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| Brooklyn Cares Vet Negligent Vet Made My Dog Sicker and Now He's Blind Brooklyn, New York |
| 17th of Apr, 2013 by User746623 |
I am an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker who had a horrible experience with a negligent vet in Brooklyn. Back in January, I took my dog to Brooklyn Cares Vet because my dog was drinking water excessively. I did my research and thought it was either diabetes or Cushings Disease. When I had the vet appointment they did $800 worth of tests (many of which I did not approve) and told me he had diabetes. They sent me home with insulin and needles (but forgot the antibiotics I was suppose to give to him.) I was told I would get test results the next day. I never got the call for the test results so i called the following day only to get a receptionist who encouraged me to get more tests done. I asked to speak to the Vet. They gave me his email. I emailed him and asked to have him tell me about the test results because I had questions. He sent me to their website which had the test results but no reference values. Weeks passed where I kept calling and emailing (I have records) and I could not get the vet to break down the test results. Finally I got a visiting vet on the phone who informed me my dog's blood glucose levels were actually very high. He suggested I come in to get instructed on getting his blood drawn and also hwo to use urine strips. When I returned (three weeks later), I was finally showed the urine stirps. The Vet Tech told me how to read them and also told me there are these things called Keytones and if the strips ever tested postive for keytones that its bad and its an emergency and my dog could go into a coma and die. When she casually showed me exactly how to use the strips with my dog's urine, she looked at me and said, "Oh oh." I said what? She said, "he's positive for keytones." She called the initial vet who ignored my emails in and he told me he would stay with my dog to monitor him but that he had his sister's birthday party to go to so suggested I go straight to the emergency vet hospital. He also tried to blame me for the keytones saying I gave too much insulin (which clinically is false information because ketones are developed from too little insulin, not too much.) After much emotional and financial distress, my dog is now unregulated with his diabetes and has since gone blind. I made a video about it (to raise funds for my dog). You can view it at : http://www.gofundme.com/SaveJedandSierra I want to expose this vet. I'm embedding the email exchange with the vet below. Please do a story on this so he doesn't harm other people's pets! Lisa Hi Missy, As you requested, I'm writing today to give you an update on Jed's condition. I received a call from Dr Mann but am going to focus on talking to the doctors at the hospital for the time being. He is doing well, eating, drinking but he is not responding to insulin treatment. I paid for a 24 hour visit so hopefully a specialist (who was not there as I was told when I arrived) will be able to figure it out. I wanted to follow up with a few things: - I wanted to know whether the Cushings test I asked for yesterday (before we found out about the keytones) was performed and if so, what the results were.
- Can you send me the blood glucose reading and whatever else you did for Jed yesterday. Finally, I also wanted to say that I'm very unhappy as you know with the care my dog has received there. I'm forwarding you the email exchange I had with Dr. Mann that he discontinued responding to. There are so many areas of negligence - not getting back to me in a timely manner, not reviewing his blood results, not telling me his blood results, not doing the Cushings Test or a Keytone test, etc, etc - all of which resulted in my having to take Jed to the hospital and I'm praying that he can still be treated without permanent damage. I'm not a sue-happy person but I have talked to a few lawyer colleagues who seem to believe I should file something against the clinic. And as I mentioned, I work in the media. I'm less concerned with doing all of that than ensuring my dogs are taken care of while I go through a financial rough patch. I would like for the clinic to cover Jed's bill at the hospital (I have insurance and if its accepted, the bill will be much lower) or I want an equal amount of credit for pet services at your facility. If I need to bring Jed in for futher evaluation or my other dog whose care I now have to delay bc of this hospital visit, I think your clinic should cover it. I strongly believe you messed up badly and I'm trying to find a way to solve it amicably. I also suggest your staff get a training session - both clinically and administratively. Someone should have caught the super high glucose levels in his blood, should have tested for keytomes and definitely someone should have gotten back to me in a more timely fashion. Lastly, Dr. Mann implied that my giving too much insulin is what caused the keytones but the hospital told me keytones were caused from too much blood sugar so it was the lack of enough insulin that caused him to get sicker as I anticipated. . Please let me know if we can have some sort of arrangement. I'm sorry I am having to be so adamant about this but I hope you understand my position. Best,
Lisa ---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lisa Russell
Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: Jed's diabetes
