Complaint letter to vet who refused to help my seriously ill bunny

[Cloud]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the way myself and my bunny Cloud were treated by one of your vets during an appointment on 28 August 2012. I do not know the vet’s name, as she rudely failed to introduce herself. Although my bunny, Cloud, had been suffering from diarrhoea, I was informed by the vet that feeding her greens was a good thing and that small poo was good, because it was poo! The vet did not appear to be at all concerned about my bunny’s health, despite the fact that she was eating very little had diarrhoea/ very small poo, was thin and was sitting depressed at home and William had told me to take her back so that she could be admitted if she did not improve. This vet ignored William’s instructions and did not appear to be competent: I even had to suggest to her that it might be a good idea to weigh Cloud to see if she had continued to lose weight after having been weighed on 21 August 2012. Cloud had indeed lost weight. The vet gave her some more Septrin but no probiotics and she did not arrange for any tests in order to find out if Cloud did have a parasite.
The vet accused me of keeping Cloud in a hutch- I can assure you, she lives inside with me and plays outside in a large rabbit run in Summer. The vet appeared to think people keep rabbits in hutches- perhaps you could kindly draw her attention to the current, ‘A hutch is not enough’ campaign, so that she does not misinform future clients about rabbit welfare: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm. Furthermore I would like to know how observing how Cloud would have behaved if she had been put into a hutch would have aided the vet to make a diagnosis. The vet told me Cloud might be the way she is because it is too hot inside! It has not been a hot Summer, my house is not made of glass and it has windows. Furthermore, I think I would recognise heat stroke in a rabbit. Keeping Cloud indoors means that I get to see her a lot and I can notice if she is unwell. I see absolutely no reason why a rabbit should not be allowed to live in a house- does this vet think dogs and cats should be confined to a hutch outside?
Following the instructions of the vet, I took Cloud home and that evening she had diarrhoea again. On the morning of 29 August 2012, I came home to find Cloud had diarrhoea yet again, so I phoned the vet, only to be told that, since Cloud is eating something, no appointment would be given and to keep her at home. The person I spoke to came across as very disregarding and she made me feel like I was hassling the surgery. Might I remind some of your staff that the words, ‘just a’ do not come before the word, ‘rabbit’.
My seriously ill bunny was sent home by the vet, to starve to death. My seriously ill bunny was denied an appointment when she was hardly eating anything and I was told to keep her at home- to starve to death. Despite my rabbit being registered at *vet - name removed* and being insured, your staff refused to help her and left me in the difficult position of finding another vet who would be willing to see my rabbit at short notice. In the light of how Cloud was treated, I would ask you to reconsider if it is appropriate that you should make the following claim on your website, ‘We take care of every patient. Their health is in reliable hands’
Despite noticing Cloud was ill on 20th August 2012 and making her an appointment at *vet - name removed* on 21st August 2012, making a further appointment and trying to make another, I was unable to obtain the care for my rabbit that she both needed and deserved. It broke my heart to see my rabbit’s health deteriorating and not being able to get her the care she so desperately needed. Cloud died on 1st September 2012, leaving her bonded sister without her friend.
This is not the first time I have been concerned at the approach some of the vets at your practice have had towards my rabbits. Previously, when Cloud had to be hospitalised, I sensibly asked if her bonded sister could stay with her and I was informed that she could not because there was nothing wrong with her. I hope that a vet would be aware of the importance of keeping bonded rabbits together- when I brought Cloud home, I had to start the bonding process all over again, as the two rabbits fought. I have been advised that other vets are happy for bonded rabbits to stay together if one has to go into hospital. Additionally, I believe it is thought to be less stressful for a rabbit if they can remain with their friend or at least see them. Surely that is better for their recovery and should be considered unless there is a medical reason as to why the rabbit’s friend cannot stay.
On a different occasion, one of your vets looked at me and said, ‘you probably know more about rabbits than me.’ Can I suggest that if your vets are not competent, confident to or are simply unwilling to provide medical care for rabbits, that you do not advertise that you provide this. On your website, you claim, ‘We do treat exotic animals’, so why was Cloud an exception? Having a poorly bunny is stressful and upsetting and the last thing an owner needs is to feel they cannot trust their vet because they do not seem to know what they are doing or to care.
I enclose a leaflet and some posters kindly provided by the Rabbit Welfare Association, for you to give to the vet I am complaining about. I would hate any more bunnies to be put in the situation Cloud was put in by her. Why should a rabbit be treated so dismissively? Would the vet have acted in this manner if Cloud had been an animal that was fed the corpses of intensively farmed animals?
I draw your attention to your logo: ‘Care and Kindness For Your Pet’- this certainly has not been my experience.
I seek your reassurance that this vet will be provided with the necessary training to ensure she is competent to treat rabbits and until then, she will not be allowed to do so. I also seek reassurance that she is prepared to and will change her attitude towards rabbits. If not, I suggest she should delegate rabbit consultations to a colleague, or perhaps she would me better suited to working in a vivisection lab.
Please can you send me:
• 2 copies of Cloud’s notes.
• Evidence that the vet who did not care about my rabbit and cruelly refused to help her, is qualified.
• Evidence that this vet is provided with the necessary training regarding diagnosing rabbits (it was elementary that my rabbit was seriously ill- she hardly presented with rare symptoms did she?)
• Your policy with regards to denying an animal an appointment.
• Your policy with regards to dealing with a vet who fails to provide an animal with the care they need.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and I await your reply, which I will expect to receive within 14 working days.

