Rian Keijzers from Zevenbergen lost her dog Bodhi last year. The pet had fallen off the chair and was taken to an animal hospital in Waalwijk. After two months with a lot of pain, Bodhi still had to fall asleep.
Keijzers thinks one of the vets in Waalwijk has made mistakes. Only she cannot go to the disciplinary court, because the doctor is not in the legally required veterinary operator register.
Today, research by Omroep Brabant and the NOS showed that at least four veterinarians and twelve paraveterinary veterinarian assistants who work at Brabant veterinary clinics are not registered in the Veterinary Charter Register. Read more about the research here.
Scan of 2,000 euros
“I was very attached to Bodhi and he was also to me,” says Keijzers. “A little more than a year ago Bodhi had fallen off the chair and he could no longer walk.” She went to a local animal clinic and was sent to a animal hospital in Waalwijk, where the dog was allowed to stay for the night.
“The next morning I was immediately called with the request to be allowed to make a scan, to see what Bodhi had. It was immediately told that the scan costs about 2,000 euros. I was actually shocked. But you do it anyway. Because you want to know what your dog is wrong. So I agree. Then I heard his neck vertebra,” says Keijszers.
“I thought it was fierce. Operating would be difficult, because it was a small dog of only two kilos. Then Bodhi went in plaster. That didn’t help, but you assume it will help. You try what you can of course.”
Roll in all directions
When the plaster at Bodhi was removed, “he spent in all directions,” says Keijzers. “My daughter asked: shouldn’t photos be taken? The vet answered:“ No, that is not necessary, he must do physio. We thought: it will, it is a doctor so you assume it is good. So we also went in that. “
But the dog kept going badly. “His head kept shaking and hung. I didn’t trust it and made an appointment in Belgium, to make a scan. There they told me that I had to put it asleep immediately. His neck vertebra was still loose and a number of other things were not good either.”
“The Belgian doctor also said: you can now operate, but the chance is very small that he will make it. And then you are a few thousand euros poorer,” says Keijzers. Bodhi asleep shortly thereafter.
She thinks her pet has suffered unnecessary pain because it was chosen to use physiotherapy. “And to fully strain him with that, while the beast is choking with pain. Well. That is of course not possible. Money is of course annoying, but I find it worse that the animal had to suffer like that.”
Course to disciplinary court
Keijzers wanted to present the doctor if something had gone wrong, but received no response. She is considering going to the veterinary disciplinary court to submit a complaint. Only: that is not possible in this case. Only veterinary medicines who are in the legally required veterinary company register can be challenged for the disciplinary court.
Research by Omroep Brabant and the NOS shows that one of the vets who have treated Bodhi is not in that register. The corridor to the disciplinary court is therefore impossible.
The disciplinary court says it does indeed not handle any matters against veterinary medicines who do not appear in the register. Not even if it is still registered. “A veterinarian cannot be addressed disciplinary for performing veterinary actions during the period in which he or she was not registered,” says the disciplinary court.
Reporting to the police
An option that is still open to Keijzers is making a report to the police because her pet was dealt with by a veterinarian who did not have the legally required registration.
Keijzers says she thinks about this. “My dog Bodhi died for nothing anyway, but I want something to be done about it. It has been a year since he died, but I can’t put it next to me yet. It’s not finished yet, I can’t give it a place yet.”
Response IVC Evidensia
IVC Evidensia says in a response: “We have informed the relevant authorities and will work closely with them to handle this in accordance with their guidelines. It is important to emphasize that the employees involved are very experienced and fully competent professionals with the right qualifications for registration, and that there has been no danger to animals in any time,” said the danger to animals animals.
Read more about the research and reactions of the three chains investigated in this extensive accountability.