Oregon Veterinary Hospital Files AI Misdiagnosis Lawsuit Against Zoetis Over Vetscan Imagyst Death of Dog

A veterinary hospital in Oregon has filed what appears to be the first lawsuit linked to an AI misdiagnosis, after a dog died following treatment based on Zoetis’ Vetscan Imagyst system, raising questions about AI reliability in veterinary diagnostics.

An Oregon veterinary hospital has launched what appears to be the first known lawsuit over an alleged AI misdiagnosis, after a dog died following treatment based on a reading from Zoetis’ Vetscan Imagyst system, according to reports in The Oregonian and The Independent.

The complaint says the platform identified mast and spindle cells in a sample from an 11-year-old dog’s rapidly growing neck mass, yet concluded the lesion was benign and inflammatory. Surgery followed, but a later histopathology review at Oregon State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab found an aggressive cancer, prompting a second operation. The suit alleges the animal later died from post-operative complications.

Beyond the clinical error, the filing accuses Zoetis of overstating Imagyst’s capabilities and failing to disclose operational limits. It also claims the company altered the original report after staff raised concerns, and later acknowledged similar problems on a call with the clinic.

Zoetis has previously marketed Vetscan Imagyst as a rapid in-clinic diagnostic platform for blood smears, urine sediment, dermatology and other uses. The case may now test how far such claims can go when the technology is applied to pathology work that remains difficult even for experienced clinicians.

Veterinary cytology is a narrow, high-variance discipline, and the risks rise when AI is used as a substitute for specialist review rather than a support tool. However the case unfolds, it is likely to sharpen scrutiny of whether veterinary AI is improving care, or merely shifting risk and cost downstream.