The Bad Vet Daily: Holistic Hocus Pocus For Bleeding Dog Earns Connectict Vet Mark Danetz' Treatment the Adjectives "Negligently" and "Unskillfully"

Monday, June 9, 2008

Holistic Hocus Pocus For Bleeding Dog Earns Connectict Vet Mark Danetz' Treatment the Adjectives "Negligently" and "Unskillfully"

In 2002, Connecticut Vet Mark Danetz (currently of Clinton Veterinary Hospital) saw a dog named "Carob," who had progressed from vomiting to vomiting blood.

Danetz did bloodwork on Carob, which revealed that Carob had a low platelet count, also called "thrombocytopenia."

There is no mention in the document of any treatment being given to Carob at that time.

Four months later, Carob's owner brought Carob back again. This time, he had a nosebleed. According to PetPlaces description of thrombocytopenia, this is one of the things to look for.

PetPlace says:

"When the concentration of platelets becomes too low, bruising and bleeding may occur. Dogs with blood platelet concentrations of less than 40,000 per microliter of blood are at risk for spontaneous bleeding . . . The severity of bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia depends on how low the platelet numbers fall . . . In general, the lower the platelet count, the more likely bleeding is to occur . . .

Small red spots on the white parts of the eyes (sclera), the gums or the skin

Bruises on the skin (ecchymoses)

Nose bleeds (epistaxis)

Bloody urine

Bloody stool

According to PetPlace, there are numerous tests that may be done to identify the cause of thrombocytopenia. The causes range from tick-borne diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Erlichiosis; to cancer or autoimmune disease.

But according to the vet board document, Danetz didn't order any diagnostic tests when Carob was brought in with a nose bleed, in spite of his prior history of low platelets. Instead, he prescribed an "herbal, holistic agent."

The document says:

"In providing care and treatment to Carob, respondent negligently and/or unskillfully: prescribed an herbal/holistic agent without proper diagnosis of Carob's condition; failed to conduct diagnostic testing in relation to the symptoms presented; failed to ensure that the results of blood work were accurately transmitted to [Carob's owner]; and/or failed to properly diagnose and treat Carob."

The Board placed Danetz on probation for a year. They also ordered a random review of his cases by a supervisory veterinarian.

So WHAT happened to Carob?

DID he have cancer? A tick-borne disease? An immune problem? Did his lack of treatment by Danetz cause serious health consequences for Carob? What happened to his nosebleed?

What was the "herbal," "holistic" remedy Danetz gave?

What BAD thing happened to Carob that inspired his loving owner to file a complaint with the vet board?

Now, I'm not saying that holistic remedies are always hocus pocus. But they are no substitute for needed diagnostics.

Links:

Pet Place Info on Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets) in dogs

Minutes referring to Consent Order signed by Board and Danetz

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I suggest a vet for you to feature on this blog? Yes. However, for my own legal protection I can only write about veterinarians for whom there is "public record." That means that either there must be one or more: Veterinary Board action, court case/records, public police record, or news story about the vet. Everything on this blog is either a recitation of public record or my personal opinion based on public records. I cannot print your opinion or your version of events. If there is no public record related to a veterinarian, I cannot blog about them. However, that doesn't prevent you from doing so, and I encourage you to tell your story.

Why don't you print comments on this blog? You would not believe the hateful, hurtful remarks that veterinarians and their "fans" post about grieving pet owners and dead pets, even when public record shows them to be at fault in actions surrounding the injury or death of a pet. I will not provide a forum for attacks on victims. This characterizes the majority of comments I got when I did allow them. I feel that it is best that I not allow comments either from victims or veterinarians. I want to make it clear: This blog presents public record and MY opinions based on public record. Period.

Will you revise or remove blogs about a vet if we send you more information or tell you how wonderful the vet is and why the "public record" does not reflect the true character of the vet? Probably not. I won't say "never" -- I did revise a blog ONCE in light of a very impassioned email I received from a rescue group about a vet. I did not, however, remove the blog. Out of deference to a rescue's heartfelt email, I chose to "tone down" the blog post voluntarily and remove references to items which were in the public record, but which were of a highly personal nature. But for the most part, no, I don't/won't do this. The public record, and my opinion based on it, stands.

If you have public record that is more recent, that sheds further light on events described in a blog post (for example, if a vet subsequently appealed a board decision and had it reversed or modified, but this is not mentioned in the post) then I would be happy to receive that information and will likely add an update to the bottom of the post to reflect it.

The Bad Vet Daily Goes Weekly . . . Monthly, etc.

Yes, regular readers: I'm sure you've noticed. I haven't been able to do this blog daily. Why? Is it because there aren't enough bad vets to fill 365 days a year?

Unfortunately, NO, that's not the reason, and YES, there are more than enough bad vets to fill 365 days a year.

It is because each of these posts has taken me no less than 1 1/2 hours, and sometimes, up to 4 hours. This includes identifying a case, researching readily available information on the vet's violations, and then doing a search to see if I can figure out where the vet is now.

Therefore, with pets to tend to and a job to keep, I bow to the suggestion of friends that I admit to myself this is just going to need to be a more occasional.

But in return . . . I promise to feature at LEAST 365 vets over the life of this blog.

Thank you for caring about your pets.

About State Veterinary Boards

Although most of the stories told here will be taken from State Veterinary Board disciplinary files -- don't let this lull you into thinking that Veterinary Boards are doing a good job of pursuing cases of veterinary negligence and malpractice or of protecting your pets. In fact, in many states, 90% of consumer complaints filed against vets are dismissed without action. Equally shocking -- when the vet board actually do something, it's very little. Small fines. "Stayed" suspensions where the vet loses not ONE day of work. No matter how egregious the vets behavior, no matter how long the record and how many dead pets, these vets almost never have their licenses taken away.

With a couple of exceptions, you could be going to any of the bad vets featured on this blog right now. Moreover, your vet may have a long history of consumer complaints, and yet the board may never have disciplined him.

Bad vets continue to be a problem because veterinary medicine is virtually unregulated, with negligent practitioners being allowed to continue to pry their trades as more victims are lured in the door.

Why 365 Days of Bad Vets?

The biggest threat to our pets is our own naiivete.

In spite of numerous reports of malpractice and worse, veterinarians continue to enjoy one of the highest ratings for "honesty" among all professions. They are universally -- and blindly trusted. Those of us who have learned the hard way that blind trust is dangerous for our pets are struggling to break through to the consciousness of our fellow loving pet owners, to inspire some healthy skepticism, before they and their pets too fall victim.

If reading this blog gets one pet owner to admit the thought into their minds that maybe -- just maybe -- they shouldn't blindly trust their vet, it will have been worth it. We need to become proactive in evaluating vets and their care, not waiting for a tragedy. We need to ask questions like: "Who will be there overnight? What are his credentials? Let me speak with him," or, "What are my pet's kidney values, and what are the potential side effects of that drug?"

We shouldn't need to do these things but we do because
. . .well, because there are so many bad vets.

Disclaimer

The use of the word "bad" on this site does not necessarily mean that the veterinarians featured here are incompetent or negligent, etc. It may mean they have bad hair, it may simply mean I don't like them.

All of the blog posts here will draw on public record, especially veterinary board documents, for content. In addition, I will comment on that content. All of my comments should be understood by the reader to be my opinions and my opinions only. Readers are not only invited, but encouraged, to use their discernment in making decisions about vets.

The Bad Vet Daily