I am at a loss right night as to what happen at the Emergency Vet the other night. I posted awhile back how our older Lab got her 3rd cancer and we decided not to do the surgery and let her live out her days as she had suffered enough. Long story short they only gave her a month (this was back in April) to live because of the aggressive cancer she had. She surpassed all of our expectations and was doing well until the past two weeks. Sunday night we noticed she was panting bad and whining, which she never whines. We were going to call our regular vet in the morning but decided because of kind of cancer she had (anal) there might be a blockage or something going on. We knew her time was limited and the phone call to our vet would have involved setting a date to have her put down. But we obviously didn't want her to suffer any pain until that time. My DH took her up to the Emergency Vet where the vet said we don't have xrays tonight and was very dismissive. She told my DH she would give her an injection for pain and call our vet in the morning. The vet gave the pain med shot and warned my DH after not before the shot that she might pant more and have the runs. My DH was upset as our dog has advance anal gland cancer and they give her something that could cause her to have to go more and strain. DH gets home from the ER vets (its a 20 minute drive away) and our dog is whining more than before, could barely walk, she needed to go potty so we let her out and she fell down the stairs, proceeded to than cry really bad while trying to go to the bathroom.She had blood coming out from the tumor which never happened before and now we didn't know if she really hurt herself by the fall down the stairs. I immediately called the ER vet and ask what the hell did you give my dog that she is in a worst state than when we brought her in. The vet than informed that it wasn't exactly a pain shot they gave her but a sedative/pain shot they give for surgeries and that we shouldn't let her use stairs or anything. I was furious that they never told use that they were giving her a sedative of anytime.
In the mean time we know had to figure out how bad our dog was hurt from the fall. So we called the other ER Vet and explained the situation.We brought her in and they were wonderful. They checked her out the best they could but couldn't do any x-rays to see if there was a blockage or breaks from the stair fall until the sedative wore off. She was also still bleeding from the growth spot. My DH and I decided right than and there enough was enough and after the horrible drama that just happen we decided to have her put down.
I am just so upset and angry with the first ER vet and I don't know if I am overreacting or not? Why would they not warn my DH about the side effects of the shot first or not tell us it was a sedative after they gave it? I don't know if I should say something to the ER Vets or let it go? I know her end was near but we would have never agreed to the shot they gave her had we known before hand. We would have simple took her home called our vet in the morning and decided on her date to have her put down. I know she is not suffering anymore and we obviously knew it was coming, but I wished our last hours with her wouldn't have been that nightmare because it didn't have to be. I really hope she was too out of it to even know all of what happen, and the thought that she knew what was going on, suffered further pain and distress her last hours of life is what is killing me right now.