Cat given 10 time overdose at vets

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mykmug

mykmug

Member Since 2017
Hi,

My cat was given 15 units of insulin this morning at the vets (where we had foolishly boarded her during an overnight weekend trip) instead of 1.5 units. I'm completely stunned and anguished over this. She's at the emergency vet now, being given a continuous glucose drip -- I'm having difficulty processing all of this.

She went into a seizure at one point during this and is currently blind. I can't shake the feeling that she's going to be either brain damaged or permanently blind because of this.

I'm not even sure why I'm posting. I'm so angry at the vet -- someone used the wrong sized needle, even though we brought the correct needle with us as well as explicit, typed instructions on how much to provide.

Our little cat is 15 years old but it stills seems too soon to lose her.
 
I'm so sorry that you and your cat are having to go through this.

The emergency vet is the very best place for her. She is receiving the proper treatment with the glucose drip. They will have to monitor her closely.

The blindness may be temporary. It is a sign of hypo and in Rover's case, it was temporary. It was like he couldn't see and was walking toward us going by sound alone. We gave karo (corn syrup) and rushed to the ER. By the time we got there, Rover had started to regain control of his sight. The ER vet referred to it as "brain blindness." The signals were not getting from the eye to the brain properly resulting in blurry or double vision. (His episode was due to low numbers but not because of an overdose.)

It's fairly quiet this time of night. I'm heading to bed myself.

If you could mention what type of insulin was given, people will be able to respond better. Some insulins are harsh and act quickly. Some insulins are slow to start working and last longer in the system.

Here is some basic information about hypos: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
 
Oh, how terrible! What incredible negligence on the part of the vet! I can't even imagine the anguish you must be going through. I will keep you and your sweet little cat in my prayers. Please keep us posted with her progress. Many hugs~:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Thank you for your quick response, both of you! I should probably go to bed too -- I have panic attacks and feel I'm on the verge. We give her ProZinc. She's had two other hypoglycemic events (once when she was first given insulin and when we switched to a low-carb wet food without adjusting). In both cases, she went blind but then recovered. I feel horrible for both those occasions, but this seems so much worse.

Again, thank you for responding.
 
Your cat may be insulin sensitive after this experience. Her numbers may bounce a lot. Do you test her blood levels at home? It is important that you do in order to keep her safe.

Get some sleep so you can function tomorrow when you take on the vet clinic that made the mistake. I do hope that they are going to pay for the emergency stay.
 
So sorry! I have to board my cat on December 29th through January 2nd and I have the same fear that the Vets going to do what she wants to do and not what I have been doing and they're going to mess him up I don't want to leave but I have my tickets paid for it see my new grandbaby and I have to go I do not want to live the nightmare you're living because of their negligence I am so sorry this has happened I can't imagine what you're going through.
 
You have every right to be infuriated. I hope you let the vet know in no uncertain terms just how much. Prayers and hugs for your baby. The ER is the best place right now. Keep us posted.
 
So sorry to hear this! I took a risk last time I went away and prefilled the syringes for five days. I know we’re not supposed to but at least I knew a mistake wouldn’t be made. Silver was fine and insulin still worked no problem. I pray your cat recovers quickly and vet pays fees for this mistake.
 
Lesliejm said:
I have to board my cat on December 29th through January 2nd and I have the same fear that the Vets going to do what she wants to do and not what I have been doing and they're going to mess him up
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Perhaps provide the vets with a 'reference syringe' filled with a coloured liquid up to the required dose? Also maybe bring in a large enough supply of your own syringes to cover the boarding period and include a letter specifically requesting the vets to use your kitty's own syringes exclusively?


Mogs
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Hello all and thank you for your concern. I spoke with the emergency vet this morning and Nadia, our cat, has been taken off the bolus (more concentrated solution) but remains on a glucose drip. She had a rough early overnight (with two seizures) but then started to recover more. She's able to get up and walk to her food and eat, which they seem to view as a great step forward. As for her vision, she's not staring so much into space now, so they think it might be returning (oh, I hope so).

They are going to keep her in the ER again tonight. We have some some unavoidable errands to run for family today but will visit her this evening.

I keep fluctuating between worry, relief, and anger (towards the old vets).

I read the article link to Toonces story. It was heartbreaking -- 30 units of insulin -- and infuriating. I'm definitely going to contact the state board when (if) Nadia gets home. And Woodsywife, I did call the original vet when we first found out and did give them a huge piece of my mind. The way they spoke to my wife on the phone about the incident was almost as bad as what they did to Nadia.

Again, thanks for the concern and kind words, everyone.
 
mykmug said:
Hello all and thank you for your concern. I spoke with the emergency vet this morning and Nadia, our cat, has been taken off the bolus (more concentrated solution) but remains on a glucose drip. She had a rough early overnight (with two seizures) but then started to recover more. She's able to get up and walk to her food and eat, which they seem to view as a great step forward. As for her vision, she's not staring so much into space now, so they think it might be returning (oh, I hope so).

