Vet killed my Suncheek

RIPBaby

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Dec 19, 2019
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Hello all. I recently went to the vet for my late suncheek for her first checkup and to DNA sex her (we believe it was a female but wanted confirmation) and the vet drew blood from her neck with a syringe. After she drew blood, our Baby couldn't stand normally amd started randomly flapping her wings. Something was terribly wrong. The vet said she was gonna die then took her to the back in an attempt to save her. She unfortunately passed away...


We have been grieving for the past two days and now we are looking into either suing the vet or take them to small claims court since the sunkcheek costed $600. I am posting hoping to gain insight on what you guys think is the best course of action. We will be looking at lawyers tomorrow for more info as well.


I wish I could have joined this lovely community in better spirits. Thank you for any and all help.
 

Rozalka

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I have no words... Sorry, I can't help but I feel really sorry for your loss:( Is the vet avian? In my opinion this shouldn't finish in this way, somewhere (s)he made a serious mistake. I hope other people here will help
 

riddick07

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I wonder if they lacerated the vein. Do you still have the body? Did it just happen? Is it in the freezer or fridge? If you want to get a case you will need a necropsy done to see what the cause of death was & if it can be put on the vet or not. Otherwise it probably won’t go anywhere. If the animal has been put in the freezer you might not get 100% results on it depending on what went wrong exactly.

My big macaw struggled quite a bit during a blood draw from the neck. The vet stopped because she was afraid of laceration occurring which is likely to kill. She then went to the vein in the leg since it was safer for him. That’s why I thought of the vet maybe lacerating the vein from the draw.
 
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Laurasea

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I'm so very sorry for your loss....how utterly heart wrenching!!! I can't even imagine loosing a healthy bird this way from trying to do the right thing....

I echo that you must only go to an avain specialist this us a vet with extra training and credentials, who only treats birds. Also for DNA testing in the future you can clip a toe nail and put on paper and send out, order online.

There is a syndrome that can cause conures to bleed out.... I do not allow routine blood work done on my GCC because of this ....if she was sick I don't know what I would do... I don't understand this Syndrome... But here is a paragraph I found
"Conures
A strange bleeding syndrome of unknown cause has been reported to occur in conures. When they are injured or when they have blood drawn, they bleed excessively. Luckily this syndrome can be treated effectively if caught early." Like I said I don't really know about it , but I have heard if it happening through an avain vet freind.... And to be clear I'm not saying this is what happened just wanted to share the info

Even a routine blood draw can go wrong in our tiny bird freinds....

I'm just so very sorry this happened to you......
 

itzjbean

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I am so so sorry for your loss....

I just completed DNA test through IQ Bird testing on my two babies with a nail clip and a couple drops of blood on a piece of paper, why the vet did not do this I'm not sure. It is very quick and easy this way. In the future with another bird you can certainly do this yourself, also with a few feathers from near the vent. No need to bring to a vet for this, can be done at home.

was it a certified avia vet who did this? I would consider taking legal action...
 

LaManuka

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This is just so heartbreaking, particularly as Laurasea mentioned, you were trying to do the right thing for your bird’s wellbeing. The urge to do something about it and hold someone accountable must be overwhelming but I think, unless gross negligence can be proven, the only ones who would benefit from legal action would be the lawyers. It may make you feel a bit better in the short term but it wouldn’t bring your baby back.

I’m so very sorry for your loss.
 
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Emberamazing

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None for now.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
Keeping in mind I have a bit of a bias, I would suggest looking into the matter. Probably small claims would be your best bet if you honestly feel this was negligence.
HOWEVER give it just a little time. Let the pain ease off before you think of legal action.
Don't wait two years like I did if you feel something is desperately wrong. But don't lash out while you're hurting. It'll paint your perspective in an ugly light. Take your time and grieve. When you're past the anger stage, look at the situation again.
 
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ParrotGenie

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Sorry for your loss. It does sound like they may have hit a major blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain. Which would explain the neurological issues you saw after they drew blood, loss of balance and wing flapping? If you still have the body, put the body in a freezer to preserve it and get a necropsy done in the next day, or so as time is very limited. It good to know what happen and them to know as well, besides legal reason, more to prevent it down the road, as could have been a mistake, or a condition your bird may have had they were not aware of?

