The Vet that declawed my cat....by accident

[flippity]

My boyfriend took 3 cats to the vet for me a couple weeks ago...he took my mom's female torti calico cat to be declawed, my big orange and white male cat to be checked - he had diarrhea, and a young orange and white male cat to be neutered. When the receptionist checks pets in, she puts a piece of tape on the pet carrier you bring them in with their name on it....then the pet gets moved to a kennel in the back and again, a piece of tape on the kennel with their name and procedure on it. She mixed up the names on the pet carriers for my big orange/white cat and the female torti. She even wrote the physical description down for the torti calico cat because my boyfriend didn't know what to call it. So they end up putting the wrong names on the kennels, and oops, they declawed my big orange/white cat and checked the torti for diarrhea.

No one ever looked at the physical description of the cats in the file...no telling how many people handled them that day - techs, 2 vets, the receptionist, and they all got it wrong. The first vet did the declawing in the morning, and I called after lunch to see if they had checked my orange cat for diarrhea and the second vet called me back and said she had examined the cat and didn't find any diarrhea. No kidding, it was the wrong cat.

When I went to pick up the neutered cat and my older cat, they brought out the torti and I was like "that's the wrong cat" they tried to argue with me and I told them...I've had my cat for 7 years and my mom's had this cat for 3 years..I know them apart and they don't even look alike. Plus one's male and one's female. I was very upset and they had the office manager call me..and instead of apologizing to me, she told me that it must have been my boyfriend's fault because she would never make a mistake like that..that when she makes a chart for an animal, that chart never leaves them...that she has been there 20 years...there must have been some kind of miscommunication and blah blah blah. NEVER apologized. I demanded copies of the charts and she herself had written the description of the female, so SHE mislabeled the pet carriers. Even if my boyfriend told her wrong, all she had to do was look inside the carrier to see it was the wrong cat.

They refunded all my money, including the charge for the neuter on the 3rd cat..they gave us all the medicine for free and when I went to pick up my accidentally-declawed cat the next day, they gave us a bunch of food and did his fecal exam.

Needless to say, I'm still furious about the whole thing so I made a complaint with the Veterinary Medical Board and they are reviewing it. I didn't want that cat declawed, it was unnecessary as he had never once scratched anything but a scratching post. The other cat was very destructive with her claws so it was either throw her outside or have her declawed.

[meginok]

I'm very interested in knowing the name of this veterinary practice. That's a horrible mistake to make.

[mugofbeer]

I am sorry for the error made on your cat. I don't know much about them and far prefer dogs but I understand it could be a major lifestyle change for the cat.

I wanted to say, thank you, though, for not throwing the other cat outside and forcing it on your neighbors. There isn't much more irritating to me than to see neighbors cats walking through my yard pooping and trying to get to the birds that nest.

[PennyQuilts]

Oh, I'd be horrified. At least they refunded the money but they should have checked more, clearly. Even if the boyfriend put them in the wrong carrier (and I am not saying he did), their descriptions should have tipped them off.

[Joe Daddy]

They refunded all my money, including the charge for the neuter on the 3rd cat..they gave us all the medicine for free and when I went to pick up my accidentally-declawed cat the next day, they gave us a bunch of food and did his fecal exam.

Needless to say, I'm still furious about the whole thing so I made a complaint with the Veterinary Medical Board and they are reviewing it. I didn't want that cat declawed, it was unnecessary as he had never once scratched anything but a scratching post. The other cat was very destructive with her claws so it was either throw her outside or have her declawed.

I can understand your frustration. It looks like they did all they can do to make up for it. It seems like they were genuinely sorry for the screw up.

How is your kitty feeling/acting since getting de-clawed?

[tburn]

so now the big orange declawed cat has to stay inside!

I had neutered, male brother cats with claws that were allowed inside and out but they got into so many fights outside and I had to medicate absess wounds (gross!) too many times so made them indoor only cats. It is a hard adjustment for everyone in the family!

I hope your adjustment goes well.

[flippity]

I can understand your frustration. It looks like they did all they can do to make up for it. It seems like they were genuinely sorry for the screw up.

How is your kitty feeling/acting since getting de-clawed?

no, they didn't do everything. the receptionist/office manager was hateful to me on the phone and she should've apologized and admitted her mistake...one of the vets should've called me to apologize or at least talked to me personally about it, but they didn't.

[flippity]

Southside Dog Cat & Bird at 73rd & South Shields, Dr. Roger Harlin & Dr. Danielle Husted

[DaveSkater]

Harlin's a quack. No pun intended. When i had birds, i had several piss poor experiences with his office. Dr. Schrag got all my avian care afterward, and if she half as attentive to 4 legged critters as she was with my two legged ones, I'd highly recommend her.

[GretaGecko]

That is so sad! I would be furious about the goof-up. I had used that vet for over 20 years, and they were always very nice, but I'm pretty sure that they gave my chihuahua overdosing on antibiotics that ruined her liver and other organs after a mouth infection. She didn't have the swollen abdomen until after the antibiotics. I just don't know, you have to trust someone. My Lucy passed on last April 14th, and now I will have to trust a vet to do my new pet's spay. My current vet had some trouble with overdosing already.

LaVerne

[Jethrol]

This is really awful. I'm sorry they were so incompetent.

If this happened to me, I would more than likely hire an attorney and sue.

The reason is because declawing is amputation. I never knew the reality of what happens nor the aftermath. Here's a link....but I should warn you that it might be too disturbing for the squeamish:
The Facts About Declawing

[blueice101]

Thanks for the link. It is a bit disturbing but good to know.

[flippity]

This is really awful. I'm sorry they were so incompetent.

