| Complaint: | Complaint 22-120 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Nicole Avci |
| Premises: | Vistancia Animal Hospital |
The complainant was out of town when her professional cat-sitter noticed her cat was suffering from severe pain and discomfort. While the complainant made plans to come home, the cat was seen at Vistancia; Avci is said to have performed an oral exam and suggested teeth needed to be pulled, giving an estimate for a dental. After agreeing to the estimate she learned the cat would have to wait a week for the dental, nor did anyone suggest taking the cat to an emergency or other facility.
The cat was sent home with buprenorphine syringes that failed to manage the cat's pain and calls to Vistancia failed to convince them of the gravity of the situation. The complainant and the cat-sitter called around to AVECCC for emergency dental surgery but they had no openings; they recommended calling Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists in the morning. AVDS apparently got the cat in that day and found an inch-long lesion in the cat's mouth; they stayed after closing hours to perform the operation and had to transfer the cat to AVECCC after the surgery. The cat was subsequently euthanized (the Findings of Fact mention squamous cell carcinoma and an antibiotic-resistant infection). The complainant questions how anyone could perform an oral exam yet miss all that, also noting that her cat suffered and accrued thousands of dollars in emergency bills. (Allegedly, practice manager Astin Deem, most notably appearing in several BluePearl complaints, allegedly told the complainant that Avci did a bad job.)
Avci notes that the cat was very evasive and difficult to examine at the clinic, requiring a cotton swab and tongue depressor to get into the mouth at all. The cat was drooling excessively and "had an occasional chattering response to facial stimulation." She notes that she didn't find any masses or lesions, but examining the cat was difficult. With no other information she recommended a dental and began running blood work. It wasn't until later that she learned of the decline in the cat's condition. A meeting was set up by the practice manager and medical director, and at the end of the meeting she apologized to the complainant she apologized to the complainant for not detecting the lesion.
The Investigative Committee had no problems with this except for Steven Dow (who voted against dismissal). Overall the committee apparently felt that there was no reason to refer the cat to an emergency facility on presentation, and there was no way Avci could have examined the cat under anesthesia because there wasn't enough support or time in the schedule. They also note that the clinic had other conversations with the complainant and attempted to adjust the pain medication.
| Source: | September 9, 2022 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Nicole Avci | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Gregg Maura | Absent |
| Justin McCormick | Aye |
| Steven Dow | Nay |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Nay |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| 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.