Short Summary

What I know and have been told:

• Dr. Tara Thompson performed surgery on Kenobe, and he died 3 hours later.
• She allowed him to go into severe Hypothermia during surgery to near-critical levels.
• He was placed in recovery, in a kennel while in this condition after surgery.
• His temperature continued to decline in recovery after the surgery was over.
• There is over a 1 1/2 hour time lapse after surgery before all warming methods were used to warm him.
• He died before reaching a normal recovery temperature after surgery.
• It was over two weeks later I was told about his temperature drop after she told me she had nothing to hide days after he died. This was only after I started asking questions.
• They had his discharge papers ready after surgery, while he was still in hypothermia.
• Nothing about how serious this is was told to me the day of surgery, not a word.
• I was told temperature drops have happened many times with other patients during surgeries here.
• She said it was one of the best surgeries she has ever done, then he died.
• I filed a complaint with the NC Veterinary Medical Board.
• There was another complaint filed against her last year.
• Both complaints were ignored. I was told 80% to 90% are with this board. (Will verify this fact soon)

If someone other than Dr. Thompson is capable of providing me with the actual truth about what occurred to Kenobe on March 29, 2022, I would appreciate hearing from you (even anonymously). She has contradicted herself so many times, both verbally and in writing, that I don’t know what to believe. She’s obviously hiding something. I sincerely hope that someone at Brunswick Animal Hospital is truthful, but no one has come clean so far. I want to know the truth about what happened to Kenobe. If that were the case, you would most likely not be reading this. If the NC Veterinary Medical Board had done their job last year with the other case or cases against her and mine this year, you would not be reading this. Kenobe, as well as other people’s pets, would almost certainly be here.

Everything written above is based on actual phone calls, texts, and emails, which I have if anyone is interested. I have nothing to hide. Kenobe is gone as a result of her carelessness. Others were, too, according to their owners. The NC Veterinary Medical Board disregarded a complaint that violated its own rules and the NC General Statutes, as well as another complaint filed against her. Honesty is the best policy. By all means, if you do not feel something is factual, click that contact button and let us know. We only want to tell the truth. We don’t have insurance companies to answer to, so we have no reason to distort facts the way others do.

Most veterinarians are truthful. I spoke with many people who were open about their feelings, especially after what happened to Kenobe. However, most lawyers and insurers will tell a veterinarian to never admit they made a mistake, in other words, lie. The AVMA-PLIT supports full disclosure with an appropriate apology. The group’s stance is to tell the whole truth, and tell it quickly. I agree. Some go by the other insurance company’s suggestions, and that is unfortunate for them. That is why websites like this exist.

This veterinarian has no idea how her actions have affected people, and I doubt she cares because others have had similar experiences. Someone can be as nice to you and your pet as they see fit, petting your cat or dog during visits, giving them treats, brushing them, complimenting them, playing with them, giving you advice, administering vaccinations or wellness checks, and so on, which has nothing to do with their actual medical skills. If the above occurs, you will understand, especially if you later discover they were deceiving you. My cat’s and apparently other pet’s lives were in the hands of a veterinarian, who assured me that everything would be fine because it was a routine procedure for them. Later, I discovered that this was not the case after she changed her story in response to a complaint.

Later, he stopped breathing on his own an hour before I was supposed to pick him up. After telling me everything was alright and not to worry, she was at a loss for what to do. Then, she told me they had nothing to hide after the surgery, and I found out two weeks later that was not the case and that she let his temperature drop at least 9 to 10 degrees below normal during and even continued to go down after the surgery. He was never able to return to a normal recovery temperature and was in this condition for over 2 1/2 hours. According to other knowledgeable veterinarians and anesthesiologists, this was not typical for this type of operation, assuming the procedure itself was performed correctly and the appropriate warming techniques were used. Simply put, this shouldn’t have happened. I can find no other case where this happened during a surgery like this. So, what really happened that day?

Never ever blindly trust anyone. It is your pet. Do your research. If your gut tells you something is not right, listen to it. You only have one chance, so believe me. I wish I could go back to that day. He would still be here with me right now, and you would not be reading this. All she had to do was to say to use that specialist that I mentioned twice to her, but no, we assure you that we have done many of these surgeries and do them routinely. I asked her how many of these surgeries she had performed in the last year. She refused to answer the question. It makes me wonder how many she has actually done. I wish you the best as a pet owner and lover. We are completely alone. There is no medical board that will protect us and fulfill their duties. Cat Dad.