| Complaint: | Complaint 18-103 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Brandon Prince |
| Premises: | Foothills Animal Hospital |
The complainant's dog was seen by Brandon Prince for a dental. She then received a call from him stating the dog's jaw was broken and that he'd contacted a specialist in California for advice. Brandon Prince allegedly told her that it will be bad but in 60 days it would heal. The complainant brought the dog home but it worsened so she took it to Brandon Prince for an exam before he left town. She says that he suggested a feeding tube, euthanasia, or a specialist, but said the specialist would cost a lot of money and probably not turn out well. She tried to force feed the dog but the dog continued to decline until she took him to another vet in town. She said she couldn't even get records without going to the clinic in person and learned all their doctors were out of town. She says on a later call Brandon Prince said he broke the jaw while taking x-rays and only a specialist should do the surgery. Allegedly he said it was just a misunderstanding and that all calls were recorded but that the call in question wasn't recorded. The complainant escalated the matter to Kirk Prince, Brandon's dad, who said she may have caused the problem by not following the treatment plan. He also said that a vet tech rather than his son broke the jaw in the x-ray.
Both father and son replied together as even though Brandon Prince was the only veterinarian listed on the complaint. Apparently both were involved in the tooth extractions. The timeline they provide seems overall consistent with what the complainant has stated, but there are some differences in the exact events. For example, the Prince family seems to suggest that specialist referral was offered at clinic expense whereas the complainant says that she was dissuaded from doing so on the basis of money. They also state that not all doctors were absent from the clinic, only Brandon Prince. It's again suggested that the poor outcome in the case was the result of the complainant not following the treatment plan or taking the dog to a 24-hour clinic. They also repeat an offer to pay the veterinary expenses from the other clinic if they can review all charges and agree that they're acceptable.
The Investigative Committee said that it's not that uncommon for such a fracture to happen in a small dog and it was good that the dog was doing well. They had concerns with record keeping and lack of follow-up by Prince and found violations accordingly. The veterinary board only kept the record keeping violation, arguing that a follow-up exam could have made the dog's condition worse.
Dog jaws break, and they break in dentals. For another story of when a dog's jaw broke during a dental, you can read 21-17.
| Source: | August 8, 2018 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Brandon Prince | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS 32-2232 (21) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (H) (2) failure to document the dog's temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and general condition prior to surgery being performed on October 10, 2017; (H) (3) failure to document the dog's heart rate and respiration rate immediately after giving a general anesthetic and every 15 minutes while anesthesia is being administered on both dental procedure performed on October 10, 2017; and (L) (7) (a)(d) failure to document the name, concentration and route of administration of the induction drug as demonstrated on the surgical monitoring forms for October 10, 2017. | |
| ARS 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to provide professionally acceptable procedures with respect to the lack of post -op follow up care that almost resulted in the death of the dog and not recommending follow up care sooner than 30 days after a dental procedure that resulted in multiple extractions and a fractured jaw. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Brandon Prince | Respondent |
| W Reed Campbell | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Seconded By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Julie Young | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS 32-2232 (21) Failure to document in the medical record | |
| ARS 32-2232 (21) Failure to document in the medical record | |
| ARS 32-2232 (21) Failure to document in the medical record | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Brandon Prince | Respondent |
| W Reed Campbell | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Julie Young | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | Order 18103 (October 10, 2018) |
|---|---|
| Violations: | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-502 (H) (2) failure to document the dog's temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and general condition prior to surgery being performed on October 10, 2017. | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-502 (H) (3) failure to document the dog’s heart rate and respiration rate immediately after giving a general anesthetic and every 15 minutes while anesthesia is being administered on both dental procedure performed on October 10, 2017. | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-502 (L) (7) (a)(d) failure to document the name, concentration and route of administration of the induction drug as demonstrated on the surgical monitoring forms for October 10, 2017. | |
| Penalties: | |
| Probation (1 year) | |
| Continuing education (3 hours in medical record keeping) | |
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.