Expert: Lee Meyer - 8/8/2009

Question
my dog was ill so i took her to the vets and they gave her 2 injections and a corse of tablets when i got her home she stoped breathing and died can i do anythink about it thank you.

Answer
Hi Lynda,

I am very sorry your dog died.  

I am unsure of what you mean by "can I do anything about it".  I'd probably try to talk with the vet about what they thought was the problem and double check what treatment was provided and why (or why not).  

Unless they gave her something in the wrong dosage or they gave her the 'wrong' thing for what they were treating her for, or failed to see something they should have given her something for, it would be difficult to say what the next step is.

It does happen with some ill animals their strength reserves may be pretty low, and they are too weak to survive normal/proper treatment, it comes too late, or the treatment itself is too hard on the weakened system.

I would definitely follow up with the vet and get a better picture of what happened during the care there and make sure their records of what was done match up with what you were both told and billed for.  Make sure dosage amounts and everything given to her matches up.  The vet might suggest a necropsy to determine cause of death, and that might help to identify what she died from.

Or of you don't want that vet to do the necropsy, you could always have a second vet do it for a more independent review if you are concerned about that.

Again, I am sorry about your dog.  It's very hard to lose animals we bond and put a lot of time and care into.  I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Lee