David Strickland had taken his dog, Chewbacca, to the Animal Hospital of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) has cleared Dr. Wenchao Zheng of allegations regarding the misdiagnosis of a patient’s illness. The complaint was filed by owner David Strickland, who had taken his dog, Chewbacca, to the Animal Hospital of Manitoba in Winnipeg, after the animal presented with vomiting and diarrhea.

Zheng diagnosed Chewbacca with a parvovirus infection, and proposed a treatment plan that involved a two-day hospital stay and a cost of nearly $2,000. Strickland, unable to afford the proposed treatment, sought a second opinion from another vet practice, who treated Chewbacca as an outpatient for $277 after the Animal Hospital of Manitoba did some initial medical workup.

Strickland subsequently filed a complaint against Zheng with the MVMA, alleging the veterinarian had incorrectly diagnosed Chewbacca. The final MVMA ruling, issued by a three-person complaints committee consisting of one public member and two veterinarians, confirmed parvovirus as the correct diagnosis.

The decision clarifies, “The diagnosis of parvovirus is often made with a physical exam and a canine parvovirus fecal antigen test kit, as was done with Chewbacca.” Additionally, the committee emphasized, “If an unvaccinated dog has the symptoms of parvovirus and has a positive test result, a diagnosis of parvovirus is confirmed. As such we agree with Dr. Zheng’s diagnosis of parvovirus.”

Despite the favourable ruling, the committee found issue with Zheng’s proposed treatment plan. Although his decision was confirmed as appropriate, “it would have been possible to treat Chewbacca as an outpatient,” and “while there is no way of knowing at time of diagnosis which patient will respond to outpatient treatment, this is something that should have been discussed as an option with the client.”

In conversation with CBC News, Strickland stated he had not been provided with alternate treatment options.

“This wasn’t discussed with me…I was told the dog had to be hospitalized, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

The complaints committee cautioned Zheng over the use of the medication metoclopramide, advising even one dose of the medication could lead to complications if a gastrointestinal obstruction has not been ruled out, as was the case for Chewbacca. They also questioned Zheng’s proposal of fresh frozen plasma, noting recent studies showing its limited impact on patient recovery.

The committee’s decision follows previous reports that Zheng had faced 11 rulings against him under the MVMA. The previous rulings, dating back to 1999, involve various issues such as inadequate diagnoses or treatment of patients and neglecting to take a pet owner’s financial constraints into account when suggesting treatment options.

Dr. Wenchao Zheng has previously faced 11 rulings against him under the MVMA.