| Complaint: | Complaint 22-27 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Jessica Day |
| Premises: | Family VetCare of Chandler |
The complainant states that Day prescribed trazodone for her dog prior to a trip. She states that the dog had a collapsing trachea and was taking hydrocodone for the condition. After one to one and a half hours, she noticed her dog was panting much harder than usual, so she took the dog out of the carrier. After unzipping the carrier after boarding an airplane, she noticed that the dog had blood around the mouth and the tongue was whitish purple and hanging out of the side. She stated to other passengers that she believed her dog was dying. It appears she remained onboard for takeoff and notes that the dog died several minutes after the plane took off despite her attempts to breathe into his nose and mouth. She states that she's done much research and talked to people and that trazodone should never be prescribed to pets with collapsing trachea.
Day's response states that the dog had been seen there as well as at other clinics. The dog was suspected to have collapsing trachea based on symptoms but radiographs were initially turned down based on cost, but were eventually performed, yielding a moderate to severe collapsing trachea. Day states that the complainant had concerns for the dog's quality of life but could not afford stent surgery, eventually trying a low dose of steroids and a visit to a "holistic veterinarian." She states that she also prescribed trazodone for the dog prior to the complainant's out of state flight; she notes that while the experience was no doubt traumatic, the dog's death wasn't exactly a surprise to her given the severe condition combined with the stress of the flight. The complainant was said to be initially understanding but then turned hostile, attacking them on social media; the clinic eventually gave her a refund of the entire calendar year's veterinary expenses.
The Investigative Committee said that while the experience was no doubt traumatic, the complainant was well aware of the dog's serious condition. They also felt the medications and dosages were appropriate, stating that stress, health conditions, and an excitable young dog in the carrier likely led to the dog's death. They didn't believe the trazodone would have even kicked in yet.
From the peanut gallery, one wonders if the complainant tried to get off the plane prior to takeoff given the dog's deterioration prior to and immediately after boarding the aircraft. One also wonders about a veterinarian prescribing trazodone for a trip, yet stating that it's no wonder the dog dropped dead from actually going on a trip; did she mention any concerns?
| Source: | February 2, 2022 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jessica Day | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Gregg Maura | Aye |
| Justin McCormick | Aye |
| Steven Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | March 3, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Absent |
| 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.