Brief Summary

A client took her cat to the veterinary facility as the cat had not been urinating or defecating for at least one day and his abdomen was distended. The member was not at the facility; the auxiliary made an appointment for later that day. The member examined the cat and noted he had not been eating or drinking and was very weak. The cat’s heart sounds were faint, he was exhibiting pain and he had a large, firm urinary bladder. The cat was also dehydrated and breathing rapidly. The member recommended a radiograph to assess the cat’s urinary tract and the heart. The member administered sedation and an inhalant anesthetic, and unsuccessfully attempted urethral catheterization. The member’s auxiliary advised the member that the cat had suffered a cardiac arrest. Subsequent resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the cat passed away.

Allegations of Professional Misconduct

• failed to adequately train his auxiliary to recognize a potentially urgent situation and what steps should be taken in the absence of a veterinarian on site at the facility
• failed to assess and treat a urinary obstruction emergency appropriately
• provided inadequate and inappropriate anesthesia
• failed to convey the seriousness of the cat’s condition to the client
• failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession
• failed to make or retain the records required by the Regulation
• an act or omission relevant to the practice of veterinary medicine that would be regarded by members as unprofessional

  
  

Decision

The member pleaded guilty to all the allegations of professional misconduct. The Panel accepted the member’s plea.

Penalty

• Reprimand
• The member’s licence is suspended for one month
• A pre-remediation assessment to evaluate the member’s baseline knowledge of the issues in this matter
• Completion of the College’s three-part Medical Record Keeping Module for Companion Animals; Review of Ethics Resource Hub materials: Handling Emergency Cases in General Practice; Managing an Emergency in General Practice; and the Jurisprudence Examination Resource Guide.
• Completion of up to three peer record reviews within one year of returning to practice.
• Participation in a one-day mentorship on appropriate training for an auxiliary in recognizing emergent situations, proper assessment and treatment of urinary obstruction emergencies, and proper anesthetic/sedation processes for companion animals.
• Preparation of a 500-word reflective essay describing lessons learned from the remediation and practices implemented to avoid similar situations in future.
• Post-remediation assessment to evaluate the member’s knowledge of the issues in this matter.
• The member must pay costs to the College of $5,000.

  
  

Panel's Reasoning

The Panel accepted the admissions of professional misconduct. The Panel finds the member’s conduct would be regarded by other members of the College as unprofessional. Unprofessional conduct is characterized by a serious or persistent disregard for one’s professional obligations without evidence of dishonest or immoral conduct. The panel did not find any evidence of dishonest or immoral conduct by the member.  

The Panel agreed there were serious issues with the member’s professional judgement. The cat was not seen when first presented. It was the member’s responsibility to make sure cases are properly triaged; this includes proper training of the assistant.

The cat’s treatment was also not sufficient or appropriate. And the Panel agreed the medical records did not meet the standard of practice, and agreed with deficiencies identified by the expert witness. 

Penalty and Costs: The Panel was satisfied the penalty provides specific and general deterrence (suspension, reprimand, as well as Terms, Conditions and Limitations), and fits the professional misconduct in this case. This serves to protect the public.

Decision

Since 2024, decisions have been posted on the CanLII website, the Canadian Legal Information Institute. A complete copy of this decision is available on CanLII.