Clapton having his last 2 teeth out on Monday (that I didn't know he had!)

[bunglycat]

Hope Clapton will be ok 

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

Sending lots of positive vibes for Clapton and a big  for you Mark.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

hope he will be ok 

[Shirley]

Thinking of Clapton, you and OH today, Mark. Only just over 3 hours till he comes home   

[madamcat (Edd)]

Mark

Hope all goes well for Clapton today - 

[JackSpratt]

Hope it all goes well, Mark.

[Mark]

I left a saucer-eyed kitty at the vets this morning. Craig the vet is going to look after him. Craig finishes at 4pm so said he will be ready to collect by then. I went on to Tesco to stock up on catfood delicacies and fish, which no-doubt will be ignored later 

Instead of dwelling on it, I am just going to make the most of the few hours and get the nasty carpet shampoo monster out. He is petrified of it so I have to make the most of the time.

He is having his claws clipped and full bloods done at the same time.

[Rosella moggy]

Thinking about Clapton today and sending positive vibes 

[Janeyk]

I'm thinking of Clapton today, best of luck for him 

[JackSpratt]

Good luck today, Clapton.

[clarenmax]

Hope all goes well today xxx

[Mark]

Thanks everyone 

I feel awful this morning. Although he probably wouldn't be able to eat, OH told me he was sitting at the top of the stairs and to go & pet him. I can't as I know he is hungry. He ate some coley yesterday and I roasted some chicken pieces. He ate a little bit of that as well.

As he is still wary of the water bowl, I boiled the coley yesterday and saved the fishy water. He was quite happy to drink that from a different bowl.

As much as I would like the old vet to be held accountable, it isn't going to happen, so it isn't worth putting ourselves through the stress. I am trying to get my IBS under control to be able to go back to college. I still haven't confirmed my place yet as I'm not sure it will happen. We just have to let things go. The old vet is close to retirement and he isn't going to change his ways - As Dennis said, all we can do is think of now and what is best for the cats.

[Stuart]

Poor Clapton 

My thoughts are with you all today
 

[Liz]

Mark out thoughts here at the Clan will be with Clapton, you and Dennis for todays op and we have a lot of crossed paws for you all

[Fire Fox]

perhaps the old vet will settle out of court.

It isn't anything to do with money * - it is about my poor boy suffering. What I really want to do is pin the old vet down and remove his teeth with a pair of pliers 

I really down think it is worth trying to build up a case as it is 4 years (or maybe 3  - I lose track)

*Although I think the bill should be sent to him. I know OHs attitude is 'let it go'. I doubt it can be claimed on insurance as it will be considered ongoing. Thankfully OH has good job so a vet bill won't leave us short, but it is still wrong.

I am soooooooo sorry if I have given the impresssion that you are after financial gain - I am 110% confident you are not. I know you love your little family to pieces, I strongly suspect you'd eat beans on toasts for weeks on end if that was needed.   Going to court will not stop this vet practicing, you can only get a little revenge and perhaps cash 'compensation' : which again I strongly suspect you would donate. 

[Janeyk]

Fingers crossed he gets through the dental OK.

Thanks 

If he doesn't I guarantee the vet in question will pay dearly.

I'm sure that Clapton will be fine Mark the vet wouldn't do the op if he didn't think so 

[Mark]

Fingers crossed he gets through the dental OK.

Thanks 

If he doesn't I guarantee the vet in question will pay dearly.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I am sorry to hear this, it is naughty of the vet to tell you his teeth had been removed when they hadn't. Fingers crossed he gets through the dental OK.

[Dawn F]

poor clapton - I hope he gets on ok and will be pain free soon - I don't blame you for being angry Mark but I'm a bit of a Dennis myself on these things

[Janeyk]

I see 

Yep I think they do crumble maybe that's why it's difficult to grab and pull them, I don't know.  But my vet did say that if the others trouble Byron - or Pep then they'd need abs now.
Your vet should really have warned you of that.

I wish I could remember but I'm think it might have been something to do with the roots too set in the jaw, I think it's only certain teeth too that have a risk of breaking the jaw. I've just looked in Byron's mouth and she still has the 2 lower front canines.

[Mark]

Why is it dangerous?

He meant it was dangerous to tell me all of Clapton's teeth were out when he had left 2 stumps in. Had I known, I would have found a way to keep an eye on them, as the likelihood is that they would have got infected or gone rotten at some point. I think he is a bit of an old-school vet who doesn't feel he needs to explain things.

As for taking teeth out, I was told that teeth that are rotten are easy to extract as they just crumble. Teeth that still have healthy roots are difficult to extract without causing damage. I am now wondering if he expected Clapton to die before there were any problems with the stumps?

[Janeyk]

not always can all the teeth be removed something to with the risk of some cats jaws breaking

I get that and he even said that beforehand, but after the op, he said he had removed all 4 remaining teeth. My current vet, Craig, said it is dangerous to make statements like that.

Why is it dangerous?

eta: I'm trying to think of the explanation she gave me when I asked but tbh I can't remember as it's a while ago now.  I don't know whether it's to do with certain cats jaws, age etc and when some teeth are difficult to extract for certain reasons and this risks then in breaking the jaw but Schui could have all his removed so it must be an individual thing.  I'll ask my vet next time I go.

[purrdy1]

poor clapton...im so sorry to hear that he is suffering.....

