Meet our Specialty Doctors

Many of our veterinary specialists are board-certified in their area of expertise.  To become board certified, a specialist must complete up to 12 years of college education and training, including 4 years of training in an internship and residency program, conduct research which must be published in academic  journals, and pass a rigorous series of national exams in their field of specialty.  Only after successfully completing these requirements can a veterinary specialist have the honor of distinguishing themselves as a Diplomate.

Specialty Surgery

Peter Schwarz, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr. Peter Schwarz earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri Veterinary School in 1979.  After graduation, he completed a small animal internship followed by a surgical residency at the Animal Medicine Center (AMC) in New York City. 

Following his advanced surgical training at AMC, Dr. Schwarz joined the surgery faculty at Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.  In 1985, he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.  Dr. Schwarz was promoted to an Associate Professor of Surgery at CSU and received tenure in 1990.  He has published numerous articles, proceedings, abstracts and book chapters and has lectured extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.  In 1998, Dr. Schwarz moved to Albuquerque and established the referral-only surgery practice, Veterinary Surgical Specialists of New Mexico, P.C.

Outside of veterinary medicine Dr. Schwarz’s interests include hiking, camping, flying fishing and downhill skiing.  Dr. Schwarz has three pets - a yellow Lab named Jake, a Springer Spaniel named Gus and a cat named Motor.

Eric Hoots, DVM, MS

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

A native of Aztec, New Mexico, Dr. Hoots graduated magna cum laude from the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences in 2002.  Following graduation, he completed an internship at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, followed by a one year surgical internship in Denver, CO.  He then completed a three year combined surgical residency and master's degree program at Kansas State University.  During his residency, Dr. Hoots was awarded the Pet Trust House Officer Award for two consecutive years for excellence in teaching and clinical service.  He has authored scientific articles on tissue-material interactions and treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture.

As a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Hoots has received extensive training in orthopedic, neurologic, and soft tissue surgery.  His specific areas of surgical interest include fracture management utilizing internal and external fixation techniques, treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture via Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), and angular limb deformity correction.  His soft tissue surgery interests include thoracic and abdominal surgical procedures, wound management and surgery of the head and neck such as total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy (TECA-BO).

Dr. Hoots became board certified in 2008.  He served as a clinical instructor at the University of Pennsylvania and an associate surgeon in private specialty practice in Oregon prior to joining Veterinary Surgical Specialists of New Mexico in 2010.  In his spare time, Dr. Hoots enjoys spending time with his wife Emily who is also a veterinarian, fly-fishing, golfing, camping and traveling.  Eric and Emily also enjoy spending time with their pets: two dogs, Breezy and Ruby; two cats, Rebel and Oscar; and many aquarium fish.  

 

Brett Wood, DVM, MS

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeo

Dr. Brett Wood graduated from St. Lawrence University in1990, and then earned a Master’s degree from Duke University in Resource Ecology. Dr. Wood then attended North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, earning his DVM degree. He then completed both a one-year internship and three-year residency in small animal surgery at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Wood became a board certified veterinary surgeon in 2005.

His training has included a wide range of soft tissue, orthopedic, and neurosurgery techniques. Dr. Wood is certified to perform the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) technique, Tibial Tuberosity Advancement procedure (TTA) and Tightrope procedures for stabilization of cranial cruciate ligament tears. Dr. Wood also has special interests and proficiency in oncologic (cancer) surgery, and neurosurgery. He also has experience with minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy, and thoracoscopy) and plans on expanding the current regional offering for these procedures in NM. Dr. Wood has a wonderful wife Kymberly, and beautiful daughter, Taylor.

Internal Medicine

Valerie Case, DVM

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Dr. Valerie Case received her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University in 2006.  Following veterinary school she headed west to complete a small animal rotating internship, and a 3-year residency in internal medicine at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles.  Dr. Case achieved board status in 2011.  Her professional interests include gastroenterology, hepatobiliary disease, feline medicine, endoscopy, and ultrasound.

Dr. Case has lived in Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, and California.  She is excited to now reside in New Mexico for the warm weather, abundant natural beauty, and proximity to family.  When not at work, Dr. Case enjoys music and art, cooking and wine tasting, baseball games, and spending time with family, friends, and her three cats.

 

Susan Eddlestone, DVM

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Dr. Susan Eddlestone is a native of Louisiana where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Louisiana State University in 1989. After graduation she completed an internship in small animal medicine at The Animal Medical Center in New York City followed by a residency in small animal internal medicine at Louisiana State University. Dr. Eddlestone became board certified internist in 1996.

Following the completion of her residency, Dr. Eddlestone worked as a staff internist in a specialty referral practice until 1998 when she joined the faculty at Louisiana State University. In 2002, Dr. Eddlestone was promoted to Associate Professor and recently achieved tenure.

