Vets error

[Sickasadoggy]

Dog1 is on long term steroids due to bowel condition, she has been on them for a couple of years and is on a low 1mg daily dose. As I gave her one last week I noticed it said 5mg on the packet- I called the vets who took almost a week to get back to me then confirmed she was given the wrong dose when I collected her repeat prescription last month.
I was asked to take her for a check up where we discussed her increased appetite and I was given instructions on how to gradually lower the dose over a few weeks. This was frustrating as when she began them long term we were given all the warnings about medicine side effects and possible affect on life span which was hard.
The next night she actually broke into a bin and ate raisins (never ever done before) and her and her sister ended up at an emergency vets and a £500 bill.
Thankfully both dogs are doing great now. I spoke to my vets as I felt that as this had never happened or anything like it previously, it had a good chance of being down to her increased appetite. The vets got back to me today to say that there isn’t enough evidence that it was the higher steroids that caused it but I strongly feel that as the vet who checked her over stressed the increased appetite and online there are stories of dogs raiding bins after being prescribed steroids that it’s highly likely but I’m being fobbed off.
Also I am still not happy about the actual error, I love our vets but have lost confidence in them and feel like other than being told ‘really sorry it’s happened & we are discussing ways to not happen again’ that I still haven’t got an answer about any of it.
Or should I just let things go as dog is luckily fine? I’m so torn especially as she has had serious bowel problems since we got her so we have spent 7 years being super careful of everything she ate.

Bump

Frankly, I doubt very much you're ever going to get any sort of apology or, from the sound of it, even an admission that they made a bad error and yes, I think you are being fobbed off; they're not going to admit they screwed up.

Yes, mistakes can happen but the way they're behaving about it would make me lose all faith in them.

I couldn't just let it go, I'd be changing my vet if it were me and I'd make very sure I check all medication very carefully in future, whichever vet I'm with.

Glad to hear you dogs have recovered well after eating the raisins.

I probably wouldn't let it go. If this was a doctor or pharmacist who'd made the mistake for a human, they'd be looking at the business end of a lawsuit.

Given that the vet told you the side effects could lead to bin raiding, I'd be querying why I was paying £500 for treatment which was most likely needed due to their negligence.

Do you have insurance? If so when you claim for the treatment I would make clear the likely cause of the incident. Insurance companies love having someone to blame as they can reclaim their payouts.

Negotiate with them over the cost. Present your evidence clinically and non-emotively. They probably won't write off the cost completely but you should be able to come up with a reduced price.

Have you spoken to the senior partner at the vets to see what their take on it is . We had an issue years ago with an on call vet who misdiagnosed my horse with a simple nosebleed which was actually fractured frontal sinuses and surgical emphysema . The proper diagnosis was made the following day when I insisted that the senior horse vet came out , he was extremely cross and most apologetic and eventually bought the original vet back about 4 days later , with our agreement, so that he could lecture him on why we don’t jump to rash diagnosis because we don’t like being called out on a Sunday morning .

I would say it is a definite reason why she raided the bin. Mine was on a massive dose and we were warned about hunger and thirst and mine ate a rag and my vet agreed that it was out of character and likely to have been him crazy on the steroids. But we knew the risks and benefits at the time with the dose.

The fact that yours happened because they had upped the dosage by accident would annoy me. I would put in a formal complaint and then change vets.

It’s so difficult as I genuinely loved our vets but do feel very brushed off over this, Not just the money but the error explanation.
I hope I can claim £200 from insurance after excess but waiting to see, I hadn’t mentioned the vet mistake on the claim form as the vets led me to believe they were taking care of it until yesterday

I’ve sent them an email, feel awful doing it though.

@Sickasadoggy

I’ve sent them an email, feel awful doing it though.

I hope they make amends. I think sometimes if people just admit they messed up it goes a long way rather than trying to fob you off.