Immune mediated Polyarthritis

Hi my dog went into hospital with suspected IMPA which they thought was highly likely and they also suspected Lyme disease which they said in their own words was highly unlikely. I have a concern that they prescribed him with doxycycline which has made him incredibly unwell, as I have read this should never be administered to a dog with a compromised immune system. He got out of hospital and a few days later was admitted again with IMPA and and inflamed oesophagus. Been very sick and had acid reflux. he has improved quite significantly but still not fully better. Official results have came back and he has IMPA and he is negative for Lyme disease.   my question is was the doxycycline the incorrect treatment and is the vet liable for the further sickness causes to my dog.

Hello Were the GI signs definitely caused by the medication?  And if so, was it worse to give the Doxycycline and risk gastric side effects, or not to give it and risk possible Lyme disease symptoms from worsening? - because at the time, Lyme disease had not been ruled out.  As well as the liklihood of getting it wrong, the relative severity of getting it wrong had to be taken into account (what could have happened if Doxycycline had not been given and it had been Lyme disease?)  Your vet had a judgement call to make.  The georgraphical location, recent cases and pets' circumstances could also have been important. I would argue that most vets facing complex medical cases try to act in the patient's best interests, making the best call they know with the information available to them at the time. There is often a complex multitude of pros and cons involved with any decision and much of the time, these will be discussed openly with the owner.  Of course, I am not a medical expert, so a specialist might get such decisions right more times out of ten than I would. Nor am I a legal expert - and just for information, I live in the UK not the US and we don't really have much of a culture of litigation.  As a general vet, it sounds to me that perhaps the vet was doing the best they knew with a difficult, complex case.  I wonder if they would make the same decision again?

Thank you for your reply. I live in Scotland. The vet had advised that she had never seen a case of Lyme disease in her career and that it was highly unlikely. As far as I am aware, according to what the vet told us, the GI problems were caused from Doxycycline. They also mentioned that it could have been prednisolone but he is now back on this medication and having no side effects. I am confident it was the doxycycline. They have always acted in his best interests, but I believe a mistake has been made in relation to the administration of a drug which should not be given to a dog with an already compromised immune system.