To: "Dr. Timothy Mann" Dear Dr. Mann, I still have yet to be able to talk to someone about Jed's blood work. I'd like for someone to give me a definite answer that he has diabetes. I have some very specific quesitons before I put him on insulin. 1. His symptoms of excessive urinating and drinking seemed to have gone in and out. How do I monitor his insulin injections if that's the case? 2. I was informed by a friend that a type of dog food that I fed my dogs temporarily (Purina Beneful) has caused liver damage and death and they are pushing for a recall. Could this be causing Jed's symptoms. If so, is there a way to test/treat it? 3. I also read that infections can cause increased glucose levels. I was told Jed had also elevated white blood cells. Jed's teeth look pretty bad and I had him taken in initially to get that looked at. If that's the case, is there a way to tell from the blood work whether its his teeth or diabetes? 4. You initially told me from the ultrasound that his adrenal glands are swollen and initially thought Cushings but then you decided not to test him for that. Is swollen adrenal glands consistant with diabetes? Again, could it be infection or the dog food? I took a stab at figuring out his blood work since I couldn't reach anyone at your center. Seems his glucose levels and platelets are out of whack. I'm sorry that I'm being persistant about this but with my lifestyle (I'm a filmmaker who works for the UN and travels frequently), and the fact that he is a picky eater, I want to absolutely make sure he is diabetic before I start the treatment bc it will be a huge undertaking for me. Please can you or someone walk me through the test results and help me figure this out? Thanks,
Lisa On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 6:48 PM, Lisa Russell wrote:
Dear Dr Mann, I did receive the test results but I can't decipher them. Basically, before I start my dog on insulin i wanted to find out how diabetic he is. I don't know what tests you actually did. Can you please walk me through it? I'm worried that I'm making my dog sicker by not giving him treatment but I do want confirmation that insulin is what he needs. Thanks,
Lisa On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 8:01 PM, Lisa Russell wrote:
Thank you for this. I'm going to come by tomorrow to pick up the antibiotics. If you're free, I'd like to talk to you about the test results. Thanks,
lisa On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 10:15 PM, Dr. Timothy Mann wrote:
It should be self explanatory on the website www.brooklyncaresvet.comjust register with whatever email you used when you first came in and then you can access the my pets section On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 8:47 PM, Lisa Russell wrote:
Great can u tell me how to do that?
Thanks Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 30, 2013, at 8:39 PM, Dr Timothy Mann wrote: Absolutely, you can log in and see them online. Dr Timothy Mann
www.brooklyncaresvet.com718 783 5500
Brooklyn Cares has state-of-the-art equipment and a friendly professional staff. Every animal is treated with compassion, patience, love and respect. Please call and let us demonstrate our unique expertise. House calls are available upon request.
On Jan 30, 2013, at 7:21 PM, Lisa Russell wrote: Okay but cn I see the results if the tests that were done already? Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 30, 2013, at 6:33 PM, "Dr. Timothy Mann" wrote: Yes, I still don't because it is expensive and we would need to treat the diabetes now anyway. Can you do a home diabetes check? You can go online on prick the ear very easily (check out you tube) and use a human glucometer. That would allow you to check the values at home for virtually nothing. On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 6:20 PM, Lisa Russell wrote:
Well that's not good bc that's what I thought he had and you suggested not to get the test when I was there. I already spent $800 and was told I would get a call the next day to tell me what his results were related to the diabetes. I'm a filmmaker and I don't have a lot of funds - it cost me $20 alone each time I come so this isn't cool for me. Can you at least scan and send me the results or walk me through them. I haven't been told how the tests I already had done came out. Thanks,
Lisa On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 6:17 PM, Dr Timothy Mann wrote:
No problem. I'm an out of the office this week but we suspect the diabetes is due to an adrenal issue called cushings disease. An all day blood test is needed to diagnosis this and we can take serial Bo measurements around the same time. The cost is around 330. You can pick up the antibiotics as well as anti giardia meds anytime. Dr Timothy Mann www.brooklyncaresvet.com
718 783 5500 Brooklyn Cares has state-of-the-art equipment and a friendly professional staff. Every animal is treated with compassion, patience, love and respect. Please call and let us demonstrate our unique expertise. House calls are available upon request. On Jan 30, 2013, at 6:03 PM, Lisa Russell wrote: > Hi Dr. Mann,
>
> Sorry to bother you on your days off but I had left a message a few days that I had wanted to follow up with my dog Jed's tests.
>
> Almost two weeks ago, you diagnosed him with diabetes. But the next day his symptoms seemed to get much better - he drank less water (almost normal) and didn't urinate as much and he seemed to be getting better. I didn' t want to start the insulin until his tests got back bc if I had to rely on his dosage corresponding to his water intake/urination then it seemed off.
>
> I therefore haven't actually started him on the insulin and am a little worried. I'm not sure if that is hurting him more. His symptoms go up and down so wanted to talk to you about that. I also wanted to ask you wehtehr the swelling in his adrenal glands that you saw in the ultrasound is due to diabetes or do you think he may have another issue.
>
> Lastly, they didn't give me the antibiotics so I need to go back to the vet to pick them up. But again, wanted tos ee what the test results were and what sort of infection he has.
>
> Please call me at your earliest conveince at 917-554-4126.
>
> Thanks and sorry for the long email...
>
> Lisa --
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www.brooklyncaresvet.com
718.783.5500 Brooklyn Cares has state-of-the-art equipment and a friendly, professional staff. Every animal is treated with compassion, patience, love and respect. Please call and let us demonstrate our unique medical expertise. House calls are available upon request. |
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