| Complaint: | Complaint 21-34 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Christopher Monarski |
| Premises: | VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona |
The complainant says she took her cat to VCA ARECA for vomiting about 12 times; she relates that prior to these incidents the cat was healthy and not been sick. She waited for three hours and says she was paid the estimate for an emergency exam, abdominal x-rays, radiology interpretation, and blood work. The cat was given back to her with instructions to give gabapentin; she also says the test results mentioned fatty liver and possible liver disease. She also says there was no mention of the vomiting. She gave the cat gabapentin at a lesser dose than directed, but after the fourth dose the cat screamed in agony, stretched his legs out stiff, and appeared to be dying; he was dazed, uncoordinated, and was at length able to pull himself over to his water bowl. The cat seemed to bounce out of it but the complaiant found him dead the next morning. She believes based on online information that gabapentin likely caused the cat's death due to his potential liver disease.
Monarski, the responsible veterinarian for VCA ARECA, said that he's very sorry the cat died. He also said that he spoke with the complainant when she contacted him regarding gabapentin. He claims that while she said her online sources indicated gabapentin was not to be used in cats with liver disease she was unable to back this up with facts; he also says she wanted her money back and an apology. His review of the case indicates the gabapentin was prescribed appropriately and Gerrish (the vet) and Lenius (the supervising vet) did a good job. He says that the records show a full exam and recommendations for further follow-up care. (The Findings of Fact go into more detail, claiming that when Gerrish couldn't find anything in the lab work or ultrasound, she recommended bringing the cat back the next day or hospitalizing him for a better ultrasound and potential internal medicine consult. We're told the complainant couldn't afford any of this, and we're also told that she thought the cat died from a blockage before concluding it was gabapentin. They heavily suggest she's just interested in finding fault and getting her money back.)
The Investigative Committee said that Monarski wasn't involved in taking care of the cat and that there were no violations to be found. (He is, of course, the responsible veterinarian for the entire facility.)
There are still some lessons here. One is the common refrain with emergency and referral centers not really having the capabilities or the bench on hand to really do much, certainly not compared to what people outside the pet business would expect. VCA ARECA, whatever else you may think of it, is also one of the top shops in Arizona. It ran a bunch of blood work, performed x-rays, and ran a fast abdominal ultrasound and came up with jack. We're told that if the woman spent more money perhaps they could do a better job and find something. Another is that while we don't know what did kill the cat, gabapentin is known for causing neurological side-effects including weakness and ataxia in the hind limbs in rare cases; veterinarians often tend to round down and assume rare means never. Many sources also suggest gabapentin should be prescribed more carefully in cases with existing liver disease.
| Source: | April 4, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Christopher Monarski | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| 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.