Can I Pursue The Pet Hotel My Dog Stayed At For Reimbursement For Er Hospital Stay?

Location: Indiana

My dog was just hospitalized for seizures after staying 4 days at a pet hotel. She takes two anti-seizure medications (Phenobarbital and Keppra) on a strict schedule. This schedule and instructions were provided to the hotel as they have been before as this wasn’t her first stay with them. I’m certain the hotel failed to give them properly.

Here’s why: I track her medication closely. Based on the number of pills I had before drop-off and after pickup, she’s missing at least 3 doses of each medication. Her Phenobarbital blood level also dropped from 34 to 24 µg/mL since her last blood draw in August, even though I haven’t missed any doses at home. The level is still within the “normal” range, but that’s roughly a 30% decrease, which shouldn’t happen without missed doses. Vet says missed doses could very well be the cause of this or it could just be her liver adjusting to the medication differently; happens sometimes. But I told my vet about the extra doses of medicine we still have and he said “that would do it.”

She had three seizures the morning after I picked her up and had to go to the emergency vet, costing me about $1500 so far (and likely more once testing is done). She also had one additional seizure while under the care of the vet.

I have written medication instructions I gave the pet hotel, vet records showing the level change, and photos/documentation of the pill counts.

Can I pursue reimbursement from the pet hotel for the emergency vet bills, and what’s the best way to do it — demand letter first, small claims, or another route?