VANILLABEAN ATHANASIOU (beloved maltese) LOG OF EVENTS at E.H. ANIMAL HOSPITAL Hollywood, FL 33021 *Brought in Vanillabean for dental cleaning at 10:30am *Was taken in at approx 10:50am by dental tech. (Gas anesthesia was used) *I was waited there until the dental was completed, so as to be there during Vanillabean’s recovery. *Dental tech brought him out to me to recover at approx 11:40am. Said he did fine but was "JUMPY" as he came out of the anesthesia. *He was making a VERY bizarre sound. A hollow-sounding rasping, and his body showed that his breathing was very intense. I asked what that sound was, and was told it was completely normal after coming out of the dental. *Approx 10 mins later the noise did not stop. I asked for vet. He came in, and I was told by him, as well, that it was "completely normal". He said that Vanillabean was "protesting coming out of the anesthesia." I still showed concern so he has me place Vanillabean on the table, at which time, while he was standing, the noise diminished. Vet said there was nothing to worry about but that I could still stay in recovery room as long as I wished. *Noise began again as soon as I placed Vanillabean on my lap or held him after vet left the room. I went out to the front desk to ask the girls if this was normal, and they said to ask vet (which I had already done). So I returned to room to recover. He spits up a little clear fluid. *I held him for another 20 approx minutes, noise still did not cease, I called in the dental tech. She once again said the sound was "normal" and not to worry but that I can stay in recovery room as long as I wanted. *Approximately 45 minutes to one hour later I am still there, and call in vet again. He once again reassured me it was nothing to worry about, and left the room. *About a half hour after that — a total of me waiting in recovery with Vanillabean for approximately one-and-a-half hours (I normally am able to take Vanillabean home 20-30 minutes after he is brought out to me after all of his dentals), vet comes into room again, and pulls out the stethoscope, but then just tells me to take Vanillabean home. His words were “Take him home so he can relax." He DID NOT actually ever USE the stethoscope or put it up to his heart, but instead sent me home. *On drive home, he is still making the same sounds, although they are a little less frequent. *When we arrive home, he is able to walk in the door fine, pee and poop on his wee wee pad. He cannot walk up the ramp to our bed. So I carry him up so he can relax in his favorite spot. *He is still making noises and he is still breathing heavy. I call vet from home, he says, "I figured it out, it's tracheal irritation. It can last about 5 days, and he'll probably have it through the weekend. But call me at home if you need me." *Vanillabean is spitting up very diluted blood, mostly clear fluid with light blood. I figure it is from the "tracheal irritation." *I call Vanillabean in for a treat, he does not come. VERY alarming, as he never ever refuses a treat. I call vet immediately again, at approx 2pm, he is not available. The receptionist says they will have him call me in an hour. *I try to give him a treat in bed, and he does not take it there either. *I offer some peanut butter on a spoon, he licks it very slightly and turns his head away from it. *Hollow-raspy sound is diminishing a bit, and there are even periods with no strange sound coming from him at all. *Vet calls me back 2 hours later and says all that Vanillabean is doing is normal. *My husband comes home and I tell him what is going on. He holds Vanillabean and Vanillabean completely stops making those sounds. *I go to take a shower as my husband holds Vanillabean, and when I come out, I check his gums. His gums are completely grey. I call vet office and tell them I am coming over. *Upon arrival, I am placed into a room. Vet looks at gums and tongue….both of which are grey. *Does an X-ray. It.shows that one lung has collapsed due to fluid. Vet says he WILL be okay. *He also says that he "regrets that he did not call me back sooner." *I call my holistic vet in Tampa to consult with this vet, regarding drugs to be used for this, as at this point I do not trust this vet to do the right thing, since he clearly misdiagnosed Vanillabean earlier by telling me he was "protesting coming out of anesthesia" and had "tracheal irritation", while all along, it was a collapsed lung. *Vet comes in and says he will be okay, then, 5 minutes later, comes in and says he almost didn’t make it and that he (the vet) "got scared', but now he got his gums more pink. He walks out of room again. *I have him talk to my holistic vet again, and this time he asks me to give him my holistic vet’s phone number, and calls him from another room. *We ask vet is he is going to make it, and now he says "50/50" *He tells me to call my holistic vet, and then walks out of the room. *My holistic vet tells me to get into the room with Vanillabean immediately, as he IS NOT going to make it. AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, my holistic vet in TAMPA was the one who had to tell me BY PHONE that my Vanillabean was dying...NOT THE VET IN THE CLINIC WITH ME WHO DID THE DENTAL, who chose to, instead, walk out of the room with no updated news. *I go in and Vanillabean is almost in a coma. Oxygen is still being administered. I hold him and sing to him as he is dying in my arms, Tommy is in front of him looking into his face. My friend Lisa is behind me, holding me as I hold Vanillabean. As I am singing to Vanillabean, vet says (for reasons I will never comprehend), “He can’t hear you.” Vanillabean passes away shortly thereafter (at 6pm). *We hold his little body and go into a room, and vet has no answers except to say this "never happened to him" before, and that he has not had a death as a result of a dental in 8 years. He says, "Well my record is now broken." He said he has no answers. *I called and left a message for vet on BOTH his home line AND his office line the very next day (Saturday), as my husband and I had questions for him that remained unanswered. *Neither the vet, nor his office, call us all weekend. *He did not call until Monday, saying he "was going to call us Saturday" but decided to give us "some time"....despite the fact that I left TWO messages for him Saturday (the day after Vanillabean passed), requesting a phone call back. *His message also just said "I'm sorry for you guys," and that he was going to "try to find out what happened." *He surprisingly called back in just a very, very short time after his first call. Although he said he was going to "try to find out what happened," all he said in his message was that Vanillabean had 15 dentals at his office. That was all. Then he finished with the same thing as before, "I"m sorry for you guys."