PlaxMacaws
08-24-2013, 02:36 AM
The following is my account and record of an ordeal which occurred in November of 2005 involving my best friend, Zaffer (my Hyacinth Macaw), and an incompetently dangerous local veterinarian. The names and locations have been changed or otherwise concealed for security and/or legal reasons. The content of the emails presented herein is otherwise verbatim.
This material begins with an email response by the veterinarian (Dr. Stone) to my initial message of complaint (quoted below) which I'd sent to him the day after the incident. The "ESW" items embedded within the text of my original message are the veterinarian's notation reference points to which he responded. I addressed his responses to those reference points within my reply to him. That entire exchange can be reviewed in my next post in this thread, titled 'BAD vet experience! (2005) - Part 2'.
Mr ********,
Attached to your message are comments that I made which reflect my account of the events on 11-12-05…… I am sorry you are unhappy with the events….. giving you and Zaf prompt attention like we did put us behind schedule that day and robbed me of 3 hours of time with my kids….. if you think I wanted to spend my Saturday ripping you off you are so sadly mistaken….. I only wanted to act promptly and spare Zaf from the horrible experience of heavy metal poisoning.
Stan Stone, DVM
-----Original Message-----
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 11:30 AM
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Subject: emergency procedure performed on Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" on 11/12/05
ATTN: Stan Stone, DVM
Below is my account of the events occurring on 11/12/05:
====================================
Saturday, 12 November 2005
This morning I was cuddling Zaf against my chest. I happened to have on one of those shirts with snaps instead of buttons. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention and Zaf grabbed one of the snap parts and pulled it off and into his lower mandible so he could play with it. When I felt the 'pop', I immediately realized he'd gotten the snap piece off, so I began to probe the inside of his beak with my finger in an attempt to retrieve the object so he wouldn't swallow it. But it wasn't in his mouth and I couldn't find it on the floor or anywhere in the area of the room we were in. I became quite worried that Zaf may have swallowed the snap piece and that his digestive acids would begin to metabolize the heavy metals in it, and I was especially concerned that the piece may contain zinc, which is horribly toxic to birds.
I probably called every avian vet clinic in the area. But it was Saturday, so most of the clinics' phones were answered by automated voices instructing those with an emergency to call the local emergency vet clinic (which I did as well). I spoke with a vet at the local Emergency Vet Clinic (Dr. Beck), but unfortunately she had limited experience with birds and offered to try to locate a more qualified vet for me. I asked her to please go ahead and do so, then I proceeded to call the remaining numbers for avian vet clinics on my list.
The last call I made was to the Uptown Veterinary Hospital in Neartown, WA. They were open today (Saturday) and a vet was available. I explained the situation to the receptionist which she in turn relayed to the vet. The vet, Dr. Stan Stone, DVM, advised her to tell me to bring Zaf in as soon as possible to be x-rayed. I loaded Zaf in his carrier and we departed for the clinic. For reference, Dr. Stone advertises himself as an avian vet.[ESW1] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) As far as I know, he's only ABVP-certified in dogs and cats, not birds. I'm unsure whether he even has AAV affiliation. This may not be a large issue, but in this case I feel it's worth mentioning.
I arrived at the clinic, filled out the admission form, and released Zaf from his carrier. He climbed onto my arm and then up onto my shoulder (his favorite spot where he feels the most secure). We were escorted back into an examining room. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Stone stepped in and escorted us into the procedure area. I assisted Dr. Stone in placing Zaf in a towel and was then asked by him to step out of the procedure room and back into the hallway/examining room area. I was extremely uncomfortable with the request, but I reluctantly complied. Every few seconds poor Zaf would let out a cry... I was in mental agony worrying about him; I desperately wanted to be with him to offer comfort and assurance. Zaf's periodic yelps went on for at least 5 minutes. Then all of a sudden Zaf began screaming violently... I rushed into the procedure room to discover the technician engaged in a failed attempt to restrain Zaf on the x-ray platform -- she had absolutely no control of him and he was flopping all over the place! I ran to Zaf, we removed the bindings and I comforted him as best I could.
I asked Dr. Stone whether they'd gotten at least one image. He replied "No." I found this 5 minute (plus) wrestling session with my poor dear friend (which rendered no usable result) difficult to accept. In my opinion, they clearly didn't have control of the situation. Consequently, Dr. Stone offered to anesthetize Zaf in order to immobilize him. I declined the offer. Because of their apparent inability to manage Zaf, I offered to hold him down on the x-ray platform while they snapped the image(s). Stone agreed. I requested the protective garments, including gloves, put them on and placed Zaf on his back on the platform... at this point Dr. Stone made the statement "if he bites through one of those gloves I'll have to add $150 to your bill." I acknowledged the remark. Dr. Stone then proceeded to successfully snap an x-ray image while I held Zaf on his back. I released Zaf and again comforted him as much as possible.
