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	Cat who has been Run Over Q: Our cat was run over and we took him to the vet. The most obvious injury was a crushed foot. When we got him home two days later we noticed he had a broken tail. we took him back to the vet where they amputated half of his tail. A week later the dressing on his foot was removed, only to find that the skin had sloughed off and the stitches broken down. They told us that the blood supply was compromised. Since then he has spent almost two weeks in the animal hospital and is now at home going in every other day for re-dressing. To date the bill is £700, we feel that we are paying for their mistakes rather than the cat's treatment, what can we do? regards Beth Vaughan

A: Wound management of this type can be a big problem, and if a wound breaks down as in this case, it takes a lot of time, effort and money to get things right. Regular dressings are required to ensure the wound stays as clean as possible whilst it heals. If you are truly unhappy with things, then you should initially communicate with the practice responsible, speaking to a senior member of the practice to express your difficulties. They then have an opportunity to put their side of the story. If you continues to be unhappy you could write to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon who will discuss you grievance with the practice. If you feel that you remain unsatisfied then you need to seek legal help. Angela Bodey MRCVS (Vet for PetPlanet)

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