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Guest cleo_chaos

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Guest cleo_chaos

Finnegan FKA "Chasmo's Dude" was rehomed by Greyt Expectations Greyhound Rescue to a wonderful, loving family. He survived a terrible injury and surgery only to be told the biopsy of the blood clot removed from his spine indicated he had osteo. After seeking a second opinion from Dr. Cuoto, Finnegan's owners were told the biopsy result from Penn absolutely did not indicate osteo! Finnegan was within hours of being euthanized. Despite numerous letters, emails and phone calls to U Penn department of Pathology from the Genser family they stand by their diagnosis. As you can see in the video Finn is a happy, healthy pup who is enjoying his retirement to the fullest. Listen to your little voice and get a second opinion, it may very well save your pet's life.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35286379/ns/health-pet_health/

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Guest EmilyandSioux

A second opinion is always there. If it is anything more than minor get a second opinion. Two sets of eyes are always better than one set. Everyone has different experiences and areas of expertise. I have worked with many different vets over the years and I have had the vet I was working for at the time send me to get a second opinion on my fur child. There is no excuse for negligence or not caring for a animal. I am so sorry this happened but atleast Finn is alive and happy. The last clinic I was in used a x-ray company to double check all of our x-rays. It was built into the cost of the x-ray and the clients really liked it. They were board certified radiologists and we never had a client complain about the second opinion.

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:nod ABSOLUTELY! Our first vet wanted to do exploratory surgery on Ace and take her spleen out, saying it was enlarged. I'm so glad I got ahold of Dr. Couto...her spleen is not enlarged at all - our vet did not know that greyhounds have huge spleens (her recent xrays were compared to xrays from 2006 and her spleen was the same!).

 

She *does* have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but, thanks to Dr. Couto and our OTHER vet, it has been correctly diagnosed and she is about to begin treatment.

 

Always get a second opinion on stuff like that!

Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose
Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13.

A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.--

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Guest EmilyandSioux

We are not anti-vet. We are group that I feel like to be well informed and know what choices we have. We are always sending these guys to the vet. Pathology does take many years of study to learn. The negligence part was not made toward any one vet or person it was a broad statement. A mis-diagnosis is just that something that has been missed or over looked by accident. I was not implying that the negligence was in this case.

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What is he name of the pup on GT who was mistakenly diagnosed w lymphoma by the same vet school, IIRC?

Donna
Molly the Border Collie & Poquita the American-born Podenga

Bridge Babies: Daisy (Positive Delta) 8/7/2000 - 4/6/2115, Agnes--angel Sage's baby (Regall Rosario) 11/12/01 - 12/18/13, Lucky the mix (Found, w 10 puppies 8/96-Bridge 7/28/11, app. age 16) & CoCo (Cosmo Comet) 12/28/89-5/4/04

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Guest cleo_chaos

This mis-diagnosis is in no way negligent. It was done by a board certified pathologist and despite what you may think pathology isn't black and white - it takes years of education to understand this. Many conditions resemble one another and a common layperson may see it as a blatant error but its really shades of grey between one condition and another.

 

Doing surgery on the wrong leg and insulin overdoses are clearly negligent. A misdiagnosis is not.

 

Why is this forum so consistently anti-vet?

My post was meant to inform and is close to my heart because Finn stayed with me for a month after his surgery. I went through the entire ordeal with the Genser family. They are now part of our family and vice verse. This absolutely was an incorrect diagnosis. The U Penn pathologist saw osteocytes within the tissue sample of the hematoma that was removed from Finn's spine. Since the clot was caused from a traumatic injury and subsequently evacuated by surgical means, osteocytes would be normal. What is bothersome about this incident is the lack of U Penn's response regarding their quality control measures.

I would also hope by now you have realized I am an "uncommon layperson". For the sake of brevity in any story reported by the media, many important details are omitted. To give everyone the complete story of Finnegan's ordeal would cover about three pages! The take away message is if there is the slightest doubt regarding a diagnosis, get a second opinion. Any MD, DVM,DDS or auto mechanic who is confident and worth their salt should encourage you to do so!

 

The Genser's press on to tell Finnegan's story. Their goal is to improve the quality control procedures for veterinary pathology departments. To improve communication between veterinarians working on the same case. Also to spare another family the agony and emotional roller coaster of hearing unnecessarily your 4yr old beloved pet has a fatal disease. Finn's story also appears in the winter '08 issue of CG Magazine, "Medical Error is for the Dogs Too".

Edited by cleo_chaos
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Amen is right!

 

I bet Robin will appreciate this after what happened with Loca

 

you bet i do. thanks!

siggy_robinw_tbqslg.jpg
Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19.

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Guest KennelMom

I understand both sides of the issue - vets can make mistakes and the results can be devastating for owners and even life ending for pets. I know I've been irritated in the past with missed diagnoses or just poor treatment plans - all rectified by second opinions, which means it cost me more $, but my pet ultimately received the right treatment. Be prepared for much higher vet costs if vets can be taken to court for large damages - their malpractice insurance will go up and that cost is going to be paid by all of us pet owners. I'm not sure court damages are the best solution as much as making state Vet boards take claims more seriously and actually start pulling licenses of vets who continually make mistakes.

