Should my vet have told me

anglounic

Hi everyone, 
Just looking for a bit of advice regarding my recent experience with our local Vets4Pets practice.  
Our 7 year old Labradoodle has recently been in for an operation to remove a lipoma from under her armpit.  Whilst she was under GA, the vets gave me the option to pay an extra £11 to clip her nails, to which I agreed.
There have been several issues with the whole experience beside the nail clipping, but yesterday she was sat out in the garden with me when I noticed some reddened fur on her back foot.  Upon closer inspection, I can see that they have cut one of her claws way too short and they have obviously cut the quick causing her claw to bleed. 
They didn't say a thing to me when I picked her up, and from what I can gather online, she will have had a sore paw for a few days and it could have started bleeding again. I get that given she has black claws that mistakes can happen (although this particular claw is ridiculously short now - I would never have taken it down so far personally!), but surely in the interest of the dog's comfort, I should have been told what happened?
Do I have grounds for complaint?
Besides the fact that she has a history of mast cell tumours, and right by the offending claw, I also found a new, very suspect lump on her pad that I am at a loss as to how a vet or vet nurse  would not see whilst clipping her nails. Surely they should have mentioned something to me about this too?

ace33

Maybe it would've been polite to tell you but I don't think overly necessary. Once it stops bleeding not really much to worry about.
Most dogs nails are far too long and cause discomfort/structure issues.
When clipping black nails you can see a black dot appear and that is the sign to stop.

sheramber

How long ago is 'recently'.  
If  cut into the quick then it would be bleeding at the time , not some time after.
Could she have split it or stubbed on something?

elsien

Before you head down the complaints route, how about an informal discussion with the surgery? Mine's had his claws cut too short at the vet before now (easily done as the quick is very close to the end of the claw) - a spot of charcoal to stop the bleeding was all it needed and he didn't show any sign of it being sore.
Ref the possible lump on his paw, just ask them? 

anglounic

Thanks for the replies.  
Sheramber - By recently, to give an exact date her operation and nail clipping was on the 27th May.  It hasn't bled since she came home, and it wasn't until the sun was shining on her fur on her foot that it look redder than usual (she is a black dog). My issue was that surely the vet should have informed me and not just left me to find out myself?
Elsien - We are booked in again on Monday for a post-operative check, so an informal discussion is definitely the first port of call. The claw in question is exceptionally short now, and not what I would have expected a professional to clip it down to.
Regarding the lump on the paw - I will definitely ask them, but I am surprised that it wasn't brought up by the vets, especially given her history of having Mast Cell Tumours before.

There are other issues surrounding her operation that I have a problem with too, such as the fact that from initial consultation, admittance to surgery, discharge from surgery, and initial post operative check I have seen four different faces. There is another lump on her elbow that I asked them to look at from our initial visit, and the first vet said it was just a callous, the two vets on surgery day then said it was a skin tag and nothing bad, it would be a bad place to heal etc, and then the vet nurse we saw post operatively actively asked about her elbow because 'they advised removal', which was not the case at all.  In fact it was quite the opposite.

I think I was more wondering if I was just being an uppity, overly worried dog mum. I will speak to the vets informally on Monday to see what they say.

elsien

Given the extra information, I think I’d be worried about the lack of consistency as well. I expect the person doing the procedure to be the one I’ve had the conversations with, and it for them to update me on how it went.