Barrhead and Fawcett vet Iliya Belosevic was suspended from practising for six months over the treatment of a dog needing ligament surgery, according to documents released last week.
The Dec. 1, 2012-June 1, 2013 suspension for unprofessional conduct was imposed after an Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) tribunal hearing in Edmonton on Nov. 15.
The tribunal also fined Belosevic $10,000, issued a written reprimand, required him to complete an online veterinary course and take extra training, and directed that his practice be subject to an ABVMA-approved audit twice yearly for three years.
In addition, Belosevic was banned from supervising any temporary registered vet or student with the ABVMA for three years and ordered to pay costs of the inquiry and hearing.
The sanctions – disclosed in documents released by the ABVMA – followed a complaint on Oct. 24, 2011, about the care of a dog. The complainant is not named.
Last month Belosevic said he had to lay off 12 people after his suspension forced him to close temporarily clinics in Barrhead and Fawcett.
Speaking last Saturday, however, he said the Barrhead clinic was now open Monday-Friday after he found a fill-in vet and rehired several employees. Soon it will be open six days a week, he added.
He said the Fawcett clinic, which had employed three people, would reopen on June 1.
Belosevic – a vet since 1994 – declined to comment on the tribunal hearing’s decisions.
“On the advice of my lawyer I am making no comment, regardless of whether I find the decisions fair or unfair,” he said.
According to ABVMA documents, the tribunal and Belosevic agreed on findings of unprofessional conduct with regard to nine allegations. These covered four areas: inappropriate anaesthetic protocol; animal welfare; post surgical pain control; and medical records.
Two of the allegations were that Belosevic on Oct. 7, 2011 failed to provide the dog with appropriate pre-anaesthetic medication and did not properly manage the anaesthetic protocol, particularly ‘masking down an animal’ without appropriate pre-anaesthetic medication.
Masking down means applying a gas-delivering mask to the animal’s nose so that it breathes a mixture of oxygen and an anaesthetic agent.
A third allegation was that Belosevic inappropriately delegated the task of ‘masking down an animal’ to an AHT (animal health technologist) who was not physically capable of performing the task and/or causing risk to staff at Barrhead Veterinary Clinic.
The other six allegations were:
• That on Oct. 7, 2011, as a result of Belosevic’s failure to use a proper pre-anaesthetic medication, he caused the dog unnecessary suffering;
• That Belosevic failed to provide appropriate and/or any pain control medication to the dog following her anterior cruciate ligament surgery on Oct. 7, 2011;
• That Belosevic failed to maintain complete, appropriate and/or accurate medical records with respect to the dog;
• That Belosevic failed to create medical records with respect to the dog on a contemporaneous basis;
• That Belosevic failed to maintain appropriate and complete medical records regarding the dog, including an anaesthetic record; and
• That Belosevic altered and/or amended the medical records relating to the dog subsequent to events recorded.
Belosevic provided a written admission of unprofessional conduct to the tribunal relating to the nine allegations, according to the documents.
The tribunal said Belosevic’s failures over anaesthetic protocol resulted in injuries to the dog, veterinary staff and a loss of public trust.
It added that contemporaneous medical records are vital to veterinary care.
“Poor, incomplete, or delayed medical records put patients at unnecessary risk, are not in the public interest and do not uphold the integrity of the profession,” the documents say.
The tribunal said the six-month suspension would be a fair deterrent, given Belosevic’s previous findings of unprofessional conduct.
“This suspension will provide time for Dr. Belosevic to reflect on his actions and obtain the continuing education required in other sanctions,” the tribunal states.
“The severity of the suspension protects the integrity of the profession, acts as a strong deterrent to the member, and protects the public.”
The tribunal consisted of three vets: Dan Schlesinger (chair), Dave Harris and Bob Jones. There was also a member of the public, Dwayne Rawson.
Belosevic lives at the Barrhead Veterinary Clinic off the highway near “Two Mile Corner.”
Speaking on Dec. 6, he said he had no intention of giving up his practice or leaving Barrhead.
“The good people of the Barrhead area have been extremely kind and supportive of our clinics and they deserve to get the service they are entitled to,” he said.
He added he plans to construct a new veterinary building at the Barrhead clinic in the spring.
