# My Nightmare with Rover



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

I flew back to FL on the redeye on the 14th and arrived in Orlando at 5am from LAX. I'm still recovering from ovarian surgery only a few days before. We found a nice older woman on rover.com who had 5 stars from more than 120 reviews. She has claimed more than 20 years of dog sitting experience. Here is a sequence of events that happened that is probably one's worst nightmare. 

Feb 14th
5am: Arrive in Orlando International Airport
8am: dog sitter text me to pick up dog but I've slept through it.
11am: I wake up and find the text and sent my DH to pick them up because of my bumpy 5 hour plane ride. DH picks up the dog and the sitter complained about Kit's shedding, Lucky's grooming, and Nibbler's barking. 
noon: Husband calls me on the car ride home that something is wrong. The pug has a huge scratch in her one good eye and needs to be taken in immediately because it is infected and started to change colors. He is super pissed about it because she is already blind in the other eye and repeatedly reminded the sitter to watch her eye when we left. Note: Lucky and Kit both looked disheveled and dirty. Lucky has mats on his leg and head. My parent's Maltese is about the only one who made it out ok. 
3pm: We take her straight to the animal eye specialists who was able to fit us in the same day. They said it was a massive ulcer that has already eaten away more than 50% of her cornea. She was put on plasma, 3 antibiotic, 1 anti-inflammatory, 1 painkiller, and 1 antifungal (which I have to be compounded). We needed to administer the three antibiotics once every hour and the treatment plan is as aggressive as one can get. We needed to do this for 24hr and recheck the next day.
4pm: We picked up our cat and bird from the vet. They are cheerful, pristine, and smells great. Not one mat on the persians. 
5pm: We noticed Kit had a brown discharge and we figured it was the end of her heat cycle. We decided to give both Lucky and Kit a bath because they smelled awful.
Overnight: DH was able to administer the meds every hour on the hour with micronaps in between. I was having horrible cramps and tried to kill the swelling that was pretty extensive after the plane ride.

Feb 15th:
I woke up at 2pm and Paul said he was gonna drive Nibbler to her eye apt. At this point, Paul has only gotten four hours of sleep and some micronaps in the last 48 hrs. I was scared that he was gonna be dangerous on the road but I was not in any condition to drive. Thankfully she is responding to the antibiotics and the ulcer seems contained. I had been really worried about this because originally, the vet said more than 50% do not respond to treatment when the damage is this bad to the cornea. 
3pm: I get this news from Paul and noticed Kit's brown discharge did not get better
4pm: I start freaking out as I researched about Kit's condition online. I suspected it is pyometra! I decided this needs to be looked at. I tried to make an appointment immediately.
6pm: Our vet was able to squeeze us as the last apt of the day @6pm. The vet took a look at Kit and the discharge and said it looked like pyrometra. After an Xray, he said she needed immediate emergency surgery/ hysterectomy to fix the pyometra. The office closes at 6 pm and he stayed until 8:30 to perform the surgery on Kit. I pick her up at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

How negligent can you be that two out of four dogs are in critical condition after 10 day stay with this sitter? She didn't notice the giant hole in my pug's good eye but noticed her barking? Perhaps she is barking because of the pain? Nibbler is not a barker. She let Kit get so filthy that it caused an ovarian infection that is life-threatening. Pyrometra is no joke and needs to be caught immediately in order to save a dog's life. I have filed a claim with Rover.com and haven't done much else other than bring my dogs to and back from the vet. I am sleep deprived and in a ton of pain from my own surgery and travels. Has anyone had experience with pyrometra or corneal ulcers? I appreciate any advice because this is a nightmare!!


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Oh my God, Snow - how horrible for both you and the dogs. I am sending a ton of prayers your way. (((HUGS)))


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Snow that is the worst story. OMG. I am so sorry you went through this. Holding all of you in the light.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Oh my. A true nightmare. Thank God the eye is responding. Many hugs. You must get better, first off. You and DH need sleep and probably all the pets do too (well, except the ones who were at the vets.)


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I have known several owners that missed pyometra calls. If I had been told that a dog was in season, and it was not my own dog, I am not sure I would pick up on the signs. It is not caused by unsanitary conditions. I do not think your sitter should be blamed for the pyometra. I hope you all recover soon. What a fiasco!


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Even if she didn’t notice the puddles of brown pus, I find it hard to believe you don’t notice the blue eye that is clouded over with a hole at the center. Also, there is open and closed pyrometra and she has an opened one. A opened one is when black/ brown discharge is flowing out whereas a closed pyrometra does not produce discharge until it pops. This was not a closed pyrometra.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

What a horrible ordeal to come home to! Hope your world turns itself right-side-up and all goes well! You and the gang will be in my bedtime prayers!:hug:


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Oh man!!! Snow I cant even believe all of that happening at once! Talk to Zooeysmom on fb and search the forum here - I remember her talking about a horrible experience she had with a sitter and I think it was from Rover - I believe it had a bad outcome - as in Rover would not accept any responsibility for the sitter that they had been recommending.

