| Complaint: | Complaint 22-59 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | McKenna Thompson |
| Premises: | Continental Animal Wellness Center |
The complainant brought his cat to Continental Animal Wellness for a tooth abscess; he relates that the vet tech appeared to confuse his name with his cat's name. Thompson examined the cat and diagnosed a tooth abscess, recommending surgery as antibiotics for the rest of the cat's life wouldn't give a good quality of life. The complainant states he was concerned about anesthesia given the age of the cat but was reassured they would run testing beforehand.
The cat subsequently underwent the procedure, and about an hour into it the complainant received a call stating the cat's heart stopped beating. They performed CPR for 12 minutes until he ordered them to stop; he was taken back by the office manager, Brianna Clark, where he saw his cat in a bloody towel. Thompson was unavailable (?) so he was offered to speak to a different veterinarian, but none showed up. Thompson later spoke with him and said she had no idea what had gone wrong. He concludes by saying he's gone through all the records and found "a lot of malpractice" and would like his money refunded or extremely discounted.
Thompson's response begins with some medical facts about the cat, also noting that the complainant and his girlfriend apparently noted a lump on the right side of the cat's jaw two weeks prior. The cat's appetite had decreased and the complainant was concerned about the cat's quality of life, stating the cat was hiding more and not acting like normal. She diagnosed a likely tooth root abscess and informed the complainant that a full dental and not antibiotics would be the best choice of action. The complainant agreed, blood work was sent out and came back within acceptable limits, and the dental was scheduled.
The cat was brought in for the dental and went under anesthesia. She began examining the abscess and the remainder of the cat's mouth; she notes that the cat had several major dental issues going on. She began drilling on some of the teeth and then "noticed the ECG was showing asystole." She confirmed there was no heartbeat and then began CPR following the standard of care for CPR. She called the complainant and received permission to stop CPR, and she confirmed again that the cat had no heartbeat. She says that she spoke with the complainant's mother, who understood that "sometimes anesthetic death happens"; the complainant's mom apparently wanted to pay the entire bill. The complainant and his girlfriend were less happy about the situation, and Thompson states she had to order them to be more respectful as she relayed the events of the day; she also says that by the time the complainant and his girlfriend left, they understood they were just directing their grief at her.
The Investigative Committee said it's always difficult to lose a pet and mused on whether more extensive testing would have been warranted, as well as trying antibiotics first. On the other hand, they felt that surgery wa the only real option, and some cats like this one are known to have breed-specific problems. They did wonder about the use of dexdomitor in an older cat, but they note that Thompson used less than usual (though they also note that reversal of dexdomitor is typically part of a CPR protocol). No violations were found.
Pets dropping dead from dentals isn't that uncommon and just our subset of records racks up more than a few. Anesthesia is riskier in veterinary medicine than in human medicine. As it's used so frequently for things as basic as a teeth cleaning, it's no wonder that veterinarians anecdotally outpace doctors in professional body counts.
| Source: | May 5, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| McKenna Thompson | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Absent |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | June 6, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Absent |
| 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.