Vet Debacle...

[tico]

Hi everyone,

Earlier this summer I rescued a stray (or rather, she decided I would rescue her) and I'm still dealing with her litter issues. (tldr: she doesn't like to pee in her box, but in other specific places around my home)

Someone recommended that I check if she was spayed or not, which was smart idea. I took her to the vet about a month ago, they shaved her stomach and told me she was not spayed - there was no scar.

So this (long) weekend, I scheduled her to get spayed... not only the right thing to do, but in hopes it might alter her bathroom habits. It was done on Friday, and I pick her up that afternoon. Everything seemingly went well. She had an uncomfortable first couple nights/days, but has started to feel a bit perkier by Sunday afternoon. I took her back in this evening, because I wasn't sure if she had popped a suture. (She thinks she can jump, silly thing...)

When I got there Sunday evening (for the suture fix) the vet said - "Oh by the way, when I operated on her, she appeared to already been spayed." She went on about how she searched for uterine stumps, and couldn't find them so it was in medical language "possible spay" but when i asked her point blank does she have a uterus? She said no, and I said - well, she was spayed. I don't understand how they didn't see a scar. I'm so frustrated that this sweet kitty had to go through this procedure unnecessarily, and that I wasn't told about it the day I picked her up. The vet said the reason she didn't tell me was that she was in surgery at the time, and that she had planned to call me, but it had already been 48+ hours at this point. Would she have even told me if I didn't come back in on my own? I had to ask her why she charged me full price when no spaying in fact happened, and she said it took her longer to search for the stumps than a regular spaying procedure. When I persisted, she said she would credit my account (not refund me) $37 which was 50% of the surgery fee. (There was also a fee for the cone and the pain meds that were not touched) Then she starting expressing how sympathetic to how I rescued her and was looking after her when many wouldn't. But honestly, I don't think she would have credited that money if I hadn't asked. If I hadn't have come in, I wonder if I would have ever known. So frustrating.

The more I think about it, the more annoyed and upset I get about. I spent not only my money, but also my time on caring for her post-op. She has to deal with this recovery, which is no walk in the park... and all of this for nothing! Is the vet fair in her compensation? It is possible for a good vet to miss a scar, or is this incompetence? Should I just leave it as what's done is done? I just don't understand how this happened at all. And on top of it, I had no idea until I chose to bring her back in for a question.

So the ultimate bad news is that she is already spayed and thus, the surgery isn't going to have an affect on her habits. So, so disappointed.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

How frustrating for you and traumatic for your kitty! I would think they could have done an xray or ultrasound to see if she was spayed before doing the surgery. And then not to tell you about it right away is wrong. I can see how it would be hard to trust this vet again. I hope she recovers from surgery soon.

 

[himawari]

Your poor kitty! Oh my god. Like Kitty Mommy , I hope your little one recovers soon.

I say that what your vet did was total negligence, especially the fact that she didn't let you know when you picked up your cat & then didn't tell you about it. I definitely thing you should get your money back as a refund, not as a credit. And find a new vet.

 

[tico]

Thanks. It was certainly not the best news I've ever received from a vet. She is recovering well now, at the least.

 

[Alicia88]

I don't think I would ever use that vet again. That seems absolutely ridiculous to me and I'm not sure I'd be able to trust her in the future.

 

[Blakeney Green]

On some cats spay scars can be really difficult to see, so I don't necessarily fault her for not finding it - but I do think it's a huge issue that you weren't told the accurate situation immediately. Regardless of how long it took the vet in surgery, the owner needs to be told the factual truth about the pet's condition in a timely manner, and that didn't happen here.

Personally, I wouldn't use that vet again. Not because she missed the spay scar, but because she didn't communicate about what was going on with your pet and seemingly tried to just pull a fast one with a procedure that wasn't performed.

 

[tico]

On some cats spay scars can be really difficult to see, so I don't necessarily fault her for not finding it - but I do think it's a huge issue that you weren't told the accurate situation immediately. Regardless of how long it took the vet in surgery, the owner needs to be told the factual truth about the pet's condition in a timely manner, and that didn't happen here.

Personally, I wouldn't use that vet again. Not because she missed the spay scar, but because she didn't communicate about what was going on with your pet and seemingly tried to just pull a fast one with a procedure that wasn't performed.

That's my feeling too. Especially after I did a little research, and found it is possible to miss the scar. I feel more upset at the fact I didn't feel like I was treated well, considering how things went. And the way she told me came across "Oh, by the way..."

