just a shame (for us and Daisy) that it took her being unwell to realise this.

The vet she is with now has suggested worst case scenario at it being fat from the abdomen, he says he cannot be 100% sure until she is opened up.

I'm not worried about being refunded for the £200-odd we've paid this weekend, but would feel very unhappy at having to pay out a further £800 to fix this issue.

OP posts:
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