Yours sincerely,

 

[yvette]

I think you need to make points.
Its very long winded, and each complaint needs to be separated to see the point being made if you get my drift.

The bit about their policies is good..have you got them on paper??

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

OMG did some of the staff say "just a rabbit", that is so unprofessional and uncaring.

If you are paying for an appointment I can't see why they said no. Not as if you are begging for free treatment. The practice sounds truly awful.

Good luck with the letter, I really hope they take on board what you have said.

 

[reehsetin]

Poor Cloud, shame you had to fight so much for her at such a critical time.

I do think the letter needs to change a little though, I suggest you bullet the timeline so it's easier to follow and keep to the facts in the first part. Hope you get the response you deserve

 

[shakiraminilop]

Please let us know the results of this letter . If a vet treated my animals this way I would say it their face how could they be like this. My vets are brill but they do test for everything but my babies r worth it x

 

[Captain Helen]

:shock: I know you're angry and upset, understandably. But that letter reads like a rant. I would stick to the facts, removed the word rude from the beginning, remove the bit about meat eating animals, and remove the bit about vivisection.

I just think they'll be offended and unwilling to cooperate with the tone of that letter. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear, just my opinion.

Good luck xx

 

[KarenM]

I agree with Helen, it's obvious from your letter that you're upset, and rightly so. I think you have a right to complaint but, for that complaint to stand the best chance of being heard, it's best to keep it factual & without the emotive wording (vivisection etc). Perhaps give yourself a couple more days to stew on it and then try to re-write it. Best of luck with your complaint.

I've also removed the name of the vet practice as it's best not to name them on a public forum.

 

[FluffyBun]

Cloud, I write for a living, just so you know this comes from someone who uses words for work!

Keep it short, punchy, no more than one paragraph, as others have said. And as others have said, maybe bullet points. I know you're hurting but again, cut the emotional language or you risk being seen as yet another nut job writing in green ink. Not that you are but that is how lengthy rant letters read.

I would definitely cut the thing implying the vet is unqualified. That doesn't help your case.

 

[Cloud]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. I will write to ask for Cloud's notes first (so that they cannot be altered upon receipt of my complaint letter). That will give me time to work on the complaint letter and make alterations to it.

 

[supersonic]

I would personally say rabbit, not bunny... I don't know why, it just sounds more... official.

 

[KarenM]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. I will write to ask for Cloud's notes first (so that they cannot be altered upon receipt of my complaint letter). That will give me time to work on the complaint letter and make alterations to it.

That sounds like a good plan. :thumb:

 

[dbowes]

I agree with the others. It's best not to even write the word complaint as it's starting with a negative. You can make the same point with the word "discuss" for example. You obviously just want to convey your anger but you would probably get better results if you don't put them on back foot from the off.

For the record I totally understand that you're upset. I have been in a few situations where you don't want to come across like you are telling them how to do their job but at the same time you want to make sure you are getting the right treatment. To be proved right must be really frustrating and upsetting for you.

Sorry to hear about your loss