 

[sweetpea24]

Hi everyone,

Earlier this summer I rescued a stray (or rather, she decided I would rescue her) and I'm still dealing with her litter issues. (tldr: she doesn't like to pee in her box, but in other specific places around my home)

Someone recommended that I check if she was spayed or not, which was smart idea. I took her to the vet about a month ago, they shaved her stomach and told me she was not spayed - there was no scar.

So this (long) weekend, I scheduled her to get spayed... not only the right thing to do, but in hopes it might alter her bathroom habits. It was done on Friday, and I pick her up that afternoon. Everything seemingly went well. She had an uncomfortable first couple nights/days, but has started to feel a bit perkier by Sunday afternoon. I took her back in this evening, because I wasn't sure if she had popped a suture. (She thinks she can jump, silly thing...)

When I got there Sunday evening (for the suture fix) the vet said - "Oh by the way, when I operated on her, she appeared to already been spayed." She went on about how she searched for uterine stumps, and couldn't find them so it was in medical language "possible spay" but when i asked her point blank does she have a uterus? She said no, and I said - well, she was spayed. I don't understand how they didn't see a scar. I'm so frustrated that this sweet kitty had to go through this procedure unnecessarily, and that I wasn't told about it the day I picked her up. The vet said the reason she didn't tell me was that she was in surgery at the time, and that she had planned to call me, but it had already been 48+ hours at this point. Would she have even told me if I didn't come back in on my own? I had to ask her why she charged me full price when no spaying in fact happened, and she said it took her longer to search for the stumps than a regular spaying procedure. When I persisted, she said she would credit my account (not refund me) $37 which was 50% of the surgery fee. (There was also a fee for the cone and the pain meds that were not touched) Then she starting expressing how sympathetic to how I rescued her and was looking after her when many wouldn't. But honestly, I don't think she would have credited that money if I hadn't asked. If I hadn't have come in, I wonder if I would have ever known. So frustrating.

The more I think about it, the more annoyed and upset I get about. I spent not only my money, but also my time on caring for her post-op. She has to deal with this recovery, which is no walk in the park... and all of this for nothing! Is the vet fair in her compensation? It is possible for a good vet to miss a scar, or is this incompetence? Should I just leave it as what's done is done? I just don't understand how this happened at all. And on top of it, I had no idea until I chose to bring her back in for a question.

So the ultimate bad news is that she is already spayed and thus, the surgery isn't going to have an affect on her habits. So, so disappointed.

I understand how that would be frustrating and she should have told you after she finished surgery. However, I would have not refunded you either as it takes time to search for the uterine stumps and she would still have to close her up (subcutaneous and cutaneous suture). This also requires anesthesia, monitoring by a vet tech and post op pain medication. If you only paid $74 for the surgery, I'd say you got a great deal. And I wouldn't discount the pain medication or collar because she still opened her abdomen up and should not be able to lick the incision site. In good faith however, maybe a 10% discount could have been offered.

A spay scar is not as always obvious and cats heal very quickly.

I'm, the vet's only mistake here is that she didn't communicate her findings with you.

Sorry I'm not trying to be argumentative or unsympathetic. It's too bad they didn't find the spay scar. But better in the long run instead of her getting certain cancers. Sorry that your kitty had to go through so much.

 

[tico]

I understand how that would be frustrating and she should have told you after she finished surgery. However, I would have not refunded you either as it takes time to search for the uterine stumps and she would still have to close her up (subcutaneous and cutaneous suture). This also requires anesthesia, monitoring by a vet tech and post op pain medication. If you only paid $74 for the surgery, I'd say you got a great deal. And I wouldn't discount the pain medication or collar because she still opened her abdomen up and should not be able to lick the incision site. In good faith however, maybe a 10% discount could have been offered.

A spay scar is not as always obvious and cats heal very quickly.

I'm, the vet's only mistake here is that she didn't communicate her findings with you.

Sorry I'm not trying to be argumentative or unsympathetic. It's too bad they didn't find the spay scar. But better in the long run instead of her getting certain cancers. Sorry that your kitty had to go through so much.

Thanks so much for your perspective. That's good to know, and I appreciate how you described what she had to do, and how you felt she was pretty accommodating with her discount. I just wish I had been made aware going in. From a layperson's perspective, I have no idea that when she checked if she was spayed, they are only making a guess. A vet is the expert, I trust her judgment and assessment, and my assumption was that the vet knows what they're looking for and can find it. I didn't have ANY idea going in to the surgery that there would be any chance that she was already spayed. I felt rather blind-sided by the news, especially after waiting 48 hours post-op before hearing. And then realizing I spent $125 for no reason at all. It was the last thing I was expecting to hear! I didn't know there was even a chance of this news. I would have been much less affected if I went into this procedure knowing there was a chance she was spayed, and been prepared for either news.

