BluePearl Pet Hospital
Columbia, SC
Our Vets

Dr. Ashley Barton specializes in high-risk anesthesia for patients that need extra care and supervision during surgery due to conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, metabolic and endocrine disorders or previous trouble under anesthesia.

Her veterinary interests include loco-regional anesthesia, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, spinal disorders, platelet-rich plasma injections, therapeutic epidurals, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), therapeutic ultrasound, low-level laser, aqua therapy and therapeutic exercises.

• Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Certified in Animal Chiropractic, International Veterinary Chiropractic Association, Options for Animals, Wellsville, KS
• Certified Veterinary Tui-na Practitioner, Chi Institute, Reddick, FL
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Chi Institute, Reddick, FL
• Residency, Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Internship, Equine Medicine & Surgery, Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, Ringoes, NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Barton enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs and riding and competing with her horse, Finn.

Dr. Amanda Davis loves teaching and greatly values client education and ensuring a comfortable visit for pets and their owners. She has received awards for her work in ophthalmology and has conducted research on stem cell therapy in keratitis.

Dr. Davis enjoys corneal procedures and cataract surgeries as she finds restoring vision and improving ocular comfort extremely gratifying.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
• Residency, Comparative Ophthalmology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

Dr. Davis enjoys traveling and spending time outside hiking and running with her husband and their two dogs, Phoenix and Lilly. She also has a love for art history and enjoys drawing and painting whenever creativity strikes.

Publications & Articles

Dr. William Draper is dedicated to client education and working with primary veterinarians. He has been training new specialists through the internship program for the past eight years and is certified to perform cervical disk arthroplasty and neurosurgical training.

Dr. Draper finds inflammatory brain disease, brain tumors and seizures the most gratifying to treat.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Residency, Small Animal Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Internship, Small Animal Neurology, Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Clinical Rotation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Dr. Draper has a wife, two daughters, twin sons, two cats named Marbles and Bob Ross, a farm dog named Pete, and six horses named Blue, Rocks, Jackson, Bea, Bella and Kaz. He enjoys traveling, golf, homebrewing and collegiate athletics in his spare time.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Amanda Rathgeber has been exclusively practicing veterinary surgery for over seven years. She finds orthopedics, tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomies (TPLO), medial patella luxation (MPL) repair, fracture repairs, hip dysplasia management and osteoarthritis management the most gratifying to treat.

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, Levittown, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Denver, CO
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Lander University, Greenwood, SC

Dr. Rathgeber enjoys spending time with her husband and son, spoiling their dog, Hagrid, and two cats, Stitch and Knuckles. She loves cheering on the South Carolina Gamecocks year-round!

Dr. Michelle Waschak has been practicing soft tissue and general surgery for over 22 years. She is an active member of four different veterinary societies and organizations, including a foundation that provides veterinary care for pets of senior citizens and others who are in need.

Dr. Waschak enjoys operating in all fields of soft tissue surgery, including oncology, elective cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, companion dermatologic interventions (ears and skin lesions) and wound care and closure procedures. She finds it gratifying to conduct elective, minimally invasive procedures for therapeutic and preventative surgeries.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Master of Science, Veterinary Science, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Tennessee Avenue Animal Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens

Dr. Waschak has been in a committed relationship for over 22 years and shares her home with two dogs, a rottweiler named Doyle and a rescue pit bull named PG, a rooster named Master Roo, a lovebird named Maggie/Sir. Chirpsa-lot and a flock of ducks.