Help! shall I take the specialist who said Doughnut was healthy to Court?

I really value everyone's opinion and just having a dilemma on what to do.

I think most people know Doughnut's story but basically my vet initially thought she had coccidiosis and she was put on septrin for 3 weeks. She was making an awful noise which seemed to be like gagging/reflux, constantly rubbing her throat, had mixed stools in the shape of logs and leaking urine constantly. After getting lots of negative lab tests and still being unwell I went to an exotic pet specialist. She said it was a PH imbalance and Doughnut was put on 3 days of cisapride and 3 weeks of ranitidine. She still didn't seem any better so I returned to my vets who phoned the specialist who said it was the PH balance and the best thing to do was nothing and it would get back to normal. I was still unhappy as Doughnut was clearly in pain so I went back to the specialist for tests and she stayed a few day for observation and had an x-ray.

When I collected her I was told there was nothing to worry about and she was a healthy rabbit. I enquired about if they had heard the noises, seen the throat rubbing and observed if she was wet. I was told it was noticed that her tail was wet but that was probably due to her sitting in her own urine. The noises had been heard but these were all normal and the throat rubbing was chin rubbing which was also normal. I said it wasn't chin rubbing it was lower down and I knew what a chin rub was as she does this constantly. This was dismissed and the nurses had reported that she was behaving normally.

I took her home and was distressed seeing her that way so did the videos. I sent them to the specialist saying I'm sure this isn't normal and she said no that is perfectly normal. I said I noticed she was worse when she was full up after pellets so she said just stop the pellets then! That's when I went to yet another vet then the specialist I'm with now. I made a complaint again the specialist to the practice manager and sent the videos, she had another vet at the practice look at them and surprise surprise he thinks that's normal too!

Mark took bloods and found a really high level of infection, a cut in her throat which was severely inflamed and infected and a high level of gut fungi. My next option would be to go to the County Court to get my money back. Mark said he would do a report for me, so I may do this. The practice manager did say she noted that metacam had been given to her and I said well no one had told me that and also why would they give it to her if they found her so healthy.

The opinions I would like is should I pursue the County Court option? It's just that it will be one specialists view against another as they will know nothing about rabbits. I just feel upset that they sent her home to die basically saying she was healthy. Not sure what to do. I was going to try again with the practice manager first once I get Mark's report.

What happened is appalling and I would go as far as possible with it.

Thanks, I just wonder what would happen as all vets at the original practice say it's normal, so I wonder if the court would get someone impartial to look at it.

If you were not covered by insurance you may as well try and get your money back if they got it so wrong.

This is appalling I think you should definitely go as far as possible with it, although my very limited experience on complaining to vets has told me that in the first instance you have to contact the surgery to "try to resolve the issue" first.

I am going to lodge a complaint of some kind with the vet I first saw with Ash 2 weeks ago... took me 2 days to get some metacam out of them, missed one of the long molars during the dental, sent her home after a dental saying she was fine when turns out she wasn't. I don't know how to go about doing it though I will keep watching this thread.

To be honest if a bunny owner can tell there's something wrong with their pet, but a vet can't, it is worrying. On your side you have Doughnut improving since having the new specialist, which suggests that it's not 'nothing', as well as results of tests that show there was something there. In this case I wouldn't say it's one specialists word against another, as there are results there to prove that it couldn't just be left. I would want to pursue it myself.

Have you spoken to a lawyer about how likely you are to win? Given that like you said it's on person against the other. I'm new to this forum so haven't been here all through Doughnut's illness, but reading your post it sounds horrendous, poor Doughnut! And poor you, there is nothing worse knowing something is wrong and having the so called experts dismiss what you are saying. I'm so glad she is doing better now.

I think I would pursue it, if not for myself then to hopefully stop someone elses poor bun enduring similar.

You need to contact the practice manager of your vets and lodge your issues, that's what I did. She said she had no veterinarian knowledge so looking at the videos couldn't tell if it was normal, so got another vet at the practice to look at it. I said I wanted a full refund as felt Doughnut's care had been compromised and she didn't get the due care and attention which I had paid for. If you don't get any joy then then the next move seems to be the small claims court.

I wasn't insured for this so spent about £400 at that practice, now I have insurance she obviously isn't covered for digestion related issues!

I would want to, but just be aware that it is an extremely costly process and if you lose the case you have to pay all the costs. I suppose it depends how much money you could get back?

Ailstar said:

Have you spoken to a lawyer about how likely you are to win? Given that like you said it's on person against the other. I'm new to this forum so haven't been here all through Doughnut's illness, but reading your post it sounds horrendous, poor Doughnut! And poor you, there is nothing worse knowing something is wrong and having the so called experts dismiss what you are saying. I'm so glad she is doing better now.

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I actually work for a solicitors so will get them to help me with my claim. I have years ago taken my landlord to court and won and did that on my own when I was 21 and didn't have a clue then. For me to get some money back after spending about £2,000 would be great but it's more about how Doughnut has been treated and I dread to think how much more pain she would have had if I'd left it. I always think of the cut as me having an infected ulcer inside my stomach and it just getting more infected and inflamed every day. I do try not to think about it too much though as it makes me cry!

catherine09 said:

I would want to, but just be aware that it is an extremely costly process and if you lose the case you have to pay all the costs. I suppose it depends how much money you could get back?

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I've had a look and if I do it online and claim up to £500 it is £35, if I claim up to £1,000 it's £60. I think I should claim some additional money for stress and upset. But what is reasonable for that? I lost a lot of weight with worry and had to take a lot of time off work going to the different vets and being at home with her. It was holiday leave I used but I could have enjoyed it doing something else.

