Vet Left Artery Untied After Neutering Op

[Guest Sandy]

I am adopting Fallon straight off the track and he was neutered over a week ago (he is still in the kennels). One of the kennel staff noticed the day after that his leg had swollen up. They took him back to the vet and they had to put him under again and it was discovered that an artery was left untied! He is on 5 tabs a day inc. anti flammatory and the kennel staff have been told to keep massaging his leg. It's huge and his foot looks like a pigs trotter, my poor boy. Has anyone experienced this?

[Guest CDNgreys]

Never experienced it but I sure hope your boy gets better fast!!!

[Guest luckydog]

Sure hope this vet doesn't charge you for all this extra expense!

[Guest 4baddogs]

Wow, that's really bad! I hope he heals quickly and yes, the vets better not charge you!

[seeh2o]

Poor boy. I hope he recovers quickly.

[tbhounds]

Things happen---even though a castration is considered routine it's still surgery. Perhaps one of the vessels that was ligated broke down?

Congratulations on your adoption----pictures please????? (after he's feeling better of course )

[Hawthorn]

That's disgraceful! I hope Fallon is much better soon and look forward to seeing pictures .

[Anne]

I hope he does well and if feeling all better soon. I would have to question an artery, it would seem to me that the dog would never have made it out of the office alive if an artery was left bleeding. Doctors and Veterinarians and Nurses and Vet Techs all make errors, they are humans, so try not to think too badly of the vet.

[Guest greymama002]

How sad for the sweet boy! Hope that Fallon recovers quickly and will be just fine!

[Guest argolola]

Prayers for the sweet boy.

[Ullaluv]

Like Anne, I would question it being an artery.

[Guest nerak254]

I hope you are reporting this vet too.

[Guest Sandy]

I hope he does well and if feeling all better soon. I would have to question an artery, it would seem to me that the dog would never have made it out of the office alive if an artery was left bleeding. Doctors and Veterinarians and Nurses and Vet Techs all make errors, they are humans, so try not to think too badly of the vet.

I have been thinking this which is why I called the vet myself this morning. He showed not ONE BIT OF REMORSE! He said that there was a "complication" during surgery, I asked what happened and he said that a ligature has been left untied and that blood/liquid had clotted down one side of his leg. He said it could be weeks before it went down IF it went down at all! I said what are the consequences of this happening and he said, he would be at risk of infection if he had an injury and this could lead to amputation... He said that I should think twice about taking Fallon home while his leg was still swollen. If I bring him home next week I can massage and try to do everything required to help him....has anyone else experienced this kind of swelling?

Edited April 27, 2009 by Sandy

[GeorgeofNE]

I don't believe that a simple neuter involves any arteries.

 

If the vet is suggesting it's not in his best interest to go home yet, I would heed his warning. Whoever is adopting this dog out to you should be all over the vet's office making sure the proper follow up care is done.

 

I hope it all turns out fine.

 

 

[Anne]

I hope he does well and if feeling all better soon. I would have to question an artery, it would seem to me that the dog would never have made it out of the office alive if an artery was left bleeding. Doctors and Veterinarians and Nurses and Vet Techs all make errors, they are humans, so try not to think too badly of the vet.

I have been thinking this which is why I called the vet myself this morning. He showed not ONE BIT OF REMORSE! He said that there was a "complication" during surgery, I asked what happened and he said that a ligature has been left untied and that blood/liquid had clotted down one side of his leg. He said it could be weeks before it went down IF it went down at all! I said what are the consequences of this happening and he said, he would be at risk of infection if he had an injury and this could lead to amputation... He said that I should think twice about taking Fallon home while his leg was still swollen. If I bring him home next week I can massage and try to do everything required to help him....has anyone else experienced this kind of swelling?

He certainly doesn't seem to be helping his own case does he? If you want to bring the dog home, I would find a vet who you like and take him to that vet. I would think that the blood would eventually be absorbed by the body, though it may take a while. I wonder if a compression bandage would help? I would ask your personal vet that question.

Again, the surgery had problems, that happens. It may or may not have been his error even, he could have had a tech or another vet assisting and if there are more than one vet in the practice, it may not have been him doing the actual surgery etc. etc. etc. There are too many "ifs - ands - or buts" that could have been responsible. It seems though that he has been honest with you about it and that's a plus for him. Honestly, I'm surprised he even talked to you unless it was you who paid for the neuter, so again, even though he seemed unremorseful over the phone we don't know the details etc. If you don't like him, make sure that you never use him for your dog/dogs.

