THE
COMPLAINT
Complaint
Text
Below
is the text of our original complaint we
mailed to the Board. All of the facts and evidence were included as
attachments and are included on this website on the other pages. This
website is our complaint in online form for all the world to see. It
truly is Mission: Impossible to get the Texas Vet Board to hold guilty
vets accountable. Why does the Board protect vets, not pets?
TEXT
OF THE OFFICIAL
COMPLAINT MAILED TO THE TSBVME
OUR
8 YEAR OLD AKC
CHAMPION-SIRED
MALE
SHIH TZU, STEMPY,
PASSED AWAY ON 9/30/05….THREE DAYS AFTER SURGERY PERFORMED
BY DR. ANN THOMAS
FOR BLADDER STONES. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT HIS DEATH WAS A DIRECT RESULT
OF THE
NEGLIGENT CARE AND/OR LACK OF CARE PROVIDED BY DR. THOMAS. THIS
NEGLIGENCE
CONCERNS ALL ASPECTS OF STEMPY’S CARE DATING BACK TO NOVEMBER
2003, WHEN DR.
THOMAS SAW STEMPY FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR BLADDER STONES, AND CULMINATES
IN
STEMPY’S UNTIMELY AND PREVENTABLE DEATH ON SEPTEMBER 30,
2005. ATTACHED YOU
WILL FIND A TIMELINE OF EVENTS OF THE NEGLIGENT CARE PROVIDED STEMPY BY
DR.
THOMAS, ALONG WITH SEVERAL PROMINENT VETERINARY OPINIONS REGARDING THE
CARE AND
TREATMENT OF UROLITHIASIS IN CANINES. ALSO ATTACHED ARE A COPY OF
STEMPY’S
RECORDS WITH DR. THOMAS THAT REINFORCES OUR CLAIM OF SUBSTANDARD AND
NEGLIGENT
CARE. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT DR. THOMAS PROVIDED
SUBSTANDARD CARE,
AND AFTER REVIEWING THE AFOREMENTIONED ATTACHMENTS, WE FEEL THAT YOU,
TOO, WILL
COMPLETELY AGREE WITH US THAT THE CARE WAS SUBSTANDARD AND NEGLIGENT.
WE LOOK
FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE.
----
GREG
AND CINDY MUNSON.
return to
top
TIMELINE
(PREPARED BY: GREG
& CINDY MUNSON)
(SEPTEMBER
2003 TO
OCTOBER 2005)
NEGLIGENT
/ SUBSTANDARD
CARE - DR. ANN THOMAS,
DVM ~
RE:
STEMPY MUNSON
SEPTEMBER
/ OCTOBER 2003
We
started buying Stempy's prescription diet (Hill's
Prescription Diet c/d) from Dr. Thomas, which we bought every 7 to 10
days. As
Dr. Thomas had never seen nor examined Stempy, she stated she needed
his
previous records in order to dispense the prescription diet. We brought
in
Stempy's records, which
included his bladder stone history,
from his
previous vet, on our second visit in late September 2003. We also made
2 to 3
visits to Dr. Thomas in October 2003 to purchase the prescription diet.
ALERT! -
Dr. Thomas writes on the top of Stempy's records that the records from
previous
vet contained no notes of his prior stone history. THIS
IS
NOT TRUE. How
else would she be able to prescribe his
prescription diet without ever having seen Stempy if it was not in his
previous
records that she required us to provide?
ALERT! - Dr.
Thomas repeatedly
failed to record
dispensing his PRESCRIPTION
DIET in his patient
records. This happened
almost weekly from September 2003 to September 2005.
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 1, 2003
Stempy
was
brought in physically to Dr. Thomas FOR
THE FIRST TIME
as he was having
trouble going to the bathroom.
DONE
– Radiograph
ALERT!
- Note that Dr.
Thomas NEVER AGAIN
follows even her own protocol,
established here, of
taking a radiograph for future diagnostic events to confirm the
presence of
stones.
DONE
– Urinalysis – From these results, Dr. Thomas
formulates the stone to be
Calcium Oxalate and changes Stempy’s diet from
Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d to
Hill’s Prescription Diet u/d. Dr. Thomas
“flushes” the stone back to the
bladder and sends Stempy home with a catheter in place and schedules a
Cystotomy for 11/03/03.
ALERT! –
Upon Stempy being scheduled for surgery, we informed Dr. Thomas of two
prior
episodes / seizures that Stempy had experienced in his past. This was
the first
time we had mentioned this to any vet as we were concerned that the
anesthesia
might cause problems. Dr. Thomas responded “Oh
really?” She FAILED
to
make ANY
notes about this in his records and later
on denied any
knowledge of this event. We
vividly
remember telling her and consider it a GRIEVOUS
ERROR on
her part to not have notated this in his files.
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 3,
2003
Dr.
Thomas performed a
Cystotomy. She reported the stone to be Struvite. After 2 days of being
on
Hill’s Prescription Diet u/d, Dr. Thomas changed
Stempy’s diet to Hill’s
Prescription Diet g/d and exchanged the remaining u/d.
ALERT!
– Hill’s Prescription
Diet g/d is NOT
formulated to prevent ANY
stones. U/d is
formulated to prevent Calcium Oxalate stones. C/d is formulated to
prevent
Struvite stones. S/d is formulated to dissolve Struvite stones. Stempy
was on
g/d for the remainder of his life, which was the WRONG
diet
completely. If the stone removed on 11/03/03 was indeed Struvite, then
surgery
was not necessary as she had flushed the stone back to the bladder. S/d
could
have then been prescribed to dissolve the stone. If the stone was
Calcium
Oxalate like we believe, Stempy should have been on u/d since this
date. He was
not.
ALERT!
– According to other
veterinary experts (see attached), it is essential that a postoperative
radiograph is performed to verify removal of all stones. This
WAS NOT
done.
We consider this to be a GRIEVOUS
ERROR .
ALERT! –
According to other veterinary experts (see attached), medical
management,
dietary modification, and constant monitoring are all necessary
objectives of
postoperative care and a follow-up
urinalysis is needed every
3 months.
Dr. Thomas performed ONE follow
up urinalysis on
11/14/03, 11 days
post-surgery. She NEVER AGAIN
performed, or
recommended, ANY
of
the necessary objectives of postoperative care for his condition. This
is a
most
GRIEVOUS
ERROR
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas altered and/or
falsified
Stempy’s records for this date.
Evidence can be seen by the fact that she has written notes down to the
side of
an entry made in his records on 11/14/03. She leads us to believe that
these
comments were made on 11/03/03. That is not possible since the entry on
11/14/03 could not have been there on 11/03/03.
