| Complaint: | Complaint 19-86 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Kaitlin Raper |
| Premises: | Ironwood Veterinary Clinic |
| Related: | 19-87 |
The complainant begins by telling us how his dog developed swelling on nodules by the nose and eyes. He went to a veterinary hospital in Havasu that was ambivalent about seeing the dog, so he took the dog to their favorite hospital: Ironwood Veterinary Hospital. Raper examined the dog and had no diagnosis but prescribed prednisone and Benadryl. He subsequently noticed what looked like snakebite marks near his dog's eye. He pointed this out and the staff took the dog, then brought the dog back and assured him that it wasn't a snakebite, and if it was, the treatment would be the same. Two weeks later the swelling had returned with lesions and the dog went back for other treatments, but it was apparently unclear what the treatments were for. By the next month the dog was lethargic and wouldn't eat, so he took the dog back again and a vet (Raper?) diagnosed the dog with Shar Pei Fever. He did some research and was concerned that the symptoms of Shar Pei Fever overlap with so many other common ailments and went back for another visit. He was subsequently called by Polosetski, the practice manager, stating he was "rude" and told him to never come back. He disputes that he was rude and says he simply tries to stand up for his dog, who cannot speak for herself. Polosetski eventually relented and ran more tests, at which point he was told to go to a specialist. He ended up taking his dog to the University of California, Davis, which eventually diagnosed an immune disease which a veterinarian at Davis hypothesized could have been set off by a snakebite. He went back to Arizona and received a call from a relief veterinarian who had seen the records from Davis, and this was again followed by a call from Polosetski stating that he was rude and to never come back to the clinic. The complainant and his dog subsequently spent the rest of the summer in Davis, California until the dog had recovered.
Raper gives us a summary of her visits with the dog as well as all the tests that were performed on the dog. She states her rationale for finally diagnosing the dog with Familial Shar Pei Fever. Interestingly, while she notes that the complainant was very concerned about his dog and at one point stayed at the clinic for hours with questions, she describes him as "always kind and respectful." She no longer works at Ironwood Veterinary Clinic.
The Investigative Committee said that immune-mediated diseases are tough and hard to figure out. Some (unknown) members may have been concerned about the evidence needed to jump to Shar Pei Fever as a diagnosis, but we're also told that even if she made the wrong diagnosis the result would have been the same. They also say that it's not fair to compare Raper or her clinic with UC Davis because UC Davis is actually really good at what they do.
| Source: | August 8, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Kaitlin Raper | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | 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.