WTF?! Mom's vet gave unwanted vaccine w/o permission
So, my mom took one of her cats in for a 3-year rabies vaccine and to get his anal glands expressed (weird for a cat, but nonetheless, they needed to be done). She did NOT want the FVRCP vaccine (she did this when he was a kitten but didn't want it anymore and has never done it past kittenhood with any of our cats). Well, when she got Oliver home, he threw up 3 times and was running a fever. It then dawned on her that the vet had poked him twice--once in the leg (the rabies) and once in the scruff (the mystery). She called me about it and I freaked because I knew that he either must have done the feline leukemia vaccine or the FVRCP. Plus, vaccines shouldn't be given in the neck if possible. Well, she called the vet today and he told her that "it was part of his yearly exam and he needed the vaccine". WTF?! Even if the vet did think that he needed the vaccine, he should have talked to my mom about it--not just done it without telling her--it wasn't even on the receipt. What if he would have had a really bad reaction and ended up at the emergency vet? We would have never known about the vaccine he received. The vet didn't even apologize about it and said he'd have to look at Oliver's records and get back to her, whatever the hell that means.
I'm livid >:( >:(
I would not pay for the service by putting a stop payment on the check if used. Then I would look for another vet. That is beyond inappropriate. If she said "I want Oliver to have A and B done but NOT C" then the vet should do that or discuss with her why C is important but still adhere to her wishes.
How horrible. :( I hope Oliver is doing better soon!
Thanks, Cali. He's doing much better now, thank goodness, but it could have definitely turned out horribly.
I'm going to talk to my mom more after she gets off of work today and see what she's going to do. If it were me, I would find a new vet, but she's gone to this vet for years (like 20+ years) and so I think she feels an attachment to him. But if he's giving treatment, vaccines, tests, etc. w/o permission, that's enough to break an attachment for me!
Geeze, thats outrageous! I totally agree that he should have talked with her at the very least...
Maybe because your mom has been using him for such a long time he feels too comfortable with her...like he can't go wrong and lose her business, so he's just gonna do whatever he wants to do... >:( That sucks, but makes sense. i wonder if he did it out of habit (ie, people always get that so he forgot she didn't) or if he did it deliberately even though he knew she did not want it....My concern would be that if he is willing to give a shot that the guardian did not want giving, would he be willing to do OTHER things that the guardian didn't want (if she brought him in to have his teeth cleaned but didn't want any of them pulled, would he pull them because he thought it was best? For example) Encourage your mom to write letter to the vet discussing her concern with Oliver's receiving the shot/ if she felt that her trust was violated, etc. She can remind the vet thats he has been using him for years and wants to continue to bring her animals to him for care but that she needs to be assured that her wishes will be respected. Maybe a more formal address of the situation will prompt the vet to take it more seriously.
I'm glad Oliver is doing better now....
Thanks, Cali. He's doing much better now, thank goodness, but it could have definitely turned out horribly.
I'm going to talk to my mom more after she gets off of work today and see what she's going to do. If it were me, I would find a new vet, but she's gone to this vet for years (like 20+ years) and so I think she feels an attachment to him. But if he's giving treatment, vaccines, tests, etc. w/o permission, that's enough to break an attachment for me!
AMEN, if I can say that here. You are absolutely right. I'm sure the vet's thinking is, "Well I've been a vet for 30 yrs (or whatever), I know more than you do." But YOU (or at least your mom) are paying. She should vote with her feet. I'm sure a younger, or at least more aware, vet would be more receptive, especially if she tells him about Oliver's bad reaction to the jab and the fact that she doesn't want him to have it.
It's like telling your doctor (and I have) "I have a bad reaction to paracetamol" and having them merrily prescribe something with it in because it only gives me severe runs! Fortunately my pharmacist caught that one, gave me something else without--and called the doctor and chewed his ear for me. His response was, "That's not an allergy, it's just an intolerance" and she proceeded to chew the other ear. Bless her.
