ChrisLittleGirl
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maine
Recently my horse became very sick from a perscription (Cephalexin 500mg, 26 pills 3x day orally in her grain) a vet gave us to treat our horses sinus infection. 2 Days after giving her the perscriptons she became lathargic and dosile and went from have normal manure to pure liquid. We had to call the vet out for emergancy call, before he called us back we had aslo called another emergancy vet that told us to get our horse on a trailer and up to the Emergancy clinic ASAP as she can go down hill VERY fast. By the time the vet got back to us and to our house we had gotten someone to truck and trailer her to the clinic but were waiting to get them to our house. Our vet then talked to the on call dr for the emergancy clinic where he told them he thought it would pass in 24 hrs but that "the owners didnt feel comfortable just keeping her home and watching her". So he gave her banameen, a tube through her nose to her stomach to release gasses and gave her a tranc to examine her and get her on the trailer.
When we got up to the clinic they started treating right away from cholic and cholitus symtoms, they ended up putting her in an intensive care and isolation stall to keep her stable incase she was contagious. Our vet spoke with the emergancy clinic as well as my mother around the 3rd day in when she was still in intensive care and was informed of her status. When my mother talked to our vet he told her he didnt think she was that bad at the time and thought it would have just passed in 24 hours. Over the course of the 11 days she was there she was treated for the first 7 days to get her stable enough to not be on IV/plasma and meds daily. The last 4 days she was up there was for treatment of her original sinus problem but wasnt able to start any threatment until her liver/kidneys, etc were stable enough to handle the medication.
After talking to the vets at the emergancy clinic, a friend that works at the pharmacys that we got the original meds from who has had horses from 20+ yrs, vets from other large animal clinics all of them have never used that meds with horses in oral forms, most of the vets have never seen that med perscribed though there business for horses, and a few vets have only ever used it in IV's on very rare ocassions. However all of them have said this med caused the reaction. Maybe due to a horse just being allergic to a drug as humans can be, but also cause it shouldnt be given orally to a horse as a horses system if very sensitive to all medications in general.
Im now stuck with a $9,700.00 vet bill, and a $150.00 bill from the original vet. Im wondering if i can sue my vet for the first 7 days she was there recovering and being treated for this reaction to the medication, roughly around $7,700.00 or my state maximum up to $7,700.00?? The last 4 days she was there she was being treated for the original sinus problems (including sinus surgery to flush them, swabs, scan etc) are my responsabilities and i understand that. But am i able to sue for vet bills at the emergancy clinic that were caused by him giving his drug orally which shouldnt have been given?? We were told after had we not gotten her up there as soon as we did she would have had to been put down.
If i am able to do this what information would be best to have in court with me? Statements from the vets of how they have used this medication in the past? I was also looking to go to the local university where they have a very well known equine program to speak with the DVM about this as well.
Thanks for the advice. Any information that someone can give me ASAP would be wonderful. thank you very much.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Recently my horse became very sick from a perscription (Cephalexin 500mg, 26 pills 3x day orally in her grain) a vet gave us to treat our horses sinus infection. 2 Days after giving her the perscriptons she became lathargic and dosile and went from have normal manure to pure liquid. We had to call the vet out for emergancy call, before he called us back we had aslo called another emergancy vet that told us to get our horse on a trailer and up to the Emergancy clinic ASAP as she can go down hill VERY fast. By the time the vet got back to us and to our house we had gotten someone to truck and trailer her to the clinic but were waiting to get them to our house. Our vet then talked to the on call dr for the emergancy clinic where he told them he thought it would pass in 24 hrs but that "the owners didnt feel comfortable just keeping her home and watching her". So he gave her banameen, a tube through her nose to her stomach to release gasses and gave her a tranc to examine her and get her on the trailer.
When we got up to the clinic they started treating right away from cholic and cholitus symtoms, they ended up putting her in an intensive care and isolation stall to keep her stable incase she was contagious. Our vet spoke with the emergancy clinic as well as my mother around the 3rd day in when she was still in intensive care and was informed of her status. When my mother talked to our vet he told her he didnt think she was that bad at the time and thought it would have just passed in 24 hours. Over the course of the 11 days she was there she was treated for the first 7 days to get her stable enough to not be on IV/plasma and meds daily. The last 4 days she was up there was for treatment of her original sinus problem but wasnt able to start any threatment until her liver/kidneys, etc were stable enough to handle the medication.
After talking to the vets at the emergancy clinic, a friend that works at the pharmacys that we got the original meds from who has had horses from 20+ yrs, vets from other large animal clinics all of them have never used that meds with horses in oral forms, most of the vets have never seen that med perscribed though there business for horses, and a few vets have only ever used it in IV's on very rare ocassions. However all of them have said this med caused the reaction. Maybe due to a horse just being allergic to a drug as humans can be, but also cause it shouldnt be given orally to a horse as a horses system if very sensitive to all medications in general.
Im now stuck with a $9,700.00 vet bill, and a $150.00 bill from the original vet. Im wondering if i can sue my vet for the first 7 days she was there recovering and being treated for this reaction to the medication, roughly around $7,700.00 or my state maximum up to $7,700.00?? The last 4 days she was there she was being treated for the original sinus problems (including sinus surgery to flush them, swabs, scan etc) are my responsabilities and i understand that. But am i able to sue for vet bills at the emergancy clinic that were caused by him giving his drug orally which shouldnt have been given?? We were told after had we not gotten her up there as soon as we did she would have had to been put down.
If i am able to do this what information would be best to have in court with me? Statements from the vets of how they have used this medication in the past? I was also looking to go to the local university where they have a very well known equine program to speak with the DVM about this as well.
Thanks for the advice. Any information that someone can give me ASAP would be wonderful. thank you very much.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
