Utah veterinarian investigated after several pets die in his care

SALT LAKE CITY – Routine exams and visits to the veterinarian became a terrifying experience for pet owners visiting a Salt Lake City veterinary clinic.

“She was a constant in my life for a long time, longer than anything or anyone else,” Amber Pratt said of her late cat Buttercup. “It was a very difficult transition to move on without her.”

An investigation of Pratt’s beloved Buttercup led to a chain of events she never expected.

“I only took her for a routine blood test because her mother, who I also had as a kitten, had died of mysterious kidney problems.”

Buttercup’s mother Clementine died years ago.

Pratt took nine-year-old Buttercup to Wasatch Springs Animal Hospital to have blood work done to determine if she might have a kidney problem.

“He was poking her sides really hard and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s so rough, he’s so rough,’ but then he said, ‘This is how I know she’s not in trouble because if she was, she would have been in pain when I did that. So I know she doesn’t have any kidney problems and you don’t need to worry about that. She doesn’t need a blood test,'” Pratt said. “I was just about to leave when he said, ‘No, but she needs a dental cleaning and I have an appointment available right now. Let her in here for a cleaning right now.'”

Pratt refers to Dr. Michael Blotter.

FOX 13 News obtained a copy of his license from the Utah Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL). He has been active since 1991. We have requested copies of all complaints filed against Blotter with the department.

Here’s what we learned.

The DOPL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Blotter in September. He is charged with three counts of violation of professional standards, two counts of making false statements, five counts of inadequate medical records, one count of improper delegation to unlicensed personnel and one count of multiple counts of incompetence or negligence. The DOPL will consider the possibility of revoking or suspending Blotter’s veterinary license and his authority to prescribe controlled substances in Utah during the hearing.

In its petition against Blotter, the DOPL listed specific statements and allegations from various animal owners.

This petition includes Pratt and Buttercup.

But that brings us back to a hesitant Pratt, who agreed to a dental cleaning that required anesthesia.

She did not have the scheduled blood test done for Buttercup.

Pratt claims Buttercup’s behavior changed after the cleaning.

“She was just never the same again. She just never regained her physical shape. She didn’t jump on the couch or the bed as much or climb on our cat tower and just didn’t do as much physical activity,” Pratt said. “She lost a lot of weight. She got very thin very quickly.”

According to the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians (AVDT), the only way to determine whether a pet’s organs are functioning properly and can withstand anesthesia is through prior testing, which usually involves taking a blood sample.

According to Benita Altier, President of the AVDT, this is standard practice for veterinarians and a blood test should be performed before anesthetizing a pet – especially older pets.

General anesthesia is required for veterinary dentistry.

“We don’t want our pets to be afraid. We can’t do dental X-rays or use sharp instruments in their mouths when they’re awake. That’s why it’s extremely important to administer anesthesia and do it as safely as possible,” Altier said. “So, in my opinion, it would be a very unusual situation if a client requested a blood test and the vet refused to do it.”

Altier also points out that while veterinarians may be general practitioners, providing dental treatment to animals requires a separate license, which not all veterinarians or their technicians have.

After Buttercup continued to lose weight, Pratt took her back to Dr. Blotter a few weeks later and requested another blood test.

She says she was told a blood test was not necessary and that Buttercup’s weight loss was better for her.

Unsatisfied, Pratt took her to another veterinarian who, in her opinion, had overtreated Buttercup for a suspected case of diabetes.

Buttercup was feeling downhill and was vomiting heavily.

Pratt brought Buttercup back to Dr. Blotter.

“I had decided to go back to him because I knew that no matter what happened, he didn’t seem interested in the money because then he would have done the blood work,” Pratt said. “I thought, ‘Even if he doesn’t trust my gut feeling, he’s not going to try to take financial advantage of this situation.'”

Pratt was told that Buttercup would have to be hospitalized so that the tests she requested could finally be performed.

She was told to go home and come back later.

“Forty minutes after I got home, they called me and said, ‘She had a seizure and her heart stopped and we had to do CPR on her. You better get here fast because she’s dying,'” Pratt said. “He started moving his head back and forth as if to show me that she had died. I thought that was strange, but it was secondary to my grief.”

We took a closer look at the allegations DOPL made in its report on Blotter, which can be viewed HERE.

The complaint, titled “Sam the Cat,” states that Sam’s owner took him to Wasatch Springs for blood work, but Sam suffered a seizure during the blood draw.

Blotter stated that the blood test showed that Sam had low blood sugar, but that he did not take any measures to raise his blood sugar levels and instead gave Sam a cardiac stimulant before his death.

The DOPL report states that Blotter failed to administer dextrose, which would be standard treatment in such a situation.

That same day, Sam suffered another seizure and died.

And then there is “Dozer the Dog”.

Dozer’s owner took him in for teeth extraction, a task delegated and performed by an “unlicensed assistant,” as the report calls it.

In two separate interviews with the agency, Blotter stated that he had performed all or part of the extraction, which, according to the assistant, was not the case.

A look at Boomer the Dog reveals that he went for a dental cleaning, where Blotter neglected to intubate him, which was standard procedure.

Blotter called Boomer’s owner to tell him that he had died.

And then there is “Valter the dog”, who is taken for castration.

Blotter had to call Valter’s owner – Valter had died on the operating table.

All complaints end with the statement: “The defendant does not have a medical record or the defendant’s medical record for his pet is inadequate; the records do not contain accurate information.”

The Department applies the Utah Code of Division of Professional Licensing Act to determine why a professional’s licensure may be questioned.

They pointed out these three points to FOX 13 News when looking at cases similar to Blotter’s: Is the person violating a law, rule or order regulating a profession under that title? Is he violating generally accepted professional or ethical standards applicable to a profession or occupation, or is he aiding or abetting another person in violating such standards? Or is he practicing or attempting to practice a profession due to gross incompetence, gross negligence, or a pattern of incompetence or negligence.

Currently, the DOPL has no other licensed veterinarians with scheduled hearings, but has three licensed veterinarians on probation.

In the last ten years, 13 disciplinary actions have been taken against veterinarians in this state.

“When we look at a case, we look to see if the scope of the problem was serious, so we’re likely to take action more quickly. Even if it’s not that serious, but we continue to receive multiple complaints, the priority becomes higher in our department,” says DOPL Director Mark Steinagel.

Steinagel says what they hear most often in consumer complaints: “We just don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

It all starts with a visit to the licensing website.

The department says sharing your experiences like Pratt’s can save someone time, money and sometimes even a life.

FOX 13 News has contacted Dr. Blotter in Wasatch Springs multiple times by phone, email and at his office. He has not yet responded.

If you want to know if someone is licensed to practice in the state of Utah, you can look up a company’s or individual’s license. You can do this on the DOPL’s website by simply clicking on “Check License.”

Let’s say you did this but had a bad experience and want to report the person. You can also do this on the agency’s website by clicking on “Submit a complaint”.

Remember: When you take your pet to the vet, the responsibility is yours. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

According to the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians, if your veterinarian suggests dental treatment but doesn’t have the ability to take full-mouth x-rays, it’s a sign that you should take your pet to a veterinary dentist. You may pay a little more for this, but you can be assured that the veterinarian is licensed as both a dentist and a veterinarian.