we took my dog to get neutered and get his rabies shots. when he came home he slept then later vomited. they said that vomitting is normal after 24 hours of surgery. so we let him get lots of rest the next morning though, we found him dead in his dog house what happened???
2007-07-06 09:25:31 · 27 answers · asked by rain™ 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It could have been a reaction from the shots. Have a necropsy done to determine the cause. It also may have been a reaction from the anesthetic.
Sorry for your loss! :(
2007-07-06 09:31:41 · answer #1 · answered by Pom♥Mom Spay and Neuter 7 · 9⤊ 2⤋
I am so sorry for your loss:( Could there have been anything else that may have accured that your not aware of? Like getting into something that may have made him sick?? It is common for some animals to vomit after surgery but that shouldn't have been the cause of his death. This is very misterious but I don't believe that it was the vets fault as if the vet would have done something it would he wouldn't have made it home. If it were the Rabies vaccination that made him ill you would have noticed other reactions before his death so I'm pretty sure that that wasn't what it was and if there was an infection it would have taken longer then 24 hours to kill him. If I were you I would have a Necropsy done to see exactly what it was that killed him. A neuter is a very very routine surgery and the most risk with the surgery is being put under anesthesia. If it was the anesthesia he would have died on the operating table. A necropsy is really the only way that your going to get any difinitive answers. Again I am sorry that your in this situation. Good luck
2007-07-06 16:36:53 · answer #2 · answered by Alicia G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's true a post-mortem is the only way to determine cause of death. To all the people screaming SUE, this kind of evidence would undoubtedly be necessary to even get this kind of case into a court.
This death would not have been a reaction to the anaesthetic - if a dog is allergic to the anaesthetic drugs or gas, problems occur pretty much straight away, not after recovery. There is a possibility he could have reacted to the vaccine, although deaths are pretty rare.
I would say definitely talk to the vet, see what THEY have to say, and then decide what you want to do, if anything. I would agree with not keeping a dog outside after surgery though - it is necessary to keep them under a watchful eye at least for the first twelve hours.
Now I'm not saying it WASN'T something the vet did wrong - negligence certainly does occur. But it seems to occur less often than people think.
Chalice
EDIT: Oh - and it's actually pretty usual for animals to be sent home the same day as being neutered. I've only worked in two practices - a big hospital, and a small clinic, but they both send neuters home the same day.
2007-07-06 16:47:49 · answer #3 · answered by Chalice 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Okay; a few questions before I continue...
Is the dog house outside? (I'm presuming it is.)
If so, then why did you let the poor dog-after 24 hours of surgery-vomitting and tired sleep outside? Even a blanket inside a cardboard house would have been better, wouldn't you think so?
I'm sorry for your loss, but figure it out. Look into the matter, ask your vet, get second opinions...That's what you should have done when the vet told you it was normal.
I'm no expert, but I don't think being neutered and getting shots in 24 hours is healthy...
2007-07-06 16:35:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
yea, something happened that the vet is responsible for. First, very few vets release an animal the day it's been neutered, most keep them over night for observation. Second, the vomiting is normal from the anesthesia, which the animal should have been fully awakened before being allowed to return home, as there are meds that can be given to make them more comfortable if they are having problems. I would seriously be questioning your vet, and if you get another animal, I wouldn't take it there. I would also check around with local animal facilities to see if anyone else has had a similar experince at that hands of this vet. If so, I would probably see if you could get a local newspaper to check into the situation. No one should have to go through what you and your family did. it's inexcuseable
2007-07-06 16:40:14 · answer #5 · answered by buggsnme2 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Autopsies aren't done on animals, only humans, but vets can do necropsies. Either way, the loss of a pet is sad, and I am sorry for your loss, the choice is yours whether to have a necropsy done, but know it IS common for dogs to vomit within 24 hours after surgery, as well as an animal to have a reaction to immunizations, and complications from surgeries(as with humans!) I don't understand how the animal was left outside and unwatched so soon after the procedure, but I doubt you can pin anything on the vet.
2007-07-06 16:36:08 · answer #6 · answered by sassymom97 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The most likely cause is a reaction to the vaccine which is not uncommon or could have been a complication due to surgery (but much less likely). As an owner it's your job to watch the dog after such events and frankly i would never have my dog injected with a vaccine while they are also undergoing surgery. The vaccine needs to work on a healthy, sound animal, not on an animal that has had its immune system severely stressed by surgery.
I would suspect that it was due to a reaction to the vaccine which can cause a host of issues and death is not unheard of. If you want to know the cause of death to better determine liability, i would request a post mortem so that you have more information to go on other than just guesses.
2007-07-06 16:37:24 · answer #7 · answered by SC 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would question sending the dog home after surgery. In my experiance the vet keeps it for 24 hours at least to ensure that it comes out of the anesthetic with no problems.
You would need a necropsy to tell what the animal died from.
Use a different vet.
sorry about your dog.
2007-07-06 16:32:54 · answer #8 · answered by mark 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you stuck him out in a dog house instead of keeping an eye on him then you are to blame. Complications happen with even the most careful vets and it is up to the owners to keep an eye on them once the dog gets home.
Anything could have gone wrong and if you weren't watching for signs of complications and didn't see what happened, it's impossible to know for sure.
Next time, keep the dog close to watch for signs of problems like excess vomiting, pale gums, excess pain, shallow breathing, etc.
I am truly sorry this happened. How sad.
As an example, my dogs has a bleeding disorder that I was unaware of. After her spay surgery, she nearly bled to death internally and had I not had her right with me all day, I wouldn't have noticed the signs and she would have died. Anything could have been the cause.
2007-07-06 16:33:43 · answer #9 · answered by Shanna 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
It's recomended all shots are given at least 7 days before surgeries. But a rabies shot should not really matter. The dog might have died from heat stroke or some other illness like lyme desiese. Only a blood test pre-dating death could tell you though.
2007-07-06 16:31:52 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry to hear that your dog died. The first step would be to get a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Of course, most veterinarians will have you sign a waiver when you bring your dog in for any surgery that basically says "bad things can happen, including death - we are not responsible" - If you signed one, there's really not a lot you can do if the dog died from complications due to his neuter.
2007-07-06 16:43:19 · answer #11 · answered by silverdragonrescue 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