Senior Reporter
derek.achong
@guardian.co.tt
A dog owner has threatened to sue a veterinary clinic from east Trinidad after her dog died hours after receiving treatment for a rash on its paw.
The threat was made by the lawyer for the woman in a pre-action protocol letter sent last week to the clinic, which was not identified by this newspaper due to the legal proceedings being at a preliminary stage.
In the correspondence obtained by Guardian Media, attorney Harrynarine Singh claimed that on January 27, his client took her seven-year-old teacup Maltese, Kalel, to the clinic.
He was examined by a veterinarian, who diagnosed that he had a fungal infection.
The veterinarian prescribed a fungal shampoo wash, a balm and medication, which had to be administered for a month.
The woman claimed that she followed the instructions when she went home but her dog began to have violent seizures and frothing in his mouth.
She claimed that she returned to the clinic but was advised to go home and only return if the symptoms persisted.
“The receptionist who answered the call dismissed my client’s claim of an overdose or incorrect medication prescribed and rudely told my client that she was overreacting and to Google the symptoms of the drug the vet prescribed, and that the effects listed were a normal reaction,” Singh said.
The dog was eventually examined by an independent emergency veterinarian, who conducted a home visit and administered IV drips.
The case report from the emergency veterinarian, which was attached to the legal letter, suggested that her dog, which weighed approximately 3.6 pounds, suffered from an overdose of the medication.
Singh claimed that his client was deeply traumatised by her dog’s death, as she had to take time off work and receive counselling from her employer.
“Kalel was the sole companion and family of my client, who resides alone and had formed a strong emotional attachment and bond with her pet teacup Maltese, so much so she referred to him as her son,” he said.
Singh accused the clinic of its staff of being negligent and breaching the T&T Veterinary Association Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons.
He suggested that compensation between $100,000 and $200,000 was appropriate to settle the potential lawsuit.
He gave the clinic 14 days in which to respond and make a settlement offer before he filed a lawsuit over the issue.