Veterinarian
Education: University of Guelph
Like most children, I always had a love of animals. When I was 14 years old I started my own Pet Sitting business, riding my bike all around town so that I could walk dogs and change litter boxes. One of my clients was good friends with a veterinarian and when this vet needed someone to clean his kennels, she recommended me. So, for three dollars a day, I cleaned cages and mopped floors. Eventually, another animal hospital in town had an opening for a veterinary receptionist. Throughout my high school years I worked evenings and weekends at the Pembroke Animal Hospital as a receptionist and veterinary assistant. I learned so much at this job and I loved it!
After high school I attended Guelph University and was accepted into the Ontario Veterinary College. Throughout my years in university I worked at a local veterinary clinic. When I graduated in 1999 I ended up practicing in a small animal practice just outside of Barrie Ontario. Eventually I moved back to my home town and worked as a veterinarian at the Pembroke Animal Hospital where I had worked for many years as a teenager.
In 2006 I met my now husband, David. He lived in Kanata, so when we were married I moved out of the valley and into the big city. In June of 2006 I started work here, at the Beechwood Animal Hospital.
Education
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (University of Guelph): 1999.
Have completed courses in orthopedic surgery techniques and ultrasonography.
Membership
College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO)
Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)
Veterinary Information Network (VIN)
Areas of Interest
While I enjoy both medicine and surgery, one of the things that interests me the most is a challenging medical case. I enjoy combining the results of diagnostic tests and figuring out why an animal is not feeling well. I attend at least one veterinary medical conference per year and am an active member of the Veterinary Information Network. I strive to keep up with the latest trends and new discoveries in veterinary medicine. I perform in hospital ultrasounds. Additionally, I have an interest in pocket pet medicine.
I do a call-in “Ask the Vet” radio show about 4 times a year with John Counsell of 580 CFRA radio.
One of my real passions is my website, www.AskAVetQuestion.com which I built from scratch and work on daily. My goal is to answer questions and write articles that help to provide good, accurate veterinary advice online. I maintain a news blog to keep people up to date on the latest veterinary news such as food or drug recalls or new discoveries (www.AskAVetQuestion.com/News/) and blog about my life as a vet at www.AskAVetQuestion.com/Blog. You can follow me on Twitter at @AskAVetQuestion or join my Facebook Page at http://www.Facebook.com/AskAVetQuestion.
Family
I was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley. I lived in Petawawa until I was nine and then Pembroke after that. I met my husband David at a church function and we were married in the fall of 2006. David is a realtor in Ottawa and Kanata. We love the Lord and attend church at Dominion Outreach Centre in Ottawa. Our little girl, Isabella, is already starting to learn how to do physical exams on animals. Our three cats, Albert, Rupert and Sally are not thrilled about this.
