A woman has been left feeling heartbroken and angry after claiming her puppy was 'misdiagnosed' by a Blackburn vet.
Kayy Padgett, found her puppy, Maggie, dead on Friday, March 8, though the cause of her dog's death is unknown and she did not take the animal for an autopsy.
The English Bull Terrier was taken to the vets after being sick, and after examination by Animal Trust in Blackburn was reportedly sent home and told she only required an anti-sickness injection and paracetamol.
A spokesperson for the Animal Trust said it is “conducting a full internal investigation into this case”.
Kayy, 26, has since set up a Facebook page called Justice for Maggie, aiming to stop other pet owners from going through the same “heartbreak” she has experienced.
Kayy, from Accrington, said Maggie started being sick on Tuesday, March 5.
She said: “I knew something wasn’t right. I spoke a vet who said it might be a blockage because bits of fabric were coming up in the sick.
“I brought her to the Animal Trust in Blackburn and the vet felt her stomach when I mentioned it might be a blockage.
“The vet said it wasn’t a blockage because she wasn’t in pain when her stomach was being touched.
"They thought it was gastroenteritis and suggested an anti-sickness injection and paracetamol.
“I decided to trust the professionals.”
Kayy said Maggie’s condition did not improve once at home and she decided to call the Animal Trust’s out-of-hour vets in Bolton.
Kayy said: “When we got her home I called the out-of-hours vets in Bolton.
"A vet told me unless she is sick a lot, or if the sick has blood in, then she doesn't need to be rushed in.”
Listening to their advice Kayy did not take Maggie back to the vet.
Despite showing signs of perking up, three days later Kayy came downstairs and found Maggie had died.
“I tried calling the vets after this had happened and they told me to lodge a complaint online,” Kayy said.
“I feel heartbroken as Maggie was so young. I am so angry and frustrated. You trust these people when they don’t help.”
Kayy said there is a “hole in her life” since Maggie died.
She said: “It is heart breaking to lose an animal. I recently lost my nan, who paid the deposit for Maggie.
“Maggie became my best friend [while grieving] for her. She was the reason I got up in the morning and it’s like there is a massive, empty hole in my life.
"It took me days to go in the kitchen as that is where her empty cage is.
“Her ashes are sat in a box on my desk and they shouldn’t be. She should be running around like the crazy puppy she was.”
Maggie is now urging Animal Trust to take action to prevent this from happening to another dog, though what else the vets could have done is unclear.
She set up Facebook page Justice for Maggie, to share her story.
Kayy said: “People keep saying I should try and claim compensation but money isn’t going to bring my dog back.
“I feel like the vets should get some better training and consider working on their customer service. I would also like a genuine apology.
“I set up Justice for Maggie to try and bring about some positive change and I believe it is doing that. Most people have been supportive and agreed that this shouldn’t have happened.”
A spokesperson for Animal Trust said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of any patient under our care and have offered our sincere condolences to our client.
“We are currently conducting a full internal investigation into this case.
"Animal Trust Vets treats thousands of pets across the Lancashire region every year, and the quality of care we provide is very important to us.”
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