RavenMoon said:

To be honest if a bunny owner can tell there's something wrong with their pet, but a vet can't, it is worrying. On your side you have Doughnut improving since having the new specialist, which suggests that it's not 'nothing', as well as results of tests that show there was something there. In this case I wouldn't say it's one specialists word against another, as there are results there to prove that it couldn't just be left. I would want to pursue it myself.

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I agree with this, it may be one specialists view against another's, but personally I think anyone is more likely to side with the specialist who found something than the one who found nothing, her eventual diagnosis is more proof that the first practice were useless!!

cpayne said:

I've had a look and if I do it online and claim up to £500 it is £35, if I claim up to £1,000 it's £60. I think I should claim some additional money for stress and upset. But what is reasonable for that? I lost a lot of weight with worry and had to take a lot of time off work going to the different vets and being at home with her. It was holiday leave I used but I could have enjoyed it doing something else.

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I think if no resolve is found online though then the next step is actual court, which is v expensive. Just going from when my OH sued someone he lived with over rent an the research we did back then

when my landlord was issued with a court summons he then called me up and said I didn't need to go to that length so I got my money back plus the money I paid out. Not sure what will happen if it does go to Court, that's the trouble, I don't have any money then. Hopefully bad publicity for the surgery may make them see sense!

I think that if you have the support of the second vet you can take them to the veterinary body which regulates vets - Veterinary Council(?) and, in extreme cases they can be struck off for at least a while. It could be that complaints have been made before in which case you are adding to evidence against them. It would be interesting to know what their reasons for missing the obvious are. It has happened to us a few times over the years - death by incompetent vet

She is apparently well thought of and gives talks around the country! I did speak to them, you don't get money back but you can get them struck off. I don't know if I'm a soft touch but I felt guilty about that. Would rather take the practice to court as the nurses who observed her also said she was acting normal and it was all fine. I know the specialist should know better but they are all still saying that the videos are normal.

I would definitely pursue it if it were me.
I do a lot of complaining :lol:
I have complained about 2 vets so far, the first was when I took Pip to a Pets at Home vets- NEVER again!!
She was suffering from breathing difficulty and was not a well little girl. The 'vet' I saw was AWFUL! !
First off he barely looked at her and suggested that she was most likely going to die. He said that if we want to we could try a course of Baytril if we want.
Then he proceeded to say that in a cat or a dog they would think about doing xrays but he wouldnt bother on a hamster!!
He then pinned her down with a towel like a viscous animal, she was dso kind natured she never hurt anyone but this left her totally distraught and she was panting!
I complained to the management team and suggested that that vet should not be near animals.
I got a pretty pathetic apology letter but I felt that I owed it to her to speak for her.
We then found a lovely vet who really fought for her with different medications and consious xrays.
Unfortunately it did not work and I had to say goodbye to my angel
I will NEVER forgive myself for taking her to the incompitant vet.
Slightly different but I also complained to Timpsons, I went in to get a plaque done for Pip,
It cost £20. The man who served me was a despicable excuse for a human! He kept saying things like 'why bother with a plaque when you can get a colony of hamsters for £20' this resulted in me running out the shop in tears.
I complained to the management team and got a very sincere apology and £40 in vouchers bit I sold them to my Mum if I remember correctly as I couldnt face going in there and still cant to this day and I lost her in October 2008!


The next time I complained to a vets was when Jims was ill and I called the emergency vet and she had a go at me for calling as it was her home number! How the hell was I meant to know that!?

That's awful. I will try again with the manager and see if I get any joy.

The guy here who is one of the top litigation lawyers has just given me advice. He's really lovely and is always on the tv and radio as people always want quotes from him. He said to go to the regulatory body and complain about her. He wouldn't bother with the small claims court. I won't get any money back though. He said he thought I could only claim for the amount I paid out but since we represent millionaires we never use the small claims court!!

cpayne said:

She is apparently well thought of and gives talks around the country! I did speak to them, you don't get money back but you can get them struck off. I don't know if I'm a soft touch but I felt guilty about that. Would rather take the practice to court as the nurses who observed her also said she was acting normal and it was all fine. I know the specialist should know better but they are all still saying that the videos are normal.

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I would take it as far as you can to highlight the fact that some vets are not as competent or willing to investigate the health issues of smaller mammals. However it may come to naught other than you getting your money back. Then again there might be some articles in the RCVS newsletter and magazines about Donought's unique issue and the symptoms that go along with it. I think spreading awareness about that is really important as well as highlighting vets do more than just prescribe metacam and hope for the best.

There was a case quite a few of years ago where a a vet had been investigated and suspended by the council and her employer for incompetent practices with exotics and small mammals. She was found guilty and sacked from the practice where she had worked. The people who brought the case were seeking to have her struck off but it didn't go as far as that and she was just fined and able to gain employment elsewhere. Sadly she was in charge of the care of a gorgeous wee bunny that belonged to someone on here and due to her incompetence the bunny passed away. The owner made complaints and went through the entire procedure as dictated by the RCVS but the whole thing was a whitewash and the vet was allowed to continue and found not guilty. Its a real shame because I know for a fact she was incompetent having worked with her colleagues and in the same practice as her and there have been many complaints by staff and clients alike over the years but still she gets away with it.

So if you feel blame should be apportioned and staff reprimanded it may not come to that. However I hope so, the treatment received sounds atrocious.