The complainant rescued a dog from Texas and brought her in for a checkup. Westerwheel examined
the dog and made some comments about nasty bugs from Texas. The complainant thought she meant
actual bugs so when the test came back positive for giardia, he thought it was a scam and filed
a complaint. Westerwheel says that she was using the term "bugs" in the vernacular sense to
refer to any kind of disease or pathogen. She also said that the complainant stated he didn't
really trust veterinarians because they just like pushing pills and they're just out for money.
Westerwheel was actually looking out for the dog here but unfortunately it seems that perhaps
her profession's reputation preceded her.
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.