BluePearl Pet Hospital
Pittsburgh North
Pittsburgh, PA
Surgery

24/7 Emergency and Specialty

Pet surgery by BluePearl.

Precision care for what matters most – helping your pet live a longer and better life.

We understand that seeing your pet experience an emergency or condition that requires surgery can be stressful. Fortunately, our veterinary surgery team is made up of experts in performing complex procedures using the latest state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, and we’re here to help. 

Our commitment is not just to delivering highly advanced surgical care; it’s to enhance the well-being of your pet and be with you every step of the way.

A vet specialist holds a small grey puppy wearing a cone on an exam table.

Conditions we treat.

A BluePearl anesthesiology and pain management vet prepares to fix an anesthetic facemask on a yellow lab while a vet tech helps hold the dog on the exam table.

If your pet has a condition or injury that requires advanced care and procedures, you’ll have an entire surgery team helping to improve your pet’s quality of life so you can get back to what matters most – spending precious moments together.

  • Cancer
  • Chronic diseases like ear or respiratory tract infections
  • Congenital conditions like dysplasia or heart defects
  • Emergencies like swallowing a foreign body
  • Hernias
  • Trauma or injuries, including fractures, ligament and tendon injuries

Services we offer.

Your pet will receive unparalleled medical care during their time at the hospital (and they’ll be spoiled with love and attention, too).

Advanced diagnostics

Your pet can’t tell us what’s wrong, so we use sophisticated diagnostics and imaging tools to uncover the source of the problem.

  • Biopsy
  • Radiography (x-rays)
  • Ultrasound

Treatment plans

Just as no two patients are the same, neither are their treatment plans. Our surgery team has experience with a range of advanced procedures and minimally invasive options to get your pet on the path to wellness, including:

  • Orthopedic surgery (for the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons)
  • Soft tissue surgery (for non-bone tissues and internal organs)

Our board certified specialists and surgery team.

Experience makes all the difference. 

Our surgery team is made up of veterinarians, vet technicians and assistants, and support staff with rigorous training and experience in specialty medicine. The team works hand in hand to provide the comprehensive, compassionate care your pet needs and deserves. Because we’re a multidisciplinary hospital, the team can consult the expertise of other specialty departments, too.

Jonathan Anderson

DVM, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Jonathan Anderson considers challenging surgical cases to be the most rewarding, but particularly enjoys complicated fractures, other orthopedic injuries, polytrauma, minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgeries and thoracic tumor removals.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
  • Residency, Surgery, University of Georgia, Athens
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
  • Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
Off duty

Dr. Anderson enjoys skiing, both water and snow, home renovations, and restoring/using early to mid-century American-manufactured woodworking machinery. He and his wife have three rescued dogs: yellow lab Bosun, golden retriever mix Cal Naughton, Jr., Jr., and Newfoundland Rookie.

Rebecca Chesne

MVB
Resident

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Rebecca Chesne is a resident in our surgical service. She likes the variety of cases presented and specifically enjoys soft tissue surgery, wound management and emergency surgeries.

Education
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA California Veterinary Specialists, Murrieta
  • Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland
  • Bachelor of Science, Biology, Chapman University, Orange, CA
Off duty

Outside of work, Dr. Chesne’s pastimes include horseback riding, cooking and spending time with her friends, family and pets. She has a white standard poodle named London.

Hope Chisnell

DVM, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Hope Chisnell’s particular clinical interests include trauma surgery and wound management/reconstruction.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
  • Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, PA
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, PA
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
  • Bachelor of Arts, Biology, College of Wooster, Wooster OH
Off duty

Dr. Chisnell likes to stay active with fitness classes, running, lifting weights, water activities and cycling. Her pets include mixed breed dog Pucky, bulldog mix Baloo, and three cats, Kinta, Daku and Loki.

Christine DePompeo

DVM, MS, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Christine DePompeo’s particular clinical interests include angular limb deformities, fracture management, minimally invasive surgery and laser ablation of ectopic ureters.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
  • Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Washington State University, Pullman
  • Master of Science, Washington State University, Pullman
  • Internship, Small Animal Surgery, West Vet Emergency and Specialty Center, Boise ID
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston MA
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA
  • Bachelor of Science, Bioengineering (biomechanics), Syracuse University, NY
Off duty

Some of Dr. DePompeo’s favorite pastimes include rock climbing, distance running, rowing and sporting events, especially Phillies, Flyers and Eagles. She has a German shorthaired pointer named Jeri Lynn and two cats, Leonidas and Fishy.