If this happened to me, I would more than likely hire an attorney and sue.

The reason is because declawing is amputation. I never knew the reality of what happens nor the aftermath. Here's a link....but I should warn you that it might be too disturbing for the squeamish:
The Facts About Declawing

you can't sue for damages with animals unless they are a commodity like livestock. certainly not for pain & suffering.

[flippity]

That is so sad! I would be furious about the goof-up. I had used that vet for over 20 years, and they were always very nice, but I'm pretty sure that they gave my chihuahua overdosing on antibiotics that ruined her liver and other organs after a mouth infection. She didn't have the swollen abdomen until after the antibiotics. I just don't know, you have to trust someone. My Lucy passed on last April 14th, and now I will have to trust a vet to do my new pet's spay. My current vet had some trouble with overdosing already.

LaVerne

i wouldn't be surprised. since my ordeal, I talked to some friends of mine and they have had horror stories about that office too. one friend's small dog was given enough vaccine for a mastiff and had to be on an IV for more than a week to flush out her system. Another's was accidentally injected with the distemper vaccine into a vein instead of in the muscle and now has tremors in her legs and can barely walk. Dr. Harlin suggested that they just put the dog to sleep because it would have problems the rest of its life.

[Midtowner]

You need to report this guy to the Oklahoma Veterinary Board.

Oklahoma Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners - OBVME - Typical Cases

[smooth]

This is really awful. I'm sorry they were so incompetent.

If this happened to me, I would more than likely hire an attorney and sue.

The reason is because declawing is amputation. I never knew the reality of what happens nor the aftermath. Here's a link....but I should warn you that it might be too disturbing for the squeamish:
The Facts About Declawing

Although it's the pet parents choice, declawing does NOT hurt the cat. My mom had her cat delawed when he was a kitten and he has felt fine since. In fact, he is very friendly and has a lot of mannerisms like a dog.

[flippity]

Oh really? well here's a new development. we've been keeping him indoors exclusively and he had cabin fever, I guess, and escaped yesterday when my daughter opened the door. He came home dirty and barely able to walk. I don't know what he did or what he stepped in or rubbed his feet in (I started to say "clawed" but that's not appropriate anymore), but his paws were caked with dirt. I thought he had broken a foot because it was so tender. I took him to the vet today and she anesthetized him so she could clean his paws...turns out that on two of his toes, the bone was sticking out and now she has to go back in and amputate even more of those 2 toes to keep him from losing his foot. Not only did they screw up, but they did a ****ty job while they were at it.

and Midtowner, thank you, I did make a complaint with the Vet board right after it happened.

[smooth]

Oh really? well here's a new development. we've been keeping him indoors exclusively and he had cabin fever, I guess, and escaped yesterday when my daughter opened the door. He came home dirty and barely able to walk. I don't know what he did or what he stepped in or rubbed his feet in (I started to say "clawed" but that's not appropriate anymore), but his paws were caked with dirt. I thought he had broken a foot because it was so tender. I took him to the vet today and she anesthetized him so she could clean his paws...turns out that on two of his toes, the bone was sticking out and now she has to go back in and amputate even more of those 2 toes to keep him from losing his foot. Not only did they screw up, but they did a ****ty job while they were at it.

and Midtowner, thank you, I did make a complaint with the Vet board right after it happened.

Your situation is one that occurs only rarely. It comes from a bad vet, although good vets make mistakes. For the most part, declawing does NOT hurt the cat. It could have been something else that caused it.

Either way, I'm sorry your cat has to lose a limb. Just don't blame declawing. I doubt you have enough evidence to prove it.

[flippity]

what do you think declawing is? it's amputation of the last joint and end of the phlanges...he's already lost 10 parts of his paws...and cats are supposed to walk on their tiptoes..he walks flat footed now.

[flippity]

Your situation is one that occurs only rarely. It comes from a bad vet, although good vets make mistakes. For the most part, declawing does NOT hurt the cat. It could have been something else that caused it.

Either way, I'm sorry your cat has to lose a limb. Just don't blame declawing. I doubt you have enough evidence to prove it.

his bone would never have been sticking out of his skin if they had not done the surgery in the first place, btw. It never healed properly. there's be no hole in his skin or a wound that could've come open. I think that's evidence enough. I'm not angry with you at all, even though I'm sure this sounds angry. I'm angry as hell at that clinic, though.

[PennyQuilts]

A lot of vets are getting away from declawing altogether. Thank god.

[smooth]

his bone would never have been sticking out of his skin if they had not done the surgery in the first place, btw. It never healed properly. there's be no hole in his skin or a wound that could've come open. I think that's evidence enough. I'm not angry with you at all, even though I'm sure this sounds angry. I'm angry as hell at that clinic, though.

It still could have been something else. You can NOT convence me declawing is a bad thing. Just ask my moms cat.

[PennyQuilts]

You can NOT convence me declawing is a bad thing. Just ask my moms cat.

Okay, that strikes me as the funniest thing I've read all week. I am not even sure why but it made me laugh.

[flippity]

It still could have been something else. You can NOT convence me declawing is a bad thing. Just ask my moms cat.

it wasn't.
i won't try to convince you that declawing is bad, you are obviously not changing your opinion, and that's fine.

but the infection and the problems he is having now are a direct result of a bad declaw job. One that should never have happened. Even if it's not bad for cats, I did NOT want it done to my cat. I wanted him to have claws so that he could play outside and he could climb up a tree if he needed to, but now he can't.

[Caboose]

It still could have been something else. You can NOT convence me declawing is a bad thing. Just ask my moms cat.

Mutilating a creature and taking away it's self defense mechanism just because it is inconvenient to you is horrible.