Just posted- see what I mean
=====> FULL BLOOD GERMAN SHEPHERD <====

Thank you so much 4paws. I have not had a chance to do any searching on craigslist, but will tomorrow evening. Thank you for the link.

I've always found that regular dry food and raw chicken wings will keep a dogs teeth clean and healthy, and I've never met a dog who doesn't go crazy over a chicken wing.

I am sorry for your loss, but I think you're reacting emotionally, rather than rationally. This does not sound like over anesthetizing. It sounds like anaphylactic shock; a severe allergic response. No one can predict this, it's rare, but it does happen. The vet is not at fault.

It's also possible there was a pocket of infection that "showered". This causes almost immediate circulatory collapse, shock, and death. Again no one can predict this, it's rare, and the vet is not at fault.

Pre-op blood work will show kidney and liver function, but won't indicate other possible problems. Did the vet do a blood pressure check? An ECG? A chest X-ray to check for masses in the lungs, an enlarged heart, or other abnormalities? Some vets will suggest these, many will not. Many owners opt not to do these tests because of the expense.

Without an autopsy, you can sue the vet, but you won't win. You'd have to prove gross negligence, and that's hard to impossible to do without an autopsy.

Some dental procedures can be done with minimal or no anesthesia, but to properly clean below the gum line, probe for pockets of infection, and to extract loose, cracked or abscessed teeth, anesthesia is necessary.

I don't know what type of anesthesia was used. Most modern anesthesia agents are very safe. Much safer than those used just 20 years ago. We use the same anesthesia that would be used on you if you were having open heart surgery. Very few complications. But it's still possible for a dog, or person, to have an allergic reaction, and unfortunately the outcome is usually bad in those cases.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss. Just trying to help you understand what may have happened, and that your vet may not really be an idiot.

I just wanted to say I'm terribly sorry, it is awful to lose your dog this way, and so suddenly too. I've heard about the risks of anesthetic, thanks for sharing.

[lil mutt]

Have you seek any legal consultation about your situation? I think you can sue the person liable to what happened your pet.

I'm sorry for your loss.
She's beautiful.

Noble Shepherd Rescue

Here is the link- I am actually calling the one trainer I was referring to (I think) to get my dogs evaluated. I just saw the link on craigslist this AM

Originally Posted by vetgroomer

I am sorry for your loss, but I think you're reacting emotionally, rather than rationally. This does not sound like over anesthetizing. It sounds like anaphylactic shock; a severe allergic response. No one can predict this, it's rare, but it does happen. The vet is not at fault.

It's also possible there was a pocket of infection that "showered". This causes almost immediate circulatory collapse, shock, and death. Again no one can predict this, it's rare, and the vet is not at fault.

Pre-op blood work will show kidney and liver function, but won't indicate other possible problems. Did the vet do a blood pressure check? An ECG? A chest X-ray to check for masses in the lungs, an enlarged heart, or other abnormalities? Some vets will suggest these, many will not. Many owners opt not to do these tests because of the expense.

Without an autopsy, you can sue the vet, but you won't win. You'd have to prove gross negligence, and that's hard to impossible to do without an autopsy.

Some dental procedures can be done with minimal or no anesthesia, but to properly clean below the gum line, probe for pockets of infection, and to extract loose, cracked or abscessed teeth, anesthesia is necessary.

I don't know what type of anesthesia was used. Most modern anesthesia agents are very safe. Much safer than those used just 20 years ago. We use the same anesthesia that would be used on you if you were having open heart surgery. Very few complications. But it's still possible for a dog, or person, to have an allergic reaction, and unfortunately the outcome is usually bad in those cases.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss. Just trying to help you understand what may have happened, and that your vet may not really be an idiot.

Thanks Vetgroomer for saying this. Anyone, human or animal, can have a bad reaction to anesthesia. That's why there are always forms to sign indicating that you are aware of this danger. You probably signed these before your dog's teeth cleaning.

It is not unusual after a lose to want to blame someone and the easiest one to blame is the doctor/vet. I lost a beloved dog last year. But, it wasn't the vet's fault. All the great vet care in the world (and my vet definitely did that) can not always save our pets. All we can do is grieve for our lose and try not to let it consume us. It is hard to do that. In a twelve month period, I've lost my dad, my stepfather, and my dog. Grief over the lose of the dog isn't any less than the grief over the other two. Grief is grief. It hurts--really bad.

[Shout out to the greatest vet in the world: Dr. Kathy Duford, Waterway Animal Hospital, Little River, SC. SALUTE!]

Originally Posted by lil mutt

Have you seek any legal consultation about your situation? I think you can sue the person liable to what happened your pet.

You can sue anyone, over just about anything. That doesn't mean you'll win.

In a case like this you'd have to prove gross negligence. And that would require an autopsy. Just because an animal dies while in the care of a vet is not enough. You have to be able to show that the vet in question was negligent and did not provide the normal standard of care.

The other situation you run into is the amount you can recover. In most cases animals are considered property. You can recover the estimated value of the dog, and medical bills. You probably cannot recover significant punitive damages, pain and suffering, that sort of thing. You'll spend more on attorney fees, if you find an attorney who'll actually take the case, than you can recover.

You might be able to file in small claims court, which doesn't require an attorney, but again, you'll only recover the value of the animal, and medical expenses. And you'd still have to prove gross negligence. That's darned near impossible without an autopsy report.