Beware. They injured our dying dog with damaged clippers. Took responsibility, but then backtracked, changed their story and told us there were no injuries to see. Very traumatic for our beloved dog w... Read More
Beware. They injured our dying dog with damaged clippers. Took responsibility, but then backtracked, changed their story and told us there were no injuries to see. Very traumatic for our beloved dog who died days later, and us.
We are alienated. We were actually told by Clevedale Vets that we did not see what we saw - because there were no injuries to see. This is abhorrent and insane.
Clevedale Vets, Upleatham gave written conflicting, illogical explanations of how they injured our dying dog with damaged clippers. We do not believe the people involved have been truthful. We do not accept that our dog, cut and grazed by damaged clippers, did not react with pain - and yet, they carried on, even though the clippers were obviously malfunctioning, and have denied that there was any visible sign of injury. This haunts us and has complicated our grief following Bronte's death.
These are some of Clevedale Vets differing accounts: "Bronte was very weak at the time and only just ambulatory.” But, apparently she stood "willingly" and the nurses say, "Bronte neither reacted to or showed any sign of discomfort during any of this procedure" while being cut and grazed by "very rough and sharp" damaged clippers. She was clipped "unusually" standing (though Bronte could barely stand). One vet who supposedly investigated what happened to Bronte told us that when shaving a dog standing up, you “can’t see the area you are clipping.” He stated: “the clipper blade caught Bronte’s skin it was not noticed and therefore this happened several times…"
Then their story changed... They told us, Bronte was put on a table where the nurses could "stretch out her skin to make clipping easier; Bronte still willingly complying without restraint. We did notice the clippers snagging on her fur at points, for this reason we stopped clipping and reported it to (name of the vet)." They say, "At this time and for the rest of Bronte’s hospitalization that day, there were no abrasions visible where Bronte was clipped."
We do not accept that these cuts and grazes were not visible. Our opinion is that they knew they had injured Bronte and they chose not to address it.
The nurses who used these damaged clippers told the vet there was a problem. This vet says she knew nothing and saw nothing, in all those hours Bronte was with her for a scan and an X-ray. They said there was nothing to see, yet we saw Bronte's injuries as soon as we got her home after a 10 minute journey and she collapsed on the floor. The practice was closed at this time, so I phoned first thing in the morning to tell them that Bronte was in distress and injured. The vet says we said nothing. Our phone records verify the call. I followed up with an email and attached images to the practice. We were told that the "rash" must have developed hours later because there was no injury to see even though one of the vets admitted that "the degree of trauma to Bronte's skin was exceptional" caused by damaged "very rough and sharp" clippers.
Worse: Then they blamed Bronte for "interfering" with her "rash" which they suggest (magically?) appeared during the night. How cruel to suggest that Bronte caused her own cuts and grazes; how insulting to tell us that we did not see what we saw with our own eyes the moment Bronte collapsed on the floor when we got her home, 10 minutes after collecting her from the vets.
Our poor dog. This has been a very traumatic experience and we are alienated by the conduct of the nurses and vets involved in Bronte's care. Read Less