I personally would allow the track/trainer take care of him until he's recovered. You have to do what your heart tells you to do. I hope Fallon recovers quickly and fully, I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

[Guest greytexplorer]

WOW that's a lot to handle isn't it??

If I was a first time greyhound owner, I would definitely leave Fallon at the track until he was recovered.

Did the vet say anything about blood clots in Fallon's system? I would be worried about that!

I am so sorry this happened for you and especially for Fallon, bless him!

Hope he recovers "riteawayqwik" so that he can have that forever couch.

 

hugs,

~Pat

[Hawthorn]

Poor Fallon and poor you for having to deal with this. I don't have any experience of this sort of thing but I wonder if an holistic vet might be able to offer any advice?

 

Please do let us know how Fallon gets on.

[Guest knitkass]

poor Fallon. I hope he does heal fast. That's pretty rotten that the vet's showing no remorse or culpability, but he's probably trying to avoid a lawsuit over this. If he says anything like, oops, or I'm sorry he's admitting responsibility for it.

 

HOpefully he's at least doing the honorable thing of taking care of any after-care Fallon needs himself.

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

Even a Vet has a Responsebility and is held accountable for his doing. I feel terrible for that poor Boy . Hopefully

he will recover from that totally and fast. Fallon Honey ..... your Mama is waiting .

Thank you Sandy ,for giving this Boy a Home

[Guest fatesrelease]

Poor sweetie. Hope he feels better soon.

[Guest TheDoggfather]

F'in vets...

[Guest speedoketo]

Artery doesn't always mean something huge like aorta that will spurt everywhere until you bleed to death. So yes there are arteries running to the testicles.

Edited April 28, 2009 by speedoketo

[Guest Chasems]

My greyhound, Chase, recently underwent amputation surgery for OS. One week after the surgery, he had a serious bleeding event (scared me to death) - two thick streams of blood shooting up 6" in the air! One week later, he had another. Just before surgery, I had consulted with Dr. Couto's team and they were very insistent that Chase be given Amminocaproic Acid right after surgery and for five days after. My new vet was not familiar with it. OSU followed up via e-mail and phoned me to let me know how important it was! I insisted and my vet called in the presription. However, Chase was not started on it until about 24 hours after surgery. I don't know if that contributed to the bleeding, or if the surgeon had anything to do with it, or we may have just been unlucky.

 

However, I learned from the OSU website that they have done a lot of research on how our hounds have such a tendency to bleed. They routinely use the AA even for routine spay/neuter surgeries. On their website are some pictures of normal post surgery spays/neuters and some pictures of dogs that experienced bleeding complications.

 

Melinda

[dmswartzfager]

My greyhound, Chase, recently underwent amputation surgery for OS. One week after the surgery, he had a serious bleeding event (scared me to death) - two thick streams of blood shooting up 6" in the air! One week later, he had another. Just before surgery, I had consulted with Dr. Couto's team and they were very insistent that Chase be given Amminocaproic Acid right after surgery and for five days after. My new vet was not familiar with it. OSU followed up via e-mail and phoned me to let me know how important it was! I insisted and my vet called in the presription. However, Chase was not started on it until about 24 hours after surgery. I don't know if that contributed to the bleeding, or if the surgeon had anything to do with it, or we may have just been unlucky.

 

However, I learned from the OSU website that they have done a lot of research on how our hounds have such a tendency to bleed. They routinely use the AA even for routine spay/neuter surgeries. On their website are some pictures of normal post surgery spays/neuters and some pictures of dogs that experienced bleeding complications.

 

Melinda

 

I think some dogs have a poor reaction to it - we followed OSU protocol when Blitz had his exploratory abdominal surgery, and we almost lost him to DIC. He spent a miserable week in compression bandages - his legs were so swollen that they were seeping serum.

[Anne]

Artery doesn't always mean something huge like aorta that will spurt everywhere until you bleed to death. So yes there are arteries running to the testicles.

Um, yeah, pretty much it does, not as big as the aorta, but it will pulse (arteries are where we feel pulses) and you will bleed to death from a severed artery and it won't take very long.