A New York couple is suing their local veterinary hospital for $5 million, claiming the facility and its in-house veterinarian committed malpractice with the care of their dog.

In the summer of 2016, Rebecca Bent and Bruce Bent II took their St. Bernard-standard poodle mix Massimo to the Big Apple branch of BluePearl Veterinary Partners to have him examined and treated for weight loss, diarrhea and vomiting. The Bents claim veterinarian Dr. Joon Im misdiagnosed Massimo's ulcers, ultimately overmedicating him with steroids and causing him to lose most of his hair. The Bents, who made two return visits to the emergency room with Massimo, further allege that Dr. Im described Massimo as a "lemon" and suggested on several occasions that he be euthanized. Eventually, the couple obtained the proper diagnosis and treatment for Massimo.

“After an incredible amount of pain and suffering, he is on the road to recovery, and we are cautiously optimistic,” Rebecca added. “We think he’s better now. This should have been a very simple diagnosis … but instead Blue Pearl almost killed Massimo and charged ridiculous amounts of money along the way.”

In addition to $5 million in punitive damages, the Bents are seeking attorneys' fees and compensatory damages, noting that their lawsuit is a "last resort."

According to news reports, BluePearl countered the lawsuit by saying, “We care very deeply about every pet we treat, and we spoke numerous times with the Bent family to try to address their concerns. We’ve reviewed this case and are confident in the care our skilled and compassionate veterinarians provided Massimo.”

—Source: pagesix.com