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 14, 2003
Stempy
was
brought in to Dr. Thomas to have his stitches removed.
DONE
– Urinalysis
ALERT! –
The urinalysis AGAIN
showed Calcium
Oxalate crystals. It is noted
in his records that there were NO
STRUVITE crystals
in this urinalysis.
Even with the results of this urinalysis, Dr. Thomas did not question
the
findings of 11/03/03. No changes were made or recommended to his
prescription
diet, despite Calcium Oxalate crystals AGAIN
in his
urinalysis. These
inconsistencies should have alerted Dr. Thomas of the extreme
importance of
constant monitoring and of a possible error in her finding of the stone
on
11/03/03 to be Struvite. No future monitoring was recommended or done.
We feel
that this was another
GRIEVOUS
ERROR
on
her part.
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 16,
2004
Stempy
was brought in to Dr.
Thomas because we felt he was constipated. Note that these symptoms are
also
common in a dog that is straining to urinate.
ALERT! –
Despite Stempy’s prior bladder stone history, Dr. Thomas FAILED
to do a
urinalysis or a radiograph. We feel that this was yet another GRIEVOUS
ERROR on
her part.
TUESDAY,
AUGUST 10, 2004
Stempy
was brought in for
his annual vaccinations. Dr. Thomas informed us that Stempy needed some
dental
work done sometime in the near future.
ALERT! –
Another opportunity to perform a urinalysis is not done by Dr. Thomas.
Stempy
remained on Hill’s Prescription Diet g/d, the WRONG
diet. We consider
this to be a
GRIEVOUS
ERROR .
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 16, 2004
Stempy
was
brought in for a nail trim.
ALERT! -
Another opportunity to perform a urinalysis is not done by
Dr. Thomas. Stempy remained on Hill’s Prescription Diet g/d,
the WRONG
diet. We consider this to be a
GRIEVOUS
ERROR .
SATURDAY,
MARCH 12, 2005
Stempy
was
brought in to Dr. Thomas as he was again having trouble going to the
bathroom.
DONE
– Urinalysis. This did not show crystals in his urine. Dr.
Thomas did note that
his bladder was distended. Dr. Thomas “flushed” the
obstruction back to the
bladder and sent Stempy home with a catheter in place. Surgery was
scheduled
for 3/14/05.
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas FAILED
to take a radiograph. Her own
protocol, established on
11/01/03, was not followed. Dr. Thomas noted in Stempy’s
records on this day
that a radiograph was discussed being done on 3/14/05. THIS
IS NOT TRUE.
Dr. Thomas NEVER
mentioned doing a radiograph.
ALERT! –
According to other veterinary experts (see attached), detection of
crystalluria
in a urinalysis is not synonymous with the presence of uroliths
(stones).
Crystalluria often is present in absence of uroliths. Conversely,
uroliths can be present without concomitant crystalluria.
MONDAY,
MARCH 14, 2005
Stempy
was
brought in to Dr. Thomas for surgery. When we brought him in for
surgery, we
told Dr. Thomas that since Stempy would be under anesthesia anyway, to
go ahead
with the dental work that needed to be done that she had told us about
8/10/04.
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas noted in Stempy’s records that we had discussed
doing the dental
work on 3/12/05, along with a radiograph. THIS
IS JUST SIMPLY
NOT TRUE. As
mentioned above, a radiograph was NEVER
discussed. We did not even mention anything at all about dental work UNTIL
HE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SURGERY ON 3/14/05.
This is yet another
example of
Dr. Thomas falsifying
Stempy’s records.
We feel that this false
information was added after the fact, as in after Stempy passed away in
September 2005. We feel she added these false comments to try to cover
up her
negligence.
ALERT! –
Upon returning to pick Stempy up from surgery, we were told that the
stone was
no longer there. Dr. Thomas claims she took a radiograph and that there
were no
evidence of stones. We were NEVER
shown this
radiograph, much less any
radiograph. All that Dr. Thomas did was the dental work. This was
secondary to
what he was there for. Dr. Thomas had originally seemed bothered to
have to do
the dental, as if she did not have time. It is amazing to us that
somehow the
stone had magically disappeared and that all that Dr. Thomas had to do
was the
dental work. Why was surgery scheduled if it was not needed? Looking
back, we
now feel that Dr. Thomas did not have or want to spend the extra time
to do
both procedures. Stempy
suffered the consequences.
SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 10, 2005
Stempy
was
brought in to Dr. Thomas as he was again having trouble going to the
bathroom.
He was able to finally urinate just before we took him to Dr. Thomas,
but we
still felt it necessary to take him in.
DONE
– Urinalysis. No crystals were detected.
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas is supposed to be the professional. She should know that
stones can
be present without concomitant crystalluria. (see alert above on
3/12/05)
ALERT! –
Despite Stempy’s prior history of stones and us telling her
that he was unable
to go to the bathroom the night before, Dr. Thomas still FAILED
to take
a radiograph. Her own protocol, established on 11/01/03, was not
followed. We
consider this to be a GRIEVOUS
ERROR .
SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 24,
2005
Stempy
was brought in
to Dr. Thomas as he was again having trouble going to the bathroom. Dr.
Thomas
hit an obstruction while trying to pass a catheter. Dr. Thomas FORCED
the catheter to pass and ASSUMED
she flushed the
stone back to the
bladder. Stempy was sent home with a catheter in place and a cystotomy
was
scheduled for 9/27/05.
ALERT! –
No urinalysis was done. His records state they were unable to get a
sample, yet
Stempy was sent home with a catheter in place. They could not get a
sample
after passing the catheter?
ALERT! –
Despite Stempy’s prior history of stones and despite the fact
that she was
having extreme difficulty passing a catheter, Dr. Thomas still FAILED
to
take a radiograph. Her own protocol, established on 11/01/03, was not
followed.
If she had taken a radiograph, she would have known, as we later found
out,
that she DID NOT
flush the stone to the bladder.
Instead, as we found
out after his surgery, she had lodged the catheter to the
stone…..to the point
where she was unable to remove the catheter herself when Stempy came
back for
surgery. We consider this to be a GRIEVOUS
ERROR
ALERT! –
Despite Stempy wearing a catheter, Dr. Thomas felt she was
too busy to schedule his surgery for Monday, 9/26/05. He was instead
forced to
wait an additional day for surgery on 9/27/05.
TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 27,
2005
Stempy
was brought in for surgery;
a cystotomy. Dr. Thomas told us that if anything different from his
first
surgery had to be done, she would notify us first to ask permission. We
left
with this understanding and were told that she would be doing the same
surgery
as 11/03/03, a cystotomy.
