Winnipeg veterinarian with 11 rulings against him faces another complaint with regulatory body
CBC
A Winnipeg veterinarian who has already had 11 rulings against him under the Manitoba regulatory body for vets is now facing another complaint.
A complaint filed with the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association at the end of August alleges Dr. Wenchao Zheng made an improper diagnosis of a dog's illness and proposed a care plan costing nearly $2,000.
The client, David Strickland, didn't proceed with the plan and instead took his dog to a different veterinarian the next day, where he was billed $277 for a different care plan to treat the dog, which had diarrhea and was vomiting.
Strickland said he couldn't afford the $2,000 bill he initially faced from Zheng and considered having his dog put down.
"I was furious. I could have put this dog down for nothing," Strickland told CBC News. His seven-month-old dog, Chewbacca, is now doing fine following the less-expensive treatment.
"All the dog had was worms. And it cost me $277 to get the dog healthy," he said.
Strickland says Zheng told him Chewbacca had parvovirus, an often fatal disease, and said if the dog wasn't treated he could die. The vet suggested the dog spend two days in hospital and receive two blood transfusions.
Strickland says he eventually got a refund for the fees he did pay to Zheng.
Zheng challenges the assertions in Strickland's complaint and denies he acted "unethically and unprofessionally."
He also said he offered Strickland a subsidy to help pay for a more limited care plan that would cost about $500.
Zheng said he felt he was "doing a good service, but it's not received the same."
WATCH | 'I was furious,' dog owner says after experience with Winnipeg vet who is subject of multiple complaints:
The 11 prior regulatory cases against Zheng date back to 1999 and include issues ranging from failing to properly diagnose or treat an animal patient, to failing to consider a pet owner's financial limitations when recommending treatment options, veterinary association documents say.
Zheng says he feels he's been treated unfairly by the regulatory body.
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