Our Speakers

Mark Acierno received his DVM from Mississippi State University in 2000. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, he completed an internal medicine residency at Tufts University. He is a professor at…

Dr. Larie Allen is a board certified small animal surgeon. She completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University and gained early entry into veterinary school. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University…

Dr. Robert Armentano is board certified in small animal internal medicine. He is a Chicago native and did his undergraduate studies in animal sciences at the University of Illinois. After obtaining early admission into veterinary…

Dr. Lenore Bacek received her DVM from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, followed by a one-year internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Louisiana State University. She completed both a residency…

Dr. Paul Bloom, Dipl., ACVD and Dipl., ABVP, Canine and Feline Specialty obtained his DVM with high honors from Michigan State University in 1976 and has worked in small animal medicine ever since. He obtained…

Benjamin Brainard is the Edward H. Gunst professor of small animal critical care, in the Dept. of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College…

Dr. Holly Brown received her DVM from the University of Georgia and worked in small animal private practice in Colorado and North Carolina. She returned to UGA for a residency in clinical pathology and additionally…

Dr David Bruyette received his DVM from the University of Missouri in 1984 and completed an internship at Purdue University and residency in internal medicine at the University of California-Davis. Dr Bruyette was an Assistant…

Christopher G. Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM), CVJ is a practicing dual board-certified veterinary specialist, recognized international speaker, and respected author. Dr. Byers enjoys teaching, and is passionate about helping pet parents understand their fur…

Dr. Sue Ettinger is a practicing veterinary cancer specialist, international speaker, book author, and vlogger (video blogger). She is one of approximately 400 board-certified specialists in medical oncology in North America and currently practices at…

Dr. Kacie Schmitt Felber was born and raised in Cumberland, MD. She received her Bachelor of Science in Poultry Science from North Carolina State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She continued her education at…

Dr. Philip Fox is certified by the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American Collagen of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. He is also Director of the Caspary Research Institute of…

A dynamic and engaging speaker, Dr. Mary Gardner is able to draw on a wide range of career experiences and life lessons to educate and motivate diverse audiences. Her presentations cover a variety of topics,…

Dr. Hansen, a Minnesota native, toured through Iowa, Minnesota, and Oklahoma for her various degrees toward board certification in veterinary dentistry/oral surgery. In 2009, Dr. Hansen joined other specialists to form the Moxie Center in…

Dr. Don Harris is a practitioner who works exclusively avian and exotics. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1980 and is the owner and founder of Avian & Exotic Animal Medical Center in Miami,…

Dr. Barnes Heller obtained her veterinary degree from Michigan State University in 2000. Following graduation she completed a rotating internship at the University of Illinois and a residency in neurology/neurosurgery at the University of Florida.…

Dr. Ann Hohenhaus is a third generation veterinarian who is also double board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She is an avid blogger and has written for multiple media outlets including…

Dr. Jacobson was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended Clemson University for his undergraduate degree and then earned his DVM from the University of Georgia. Dr. Jacobson completed an internship in small-animal…

Adam Lancaster graduated veterinary school from Iowa State University in 2008. He then went on to complete a rotating internship at Florida Veterinary Specialists (now BluePearl) in Tampa). During his internship, he discovered his passion…

Dr. Robert Larocca graduated from Emory University in 1987 with a Bachelors degree in Biology and Psychology, Dr. Robert Larocca attended and graduated from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, followed…

Patty Lathan, VMD, MS, DACVIM, is an associate professor of small animal internal medicine at Mississippi State University. Her primary interest is endocrinology, specifically the management of adrenal disease and diabetes mellitus. She has published…

Dr. Steve Mehler has been certified in surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons since 2007. His special interests include minimally invasive surgery, interventional radiology, and surgical diseases of the extrahepatic biliary tract in…

Dr. Messinger has been board certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) since 1993. She is one of approximately 275 board certified dermatologists in North America. One of the major functions of the…

Dr. Novo received his DVM from the University of Florida, completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery internship at the University of Minnesota, followed by a Small Animal Surgery internship at the Affiliated Veterinary Specialists…

Barbara L. Oglesbee, DVM, DABVP (Avian), is a Graduate of Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been board certified in Avian Medicine and Surgery since the specialty began in 1993. She began…

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB received his veterinary degree from the University of MN in 2002 and worked as a general practitioner for two years in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area prior to the start of his…

Olivia Petritz completed her undergraduate and veterinary degree at Purdue University in Indiana. Following graduation, she completed a small animal rotating internship at a specialty hospital in San Diego, CA followed by an exotic animal…

Dr. Simon Platt received his veterinary degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1992, following which he undertook an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph…

Dr Posner has a BS in biochemistry from Purdue University. She completed her DVM at Cornell University and spent 9 years in private veterinary practice. She returned to Cornell to complete a Residency in Anesthesiology…

Lisa Powell graduated veterinary school from Texas A&M in 1995, completed a small animal rotating internship at the AMC in NYC in 1996, and then went on to a residency in small animal emergency and…

As a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, previous faculty member and section chief of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of Minnesota, he has become…

Dr. Jenefer Stillion was born and raised in Colorado where she earned her veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 2004. She then went on to complete a one year internship in small animal medicine…

Dr. Robert Swinger completed his undergraduate work and received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 2003. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Veterinary Specialists of…

He leads the Primary Care dog, cat and exotic pet rotations for 3rd and 4th year DVM and RVT student rotations and is affiliated with Purdue’s Center for the Human – Animal Bond and Center…

Dr. Brett Wasik graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. After graduation he completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Veterinary Medical & Surgical Group…

Dr. Zachary Wright was raised in the DFW Area (Rockwall). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Notre Dame and his veterinary medical. He completed a one year rotating…