I am in the deepest grief. My 10 year old Labrador died shortly after being under the care of Dr. Alireza Zandi at Albany Veterinary Clinic, and I need answers.
My regular veterinarian is trying to understand what happened, because the way my dog died -- struggling to breathe, collapsing, wobbling when trying to stand, vomiting his medication, and suffering for 11 hours before going into cardiac arrest while I watched -- is something no dog owner should ever have to witness.
Under the ABVMA Code of Ethics, veterinarians are required to: * "prevent or relieve animal suffering," and * "provide appropriate care in urgent or emergency situations."
Based on what happened, I do not understand how these obligations were met.
During the appointment, Dr. Zandi asked about my regular vet's findings of severe prostatitis. Instead of performing bloodwork, he noted abdominal breathing, heavy panting, and a retained testicle in the abdomen. An ultrasound was performed, and I was told only that my dog's spleen looked good. Despite these findings and my dog's fragile condition, he was discharged without emergency intervention, hospitalization, or monitoring.
I have serious questions that remain unanswered:
* Why was no bloodwork done to check for sepsis, metabolic acidosis, organ failure, or systemic inflammation -- all of which can occur with severe prostatitis or advanced prostate disease? * Why was there no emergency intervention when my dog was clearly in crisis? Abdominal breathing, hind leg weakness, collapse, and severe pain are emergency signs. * Why was he discharged when he was collapsing, breathing from his abdomen, and unable to stand without wobbling? * Why was he not hospitalized for IV fluids, injectable pain relief, and injectable antibiotics, especially when he clearly could not tolerate oral medication? * Why was there no immediate reassessment after I reported that he vomited the amoxicillin clavulanate and meloxicam four hours after dosing? * Why was I not given a full interpretation of the ultrasound findings for his prostate, lymph nodes, bladder, and other abdominal structures?
My dog suffered for approximately 11 hours after leaving the clinic. He struggled to breathe, his legs gave out, he licked the floor in distress, his body stiffened, and he ultimately went into cardiac arrest at 8:41 p.m. on August 15, 2026 -- at home, in severe pain, without IV pain control, IV antibiotics, IV fluids, or any emergency support.
I have reviewed the treatment notes, and they do not match what was what was being discussed during the appointment. I recorded our conversation because I was deeply concerned, and there are discrepancies between what was documented and what was said to me. This has further damaged my trust and increased my need for clarity.
I am asking for a full explanation of the clinical decisions made, the complete ultrasound findings, and why emergency intervention, hospitalization, and bloodwork were not offered when my dog was clearly in crisis. My goal is to understand why my dog died the way he did after being discharged from this clinic, and to ensure that no other pet and owner go through this level of suffering. read more