| Complaint: | Complaint 20-55 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Charles Cantrell |
| Premises: | Vet IQ El Mirage |
The complainant took his dog to the Vet IQ in the El Mirage Walmart and Cantrell did his thing. The complainant says that he told Cantrell the dog was in the middle of treatment for a respiratory infection and a three-week course of antibiotics. He says Cantrell was very nice and even pulled out a loose tooth from his dog, then gave the dog a shot of Defensor 3. Later that night the dog started having trouble breathing and his neck was swollen. He says he stayed up all night with him and tried to help any way he could to keep him cool. His dog finally fell asleep and then the complainant did as well, but when he woke up he couldn't find his dog. He discovered his dog had defecated in the other room, then crawled to his favorite spot in the house and died. The complainant is concerned the vaccine shouldn't have been given to a sick animal.
Cantrell's response begins with a one-paragraph sales pitch for VIP Vet IQ. He says the complainant seemed to be confused about his dog, not knowing what kind of antibiotic he was on or what he had been diagnosed with. He also says the complainant hadn't taken his dog for a dental in a long time and he had poor dental health. There were no notable concerns on the exam except for the teeth. He says he gave the shot and sent the dog home. He also tells us that statements from the veterinary technicians at the hospital are also included (again, we don't get to see those).
The Investigative Committee said that vaccine reactions are rare and that there was no reason to think the vaccine caused this. They also said that the complainant could always have taken the dog to an emergency clinic if he thought the dog was having a reaction to the vaccine. They also say they suspect something else was going wrong with the dog (despite Cantrell saying the workup was normal). There's a final note that "additional information was presented" that suggested the dog actually died three days later, contrary to what the complainant said; oddly there's not a hint of what that "additional information" may have been.
| Source: | February 2, 2020 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Charles Cantrell | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | March 3, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| 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.