vet going back on clinical diagnosis -no claiming no definitive diagnosis given

KENICKIE_2

Please can anyone help? I have recently bought a horse my issue in all fairness isnt initially with the vet it is with the vendor. who has lied about his condition.A letter was supplied and used to claim on an equine insurance for a specialized rug due to a clinical diagnosis. However the vendor lied about her knowledge despite being asked pre purchase..Having found the vet letter she still lied it was confirmed with the vet it was him we were talking about and the vendor had full knowledge about it .. however now once i have asumed court procedings the vet has produced a New letter some 7 months later without re examining the horse and said the diagnosis was never recorded and it could have been other things but still the specialised rug is advocated ..this has confused the judge in a pre court procedure and thinks the first letter was not a diagnosis when clearly the insurance company think it was and paid out and in very clearly a clinical diagnosis.please help it is totally unproffesional of the vet to write a statement then under pressure of the client seemingly retract it!! Any advise would be helpfull

snowman2_2

Did you get your vet to do a pre-purchase examination or did you rely on their vet? You should always use an independent vet for this so the vet has no conflict of interest.I think you need to speak to your solicitor as this sounds like a legal nightmare. Buying & selling horses seems to me to be a mugs game and fraught with trouble and deceit. I would never consider doing a pre-purchase exam and any vet who does one is brave. Anything goes wrong and you get it from both directions.

KENICKIE_2

Hi
I did have a five star vetting of which he passed with flying colours the problem I have the condition I refer to is sweet itch -this is a seasonal problem as this does not unless you are very unfortunate rear its head in winter, would not be evident at a five star vetting.I have no issues with my vet doing the vetting . Just how can a vet now go back on her diagnosis once she issued a letter with a clinical diagnosis on and now 7 months later changes the story!!

DFW74

HAve sent you a PM OP.

KENICKIE_2

Just to re cap

I had a 5 start vetting the condition diagnosed was not present at the time as it is seasonal 'sweet itch'

the vendor lied about him ever having ben itchy or diagnosed .

the vet now has issued a second letter ( issued after I bought him and only when I have started court procedings) saying no diagnosis was formally made despite a letter saying Clinical ssigns consistant with sweet itch in a letter in March used to claim for a specialised rug.

what I would like to know from any possible vets out there is how this stands up with your Proffesional ethics under the Guidance of proffesional conduct 2G concerning 'Certification'.

the letter said after examination it was found that he shows clinical signs consistant with sweet itch and recomends a boett blanket is purchased for a method of reducing his symptoms.


This is a Clinical diagnosis ie being made up from and observation of signs and symptoms.
This letter was used to claim for an expensive boett rug via insurance.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

orlao

I know very little about the ethics side of things!

Equine vets tend, IME to treat on a much more conservative way than small animal vets ie 'lets give this a go and if that doesn't work we'll try something for the next stage' especially with things like sweet itch where there isn't a definitive test.....which maybe why the original vet is saying there wasn't a clinical diagnosis? Just a technical thing?

But, if you got a 5 stage vetting, you will have a vetting certificate?
And you will have used that to insure him for vet fees? So there is no exclusion for sweet itch. As I'm sure you know anyway horse insurance only covers 12 months for the start of any claim so you may be able to claim a boett rug or something similar but IIRC they are under £200 and your excess is probably £125 or more so it might not be worth the hassle.

If it is any consolation, if his SI was that bad there would be skin damage remaining in the mane and tail areas which would be picked up by a 5 stage vetting and it isn't the most difficult thing to manage as long as you start treatment before the fly season.
If you want the experts guide to 'How to manage SI' have a look at HHO http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=62

I can understand your frustration though - like anyone who has bought a horse would!

KENICKIE_2

they claimed for the boett rug he is excluded from my insurance because i am honor bound to disclose it also i dont want to potentially invalidate the whole of my insurance from not disclosing the information .

It was the same vet only when asked by the vendor when i am persuing court action has submitted the second letter some 7 months later without the benifit of further examining the horse. At the vetting he did have no evidence his mane however is hogged as he is a show cob.

snowman2_2

Your mistake was not to use an independent vet to do the examination. Even if you both normally use the same vet, you should always get a 2nd opinion for a pre-purchase examination. You need to get a copy of the full clinical notes - these should not be changed from the originals and can determine the extend of prior knowledge. Sometimes we will suggest something as a precaution but the insurance payout makes it interesting. Still a job for the solicitors but get the full clinical history if you can

orlao

Ah - in that case I wish you all the best in your court action!

KENICKIE_2

I used my vet whom I trust explicitly for the pre purchase vetting. They were not a client of the vendor so this was an independant vetting.The vetting was not the issue as sweet itch especially if he does have only a mild version would not be present if correctly managed then when it was cold and heading into autum.

His skin at the time was perfect. His mane is hogged and his tail is clipped close back due to him being that type of horse to show off him top line.

The issue is her vet that is different to mine..is now changing her statement she attested to when she wrote it in March and in October after i purchased him and only when court procedings have started did a second letter claiming nothing had been documented.

This breaches her code of ethics and questions he proffesional integrity as the first letter was used to claim off insurance.

It is like the vet is in with the vendor covering up the clinical presentation of sweet itch.

KENICKIE_2

Any advise from any vets please xx