As far as legal action you will need evidence of malpractice, or gross negligence and is something not easy to prove and will likely require full testing and etc. Lawyers rarely bring closure and more of a hassle then it worth and drags out the pain more and ends up costing you way more then you receive back. You sure sit down with them and try to calmly talk to see if you guys could come to terms and they may come to a agreement and maybe they cover the cost of the mistake, without having to get lawyers involve, showing extreme anger won't resolve anything as it was a tragic accident, but still a accident? More important would be to get the necropsy done to see what exactly happen and what when wrong, It could have been their fault and likely is, but may have been a syndrome that can cause conures to bleed out and not clog as it sure and they may have not been aware of that? Only way to be 100% sure is the necropsy. Getting the necropsy done will help prevent mistake from happening again down the road.

If you do still decide to take them to court just do a small claims case and you won't really need a lawyer. Just keep proof of what happen and any reports you have to court with you. Only do that as last resort if you can't work out a amicable agreement. Most good veterinarians have malpractice insurance. But by the time you factor in attorneys’ fees and all the other expenses, the cost of going to court will probably exceed the amount of any award you’ll receive. If the vet carries malpractice insurance, you might still get compensation by filing a claim with their insurance company and negotiating an out-of-court settlement. But you'll still need evidence of malpractice, or gross negligence.
 
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riddick07

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If it hasn’t been frozen yet don’t freeze it. Freezing causes damage to tissues and bacteria. You want to put it in the fridge not the freezer but I’m guessing after two days the animal has already been frozen. Necropsies aren’t quite as accurate after freezing has occurred but they still might be able to tell even after depending on the exact cause of her death. But it could give the vet wiggle room to get out of responsibility. You do want to get it out soon if it hasn’t been frozen. If it isn’t sent out within the next day (I wouldn’t keep it longer than 4 days in the fridge before sending out) I would freeze since decomposition will affect the results too.
 
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RIPBaby

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Thank you all for your condolences. We buried her immediately after we got home from the vet and the weather has been very chilly (around 30 degrees F) the past two days so the ground would have kept her chilled. We dug her back up and put her in a ziplock bag in the fridge as well as obtained the vial of blood that the vet drew too today. The blood has not coagulated at all. It seems she was one of the few that has the excessive bleeding syndrome maybe due to her being only 4 months old.


I suppose doing normal routing bloodwork for conures, especially them being so young, is inadvisable then. I guess we just learned the hard way... We'll rebury her tomorrow...
 

riddick07

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If the tube has an anticoagulant it wouldn’t clot. I wouldn’t go on that personally unless you know it has no anticoagulant in it.
 

Scott

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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
My deepest condolences for a horribly visceral loss. May her beautiful memories provide some comfort.
 
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RIPBaby

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If the tube has an anticoagulant it wouldn’t clot. I wouldn’t go on that personally unless you know it has no anticoagulant in it.




Yes, we believe this to be true as well. I did take a small amount of blood on a toothpick to see if it coagulated. It seems to have maybe? That or it maybe just dried out? I'm still trying to get more info. Her neck does have a LOT of blood under it, as if it was completely bruised. We are considering contacting the vet first to see if we can work something out first. We don't really have a desire to punish them or have ill will really. We would prefer if they would at least compensate the cost of the bird out of court due to their fatal mistake.
 

FloridaParrotLover

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that's so depressing.... Sorry to hear this.
I think the Vet should offer to replace the parrot.
not sure where you live, but here in the US, Small Claims will give you the cost of the parrot. because your Parrot was not ill.
 

wrench13

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I am so sorry to read this, the loss of a loved parrot is something that we, as fellow parronts, can only fuller appreciate. Many of us have lost a loved birdy over the years and its a heartbreaking experience. Talking with the vet directly and expressing your feelings and requesting he cover the loss is likely the best way to proceed with out a lot of time, paperwork and keep this open hurtfull experience open and digging into your being.