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas did NOT
perform a cystotomy. Instead, a PERINEAL
URETHROSTOMY
was performed without our knowledge and without our permission. At
least, that
is what Dr. Thomas writes in Stempy’s records that she
performed. According to
other veterinary experts (see
attached), a
urethrostomy is when a
permanent opening is made to allow any further stones to pass without
causing
an obstruction. This is not what was done. Stempy was cut from his anus
to his
scrotum in order to reach the lodged stone. Maybe she did a
urethrotomy?
According to other veterinary experts (see attached), most
veterinarians will
perform a cystotomy, however, many prefer to refer animals in need of a
urethrotomy, urethrostomy, or nephrotomy to a surgical specialist. Had
we known
that she was instead going to do this more serious procedure, we
would
have sought a second opinion.
Dr. Thomas
did NOT
have
permission to do this surgery. She was only granted permission to do a
cystotomy. The reason this procedure was even necessary was because of
Dr.
Thomas’ FAILURE
to take a radiograph on
9/24/05 to locate the stone and
forcing the catheter to the point of lodging it to the stone. If this
was an
emergency procedure in which she could not take the time to contact us
first,
then why was this emergency procedure DELAYED from
9/24/05 to
9/27/05??? (Hmmmm….no radiograph on
9/24?…catheter on dog on 9/24 but could not
get a sample?…..Stempy is made to wait three days wearing a
catheter?….something sure is wrong with this
picture…)Upon returning to pick
Stempy up from surgery, the first thing out of Hope’s mouth
(an employee of Dr.
Thomas) was that THIS WAS THE FIRST
TIME
IN DR. THOMAS’ 20+ YEARS OF BEING A VET
THAT SHE HAD TO MAKE A CUT LIKE SHE DID
THAT DAY ON STEMPY.
We were in shock by this statement. NO
ONE EVER EVEN CALLED
US TO LET US
KNOW HIS CONDITION, AS THEY HAD AFTER HIS
FIRST
SURGERY, NOR DID THEY CALL US TO ASK PERMISSION TO DO THE URETHROSTOMY. When
confronted with this information, Dr. Thomas denied this being her
first time.
Why else would Hope say this if she was not just repeating what Dr.
Thomas had
said? THE
STONE WAS DETERMINED TO BE CALCIUM OXALATE.
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas has falsified Stempy’s records in recounting the
events of this day.
What she told us on 9/27/05 when we were there picking up Stempy is NOT
what is written in his records. She told us that as she was getting
ready for
surgery, she was unable to remove the catheter. She then, FINALLY
took a
radiograph. While looking at the radiograph, Stempy was placed back in
a cage, WHERE
HE HIMSELF REMOVED THE CATHETER.
This is what Dr.
Thomas TOLD US
occurred on 9/27/05. In his records, she writes that a radiograph was
done first
thing. NOT ACCORDING TO WHAT
SHE TOLD US.
In his records, she writes
that the catheter was left in and then removed during surgery. NOT
ACCORDING TO WHAT SHE TOLD US.
She is obviously
falsifying his records
to cover up her negligence. We could sense guilt in her demeanor when
we were
picking up Stempy post-surgery. Now we know why. We still have never
seen ANY
radiograph.
ALERT! –
According to other veterinary experts (see attached), it is essential
that a
postoperative radiograph is performed to verify removal of all stones. THIS
WAS NOT DONE.
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
Stempy
was brought in to
Dr. Thomas as he was in extreme pain and had been unable to sleep. We
felt that
something was not right and wanted Dr. Thomas to examine him.
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas assumed that we just wanted a different pain medication for him.
She
gave him a shot, prescribed a different pain medication and sent us on
our way.
No radiograph or any other type of test was done. If all we wanted was
a
different pain medication, we would not have even bothered to bring him
in. We
could have got a different pain medication without bringing him in with
us.
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas falsified Stempy’s records on this day. She states
our
complaint was “Not sleeping and restless.” That is
incomplete. Our complaint
was EXTREME PAIN,
not sleeping, & very
uncomfortable. Dr. Thomas
fails to record the shot she gave Stempy on this day. This is a
“mystery shot.”
We do not know what she gave him.
THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 29, 2005
Stempy
was brought in to Dr.
Thomas twice on this day as he was in extreme pain and had been unable
to
sleep. We felt that something was not right and wanted Dr. Thomas to
examine
him.
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas assumed that we just wanted a different pain medication for him
on the
first visit. She gave him a shot, prescribed a different pain
medication, and
sent us on our way. On the second visit, she did not even bother to
glance at
Stempy. We wanted her to closely examine him. She had left a FOURTH
different medication in THREE
days for him at the
front counter…she
would not even come take a look at him…when it should have
been obvious to her
that we were back again because WE
KNEW something
was wrong. He was in EXTREME
pain!!! We left with the impression that she had just prescribed his
fourth
pain killer in 3 days. Dr. Thomas had instead prescribed Acepromazine.
She FAILED
to tell us that this was a tranquilizer with NO
pain killing abilities….remember
we had stated he was in EXTREME
PAIN. She FAILED
to tell us of
the dangers of this drug. Acepromazine is NEVER
to
be given to a patient
with a prior seizure history. Also, Acepromazine is not recommended to
be used
in Brachycephalic breeds, such as the Shih Tzu. No radiograph or any
other type
of test was done on either visit this day. If all we wanted was a
different
pain medication, we would not have even bothered to bring him in. We
could have
got a different pain medication without bringing him in with us.
ALERT! –
The last
medication, Acepromazine, that Dr. Thomas prescribed for Stempy is one
that is
known to lower the seizure threshold in dogs with a previous seizure
history.
She prescribed this medication despite us telling her on 11/01/03,
prior to his
first surgery, about his two previous episodes / seizures that he had
experienced. When confronted with this on 9/30/05, Dr. Thomas seemed
puzzled
and appeared like she didn’t remember this. We thought surely
she had written
this CRUCIAL
information down in his records. She
had not. We were not
aware of the risks of ANY
of the FOUR
different medications in THREE
days that she had put him on. She gave us NO
information sheets /
brochures or informed us of any potential dangers on any
of the
four medications which would have alerted us of any risks. We consider
this to
be a GRIEVOUS
ERROR
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas writes in
Stempy’s records that
the Acepromazine was prescribed for anxiety. She NEVER
told us that is
what it was for. We had told her he was in extreme pain. Why, then,
would she
take him OFF
of pain killers and give him a
tranquilizer that has NO
PAIN KILLING EFFECTS??? We
thought the Acepromazine was yet
another pain
killer. We consider this to be a GRIEVOUS
ERROR .