The x-ray image was processed and viewed by Dr. Stone who told me that he could see the snap piece. I asked if it was still in Zaf's crop. Stone replied, "yes." I asked what our options were at this point. Stone said the object had to be removed. I asked about the procedure... Stone said he would anesthetize Zaf then flush out his crop. I was extremely hesitant to approve the anesthetization and I basically stood there awfulizing for several minutes. Stone then asserted that if the procedure were not done, Zaf would die. I asked Stone if he'd ever had birds fail to revive from anesthesia. He said, "of course I have... and not just birds... but all vets will tell you the same thing."[ESW2] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) I waited several more minutes unable to decide what to do. I kept thinking of Stone's statement that Zaf would die, so I very reluctantly agreed to the procedure.
I was overwhelmingly devastated by the situation... I was worrying about Zaf more than one can easily imagine! I kissed him... Stone then came at him with the towel. Zaf screamed in horror! I felt so very helpless :'(
They secured a gas tube/mask to Zaf's face and he went under. The receptionist helped connect a heart monitor to him as well. Stone then proceeded to irrigate his crop while I sat on a chair watching the whole thing. The process seemed to last forever and all that came out were pieces of macadamia nuts. Twice during the procedure, Stone would remove Zaf from the operating table (disconnecting the anesthesia tube and monitor gear) to take more x-rays (the first with Zaf on his back -- like the original -- and the second with Zaf on his side). After the first subsequent x-ray was processed it was easy to see that the blip was in the exact same position as it was on the initial image. I asked Stone to confirm that the object was still in his crop... this time, though, Stone said "no, it's not in his crop."[ESW3] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) That's right, Stone said it wasn't in his crop any longer despite that the object's position on the original x-ray agreed perfectly with it's position on the subsequent x-ray, and despite that he'd initially told me the object was in Zaf's crop based upon the initial image. Just for confirmation, I asked Stone if the snap piece had traveled beyond Zaf's crop... Stone replied "yes, I'm afraid it has." After the second x-ray exposure, they placed Zaf back on the procedure table and Stone probed Zaf some more. Stone then instructed his assistant to move Zaf back to the x-ray platform again and to place Zaf on his side (this time) for yet a third x-ray image in which the view would be perpendicular to the previous two identical exposures. They did so and snapped the image. While the last x-ray image was being processed, I asked Stone what was indicated next since he'd said moments before that the snap piece had progressed beyond Zaf's crop... Stone replied "lets wait for the next x-ray." Thereafter, when viewing the last x-ray image, Stone asked me if Zaf were microchipped. I immediately felt like beating my head against the wall!!! Yes, he is microchipped! The blip on the image was the microchip, not part of a shirt snap.
Zaf came out of the anesthesia and I brought him home. He's still attempting to readjust but is clearly not himself. I first blame myself for not thinking of his microchip and reporting it to Stone -- I was so stressed, though, and had even forgotten to bring my wallet. It would have been nice if one of the questions on the admission form had asked if the pet to be treated were microchipped, but there was no such question.
The last thing that I want to convey here is that after the procedure and Stone's sudden realization that the blip might be a microchip, he had the nerve to admonish me. He stated that if I'd left them alone and not interrupted their initial effort to take x-rays, they would have taken images from both angles and consequently identified the blip as a microchip, thus ruling out the need for the crop irrigation procedure. To this statement of his, I ask the following: If, absent the cited interruption/interference from me, the 90 degree x-ray image would have truly been Dr. Stone's chosen course during the initial moments of examination, why did he not take a perpendicular x-ray image of Zaf earlier during the period of anesthesia rather than at the very end of the procedure as a last resort?[ESW4] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) Moreover, one would think an experienced veterinarian who sees avian patients on a regular basis would be familiar with the pattern an Avid microchip presents on an x-ray image of a bird. At the very least a questionable blip approximately resembling a metallic grain of rice in the breast area[ESW5] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) of a bird should be enough to prompt a competent avian vet to ask the bird's owner if the bird has an implanted microchip, especially when the purpose for the visit is an emergency assessment of whether or not the bird has ingested a small potentially toxic metal object that may be in the same region. Common sense dictates that this question should have been asked before any exploratory procedure was done to my bird. For this failure, I blame Dr. Stone.[ESW6] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])
Sadly, I'm left with the suspicion that Dr. Stone knew at the outset (meaning once he had viewed the first x-ray -- the attainment of which I had to facilitate simply because they were unable to secure Zaf's position on the x-ray platform) that the blip was probably a microchip.[ESW7] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) Although I can't prove it, I really have the feeling that Dr. Stone wanted to perform the procedure so he could charge me accordingly.[ESW8] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) If true, he unnecessarily risked my dearly loved bird's life, exposed him to more x-ray emissions than would otherwise have been necessary, and stressed him beyond belief! Zaf is an extra sensitive bird to begin with... I can only hope he'll not be emotionally scarred by the ordeal and will return to his exceptionally sweet and loving personality very soon. This has been one of the worst days of my life.
