They Operated on the Wrong Shoulder of Our Puppy -- Then We Were Left to Deal with the Consequences…read more
Our experience with Good Care Animal Clinic's Dr. Adalberto Cotelo and Dr. Mario D. Cabrera of Cutting Edge Surgical Referrals has been devastating.
Our 6-month-old puppy, Apex, was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in his right shoulder. X-rays were taken of only his right shoulder, multiple veterinarians agreed with the diagnosis, and surgery was scheduled on his right shoulder.
We entrusted Apex to Good Care Animal Clinic because they were our primary veterinarian. We were told that Dr. Mario Cabrera was the orthopedic surgeon they used for these procedures, and we believed Apex was in experienced hands.
On April 25, 2025, we dropped Apex off for surgery. Later that afternoon, we received a call that the procedure had been completed and that he was ready to go home.
When we brought Apex home and he began recovering from anesthesia, we made a discovery no pet owner should ever have to make: his left shoulder had been shaved and surgically operated on, while the right shoulder--the shoulder that had been diagnosed, imaged, and scheduled for surgery--had never been touched.
No one informed us that the wrong shoulder had been operated on. We discovered it ourselves.
Apex underwent an unnecessary surgery on the wrong shoulder and then had to wait approximately three months before he could safely undergo a second surgery on the correct shoulder. During that time, his original condition continued to worsen while he endured additional pain, recovery, and physical limitations.
Today, Apex continues to require ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, and monitoring. Perhaps the greatest loss is something that can never be replaced. Apex only gets one puppyhood. Instead of running, playing, exploring, and socializing during those critical months, he spent them recovering from surgeries, confined to restricted activity, and living with pain.
As pet owners, we entrusted Apex to veterinary professionals believing he would receive safe and competent care. The trust we placed in Good Care and the surgeon they selected was broken the moment we discovered that the wrong shoulder had been operated on.
Our money was not immediately refunded, and we later received a written proposal that would have required us to remain silent. After our attorneys requested that recordings of our telephone conversations be preserved, we later learned those recordings were no longer available. Those issues are now part of the lawsuit we have filed.
We understand that mistakes can happen. What matters is how those mistakes are acknowledged and addressed. More than a year has passed, and we have not seen the level of accountability, transparency, or support that we believe Apex deserved.
We are sharing our experience because pet owners deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability. We encourage every family to carefully research both the veterinary clinic and the surgeon who will actually perform their pet's procedure.
Our goal is not only to raise awareness, but also to seek accountability and justice for Apex so that no other family has to endure the pain, trauma, and lasting consequences of a preventable wrong-site surgery.
Apex continues to need rehabilitation and ongoing medical care for the rest of his life.
Apex deserved better.
Every pet deserves better.
