Dog died from reaction to Vaccine Shot from VET. SUE??

Question

Took perfectly 2 yr old dog to Vet for his shots. 3 days later dog was lethargic etc, and had drips out of rear. Called Vet and they said -- oh bring it in, it isn't due to anything we did, we will have to charge you full admission fees and check-up fees again etc!! That night took dog to Emergency Vet and my Dog died -- ER Vet said likely due to poisoning (INSIDE dog so that is out, plus we have another dog and cat that are perfectly healthy) OR a reaction to the shot.

Can I SUE this jerk of a VET!! (first one of course)

Supposed to say perfectly Healthy at the start.

OKAY, we NOTICED the dog wasn't doing well around 3 days later from the shot, we both work Full time and are busy -- he was a lazy dog by nature so he EASILY could have been reacting sooner. . It was NOTHING in the house I can guarantee you that. My relatives two dogs have been staying with us -- that made it 4 dogs and 1 cat! Only 1 got sick and died!! By the time I called the first Vet who told me payup if you want to see us again it was already to late according the the ER Vet (same day).

Answer 1

Yes, SUE. You lost your beloved dog.

Answer 2

Children have fever and don't feel well after vaccinations it's considered normal for a pet to have this same reaction some may not eat. Even adults get sick after getting vaccinated especially the flu vaccine. If this lasts longer than twenty four hours and you see other things happening like swelling, breathing difficulty... Take him to the Vet. Didn't your vet tell you that your dog may not feel well for the next 24 hours after the vaccinations during your visit? Call your Vet and ask them if it is a normal reaction. Veterinarians have in last last few years discovered that they are over vaccinating animals, doing more harm than good with yearly vaccinations through out an animals life. I believe that after the age of two years, they really only need to get what is required by law (rabies), unless you take your dog to a groomer or board them. Some Vets are still old school and like to charge you for everything you could possibly have done to your dog anually. Really it has a negative affect on the animals health. Do you get a measles vaccination every year? NO, only when your a young child and your immune system has not fully developed! It would have an negative affect on our health in the long term. This recent discovery has lead Many Animal Control Offices to immunize for rabies every three years instead of annually.

Answer 3

Well, first you are going to need to do the autopsy to determine the cause of death. Second, you just admitted on here that he might have been reacting sooner but you are a busy person and he's a naturally lazy dog and you didn't notice. I don't think that there is anything anyone can say or do until you have those autopsy reports. And if those autopsy reports come back and he did die from the shot but multiple vets say that you should have noticed a reaction within 3 hours and by your own admission you are busy and weren't really paying much attention, then unfortunately, the blame falls on your shoulders.

Anytime a pet gets meds, I am told to watch them for adverse reactions for 24 hours. My vet has never said 72 hours. Which means that if it was the shot, within 1 day your dog should have pronounced some symptoms, but by your own admission you are busy.

I am sorry, I am very sorry for the loss of your pet, but I think most of the blame falls on you and your family for not paying closer attention to the animal.

Answer 4

The vet can;t be blamed if your dog had a reaction to the shot. Allergies happen in some dogs. One of mine had been fine up until last time and then she almost died. I had to take her to the vet at 3am or she would have. She had the shot late that day about 8pm. The last appointment of the day.

From now on she will need an shot before she has the other shots. Even though it's a horrible thing to happen no one is at fault for allergies to anything.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Edit: Why the thumbs down? Should I be able to sue the grass because I'm allergic to it? Come on it's terribly tragic, but it was no ones fault. The vet gave a shot he was asked to give. He never made the owner do it. It's not even known if this was the real reason the dog died, (3 days later I would say it was not the shot) but even if it was the vet is not at fault.

Answer 5

Without a necropsy, you can't prove that it wasn't something like an intestinal blockage that caused the dog's death.
Vaccines can and do cause death in some dogs.
What the vet didn't tell you is that your dog most likely did not need the shots he was given. Vaccines are good for many many years, not just one. Current recommendations by all 27 U.S. vet schools are to only do vaccines every 3 years. The American Animal Hospital Association has put these recommendation online.
http://www.aahanet.org
As for how long they really last, read Dr. Ron Schultz's duration of immunity study published in 1999.
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
The same applies for your cat
You can find links to the studies at
http://www.critteradvocacy.org

Answer 6

First off............NO Vet would tell you that you would have to pay a large fee for a reaction to vaccines, and the fact that the "reaction" didn't happen until three days later doesn't make sense, if your pet is going to have a reaction to vaccines then it would happen shortly after the vaccine was given!
If in fact the EVet did say that your dog was poisoned, then it would have had to have been from something in your home that the dog ate!
Don't be so quick to sue unless your positive that it was your vets fault!
And, please keep in mind that vets will tell ALL OTHER VETS that you try to go to that you've sued them, and they probably won't take you on as a client.
Vets just like Doctors have Malpractice insuance.....
But if you want my two cents, and you obviously do since you are posting this for everyone to answer, your dog didn't have a reaction to his vaccine, he probably ate something in your home that caused him to be sick and you are just looking for somewhere to place the blame!

So unless you can prove that it was a vaccine, which I doubt, your out of luck!

Why are so people so sue happy these days?
What good does it do? It clogs up the court systems and then people **** and moan about criminals being set free.....well thats because the courts are so filled up with stupid cases!
And thats my two cents worth!

Answer 7

If it for sure a vaccine reaction you can actually go to the company that produced the vaccine and make a complaint. Usually if it is a vaccine reaction it will happen the day they got the vaccine, not days later. I have worked in veterinary hospitals in which a dog or cat had horrible vaccine reactions and the vaccine company paid their vet bills! I think you would have to be absolutely sure first that it was a vaccine reaction.

Answer 8

3 days later the dog was acting lethargic.. I would say that it wasn't related to the vaccination. Usually when they have a reaction it'll happen pretty quickly..

Did you get a necropsy done to find out 100% why the dog died? If not you can't sue anyone, as it would be just their word against yours.. You need proof of why the dog died. Right now you have only someone saying ' likely poisoning or reaction ' Either or.. You need a real answer.. Get the necropsy done so you know for sure.

Answer 9

Having worked for several Vets, I have seen this happen many times. Sometimes it is the vacs & sometims the wormer. It is sad but the Vet did not know that your dog would have a reaction to a vaccine that thousands of other dogs get.

I am very sorry for your loss but it was not the Vets fault. One out of a thousand are allergic to meds that are given to all dogs.

Just like us humans, there are things that cause sever reactions & even death.

I developed an allergy to any kind of bird without knowing it & I got a flu shot & it made me sicker than a dog. Now I know but before the shot I didn't.

Once again I am sorry for your loss.

Answer 10

I'm so sorry you lost your dog.

Suing your vet for something like this will only cause animosity and It won't bring your poor dog back. I can't think of anything your vet did that would be considered malpractice.

These things happen. I know, it sucks. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it, nothing your vet could have done differently to prevent it.

But if it makes you feel better to try and sue your vet, go for it. Be prepared, however -- you could very well alienate the entire veterinary community in the process.

Answer 11

It is a risk when you give a vaccine that there is a slight chance of a reaction, even a fatal one. Do you remember if they had you sign anything giving them permission to administer the vaccine? If so then when you signed that you were acknowledging the risks and releasing them of any liability. You can always contact a lawyer, most have a free consultation.
I am very sorry for your loss.