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A vet who failed to treat a dog dying from heatstroke has been found guilty of disgraceful conduct by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Frank Ainsworth, who has more than 30 years experience, sent home an 18-month-old German shepherd, called Ash, while working at the Pinebank Veterinary surgery, in London Road, in July 2013.
It was his first day at the practice and he told owner Chris McMahon that the centre did not have the facilities to treat the dog.
A disciplinary hearing, which concluded on Friday, found the vet, who was providing temporary cover, culpable of five failures.
These are failing to admit the dog for urgent treatment, failing to make sufficient enquiries about other facilities, failing to arrange an urgent transfer to another clinic, failing to give adequate advice for home care and failing to suggest euthanasia.
He was given a severe reprimand and warned about his future conduct.
The panel heard Ash had become unwell following a warm weather walk a day earlier.
Mr Ainsworth examined him and recorded a temperature of 42°C before diagnosing heat stroke and saying he was unlikely to survive.
Mr McMahon was advised to take the dog home and use cold running water to attempt to reduce his temperature.
He drove home and followed the advice but his wife called the surgery to complain about Mr Ainsworth’s service.
“Veterinary surgeons are required to be proactive in their duty of care and refer cases when they do not have the ability to deal with cases appropriately...” - Judith Webb
She asked whether the dog could be taken to the Newnham Court Practice, which Pinebank used as an out of hours service.
Mrs McMahon was told by Pinebank that this service was only used by the practice out of hours and that they would be starting their own daytime service shortly.
She then called the Sandhole Practice, in Malling Road, and took Ash in for emergency treatment but despite receiving extensive care he started to have seizures and died shortly after.
Mr Ainsworth told a disciplinary committee that he did not believe the Pinebank practice had adequate facilities for him to treat Ash for heat stroke.
He believed the best treatment was running cold water and was unaware that there was a hosepipe outside and a watering can.
He accepted that he could have used fluid therapy and oxygen but did not consider that either was required.
While talking about his failure to make enquiries with other practices he said it was his intention but added this was not done because he heard his secretary on the phone talking to Mrs McMahon and assumed it had already been arranged.
The failure to discuss euthanasia with Mr McMahon was also accepted, although he said he would have done this at a later stage if Ash’s condition had not improved.
Judith Webb, chair of the disciplinary committee, said: “The Committee has concluded that the sanction proportionate to Mr Ainsworth’s conduct is one of severe reprimand and warning as to his future conduct."
She added: “The Committee considers that veterinary surgeons are required to be proactive in their duty of care and refer cases when they do not have the ability to deal with cases appropriately.”
The Committee also recommended that Mr Ainsworth should undertake, in the next 12 months, continuing professional development with an emphasis on emergency and critical care and client communication.
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