Three days before Christmas, in 2004, "Lilly" the English Bulldog was brought into the office of Crosby, Texas vet Harold Wagers for oral surgery and teeth cleaning. When her owner called to see how things were going, someone at the clinic told her that Lilly had regurgitated food during surgery, but was recovering. Wagers said he had instructed Lilly's owner that she should be "NPO" (no food or water) before the surgery. Lilly continued to vomit.
"At the time of clinic closing, Lilly was still recumbant." (Lying on her side.) Without consulting Lilly's owner, "Wagers decided to keep the dog overnight at the clinic, but no one was at the clinic to do after-hours monitoring. Sometime during the night, Lilly died. A necropsy noted that the probably cause of death was aspiration of gastric content."
The Board said that "Dr. Wagers did not exercise the same degree of humane care, skill and diligence in treating patients as is ordinarily used in the same or similar circumstances by average members of the veterinary medical profession in good standing in Crosby, Texas . . . the patient posed an elevated risk due to the vomiting that occurred during and after surgery. The dog was observed for less than two hours before the clinic closed. Dr. Wagers should have consulted with the owner about the need for continued monitoring, and given the owner the option of an after-hours facility or monitoring at home."
OK, so violations, substandard care, and dead dog. What does the vet board do?
They simply "formally reprimanded" Wagers.
Wow, what strong action. NOT. With pet protectors like the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, no wonder vets don't care if our pets die. Bet vets like Wagers live in fear of you people, huh? NOT.
This is a good example of the awful things that can happen to your pet when they are left unmonitored, alone overnight in a cage at a vet "hospital."
