| Complaint: | Complaint 21-140 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Marc Laudonio |
| Premises: | Acacia Animal Hospital |
The complainant tells us she had been taking her cat to Acacia Animal Hospital since she first moved to Arizona. She started taking liver supplement tablets at the direction of one of the veterinarians at Acacia. She noted that her cat's urinating habits had changed so she scheduled a recheck; Laudonio was the only veterinarian available. She says that her cat had also been slowing down which she had initially attributed to age; the cat was still active enough to hop up on her bed and wake her for breakfast. She said that Laudonio examined the cat and said the cat was in pain; he also ran x-rays and thought he found an abdominal tumor that could have been on the liver. The complainant asked for some additional blood tests and Laudonio recommended some other tests to be added. She was warned the cat might be groggy from the painkiller. The cat appeared groggy at first and had a far-away look in her eyes; her cat was too weak to jump up on the bed and was later found hiding under the bed and even more dazed the next day. The complainant looked up the drug given to the cat (buprenorphine) and discovered it should be used cautiously, and maybe not at all, in older cats with liver problems. She was now quite worried and took the cat to Pima Pet Emergency Clinic where the cat was later euthanized. She suspects that Laudonio killed her cat with an overdose; she says that otherwise she might have been able to help her cat die more peacefully and been more prepared to say goodbye.
Laudonio's response may be missing page 3; the rest of it seems to be here. He says that the complainant erroneously chalked everything up to a urinary issue and that she was only giving the liver supplement when she could. He said it was obvious the cat was in pain and he could tell the cat wasn't doing well as soon as he saw the cat. He says that he explained he felt a large mass on the cat's liver and explained this to the complainant but it was obvious to him she didn't understand what that meant; he subsequently performed x-rays that revealed a mass and recommended an ultrasound and fine needle aspirate. We're also told that lab work was sent to the "outhouse lab" as it wasn't urgent yet. He explains the calculation of the dose for buprenorphine which he selected because he thought it would be safer on the liver; he says he's used it many times in similar situations without a problem and gave a lesser dose to be safe. He also says he spoke with the complainant and she seemed to understand the severity of the situation better; however, he believes she didn't really want to pursue the matter further. Laudonio says that he can't provide good veterinary care if people ignore his recommendations and tells us that the complainant had ignored previous veterinary advice that might have avoided this situation. He also says that he's never gotten in trouble in 23 years of practice; he strongly suggests that if anyone's to blame it's probably the complainant.
The Investigative Committee said that the complainant had turned down tests many other times even though the cat had a history of elevated liver values. They also said that the buprenorphine could have in fact killed the cat, but many other drugs could have killed the cat too, so Laudonio's in the clear.
Laudonio, in addition to his job as owner of Acacia Animal Hospital, seems to be involved in operating Rise Herbal Dog Biscuits; 100% of profits go to the Pima Animal Care Center, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, and the Bissell Pet Foundation. According to his bio at Rise Biscuits, he used to work at SeaWorld before he left the country for vet school.
| Source: | November 11, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Marc Laudonio | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | December 12, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.