The complainant tells us that he took his dog to Savard for a spay surgery. He states that the next day his dog was not doing
well. The dog was very lethargic and vomiting a lot, but he tells us that the staff
at Raintree said this was normal after a surgery. They then gave his dog three
times the amount of painkillers for her weight and decided to keep her there for
observation. By the end of the day, they told him the dog needed an emergency vet
and he took his dog to VetMed. The dog was gone two hours later. He states that
Savard's interactions with him after this incident make him very concerned that
the same circumstances could occur again.
Savard's response tells us that the dog looked good prior to the procedure. He
also says that he warned the complainant that there are risks. He tells us that
when he observed the dog she was recovering quickly. The following day another
veterinarian, Duffy, saw the dog. He says that the complainant initially refused
her recommendations but later agreed. He also says that the dog was inadvertently
dosed with the wrong medication (the findings of fact suggest that Onisor was
mistaken for ondansetron) but that Duffy took charge of the situation and provided
supportive treatment. He says that he was shocked by the necropsy report as he's
done these procedures many times and never had a problem; he does concede that in
light of the necropsy it appears he made a mistake.
The Investigative Committee said that it was obvious a surgical mistake had occurred.
They also had concerns about the treatment errors and delay in sending the dog to
an emergency facility. They voted to find a violation on grounds of gross negligence.
The Board agreed. Savard was required to take two hours of continuing education and
pay a $500 fine. There does not appear to have been any further investigation of the
clinic based on the multiple errors that occurred in this case alone.
ARS 32-2232 (11) Gross negligence; treatment of a patient or practice of veterinary medicine resulting in injury, unnecessary suffering or death that was caused by carelessness, negligence or the disregard of established principles or practices.
A.R.S. ยง 32-2232 (11) Gross negligence; treatment of a patient or practice of veterinary medicine resulting in injury, unnecessary suffering or death that was caused by carelessness, negligence or the disregard of established principles or practices.
Penalties:
Probation (1 year)
Continuing education (2 hours in soft tissue surgery)
Civil penalty ($500)
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.