I hope Nibblers eye continues to improve. And poor Kit - going through an emergency spay. I have known many people who have been through pyo with their bitches, never experienced it first hand though. It *can* happen spontaneously but I do not think that it is common for a first heat to have it happen UNLESS bacteria has been introduced into their lady parts. Like if it is possible that any other males at the ladies house were allowed to hump Kit for example. Even neutered males can *try* to have sex with a female in heat and that can introduce bacteria. That is why it is a good idea to keep a bitch in heat away from all males. Sorry to be so graphic haha, but just giving a possibility for how it could have happened. There is always the possibility of it happening randomly though. I hope you recover quickly from your surgery, and thank heaven for hubby holding down the fort so that you can rest a little!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

What an absolute nightmare! Thank heavens you came back when you did, and recognised the dangers of the pyo. I hope you and the dogs can now begin to recuperate, and that you all have a steady recovery.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Wow, what an ordeal ! I’m sorry you came back to such a mess. You should be resting from surgery, not worrying about ypur dogs.

I wonder how this lady managed to get 120 good reviews... I would never ever trust Rover.com if the reviews are so off.

My late Chihuahua, bless her heart, had a corneal ulcer after Merlin pawed her in the eye. We had two kind of drops to administer every few hours, all day long, for 2-3 weeks, I can’t remember. She recovered 100%. It really is a hassle, but the treatment works. In Nibbler’s case it had time to worsen, but still, he seems to be responding well.


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## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

Oh Snow, I am just speechless. I am so, so sorry to hear about all of this. I hope that this is the last worry you have regarding this trip and that everyone begins to heal up so you can all rest and recover.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I'm so sorry you - and especially your dogs - had such a bad experience. A really good critter sitter is hard to find.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

What a nightmare! I am so sorry for Nibbler and Kit and for all the additional stress that you don’t need. Your DH is wonderful. Healing prayers your way though this health crisis.


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Snow, this would be horrible at any time but especially now when you yourself are in recovery. Your poor dogs being in that situation for 10 days, not to mention the pain the eye must have caused, so sorry this happened. Your DH is a real trooper and really came through for the whole family. I hope you will post a review on her sight so other people see at least one bad experience, and no other dogs have to endure. Hope you all get well soon, get some rest.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Other people here have had less than stellar things to say about Rover. snow I am so sorry you had such a horrible experience. This stuff is the last thing in the world you need while recovering from your own procedure. I hope all of you can have uneventful recoveries.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

I’ve spoken with zooeysmom and she said that rover can be a hit or miss. I figured it is just like with vet clinics; some are much better than others. This pet sitter was sweet when I met up with her and her home has double fencing and right next to public park that had an enclosed dog park. She looked like she was about my mom’s age (60s) , retired, and figured she was really responsible. Her home was very cute and well maintained. My judgment said she earned her 5 star review from 120 clients. She has been watching dogs on and off since the 1970s. She is not a rude person and came off very caring and nice but clearly negligent. I’ve filed a claim with rover and they said they have a $250 injury deductible and will provide coverage at 100% after that. I have no idea if they are gonna honor this but they have pretty responsive customer service. 

To make matters worse, the final results from my surgery was not great and might have to do it again in a year ☹. I’m somewhere between shocked and exhausted. I’ve decided to put off the anger for later. Hopefully I recover this weekend bc I go back to work on Monday. 


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

snow0160 said:


> I’ve spoken with zooeysmom and she said that rover can be a hit or miss. I figured it is just like with vet clinics; some are much better than others. This pet sitter was sweet when I met up with her and her home has double fencing and right next to public park that had an enclosed dog park. She looked like she was about my mom’s age (60s) , retired, and figured she was really responsible. Her home was very cute and well maintained. My judgment said she earned her 5 star review from 120 clients. She has been watching dogs on and off since the 1970s. She is not a rude person and came off very caring and nice but clearly negligent. I’ve filed a claim with rover and they said they have a $250 injury deductible and will provide coverage at 100% after that. I have no idea if they are gonna honor this but they have pretty responsive customer service.
> 
> To make matters worse, the final results from my surgery was not great and might have to do it again in a year ☹. I’m somewhere between shocked and exhausted. I’ve decided to put off the anger for later. Hopefully I will recover this weekend bc I go back to work on Monday.
> 
> ...


Oops hit the wrong button




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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

That is good news about Rover’s liability insurance. Nibbler’s specialist visits are going to be ongoing, and I hope you have made that clear. They may drop that pet sitter based on how much she is going to cost them in vet expenses. Prayers that you will be nearly 100% by Monday.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

So far the bills are $700 ($500 for first visit and $200 followup) for Nibbler and $900 for Kit. I was actually surprised by how low it was for Kit because the doc had to stay very late to perform emergency surgery. Poor Kit isn’t eating at all and I’ve never see her so out of it. 

