Spaying didn't take. Vet to redo. Wants to be paid again

Yillan

So we brought our boxer to the vet 6 months ago to get spayed. All went well. Cost €450 all in, which obviously insurance covered none of. So then about a month ago she went into heat. 20 or so days of bleeding. Lots of dogs hassling her etc etc.

So we rang the vet when it started. He said oh it might be a UTI. But she had no symptoms of a UTI. He said monitor it for the next 12-18 months and see if it happens again. We went to the vet again today for something else (itchy paws, for which he prescribed a immunosuppressive drug and charged €200 for an allergy blood test, but that's another story...), and we asked about her going into heat, described the whole sequence of events, and he says oh right ok that sounds like she was in heat. The next time it happens, bring her in and I'll do the surgery. We asked how much it would cost. He says he would waive his fee, but it would still cost €150.

I think this is ridiculous. From what I've read online it seems like Ovarian Remnant Syndrome is basically a never event and when it happens it's the vet's fault. He told us that sometimes some cells are left behind etc and that means they can end up going into heat after some time. I'm thinking that the job wasn't done correctly the first time. Maybe he got a junior to do it, but certainly I don't think I should be out of pocket for a procedure that we paid (handsomely) for once, but that failed.

I'm beginning to wonder about this vet entirely to be quite honest.

Edit: Not to mention the fact that we have to put our poor little dog through that surgery again, and she (and we) had to go through the misery of her being in heat unnecessarily

muddypaws

I had a bitch that this happened to, I didn't have her respayed as it wasn't too bad, no bleeding with her, then she got pyometra and had to have an emergency operation.

It wasn't the original vet that did the pyo surgery so obviously I paid them, it was a tiny bit left in there. My vet explained that it can happen when the bitch is spayed too close to a season, so the area is quite bloody and things can be missed.

I can understand the vet wanting €150, that's to cover the GA, stitches etc. It will be a more complicated surgery, as they will have to search for what was missed. Now conversely, doing it whilst she is in or near heat makes this easier.

If she's bleeding though, that does sound like a lot has been left.

Unfortunately mistakes happen, vets are human and whilst most spays and neuters are simple and successful, sometimes complications arise

muddypaws

It sounds as though you now don't trust this vet though, so I would look for another vet.

mary 2021

I would ask another vet to xray or ultra sound her and see if the spay was done at all. i am sure theere must be a screening to see if a female is entire and if she is still a full un sterilised female then get your receipts together and show him you intend to seek legal advise unless the surgery is re done FOC and by a senior vet. OR at the practices expense in another vet of your choice.