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This mis-diagnosis is in no way negligent. It was done by a board certified pathologist and despite what you may think pathology isn't black and white - it takes years of education to understand this. Many conditions resemble one another and a common layperson may see it as a blatant error but its really shades of grey between one condition and another.

We all understand that it takes many years of schooling to become a vet. additionally, we all have the brains and common sense to understand that pathology isn't black and white, even if we may be "common laypeople".

 

As somebody who had a dog that was misdiagnosed with chondrosarcoma, I also understand the possible tragic consequences of a misdiagnosis. A couple of years ago I took Loca to the vet because she seemed to be experiencing some discomfort when walking. The vet took x-rays and sent them to the radiologist at the University of Guelph vet school. He diagnosed her with chondrosarcoma. Thanks to this board, I knew to send the x-rays to OSU for a second opinion. Guess what? The radiologist mistook normal lung superimposed on clavicle as bone cancer!!!! We send a second set of x-rays to OSU; same findings.

 

Was the original radiologist looking after Loca's best interests? I'm confident that he was. Should he have been able to distinguish the difference between lung tissue superimposed on clavicle from bone cancer? I sure hope so.

 

I'm glad that this kind of situation is getting some press. We all count on our vets to do what's right, despite the fact that their patients can't talk or describe their symptoms. Hopefully a second, or maybe even third opinion will become more commonplace.

Edited by robinw

siggy_robinw_tbqslg.jpg
Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19.

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Last I checked, Vets (Doctors, etc) are human too.. thus can reasonably be expected to make errors and mistakes. It happens.

 

Glad that Finn is doing well in the end. :)

 

After reading the article, the one thought that comes to mind is: If you don't like/trust your vet, find a new one. A vet's practice and customer load speaks volumes about their ability.

Edited by Jiffer

Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011

 

Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito.

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Guest Energy11

This mis-diagnosis is in no way negligent. It was done by a board certified pathologist and despite what you may think pathology isn't black and white - it takes years of education to understand this. Many conditions resemble one another and a common layperson may see it as a blatant error but its really shades of grey between one condition and another.

 

Doing surgery on the wrong leg and insulin overdoses are clearly negligent. A misdiagnosis is not.

 

Why is this forum so consistently anti-vet?

 

 

I TOTALLY respect veterinarians! Actually, MORE than I respect human docs. But, as a retired paramedic, and vet assistant, I always get two or three opinions, myself. Having lost a husband to cancer, that NONE of the docs could diagnose, even though I told them what it was (*and I was right), I am now very cautious, and do my homework.

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Guest cleo_chaos

Last I checked, Vets (Doctors, etc) are human too.. thus can reasonably be expected to make errors and mistakes. It happens.

 

Glad that Finn is doing well in the end. :)

 

After reading the article, the one thought that comes to mind is: If you don't like/trust your vet, find a new one. A vet's practice and customer load speaks volumes about their ability.

Unfortunately veterinary specialists can be limited by geography and specialty. This contributes to the problem. Someone mentioned that a "board-certified" pathologist had to have seen that slide. U Penn is a teaching hospital so that most likely was not the case. Our goal is to improve quality control not yanking veterinary licenses.

Below is a CT scan showing a T4 vertebrae. What's wrong with this dog??? You would be looking through the dog from front to back. You can see the dorsal portion of the vertebra and the center for the spinal canal. He ran into a tree while running with another dog. The radiologist who interpreted this CT scan recommended restricted activity for 2 weeks and if there was no improvement in his back leg weakness to see a neurologist. He told me there was NO FRACTURES!!!! This was performed at an imaging center. That's all they do is perform and interpret CT's and MRI's!!! I listened to "my little voice" and drove all over MD and VA making phone calls begging for a neurologist to see my dog. Almost a year later, 2 surgeries, over 2 weeks in critical care at the The LifeCentre in Leesburg, VA and our work with rehab therapist Aimee at Next Step, Chaos is chasing squirrels with just a little hitch in his giddy-up these days!

 

Chaosctscan0002.jpg

the dorsum of that vertebrae was completely detached and you can clearly see bony sections were crushed and causing spinal cord compression. Chaos was totally paralyzed from waist down for about 6 months.

Edited by cleo_chaos
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the dorsum of that vertebrae was completely detached and you can clearly see bony sections were crushed and causing spinal cord compression. Chaos was totally paralyzed from waist down for about 6 months.

 

I've been staring at X-rays of barium swallows for the past two weeks, trying to tell healthy patients from the ill, and can't make heads or tails of 'em. But- if a radiologist looked at that and couldn't see that fracture, I'd say they need to get their eyes checked.

Coco (Maze Cocodrillo)

Minerva (Kid's Snipper)

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