| Complaint: | Complaint 22-81 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Melinda Striyle |
| Premises: | 43rd Avenue Animal Hospital |
| Related: | 22-56, 22-82 |
This complaint is related to 22-56 and concerns the events at another veterinary hospital prior to a probable euthanasia under duress following the VetMed visit. (The summary tends to shave that part off, so I'd suggest reading that complaint too.)
The complaint appears to have four pages but we only have one of them. It states that the complainant's asking for a formal investigation because of failure to diagnose and conspiracy to conceal malpractice regarding his dog. He states that he had been taking the dog to their clinic for over a decade, and more recently the dog had been treated there for severe arthritis in the hind legs.
The dog later started showing pain in the neck or shoulders. He dropped off the dog for an exam and when he picked her up she was having problems in her hind legs; he initially assumed that the weakness was the result of anesthesia, noting that all the reports that came back showed a dog with no significant changes. Less than a week later it appears the dog was in extreme pain and could no longer support herself with her back legs. Because of the missing pages, that's all of the complaint we get.
Striyle's response is written by a lawyer and looks like it. It notes that the Striyle and the complainant had a good and trusting relationship throughout her treatment of the dog, noting that the dog was due for a recheck for heart issues and other matters. Based on elevated liver values she also added an abdominal ultrasound, and after the complainant mentioned hip issues, also added a hip x-ray. The response notes that Striyle did some portions of the testing while Darmofal was responsible for others.
Striyle says that after that discharge she had no further interaction with the complainant, but her colleague, Darmofal, suggested the dog see a specialist; she couldn't find any reason for the dog's symptoms, but unfortunately the complainant declined. When the dog returned with a broken humerus that was attended to by Darmofal, not her. She also states that there was no conspiracy or attempt to conceal malpractice.
The Investigative Committee found no violations. They stated that Striyle took x-rays and didn't see any pathology, so there was no reason to send them off to a radiologist; they also said the x-rays at VetMed were better because their equipment was better and "time had passed" (more growth of tumors or similar?) since the initial x-rays. They also noted she didn't take x-rays of the lower vertebra because according to them there was no need to at the time.
| Source: | April 4, 2022 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Melinda Striyle | Respondent |
| Sara Starks | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Gregg Maura | Aye |
| Justin McCormick | Aye |
| Steven Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Sara Stark | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| 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.