Also this is a lesson for us all. Your vets should be certified Avian Vet or hold other credentials for treating specifically birds. Cat and Dog Vets do not have the training and experience needed to effectively and safely treat parrots. MAKE SURE you vet has the specific credentials before you take your parrot for treatment and examinations.

THis is very sad. If you give me the name of your sun conure, I would like to make a small donation to Cornell University' vet program, with the funds to be expressly used for parrot related programs and studies. Over the years I have done this many times, sadly, when the death of a loved parrot could have been prevented by vets being involved with this and similar programs. Students for vet careers focus on the popular animals, livestock and dog and cats, because that is the where the money comes from. Unless the vet will practice where chickens and turkeys are raised commercially most vets do not extend their studies to include or focus on birds and parrots expressly. Its one reason why CAVs might charge more than a cat and dog vet might but sell worth the money.

I hope you can resolve your case and let the poor parrot ease into your memories .
 
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RIPBaby

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THis is very sad. If you give me the name of your sun conure, I would like to make a small donation to Cornell University' vet program, with the funds to be expressly used for parrot related programs and studies. Over the years I have done this many times, sadly, when the death of a loved parrot could have been prevented by vets being involved with this and similar programs. Students for vet careers focus on the popular animals, livestock and dog and cats, because that is the where the money comes from. Unless the vet will practice where chickens and turkeys are raised commercially most vets do not extend their studies to include or focus on birds and parrots expressly. Its one reason why CAVs might charge more than a cat and dog vet might but sell worth the money.

I hope you can resolve your case and let the poor parrot ease into your memories .




Thank you all again for your deepest condolences. It's great to see so many people who view these beautiful creatures as more than just pets. They are valued companions and family members who bring joy and create lasting memories with. Our Green Cheek Conure was named Baby, a name my boyfriend wrote on the box because I couldn't think of a name while we were trying to bury her.


We didn't know about the specific certified exotic bird vets. They were an exotic vet who said that they worked with birds and we mostly just wanted to DNA sex her and just have a general checkup. We wanted to say something when they took out a syringe but we trusted them.


An update to what's happening right now: we contacted another vet to ask about the vials and they said that generally they are color coded and that most vials will have anticoagulant in it. The ones that wouldn't would have had a red tip or coloration. Ours were a green/blue plastic vial so most likely it had anticoagulant. We also found a nearby necropsy lab and just submitted her in. We specified if they can check her neck for lacerations and to see if her blood could clot or not. We probably won't get a report until January due to the holidays.


If it shows that she didn't have the clotting disease then we'll make an appointment with the vet and hopefully resolve the issue amicably before attempting to go through any courts or legal matters. Our little Baby was an expensive bird and hopefully the vet will take responsibility for the fatal mistake. We just want some sort of conclusion... I can only hope that the vet can at least compensate for the cost of the bird... We miss her dearly... At least we are on a list to purchase another suncheek in the near future... but of course they can never replace little Baby. :greenyellow:
 

Shoegoo

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I'm so sorry to read this. Please accept my condolences on your loss. My little GCC had blood drawn for a sexting and an initial blood test on her first visit. Done an Avian Vet thankfully there were no problems. As I recall the blood was not drawn from the neck but from the lower body near the thigh.
 

Skittys_Daddy

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I don't know what to say. I am so sorry for your loss.

If you do try and resolve the matter with the vet and you are not satisfied with the results, social media can be a powerful tool. At the VERY least, you shouldn't be required to pay the vet bill. I also think that given the circumstances, replacing the bird would be good business practice.

I've always been very hesitant when my fids go for their annuals and the vet takes them out back to do the trims etc. But they are just behind the door and if I get real worried, I'll just open the door. lol. Skittles has ZERO problem letting his displeasure be known and yet he rarely makes a peep when he's being examined and trimmed.

All I know is if this ever happened to Skittles I wouldn't need to go to small claims court. I'd need to hire myself a VERY good criminal defense attorney and I'll leave it at that.
 

Shoegoo

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My vet always performs all procedures in the examination room in my presence. He usually has an assistant in the room as well. No problems so far. I would be worried if my GCC was taken behind a door for any procedure except an xray or major surgery.
 

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