Tony ********
====================================
Referenced response comments from Dr. Stone:
[ESW1] I don’t know what advertisement you are referring to, but listing the species one sees in one’s practice is not the same as advertising as an “avian vet”…… an “avian vet” is someone who sees ONLY birds and is board certified as a poultry specialist or a pet bird specialist…. by the way, ABVP certification is very hard to obtain….. I am proud to be one of 4 doctors in the whole state with that certification, of which only one of us is certified as an avian specialist, and she is no longer in private practice….. the result is there are NO board certified avian doctors in the state……
[ESW2] not my exact words…… but the jest of the message was that after 25 years of experience I have seen my share of animals die under anesthesia and any one who practices pet bird and small animal medicine for 25 years will confirm they have had similar experiences….. I also assured you that I anesthetize birds, dogs and cats all the time and that I was competent it could be done as safely as possible, and the risk of not anesthetizing the bird to remove the metal foreign body was worse than he risk of anesthesia
[ESW3] I said it wasn’t in the crop, not because of the position on the second x-ray, but because I didn’t see it in the crop when I looked thru the scope….. remember, we passed a scope in an attempt to retrieve the foreign body…. After the scoping, I said it may have gotten flushed into the proventriculus and that was the impetus for the second and third x-ray.
[ESW4] Neither myself or my staff remember this question coming from you…… but I will gladly answer it now….. the answer is because you were so nervous about the time spent under anesthesia that I took this short cut to get on with the treatment since I had convinced myself there was a metal foreign body in the crop.
[ESW5] The crop, when full of food or fluid overlies the breast, so on the single ventrodorsal view one cannot distinguish where the “metallic grain for rice” is….. as I mentioned when viewing the x-ray, a snap chewed by a macaw and turned on edge would look cylindrical.
[ESW6] Hindsight is always 20-20.
[ESW7] This in nonsense!!!!!
[ESW8] This is nonsense too!
This material begins with an email response by the veterinarian (Dr. Stone) to my initial message of complaint (quoted below) which I'd sent to him the day after the incident. The "ESW" items embedded within the text of my original message are the veterinarian's notation reference points to which he responded. I addressed his responses to those reference points within my reply to him. That entire exchange can be reviewed in my next post in this thread, titled 'BAD vet experience! (2005) - Part 2'.
Mr ********,
Attached to your message are comments that I made which reflect my account of the events on 11-12-05…… I am sorry you are unhappy with the events….. giving you and Zaf prompt attention like we did put us behind schedule that day and robbed me of 3 hours of time with my kids….. if you think I wanted to spend my Saturday ripping you off you are so sadly mistaken….. I only wanted to act promptly and spare Zaf from the horrible experience of heavy metal poisoning.
Stan Stone, DVM
-----Original Message-----
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 11:30 AM
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Subject: emergency procedure performed on Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" on 11/12/05
ATTN: Stan Stone, DVM
Below is my account of the events occurring on 11/12/05:
====================================
Saturday, 12 November 2005
This morning I was cuddling Zaf against my chest. I happened to have on one of those shirts with snaps instead of buttons. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention and Zaf grabbed one of the snap parts and pulled it off and into his lower mandible so he could play with it. When I felt the 'pop', I immediately realized he'd gotten the snap piece off, so I began to probe the inside of his beak with my finger in an attempt to retrieve the object so he wouldn't swallow it. But it wasn't in his mouth and I couldn't find it on the floor or anywhere in the area of the room we were in. I became quite worried that Zaf may have swallowed the snap piece and that his digestive acids would begin to metabolize the heavy metals in it, and I was especially concerned that the piece may contain zinc, which is horribly toxic to birds.
I probably called every avian vet clinic in the area. But it was Saturday, so most of the clinics' phones were answered by automated voices instructing those with an emergency to call the local emergency vet clinic (which I did as well). I spoke with a vet at the local Emergency Vet Clinic (Dr. Beck), but unfortunately she had limited experience with birds and offered to try to locate a more qualified vet for me. I asked her to please go ahead and do so, then I proceeded to call the remaining numbers for avian vet clinics on my list.
