Kenz's On-going Saga

[cassie]

Definitely a gold plated BC . I am really second guessing the first surgery call now after everything that has transpired and feel like I shouldn't have put her through it especially since there was no real improved outcome for her .

Don't beat yourself up, of course you wouldn't have put her through it if you didn't think it was the best thing for her at the time. You wanted to and tried to give her the best outcome, it's not your fault it didn't really work. Anyone can see you love Kenzie and want what's best. I think of you guys often and always hope that she's doing better xx

[Poodle wrangler]

Am so sorry to hear of all you both have been thru.

If it's any consolation, I've seen similar dramas with HUMANS having joint surgeries.

Very, very disappointing for everyone, but surgeries can fail and/or complications occur despite doing the "right thing" at the time.

Sometimes fixing one problem, creates others as their body doesn't move normally after surgery e.g. limping etc.

My (previous) standard poodle had a repair of luxating patella- the groove on the bone was deepened and patella pinned which fixed the problem.

Both sides were affected, but only one operated on.

Other one dislocated a few more times than it had previously during his recovery, then settled down to maybe once a year?

He died at only 6 years (bloat), having had surgery at just over 1 year old.

Most likely, though, his body just wasn't put together properly.

Luxating patellas are almost unheard of in 27kg tall standards.

Nature isn't perfect.

I was told his hips were OK around the time he had the surgery, but I'm suspicious they might have not been right, either and I'd have soon seen him in pain.

Your BC is lucky to have you to care for her.

You can only do what you think is best - which you've done and just been very unfortunate with ongoing problems

[ness]

Luxating patellas aren't a BC thing either supposedly - which part of me wonders still if there isn't more going on. I am just struggling to make sense of everything when really only relatively recently I was told she would need surgery so find it a little strange for it to have settled. I also know how hard they were to pick up on initially so makes me wonder if the new person isn't just not finding it to be a huge problem because hers has never presented in a typical fashion.

In the end not enough was done to fix her LH and at the point surgery was done there was no suggestion she had bilateral MPL issues so I guess it was felt that they could get away with the minimum because the rest appeared normal. Now I just don't know.

The frustration for me is the shoulder issue is where we started with this mess and now its coming back to haunt me. I know I should have had it scoped at the time she had her MPL surgery but I really hoped it had improved and gone away and I didn't have the extra money to spare on top of an already expensive MPL repair surgery.

[OSoSwift]

very frustrating. I hate it when new information makes you doubt your decisions and second guess yourself. You did the best thing at the time with the information you were given. No-one could ask more of you than that.

[ness]

Managed to have a phone conversation with the specialist - not sure I am fully happy with things but we do have a plan for moving forwards. All I can say is Kenz will be 100% in approval of the plan whereas I still have some serious reservations . Slowly slowly might be the way it pans out.

At least there is no rush to expensive diagnostics for the moment. I can certainly cope with that.

Edited November 14, 2013 by ness

[ness]

Hmmm so now the truth is starting to emerge - had an appointment with a new neurologist today regarding the BC collapse issue and funnily enough when they went searching for her x-rays there were none on file . Now where does the specialist get off with saying that xrays were taken at the time of surgery and I have email to prove he said they were yet when two other specialists went through Kenz's file to locate them there were none . Not helped that her first specialist has now disappeared interstate either so can't even answer the question as to where they might have got to.

NOT HAPPY. Seems to be bugger all accountability in the veterinary profession. Sounds like I will be up for more x-rays if there is no trace of the first lot .

Edited January 22, 2014 by ness

[Erny]

Ness - report to the AVA. Tell AVA you want your money back from the 1st Specialist and ask them to also let you know where he is currently practicing/what his address is.

It sucks when you're having to deal with dog health issues but on top of that have to deal with shoddy record keeping or worse.

[ness]

I know where the first specialist has moved to and do still have a current email address for them. Its not the first bit of information they told me which was later determined to be incorrect I am just struggling to come to terms with everything.

The two of them worked at the same clinic and in fact the second one took over running the clinic from the first one. The neurologist yesterday was super sympathetic to the cause when she saw the size of Kenz's file. I can't fault her yesterday she gave me some ideas to use to try and help with the BCC issue and said if she came across anything else she would send the information on.

Hoping the second ortho finds some record of the x-rays and the email was correct and then we will redo them but I won't be out of pocket the full amount. Still frustrated but a little less frustrated then having to deal with so much miscommunication. I then have to hope they don't actually show something else which should have been picked up the first time before committing to surgery.

As a lawyer by training if I had told a client I had done something and it hadn't been done you would have been culpable. Seemingly in the veterinary profession that might not be the case.

Edited January 23, 2014 by ness