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Hi All ~
My issue concerns mis-information given by a vet, that has resulted in unnecessary expenditure.
In 2016 my friend's dog became ill and her vet diagnosed multiple and wide-ranging allergies ~ based on the results of allergy tests (via blood samples) carried out by an independent testing agency. Hence the vet advised that the dog had to be fed a very restrictive diet, consisting mainly of pork and lamb meat products. All commercially-produced dog foods (including biscuits and 'treats') were ruled out as manufacturers habitually include ingredients such as 'meat derivatives' from undisclosed species. Obtaining treats for the much-loved dog was awkward, but eventually my friend was able to source a supplier of 100% kangaroo, venison, and goat meat treats that were declared 'safe' by the vet.
Fast forward to a month ago ...
My friend became seriously ill and I brought her dog to stay with me and my dog who is fed with ordinary commercial pet food products. Her dog dog kept trying to steal my dog's food, so rather than risk a potential anaphylactic shock, I opted to switch my own dog onto the same diet. I assumed my friend's dog would only be with me for a few days, but as the weeks went by, and my grocery bill increased, I decided to produce some home-made dog biscuits from an online recipe based on pig/sheep liver. To ensure that none of the other ingredients would cause an allergic reaction, I contacted the vet to ask for a copy of the allergy test results. (I couldn't ask my friend as she was semi-comatose by then).
The vet refused on the grounds that revealing the results would breach the Data Protection Act. I pointed out that there's a clause in the Act which permits the disclosure of information to a 3rd party if the information is necessary to ensure an animal's welfare. I duly received a PDF of the test results.
The results had been misinterpreted! The dog doesn't have multiple and wide-ranging allergies at all ~ she has one allergy: rice. (And apparently she was being fed a commercial brand of 'chicken and rice' dog food back in 2016 when she became ill!)
I contacted the vet about this, and pointed out how I thought the error had arisen (ie: a confusion between IgE and IgG allergens) but she didn't bother to reply.
I don't suppose this scenario is a legal issue as such ~ but I wondered whether it would be reasonable for me to request a payment from the vet as a 'goodwill gesture' in recompense for the money that has been spent buying human-grade lamb and pork products, plus treats made from exotic species; when in reality the dog would have been just as healthy on a diet of tinned dog food and Bonio biscuits? (My budget has only been depleted over the course of one month, but for my friend this situation had been on-going since 2016).
Thanks for reading!
My issue concerns mis-information given by a vet, that has resulted in unnecessary expenditure.
In 2016 my friend's dog became ill and her vet diagnosed multiple and wide-ranging allergies ~ based on the results of allergy tests (via blood samples) carried out by an independent testing agency. Hence the vet advised that the dog had to be fed a very restrictive diet, consisting mainly of pork and lamb meat products. All commercially-produced dog foods (including biscuits and 'treats') were ruled out as manufacturers habitually include ingredients such as 'meat derivatives' from undisclosed species. Obtaining treats for the much-loved dog was awkward, but eventually my friend was able to source a supplier of 100% kangaroo, venison, and goat meat treats that were declared 'safe' by the vet.
Fast forward to a month ago ...
My friend became seriously ill and I brought her dog to stay with me and my dog who is fed with ordinary commercial pet food products. Her dog dog kept trying to steal my dog's food, so rather than risk a potential anaphylactic shock, I opted to switch my own dog onto the same diet. I assumed my friend's dog would only be with me for a few days, but as the weeks went by, and my grocery bill increased, I decided to produce some home-made dog biscuits from an online recipe based on pig/sheep liver. To ensure that none of the other ingredients would cause an allergic reaction, I contacted the vet to ask for a copy of the allergy test results. (I couldn't ask my friend as she was semi-comatose by then).
The vet refused on the grounds that revealing the results would breach the Data Protection Act. I pointed out that there's a clause in the Act which permits the disclosure of information to a 3rd party if the information is necessary to ensure an animal's welfare. I duly received a PDF of the test results.
The results had been misinterpreted! The dog doesn't have multiple and wide-ranging allergies at all ~ she has one allergy: rice. (And apparently she was being fed a commercial brand of 'chicken and rice' dog food back in 2016 when she became ill!)
I contacted the vet about this, and pointed out how I thought the error had arisen (ie: a confusion between IgE and IgG allergens) but she didn't bother to reply.
I don't suppose this scenario is a legal issue as such ~ but I wondered whether it would be reasonable for me to request a payment from the vet as a 'goodwill gesture' in recompense for the money that has been spent buying human-grade lamb and pork products, plus treats made from exotic species; when in reality the dog would have been just as healthy on a diet of tinned dog food and Bonio biscuits? (My budget has only been depleted over the course of one month, but for my friend this situation had been on-going since 2016).
Thanks for reading!
