| Complaint: | Complaint 21-116 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Anita Greene |
| Premises: | Spirit Mountain Animal Hospital |
The complainant says that someone gave the dog a bone from a pork butt and that the dog subsequently wasn't feeling well and had problems going to the bathroom. She worried the dog might have a blockage and went to Greene. Greene provided her with an estimate and apparently suggested blood work; the complainant said that she agreed to blood work if surgery proved to be necessary. Greene allegedly told her that an x-ray was being done and subsequently showed a blockage, but the complainant says she wasn't shown them at the time. She was told they gave the dog a laxative but if the situation didn't clear up they'd need to do surgery; she was also told that nobody would be at the clinic to watch the dog overnight and that if something happened she should drive the dog to Vegas. While she was getting ready to pay Greene allegedly said the dog may not make it through the night; the complainant says she started crying and asked them to keep the dog for her just in case. The next morning she received a call from Greene saying that the dog had passed some small bones; the complainant felt very relieved, at which point Greene then told her the dog also tested positive for parvo and had died overnight. She has serious concerns about much of what she was told, including her dog's health status relative to what a previous vet had told her before she brought the dog there; she also says that when she reviewed the dog's medical records many timestamps didn't line up as expected. She says that information relating to the dog passing blood and clots wasn't on some of the records, and she also says that one of the nurses said the dog had actually died the night before and not that day. She was told Greene had an ear infection and couldn't answer questions; it also appears that at some point she was told nobody would answer any further questions at all. She also has questions on how her parvo-vaccinated dog had come down with parvo and older, sicker dogs in the family had not.
Greene says that the dog had "2 larger bone density fragements" in the small intestine and many smaller bone fragments in the colon; she says she recommended the dog be hospitalized for further testing but was turned down. She also says that she explained further testing would be needed prior to surgery and that the clinic was not a 24-hour facility; however, people would come in if necessary. She explicitly states in all-caps that the "owner was given a VERY guarded prognosis" and told the dog might die overnight. She tells us a bit about the care provided to the dog including passing a lot of blood. The amount of blood that came out made Greene suspicious for parvo. A parvo test came back positive; the dog hung on through the night and died around 7:00 the next morning. She says she was ill and didn't get to finish the medical records so a receptionist sent home a partically-completed one until she got back into the office to finish. We're also told that she did the best job she could given what she had to work with and offered to send the dog to a 24-hour facility.
The Investigative Committee said that the care was appropriate. The dog was being treated for eating pork bones and then later ended up with a parvo diagnosis. They also said that it's possible for one dog to get parvo and other dogs around to not get parvo. They say the complainant says her dog was vaccinated, but on the other hand, in their view it's not clear who vaccinated the dog or when that allegedly happened.
| Source: | September 9, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Anita Greene | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Steven Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| 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.