| Complaint: | Complaint 20-78 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Samuel Kerby |
| Premises: | Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic |
The complainant's dog had surgery to remove a mass from the right anal gland. She says that she informed Roberts prior to the surgery that she wanted the dog medically boarded or hospitalized for at least two days in recovery as her dog often had difficulty recovering from anesthetic procedures. She also reminded Roberts to use the dog's donut collar rather than a cone because the dog would become very fearful. Roberts allegedly called with an update before leaving for two days, telling the complainant the dog may suffer permanent fecal leakage. Kerby allegedly then called with an update stating the dog was leaking anally. She says she never received the next expected update, so she called and learned her dog wasn't even urinating. She also learned the dog had been placed in a cone and told the staff the dog wouldn't function with the cone; she was apparently told they didn't know if they could get the cone off because the dog was getting "snippy." Kerby apparently wanted to do an ultrasound to see if there was also a bladder problem. The complainant eventually went to the clinic, which she says was very quiet aside from the Super Bowl on the television in the next room; she states that Kerby was annoyed but that she was able to get her dog discharged. The dog successfully defecated and urinated once home. The next day the complainant noted a sound that sounded like flatulence but turns out to be "gurgling blood" as the dog's anus had come open. The complainant rushed the dog to BluePearl where Lapa (a BluePearl veterinarian featured elsewhere on this site) found an infection and abscess that he said would take months to heal; the complainant elected to euthanize the dog. She also has concerns about Kerby's care for her dog and his lack of coordination with Roberts (who apparently didn't have the same issues with the dog that Kerby later reported). She wonders if Kerby disliked the dog because she was a pitbull.
Kerby tells us that he took over from Roberts and treated the dog. He relates that the dog became more difficult and attempted to chew out the catheter site, leading to his decision to put a cone on the dog. He also says that the dog would not urinate or defecate normally and had attempted to bite members of the staff several times. He states that examining the wound became progressively more difficult because the dog was hostile. He tells of the conversation with the complainant, saying that he told her if he could not be allowed to treat the dog as he felt then it would be better to send the dog home. He tells us that he was in contact with Roberts through the process and that he did not mistreat the dog because of her breed; he says his own dog is also a pitbull.
The Investigative Committee said the problem was in part the complainant's expectations of dealing with a post-operative dog. They said that because the dog had surgery "in that particular area" (they mean anus) the dog would have done better in a hospital setting. They noted it was unfortunate the complainant wasn't allowed to walk the dog herself and wishes the complainant and Kerby could have come to some agreement on how to help the dog. That said, they apparently think the dog had a bad time because the tumor was aggressive. (No doubt the tumor was aggressive, but it sounds like the dog died from an infection and as a result of the surgery, not from metastasis.) The investigators found no violations, but the Board did send a letter of concern regarding the matter.
| Source: | August 8, 2020 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Samuel Kerby | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Nay |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| 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.