As if the death of a pet is not traumatizing in itself, the Goodwick family of Villa Park says they have to live with wondering if their puppy’s death might have been prevented.
Kobi, the 60-pound Great Dane, was adopted by Michael Goodwick in May 2008 for his three young children. Around Labor Day 2008, Kobi began to experience complications a few days after a surgery.
“I called our vet, but they were closed,” Goodwick said. “So I took her to the Lisle clinic, which was listed on the voicemail.”
Kobi’s symptoms included 106.5 fever, measured at the clinic, and a swollen abdomen where the incision had been made for the surgery.
This is when Dr. Jennifer Woll of Emergency Veterinary Services in Lisle examined Kobi to determine the extent of her illness.
“She touched Kobi’s incision and said the swelling was unrelated to the fever,” said Goodwick, who remembers Woll visually examining Kobi while the dog lay on the floor. Goodwick said he requested fluid samples and X-rays, but Woll refused and said the exams were unnecessary.
“I told her money is not a problem, and that I just want my dog to be healthy,” Goodwick said.
Woll sent Kobi home with advice to Goodwick to give her a bath and bring her in for a re-check at her regular vet the next day.
But after two days of treatment efforts and visits to various veterinary facilities, Kobi died.
“My oldest daughter was hysterical,” Goodwick said about his 8-year-old child. “She kind of understood Kobi was gone, but she couldn’t understand why a young puppy died.”
Goodwick filed a malpractice suit this fall.
Woll has denied providing substandard care to Kobi, but she does admit in court documents that she did not recommend hospitalization, pull fluid samples, perform X-rays, or give Kobi any intravenous fluids or intravenous antibiotics.
Woll has asked the judge to move the suit to small claims court and to transfer the case to mandatory arbitration, where a jury would not hear Goodwick’s case.
“This case is progressing in a manner that is fairly typical,” said Amy Breyer, the attorney representing Michael Goodwick.
The judge continued the pending motions until the next status hearing Thursday, March 25.
Woll’s lawyer, Terry Takash, said his client will continue to deny that she in any way committed malpractice related to the care she provided to Kobi. Takash said Woll is prepared to testify that she offered to hospitalized Kobi and perform surgery, and that Goodwick denied the service.
Takash also said his client provided an injection of antibiotics, cleaned Kobi’s surgical site and provided oral antibiotics, all of which is listed in the medical record given to Goodwick.
