| Complaint: | Complaint 19-90 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Tami Mares-Ziehmn |
| Premises: | Animal Birth Control of Tucson |
The complainant says that he took his cat to Mares-Ziehmn to be spayed. The cat was fine before they went to the vet. At the vet they examined the cat and told him she was pregnant. He called that afternoon for an update and was told to come get the cat. When he walked in, he says that everyone looked worried and was told to wait. One of the staff members told him that she wasn't doing well coming out of the anesthesia. He was asked for permission to run some blood tests. Later someone else came out and told him that his cat was "close to bad things" and running out of red blood cells, possibly from blood loss related to removal of the uterus. He was told to take his cat to an ER. That vet, Carotenuto, told him that this could be caused by FIV or leukemia (both of which he points out the cat tested negative for) and that outdoor cats just have a more difficult time in surgery. She told him that his cat lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion for $2500 with no guarantee of recovery. He decided to bring the cat home and was told to buy her protein-rich food because she might be weak from the surgery. He did so and told her to stay strong but, the cat died the next day.
Mares-Ziehmn's response says that the cat had no known health concerns and that the surgery was uneventful. She details the spay procedure and stated that it went uneventfully. She tells us that after she did the surgery care was handed off to another veterinarian, Rice. Staff subsequently noticed the cat wasn't doing so great and notified him. She says they asked to run a blood panel and when the complainant was concerned about the cost, they ran it for free. She points out that when the complainant took the cat to the emergency facility, he declined the recommended blood transfusion and that an ultrasound done there showed little free fluid in the abdomen. She says that she called the complainant to answer any questions and regrets that he didn't have a necropsy performed. She later says he demanded financial compensation and threatened to file a complaint with the veterinary board.
The Investigative Committee said that we'll never know why the cat died because the complainant didn't do a necropsy. They concede that a surgical error was possible but that the cat could have already been anemic (no preoperative blood count was done). They admit that some blood was found on the ultrasound but that it wasn't a lot.
| Source: | September 9, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Tami Mares-Ziehmn | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | November 11, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Tami Mares-Ziehmn | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | 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.