Florida Veterinary League

We've been taking our dogs and our cat to the Vet League since 2010 and have had nothing but good service. I don't feel we've ever had service forced upon us or had improper diagnoses.

The vet techs have always been caring and attentive and the doctors have always been professional, especially Dr. Horn. We did have a vet on one visit who was not our favorite, but only because he was just not as attentive as the others. I hate to see others who've had bad experiences.

Our pets are not unlike children and we can all become very protective of them when we are not the ones providing the care. --Drew

The Florida Veternary League located at 1360 US Hwy 1 Suite 1, Vero Beach Florida.....Best not to go here for life or death situation. Uncaring.

We had to put our 15 year old shih Tzu down. He was a patient of theirs for years. Days before we put him down he had a clogged nose so we took him in to the vet. They tranquilized him and while he was under the vet insisted on pulling his loose teeth.

I said no but she insisted. Provided many procedures that were not necessary. The night we put him down he woke us at 11:30 pm crying and in pain. I called and spoke with the vet on call.

I asked if we could bring him in to have him put down and was told to take him to Vero Beach Veterinary Hospital.

The vet would not tend to our little one. Very sad.

Complaint:

The Florida Veternary League located at 1360 US Hwy 1 Suite 1, Vero Beach Florida provided veternarian care to my pet dog, Jade, below the community standard of care that resulted in her dying in agonizing pain. The level of care, skill and treatment was substandard and is not recognized by a reasonably prudent veterinarian as being acceptable under similar conditions and circumstances.

1. Over a period of more than two months the Florida Veterinary League doctors in Vero Beach were well aware my 12 year old Dachshund was not urinating.2. During examinations they proclaimed "all her vital signs are good" – even up to the date she was taken to an emergency animal hospital one county south and put to sleep.3. She was given over a month of two different antibiotics that they were informed in repeated telephone calls were not working.4. In spite of her condition deteriorating (numerous calls and visits) they DID NOT ever do a sonogram, take blood work or even a urine sample. Even though I was not asked for one I took a stool sample to the vet and dropped it off. I would try anything.5. The day before last day of her life, January 4, 2013, I called and demanded they see her. I begged them to find time as she was getting worse.6. Saturday, January 5, 2013, first thing in the morning I went there and sat for over an hour waiting for her to be seen.7. I demanded they help her as she was in agony. Dr. Scott examined her again proclaiming all her vitals looked good and the only thing he detected was "a little swelling around her neck" and "nothing to worry about. 8. I was crying and told him it was more than that and I had resorted to going on the internet and researching because they were not helping her. Something had to be done. Dr. Scott snapped, "I don’t have time for this I have other patients."9. When Dr. Scott left the room I showed his assistant the blanket my dog was sitting on and showed there was blood in the urine. There was a puddle on the table and I asked her to please take a urine sample. She took the blanket and said she would show Dr. Scott. She then took the urine and said she would have it analyzed.10. Dr. Scott came in and said he was going to do a rectal exam and was so brutal my little dog screamed. He was obviously angry and fed up with us. He proclaimed after the exam she was fine.11. Dr. Scott prescribed anti-inflamatory pills and the same antibiotic he gave her in October that did not work. He said he was going to do a sonogram and his assistant took Jade to the back.12. The assistant came back and said the doctor was unable to read the sonogram and he was not going to charge me for it and gave me the pills.13. I asked for a copy of her records and flew by car to the animal emergency hospital in Ft. Pierce.

