Trying to find previous vet?

Question

I bought a dog 4 weeks ago. I got all the KC papers, generation pedigree, micro number, everything apart from the vets name, address and number. He said he would email me it. Thinking i had all the important bits off i went. I took her to my vets for a check up and he said she had a serious heart murmur and booked her in for a scan. She came into season so we postponed the appointment. Then 5 days ago she couldn't get up and didn't seem herself. My husband took her straight to the vet. They thought she had banged her leg or had been exercised too much, gave her anti inflammatory jab and pain killers. She was due at specialist tomorrow. I got up this morning and she was dead on the kitchen floor. The vet has collected her. I've been on the phone to the guy and have told him what has happened and asked him again for his vets number. He just said she was in good health when he sold her. Even if she was ill before i bought her i would of looked after her, or if she was on medication i would of bought it for her.

How can i get her medical notes? I just can't believe that she developed a serious murmur and died in the space of four weeks? Or maybe it can happen, I don't know. I've just got so many questions in my head at the moment.

She was 4 yrs old and a dogue de bordeaux.

Thank you for any advice.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry to hear about your experience, how awful for you :(

I'd be very suspicious about this persistent evasiveness, something is seriously wrong if this guy won't give you the details of the vet and there doesn't appear to be any trace of the previous vet's details on ANY of the paperwork - who DID stamp those papers then? I mean the pet passport, vaccination records, even worming should be stamped into the animal's health book or passport.

I always supposed that the microchip stores all this information from the moment it's implanted by a registered vet, containing those details along with those of the owners - like a log book. Perhaps I'm misinformed, but this is what I understood when I had my dog microchipped (I'm in Poland, perhaps the procedure is slightly different?).

I also thought it was the responsibility of the new vet to update all those details as it's the vet who has the chip-reader, so if the previous information was already wiped off the chip, then this again sounds suspicious, if any info existed at all :/

Did you get a receipt for the transaction - anything to prove the sale took place? If so, I'd be inclined to contact the police, depending on which country you're in, you don't say so I can't guess the best course of action.

I really hope you manage to get to the bottom of this horrible situation. Try every way you can. Good luck.

Answer 2

If the person you bought her from is being evasive about her previous medical notes it sounds deeply suspicious to me. Its possible he has acted illegally, it may be worth trying to ask the RSPCA or a similar organisation for advice on the matter.

Answer 3

I doubt that she developed a heart murmur in the space of 4 weeks. Is there anyway you can get to this mans house? If you confront him there's not much he can do. I agree what somebody above me said about contacting the RSPCA, this man has acted illegally.