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas writes in Stempy’s records that he was eating,
drinking, and urinating
fine. That is not what we told
her. She was told
that he had ate a
little bit, drank a little bit, and he had “dribbled” some
urine when
trying to urinate. We would not describe that as doing
“fine.”
ALERT! –
Dr. Thomas writes in Stempy’s records that in the pm we
called for a
different medication. That is incorrect. This was in fact when he was AGAIN
BROUGHT IN to the clinic for his
second visit of the day,
around 2:00pm.
Dr. Thomas was so bothered that we were bringing him in again, she left
the
Acepromazine at the front counter and would not come see us or him. We
called
again AFTER this
about 5:00pm, as Stempy was
becoming more
uncomfortable, and begged to bring him back in again as his condition
seemed to
be deteriorating. Carmen (another employee of Dr. Thomas) DENIED
US SERVICE
AND TOLD US “NO, DO NOT BRING HIM BACK IN.”
She said that “…we needed to
give it more time, that he would be in pain for another 3 or 4
days.” Stempy
passed away the next morning. THIS
IS A MOST GRIEVOUS
ERROR . UNFORGIVABLE.
FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Awoke
to find Stempy
lifeless. Rushed him to Dr. Thomas’ office. Efforts to save
him were to no
avail. Dr. Thomas could give us no explanation for his death. We took
him home
and buried him on the side of our house.
ALERT! –
We
informed Dr. Thomas of the dosage we had given Stempy. The prescribed
dosage
was for ¼ tablet every 12 hours. He was given ½
tablet total in 8 to 9 hours.
Dr. Thomas said that 1 full tablet is actual dosage for a 10 lb dog, so
that
there was NO WAY
we could have overdosed him. This
is NOT
what
she wrote in his records.
ALERT! –
Dr.
Thomas states in Stempy’s records that the seizure history
was history after
the fact. WE
BEG TO DIFFER.
We
are 110%
positive
we
told her and we remember vividly
exactly when and
where we told her and
what her response was. She was the ONLY vet we had
ever told. SHE
MADE A GRIEVOUS
ERROR
BY
NOT
NOTATING THIS IN HIS FILES. We
thought that she had tested or
accounted for
this ever since his first surgery in 11/03. Dr. Thomas needs to do a
much better
job of LISTENING
to her clients as she was obviously not listening to
us. That
is inexcusable.
THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 13, 2005
We
requested Stempy’s
records in person from Dr. Thomas.
ALERT! –
She denied
us his records and told us that short of a subpoena, she would never
give us
his records. We left without his records.
TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 18, 2005
We
were contacted by Dr.
Thomas’ insurance company regarding our claim for the first
time. They told us
that Dr. Thomas was in error by not providing us the records. The
records were
then faxed to us unsolicited from Dr. Thomas’ office after
the phone call from
her insurance company. On 1/12/06, Dr. Thomas’ insurance
company denied our
claim. We feel it was denied due to the falsified records submitted by
Dr.
Thomas. We plan to appeal.
NOTE:
Stempy was an 8 year old AKC
CHAMPION sired Shih
Tzu. He had 41
champions in his 5 generation pedigree.
The
average lifespan for a Shih Tzu is 14+ years,
with many living up to 18 years and beyond.
He
was truly a once in a lifetime dog. He was robbed
of, at least, close to half of his life.
We
loved him dearly and miss him more than words
could ever say!
return to
top
Stempy had
experienced, on two prior occasions several years ago, what can best be
described as a seizure. These occurred a
few years apart from each other and both occurred
while he was
sleeping. While this concerned us, we were able to get him to
“snap out of it”
rather quickly on both occasions. We had never reported this to a vet
until
November 1, 2003….when Dr. Thomas told us that Stempy would
require
surgery. This was
going to be the first
surgery….of any kind…ever…..for
Stempy. Knowing that Stempy had his seizures
while sleeping, the thought of anesthesia scared us to death. To us,
this was
the most important piece of information we had, if he required any type
of
surgery. We discussed this with ourselves before ever arriving at the
vet, and
how this was crucial information if surgery was required. Once Dr.
Thomas told
us he would need surgery, we immediately told her exactly what we have
stated
above.
Our biggest,
number one, primary, main,
chief, overall most important pre-surgical worry and concern was him
having a
seizure while under anesthesia. For Dr. Thomas to even dare to suggest
that we
never told her about his seizure history, well….that is
utterly appalling,
extremely insulting, and frankly….unbelievable,
unacceptable, and
unforgivable…..and that is before compounding our disbelief
with the fact that
she failed to record this crucial information in Stempy’s
records.
It is
absolutely without question that Dr. Thomas was told on 11/1/03 and
responded
by showing some concern with the statement, “Oh
really.” We were under the
impression that she had taken this into account from this point
forward. It is
shocking, and makes us sick to our stomach, to find out that she did
not.
While there is
no “official” cause of death (whatever the cause
– it was triggered by and
because of the 9/27/05 surgery), we think he may have had a seizure in
his
sleep again, induced by acepromazine that should have never been
prescribed.
Besides, we told Dr. Thomas on both 9/28/05 and 9/29/05 that Stempy was
in
extreme pain and discomfort. Acepromazine is a tranquilizer, it has no
pain
killing effects. He was taken completely off of pain killers when she
put him
on acepromazine…..why? Hoping we would leave her alone by
tranquilizing our dog
without informing us? Either that, or another example of Dr. Thomas not
listening to her clients. Again, he was in extreme pain and discomfort.
Her
employee, Carmen, even denied us service by refusing to allow us to
bring
Stempy in for a third visit on 9/29/05 at 5:00pm …..even
after being informed
of his deteriorating condition. Again,
unbelievable….unforgivable. We know our
dogs well. We knew something was not right, we took him back to Dr.
Thomas
every day after his surgery and communicated our deep concern about
this and
his extreme pain. She chose to either not believe us, or to ignore us,
or just
plain not listen to us. We would not have agreed to use acepromazine,
had we
known it was not a pain killer, and especially if Dr. Thomas would have
told us
of the seizure risk with this drug.
Her dishonesty
in recounting the events in Stempy’s records is extremely
alarming and very
disturbing. Please help to restore a small part of our faith in your
profession
by holding Dr. Thomas accountable. There are so many different
violations, the
punishment administered by the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical
Examiners should be both swift and severe. Please…..for
Stempy, God rest his
soul.