The last call I made was to the Uptown Veterinary Hospital in Neartown, WA. They were open today (Saturday) and a vet was available. I explained the situation to the receptionist which she in turn relayed to the vet. The vet, Dr. Stan Stone, DVM, advised her to tell me to bring Zaf in as soon as possible to be x-rayed. I loaded Zaf in his carrier and we departed for the clinic. For reference, Dr. Stone advertises himself as an avian vet.[ESW1] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) As far as I know, he's only ABVP-certified in dogs and cats, not birds. I'm unsure whether he even has AAV affiliation. This may not be a large issue, but in this case I feel it's worth mentioning.
I arrived at the clinic, filled out the admission form, and released Zaf from his carrier. He climbed onto my arm and then up onto my shoulder (his favorite spot where he feels the most secure). We were escorted back into an examining room. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Stone stepped in and escorted us into the procedure area. I assisted Dr. Stone in placing Zaf in a towel and was then asked by him to step out of the procedure room and back into the hallway/examining room area. I was extremely uncomfortable with the request, but I reluctantly complied. Every few seconds poor Zaf would let out a cry... I was in mental agony worrying about him; I desperately wanted to be with him to offer comfort and assurance. Zaf's periodic yelps went on for at least 5 minutes. Then all of a sudden Zaf began screaming violently... I rushed into the procedure room to discover the technician engaged in a failed attempt to restrain Zaf on the x-ray platform -- she had absolutely no control of him and he was flopping all over the place! I ran to Zaf, we removed the bindings and I comforted him as best I could.
I asked Dr. Stone whether they'd gotten at least one image. He replied "No." I found this 5 minute (plus) wrestling session with my poor dear friend (which rendered no usable result) difficult to accept. In my opinion, they clearly didn't have control of the situation. Consequently, Dr. Stone offered to anesthetize Zaf in order to immobilize him. I declined the offer. Because of their apparent inability to manage Zaf, I offered to hold him down on the x-ray platform while they snapped the image(s). Stone agreed. I requested the protective garments, including gloves, put them on and placed Zaf on his back on the platform... at this point Dr. Stone made the statement "if he bites through one of those gloves I'll have to add $150 to your bill." I acknowledged the remark. Dr. Stone then proceeded to successfully snap an x-ray image while I held Zaf on his back. I released Zaf and again comforted him as much as possible.
The x-ray image was processed and viewed by Dr. Stone who told me that he could see the snap piece. I asked if it was still in Zaf's crop. Stone replied, "yes." I asked what our options were at this point. Stone said the object had to be removed. I asked about the procedure... Stone said he would anesthetize Zaf then flush out his crop. I was extremely hesitant to approve the anesthetization and I basically stood there awfulizing for several minutes. Stone then asserted that if the procedure were not done, Zaf would die. I asked Stone if he'd ever had birds fail to revive from anesthesia. He said, "of course I have... and not just birds... but all vets will tell you the same thing."[ESW2] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) I waited several more minutes unable to decide what to do. I kept thinking of Stone's statement that Zaf would die, so I very reluctantly agreed to the procedure.
I was overwhelmingly devastated by the situation... I was worrying about Zaf more than one can easily imagine! I kissed him... Stone then came at him with the towel. Zaf screamed in horror! I felt so very helpless :'(
They secured a gas tube/mask to Zaf's face and he went under. The receptionist helped connect a heart monitor to him as well. Stone then proceeded to irrigate his crop while I sat on a chair watching the whole thing. The process seemed to last forever and all that came out were pieces of macadamia nuts. Twice during the procedure, Stone would remove Zaf from the operating table (disconnecting the anesthesia tube and monitor gear) to take more x-rays (the first with Zaf on his back -- like the original -- and the second with Zaf on his side). After the first subsequent x-ray was processed it was easy to see that the blip was in the exact same position as it was on the initial image. I asked Stone to confirm that the object was still in his crop... this time, though, Stone said "no, it's not in his crop."[ESW3] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) That's right, Stone said it wasn't in his crop any longer despite that the object's position on the original x-ray agreed perfectly with it's position on the subsequent x-ray, and despite that he'd initially told me the object was in Zaf's crop based upon the initial image. Just for confirmation, I asked Stone if the snap piece had traveled beyond Zaf's crop... Stone replied "yes, I'm afraid it has." After the second x-ray exposure, they placed Zaf back on the procedure table and Stone probed Zaf some more. Stone then instructed his assistant to move Zaf back to the x-ray platform again and to place Zaf on his side (this time) for yet a third x-ray image in which the view would be perpendicular to the previous two identical exposures. They did so and snapped the image. While the last x-ray image was being processed, I asked Stone what was indicated next since he'd said moments before that the snap piece had progressed beyond Zaf's crop... Stone replied "lets wait for the next x-ray." Thereafter, when viewing the last x-ray image, Stone asked me if Zaf were microchipped. I immediately felt like beating my head against the wall!!! Yes, he is microchipped! The blip on the image was the microchip, not part of a shirt snap.
