An Oxfordshire vet has been found guilty of disgraceful misconduct after delaying a vital surgery that was “almost certainly the cause” of a dog’s death.

Dr Susan Mulvey, of CornYard Veterinary Centre in Spinners Court previously operating in Witney, was deemed to fall “far below” what is expected of a “reasonably competent” vet.

Her case centred on several incidents but most notably the treatment of a dog named Millie whose death was “wholly unnecessary”.

Due to health reasons, which were not provided, Ms Mulvey did not attend the hearing before the professional conduct committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which took place on May 8.

However, the committee decided the case would still be heard after the panel was satisfied that sufficient notice had been given.

The committee heard how dog Millie, who was suffering from pyometra, died after surgery was delayed for 10 days in May 2020.

Pyometra is a serious and life-threatening uterine infection, which, if left untreated, can be fatal due to the toxic effects of the pus building up in the uterus that could lead to septic shock.

Despite Millie being an "excellent candidate" for surgery, Ms Mulvey's insistence on conducting dental surgery simultaneously caused fatal delays.

Expert witness Dr Shield told the committee the surgery should have taken place no more than a day or two after Millie’s initial appointment on May 12.

Millie's owner said she was told that the surgery needed to be performed concurrently with the dental surgery, but the practice had insufficient oxygen supplies to perform both procedures.

On May 21, 2020, Millie was taken to the vet as she was “extremely unwell” with the operation then scheduled to take place the next day.

However, in the early hours of the morning of May 22, 2020, Millie died.

Dr Shield testified that the delay was "almost certainly the cause" of Millie’s death, highlighting it as a preventable outcome.

The committee also examined the impact of Ms Mulvey's conduct across multiple other cases including delaying the surgery of a dog named Milo.

In Milo’s case, delays in fracture repair surgery resulted in the amputation of the dog's leg, causing "unnecessary suffering and significant distress" to the owner.

It was also heard by the committee the failures to provide accurate clinical histories impacted the care and treatment of animals like Penny, Sage, and Ruby.

Furthermore, Ms Mulvey consistently ignored requests from the RCVS for information, the committee found.

These failures, coupled with cases of not providing essential insurance information for animals, contributed to the verdict.

It was also heard she had previously faced disciplinary actions for similar concerns in 2018 and 2019.

These sanctions related primarily to a cat named Spooky and a dog called Henry, who she failed to provide clinical notes for.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) disciplinary committee determined that Ms Mulvey has not "remedied her ways" and found her guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.