Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Just wanting some thoughts/opinions/facts on this senario. You take your dogs to the vet for a vaccination and microchipping. You notice the dogs before you are coughing and stay well clear. The vet guides you into the consulting room after the dogs before you have finished and you walk in and find that your dog is now sniffing and licking saliva left on the floor by the previous patients, after being in there for a while the vet finally decides to disinfect/clean the floor where the saliva is - obviously too late. Now a few days later your dog starts showing the same symptoms as the dogs in the clinic and you ring your vet to find that your dogs have contracted the same infection/virus as the previous patients. Now doesn't the vet have a duty of care to provide their patients with a clean consulting room which should be cleaned before you are ushered in ? what would you do ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 In theory, you're correct as to the duty of care. BUT if they were very busy or runing late, they might have weighed up the pros and cons of keeping ppl waiting while they thoroughly cleaned the consult room. Having said that, I'd be more than happy to wait while this is done, and IMO the clinic or vet should offer to treat the subsequently sick dog/s free of charge. As I wasn't there, I can't speculate...but this is what I would expect from my vet clinic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leenie Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I've never worked in a surgery where the room wasn't cleaned between patients - no matter how busy we were! If a VN couldn't get to it, the vet cleaned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 I agree anyone would rather wait until it was cleaned Is it worth a complaint to the Veterinary surgeons board ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 (edited) Double post. Edited January 10, 2006 by Rappie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 It is usual for the consulting room table to be wiped down with disinfectant and for the vet to wash their hands between consultations. It would however be difficult, if the dogs are outside dogs and in contact with other dogs, to prove that it was the source of infection. If you are concerned by it, then you can call the Board of Veterinary Surgeon's and speak to them. They will let you know what they can and can't do. However, the outcome may just be them letting the veterinarian know that a concern was raised - and it sounds as though they are already aware of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 Rappie this is the only source the dogs could have got it from as they are inside dogs, unfortunately the pup has brought it home from the surgery and now passed it onto one of our other dogs which we have quarantined away from any of the others. It seems like talking with the Board and making a complaint is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I usually take mine to the vets in a show trolley, it's a bit of a pain but they can then be lifted straight from the trolley to the exam table. I have also requested that vets disinfect the table while I am watching, before I place any puppies on there. It might seem a bit over the top, but you never know how clean the surgery is. Having said that, the surgery I worked at was clean and always clean, I took great pride in making sure it was that way.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 Well done Warley thats something I will be doing in the future in regards to seeing the room/table sprayed before my dogs go in. Unfortunately as my dogs are large their trolley/crates wouldn't fit through the clinic door Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 (edited) Hi Hazz, There are a couple of things here I think that could be mentioned. Firstly, check your gazette, is there not a vet that will do your vaccinations for SACA members? ie a travelling vet? (come to your home?). Next, sure the vet has a responsibility, but the thing that I noticed is that your dog licked the saliva? from the floor, (I am not trying to be overly critical of you, but something worthy of mentioning!). We also have large dogs, and IF we have a need to take them to the vet, we wait outside until we are required the dogs are walked in when required, and then walked straight outside again, they dont wait in the waiting room, they dont have contact with other dogs, and they dont have contact with floor surfaces with the exception of their feet, (or if for some exceptional circumstance) to lie down. If puppies were to go to the vet (which they dont) they always go in to the vet in a show trolley. Debbi edit to add show trolleys have always fitted through the doorways we have never not managed, they fit through a standard doorway if a normal show trolley. Edited January 10, 2006 by Debbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordelia Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 If they completely mopped the floor and then let people in and they slipped on the wet floor........ (guaranteed it would happen at some point to someone who wuold then sue!). If they mopped then waited for it to dry completely..... total waste of time. Spot cleaned the floor...... ever tried to see a small glob of spit on a lino floor?? Rule... don't allow any dog to lick the clinic floor. KC is airborne. Walking in the same clinic after an infected dog has walked out of it could just as well have been the mode of transmission without any actual contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 I didn't know she was licking the floor as soon as I did I picked her up and took her to the other side of the room. Debbi I do that with the bigger dogs (the Saints and Wei) - leaving them in the car til we need to go in but as is was just the pup and my sisters small dog we took them in (also gets the baby used to the vet clinic noise) - Not sure about the travelling vet but shall ask saca the only vet that advertises in the journal is too far from us Never said they should mop the floor cordy but I do think they should disinfect (generally spray) any mess and the exam table before the next patient. By the way it says KC is airborne (3m general area after coughing) but also by saliva I've emailed the Vet board and we'll go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buster's Mum Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 When I took my dog to the vet for KC they asked me to park around the back and they came out to the car to treat him. They were very nice about it and explained that they didn't want to risk other dogs getting infected. I would be changing vets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Agreed Cordelia. The term "contact" isn't restricted to direct nose-nose contact, it can include sharing the same air space. If the two dogs were in the same room together, that's a potential source of infection, just as if two dogs greeted each other while out on a walk. I think it's something hard to determine, and difficult to prevent, but it's not something that can really be sorted out on a forum. I don't suggest contacting the Vet Surgeon's Board for the purposes of finding fault or laying blame, but if you have a genuine concern - they are the people that can help, if they feel the situation warrants it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordelia Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 By the way it says KC is airborne (3m general area after coughing) but also by saliva Airborne meaning that the infected saliva is carried via airborne particles from a sneeze, cough, slobber etc. So effectively, we are saying the same thing... just doesn't have to be a glob of saliva on the floor...... it would be shooting through the air from the dog as well . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 Thanks to everyone for their responses. I've been in contact with the Vet. Board and they have also rung me we have discussed the matter and they have told me what to do and what steps to take so together we will sort out the matter and shall be consulting the vet again this arvo with them. thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 (edited) The duty of care should have been the fact the dogs where there due to coughing. Whilst obviously we know the signs of KC our vet has big signs on the door asking clients with coughing dogs not to enter. If the dog before me or i noticed a dog coughing i would place dog out in care asap & ask the stff is it KC in the dog waiting there?? We never take our dogs in straight away,we go in check whats waiting & ask anyone with KC,parvo,gastro etc. Our vet comes to us for vaccs but if we have too go to vets & where not sure we always ask. Edited January 10, 2006 by showdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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