| Complaint: | Complaint 21-129 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Jeffrey Arthur |
| Premises: | The Doorstep Vet |
The complainant relates that her cat wasn't eating and rapidly losing weight; she called Arthur who came by and examined the cat. She says he also drew bloodwork and gave the cat a shot of antibiotics but found no masses. Her cat continued to deterioriate and she called Arthur several to get the lab results, which were said to be normal; she was allegedly told to expect an estimate for a dental. The cat got so sick that he couldn't even hold his head up and the complainant was unable to get in touch with Arthur; she says that she called and left messages begging for a response. She ended up taking her cat to 1st Pet where he was examined by Wachtel (herself the subject of at least four veterinary board complaints) and diagnosed with several tumors and a poor prognosis. The complainant decided to euthanize the cat.
Arthur says that he examined the cat and found the cat had dental issues and was painful. He says that he related there could be many causes in an older cat, ranging from tooth problems, organ disease, or cancer. He says the owner agreed to a Convenia shot and some bloodwork. He was closed for New Year's but called her with the lab results after the holiday; there were abnormalities including elevated SDMA levels. He says that he also offered ultrasound and other workups in addition to doing a dental to see if that would help, suggesting that having an estimate might help the complainant decide. He then learned that a deceased relative's ashes had arrived so he canceled all appointments for the next couple of days; he later learned of the cat's euthanasia but said he was out due to surgery as the death in the family was a personal matter. He also notes that he didn't feel a mass when he examined the cat.
The Investigative Committee said that when you're a sole practitioner you're held to a higher standard than if you're part of a practice; his lack of response caused the complainant stress and caused the cat to suffer. However, they did say that it's not unreasonable to have not found a mass on the initial exam and then found one nine days later at 1st Pet. They found violations for gross negligence for lack of communication as well as not providing emergency referral information on his voicemail; the Board overruled but sent a letter of concern.
(In fairness, being ghosted by Arthur wasn't any different than what a lot of brick-and-mortar premises operators have done in other complaints. The Letter of Concern only pertained to not having an emergency clinic number available, not anything to do with vanishing on the complainant and her cat.)
| Source: | October 10, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jeffrey Arthur | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | November 11, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jeffrey Arthur | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Abstained |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.