| Complaint: | Complaint 20-20 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Andy Lenius |
| Premises: | VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona |
| Related: | 20-21 |
The complainant tells us that his dog had been lame and was given pills from an acquaintance of his, a Phil Reinhardt. He says that his acquaintance was insistent about it but that the dog had other problems. He says that Reinhardt's wife suggested taking the dog to a friend of hers who would know what to do. The complainant took his dog to VCA ARECA and informed them that he was waiting for his paycheck. He says they told him to bring the dog in anyway and that Sessink said the dog would be better off euthanized. He said that he was trying to come up with the money. He also said that he was basically in shock and not able to communicate about the other drugs the dog had been given. He said that Sessink came out with an x-ray showing why the dog couldn't urinate but he says that his dog had just urinated. He also says that he didn't see any signs of hip dysplasia; there's also a (somewhat confusing) comment that the x-ray was never to be seen again and that there wasn't cancer visible like Sessink said. The dog was euthanized and he was overwhelmed. The complainant also says that after he looked at the records, a different veterinarian, "noticed a palpation" in the stomach two years earlier and never said anything about it. He concludes by stating that two yeas later the same VCA clinic put his dog down and judged him as a dog owner.
Lenius has a very brief response and references the medical records, which we conveniently don't get to see. Lenius only tells us that he saw the dog on an outpatient basis for a hematoma and provided some supportive therapy until the dog could be seen by the primary veterinarian.
The Investigative Committee said that Lenius' care was appropriate. They also said that the complainant apparently didn't understand what "palpation" meant. Palpation, of course, just means that the veterinarian is poking and feeling with his or her hands as a means of examination.Whether or not there was something written in such a way as to be confusing, or whether or not the note in the medical record suggested there was something found when he palpated the abdomen, we simply don't know; we're just heavily hinted that the complainant isn't necessarily all that educated and therefore dumb.
| Source: | November 11, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Andy Lenius | Respondent |
| W Reed Campbell | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jane Soloman |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| 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 | Absent |
| 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.