Mark its a dreadful situation and i undestand how you want that vet to pay.....but many doctors, vets, dentists etc 'stick together' it woudl be his word against yours.....and to be honest it could end up with a long drawn out expensive court case with very little to show for it at the end....just an empty bank balancE...

I had a sore front tooth and i went to a dentist...before i knew it he did a root canal filling (i had no idea that was his intention!! i only went in to have it 'looked' at!) i came out feeling dazed.....within a few weeks the tooth started to go black at the top....long story short, the B*****d had broken my front tooth and it had cracked right the way through....iwent back to my old private dentist and pleaded with him to help me take this guy to the cleaners....but he just said we dont have any proof, it would be very difficult to proove that this was negligence.....

i lost that tooth eventually and ha to pay for a bridge...it broke my heart! will never look the same again......and i was left with that ....

so whatever you decide, make sure you can back it up with evidence...or you could just be in for more heartach and a costly time

Clapton needs you to be the loving dad yo have always been.....and ive said it before...there are more good people in the world than bad...and that when people do a miss deed...THEY ultimately suffer....

love to you and yours hun xxxx

[Mark]

The problem we have now is that although he is eating again. he has an aversion to his favourite water bowl - he must associate it with pain. We gave him some fresh in a different bowl and he had a bit but then wiced away from it. I guess the Metacam is helping the inflamed area but there is still pain in the nerves. I am so aware of how important it is to get plenty of fluid into a CRF cat. The reason he is in 1st thing on Monday is to get his fluids and sodium up before the GA so I was hoping for a head-start.

I have zapped some water in the microwave to take the chill off but he is still very wary. I also keep giving him more pouches of food with water added as he is licking the gravy - better than nothing but not enough really.

He can't have milk; not even cat milk as it gives him the squits which would be even more fluid loss.

[Mark]

not always can all the teeth be removed something to with the risk of some cats jaws breaking

I get that and he even said that beforehand, but after the op, he said he had removed all 4 remaining teeth. My current vet, Craig, said it is dangerous to make statements like that.

[Kirst]

Thats is appaling - I don't think your old vet should be allowed to get away with it!

[Janeyk]

Poor Clapton,  I hope that all goes well for Monday 

Byron has a few stumps Mark which I wasn't pleased about but my vet says not always can all the teeth be removed something to with the risk of some cats jaws breaking and same with Pepper not all his were able to be removed because of time and the anaesthetic and his general state of health.  Schuis were all removed thankfully so I think it depends.  The vet shouldn't have lied though, did another vet in the practise do the op I wonder and your vet not know, just wondering whether there may an explaination?

[Mark]

perhaps the old vet will settle out of court.

It isn't anything to do with money * - it is about my poor boy suffering. What I really want to do is pin the old vet down and remove his teeth with a pair of pliers 

I really down think it is worth trying to build up a case as it is 4 years (or maybe 3  - I lose track)

*Although I think the bill should be sent to him. I know OHs attitude is 'let it go'. I doubt it can be claimed on insurance as it will be considered ongoing. Thankfully OH has good job so a vet bill won't leave us short, but it is still wrong.

[Shirley]

OMG this is awful Mark, poor Clapton Hope he'll be ok after Monday and you can get the old vet to admit what he's done!   

[Fire Fox]

  Poor Clapton.

I assume this would be a small claims action? Do you have access to all the veterinary records from that time - does your current vet have them? Would your current vet be willing to write a letter stating in his professional opinion it is bad practice to file down teeth and leave the stubs in place? Could you maybe printout all the Purrs threads from that time to use as evidence - they are in the public domain after all? If you can get enough circumstantial evidence together perhaps the old vet will settle out of court.

[clarenmax]

Oh no, poor baby 

Its a disgrace that they lied to you about removing all Clapton's teeth last time, I would definitely take it further if you can have a bill or something which says the removal of 'x' teeth or something?

Please give Clapton a gentle head rub from me 

[cazzer]

poor Clapton hope he does ok 

[Tiggy's Mum]

That's terrible Mark, I can't beleive that they outright lied to you!  Hope the op goes well and that Clapton will be back to his normal self 

[Mark]

Some may remember Clapton's last dental where my old vet told me he was taking 2 of the remaining 4 out. As Clapton had been through it so many times, I said I wanted them all out. He told me it would be difficult. I said that was fine as long as I wasn't back in a few months with a poorly Clapton again. Afterwards, he told me he had got all the teeth out. He had been fine until yesterday (maybe a bit of a decline for a few days) when he went to eat and flinched away from the dish. He was doing it again this morning. I said to OH that maybe he had caught some food under a flap of gum or something. I phoned the vet this morning and took him straight there (a nightmare as the Whitstable Oyster Festival started today and the town is mobbed) the vet said he has 2 tooth stubs which are infected. Even worse, they are black in the centre which the vet said is necrotic. He is booked in for 1st thing Monday to go on fluids for 1/2 day before surgery. I forget what it is called but the vet said he needs to pack something into the holes to prevent the infection spreading into the bone.

I said I wanted to take my old vet to court but how do I prove that he told me he had taken them out when really he had filed them down?

He has had a Metacam jab. I asked if I coud take some home, but Craig said he doesn't want to compromise Clapton's kidneys. He said if Clapton is in pain tomorrow, I can take him back for another injection.

I want him to pay for doing this to Clapton