Rover made their $25 admin fee and the total stay was $1000 which I’d imagine went to the sitter. It was for four dogs for 10 nights.

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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’m so sorry abput your surgery. I hope the outcome is good.

Do you think Rover will reimburse the surgeries too ?


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Aww thanks! Hopefully some will be covered. 


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

Oh, Snow, nightmare indeed! I hardly know what to say......
I am so sorry your tough time with surgery was complicated by your truly horrible Rover experience. What a mess. I am so very sorry. It is a really good thing that you recognized immediately, the severity of Kit's situation and acted promptly. Thank God you have such good veterinatians on your side to help both of your kids out. 

I hope you ALL get some much needed rest this weekend and that everyone bounces back quickly.

On a side note, maybe to make you smile a little. I think of Nibbler when we have "the invasion of the pug people" at our dog park. About once a month, less often in the winter, we have about 30 or so people who gradually start filling up the "small dog" side of our dog park....pretty soon we have about 30 humans and 30+ pugs who accompany their humans to the park. They bring human and doggie snacks and hang out, generally just milling about and chatting about their little pugs...not much dog play going on over there. Poppy usually gets really nosy and hangs out by the fence trying desperately to get the little guys to notice her, usually to no avail. However, each time they arrive, without fail Poppy does her best nosy Mrs. Kravitz immitation and eves drops on their little party. I enjoy the little guys so much and their humans are quite cheerful and charming. We all love it when, as the pug parents say the monthly "invasion of the pug people" comes to our park.

Hope Mr. Nibbler recovers quickly and fully. 

Thinking of you all, Cathy and Poppy


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## blueroan (Dec 28, 2015)

What rotten luck and timing! Hope all of you feel better soon!


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Pugs are sweet and charming little dudes. They are like Labradors in a compact little body. My DH is a huge pug fan! If it was up to him we’d have all pugs. 
Question: Kit had her reproductive organs removed. The vet said she might still have some discharge. From what I see, the amount of discharge is just as much as before. I am going to call the vet when they open tomorrow but I don’t want to seem like a hypochondriac. 


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Words just fail, so I'm sending positive, healing thoughts to you all.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

So sorry you are going thru all this I hope all your pups recover quickly as well as yourself.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Oh no, Snow, (((HUGS))) and I hope everyone heals quickly, including you.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Omg I woke up this morning and there is blood and discharge everywhere. Paul slept out in the living room with Kit and Nibbler. The good news is the compounding pharmacy overnighted Nibbler’s last meds. I’ve been on the phone with our vet figuring out what to do with Kit. He gave us his cell phone number because his clinic is going to be closed for the weekend. I asked him for some zenequin as an aggressive antibiotic treatment and he left it by the door. He recommended for us to seek a specialist if she does not respond to this. 
There is one detail about her surgery that was odd. He found that she has a strange uterus and inside. He said things were in odd positions and he has never seen anything like this before. He said the abdomen was and uterus were in odd places and there was some odd “unknown tissue”. He sent a sample to have the tissues biopsied. He said it wasn’t cancer or odd growth but he has never seen such an odd setup once she was cut open. What is wrong with Kit? She comes from the best Maremma breeder in the country. Hopefully being an oddball doesn’t translate to more medical complications. Ughh been misspelling things pyro instead of pyo. 
Edit:
Now I am really scared. I have no idea what can be done. The breeder seems to know about hypoplastic vulva, which I thought she had. The breeder also manages a veterinarian office and might be familiar with this. Should I contact her?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I would contact her breeder. She might have suggestions for you, but at the very least should know what is happening with Kit. In conversation with a colleague many years ago about a challenging cardiac condition in a child, he said "nature has a remarkable tolerance for imperfections, doesn't she?" She really does. Try not to worry until you know what you need to worry about. You need to take care of yourself.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> I would contact her breeder. She might have suggestions for you, but at the very least should know what is happening with Kit. In conversation with a colleague many years ago about a challenging cardiac condition in a child, he said "nature has a remarkable tolerance for imperfections, doesn't she?" She really does. Try not to worry until you know what you need to worry about. You need to take care of yourself.




I contacted the breeder as Paul went vet to pick up zeniquin at the vet. I will wait for the breeders response. She doesn’t get back to me immediately bc she live in rural Minnesota. I don’t know how the reception is there.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Agree with Lily; yes contact her breeder. Any responsible breeder would want to know about pyometra in a bitch during her first/second heat, I'd guess.

Wishing all of you great healing; what an awful time of it. I'm so sorry you weren't able to get the surgical care you needed at home in Florida, though understand anyone would have needed boarding support for several days regardless.

Long run, so lucky your girl had an open rather than closed pyo, because otherwise we'd likely be offering condolences for your early loss.


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