The complaiannt says she took her dog to the clinic as she had for the past four years.
She wanted the annual vaccines for the dog and to have her teeth examined for cleaning.
She thought it was odd that the dog was taken to the back for vaccines, then Tarassov
entered the room and examined the dog. Allegedly he told her that the dog had cataracts
and was blind, then discussed the dental. The complainant says he said that the teeth
didn't look that bad and there was a lot of tartar. She went ahead with the dental and
received a call during surgery stating that seven teeth were pulled and wanted her
permission to apply gel to two or three others. Allegedly he told her that they were
unnecessary teeth. She was upset that so many teeth had been pulled (she states that
never happened with her other dogs) and that she wasn't asked for permission beforehand.
Tarassov states in his response that vaccines are typically given in an exam room but
may not have been that day due to the hospital's case load that day. He also says that
he may have suggested the cataracts were a problem for the dog's vision, he suggested
a referral to an opthamologist and states that he did not say the dog was blind. As to
the dental, he says he told the complainant that the dog did have some periodontal
disease and wouldn't know what was required until the dog was sedated. He says that
the complainant authorized him to perform extractions without calling on the form. He
also details how things didn't go well once the complainant showed up at the practice.
The Investigative Committee says the complainant signed the authorization form. They
say that better communication could have happened. They also say that a veterinarian
would never pull healthy teeth. They also noticed problems with anesthetic monitoring
paperwork but didn't think it was a big deal.
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.