| Complaint: | Complaint 21-91 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Catalin Petcu |
| Premises: | Western Animal Hospital |
The complainant says that her dog was experiencing belly pain after just being in heat. The complainant's daugher suggested calling a veterinarian; nobody else was available so she says she took the dog to Petcu, though both of them had concerns as Petcu allegedly misdiagnosed one of their other dogs in the past. Petcu diagnosed the dog with pyometra and recommended IV fluids for a few hours; he wanted to remove the uterus in a few days when the dog was better. They came back in a few hours to pick up the dog and heard the dog crying out in the other room in distress. Her daughter discovered the dog face down with her legs splayed out on the floor; Petcu was allegedly trying to drag the dog up. The daughter allegedly asked Petcu what happened; he related that the dog had gone out to urinate, slipped, and ended up in that position, claiming the dog was refusing to move because the dog was being lazy. The complainant and her daughter were unable to move the dog themselves; Petcu allegedly suggested rubbing the dog's butt but finally helped them load the dog into their car. The dog was discharged with antibiotics and Valley Fever medication; the complainant says the dog was in pain all night. When they called back they were told Petcu doesn't do pyometra surgery. They took the dog to Arrow Animal Hospital where another veterinarian, Burns, went ahead and did the pyometra surgery; he said that the pyometra was minimal but that the dog needed to go to an emergency clinic because she couldn't walk. The dog went to BluePearl where she was found to have suffered a fall that injured her spine; the complainant brought the dog home and cared for her and recovered some bodily functions. (The Findings of Fact do mention trauma as a possible cause but it appears other veterinarians finally chalked it all up to disc disease and Valley Fever neuropathy.)
Petcu starts off by saying the complainant couldn't communicate with him due to a hearing or cognitive problem; the daughter, we're told, made all the decisions. The daughter has allegedly brought pets to his clinic several times for misdiagnoses by other veterinarians, has a "holistic" veterinarian friend, and gives her dog "Internet recipes." He also says they never pay their bills on time. That out of the way, he tells us the dog had been there several times in the past; he suspected Addison's disease at one point. He also says he explained the importance of spaying the dog but was ignored. He claims that on the day in question the dog presented in his clinic already not being able to walk and the complainants were saying other veterinarians said the dog had pyometra. He claims he offered to put the dog on fluids while they found a 24-hour faciity to accept the dog; it appears he also ran x-rays and gave the dog some medications. He says he recommended taking the dog to BluePearl, and when the complainants came back to get the dog, he told them they must take the dog to EAC and gave them a number for a neurology specialist. He also says there was no way the complainant's daughter could have walked into the treatment area. She also refused most of his instructions. He says that he doesn't know what "misdiagnosis" they mention about the other dog; for this dog, he says that he actually saved the dog's life by giving the dog fluids when nobody else would see the dog (for reasons unknown).
The Investigative Committee said that there were two different stories regarding what happened; it would have been helpful if the medical record were clearer. They say that Petcu was very clear he wouldn't do the pyometra surgery; they also say that the dog wasn't harmed while at Petcu's clinic. The Investigative Committee found a medical records violation that the Board threw out; they sent a letter of concern.
For the time when Petcu allegedly called the cops on some clients and led them to beg for anonymity in their complaint out of fear of retaliation, see 20-51.
| Source: | July 7, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Catalin Petcu | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS ยง 32-2232 (21) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (L): (4) failure to document in the medical record the abnormalities found when the dog was examined; and (5) failure to document in the medical record the dog's tentative or definitive diagnosis. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | August 8, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Nay |
| 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.