| Complaint: | Complaint 22-73 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | John Montana |
| Premises: | West Olive Animal Hospital |
The complainant relates the events leading up to the death of his dog. His dog was lethargic and not eating, reminding Montana that he had just had to put down another of his dogs with the same symptoms. Montana ordered a full blood panel including Tick Fever or Valley Fever.
The complainant called for over a week until the front desk told him the Valley Fever titer came back at 1:16 with no further explanation; he waited several more days with no clarification until the front desk relayed the dog should be on 1620 mg of flucanazole a day (the complainant thought this was rather high). He was told to call around to see who could fill the prescription but as he wasn't the veterinarian he wasn't able to answer questions or get a result.
The front desk finally relayed that they had phoned the prescription in to a compounding pharmacy; the dog deteriorated until he was taken to see Wood at Legacy Veterinary Services, treated for pneumonia, finally taken to VetMed, and then euthanized. He says he never spoke with Jackson once since the original visit.
Montana's response states that the dog had a decreased appetite and was feverish on exam, claiming the complainant was concerned about poisoning due to the death of a previous pet in the past. He offered doxycycline and dexamethasone but says the complainant turned down the doxycycline until the test results were in; he subsequently started the dog on doxycycline. We're told that the titer results were delayed because of the Thanksgiving holiday, that staff explained the results to the complainant, and notes that the staff is very competent in explaining medical matters to the public. He also questions some of the records received from VetMed, claiming that a listed recheck never happened at his clinic and they don't even carry one of the listed medications; he also notes the diagnosis of acute renal failure was new.
The Investigative Committee noted that not all matters can be explained by a staff member, also mentioning concerns about differing accounts about doxycycline. They also had concerns about medical records omissions. Three violations were found and the board required Montana to take six hours of continuing education (3 in client communication and 3 in medical record keeping).
| Source: | June 6, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| John Montana | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to show respect to the pet owner for never speaking to the owner regarding the Valley Fever results/titer or regarding the owner's concerns for the dog's condition | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (L) (4) failure to document the dog's heart rate and respiratory rate in the medical record on November 22, 2021 | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (L) (5) failure to document the dog's tentative or definitive diagnosis in the medical record on November 22, 2021. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Craig Nausley |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Nay |
| Robyn Jaynes | Basent |
| Violations: | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to show respect to the pet owner for never speaking to the owner regarding the Valley Fever results/fiter or regarding the owner's concerns for the dog's condition | |
| ARS § 32-2232 (21) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (L) (4) failure to document the dog's heart rate and respiratory rate in the medical record on November 22, 2021. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Craig Nausley |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Nay |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | Order 22073 (September 9, 2022) |
|---|---|
| Violations: | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-501 (1) failure fo show respect to the pet owner for never speaking to the owner regarding the Valley Fever results/titer or regarding the owner’s concerns for the dog’s condition. | |
| A.R.S. § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-501 (1) failure fo show respect to the pet owner for never speaking to the owner regarding the Valley Fever results/titer or regarding the owner’s concerns for the dog’s condition. | |
| Penalties: | |
| Probation (1 year) | |
| Continuing education (3 hours in client communication) | |
| Continuing education (3 hours in medical record keeping) | |
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.