| Complaint: | Complaint 22-29 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Andrew Tornell |
| Premises: | AZPetVet North Buckeye Animal Hospital |
The complainant states that his dog was having major health problems that led to taking the dog to Tornell and colleagues. He states that the dog's symptoms, initially ascribed to pyometra, were in his view the result of the dog eating a bite of green onion. He also says that Tornell did not inquire about what the dog had eaten, instead wanting to run tests; he notes that the initial tests came back suggesting an infection, but he could not afford more testing, so Tornell dispensed antibiotics. The dog continued to do worse until a follow-up visit diagnosed pyometra, at which point an emergency surgery was performed; he relates that the veterinarian, Webster, suggested the dog would not likely survive the surgery, but it was also the only option to save the dog. The dog survived the surgery but died soon after. The complainant states that he later read that green onions could cause the same abnormal test results and symptoms, so he believes that a green onion caused the problem; he also appears to suggest that he would like a refund.
Tornell's response recaps the initial presentation of the dog, his first thoughts, the results of the limited testing and his suspicion of possible pyometra along with other diagnoses. He relates that he informed the complainant that their in-house lab work was insufficient to rule out many of the possibilities, also noting that the complainant was more concerned about an eye issue given the severity of the dog's other problems. He also stated that the complainant might want to consider euthanasia depending on the course of the dog's disease. He stated that the owner subsequently called up suggesting a misdiagnosis of liver disease and that the complainant turned down a recheck exam. At a later recheck exam, the dog was seen by Weirich and transfrred to Webster for surgery; Tornell states that he doesn't know anything about any of that, and that they've submitted statements as well (which are not part of the public record).
The Investigative Committee discussion is very short, only stating that they reviewed the case files and found that there was not a violation.
Reading the complaint gives the impression of a devastated complainant trying to make sense of what happened after the fact. It's not helped by the fact that public education campaigns by the veterinary sector treat the public as stupid, thereby dumbing down any discussion of things like dose response. There's also the question of, financial limitations aside, the dog might have recovered from a pyometra surgery done at a fully-equipped hospital rather than a member of the AZPetVet chain, particularly given how far gone the dog was at this time.
| Source: | March 3, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Andrew Tornell | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | April 4, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Recused |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.