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Did my vet mess up? Possible TMI.

We've had our pup for a month now, and for the last two weeks he has had some pretty yucky stomach problems, though keeping his appetite and upbeat personality the whole time.  We assumed it was probably related to finding the right food for him, but his foster mom told us he didn't have a weak stomach so that was surprising.  A week ago today, we took him in for a checkup that included a parasite screening ($90) that came back negative.  I was told to get him on chicken and rice and slowing bring back kibble once he stopped throwing up.  I followed these directions and he improved a little, but was far from 100%.

Yesterday, I called the vet to check in.  I spoke with a vet tech who I get weird vibes from and she said I never should have started kibble again so quickly and should have had him on a bland diet for 5 days first.  This was frustrating since I was trying to follow directions and do the right thing.  She was a bit attitudey which I think is where the majority of my frustration is coming from.  She had me come in and buy some prescription food ($50) that he is supposed to be on until further notice.

Long story short, last night he had an accident in the kitchen and it became visually apparent to me that he DID in fact have parasites.  It was the office's late night, so I rushed in the sample and they sent me home with a deworming pill that should do the trick.  It was super gross, but I'm so relieved to have a solution! I'm bringing him in later today to have a check for weight loss and dehydration, as well as to discuss getting him back on one of our preferred foods slowly.

So other than just venting, my question for the board is, should I be mad at my vet for missing the parasites in the first screening or is this just one of those things that can happen sometimes?  Financially, should they be refunding anything ($270 total has now been spent on this issue)?  I don't mind paying to keep Baxter healthy, and we have the budget room to do so, but I'm pretty frustrated that we lost out on a whole week when he could have been getting better.  The poor guy has been through heartworm treatment, transport from Arkansas to the Northeast, losing his first home, etc.  and we just want him to get to be a normal dog.  Would you look for a new vet if you were me?  I really like the doctor and all of the staff except for one tech, who we always seem to get matched with for some reason.  I always feel like she's not really hearing my words when I talk to her.  

Re: Did my vet mess up? Possible TMI.

  • Personally I would want to find another vet, but that's just me.
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  • I would just find a new vet honestly. That is a dangerous thing to miss and that tech would make me uncomfortable.

    It is like going to the doctors for myself. I mean when 18 year old me was in the doctors with severe pains and a suspected ectopic pregnancy my nurse sat with me between the Dr. coming in and out. To me that was above and is why I still drive over an hour for them now.

    We have a cat with a severe liver condition that is seriously cutting his life expectancy. The vet was cold and explained nothing even with me asking questions. He and the tech left me sobbing over my drugged up 3 month old kitten. I asked for all of his records and walked out and we went somewhere else the next time he got sick. People pay a lot for these services.

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  • I would just find a new vet honestly. That is a dangerous thing to miss and that tech would make me uncomfortable.

    It is like going to the doctors for myself. I mean when 18 year old me was in the doctors with severe pains and a suspected ectopic pregnancy my nurse sat with me between the Dr. coming in and out. To me that was above and is why I still drive over an hour for them now.

    We have a cat with a severe liver condition that is seriously cutting his life expectancy. The vet was cold and explained nothing even with me asking questions. He and the tech left me sobbing over my drugged up 3 month old kitten. I asked for all of his records and walked out and we went somewhere else the next time he got sick. People pay a lot for these services.

    Awww, Alyssa, I am so sorry about your kitten!  Prayers that he stays healthy as long as possible.

    Yeah, we may need to move on to a new vet.  Possible qualifying information, however, is that they send the stool samples out to the same lab that all vets in the area tend to use so it isn't necessarily the particular office's fault.  The particular parasite he has a nice tech told me is commonly missed on the screenings, but I'll be working on verifying that this weekend.  

    The good financial news is that our rescue included a free 30 days of pet insurance, which I would not normally have purchased on our own, so we stand to get at least half our money back most likely.  We have records of negative screening in Arkansas, so I'm assuming he picked this up on the transport bus.
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  

    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
  • Looks like your vet didn't cover all the basics when trying to figure out what was wrong with him and that's one thing that I like about our vet. But I feel like it's hard to figure out what's wrong with a dog when they can't talk, but your vet should be open to all options of testing when you describe your dogs symptoms.  

    If you like your vet's office, are there any other vet in-office that you can see? We used to go to one vet and she would nickel and dime us for everything, so we started seeing another in the office and she is MUCH better! If not, I would look for another office. The last thing you need when your dog is sick and your panicking is a b*tchy vet not looking to help support you emotionally as well.  

  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  
    Nice! Home cooked is a good compromise between kibble and raw. We're going to try Orijen again now that we know this wasn't food related.

    We just got back from the vet and had a good experience. We just need to keep him on the prescription food until he's back to normal. She also explained why the tape worms can get missed so easily, so we're going to stick with them for a little while at least. The tech was nicer today too, but she does seem to be assigned to us permanently.
  • Even if your vet didn't miss anything through the testing because it was in the early stages, you should not get bad vibes from the staff.
  • mbgreenwaltmbgreenwalt member
    Eighth Anniversary 2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited March 2015
    I'm a vet tech and a practice manager.  Intestinal parasites can be missed on testing at no fault to the doctor.  The screening for intestinal parasites checks for the eggs that the parasites are shedding.  If the parasites are not currently shedding eggs, you won't get a positive test.  This is why vets recommend annual screening and year-round heartworm preventative - there are false negatives and they can pick up parasites at any time.

    Also, it is possible that there was a combination of intestinal parasites, stress (adoption/moving), and a food change that caused the loose stool and a bland diet would be the first step in resolving the loose stool - it can advance and other treatment may be necessary.  

