| Complaint: | Complaint 18-115 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Alison Bizzul |
| Premises: | AZPetVet Surprise Animal Hospital |
| Related: | 18-116, 18-117 |
The complainant states she had been taking her cat to Surprise Animal Hospital and that he had been healthy except for times when he would play with his own tail and scratch it. She noticed her cat was not eating, losing weight and had a scratch by his left eye. She says on the first visit regarding this issue, blood work was done and she was told it was fine; she only learned that it had significant abnormalities after requesting a second opinion months later. She also says that on the next visit for the eye scratch she was told it was likely the rest of a tooth abscess, but this was also not in the records. The cat's condition worsened and the wound grew to the size of a quarter. She says the hospital again recommended a dental. She also says the records indicate the eye was improving but that she never said this. A relative suggested a second opinion. The new veterinarian confirmed cancer via biopsy and removed the tumor. Unfortunately, the cat continued to decline and died on the way to an emergency clinic.
Bizzul states that the last time she saw the cat was the prior year on an occasion when the cat had injured his tail.
The Investigative Committee "discussed that Respondent did not see the cat and had no involvement in this case." (A more accurate statement would be that she did see the cat but not in the context of the complaint.)
| Source: | September 9, 2018 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Alison Bizzul | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| 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.