They are going to keep her in the ER again tonight. We have some some unavoidable errands to run for family today but will visit her this evening.

I keep fluctuating between worry, relief, and anger (towards the old vets).

I read the article link to Toonces story. It was heartbreaking -- 30 units of insulin -- and infuriating. I'm definitely going to contact the state board when (if) Nadia gets home. And Woodsywife, I did call the original vet when we first found out and did give them a huge piece of my mind. The way they spoke to my wife on the phone about the incident was almost as bad as what they did to Nadia.

Again, thanks for the concern and kind words, everyone.
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Thanks for this. The very least the original vet practice can do is pay for the ER treatment/stay. How dare they be combative on the phone with your wife!! :mad:
 
This is awful & so scary! I'm so sorry you're going through this @mykmug . I hope the vet is going to be paying for your kitty's care at the ER. I would never use that clinic again. Do you have any friends who can pet sit your kitty when you go away again? Or consider hiring a professional pet sitter for two-three daily visits. It will cost you a bit more money but I think worth it for the peace of mind. I used to work for a mobile pet sitting company & it was a great experience, we would send updates & photos after each & every visit etc. Just be sure you do reference checks if you do hire a professional pet sitter. I would not board her with that clinic again. I hope she's going to be ok.
 
I am beyond words on this one. I hope the old vet pays for all that ER care!

Prayers that Nadia recovers with no long lasting affects.

I never had to board. I was lucky enough to fine someone that would come to my house and use my supplies. She is a vet tech as well, which helps with understanding the dose. She even came here to ask for advice when we were miscommunicating from different time zones, which means more than I can say. She took Jones' health as her main concern.

Hugs to you and your family.
 
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My gosh how scary and infuriating! That vet had better pay for the ER care. Did you let them know you’d be reporting them to the state board?? I hope your sweet Nadia makes a full recovery!
 
First comes Nadia. I hope you are all together very soon, all my love.
Now I'll try not to pop a vein. None of us are about vengeance but this goes way beyond stupidity and incompetence. I absolutely believe that if a person makes a mistake they should not have to suffer for the rest of their lives (within reason) but in this case someone has to be accountable. There is a huge difference between actual remorse and just not giving a damn. I'm not saying ruin the vet's entire practice, money doesn't fix everything. An emergency clinic basically murdered Noah's brother so that's where I'm coning from.
I came across this a few months ago. This is what remorse looks like and why some people should be forgiven. I'm on your side, I just don't want to sound like a lunatic.
http://www.criticalcarevet.ca/im-veterinarian-make-mistakes/
 
Once Nadia is recovered you can pursue some options about the old vet.

Be sure to get ALL her records, including written info about the overdose if possible. Get a written commitment that they will pay all expenses that are the result of their error, even any that come up in the future. Like an appointment with an eye specialist. If they don't agree to this, you might threaten them with a malpractice suit. Once you have all of that, contact the state board to make an official complaint.
 
mykmug said:
She went into a seizure at one point during this and is currently blind. I can't shake the feeling that she's going to be either brain damaged or permanently blind because of this.
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my cat too had hypoglycemic encephalopathy after we overdosed her x 10 right here, at home :banghead::banghead::banghead:
She lost smell and vision but both restored after she recovered.
Cat's are very resilient and I hope your girl will recover soon.
I'd start shopping for a new vet and interviewing candidates while you have time.

If you still feel angry - I'd flew off the handle, BTW, - channel it into a creativity and write NASTY complaint to the vet's Board and even NASTIER one on social media. Call it being vengeful, if you wish, but I see it as sheer negligence esp after you said that you gave the clinic proper syringes, and if such attitude goes unpunished then it is rewarded and many other pets could be endangered in the future. The world is such way now that being conscientious and diligent is often ridiculed and only strength and power are respected - and the modern "hit" is always the strongest if done on the financial level - nothing else goes thru, sadly.

I'd do as JanetNJ posted - get them to pay for the ER stay first.

To end on the positive: some cats are known to go into remission after sever Hypo episode - reasons are unknown. If you'll have to resume her insulin shots please be very thorough with the BG home testing before administering her shots. There must be a reason they say "every cloud has its silver lining" and I hope your kitty does well!
 
My god, just seeing this. I am astonished and horrified as well. I am so sorry. Fingers crossed for a full recovery for Nadia. Definitely, report to state board, at the very least. After the dust settles, I'd also be sure to rate this vet via any local social media in your area. prayers for Nadia.
 
I need to add something.
>If there's one thing you can take away from this it's what @Red & Rover (GA) said way at the top "Your cat may be insulin sensitive after this experience. Her numbers may bounce a lot." I don't know anything about that but when I get emotional I forget stuff like this. Promise me you won't forget.
>I am way past caring what someone digs up on social media on me and it's too late anyways. This is when you find out just how many people feel the same way so when @Tanya and Ducia says let er' rip then I'm all in. I do not understand how people are getting more stupid and less caring every day. Just pathetic.
>What your vet can and cannot say. If you say "I'm sorry" that is an admission of guilt in many places. That's just sad.
>After what happened to Andrew we now print the things we want a vet to see and make them understand that no matter how minor the detail it's important they acknowledge it. I have some one in a million medical condition and I'm sick of explaining it to doctors who should know better. What happened here may be borderline unbelievable one day but it did happen. If you have to jump up and down and make a scene go ahead and do it.
 