Greg
and Cindy Munson
MEDICAL
RECORDS
Click
each thumbnail to enlarge
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top
VIOLATIONS
CHRONOLOGICALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY
1. RECORD
KEEPING – 9/03
– 10/03 Failure to maintain complete and accurate patient
records
(records from other veterinarian were provided AND contained his prior
stone history, despite Dr. Thomas’ claim otherwise).
2. RECORD
KEEPING – 9/03
– 9/05 Failure to
record dispensing prescription diet. (multiple)
3. RECORD
KEEPING – 11/1/03
Failure to notate crucial
information in patient records.
4. STANDARD
OF CARE – 11/03
– 9/05 Prescribed
wrong
prescription diet and never made any adjustments to prescription diet
after 11/03.
5. STANDARD
OF CARE – 11/3/03
Failure to take postoperative
radiographs to verify removal of all stones.
6. STANDARD
OF CARE – 11/03
– 9/05 Failure to
provide or
recommend medical management, dietary modification, and constant
monitoring, and a follow-up urinalysis is needed every 3 months, which
are all necessary objectives of postoperative care for this
patient’s condition.
7. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 11/3/03 Falsified
and/or altered patient’s records.
8. STANDARD
OF CARE – 11/14/03
Failure to make adjustments
to
patient’s prescription diet despite the presence of Calcium
Oxalate crystals in urinalysis.
9. STANDARD
OF CARE – 2/16/04
Despite patient’s
prior
history, Dr. Thomas failed to perform a urinalysis or radiograph.
10. STANDARD
OF CARE – 8/10/04
Despite patient’s
prior
history, Dr. Thomas failed to perform a follow-up urinalysis or
radiograph or make adjustments to patient’s diet.
11. STANDARD
OF CARE – 11/16/04
Despite patient’s
prior
history, Dr. Thomas failed to perform a follow-up urinalysis or
radiograph or make adjustments to patient’s diet.
12. STANDARD
OF CARE – 3/12/05
Failure to conduct sufficient
and
timely diagnostics, such as a radiograph, despite patient’s
prior
history, and despite the fact that stones can be present without
concomitant crystalluria in the urinalysis. She did not follow her own
protocol, established on 11/1/03.
13. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 3/12/05 –
3/14/05 Falsified and/or altered patient’s records.
14. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 3/14/05 Failure to
show
client radiograph to verify her claim that the stone had disappeared.
15. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/10/05
Failure to conduct sufficient
and
timely diagnostics, such as a radiograph, despite patient’s
prior
history, and despite the fact that stones can be present without
concomitant crystalluria in the urinalysis. She did not follow her own
protocol, established on 11/1/03.
16. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/24/05
Failure to conduct sufficient
and
timely diagnostics, such as a radiograph and a urinalysis, despite
patient’s prior history. Dr. Thomas claims they could not get
a
urine sample, yet patient was sent home with a catheter in place. She
did not follow her own protocol, established on 11/1/03.
17. UNAUTHORIZED
TREATMENT –
9/27/05 Failure to obtain
client’s permission to perform a Perineal Urethrostomy. We
are
not positive that this is the procedure she performed…but it
is
what is noted in his records. According to the medical definition of a
Urethrostomy, this is NOT the procedure Dr. Thomas performed, nor was
it a Cystotomy.
18. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/27/05
Depriving the client of the
option
not to proceed so that client could seek a second opinion.
19. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 9/27/05 Failure to
follow client instructions and breach of verbal agreement.
20. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 9/27/05 Falsified
patient’s records in recounting the events of this day.
21. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/27/05
Failure to take postoperative
radiographs to verify removal of all stones.
22. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/28/05
Failure to adequately examine
patient at client’s request when informed
of
patient’s
extreme discomfort.
23. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 9/28/05 Falsified
patient’s records in recounting the events on this day.
24. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/29/05
Failure to adequately examine
patient, twice on this day, at client’s request when informed
of
patient’s extreme discomfort.
25. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/29/05
Failure to properly advise
client
of the potential dangers of Acepromazine when prescribed for the
patient. This was the FOURTH different medication in THREE days that
Dr. Thomas had put the patient on.
26. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/29/05
Prescribed Acepromazine to
patient
despite being informed by client on 11/1/03 of patient’s two
prior seizures.
27. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/29/05
Knew or should have known of a
notation that should have been in patient’s records from
11/1/03.
28. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/29/05
Denied client’s
request for
a third visit on this day, even though client informed Dr.
Thomas’ office on the phone at 5pm of patient’s
deteriorating condition. Patient passed away the next morning, 9/30/05.
29. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 9/29/05 Falsified
patient’s records in recounting the events on this day.
30. STANDARD
OF CARE – 9/30/05
Dr. Thomas did not give or
offer
an explanation, or even venture a guess, as to the patient’s
cause of death.
31. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 9/30/05 Falsified
patient’s records in recounting the events on this day.
32. HONESTY,
INTEGRITY, FAIR DEALING
– 10/13/05 Dr. Thomas
refused to provide client with a copy of patient’s records.
Dr.
Thomas stated that a subpoena would be required to obtain the records.
Client left Dr. Thomas’ office without the
patient’s
records.
NOTE:
There may be more violations that have yet to be uncovered. We
trust that the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will
thoroughly investigate all aspects of this complaint and bring to light
any additional violations. ---Greg and Cindy Munson.
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top
PREVIOUS
OFFICIALLY
REPRIMANDED VIOLATIONS OF OTHER VETS
VS.
ALLEGED
VIOLATIONS AGAINST ANN K. THOMAS, DVM
|
TEXAS
BOARD OF
VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS - RELATED VIOLATIONS AND CASE HISTORIES OF
OTHER OFFICIALLY REPRIMANDED VETERINARIANS
|
ALLEGED
VIOLATIONS SUMMARY AND COMPARISON / DR. ANN THOMAS, DVM - RE: STEMPY
MUNSON
|
Docket
#
|
Date
|
Violation
|
Summary
|
Date
|
Violation
|
Summary
|
1997-06
1997-15 2002-59 2004-02 2001-06 2001-19 2003-23 2004-30
|
6/12/97
10/2/97 10/17/02 2/19/04 6/21/01 10/18/01 10/16/03 10/13/05
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failure
to maintain complete
and accurate patient records.
|
see
9/03 -
10/03
notes
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failure to
maintain complete and accurate patient records (records from other
veterinarian were provided).
|
1992-23
|
10/22/92
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to properly advise
client of the potential dangers of Mitaban when prescribed for the
client’s animal.
|
9/29/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failure
to properly advise
client of the potential dangers of Acepromazine when prescribed for the
client’s animal.