Dr. Eddlestone’s clinical interests are gastroenterology, liver disease, infectious disease, tick-borne diseases, all areas of internal medicine. She also has strong interest in shelter medicine and solutions to the overpopulation of dogs and cats.

 

Neurology

             Scott Schatzberg, DVM, PhD

             Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal

             Medicine       

Scott J. Schatzberg, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology) graduated from the University of North Carolina,    Chapel Hill in 1993 and subsequently received his PhD (1998) and DVM (2000) from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh.  His PhD dissertation focused on muscular dystrophy in dogs.  After completing his veterinary degree, Dr. Schatzberg accepted a position as a small animal medicine and surgery intern at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  Following his internship, he had the tremendous privilege of completing a neurology residency at Cornell under the mentorship of Dr. Alexander deLahunta.  In 2005, Dr. Schatzberg became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the specialty of Neurology.

Upon completing his residency, Dr. Schatzberg spent a year reviving the Neurology Service at the Animal Medical Center in New York City and subsequently worked as a staff Neurologist at Canada West Veterinary Specialists in Vancouver, BC.  In 2003, Dr. Schatzberg accepted an adjunct faculty position at Massey University in New Zealand, where he teaches an online veterinary Neurology course and visits frequently to deliver lectures.  After three years in specialty practice, Dr. Schatzberg accepted a position as Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine where he was on faculty for 4.5 years. Dr. Schatzberg was recently awarded tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor. Dr. Schatzberg has authored numerous veterinary publications and textbook chapters, and he is internationally known for his research in canine meningoencephalitis (inflammatory brain disease).  He continues to actively research the genetics of meningoencephalitis in small breed dogs including Pugs, Maltese, and Chihuahuas.  In 2011, Dr. Schatzberg joined VESC and works from our Santa Fe location as a medical neurologist and brings extensive experience in the MRI diagnosis of various neurological disorders of the brain and spinal cord. 

In his personal time, Dr. Schatzberg spends most of his time outdoors long distance running, hiking, and skiing.   He has come to Santa Fe with his wife Dr. Katie Cutter, their two sons Zander and Zachary, and several furry companions, all of whom love the great outdoors.

Physical Therapy

Laura Hady, DVM
Certified in Canine Physical Therapy
Dr. Laura Hady is a New Mexico native who earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from New Mexico State University in 1991, and graduated from Colorado State University with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1995.  Dr. Hady worked in small animal private practice for over eight years where she developed an interest in animal physical therapy.  The driving force for her entry into animal rehabilitation came from her own animals desperately needing aid to help walk again or even return to a functional lifestyle.  After two years of long distance training from the University of Tennessee, she earned her certification in canine physical rehabilitation in December 2003.  Since then she has tackled some of the toughest cases of patients with orthopedic or neurologic injuries, helping these patients walk again.

Dentistry

Kris Bannon, DVM

Diplomate, American Veterinary Dental College
Fellow, Academy Veterinary Dentistry
Dr. Kris Bannon graduated from Texas A&M University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1998.  After approximately 7 years of practice at a small animal clinic in Santa Fe, she began to see a need for basic and advanced dentistry that was not being addressed in New Mexico.  Dr. Bannon entered a mentored advanced dental training program in 2005. She completed the requirements and passed the examination to become a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry (FAVD) in 2008.  There are less than 100 Fellows of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry in the world.  In 2008 Dr. Bannon founded Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery of New Mexico, LLC, and is the first veterinary practice dedicated only to advanced dentistry and oral surgery in the state of New Mexico.  Dr. Bannon became board certified in veterinary dentistry in 2010.  She is very enthusiastic about dentistry and wants to share with everyone the positive effects that good dental health and oral hygiene can have on the quality of life for our beloved furry friends.

Dermatology

Thomas P. Lewis, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
Dr. Thomas Lewis specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders which afflict dogs, cats, and horses.  After attending Mesa Community College, Dr Lewis attended and graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors degree in 1982.  In 1986, he graduated from Colorado State University, School of Veterinary Medicine.  He then completed his residency in dermatology in private practice.  Upon completion of all requirements and passing a comprehensive examination, he earned board certification in 1991 by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.  Dr. Lewis has published numerous articles on veterinary dermatology in a variety of scientific journals.

Anthea Schick, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
Dr. Anthea Schick grew up in both Northern California and Flagstaff, Arizona and earned a Bachelors of Arts and Science degree at the University of California at Berkeley in 1994.  She attended veterinary school at Cornell University in New York and graduated in 2002.  Dr. Schick then completed a one-year internship and, in 2003, began a three-year residency in dermatology at the Dermatology Clinic for Animals.  In 2007, Dr. Schick achieved board certification from the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD).  Dr. Schick has published an extensive review of the microbiologic diagnosis of canine otitis in the international journal, Veterinary Dermatology.  She enjoys all aspects of veterinary dermatology but has a special interest in allergies and ear disease.

