Seal Beach resident John Gomard brought his dog Scout home from knee surgery on Aug. 5 and what he discovered still saddens him today.
Scout was hurt, badly, and it had nothing to do with his knee.
Every year Americans spend billions of dollars on health care for their animal companions. Cats and dogs, birds and reptiles all flourish with the help of modern medicine and procedures like hip replacement, knee surgery, cataract removal and other procedures.
| Scout’s owner John Gomard sent The Register photos of his dog before and after the surgery. The dog will be 2 years old in November. The top photo is of Scout before the surgery, as is the last photo. |
One of the hardest things about those surgeries — beyond paying the bill — comes when it’s time to kiss a pet goodbye and leave them in the hands of medical experts.
Gomard dropped off Scout for surgery on Aug. 4 at Vet Care Pet Clinic in Garden Grove. The Boston terrier, who will be 2 in November, was suffering from a common genetic ailment for his breed: pattelar luxation, or an unstable kneecap that often pops out of place. He also got his right knee’s cruciate ligament repaired.
When Gomard picked up the dog the following evening, he put his sutured pet into his crate and took him home.
Scout’s knee looked good. But the dog was whimpering and moving awkwardly. When Gomard checked the dog’s body, he said he gasped.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Gomard recalled. “I said, ‘What the hell is this?!’ “
On Scout’s left side were several shiny, red patches of raw skin. It took the merchant marine captain a few minutes to get past his shock and figure out his 20-pound dog had been burned.
Gomard’s vet, Dr. Dulce Coulson, was unaware of the third-degree burns to Scout’s body until she reexamined him on Aug. 6. It was then she realized a water-circulating blanket used to warm Scout’s body after surgery had likely malfunctioned.
“We’re all very upset about it,” Coulson said Thursday. The doctor said the staff immediately removed all the heating blankets and ordered a new forced air-warming system.
Coulson explained what she thought happened:
“In the recovery phase after surgery, we put him on a water recirculating blanket to warm him back up,” she said. “In his case, the water blanket wasn’t working properly and it burned him.”
Scout was in the clinic overnight, a common practice for pets that have undergone surgery. It’s likely the dog, in a drug-induced, post-operative sleep, spent hours on the hot blanket.
“It’s a terrible case,” Coulson said. “It keeps me up at night, knowing I’m supposed to do the opposite — to make animals feel better.”
“There’s no time when it’s OK to see them hurting,” she said.
Coulson and her staff treated Scout’s burns at no charge, but soon after Gomard opted to seek help from another vet. The new vet, in Belmont Shore, told Gomard the burns would likely scar the dog for life.
Gomard still struggles to keep his anger and frustration in check. On vacation from work, he has been the primary caretaker for Scout, cleaning the wounds regularly and soothing the aching dog.
“His fur started falling out and the wounds started oozing, and I just wanted to cry,” Gomard said.
“I keep reassuring him, no you didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “You’re the good guy.”
Gomard is seeking reimbursement for the $1,700 he spent on the successful knee surgery. So far, he and the clinic have not reached any agreement. .
Do you think the vet clinic should reimburse the Gomards money spent on the successful knee surgery?
In the interest of educating pet owners with animals heading for surgery, Coulson recommends asking several questions first:
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- What level of monitoring will the animal have while under anesthesia?
- Is there a tech dedicated to monitoring all vitals signs, including blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen saturation levels?
- What kind of pain medications will be administered to ensure a pet’s comfort?
At home, watch the incision site(s) for:
- Swelling, discharge or anything unusual about the wound.
- Do not allow the animal to lick the wound. That only introduces bacteria and potential damage to the sutures.
If you have concerns or a complaint about service rendered by a veterinarian, there are several steps a pet owner can take:
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Recent animal news:
A cat in Lebanon, Ore., is likely the first cat in the United States to have died as a result of the H1N1 virus, Oregon state veterinary officials said.
Since the news broke of a housecat in Iowa testing positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, pet owners and veterinarians alike have been scrambling to learn more: Can my pet get sick? What would the symptoms of H1N1 in cats be? How is it identified? How is it treated?
Getting a kitten to scratch in an appropriate spot is easy. You need to make it part of the daily routine of play and interaction. It is a good idea when you first get up in the morning to take your kitten to the scratching post, put his feet up on it, and help him scratch. You can also dangle toys on strings close to the post to stimulate the kitten to jump up and grab the post and toy. This play can occur several times during the day.