|
2002-50
2005-17 2004-04 2003-35
2001-18 2004-14
|
10/17/02
2/17/05 2/19/04
10/16/03 6/21/01 6/9/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to conduct adequate
diagnostic testing.
|
2/16/04
3/12/05 9/10/05 9/24/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failure
to conduct sufficient
and timely diagnostics
|
1988-08
|
2/4/88
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to adequately examine a
dog and take x-rays.
|
9/28/05
9/29/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failure
to adequately examine
patient on 3 visits in 2 days after client informed Dr. Thomas of
patient's extreme discomfort.
|
1996-11
1996-13 2002-53 2005-48
|
6/13/96
6/13/96 10/17/02 6/9/05
|
Unauthorized
Treatment
|
Failed
to obtain client
permission.
|
9/27/05
|
Unauthorized
Treatment
|
Failure
to obtain client
permission to perform a Perineal Urethrostomy.
|
2005-29
|
6/9/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to investigate cause of
death.
|
9/30/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Could
give no explanation or
clue to client as to why patient passed away.
|
2000-09
|
10/5/00
|
Honesty,
Integrity, Fair Dealing
|
Altered
patient's records
|
11/3/03
3/14/05 9/27/05 9/29/05
9/30/05
|
Honesty,
Integrity, Fair Dealing
|
Falsification
and/or Alteration
of patient's records.
|
2002-51
|
6/9/05
|
Honesty,
Integrity, Fair Dealing
|
Failed
to follow client
instructions.
|
9/27/05
|
Honesty,
Integrity, Fair Dealing
|
Failure
to follow client
instructions; Breach of verbal agreement
|
2003-37
|
10/16/03
|
Standard
of Care
|
Depriving
the client of the
option not to proceed.
|
9/27/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Depriving
the client with the
option not to proceed so client could seek second opinion
|
2004-12
|
6/17/04
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failed
to maintain adequate
patient records relating to any previous discussions.
|
11/1/03
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failure
to notate crucial
information in patient records.
|
2004-05
|
2/19/04
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to examine a sick
patient on October 13th
|
9/29/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Complete
denial of service/care
|
2002-16
|
6/13/02
|
Standard
of Care
|
Utilized
acepromazine for the
treatment of suspected seizures when acepromazine is contraindicated
for such a condition.
|
9/29/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Prescribed
and administered
Acepromazine to patient despite being informed by client on 11/1/03 of
patient's two prior seizures.
|
1994-09
|
10/6/94
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failed
to maintain records
concerning acquisition and
disposition of the drugs as required by law.
|
Multiple
- See Timeline
|
Record
Keeping
|
Failure
to record dispensing of
prescription diet.
|
2005-32
|
6/9/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Knew
or should have known of
notation in patient's record
|
9/29/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Knew or should
have known about a notation that should have been in patient's records.
|
2005-38
|
6/6/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to institute
a broad assessment and aggressive
therapeutic protocol.
|
11/03
thru 9/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failed
to institute a broad
assessment and aggressive therapeutic protocol.
|
2005-16
|
2/17/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Attempted
to induce vomiting,
putting the patient at risk for aspiration, prior to identifying
through radiographs or endoscope, the location of an object.
|
9/24/05
|
Standard
of Care
|
Failure
to identify through
radiographs the location of an object prior to inserting a catheter and
lodging it to stone
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
**NOTE: The
alleged violations listed here are comparisons to previous case history
of other veterinarians. This is not all of Dr. Thomas' alleged violations.
See
"Alleged Violations Chronologically and Individually" as well as
"Timeline" for a thorough listing of all of the alleged violations.**
|
return to
top
Regarding
Ann K. Thomas, DVM,
Mesquite, TX
Complaint ~ Re: Stempy Munson
Submitted
by: Greg &
Cindy Munson
On
10/13/2005, we requested a full and
complete copy of Stempy's records, including his x-rays. On 10/18/2005,
only
his written records were faxed to us. We still have never received, nor
have we
seen, x-rays contained in his file, in DIRECT VIOLATION of board rule
573.52(c). Dr. Thomas told us on 10/13/2005, that unless she was served
a
subpoena, she would never provide us with Stempy's complete records.
The
lack of any
follow up care or
monitoring after the first surgery is one of many grievous errors. Dr.
Thomas
also states in Stempy's Records on 9/27/05 that she did a Perineal
Urethrostomy. If the definition of a Urethrostomy is a permanent
opening caudal
to the os penis that is large enough to accomodate passage of most
urethral
calculi....well, that is NOT what was done. No permanent opening was
made and
Stempy remained intact. While we are certainly no veterinarians, it
appears to
us that maybe Dr. Thomas does not know the difference between a
Urethrotomy and
a Urethrostomy....scary thought! We think she may have done a
Urethrotomy,
however, she cut him open from his anus to his scrotum. She did not
have
permission to perform either procedure. She
states that it was an emergency procedure....if
it was an emergency
procedure on 9/27, then it was an emergency procedure on 9/24. Nothing
had
changed. She should have taken a radiograph on 9/24, then she would
have known.
We are NOT buying that she could not have called us to seek our
permission. She
did not want to call us because she knew she had messed up. She never
even
called to let us know his condition.
Regards,
Greg
& Cindy
Munson
Please
find attached the written
professional opinion of a local veterinarian located here in the city
of
Mesquite:
****(Note to website
visitors: The veterinarian
mentioned below was kind enough to provide the letter that follows; we
thought
we would be kind in return and x out their name and address information
for
obvious reasons. Of course, nothing was x'ed out on the original of
this page
that was submitted to the TSBVME. We are grateful for the letter we
received.
By the way, we feel confident in saying that Stempy would still be
alive if we
had found and chose this veterinarian in September 2003, instead of our
devastating choice of "Dr." (...yea, right) Ann K. Thomas, DVM. We
have to live with that horrific choice for the rest of our lives. You
can be damn
sure we won't make that mistake again...but it's too late for Stempy.
As much
as we blame ourselves for our wrong choice and our misplaced total
trust of Ann
K. Thomas, DVM, it shouldn't have to be our job to make sure the
veterinarian
knows her job. But, guess what? If you want to avoid the pain and
heartbreak we
have endured and are continuing to endure, you will MAKE IT YOUR JOB to
make
sure your veterinarian knows their job. It's a sad state of affairs,
but that's
just the way it is. Total trust? NEVER AGAIN!! We miss you, Stempy!!)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
DVM
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Veterinary Hospital
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mesquite,
Texas
75149
xxx-xxx-xxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter from
other vet:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
DVM
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Veterinary Hospital
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mesquite,
Texas
75149
xxx-xxx-xxxx
Bladder
and
Urethral stones are common problems in dogs and cats. There is often an
underlying infection or metabolic problem that causes the stones to
form. Once
a pet has been diagnosed and treated, our office recommends quarterly
urinalyses to detect any changes that might cause the stones to recur.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*****Note to website
visitors:
It
should be
obvious, but the key point in the letter above is the QUARTERLY
URINALYSES------ "Dr." Thomas FAILED to perform, or even recommend,
this most crucial step of his aftercare....FOR CLOSE TO 2 YEARS.....
