| Complaint: | Complaint 22-87 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Elisabeth Dutton |
| Premises: | Blue Cross Veterinary Clinic |
The complainant says that despite his expectations, his cat had seven teeth pulled during a dental. He relates that the cat cannot chew food, is constantly throwing up, and can no longer meow. He says that Dutton told him only one tooth would be removed; he suspects the other teeth were taken just to pad the bill, also wondering if he was taken advantage of because he's handicapped. He concludes that he's very sad for his cat who, in his opinion, has suffered needlessly.
Dutton says the cat showed up with a broken bottom tooth and somewhat paltry medical records. She says that after an exam the tooth the complainant was worried about was actually an old situation. However, she could see inflammation and other dental problems, recommending Convenia and bloowrok in preparation for the dental. She says that during the dental, she discovered the tooth in question was fine, but seven other teeth needed to go in order to relieve the cat's pain. She called him afterward and relates the complainant was very angry about all the tooth-pulling and on a fixed income, but she offered a payment plan. He came to get the cat, paid the bill, and says he never called with an update on the cat. She concludes by stating that she's worried about the cat but that she's also not supposed to call the complainant; in hindsight she wishes she had given him an estimate, and she also wishes he had asked for one.
The Investigative Committee only had concerns about a possible administrative violation for not providing an estimate, not about anything tha thappened to the cat; they said that all Dutton would have had to do to escape trouble was have given a verbal estimate. The official records state that five people voted for the violation, but the list of committee members present only shows four people there that day; Seiler was absent. The board shaved the whole thing down to a Letter of Concern.
| Source: | July 7, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Elisabeth Dutton | Respondent |
| W Reed Campbell | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Absent |
| Violations: | |
| ARS ยง 32-2232 (18) as it relates to AAC R3-11-502 (C) failure to provide the animal owner an estimate of costs for the dental procedure. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Elisabeth Dutton | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Unknown |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Nay |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Nay |
| Jane Soloman | Nay |
| Jessica Creager | Nay |
| Jim Loughead | Nay |
| Melissa Thompson | Nay |
| Nikki Frost | Nay |
| Robyn Jaynes | Nay |
| Result: | Failed |
| Source: | August 8, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Elisabeth Dutton | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| 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.