Complaint to be filed against Frank Liguori, DVM. - Babylon Animal Hospital Veterinarian License # 005825

I first met Dr. Frank Liguori at Cherry Grove Fire Island. Over this past summer as I was playing ball with my 2 dogs, Dr. Liguori commented that my dogs were too fat and needed to lose weight. I told him Storm has been obsessed with food ever since he was prescribed Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide for his epilepsy two years ago. He stated he could get the epilepsy under control with a more modern medication and put him on a raw diet to help him get the weight off.
11/29/2006 - I made an official appointment with Dr. Frank Liguori at Babylon Animal Hospital. Storm, my Weimeraner, had a seizure earlier that morning. He prescribed 2 tablets - 250 mg each tablet of Valproic Acid, 2 times per day.
12/4/2006 - I filled the prescription from Dr. Liguori (2 tablets of 250 mg Valproic Acid 2 times per day – (500 mg in the am, 500 mg in the pm) and began treatment.
12/18/06 - 2:55 am -Storm had a grand mal seizure and I left message to report the seizure to Dr. Liguori at 9am that morning. I was told he would return my call that day.
12/19/06 – Dr. Liguori returned my call and instructed me to increase the Valproic Acid to 3- 250 mg tablets – (750 mg in the am and 750 mg in the pm). He also instructed me to give this same dosage after each seizure.
12/25/2006 - 3:00 am and 9:05pm Storm has two Grand Mal Seizures in one day.
12/26/06 - I call to report the 2 seizures on 12/25/06 to Dr. Liguori. He advised me to increase the Valproic Acid again now to 4 tablets of 250mg each tablet to 2 times a day (1000 mgs 2 times per day)
12/27/06 – Storm began vomiting, had diarrhea, and was bleeding from his rectum. I called first thing in the morning to Babylon Animal Hospital and I was told that Dr. Frank Liguori would not be until noon. I scheduled an appointment for 12:30pm. I voiced my concern to the staff that Storm’s anti-seizure medication had not been digested because of the vomiting, and I again let them know that he had been vomiting and bleeding from the rectum for the past 15 hours. Dr. Jones advised me to bring him in if he continued to vomit so they could inject the anti-seizure medications.
12/27/06 12:30 Dr.Jones injected Storm with five medications: 1) Valium inj, 2) Sulfadimethoxine injectable 40%, 3) Centrine Injection, 4) Phenobarbital Injection, 5) Valproic Acid He also drew blood for 2 lab tests. When I tried to question the nature of the charges ($501.00), Babylon Animal Hospital’s office manager, Cindy, insisted Dr. Frank Liguori instructed her that he had no time to discuss the charges. I was never given an estimate of charges prior to administering any medication or treatment to my dog Storm. After the office manger realized I was not going to leave without the discussion she then credited back my Amex for the $501.00
12/28/2006 – I went back to my primary care Veterinarian- Massapequa Pet Vet – because of Storm’s deterioration under Dr. Liguori’s care. Dr. Stephanie Ulrich had no experience prescribing Valproic Acid, but let me know he had the side effects listed in her physician’s reference book. She had an x-ray taken and immediately called the critical care unit of Long Island Veterinarian Specialists (L.I.V.S.) of Plainview, NY. Both Dr. Ulrich and Dr. Barone- Neurologist from L.I.V.S. concurred over the phone that Storm’s liver and pancrease were in severe danger and he needed to get to the intensive care unit of L.I.V.S. hospital immediately.
12/28/06 - L.I.V.S. Storm is checked him into their ICU unit. Upon arrival I was advised that the next 48 hours Storm’s condition was going to be considered a “Code Blue”. I was told the levels of medications that were prescribed were toxic, and as a result, Storm’s liver was enlarged, he had pancreatitis, and it was uncertain whether other organs were affected or whether or not the damage would be permanent.
12/30/06 – Storm is released from the ICU unit of L.I.V.S. in guarded condition. (See “Discharge Instructions” and medication therapy attached)
1/12/07 - I took Storm to L.I.V.S. for a follow-up examination by both the Neurology department and Internal Medicine to check for progress in his recovery. I was advised that he should still be on a special prescription diet Hills WD 3-4 cans per day.
2/2/07 - I checked Storm into L.I.V.S. for a few hours for the bile test requested on 1/12/07.
2/5/07. I was notified by Dr. Guinan from L.I.V.S. that his liver functions looked good. He advised me to contact as necessary post seizure.