Folks, in
our eyes, we allege that this failure can only be two things:
1.
VETERINARY
NEGLIGENCE or
2.
VETERINARY
INCOMPETENCE
on
the
part of ANN K. THOMAS, DVM
...which, in her case,
must
mean:
D(oesn't
know)
V(eterinary)
M(edicine).
One
more time ......
NEVER blindly trust your
veterinarian!!
return to
top
|
What happened to
Stempy?
Stempy
had a problem with bladder stones. This is a condition that needs to be
monitored and managed. There is much more to managing this condition
than just a diet change. (Read this at VeterinaryPartner.com
to learn about Stempy's condition.)
Stempy was already on a prescription diet from his previous vet due to
a previous problem with stones. This was dealt with by his prior vet
nonsurgically. We changed vets in the Fall of 2003 because we never saw
the same vet twice at our old clinic. We wanted a vet who would get to
know our dogs. It was then that we made the worst decision of our lives
in our choice of a new vet.
Dr.
Ann Thomas - Rodeo Drive Veterinary Hospital (aka Rodeo Dr. Vet Rodeo
Dr
Veterinary Hospital Canine & Cat Corral , Rodeo Drive Animal )
- was a solo practitioner close to home. We had started buying
Stempy’s prescription diet from Dr. Thomas in September 2003.
Since Dr. Thomas had never seen Stempy, she required us to provide his
records from his previous veterinarian in order to dispense his
prescription diet. (*-Note that
in Stempy’s
records from Dr. Thomas, she
claims that his previous records
contained no mention of his bladder stone history. If that is the case,
then what in the world was she doing dispensing a prescription diet to
Stempy without ever seeing him? Isn't that a failure to establish a
vet/patient relationship?) Dr. Thomas sold us Stempy’s
prescription diet several times before doctor and patient ever met.
Stempy
met Dr. Thomas (aka
Ann K Thomas DVM Ann Thomas DVM Ann K. Thomas DVM Ann Thomas,
DVM Ann K. Thomas, DVM Ann K Thomas, DVM Dr. Ann K. Thomas, DVM
) , of
Rodeo Drive Veterinary Hospital (aka
Rodeo
Dr. Vet Rodeo Dr Veterinary Hospital Canine & Cat Corral
Rodeo Drive Animal ),
for the first time under adverse circumstances. In
November of 2003, Stempy had a urethral obstruction (Dr. Thomas and the
Texas Vet Board need to read and reread and STUDY this link on urethral obstruction
and this
link on canine retrograde urohydropropulsion: a standard of care
)
caused by a bladder stone blocking his urethra. This is a medical
emergency.
Of course, all we knew at the time is that Stempy
couldn’t
go pee and he was very uncomfortable. Dr. Thomas was able to wash the
obstruction back to his bladder. As she should, she took radiographs to
see the stone, and she did a urinalysis. Based on the urinalysis, she
changed his diet. She sent Stempy home wearing a catheter to wait a few
days for a cystotomy to be performed. We informed Dr. Thomas of a few
seizure-like episodes Stempy had experienced in his past because we
were worried it would cause problems with his anesthesia. Dr. Thomas
responded to this information by saying, “Oh
really.” (Dr.
Thomas denies this conversation ever occurred – we remember
it
vividly) Stempy had his cystotomy and recovered well from surgery.
Based on lab results, Dr. Thomas again changed Stempy’s diet.
Stempy had one additional urinalysis at one post surgical follow up
appointment that contradicted the lab results and her again changing
his diet. She paid no attention and should have changed his diet again,
but did not...she left him on a diet not even formulated for bladder
stones and had him on this wrong diet for the remainder of his life.
From
our extensive research after Stempy’s death (also see Consider
page of this website),
we learned that Dr. Thomas did not follow proper protocol starting with
this very first surgery. Dr. Thomas failed to take post surgical
radiographs after the cystotomy to verify removal of all stones. Dr.
Thomas failed to recommend quarterly urinalyses to monitor his urine.
This is a MUST for bladder stone patients as many patients form new
stones in the future. Dr. Thomas failed to recommend twice yearly
radiographs. This is a MUST with the goal being to catch new stones
forming while they are small enough to be removed non-surgically.
(Read
for yourself - many examples /recommendations from veterinary
professionals prove Dr. Thomas did not follow normal protocol: click here,
and here,
and here,
and here,
and here,
and here)
There
were several opportunities to recommend a urinalysis or radiograph to
us to monitor Stempy’s condition. Dr. Thomas never
recommended anything. (See Timeline
page of this website.)
In
March of 2005, Stempy again had a urethral obstruction. We were not
sure that is what it was at the time. Dr. Thomas failed to take
radiographs to ensure her diagnosis. She again washed the stone back to
the bladder to relieve the obstruction. A cystotomy was scheduled for
the following week and Stempy was sent home wearing a catheter again.
When we went to pick up Stempy post surgery, somehow the stone had
magically disappeared, so no cystotomy was performed. We were never
shown radiographs to back up Dr. Thomas’ claim. No future
monitoring was recommended or performed.
In
September 2005, Stempy again had a urethral obstruction that unblocked
itself just prior to going to see Dr. Thomas. Despite his prior
history, Dr. Thomas failed to take radiographs and failed to diagnose
bladder stones, even though she was told he was obstructed and had been
for a day until just prior to coming in. She said he just had elevated
sperm in his urine and sent him home. This event right here
is a
FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE and is BELOW the standard of care ESPECIALLY with
his PRIOR HISTORY of stones WITH THIS VET!
WHY,
please tell us, WHY wouldn't you take an x-ray when you have just been
told that he had been blocked for a full day AND that WE suspected
stones again? Stempy had already had TWO prior episodes WITH
HER.
This is a MAJOR FAILURE on her part. She must have had an aversion to
using
her x-ray machine - was it outdated? Looking back on his care, we
believe she purposely avoided using her x-ray machine multiple times -
when any other vet would have AT LEAST recommended an x-ray! VIOLATION?