So yeah, I think more so than whether or not the vet was inept - I just was frustrated by the lack of clarity and communication.

It's okay now, she's doing much better, and I'm not upset anymore. Just wasn't a pleasant experience at the time.

 

[pharber-murphy]

It's interesting to see Sweetpea's perspective, but I would find another vet. We are all make mistakes, but the fact that she didn't tell you is unacceptable. I couldn't trust her if I were in your shoes!

In the meantime, what have you tried to stop the improper elimination problem if spaying an already spayed cat didn't work? I've seen sprays in the pet store that promise to eliminate the problem. I've also heard that if you thoroughly clean the areas she keeps using - maybe with something like Resolve Pet Stain and Odor cleaner, she'll stop. BTW, you've probably tried this, but maybe she doesn't like the litter. Have you switched it up to see if there is something she will accept?

 

[tico]

It's interesting to see Sweetpea's perspective, but I would find another vet. We are all make mistakes, but the fact that she didn't tell you is unacceptable. I couldn't trust her if I were in your shoes!

In the meantime, what have you tried to stop the improper elimination problem if spaying an already spayed cat didn't work? I've seen sprays in the pet store that promise to eliminate the problem. I've also heard that if you thoroughly clean the areas she keeps using - maybe with something like Resolve Pet Stain and Odor cleaner, she'll stop. BTW, you've probably tried this, but maybe she doesn't like the litter. Have you switched it up to see if there is something she will accept?

I've had her for 4 months now, and trust me when I say I've tried everything... (just read my original thread)
* 3 different kinds of litter
* more than one box
* a larger box
* cat attractant mixed in
* enzyme/pet urine specific carpet cleaner
* moving the box to the location she pees
* Feliway
* treat-based conditioning

She poops in it no problem. I don't think the litter bugs her. I think she has some kind of behavioural aversion. If she is unhappy to pee in her box her choices are very specific: 1) laundry basket (if laundry is in it) 2) Blanket on floor 3) bed (on duvet.. booo) 4) kitchen rug. I am now going to pay to have my carpets professionally cleaned, to try and eliminate as much of the trace of urine as possible. Vet checked her and says she is free of any infection or crystals.

What IS interesting is that during this "non-spay" surgery recovery (which of course should have zero affect on any hormone-based changes) I transitioned us to stay out of the bedroom so she wouldn't jump on my bed at night. So I slept on the living room couch, and brought one of her boxes out into the kitchen area. She has used that box for both pee and poo every day for the first week of her recovery! I can't explain why - sometimes not even with hesitation. Probably about 9 or 10 times she peed in there! I thought we turned some kind of magical corner. Then bam, this morning on Day 7 post-op, just as I was waking up groggily - a sad meow and pee on the kitchen rug. So I'm waiting to see tonight if this is a minor set-back or a reversion.

 

[tico]

I've had her for 4 months now, and trust me when I say I've tried everything... (just read my original thread)
* 3 different kinds of litter
* more than one box
* a larger box
* cat attractant mixed in
* enzyme/pet urine specific carpet cleaner
* moving the box to the location she pees
* Feliway
* treat-based conditioning

She poops in it no problem. I don't think the litter bugs her. I think she has some kind of behavioural aversion. I am now going to pay to have my carpets professionally cleaned, to try and eliminate as much of the trace of urine as possible. Vet checked her and says she is free of any infection or crystals.

What IS interesting is that during this "non-spay" surgery recovery (which of course should have zero affect on any hormone-based changes) I transitioned us to stay out of the bedroom so she wouldn't jump on my bed at night. So I slept on the living room couch, and brought one of her boxes out into the kitchen area. She has used that box for both pee and poo every day for the first week of her recovery! I can't explain why - sometimes not even with hesitation. Probably about 9 or 10 times she peed in there! I thought we turned some kind of magical corner. Then bam, this morning on Day 7 post-op, just as I was waking up groggily - a sad meow and pee on the kitchen rug. So I'm waiting to see tonight if this is a minor set-back or a reversion.

Delete please - double post.

 

[pharber-murphy]

That really is strange. I wonder if having you close to the box made the difference? But if her box was in your bedroom and you were sleeping there, that wouldn't be any different than having it in the living room. Or course, I'm not a cat so I can't begin to guess what's going through her little brain.

It may be gross, but if my cat would only use the litterbox if it was in the kitchen, then by golly, that litterbox would be in the kitchen. Maybe in one of those litter hideaways that I see all the time on Pinterest to keep down the dust.