Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 1/19/2011

Question
I would like to know how, as a veterinarian, you would handle this situation. About 3 weeks ago we brought in our 18 month old female cat to be declawed. She was in perfect health. We later received a phone call from the DR stating that she was initially going to tell us that our cat had had a heart attack but felt bad about that so instead told us the truth. One of the vet techs was putting her under anesthesia and left a valve closed that caused my cats lungs to burst. 3 weeks later, that vet tech is still emploed and still running anesthesia/assisting in surgeries. How can they have not fired this individual? We were told by the same, having lost two family members in the same week tragically, to "put our priorites straight and focus on our family" I have never heard of a vet tech not being fired for killing a clients pet

Answer
Well this is a terrible tragedy Joy. I am very sorry for your loss, but this type of accident does happen. Usually however, it is not a vet tech that does this but a kennel girl that is posing as a vet tech but is not really trained or licensed.

If the technician is licensed, you have the ability to report his/her behavior and actions to the state board where you live. She is a liable as the vet is for this action. If the 'tech' is not a licensed technician, the veterinarian is liable for what happened and should be reported for allowing a non-licensed employee perform a procedure that only licensed techs are legally allowed to perform.

I am not a vet Joy, but a licensed vet tech myself, and I know how terrifying and horrifying something like this happening can be. We have all had our share of trauma in this way- older dogs dying during dental work due to issues we can't see because the owners refused pre-op blood work, unlicensed employees overdosing cats, etc. I personally have only had one incident happen to me in 25 years of practice and that was the old dog dying due to her having kidney issues and we didn't know about it. The owners refused blood work and the dog was 15 yrs old with very bad teeth. I was in tears for days but it was nothing I had done wrong.

In this case, it is obviously a major blunder on the part of the technician or the employee, but in any case the vet is still liable for the outcome.

I would contact your state board and ask how you can proceed with a claim against the hospital and the vet where this happened and be sure to express your pain and horror that this person wasn't fired and is still being allowed to make mistakes that can cost other animals their lives.

None of this will bring your precious cat back but if you can stop this from happening to another cat.
Again, I am truly sorry for the loss of your cat. It is a painful experience that no one should ever have to go through.
My heart and prayers are with you,
Jana