FINDINGS OF ANIMAL EMERGENCY AND REFERRAL CENTER OF FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA 772-466-****

• Dr. Wasserman – Immediately saw Jade and was "shocked" to know she had been under the care of a Veterinarian for the last two months. She said she needed to immediately put a catheter in Jade as her bladder was packed. She asked for five minutes to read the record.• She came back in and asked if there had been a urine test done. I said not until this morning when she left a puddle on the table at the vet office.• She asked if blood work had been done as she could not find any. I said I thought so (assuming they must have).• She asked if a sonogram had been done and then said she saw one had that morning and asked where it was. I told her the doctor’s assistant said he did one but did not know how to read it so he didn’t charge me.• Dr. Wasserman asked me to wait while she called the vet. She explained she could not treat her without a referral from the veterinarian that was treating her.• I stood there while she called his office. She told them she had Jade in her office and needed them to confirm it was a referral. (They did not know I was taking her anywhere else. They sent me home with pills. They were surprised. After waiting for the person who took the call to come back to the phone Dr. Wasserman was told they consented to the referral so she could treat the dog. REMEMBER! Dr. Scott DID NOT refer me anywhere. I did it because I knew he was a quack.• Dr. Wasserman asked where the blood work was. The person speaking for Dr. Scott’s office said none was done. • Dr. Wasserman asked about a urine test. The person speaking for Dr. Scott’s office said one was taken that morning but they would not have it back until Monday.• When Dr. Wasserman hung up she looked me straight in the eye and said, "This dog is in serious condition and is in stress. I have to do a sonogram NOW to see what I am dealing with before I put in a catheter.• Dr. Wasserman said there was extreme neck swelling, her bladder was packed and after a rectal exam, that Jade didn’t even whimper when she did it, she called in an assistant. The glance they exchanged frightened me to death. They took Jade for the sonogram.• Dr. Wasserman came in and asked me to look at the sonogram which showed, in her opinion, cancer of the bladder that started at the entrance. She said the bladder was so full it had backed up into her kidney and showed me a big hole. She said detected early they could have done surgery and chemo but she was in excruciating pain, which I knew, and she recommended she be let go.• At 8:30 p.m. that night after my son drove from Orlando to be with us and I picked up my toy Bichon so we could all be there as a family, we held Jade in our arms and put her to sleep. She leaned up and kissed me just before she went to sleep.It should be noted that I am a wealthy woman. Expense was and has NEVER been a consideration when it comes to my family, which included Jade.

I do not know how anyone could determine after investigating the FACTS and sequence of events that my little Jadie died from lack of care.

Minimally the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach is guilty of substandard care. I believe they are guilty of animal cruelty to have taken my money time and time again for treatment that was never given.

I have another pet, Lulabelle, a toy Bichon. I immediately took her to another vet and she determined Lulabelle has not been treated for Arthritis and her ear drops were prescribed wrong. She also said her teeth needed cleaning, something I was never told at Florida Veterinary League.

I have both Jade and Lulabelles records from the Florida Veterinary League. There are errors in the records but one is that they wrote on the record that I told them Jade had no blood in her urine. That is false. I was never asked that. That was made up.

I have since spoken to several people in town who said they had similar experiences and would NEVER take their animal there. I did not know that. I assumed three years ago when I moved back to Vero that it was a large veterinary hospital and had to be good to be so large. How wrong I was.

I am not saying Jade’s life could have been saved. At 12 years old she may not have survived surgery and chemo. But I can say, without hesitation

1. The standard of care she was give is below the level of care, skill and treatment which is recognized by a reasonably prudent veterinarian as being acceptable under similar conditions and circumstances.2. She suffered months of excruciating pain due to the negligent care, diagnosis and treatment of the people I trusted to take care of her, Florida Veterinary League.3. Facts, including patient (Jade) records, prove Jade’s death was due to Dr. Scott’s negligence. Dr. Scott failed to detect Jade had cancer, something any reasonably prudent veterinarian would have diagnosed (AND DID) and should Jade had been diagnosed sooner she may not only have been saved but she would have been spared months of agonizing pain and suffering. 4. Fact is that ON THE DAY she was diagnosed by Animal Emergency and Referral Center Dr. Scott had thoroughly examined her and still proclaimed, after two months of treating her, "all her vitals are good except for a little swelling around the neck." Gave me pills and sent us home.

I ask this complaint be investigated and that action be taken to protect pets in Vero Beach from experiencing the pain and suffering that was caused to my little Jadie, my family and to me.

Signed and Attested To This 19th Day of January, 2013

Connie E. Bishop23 Seahorse LaneVero Beach, Fl 32960