| Complaint: | Complaint 22-138 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Jeri Altizer |
| Premises: | Palm Glen Animal Hospital |
The complainant sys her dog ran outside and came back in yipping and walking on three legs. The condition kept getting wore so she took the dog to the vet and learned it was bone cancer. Without amputation the dog might only have three months, but with amputation it might live another year. She was referred to Southwest Veterinary Surgical Service where she was given an estimate that she couldn't passibly afford. The surgeon there, Schiable, then referred the complainant to Palm Glen Animal Hospital where they might be able to do the surgery for less money.
The dog went in for surgery and the leg was amputated. The dog ended up needing a second surgery that same day due to bleeding. They discharged the dog to the complainant. She noticed the dog was wheeled out on a cart, was very cold, and her eyes were huge. When she asked if the dog was okay, she was told the dog was still sedated but would wake up at home. They told her to check the gums for color, at which point she responded that the gums were white right now; she says they told her to look lower. She didn't feel the dog was ready to take home, but as the clinic was closing, she was told to take the dog to an emergency clinic if she needed to.
At the end of the 25-minute drive home she found her dog dead.
Altizer's response is several pages and is written in a more or less narrative form. The first section contains the dramatis personae for this particular play, literally introducing the key staff members by name and initials. Among relevant highlights, Altizer said that she recommended the complainant see a board-certified surgeon (note that Schiable, a board-certified surgeon, sent the complinant to Altizer because Southwest Veterinary Surgical Service wanted more money than she can afford). However, Altizer said that she'd done several amputations in the past, but should make sure she knows where the nearest emergency hospital is in case there's a problem.
We're also told that the complainant had doubts about waiting too long to help her dog, yet when confronted with doing the amputation on the dog during the surgery, she momentarily wavered. After the dog was patched up, they found blood pooling near the incision site, so they got permission to open up the dog again and check for an active hemorrhage. When discharging the dog, Altizer told the complainant the dog had lost a lot of blood and recommended an immediate transfer to an emergency hospital; the complainant said she couldn't afford it, so Altizer told her to take the dog to VetMed. We're told the dog was still recovering from anesthesia and the complainant was repeating "I'm so sorry, what did I do to you" while the techs loaded the dog in the car. The complainant signed the paperwork and had no questions.
The complainant didn't show up the next morning for the bandage change. They called her and asked for an update, at which time they learned the dog was found dead when the complainant opened up the back of the car. Schaible (the specialist who referred the complainant to Altizer) called saying the complainant wanted an explanation; Schaible allegedly told Altizer that she did everything right. We're also told that Schaible was able to "calm down" the complainant after talking to her and that Schaible didn't think she would file a complaint with the board. Three days later Altizer got the board complaint in the mail.
The Investigative Committee found gross negligence on the grounds of sending the dog home in an unstable condition; they said that regardless of other factors, the dog had just been through major surgery and knocked out twice. In their view, the vet is still responsible for the dog even if the hospital is going to close. The board disagreed and found no violations.
| Source: | November 11, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jeri Altizer | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS ยง 32-2232 (11) Gross negligence; for discharging the dog in an unstable condition which led to the death of the dog. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | December 12, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jeri Altizer | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Craig Nausley |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| 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.