| Complaint: | Complaint 18-25 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Bernard Mangone |
| Premises: | Palm Glen Animal Hospital |
The complainants' cat was older and had some dental issues. The complainants conferred with Mangone, and he said that they should go ahead and do the dental. The cat passed the preoperative blood work, was dropped off for surgery, and then stopped breathing during the dental procedure. Mangone initiated CPR and the complainants were called to come to the clinic. At some point the cat was revived. The complainants were somehow under the impression that the cat had stopped breathing for four hours and then started again. In any event, while the cat was starting to improve from being almost dead, it was also getting toward closing time so Mangone told them they needed to call an ambulance or something to get the cat to a different hospital. Finally, Mangone and a veterinary technician drove the cat to BluePearl where the cat remained hospitalized for over a week. The complainants ran out of money to spend and brought the cat home with brain damage. In addition to the problem the cat experienced during the surgery, the complainants were also unhappy with Mangone's follow-up after the cat was transferred. They also say they didn't truly understand the implications of CPR.
Mangone wrote up a response challenging some of the complainant's medical claims, noting that the cat was actually screened quite thoroughly prior to the procedure. He also says that he provided records to BluePearl and was kept updated on the cat's situation at the clinic, severing contact with the complainants after they began posting bad stuff about him online. He also notes that there's no published standard of care guidelines in the state of Arizona and that in any event a preoperative EKG is not part of the veterinary standard of care (all of which is true). He proposes that the cause of the problem may have had to do with the abscess pushing on neural tissue. He also suggests that if the cat had just died then the complainants would likely not have filed a complaint, as he wonders if this is just an attempt to obtain money to pay for the cat's bills. He helpfully points out that the veterinary board isn't empowered to make him pay them money.
The Investigative Committee concluded that no violation had occurred and complimented Mangone's ability in reviving the cat. They did state that there appeared to be some confusion about what actually happened to the cat and that communication could always be better, but that none of it rose to the level of a violation. There is no discussion that the prior veterinarian recommended against doing the surgery, nor is there any mention that the complainant claimed it took over a month to get all the cat's records from Mangone's clinic. If it truly took 48 or 49 days that would appear to be a blatant violation of A.A.C. R3-11-501 (8).
| Source: | December 12, 2017 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Bernard Mangone | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Tamara Murphy | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | February 2, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Julie Young | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Recused |
| 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.