| Complaint: | Complaint 22-95 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Makenzie Kurth |
| Premises: | Queen Creek Veterinary Clinic |
The complainant says that he took his dog to Queen Creek for his dental cleaning. He picked the dog up that afternoon and nobody made any comments about the procedure. At the time the dog appeared to be doing well. However, when he got home, the dog began licking his left rear abdomen, where he found two wounds that appeared to be caused by a sharp object. At the time the wounds seemed superficial but he states they got worse over the coming days. The dog also developed Valley Fever which he blames on the procedure. (It appears that he likely means the dog's existing Valley Fever had flared up as a result; the Findings of Fact state that the dog was inconsistenly treated with fluconazole because of fainting episodes associated with the drug.)
Kurth's response states that the dog presented for a dental and the complainant reported no preexisting conditions; however, he verbally advised that the dog had several, including an ACL tear, a previous Valley Fever diagnosis, a heart murmur, and asthma or collapsing trachea. She describes the dental as routine with the exception of some loose teeth that fell out during cleaning. The complainant didn't call back until seven weeks later to ask about puncture wounds on the dog's left side; the dog had previously had Valley Fever in that location and was improving on fluconazole. Kurth explained to him that anesthesia can have immune effects but would have been very unlikely to have caused such a sudden recurrence. She also notes that Valley Fever has a tendency to come back.
This was an Investigative Division report not handled by a committee. The Findings of Fact are similar to the pre-existing conditions mentioned for the dog in Kurth's response.
| Source: | April 4, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| 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 | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| 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.