5 Months Old Puppy Dies During Simple Surgery

[Pockets]

A couple is left devastated after the took their 5 month old GSD puppy to the vet to have a cut stitched.

Later they received a call advising them he had had a cardiac arrest during surgery and passed away.

On further investigation, the nurse of 13 years experience said the vet doing the surgery had graduated last year, the surgery was going well, so the nurse left for a few minutes (leaving the pup not being monitored) came back and the

Puppy wasn't breathing, checked for a pulse and the puppy didn't have one, he has passed while she was out doing something more important.

They tell you how risky Anaesthetics are, yet leave a puppy un monitored during surgery

Does anyone know what to so in this situation, the owners

Do not want anything out of it, but in my opinion the Vet Clinic needs to he held accountable

[~Anne~]

I was a vet nurse many years ago and a locum had 3 dogs die during surgery because he wasn't great at watching the patients he was operating on.

I have no idea what it is like today, and I imagine it is different for each clinic, but in my day most vets didn't want you assisting beyond the initial tubing. It wasn't like humans where you have a team of people around you during an OP each monitoring different things.

[mixeduppup]

Leaving the patient is a big no no, you NEVER do it. Someone always has to be monitoring and a vet can't operate and monitor. You're meant to monitor constantly and fill in the anaesthetic forms every 5 mins so you can have a record and the anaesthetics machine also keeps and saves a record.

Edited April 22, 2013 by mixeduppup

[*kirty*]

I'm so sorry to hear that. At the clinic I work at, we have extensive monitoring equipment and at least one nurse monitors the anaesthetic the entire time. I can't imagine not having that equipment! It is the nurses role to make sure that the patient is stable at our clinic.

[Pockets]

We are all very devastated, they have a duty of care with our much loved family members and they have been so careless today.

In my opinions there is such a big time frame between a dog going downhill (blood pressure, heart rate) to stopping breathing, to having no pulse. So no one was monitoring this puppy for quite a few minutes at least and the puppy and his loving owners have paid the terrible cost

I am just shattered this has happened, something that to me is so preventable.

What would be so much more important for the nurse than to monitor an animal under anaesthetic!!!

I don't care what the vet would "prefer" your operating on a member of my family and all precautions should be taken!!

[Dame Aussie]

Leaving the patient is a big no no, you NEVER do it. Someone always has to be monitoring and a vet can't operate and monitor. You're meant to monitor constantly and fill in the anaesthetic forms every 5 mins so you can have a record and the anaesthetics machine also keeps and saves a record.

Yes same when I nursed. How tragic

[Loving my Oldies]

That is tragic, Pockets, and I understand how you all must be devastated.

Do not want anything out of it, but in my opinion the Vet Clinic needs to he held accountable

What have they done so far? How have they explained it except to say the nurse left the room? It must have been a pretty extensive cut to require a GA

Poor little dog to have lost his life because of someone's disregard of the protocols.

There isn't much that can be said to ease the pain and sorrow you are feeling at this awful time except to offer deepest sympathies.

I just hope you get some decent treatment/responses from the vet.

[jerojath]

I'm so sorry to hear that. At the clinic I work at, we have extensive monitoring equipment and at least one nurse monitors the anaesthetic the entire time. I can't imagine not having that equipment! It is the nurses role to make sure that the patient is stable at our clinic.

Same here. I haven't Nursed for some years, but in each clinic I have worked at the policy was the same.... you did NOT leave your post!

[Pockets]

We don't know what to do, the vets response was "no explanation" and that an autopsy would be needed at a cost of $550 to the owner. Later after I spoke to the owner, he called the vet and spoke with the nurse who advised him that she left the room...

The puppy was strong, happy and healthy as a horse.

I bred this puppy, all my puppies are very close to my heart regardless of where they are, I am at a loss and truly gutted...this has left us all shattered.

I am following this up no questions, this in my opinion is neglect

[Guest donatella]

Sounds like negligence if she's admitted to leaving the pup.

[Loving my Oldies]

We don't know what to do, the vets response was "no explanation" and that an autopsy would be needed at a cost of $550 to the owner. Later after I spoke to the owner, he called the vet and spoke with the nurse who advised him that she left the room...

The puppy was strong, happy and healthy as a horse.

I bred this puppy, all my puppies are very close to my heart regardless of where they are, I am at a loss and truly gutted...this has left us all shattered.

I am following this up no questions, this in my opinion is neglect

Yes, these sudden deaths do happen, but such a response is pretty damned callous, and even more so since the nurse has already admitted to leaving the room in the middle of the operation.

