| Complaint: | Complaint 21-74 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Stephanie Strautman |
| Premises: | AZPetVet Roadrunner Animal Hospital |
The complainant says she took her dog to Roadrunner Animal Hospital for coughing. The dog was examined by Evans and was allegedly told that the dog only had a minor heart murmur. Evans wanted blood work and x-rays; the complainant agreed to the blood work for $395.56. The blood work came back negative for Valley Fever so they wanted to bring the dog back for x-rays. She says on this second visit Strautman saw the dog and said the dog's heart was bigger than it should be; Strautan took the dog back for x-rays and says that the dog's problem was due to tracheal collapse. She also says the dog was doing fine before the dog went back for x-rays but was back there for almost half an hour; she became worried and was even more worried when her dog was brought back with difficulty breathing and not even recognizing her any more. She tried putting her dog on the floor and the dog just dropped. A veterinary technician allegedly told her it was just because the dog was stressed. They also gave the dog some shots, which along with the other work totaled $595 for the day. They told her if the dog got worse to take the dog to a 24-hour emergency hospital. The dog went home and went potty. The dog was still breathing very hard so she put the dog in the dog's bed to give the medicines a chance to work. When she came back to check on her dog ten minutes later the dog was dead in the bed. She called Roadrunner back and was allegedly asked how much the dog weighed because they also did cremations there; she says that they killed her baby and all they could think about at every step was making more money.
Strautman says that the dog presented to Evans with signs of coughing and decreased energy. Evans wanted to take x-rays but was turned down by the complainant. They still put the dog on hydrocodone and Pimobendan; blood work came about without anything notable. Another vet named Lyakhova apparently recommended x-rays and Lasix at some point. Strautman examined the dog and found the same 4/6 heart murmur. She was suspicious for congestive heart failure and performed radiographs; she says the dog was put on oxygen for the x-ray as well as after to allow the dog to recover. She says that she found an enlarged heart, particularly on the left side, as well as moderate pulmonary edema; she also says the dog had tracheal narrowing. She recommended Lasix injection, Lasix oral medication, and a Cerenia injection; the dog was given Furosemide and Cerenia. She told the complainant that if the dog had any signs of respiratory distress to take the dog to the clinic or an emergency facility. The complainant called from home later that day to inform them the dog had died. She says that she didn't know the complainant wanted to talk to her; if she had known she would have said something.
The Investigative Committee said that the medical care was appropriate but that they weren't sure the complainant understood the dog had congestive heart failure. They also said the dog had a lot of health problems and didn't come out of the clinic any worse than she went into the clinic (the complainant doesn't appear to think so); the Committee also helpfully notes that you just can never tell when a dog will suddenly decompensate and drop dead like that. They do mention it was "unfortunate" that the clinic (and Strautman) didn't pick up on how serious the dog's condition really was.
| Source: | June 6, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Stephanie Strautman | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 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.