| Complaint: | Complaint 18-114 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Alejandro Aguirre |
| Premises: | Salt River Veterinary Specialists |
The complainant reports his dog had a bladder tumor preventing urination. Aguirre saw the dog and performed an ultrasound; the complainant says he was told the dog needed immediate surgery for a urethral stent to save the dog's life. He agreed to the surgery ($3225) and was allegedly told that the dog would be "peeing normally" by the end of the day. He noticed his dog outside after the surgery and observed he was still straining to urinate. Aguirre allegedly told him that the dog had had "pee[d] like a race horse" and may have not had any urine left; he says he was shown ultrasound from before and after the surgery. He says he was told to wait longer for recovery but returned after a week because there was no improvement. He says this time Aguirre told him that he misread the original ultrasound and that the dog required a bigger stent. Aguirre allegedly then said it would be another $3225 to repeat the procedure but that the dog would not die if the operation wasn't performed. He also allegedly told the complainant that the ultrasound video he was shown after the surgery was just an example from another dog. The complainant says Aguirre charged him $85 for this last office visit. The dog died a few months later and the complainant wanted a refund.
Aguirre's response says Hershey from Integrative Veterinary Oncology was very concerned about urinary obstruction because of a progressing tumor. Aguirre also claims that the complainant was pushing to have the surgery done as soon as possible to save his dog. Aguirre details his conversations with Hershey to attempt to plan the best course of treatment for the dog. He also states that the complainant is wrong regarding many of the facts of the case. He says that he would never show another patient's video as claimed. He also says that the stent he used was the right size as a larger one wouldn't have worked; therefore, he argues, the complainant's claim "does not make sense, as it would not have made sense for me to make that statement." He complains that the complainant posted defamatory reviews online. He also says that he's deeply disappointed in the complainant's lack of medical understanding.
The Investigative Committee reminds us that the dog had metastatic cancer affecting the bladder and believes that the surgery helped the dog live an additional six months. They also said that the respondent's records show that the dog was urinating normally. The Committee also discusses the dog's pee dribbles (as did Aguirre) but this doesn't appear to be part of the original complaint, it is unclear where this concern came from or why it's relevant. The massive gap between what the complainant reported occurred and what Aguirre said occurred is not addressed.
| Source: | September 9, 2018 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Alejandro Aguirre | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Mary Williams | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Ryan Ainsworth | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Recusal |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Julie Young | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
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.