Labrador Retriever's Death Mammary Tumor

[tanying]

Hi,

My Labrador Retriever undergo surgery last July 2, 2011 but died after couple of hours with cardiac arrest..She was about 9years old, healthy in body (maybe obese).. then one time we found out that she have abscess in one of her nipples.. then as time passes by it grow bigger and bigger. She gave birth thrice but the litter didn't survive at least three weeks old. I tough that it is because the litter zipped in the abscess nipple so they got poisoned, something like that.. Then we decided to go to veterinarian for her medical check-up.. they found out that it was a mammary tumor. Immediate operation happened next.. by then my dog was so weak, she can't walk after the operation but the veterinarian told us that we can go home with our dog without dextrose, then after a couple of hours she died... I was so disappointed on what happened to my lovely dog! We paid around $100 for the operation. Do the veterinarian has responsible for my dog's death? or it was our fault to bring him home? Do I have the right to sue for legal action? thanks and God bless..

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved pet!

I cannot make a determination as to who is culpable in this case.  This type of question is beyond the scope of this forum.  If you are interested in pursuing a lawsuit it would be best for you to contact a lawyer in your country.

Mammary gland carcinoma is a very bad cancer that can metastasize readily. It is possible that in your dog's case the cancer may have already spread to internal organs by the time that she was brought in for an exam and subsequent surgery.  There would be no way of knowing if there was metastasis to other organs without a post-mortem exam to determine if the cancer had spread to the lungs or other organs.  

Your veterinarian must have considered the problem very serious if surgery had to be performed so quickly.  Your dog might have succumbed to the cancer soon whether she had the surgery or not.  Additionally, your dog may have died at the veterinary clinic after the surgery even if you had not taken her home.  At least you were with her when she did pass away.

Statistics show that approximately 1 out of 1000 surgeries result in death.  This is for all types of surgery including routine spays and neuters.  Causes include congenital abnormalities, underlying infectious or other conditions,  but many times a cause is never found.

[tanying]

Thank you for informative answer Doc. I just want to highlight that after the operation the vet told my dad to bring home the dog, apparently after the couple of hours my dog died.. The vet must considered the recovery before allowing my dog to go home..