| Complaint: | Complaint 21-84 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Lorna Lanman |
| Premises: | PetsVet Animal Hospital |
The complainant's dog had been diagnosed with disc disease at a young age and suffered from periodic flareups. The dog had a particularly bad one and would scream whenever he moved so she called the Petsvet after-hours line; she was told to bring the dog in immediately and was seen by Lanman and a veterinary technician. She says that Lanman never touched the dog's back or performed any imaging but diagnosed the dog as having a stomach problem; Lanman is said to have felt the dog's belly, diagnosed colic, and said the dog's raw, healthy diet was not appropriate for dogs. She said that foods such as sweet potato, carrtos, peas, and pumpkin were not species-appropriate and that dogs need warm food in the winter and cold food in the summer just like humans. We're told that Lanman and her tech got a tube of raw beef and bags of chicken, duck, turkey, and what was likely deer out of a freezer; they allegedly held the dog down and pressed the meat into the dog's tummy, eliciting cries of pain. (The complainant says that she asked another vet about this and learned it's a practice borrowed from Chinese medicine that amounts to rank quackery). Lanman then told the complainant that based on the results of this particular test the dog should only eat beef and duck. She says that Lanman gave the dog a bunch of shots, then pushed her knuckles into his back and said the spine was calcified and not the problem. Lanman then allegedly suggested the dog needed food from the clinic; the complainant's boyfriend took the dog to BluePearl where they gave the dog a big shot of morphine and a referral to get the dog's back checked. The complainant concludes by mentioning online reviews that suggest Lanman has done this other times; she thinks that Lanman needs to be prevented from hurting pets and wonders if her dog was hurt worse by having frozen meat shoved into him during an IVDD episode.
Lanman says that the dog in question was actually in the system under a different owner's name and address. She says the complainant admitted she wasn't the dog's owner and couldn't give any medical history other than disc disease with steroids and gabapentin as treatment. The dog's abdomen was tense, but the dog could otherwise walk around without a problem. The conversation turned to raw foods, at which point Lanman says she attempted to educate the complainant about the problems of raw foods. She mentioned "applied kinesiology to see if the dog reacts positively or negatively to certain ingredients." She says she also said that dogs have different digestive tracts that can result in a colic-like syndrome. She gave Cerenia and Butorphanol and suggested reducing the steroid dose to avoid stomach upset. She didn't feel comfortable handing out opioids to the dog because the owner wasn't present.
The Investigative Committee commented that "applied kinesiology is typically not a stand-alone diagnostic tool and is used in conjunction with other diagnostics." (Would they have been more comfortable with shoving meat into the dog's sides if the dog also had an MRI performed?) The Committee felt that pain from IVDD can often be masked and that they had concerns Lanman only investigated gastrointestinal issues rather than doing a better workup. They found one violation of failing to provide professionally acceptable procedures in that she didn't run additional diagnostics. The Board found a very similar violation in that she didn't consider IVDD as a possible diagnosis; she was required to take four hours of continuing education related to IVDD and neurology as well as pay a $1000 civil penalty.
Lanman's website at PetsVet (as of 2023) has a bio about her. It appears that she owned three veterinary clinics in Illinois from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s and then relocated to Arizona. She also had involvement as a disaster veterinarian, including assisting in the response to the September 11 attacks and a bird flu outbreak. In 2002 she became an Assistant State Veterinarian for the State of Arizona. In addition to her day job she holds positions relating to disaster veterinary management with the Maricopa County Animal Response Team and the American Humane Association. She also states that she served as President of the American Academy on Veterinary Disaster Medicine and was an exhibitor coordinator for the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. (link)
We were able to reach out to the complainant in this case. She relates that the entire experience was incredibly surreal. Her dog had jumped off a couch at six months of age and suffered hind limb paralysis as a result; the dog later recovered with therapy but some disc injury remained. Flareups were treated with prednisone, but in this instance, the flareup appeared quite severe so she searched for a nearby clinic with emergency hours. Lanman's clinic responded and stated they would be open, also leaving the complainant with the impression the clinic would be able to perform imaging on the back.
On exam at the clinic the complainant states Lanman poked her thumb into the dog's back and he failed to show a pain response; per the complainant, her dog was basically terrified. As the dog did not react, Lanman stated the problem wasn't his back, then pushed on the stomach and suggested the problem was actually colic. At this point Lanman and a veterinary technician allegedly took various meats (duck, chicken, beef, rabbit, and pork) from a freezer and refrigerator. Per the complainant, Lanman and the veterinary technician held hands while Lanman shoved the various meats into the dog's sides; the complainant didn't know what to make of it, wondering if they were just testing if the dog was painful, but she wondered why someone would use frozen foods to do so. Following this strange ritual, Lanman allegedly concluded that the dog should only eat chicken and pork, offering to sell the complainant a food they had in stock that should do the trick. The dog was then discharged.
The complainant states that it was very weird, wishing now that she had spoken up and said something. At the time, she believes she was simply too stunned for her brain to process what was happening. She also believes that the clinic didn't have the ability to image the dog's back as she was led to believe. She also notes that she's found other negative reviews regarding the vet online but no accounts similar to this meat-chunk diagnostic ritual. She also relates that the dog was seen elsewhere, did recover, and is currently doing very well.
She also had some criticisms of how the board handled her case. Due to personal issues her mail was running late, and as the veterinary board sent notices very close to the meetings, she never received a notice until after the meeting transpired. She also states that she called the vet board to discuss the outcome of the case and was told that Lanman was required to pay a fine and go back to school. Upon being informed that Lanman was required to pay only $1000 and take four hours of continuing education in disc disease, she believes the board representative was "misleading" in how the outcome of the case was described.
| Source: | July 7, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Lorna Lanman | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Absent |
| Violations: | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to use current professional and scientific knowledge with respect to failure to provide additional diagnostics to differentiate if the dog's pain was related to the suspected gastrointestinal issues or the history of the IVDD. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | August 8, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Recused |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 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 |
| Source: | June 6, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| W Reed Campbell | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Jessica Creager |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Absent |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | Order 21084 (July 7, 2022) |
|---|---|
| Violations: | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-501(1) failure to use current professional and scientific knowledge with respect to detecting IVDD as an option for the dog’s symptoms. | |
| Penalties: | |
| Probation (1 year) | |
| Continuing education (4 hours in neurology/IVDD) | |
| Civil penalty ($1000) | |
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.