| Complaint: | Complaint 18-39 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Michael Walker |
| Premises: | Seville Veterinary Hospital |
The complainant is a former veterinarian who specialized in cats. She volunteered for a local cat rescue organization and had serious concerns about their medical practices, particularly in the case of one cat suffering from stomatitis and a variety of other ailments. She states that the teeth need to be pulled but that instead a variety of other non-proven treatments are being used and that the cat is in pain as a result. She says the rescue organization is good but uses Walker's veterinary service because it's cheap. She ends with a restatement of her concerns for the cat's welfare.
Walker says that the rescue's board is aware of the concerns. He also says that this is the first complaint he's ever had regarding his work with the rescue and it's not from anyone on the board. He details some of the cat's medical history and explains his rationale for using it; he believes that the cat's stomatitis may stem from an underlying infection that could be treated with an immune stimulant, though he concedes there's no proof behind this particular use. He does say he's providing the treatment with the full agreement of the rescue's president.
The Investigative Committee discussion said that ideally all the teeth would be pulled but that it wouldn't be a guarantee the stomatitis would clear up. They also said that the medications dispensed to the cat were known to help with stomatitis (which seems to be a stronger claim than even the guy dispensing them was making?).
| Source: | March 3, 2018 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Michael Walker | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Ed Hunter | Aye |
| Mary Williams | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Ryan Ainsworth | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | April 4, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| 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.