Zoetis Vetscan Imagyst Allegedly Misclassified Dog's Cancerous Tumor
Columbia Veterinary Hospital sued Zoetis Inc., alleging its AI diagnostic tool Vetscan Imagyst misidentified a cancerous tumor in a dog as an inflammatory lesion, leading to incomplete initial surgery, a necessary second procedure, and the dog's death. The hospital contends Zoetis falsely marketed the system's diagnostic capabilities without disclosing limitations.
What happened
In October 2025, Columbia Veterinary Hospital used Zoetis Inc.'s AI diagnostic tool Vetscan Imagyst to analyze tissue samples from an 11-year-old Belgian Tervuren dog with a rapidly growing neck mass.
The AI system detected mast and spindle cell features associated with cancer but concluded the mass was an inflammatory lesion rather than cancer. Based on this assessment, veterinarians removed the mass.
A subsequent biopsy by Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab determined the mass was an aggressive cancer. Because the initial surgery did not remove all of the cancer, a second operation was required, and the dog died from complications of the second surgery.
Reported impact
The dog died due to complications from the second surgery, according to the lawsuit.
Columbia Veterinary Hospital alleges the outcome would have been different had Vetscan Imagyst correctly identified the tumor as cancerous.
Index analysis
The hospital contends that Zoetis falsely marketed Vetscan Imagyst as 'the world's most capable veterinary AI analyzer' capable of accurately identifying certain cancers, while failing to disclose its limitations.
The lawsuit also alleges that Zoetis altered the original AI report after being informed of the misdiagnosis.
Governance controls
The hospital purchased the AI system in 2024 believing it provided expert-level diagnostic results.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.