Man Brings His Dog To The Vet To Get Neutered, But They Also Extract Two Of Its Teeth Without His Consent

It was a routine procedure but they didn't give the dog owner the chance to consent to the additional procedure

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 26, 2022

Nobody relishes going to the doctor, least of all our pets. We can't exactly explain to them why they need to go to a place that perpetually smells like rubbing alcohol.

My own dog shakes like a leaf the moment he sees the vet clinic. He probably associates it with being poked with a needle without so much as a howdy-do.

Don't get me wrong, vets and vet techs are professionals who do their best to make our pets as comfortable as possible. It's just unfortunate that our pets associate them with surprising and uncomfortable procedures they have no way of understanding.

Not all vets, however, are equal — some are better than others and this dog owner is likely moving to a different clinic because of an awful experience. OP posted on Reddit about his 6-month-old Golden Doodle.

They got a puppy care package that covered all of his vaccinations, wellness checks, and spaying or neutering. OP's pup was finally old enough to get neutered and he dropped him off for the procedure.

After a few hours, OP went back to pick up his newly neutered and microchipped doodle. OP was speaking to a vet tech about the proper aftercare when he was informed they also pulled two of his teeth.

OP was surprised and said he brought his dog in to get neutered but was not informed about the dental

They asked him to pay $20 for the extraction because it was not covered by the package. They said this was a routine procedure that was recommended by the vet.

OP argued that it was not about the money, he said they should have given him a head's up before proceeding with the extraction.

They waived the $20 because OP was not informed beforehand but that vet tech couldn't quite grasp why OP felt blindsided

She brought him his dog back and OP felt like he was unreasonable for causing a fuss over what happened. But is he really at fault for getting upset over a surprise medical procedure he didn't consent to on behalf of his dog?

OP added a few details after his post received a lot of attention. His neutered and toothless pup was thankfully okay after the ordeal

OP stated again that he wasn't upset over the procedure. He was upset because they didn't bother to inform him about it therefore not giving him a chance to agree to it.

OP's pup is soldiering on despite the amusing shaved part of his leg

OP has no problem about the procedure happening, he really was just upset over the fact that they didn't inform him of it happening

It should be on the consent form...

We have no way of knowing for sure but they also could have mentioned it in passing just to get OP's verbal approval because a lot of people sign those forms without really reading the contents

The vet tech and the vet definitely did not handle the situation well. They could have done what this comment said instead of brushing off OP's valid concern.

They messed up for sure but it's not enough to count as a malpractice as other comments were quick to say

Instead of lodging his complaint to the vet tech, OP should have went straight to the vet— the person who performed the procedure, to clear the air

OP can still talk to the vet, if only to make sure this kind of situation doesn't happen again to other pets and their owners

Not informing the owner of what could and would happen during the procedure can result to negative consequences

Like this owner who had to watch her poor doog suffer for a few months before it passed because the vet didn't inform them of their options

Precisely, they should have communicated it before proceeding with the extraction. OP did the right thing by not doxing them online.

OP's dog is better because of the procedures BUT it doesn't erase the fact that they took OP's right to make a decision on behalf of his dog

There is no way you can trust the clinic again after a thing like this happened. OP definitely doesn't, hence why he's changing vets for his dog.

The vet and the vet tech dropped the ball when they didn't inform OP about the extraction prior to the procedure. You are your pet's only advocate and they took that from OP when they didn't communicate things clearly.

Chelsi