MAYBE the vet heard "I don't want the shot (because I can't afford it)" instead of "I don't want the shot (because I disagree with it and don't think kitty needs it)" PERHAPS he thought he was doing your mom, a long time, repeat customer a favour and didn't "mark it on the books" so to speak?!?
MAYBE the vet heard "I don't want the shot (because I can't afford it)" instead of "I don't want the shot (because I disagree with it and don't think kitty needs it)" PERHAPS he thought he was doing your mom, a long time, repeat customer a favour and didn't "mark it on the books" so to speak?!?
See, I thought that at first, too, but since he's been our vet for SO long, he knows that my mom wouldn't refuse something because she couldn't afford it--my parents have spent plenty on tests, treatments, etc. over the years. And, even if he was doing a "favor", he should have told her about it. I'm tempted to call him up myself and refer him to the Cornell site that explicitly states that FVRCP vaccines need not be given more than every three years (sometimes longer). I guess it just makes me mad when vets, doctors, etc. don't continue learning. They just keep doing what they learned 30+ years ago in vet school and haven't changed w/ the times or don't question anything. It think it's very irresponsible.
that's bullshit. I'd be at that vet's door giving him an EARFUL!! It's immoral. I'd report him.
I hope kitty is OK.
I had a vet several years ago give my girlie a combo vac, when I told her no, and I lost my head on her.
So, my mom needs to grow some ovaries... >:(
She just said that she'll "be sure to watch him next time to make sure that the vet doesn't do that again." Seriously, what the...? If a doctor would have given on of us a vaccine my mom didn't want/ask for without telling her, we sure as hell wouldn't have gone back to that doctor. Whatever. I want to report him to the state's veterinary board, but I can't really do much since Oliver isn't *my* cat.
I found a number for the board to call w/ complaints/concerns about unprofessionalism. If this isn't unprofessionalism, I don't know what is! I'll give them a jingle when I get home from work tomorrow. You're right, BP--it's not going to hurt.
So, my mom needs to grow some ovaries... >:(
She just said that she'll "be sure to watch him next time to make sure that the vet doesn't do that again." Seriously, what the...? If a doctor would have given on of us a vaccine my mom didn't want/ask for without telling her, we sure as hell wouldn't have gone back to that doctor. Whatever. I want to report him to the state's veterinary board, but I can't really do much since Oliver isn't *my* cat.
Do you have to be the owner to report it? Perhaps you could file one as a concerned citizen, this vet needs to get the mesage somehow.
Edit: Sorry, Kbuettne, we posted at the same time, you obviously don't need me to tell you to do what you are already planning on doing :-[
Yeah. I don't know if I'll get very far, but maybe others have complained? In which case, another complaint would definitely have an effect. I'll report back after I get through to someone tomorrow.
Yeah. I don't know if I'll get very far, but maybe others have complained? In which case, another complaint would definitely have an effect. I'll report back after I get through to someone tomorrow.
And even if no one has yet, this will count. It will be recorded, and if another person complains...you've started the process.
If I were you, I'd still keep a close eye on him. This is what happened to Houdini and she was okay for 48 hours after injection. You may want to have some labs checked (blood, kidneys, etc.) What I am going through now, because of a vaccine, I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'm getting ready to head back to DC this morning for an ozone treatment (which is the only thing keeping her red blood count in a safe range.)
What happened to Houdini? What vaccine was it? I must have missed (or forgot) that thread...I'm sorry to hear about her illness :'(
As far as I can remember from many conversations with MD:
Houdini wasn't feeling well, and while she was already sick the vet gave her a rabies vaccine, I think. MDVegan could have opted out of the vaccine until her kitty was better again, but the vet didn't give her that option at all, he just did the shot.
Most likely because Houdini was already fighting an infection, the vaccine may have caused a LOT of the problems she's been experiencing. MDVegan has been back and forth between vets hours apart, and poor Houdini has only pulled through because MD is crazy in the best kind of way and has put everything on hold to help her get better.
She's still not BETTER, but she's getting there.
Keep an eye on Oliver AND your mom's vet... best wishes that he doesn't have the same terrible reaction.
:-\