Michael Doornink

DVM, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Prior to joining us, Dr. Michael Doornink was a clinical instructor at Auburn University. Trained in soft tissue, oncologic and orthopedic surgery, he is particularly interested in minimally invasive orthopedic procedures and oncologic reconstruction. He also has a special interest in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials and has lectured on antimicrobial use and orthopedics.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
  • Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Auburn University, AL
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Auburn University, AL
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
  • Bachelor of Science, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake IA
Off duty

Dr. Doornink enjoys fishing, conservation land management and hobby farming. Married to another veterinarian, their family includes yellow lab Samford T. Coates, and feline brothers CBSB and Weagle C. Newton.

Michael Kraun

DVM, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Michael Kraun’s clinical interests include general soft tissue and reconstructive surgery, tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease, less invasive fracture repair, spinal decompressive surgery, and procedural innovation/modification. He is also passionate about teaching, pain management, and issues pertaining to patient safety.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Michigan State University, East Lansing
  • Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, TX
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
  • Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens
Off duty

Dr. Kraun enjoys playing sports, especially hockey. An avid college football fan, he is a proud Georgia Bulldog. He loves the outdoors, especially being on the water, and likes to incorporate music into his life whenever possible. He has two cats, Metzy and Cali, and two dachshund-mix brothers, Milo and Graham.

Anthony Pardo

MS, DVM, DACVS
On the job

Dr. Anthony Pardo is especially interested in respiratory surgical conditions – tracheal collapse, laryngeal paralysis and in orthopedics – knee surgery, fractures and hip replacement.
He spent five years as an associate professor of surgery at the University of Tennessee and is currently an adjunct assistant professor with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His current research interests include tracheal collapse in the toy breed dog; management of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in the dog; canine hip replacement; and oncologic surgery.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
  • Residency, Small Animal Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
  • Master of Science, Plant Physiology, University of California, Davis Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham MA
Off duty

Dr. Pardo is on the executive board of Humane Animal Rescue, a local animal shelter in Pittsburg. Some of his favorite activities include fly fishing, bowling, bicycling and hiking. He is married and has three sons and three cats.

Katrin Saile

DVM, MS, DACVS-SA
Board Certified in Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal

Surgery
On the job

Before joining our team, Dr. Saile worked as an assistant professor of companion animal surgery at Louisiana State University where she served as chief of the companion animal surgery service and program director for the small animal surgery residency program. She has lectured around the world, and has authored and coauthored numerous book chapters and scientific papers.

Education
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
  • Master of Science, Biomedical Sciences, Auburn University, AL Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Auburn University, Auburn AL Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Auburn University, AL
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
  • Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
Off duty

One of Dr. Saile’s favorite pastimes is training for and competing in triathlons and running events. She also enjoys traveling and is an avid baker. Dr. Saile has three pets, terrier mix Gromit, suspiciously tall beagle Huck and a cat named The Kid.

Kathryn Spivey

DVM
Resident

Surgery
On the job

Dr. Kathryn Spivey is a resident in our surgery service. She enjoys emergency medicine and small animal surgery. 

Education
  • Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
  • Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Hendrix College, Conway, AR
Off duty

In her free time, Dr. Spivey likes baking, playing board games and painting. She has several pets, including a German shepherd (Wrex), two cats (Aslan and Raja) and a ball python (Dexter).

Claire Takeshita

DVM
On the job

Dr. Claire Takeshita is an intern in our surgery service.

Education
  • Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
  • Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Off duty

Dr. Takeshita enjoys running, casual bouldering, hiking and drinking coffee/boba tea. She has a little pit bull named Boba.

What to expect.

We want you to be prepared for your pet’s visit to the surgeon, so you have one less thing to worry about. Our entire BluePearl team will be with you every step of the way.

Before your visit

  • Make a consultation appointment by calling us directly or via referral from your pet’s primary vet. 
  • We’ll get records from your primary or emergency vet before your visit and collaborate with them to discuss your pet’s history and current condition.

During your visit

  • When possible, we’ll examine your pet with you by their side to make them more comfortable. If additional tests are needed, we’ll discuss those options with you.
  • You’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to ask questions as we go over your pet’s diagnosis and treatment plan options together.
  • If appropriate, we’ll schedule your pet’s procedure and make sure you’re aware of any symptoms you should watch out for at home. 

After your visit

  • Our team will continue to partner with your primary veterinarian as part of the ongoing management of your pet’s care.
  • You know your pet better than anyone, and you play a crucial role in their treatment plan. If you have any concerns about providing care at home (such as giving medication, maintaining a specific diet or monitoring your pet’s symptoms), let us know – we’re here for you.