Zaf came out of the anesthesia and I brought him home. He's still attempting to readjust but is clearly not himself. I first blame myself for not thinking of his microchip and reporting it to Stone -- I was so stressed, though, and had even forgotten to bring my wallet. It would have been nice if one of the questions on the admission form had asked if the pet to be treated were microchipped, but there was no such question.
The last thing that I want to convey here is that after the procedure and Stone's sudden realization that the blip might be a microchip, he had the nerve to admonish me. He stated that if I'd left them alone and not interrupted their initial effort to take x-rays, they would have taken images from both angles and consequently identified the blip as a microchip, thus ruling out the need for the crop irrigation procedure. To this statement of his, I ask the following: If, absent the cited interruption/interference from me, the 90 degree x-ray image would have truly been Dr. Stone's chosen course during the initial moments of examination, why did he not take a perpendicular x-ray image of Zaf earlier during the period of anesthesia rather than at the very end of the procedure as a last resort?[ESW4] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) Moreover, one would think an experienced veterinarian who sees avian patients on a regular basis would be familiar with the pattern an Avid microchip presents on an x-ray image of a bird. At the very least a questionable blip approximately resembling a metallic grain of rice in the breast area[ESW5] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) of a bird should be enough to prompt a competent avian vet to ask the bird's owner if the bird has an implanted microchip, especially when the purpose for the visit is an emergency assessment of whether or not the bird has ingested a small potentially toxic metal object that may be in the same region. Common sense dictates that this question should have been asked before any exploratory procedure was done to my bird. For this failure, I blame Dr. Stone.[ESW6] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])
Sadly, I'm left with the suspicion that Dr. Stone knew at the outset (meaning once he had viewed the first x-ray -- the attainment of which I had to facilitate simply because they were unable to secure Zaf's position on the x-ray platform) that the blip was probably a microchip.[ESW7] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) Although I can't prove it, I really have the feeling that Dr. Stone wanted to perform the procedure so he could charge me accordingly.[ESW8] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) If true, he unnecessarily risked my dearly loved bird's life, exposed him to more x-ray emissions than would otherwise have been necessary, and stressed him beyond belief! Zaf is an extra sensitive bird to begin with... I can only hope he'll not be emotionally scarred by the ordeal and will return to his exceptionally sweet and loving personality very soon. This has been one of the worst days of my life.
Tony ********
====================================
Referenced response comments from Dr. Stone:
[ESW1] I don’t know what advertisement you are referring to, but listing the species one sees in one’s practice is not the same as advertising as an “avian vet”…… an “avian vet” is someone who sees ONLY birds and is board certified as a poultry specialist or a pet bird specialist…. by the way, ABVP certification is very hard to obtain….. I am proud to be one of 4 doctors in the whole state with that certification, of which only one of us is certified as an avian specialist, and she is no longer in private practice….. the result is there are NO board certified avian doctors in the state……
[ESW2] not my exact words…… but the jest of the message was that after 25 years of experience I have seen my share of animals die under anesthesia and any one who practices pet bird and small animal medicine for 25 years will confirm they have had similar experiences….. I also assured you that I anesthetize birds, dogs and cats all the time and that I was competent it could be done as safely as possible, and the risk of not anesthetizing the bird to remove the metal foreign body was worse than he risk of anesthesia
[ESW3] I said it wasn’t in the crop, not because of the position on the second x-ray, but because I didn’t see it in the crop when I looked thru the scope….. remember, we passed a scope in an attempt to retrieve the foreign body…. After the scoping, I said it may have gotten flushed into the proventriculus and that was the impetus for the second and third x-ray.
[ESW4] Neither myself or my staff remember this question coming from you…… but I will gladly answer it now….. the answer is because you were so nervous about the time spent under anesthesia that I took this short cut to get on with the treatment since I had convinced myself there was a metal foreign body in the crop.
[ESW5] The crop, when full of food or fluid overlies the breast, so on the single ventrodorsal view one cannot distinguish where the “metallic grain for rice” is….. as I mentioned when viewing the x-ray, a snap chewed by a macaw and turned on edge would look cylindrical.
[ESW6] Hindsight is always 20-20.
[ESW7] This in nonsense!!!!!
[ESW8] This is nonsense too!