We believe so. How could the Texas Vet Board just dismiss this case?.
ONLY
TWO WEEKS LATER, Stempy again experienced a urethral obstruction from
most likely the SAME STONE. FROM MOST LIKELY THE SAME STONE THAT FIRST
OBSTRUCTED HIM BACK IN MARCH 2005! (Calcium Oxalate stones do
NOT
dissolve or just disappear - MAJOR FAILURE BY DR. THOMAS -
INEXCUSABLE!) She AGAIN failed to take radiographs to
confirm diagnosis, location, and amount. She FAILED to properly wash
the stone back to the bladder and tried jamming the catheter in to push
the stone back to the bladder. She stated in his records that she was
unable to collect a urine specimen. She sent Stempy home wearing a
catheter and scheduled a cystotomy for the coming week.
How
would she PASS a catheter and NOT be able to obtain a urine specimen?
In fact, how did she relieve the distended bladder caused by the
obstruction and yet NOT be able to obtain a urine specimen?
As we
now know, she had LODGED the catheter to the stone, so much so that she
told us the she was unable to remove the catheter. So this begs the
question: How did she relieve the distended bladder? There was no
cystocentesis done. Did she damage his
urethra with the very forceful - and unsuccessful - catheterization?
The FAILURE to x-ray on this day is OUTRAGEOUS. Yet, the Texas Vet
Board looks the other way.
Dr.
Thomas ONLY had permission to perform a cystotomy - nothing else. She
did NOT perform a cystotomy. She had lodged the catheter to the stone
with the forceful catheterization she had performed. She was unable to
remove the catheter. She told us that Stempy, himself, removed the
catheter, although this is not what she wrote in his records.She
performed an unauthorized procedure which she said was a perineal
urethrostomy. This is not the procedure she performed, as admitted by
the board. SO SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SURGERY SHE
PERFORMED?
WAS SHE JUST MAKING STUFF UP AS SHE WENT ALONG? Her own vet tech stated
she had NEVER performed that type of surgery before. She cut our little
boy from his anus to his scrotum - a NINE cm incision - and NO NEW
permanent or temporary opening was made - as would be expected with a
urethrotomy or a urethrostomy. Remember - we had ONLY authorized a
cystotomy. THAT'S IT. NOTHING ELSE. As previously mentioned, three days
before this unauthorized surgery, Dr. Thomas had failed to wash the
stone back to the bladder and had instead lodged the catheter to the
stone. She would have known this if she would have taken a radiograph
three days earlier when he was brought in. Instead, Stempy was either
still obstructed for those three days or she had damaged his urethra
and/or bladder when she attempted the forceful
catheterization. Read this link on urethral obstruction
and this
link on canine retrograde urohydropropulsion: a standard of care again.
Instead of referring us to a specialist, Dr. Thomas tried to fix her
own screwup. If Stempy was in an emergency situation the day
of
surgery, then SHE is the one who put him there with her FAILURES three
days earlier. INEXCUSABLE. Are these not violations? COME ON!!
Stempy
was in extreme pain post surgery. We took him back to her EVERY DAY
post surgery. Stempy was not eating and was only dribbling urine. She
never properly examined him. She just kept changing his pain medicine.
Then she gave us a tranquilizer with no pain killing
abilities
(Acepromazine) and led us to believe it was yet another pain killer. This tranquilizer lowers the seizure
threshold and is not recommended for brachycephalic breeds.
Two
days post surgery, Dr. Thomas’ clinic DENIED care to Stempy
when
his condition was deteriorating. The clinic stated that
Stempy
would be IN PAIN for 2 or 3 more days and then he would be fine and NOT
to bring him in - YET they had just taken him completely OFF of
painkillers! How INHUMANE is THAT? Violation? Evidently not in Texas.
The
very next morning, three days post surgery….Stempy passed
away.
He was found unconscious and lifeless on his pillow. We rushed him to
this vet to no avail.
It
is our contention that Stempy passed away because of that unauthorized
“surgery” that Dr. Thomas had NEVER performed
before that
would have NEVER have been needed had Dr. Thomas taken radiographs as
needed and properly diagnosed and treated his condition. There is NO
DOUBT in our minds that Dr. Thomas is 100% responsible for
Stempy’s preventable death. Her attitude and
failure to
properly care for him those 3 days after his unauthorized surgery - to
the point that the clinic DENIED Stempy care the night before he died -
is deeply disturbing. Did she WANT Stempy to die?
She butchered our little boy!
Greg
& Cindy Munson
(Visit
all the various pages of this website for detailed information of the
aforementioned events.)
Do
you need to check the DISCIPLINARY
RECORDS
of
a Texas veterinarian?
If
you only want PART of
the story,
with incomplete information,
including many disciplined
vets who are not
even included in the list...
click
here.
If
you want MUCH MUCH MORE of
the story, with disciplinary information
that is actually USEFUL to Texas citizens...
click here!
www.texasveterinaryrecords.com
MUFFY
STEMPY

   
MUFFY
2
CANDLES BURN
STEMPY
In
Memory of
Muffy Munson
the
best
doggie in the whole world!

February
10, 1988
October
10, 2005
Muffy,
our beloved female Lhasa Apso, passed
away due to old age and cancer 10 days after Stempy on October 10, 2005
at the grand old age of
17¾ years
old.
She
is dearly
loved and dearly
missed!
WE
LOVE YOU, MUFFY!





Stempy
was an AKC
champion-sired
male Shih Tzu. He was only 8 years old. He was truly a once in a
lifetime dog.
In our opinion, he had about half
of his life taken away from him due
to the negligent and substandard
care he received at the hands
of his vet. Unfortunately,
Stempy's veterinarian was:
ANN
K. THOMAS, DVM
Rodeo
Dr. Veterinary Hospital

Mesquite,
Texas
In
our opinion,
we think the DVM means:
(D)oesn't know
(V)eterinary
(M)edicine
Be sure to click the page
links at the top of the page
to learn all about the veterinary negligence that Stempy endured for 2
years because we were all-trusting of this vet. If only we had
researched two years prior.....
You
MUST do your research NOW
BEFORE
IT IS
TOO LATE!
No
matter how great you "think" your vet may be, do not
leave it to chance!
There
is no 2nd chance for Stempy!
We miss you, little boy!
We will NOT
let you die in vain!
NEVER
BLINDLY
TRUST YOUR VET!
Let
us repeat that....
NEVER BLINDLY
TRUST YOUR VET!
Things
to do:
To check the disciplinary
records of Texas vets:
To file a complaint
against a veterinarian in Texas:
Visit other Vet Victims:
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