    As for the tech being rude - no excuse in my book, let the manager or doctor know.  Client perception is very important and poor client service is the number one reason clients move on to other clinics. 
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  • I'm a vet tech and a practice manager.  Intestinal parasites can be missed on testing at no fault to the doctor.  The screening for intestinal parasites checks for the eggs that the parasites are shedding.  If the parasites are not currently shedding eggs, you won't get a positive test.  This is why vets recommend annual screening and year-round heartworm preventative - there are false negatives and they can pick up parasites at any time.


    Also, it is possible that there was a combination of intestinal parasites, stress (adoption/moving), and a food change that caused the loose stool and a bland diet would be the first step in resolving the loose stool - it can advance and other treatment may be necessary.  

    As for the tech being rude - no excuse in my book, let the manager or doctor know.  Client perception is very important and poor client service is the number one reason clients move on to other clinics. 
    Thanks, it is helpful to hear from someone in the field that missing it on the first test is normal!  H was asking around at work about this and got all sorts of conflicting answers.  I definitely wouldn't have been surprised if the stress and changes he has been through played a part as well.  We've decided we are going to stick with this vet since we like the doctor so much.  If there is trouble with the tech again I'll let the doctor know, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now.  

    Our pup seems to be doing much better today so the bland food is helping :)  That's the important thing.
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  



    My dog told me she wants to go live at your house for awhile, lol.

    @Xstatic3333, I'm glad to hear your dog is feeling better!

  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  



    My dog told me she wants to go live at your house for awhile, lol.

    @Xstatic3333, I'm glad to hear your dog is feeling better!

    My dog is over the moon about this diet change. however she now thinks that anything being cooked in the kitchen is for her. we're going to be seriously working on training so that the most this change amounts to is some additional begging and it doesn't escalate to counter surfing or trash diving.
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  



    My dog told me she wants to go live at your house for awhile, lol.

    @Xstatic3333, I'm glad to hear your dog is feeling better!

    My dog is over the moon about this diet change. however she now thinks that anything being cooked in the kitchen is for her. we're going to be seriously working on training so that the most this change amounts to is some additional begging and it doesn't escalate to counter surfing or trash diving.
    We had a serious counter surfing incident during the chicken and rice week! Baxter is just tall enough to reach the stove on his hind legs. He got a half-empty pot of rice down AND turned the gas on. Eek! Now we have childproof stove knob covers.
  • find a vet you're comfortable with. It took us 2 or 3 places until we found somewhere that meshed with us and our cats, and they've ben great for our dog, though I'm currently taking her for a holistic consult for her allergies, I recognize that that is training most vets don't have.  


    I don't know anything about the tests for parasites, but I would imagine that standard of care would be to re-test if the problem persists, so I would probably shop for a new vet.  I've found community facebook boards to be a good source of recommendations. though you're right if they're using a central lab, it isn't necessarily their fault, it sounds like you have doubts about the tech, what about the vet?

    I have found, similar to regular medicine, that I sometimes have to be the advocate for my pets and remain familiar with their records.  I always double check diet changes and call the office if I'm questioning things, with the food trials we've done trying to deal with allergies our vet's office has been great with fielding my calls for recommendations for what to try next, and how to switch her over. 

    My main hesitation about leaving would be that I really like and trust the actual doctor. Also, she has experience with dogs recovering from heartworms, which is unusual in the northeast. I definitely will need to advocate, however. The one thing I don't really trust them on is food. They're recommending some brands with sketchy additives (including the prescription food we had to buy).
    Totally hear you on the food front. I just got back from a consult with the holistic vet and we're going the home cooked route...it's going to take a bit to figure out how to make it work, but overall I'm feeling really good about feeding my dog real food. We're sticking with our regular vet for all wellness/illness care, but her expertise is not in nutrition so we've sought an expert consult on that.  



    My dog told me she wants to go live at your house for awhile, lol.

    @Xstatic3333, I'm glad to hear your dog is feeling better!

    My dog is over the moon about this diet change. however she now thinks that anything being cooked in the kitchen is for her. we're going to be seriously working on training so that the most this change amounts to is some additional begging and it doesn't escalate to counter surfing or trash diving.
    We had a serious counter surfing incident during the chicken and rice week! Baxter is just tall enough to reach the stove on his hind legs. He got a half-empty pot of rice down AND turned the gas on. Eek! Now we have childproof stove knob covers.
    at least now I NEVER have to worry about where the dog is while i'm cooking (she's always right next to me) however we do need to be careful about leaving any food unattended in the kitchen. 
    Me: 28 H: 30
    Married 07/14/2012
    TTC #1 January 2015
    BFP! 3/27/15 Baby Girl!! EDD:12/7/2015
  • Our dog is really good about that.  I'm sure it helps she is only about 20 lbs. and can't jump high enough to get to either the counter or the stove.

    She'll sort of beg in the kitchen while we are cooking, though her version of begging is to stare at us with longing.  She doesn't bark or paw at us or anything.  She also doesn't beg AT ALL when my DH and I area eating.

    Now the cat on the other hand.  You'd think she was the dog, she's such a huge beggar.  She'll meow and meow while we are cooking.  She'll paw at the kitchen cabinets, as if she is about to jump on the counter.  Though she knows better and doesn't when we are in the kitchen with her.  Of course, if we aren't in the kitchen...especially after we've gone to bed.  I know she roams the counter at will.

    Then, if we are eating on the couch, the cat has no shame in jumping onto our laps and sniffing her little nose as fast as a rabbit's.  If it's something she especially likes, she'll either try and stick her whole head onto the plate or steal a lick.  AND that's when she gets booted off, lol.   

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