Hi all,

We're back from the emergency vet and things seem to be going well. She's been off the glucose drip completely for a bit and is able to walk to her food bowl and eat -- pretty good for being 16 years old and recoving from such an overdose. We were able to hold her and be with her alone for a bit. She seems to have some vision back, but probably just shadows and larger objects. We're hoping this improves over time. Her personality seems different, but that's probably (hopefully?) because she's still feeling ill/disoriented from all she's been through. She did purr like crazy when we were with her. She was able to walk about on the floor and didn't do the "circling" she did when she was totally blind.

The nurse/tech told us we should be able to take her home tomorrow. I asked about home testing and she told us they'd show us how they do it and also that Nadia didn't seem bothered when they do it using her ears. They were positive about home testing -- I hear that some vets aren't.

Ok, some answers to your concerns (and you people are so warm and caring -- it's really helped me get through this):

- The original vet (the overdoser) IS paying for the emergency vet. After my phone call to them, the original vet contacted the emergency vet and told that they would pay for our emergency costs. We've verified this with the emergency vet.

- We are in Indiana. I'm not sure what the forum policy is for actually naming the city and actual vet practice involved. I'm more than willing to name names -- at least after Nadia is out of the emergency vet and the payments have been made

- I am definitely contacting the state board over this

- I'll post the vet name and incident details to social media if that is legally safe (haven't had time to check yet). Our town has a pretty active FaceBook page and I'll hit up twitter too

Again, thank you all for the encouragement, sympathy, and information.
 
Go on the previous vets th page, if they have one and write a review there.

So many vets don't believe in home testing. So many do believe in it. Regardless, you do it anyway and if the ones who don't like can tell you not to come back if they choose.
 
Ugh. What a nightmare! So happy to hear Nadia is showing some positive signs and is improving. I hope she's well enough for you to bring her home tomorrow. Also happy to hear they support hometesting. If we can help at all, please ask.

mykmug said:
- I'll post the vet name and incident details to social media if that is legally safe (haven't had time to check yet). Our town has a pretty active FaceBook page and I'll hit up twitter too
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Given the circumstances and the possibility of any future legal action, it might be best for all concerned if the vet's name and address is confined to private messages on the FDMB.
 
Hi again, @mykmug ,
thanks for that wonderful update.

I hope you'll forgive me if I start getting practical/routine sounds like among your horrible crisis! (?!). I mean to help...

While Nadia is still at the vet's it could be a good opportunity for you to shop for things she'll need the most for you to have once she is back:

In case you are to continue her insulin therapy at home than you'll need to have available:

For Insulin Therapy:
insulin (of course)
syringes for this type of insulin - they vary!
glucometer - get a human one, from Walmart , like this:
Relion Prime - the cheapest, works just fine, the strips are the cheapest imaginable, easy to use. Or, (also from Walmart)Relion Micro or Relion Conform - requeres smaller blood sample , but the testing strips are $35/100.

Get 100 extra strips for either meter you choose.

Relion lancets - to free hand test the BG - gauge 26 or 28 also by Relion @Walmart $1.48/100.
A pack of cotton rounds - cosmetic's isle in Walmart, or a bag of cotton balls - baby's isle in Walmart.
Neosporin with pain relive OINTMENT ( not cream) - to apply on ears after testing - @first aid isle@Walmart.

For Hypoclecimia Prep kit:

Noney
Karo syrop (baking goods isle @Walmart)

Cat food (Walmart) to deal w/ Hypo:
Fancy Feast GRAVY LOVERS: beef feast - 2 - 3 cans,
Fancy Feast GRILLED: tuna feast, or chicken feast - 2 - 3 cans each. Let us know which you've gotten - we'll tell you how much carbs% is in it so you can use in case she low again. We have a list for this.It is important when dealing with Hypoglycemia at home.

Fancy Feast Gravy lovers or Grills are not for daily feeding - only to deal with Hypo, in case she goes too low, or too low too fast and not to be given on any other occasions - too high in carbs is bad for diabetics.
Just keep those cans along with honey and Karo in a separate box.
Maybe, print out and keep in there THIS HYPO instructions, too. I also printed out THE HYPO KIT LIST.

The fact that she is eating - simply wonderful! Make sure you have all of her favs foods at home - it's important that she eats.
Hope very much to hear another good update on Nadia soon!

Again, sorry if I overwhelmed you with the preps - better safe than sorry, right?


http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/jojo-and-bunnys-hypo-tool-box.2354/
 
Look, there's a Christmas present in the tree!
christmas_cat001.jpg
 
That is a great update! Hope she does come home tomorrow. Her best healing will happen at home now she is out of the woods!

Chin rubs for kitty and hugs for you and your family.:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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