Dog Was Treated For Cancer, But Didn’t Have Cancer.

I’m wondering if I can file a small claims court case against a veterinary oncologist and would love some advice or thoughts on whether I have a legitimate case.

Here’s the situation:

My dog was referred to an oncologist after two negative lung fungal tests. The oncologist insisted we start chemotherapy, but unfortunately, my dog became extremely sick and refused to eat. He did two rounds in two weeks. This started in the second to last week of November, and since then, we’ve had multiple follow-up appointments where they scanned him and did bloodwork.

Just this past week, they did another scan of his lungs and told us it wasn’t cancer. Completely different diagnosis. I then took my dog to his regular vet today, and she came in seething. When I explained what happened, she informed me that the referral from her never confirmed cancer and specifically instructed them to do a bronchial wash to get a clearer picture of what was actually going on.

Apparently, the oncologist never did the bronchial wash and instead pushed chemo as the only option, which has cost us thousands of dollars and, worst of all, we’ve subjected our dog to unnecessary treatment that made him even sicker.

I’m absolutely furious about this. Is there any chance I have grounds to file a small claims case against the oncologist for the cost of the treatment and any potential damages?

Thanks in advance for any input!