Such a response is a shocking abrogation of responsibility. I hope he starts to consider a new career.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

The Australian Veterinary Association says there is a board of registration for vets in each state, this page has a link and a general outline of what you need to do.

http://www.ava.com.au/public-0

I think what I'd be looking for is some apologies and some sign that they have put in place procedures that do not allow for an animal under GA to be left unattended and unmonitored by someone whose only job is to monitor and draw attention to any problems during the operation so they can be fixed immediately. How come these things don't beep when the heart or breathing stops?

And I'd probably ask for financial compensation equal to the price of the dog and the cost of having a litter (ie adding up all the vet services for that).

A junior vet - could reasonably be expected to make some mistakes and it is important for them to have at least one other person to catch and sort the mistakes before the puppy dies.

[Chocolatelover]

Poor pup

Can't really offer anything other than when our dog died unexpectedly at the age of three (we woke one morning to find him dead on his bed) we had him autopsied at the University of Queensland at no charge as we needed to know what had happened to him. We were prepared to pay but our vet actually asked if we would let the uni do it as it is so beneficial to the students and it was overseen by a qualified pathologist.

I realise you are not in Queensland but thought there maybe a similar set up at a University nearby?? Just an idea anyway. Hope you get some answers xx

[Simply Grand]

Or make the complaint to the AVA first, see if there is a way to have an autopsy done that has to be paid for by the vet who performed the surgery of negligence is found. You or the owners may have to pay initially and be reimbursed if negligence is found. Obviously don't have the same vet do the autopsy.

Record in writing date, time, name and statement of the vet nurse and the vet.

Just rereading, what has happened to the body of the puppy (sorry, I know it's awful to think about )?

Edited April 22, 2013 by Simply Grand

[Inka3095]

I was a med student watching a routine elective procedure on an elderly gentleman (human). The anesthetist left the room to have a cuppa, leaving his nurse to watch the machines. Not sure what went wrong but the patient regained consciousness and woke up half way through his (very painful) surgical procedure..... We were yelling for the anaethetist and sending runners to get him, but all a bit late for the patient who attained awareness and is unlikely to forget that experience for a very long time.

There is no excuse for any staff member to leave the room during surgery if they're fulfilling a role, no matter how routine the procedure is, or how well it's going. Human or animal, doesn't matter

[mjk05]

I was a med student watching a routine elective procedure on an elderly gentleman (human). The anesthetist left the room to have a cuppa, leaving his nurse to watch the machines

Are you serious?!

How long ago was this? In a teaching hospital? A GP anaesthetist or an actual specialist anaesthetist? and the patient was definitely under GA, not just regional and a bit of something to help him snooze? What sort of airway did he have?

[Pockets]

I will be pursuing this further, as I personally feel it was negligence.

We asked about an autopsy, but the vet said it would cost $550, after discussing it with the owners, we agreed it wouldn't bring "Harley" back, and he was a healthy and fit dog, regardless of what caused him to go downhill, it was the negligence of the vet nurse who left the puppy during surgery, leaving no one to monitor the dog.

I have offered the owners Harley's brother, who I kept back to show etc, I have offered him at no cost to them at all, in hope that it will ease some of the pain they feel We are visiting with Tig this Thursday, which they are looking forward to.

I agree they are entitled to compensation, they paid $1800 for Harley, plus the cost to raise him etc. I personally wouldn't expect any financial gain for raising the litter etc. even if it didn't eventuate, I feel the vet clinic needs to know that this is not ok, they can't get away with this and they need be vigilant and provide a high standard of care when looking after people's pets.

Whether its surgery for a hip replacement, open heart surgery or teeth cleaning, an anaesthetic is an anaesthetic and every dog needs monitoring! They always say how risky it is with Anaesthetic, yet they allow this to happen

[Little Gifts]

My surgery and the one used by Peiradise all shut during surgery time (or at least don't take appointments during that time) and I'm assuming it is so all staff are focussed on surgical procedures and patients during that important time. What would be more important for someone to be doing than be fully prepared for, present and actually doing their allocated role during surgery? Poor practice if the nurse left the pup for anything other than a greater emergency. She left the room, for what and for how long and on whose instruction? The line between life and death can often be very fine and if complications arise, Murphy's Law is that they will happen quickly and unexpectedly.

Very sad for the owner. I hope they pursue it with the relevant vet association.

[Stolzseinrotts]

I am sorry this has happened. What an awful thing for all involved.

I wish you all the best in trying to get some kind of compensation from the Vet. Sadly I don't think you will get anything near what you are looking for.

Hugs to you all.

[_PL_]

Did they attempt to resuscitate him?

And sorry, it's not like it was uber complex surgery. It was a cut, it should have been quick and not so engrossing that a vet couldn't tell his patient has died. Plus it's pretty galling to then ask for $550 on top of that to tell you what happened.

Get all your facts lined up and go to the relevant board in your state. Mistakes happen but this shouldn't have.