Charges incurred post Dr. Liguori’s treatment thus far:
12/27/06 Babylon Animal Hospital: $501.00 – credit after debate.
12/28/06 Massapequa Pet Vet: $387
12/28/06 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $975 (deposit for ICU)
12/28/06 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $600 (deposit towards care)
12/30/06 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $399 -aka Animal Emergency & Critical Care Center
12/30/06 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $459.06
12/31/06 CVS Pharmacy: $ 195.99 (10 days supply of new medication Keppra)
1/7/07 Suffolk Veterinary Specialists: $39.00 (for special Science Diet w/d food)
1/5/07 Canada Drugs.com $201.02 (30 day supply of Keppra)
1/12/07 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $272.90
1/30/07 Costco Pharmacy: $200.78 (for new medication in lieu of Keppra.)
2/2/07 06 Long Island Veterinary Specialists: $143.68

Babylon Animal Hospital, veterinarian, boarding, animal boarding, grooming, pet grooming, animal hospital, LIndenhurst, NY
http://babylonanimalhospital.com/home/

Beware of Frank Liguori - he is not to be trusted with your pet!

Storm is now out of ICU and critical condition. I have spent thus far a little over $3,000 which does not include the additional food and tests he will need this week - his follow up visit 1/12/07.

I am still trying to come to terms with this whole nightmare. Frank Liguori, DVM had increased the level of medication to extremly dangerous levels - to the pancrease and liver. Why would he not look into the obvious side effects? I had shared that Storm he had been vomitting/direahea and was bleeding from his rectum for over 15 hours. He wanted to charge me $501 for injections of medications/ blood test -yet he never took and exray or looked at the obvious signs Storm was demonstrating. Dr. Frank Ligouri's attitude from the onsight of that nightmare day 12/26/06 was arrogant and firey. Looks like back in March of 2004 he might have had his license suspended- see: http://www.op.nysed.gov/mar04.htm#ligu.

Please beware- updates will be listed as found and provided.

Babylon Animal Hospital - BEWARE !!!!

Frank Liguori has the worst bedside manor.....

My Dog Storm is in ICU due to Liguori's lack of care & toxic level of prescribed medications

After he prescribed toxic levels of what he said was a more modern medicine (Valproc Acid) to treat Epilepsy than what my previous/now back to current vet- Storm's liver almost failed because of the dangerous levels of medication Frank Liguori, DVM of Babylon Animal Hospital prescribed.

When I brought Storm in 12/27/06 - for vomiting & diarrhea ; which happened to follow having 2 Grand Mal Seizures on Monday Christmas Day-Liguori's lack of bed side manor really emerged-None- He is Horrible as a Doctor and should not be practicing . His associate Dr.Jones injected Storm with 4 medications and drew blood to be sent for 2 lab tests. When I tried to question the nature of the exorbitant charges of $501.00 - after resisting to talk to me- I found my way into the back office and found the coward Frank in his office. He said if I had a problem with paying the $500 - I should have gave my dog an antacid and waited 15 minutes to then put his seizure medication down his throat. Nice - huh?
The scary part about this is that when I Googled Valproic Acid - the number one severe side effect listed is vomitting and dirreaha- As a practiciner that just increased his dose of Valproic acid to 2000 mg per day -the day before that he would have thought to check the side effects of something he prescribed.
Then he also had the nerve to fire me up more by saying : "do you know how much time in total we have talked on the phone in the past 2 weeks? I expressed not too much out of the ordinary since Storm had 3 Grand Mal seizures in one week and has been throwing up for 15 hours - at the time.
He has the worst bedside manor - I have ever experienced. I currently have 5 animals and had a Golden Retriever that lived until 16. So I have had my share of witnessing true care and concern. Now today 12/29 - Storm is in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit at a "Specialists" Hospital- Storm(Weimeraner) has raging pancrease and his liver is enlarged. Frank sent me home the other day making it seem as if I was overreacting- and here within 24 hours my love of my life Storm is fighting for his life.
Please, please, please take my nightmare as a learning experience and stay far away from Frank Liguori's - it is all about business and making money for him and nothing to do with concern and care. He also owns Dune Point in Cherry Grove - so beware about patronizing someone like him that should not be in any type of customer service business.

~Storm's mom.