| Complaint: | Complaint 21-72 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Christine Moyer |
| Premises: | Chaparral Veterinary Medical Center |
| Related: | 21-71, 21-73 |
This complaint follows from 21-71 but pertains to Moyer's involvement. It appears that Moyer is the surgeon who actually worked on the horse.
Moyer says that she performed the surgery on the horse after the horse "returned to pain" and thus suggested that medical management alone would not be sufficient. She says that the horse recovered well from the volvulus surgery and the complainant was very grateful. Another surgeon, Andrea, was also there that night along with Liepman, but not to consult; she was only there in case they needed additional surgeons as they had two (not five) other horses to work on that night. She says that some of the horse's illness during recovery was attributable to salmonella, which isn't out of the question in horses with gastric problems such as this one. She reiterates that the complainant was very happy with her care when he came to pick up the horse. When Liepman got the call that the horse was found dead covered in blood in the trailer she was brought in on a conference call. She says everyone there was very surprised and the reason they did not suggest bringing the horse back was because she didn't think the complainant was in a state of mind to do so safely; he was obviously very traumatized to find his horse dead in a trailer full of blood and guts. She even says that the complainant admits this when he says he wasn't thinking clearly; besides, she points out Nolte (the regular horse doctor and repeat complaint respondent) could have ordered a necropsy if he had any doubts about what happened.
Moyer also gives us a bit of horse anatomy that she says her colleagues tried to teach to the complainant (a human medical doctor) without success. It appears that when a horse's guts come out they fall from a height; the horse's innards are held between two sets of legs whereas all of ours are resting straight down on one set of legs. So when horse guts fall out, they can pull out a bunch of other stuff, and that's what she thinks happened to this horse. She says that a vascular event and internal bleeding as suggested by the complainant couldn't have this effect. Moyer also says if the horse had been bleeding internally they would have noticed it. Instead, she blames the horse's known narcolepsy; she says that the horse likely fell down while traveling at high speed and made the incision rupture. She points out the horse even fell down while at the clinic, so it's not impossible. She also says that just because nobody felt the horse fall down in the trailer doesn't mean it didn't happen. Much like her colleague Liepman she takes exception at being referred to as "junior" by the complainant. She points out that all three veterinarians including herself are board-certified and the horse "actually received care far surpassing the industry standard." (That may even be true, but what appears to be exceptional to a veterinarian may appear somewhat lacking to a real doctor; there are several complaints in our file to that effect.)
The Investigative Committee discussion is pasted from 21-71.
| Source: | June 6, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Christine Moyer | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| 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.