The complainant says he brought his dog to the vet for a cyst on the back. The vet
initially suggested treating with antibiotics but upon closer examination found the
dog would require surgery. Two hours later he received a call stating that the dog
had a reaction to the anesthesia but CPR had been initiated; when he arrived he was
told the dog had died. Among other things, he was told the dog did okay during
surgery but they noticed the dog was having problems in recovery; it also appeared
they had trouble giving the dog medications because they couldn't find a vein to
insert an IV, nor was any blood work performed prior to anesthesia. He says another
vet reviewed the necropsy report and questioned whether the dog had been intubated.
Reed's response details the background on the dog and the motivation for the surgery.
He says that while sedated the dog kept moving around, so he concluded the sedation
was too light. The remainder of the procedure was uneventful; the first sign of
trouble was when the he couldn't hear the dog's heart while putting the dog in
recovery. They were unable to place an IV cathether so they gave intratracheal
epinephrine. However, the dog still died; he suggests a bad reaction to anesthesia
and points out that Midwestern's necropsy couldn't find a cause of death.
The Investigative Committee found a lot of problems on this one; they note that
the dog was brachycephalic and had tiny nostrils, thus making the dog more likely
to have a problem. They point out the dog was not intubated, multiple doses of
propofol were administered, and they even had concerns about whether the complainant
actually signed off on things that the clinic claimed he did. They also note
problems with the recorded information for the CPR attempts not matching up with
standard procedures or what was found on the dog's body. The Investigative
Committee voted to find gross negligence as well as a violation for withholding the
dead dog's records. The board kept the gross negligence violation, rewording it,
while dropping the medical records violation.
ARS § 32-2232 (11) Gross negligence; for failure to intubate the dog, administer general anesthesia, and place an IV catheter prior to the procedure which caused unnecessary suffering or death
ARS § 32-2232 (18) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (8) for failure to provide copies of the dog's medical records within 10 days from the animal owner's request.
A.R.S. § 32-2232 (11) Gross negligence: failure to intubate a brachycephalic pet while sedated for a surgical procedure.
Penalties:
Probation (1 year)
Continuing education (3 hours in anesthesia)
Continuing education (3 hours in brachycelphalic disease syndrome)
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical
Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant
links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board
actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also
been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information
will be included here.