Rebecca Mount, DVM

Practice Limited to Dermatology

Dr. Rebecca Mount was born and raised in Albuquerque NM and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Mexico in 2001.  She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 2009. Following graduation, Dr. Mount completed a challenging internship in small animal medicine and surgery, at Garden State Veterinary Specialist in New Jersey.  Dr. Mount began her residency with Dermatology for Animals in 2010 and primarily practices out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Outside of veterinary medicine her interests include running, snowboarding and traveling. She is also an avid sports fan.

 

Ophthalmology

Gavin Kennard, DVM
Diplomate, American College of
Veterinary Ophthalmology
Dr. Kennard graduated with distinction from Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he received the Schering-Plough Award for Excellence in Veterinary Ophthalmology and The American College of Veterinary Surgeons Student Surgery Award for Excellence in Small Animal Surgery.

After graduation, Dr. Kennard completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He then completed a three-year residency with Eye Care for Animals in Phoenix, Arizona, after which he became a board certified ophthalmologist.

Dr. Kennard currently practices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque and is particularly interested in corneal, cataract and glaucoma surgery.

Katherine Cutter, DVM

Diplomate, American College of

Veterinary Ophthalmology

Dr. Cutter completed her BS in Animal Science and DVM degree at North Carolina State University in 1996 and 2000, respectively.  In 2000, Dr. Cutter moved to Cornell University where she completed her rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery.  She remained at Cornell to complete her ophthalmology residency (2001-2004). 

Dr. Cutter became board-certified in 2004 and, following her residency training, Dr. Cutter accepted an adjunct teaching appointment at Massey University in New Zealand, where she continues to lecture.  From 2004-2006, Dr. Cutter worked as a staff ophthalmologist at Canada West Veterinary Specialists in Vancouver, BC.  In 2007, Dr. Cutter accepted a position at Animal Eye Care in Athens, GA.  In 2011, Dr. Cutter relocated to Santa Fe, NM with her husband and two children.  She has joined Eye Care for Animals and is seeing appointments in our Santa Fe, NM location.  Her ophthalmic interests include tear film deficiencies, corneal repair, glaucoma, and neuro-ophthalmology. 

Dr. Cutter relishes her time spent primarily caring for her two young boys, Zachary (2 1/2 years) and Alexander (4 1/2 years).

Pet Behavior

Jeff Nichol, DVM
Resident in Veterinary Behavior Medicine
Following graduation from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in 1974, Dr. Jeff Nichol began general practice in Albuquerque.  In 1978 he established a full service veterinary hospital.  He is currently an independent practitioner of veterinary behavior and a resident approved by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Dr. Nichol is a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Albuquerque Veterinary Association (past president).  Dr. Nichol is also the author of three books on pet behavior and health and he as lectured on behavior medicine through out the United States and Russia.

When not practicing medicine, Dr. Nichol enjoys skiing and backpacking with his wife Carolyn and sons Jake and Frank.  The Nichol family also includes Tony the tabby cat and Maddie the Border Collie. 

Acupuncture

Susan Erika Argeres, DVM
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Dr. Susan Erika Argeres graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from New Mexico State University.  She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1994 from Colorado State University.  Dr. Argeres practiced in Colorado until May 2000, and then moved to Albuquerque in 2000 to work at a general veterinary hospital.  Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Argeres always felt that animals deserved the option of holistic care.  In 2001, she started training to become a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA).  In 2003, she opened Argeres Animal Alternatives and in 2005, Dr. Argenes earned her CVA.  Her business consists of doing acupuncture and massage on sweet loving pets.  Dr. Argeres makes house calls but also does contract veterinary medicine at various clinics in Albuquerque like VESCNM.  She loves spending time with family, friends and her sweet dog “Chi” and considers herself to be very spiritual and continually seeking for more to learn and do.

Kimberly Freeman, DVM
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Dr. Kim Freeman graduated with a Bachelor of Animal Science from the University of Florida in 1993 where she also earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1997.  She moved to New Mexico immediately after graduation to enjoy the beautiful desert and mountains in the Silver City area while working at a mixed animal practice for four years. She then spent three years in Arizona in small animal and mixed animal practice and returned to the state she calls home to practice emergency critical care medicine in Santa Fe. During the six years she practiced at the SFAEC, Dr. Freeman was able to attend and enjoy courses in Chinese medicine and Acupuncture which resulted in her earning her CVA in 2006 from the Chi Institute in Florida. Since then she has been engaged in a stimultating combination of eastern and western medicine with some international veterinary work as well.  She is very interested in the diagnosis of internal medicine disorders and in pain relief and management using Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques.  When not practicing medicine, Dr. Freeman is hiking, biking, traveling, or cooking with her two dogs, Louie and Malcolm.