Sorry, Didn't notice the date was so long ago, Maybe someone else who is seeking info on this site may find this information useful.
I'm very sorry for your tragic loss.
Did you ask for and take copies of the original pre anaesthetic blood work panel which was performed on your dog on the Friday?
They would be very helpful to have as a starting point & perhaps useful evidence. If they won't give them to you you would have to get a lawyer to demand them. They could possibly show something being slightly abnormal in the patient's blood, but they chose to go ahead with the surgery anyway, or perhaps they didn't do enough testing. (the blood panel could be totally fine & complete, but you need it in case it may help shed some light)
The Pathology report concludes with definite bleeding out and breakdown in coagulation, but I believe they are making a conclusion based on findings, & not on actual test detection of Coumadin?? Just to me, it does not seem conclusively clear that Coumadin was definitively used, but it does say or 'derivatives'.
So let's assume ANY type of blood thinning product may have affected your dog and caused it to bleed out at or peri /post surgery.
Was your dog on ANY kind of medication?
Your dog may have been accidentally injected with heparin, a common fluid drug used in veterinary surgeries, even a tiny amount of heparinized saline may be used to help the blood not to clot at the time & injection site of catherisation (or cannula insertion). It's possible there could have been an accidental mix up & full strength heparin could have been injected?
Another scenario is that your dog possibly found & ate some rat bait unbeknownst to yon Thursday or Friday before he was admitted to the vet hospital. You say they play on your lawn. Someone could have deliberately poisoned your dog. Only one dog may have found/eaten the bait, or even both, but the other dog didn't undergo surgery, &./ or it may not have affected it seriously. Depending on the type & strength & amount consumed, rat bait may take 1-7 days, usually 2-3 days to start showing signs or to show up in a blood panel.(he had the test Friday? & surgery not until Monday afternoon? 2 days later.
A dog who had consumed rat bait or a blood thinning product could bleed out during surgery as in this case.
A dog could have a sudden acute case of DIC (dessimated intravascular coagulation) during surgery, perhaps the dog had some kind of cancer unknown to you? In DIC, to over ride this problem, plasma & platelets could be injected along with (controversial) some kind of blood thinner like heparin/coumadin.
Another possible scenario, as it was in Thailand, possibly an exotic ; snake got loose & bit your dog? or could a native snake have somehow been able to bite your dog? (these are really stretching the imagination, but could produce the breakdown in platelets and fibrin causing massive internal bleeding).
Accidents/mistakes, forgetting to check something, wrong injections, happen occasionally/regularly in medical & veterinary practice.People are not robots/machines, & human error can always occur.
Did you agree to or ask for IV (intravenous) fluids to be administered?
It's also possible, in worst case accidental scenario, that your dog was given IV fluid, & the rate at which he received it was far too high, meaning he could be pumped full with a high level of perhaps cold water/sodium which could dilute all his platelets & coagulating factors? It would not on it's own leave any traces of coumadin, but just heavily dilute clotting factors./platelets. But the pathology did not say the dog showed signs of edema, only edama of one organ?
If you want to take legal action, you need the blood tests they took, & need to find a lawyer with experience in veterinarian malpractice, who can find you another vet who will examine all your evidence; blood panels, pathology/toxicology/autopsy reports & Jeffie's body.
t I don't know if you will have resolve this, as courts do not often end up providing justice in the end, & there are so many variable which could have occurred. Proving criminal or gross negligence beyond reasonable doubt might be extremely difficult.
The standard of veterinary education & care is highest in England, USA & Australia.
I don't know the level/standard of care in Thailand, but a vet who studied there, could not practice in the above mentioned countries, without substantial & lengthy study in those countries.
Even NSAID's can be dangerous. Rymadyl , an anti-inflammatory medication for animals used to be available for humans, but was taken off the market as being too dangerous, but came back available for our pets. (why are pets given medication deemed too risky for humans)
NSAID's can cause thinning of the blood, as may aspirin, which is not recommended for use in animals but is used as an anti-inflammatory when people who cannot afford the more expensive anti-inflammatories, instead use Aspirin, which is not recommended due to it's blood thinning properties & unpredictability.
Any time you hand your beloved pet over to anyone you are assuming risk.
Surgery is inherently dangerous, & if you can avoid it, I would definitely do so, only considering surgery as a necessary evil when absolutely, totally unavoidable.
I hope I may have been of some help. You can research things I mentioned, but perhaps it would be more beneficial to maybe consider just researching animal health & natural & preventative care in general & concentrate your energies of love & sadness of losing Jeffie, in trying to keep your remaining little pet safe & well, by preventative measures & not relying on strangers
who do not care like you do about your animal. They would not be minding your dog or doing anything for your dog without you giving them money, as it is a business. You love your dog most.
I'm sorry, I meant to say the vet's office or the manufacturer is responsible.
I am very sorry for you loss. I'm surprised no vets have responded to your question, but maybe I can shed some light on it.
From the autopsy report, your dog died from warfarin poisoning. It is a blood thinner, often used in hospitals and veterinary offices. I don't know anything about cataract surgery, but I don't know why warfarin would be used in the surgery, but one of three things seems to have happened, 1) it was intentionally used and overdosed, 2) it was accidentally used in overdose, 3), it was used intentionally and the drug itself caused the problem. I don't know the details, but in the US there are several attorneys advertising on television that they will represent people who have been administered this drug and have either died or been harmed by it. That makes me think that there are problems with the drug itself, some batches of it, or the administration of it. Perhaps the manufacturer is the one responsible for your dog's death. . I'm betting someone confused it with another drug and gave your poor dog a massive dose. It's usually only used in very tiny doses.
The symptoms of the poisoning are similar to those of rat poison, which is why the vet initially suspected rat poison.
It appears pretty clear to me that the vet's office made a mistake and is responsible for the death of your dog. I don't know enough about it to know who to blame, but I'm certain it is either the vet's office or the drug manufacturer.
In the US, no vet would ever say that any kind of surgery "would in no way ever cause the death" of any animal. All surgery poses some risk, even simple ones. Here, pet owners have to sign a form acknowledging that they understand the risks and they won't hold the hospital responsible unless there is gross negligence.
If I were you, I'd search the Internet for problems with this drug and attorneys representing clients who have been injured by it. I'd also get the detailed record from the vet and take it to another vet to go over in search of the moment when the warfarin was given so that you can determine whether it was intention, accidental, or overdose. It is given in such a tiny amount, that overdose is quite possible, especially if the vet has technicians or other people preparing medications.
Sympathy and best of luck you and your remaining dog.