A dog owner says his pet ended up paralyzed after staying three nights at a South Florida veterinarian and boarding facility.
“He was perfect,” Frank Massaro said. “As healthy as a 4-year-old dog could possibly be.”
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Videos from last month show the mixed-breed dog, Tux, splashing in his backyard pool.
But Massaro said after he boarded the family pet at the VCA Pet Resort and Medical Center in Coral Springs on May 1st, his pet is no longer able to walk after becoming paralyzed in his hind legs.
“He can’t control his bladder, he can’t control his bowels,” Massaro said.
Massaro said the family left Tux at the VCA for three nights because they were going out of town. On Friday, May 3rd, he said they began receiving text messages.
“They said Tux is starting to limp on his left leg,” Massaro said. “And then a couple of hours later we get another text saying Tux can’t walk at all on his back legs now.”
Massaro said the staff asked to transfer Tux to a neurologist. The family was still out of town and was unable to see what condition Tux was in.
“They wanted $14,000, is what they quoted us,” he said of the neurologist. “They wanted it up front. We’re six hours away.”
The family declined the neurologist’s proposed tests and went to pick up their pet from the VCA on Saturday, May 4th.
“When we first saw him we were just in shock,” Massaro said.
The family took their pet to another neurologist, who did the MRI. Records show they revealed some areas of concern on Tux’s spine.
“Simply put, is just, how they explained it was a piece of the disc breaks off and blocks the blood supply,” Massaro said he was told. He said doctors told him it’s an issue that could be caused by trauma.
NBC 6 reached out to the VCA about this case, and received a statement from a spokesperson.
“The care of pets is our highest priority, and we take client concerns very seriously. Our initial investigation shows there were multiple conversations between Mr. Massaro about Tux’s condition while in our care. Early on, we provided Mr. Massaro with multiple recommendations and included diagnostics and treatments prior to and after the decline of Tux’s mobility,” the statement read. “In the end after VCA medical professional and management expressed the seriousness of Tux’s condition, Mr. Massaro agreed to our veterinarian’s recommendation to allow Tux to be transported to the right specialty facilities. Our doors continue to remain open to Mr. Massaro should Tux need additional care.”
“At the end of the day we just want answers, we want to know what happened,” Massaro said.
Along with their unanswered questions, the family now has thousands of dollars in medical bills and costly physical therapy for Tux. They’ve started a GoFundMe to help with the costs.