| Complaint: | Complaint 20-57 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Paige Jackson |
| Premises: | Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital |
| Related: | 20-58 |
The complainant took her injured cat to Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital after she thought it had been hit by a car. She paid a $400 deposit to have the cat treated by Jackson. She tells us that x-rays showed no broken bones or injured organs but that there was significant bruising of the lungs. Jackson told her that the cat was responding well to oxygen therapy in ICU. She says she paid an additional $200 for an overnight stay at the hospital and was told they would transfer the cat if more care was needed than could be provided at the hospital. The next morning another veterinarian at the clinic, Radosevich, called and said that they had run out of oxygen at the hospital and that the cat was in respiratory distress. Radosevich allegedly recommended transferring the cat to another facility. The complainant was unable to leave work or arrange a transfer and asked why the clinic could not get more oxygen or transfer the cat; Radosevich, contrary to the promises made the previous day, said they couldn't do that. Radosevich allegedly said that they didn't know they were out of oxygen until the machine started beeping, but that the cat would be put on oxygen as soon as the next delivery showed up. The cat deteriorated and Radosevich wanted to keep the cat for another day on the house. The complainant later visited the cat and took a picture of medical records suggesting the cat had gone without oxygen far longer than she had been told (six hours instead of two hours). Radosevich called the next morning to tell the complainant her cat had died. The complainant says that no animal should suffer like that and that errors like this shouldn't happen.
Jackson tells us that x-rays were negative for broken bones and an ultrasound found no fluid in the abdomen, but blood work hinted that there may be internal bleeding. She said that she told the complainant that the cat's lung injuries may get worse. She also tells us that the cat improved in oxygen and care was passed to Dr. Marion and then Dr. Kate (she's using the first names for all her fellow veterinarians). The next day she says she assisted Dr. Kate (Radosevich) with an ultrasound indicating the lung injuries had gotten worse. She says that the cat continued to get worse that evening and transfer to an emergency facility was recommended but the complainant couldn't afford it; the cat was found dead the next morning when staff showed up. She doesn't appear to mention the running-out-of-oxygen bit and how that fits into the timeline with the cat taking a turn for the worse.
The Investigative Committee said that there was no way to know if the cat died from injuries or from running out of oxygen for hours. They said "it would be nice if the premises kept a spare tank in case of situations like this." They also blame the complainant for not getting the cat to a 24-hour emergency facility and leaving the cat in the care of Alta Vista in the first place; they said "anything could have happened during the night" when nobody was around. The Committee also said that the complainant "thought something was not done properly" because she wasn't charged for 24 hours of care; we don't get to see the photo the complainant allegedly took showing the cat was actually without oxygen for six hours rather than two, nor is there any discussion of that discrepancy in the minutes. Truly another top-shelf investigation.
| Source: | June 6, 2020 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Paige Jackson | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Jarrod Butler | Absent |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| 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.