| Complaint: | Complaint 18-21 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | James Maciulla |
| Premises: | Continental Animal Wellness Center |
| Related: | 18-22 |
The complainant brought one of her cats to Maciulla for a dental. The cat had been there for a dental the previous year with no problems aside from refusing the post-surgery medication. The cat went in for another dental and came home under similar circumstances; he was isolated and given food and water but again refused the medication. Unfortuntely, this time the cat refused to eat, and kept refusing to eat, so the cat was seen again by Bruchman, the new owner of the clinic. She diagnosed an upper respiratory infection and suggested medicines and saline solution. The cat continued to decline and another veterinary clinic diagnosed kidney failure; the cat was euthanized.
Maciulla's response states that the complainant actually has a colony of feral and semi-feral cats with a known history of various diseases. They're commingled so disease and sickness just hops from cat to cat, but she refuses to have them tested for diseases like FIV or FeLV. She also refuses to isolate cats with known contagious diseases. In fact, in the many years he's worked with the complainant and cashed her checks, the cats in her colony suffered and died from various cancers, stomatitis, respiratory disease, chronic abcesses, and just dropping dead without cause. He does point out that inability to get a full medical history on the cat and run sufficient diagnostics probably didn't help it pull through the procedure.
The Investigative Committee said that the Complainant was actually at fault for declining blood work and fluid. The official findings of fact and Maciulla's statement do indicate that the complainant refused preoperative blood work that might have discovered an underlying problem, but it also appears that the complainant actually did provide saline fluid at home using equipment she already had for other cats.
I wonder why Maciulla, former AzVMA President for 2015-2016, was selling his practice to Bruchman? One thought might be that he was getting ready to be the assistant dean for clinical practice at the University of Arizona's vet school.
| Source: | December 12, 2017 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| James Maciulla | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Alex Casuccio | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Ed Hunter | Aye |
| Mary Williams | Aye |
| Ryan Ainsworth | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | February 2, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jessica Creager | Abstain |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Julie Young | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| 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.