BluePearl Pet Hospital
Queens
Forest Hills, NY
Our Vets

Dr. Deanna Borchert is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, emergency medicine and preventative care.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

In her free time, Dr. Borchert enjoys traveling, working out, reading, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her family dog, Kenai.

Dr. Breanna Dragseth is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She has a particular interest in ophthalmic procedures and in diagnosing and managing conditions associated with polyuria (excessive urination) and polydipsia (excessive drinking).

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Dr. Dragseth enjoys being outdoors, climbing, volleyball, hiking and hanging out with her dog, Max.

Dr. Philip Fico’s particular clinical interests include electrolyte derangements and treating sepsis and polytrauma cases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, Brooklyn NY
• Clinical Rotation, University of Georgia, Athens
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Fordham University, Bronx NY

Dr. Fico is an amateur illustrator and Muay Thai fighter. He and his wife have a cat named Ruby.

Dr. Amanda LaPorte enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Oradell Animal Hospital, Paramus, NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. LaPorte spends time with friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, and relaxing with Joe, her coonhound.

Dr. Amanda Lazar is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include the management of chronic diseases such as endocrinopathies and autoimmune conditions.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

In her free time, Dr. Lazar enjoys creating art projects, caring for her houseplants, being outdoors and spending time with her family. She rescued her pet rabbit, Ralph, as a veterinary student.

Dr. Michaël Lora-Michiels previously worked as a family veterinarian in Bogota, Colombia. He enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham NC
• Research Associate, Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Hyperthermia Clinical Trial, Duke University, Durham NC
• Fellowship, Radiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad of La Salle, Bogota, Colombia

Dr. Muskanjot Makkar is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), urethral obstruction, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, gastrointestinal foreign bodies and endoscopy.

• Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Makkar enjoys traveling, exploring new cities and trying new restaurants and cafes. She also loves getting regular updates on Kilo, her energetic mixed-breed dog who is currently keeping her family entertained back in Vancouver.

Dr. Benjamin Morales is a small animal medicine & surgery intern particularly interested in critical care, especially managing congestive heart failure patients.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies

As one of four siblings born and raised in South Florida, Dr. Morales enjoys spending time in nature, riding a bicycle, playing video games and spending time with his cat, Umi, who loves to vocalize for food. He is an active participant of the charity Sanctuary of Hope; a non-profit founded by his mother to provide veterinary care to rural villages in Guatemala.

Dr. Vazul Munjal is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include emergency and critical care medicine, radiology, surgery and wellness and preventative medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Munjal enjoys playing and watching sports –particularly hockey – trying new restaurants and spending time with his family, friends and his dog, Pepper.

As an emergency clinician, Dr. Jonathan Munoz’s particular interests include gastroenteropathy, endocrine diseases and unblocking cats with urethral obstructions.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY

Dr. Munoz enjoys walking his dog, traveling, bowling, going to the beach, watching movies and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Candice Phipps served as a government veterinarian for the country of Jamaica for over 13 years before she moved to the U.S. to become an emergency clinician for BluePearl in 2015.

Her passion is surgery with particular interest in wound healing and repair as it can involve surgical reconstruction and challenging wound repair procedures. Dr. Phipps takes pride in her diagnostic skills, including abdominal fast scans, and her commitment to the human animal bond.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Sierra Veterinary Specialists, Reno, NV
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Tuskegee University, AL
• Fellowship, Small Animal Surgery, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago

Dr. Phipps loves performing 5 and 10 km medium-distance running, going to the beach, experiencing new cultures and cuisines and hanging out with friends, family and her adorable shih tzu mix, Daisy.

Dr. Ryan Phoenix is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She has a strong interest in diagnostic imaging.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Dr. Stephanie Reabel finds anesthesia for emergent procedures and for patients with cardiovascular diseases the most gratifying to perform.

• Board Certified in Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Residency, Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, Hollywood, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
• Master of Science, Veterinary Parasitology, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, ON, Canada

Dr. Reabel enjoys traveling, swimming, playing hockey, snowboarding and spending time with her dog, Bella, and two cats, Tila and Nacho.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Imara Savon is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in chronic internal diseases.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Savon enjoys reading, hiking and fitness.

Dr. Judy Seltzer enjoys the challenge of managing long-term diseases and building a strong relationship with her clients and patients, many of whom she has seen for years. Her clinical interests include allergic skin disease and immune-mediated skin diseases. She enjoys performing intradermal skin tests, which are still considered to be the gold standard.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
• Residency, Dermatology, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Internship, Dermatology & Allergy, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls, NJ
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Center for Specialized Veterinary Care, Westbury, NY
• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, England
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Dr. Seltzer’s favorite pastimes include dining out, cooking, skiing and traveling. She has four cats: Katt, Kabuki, Huxley, named after a layer of the hair follicle, and Allie, rescued from a NYC alley.

Dr. Jason Simmons is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include soft tissue surgery, orthopedic surgery and diagnostic imaging.

• Internship, Large Animal Medicine & Surgery, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Saratoga Springs, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington

In his free time, Dr. Simmons enjoys working out, hiking with his golden retriever named Willie and exploring the NYC nightlife.

Dr. Taylor Truong is a small animal medicine & surgery intern particularly interested in internal medicine.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies

In her free time, Dr. Truong enjoys exploring nature, discovering parks and outdoor spaces and finding new restaurants – especially those featuring different cultures. Tennis has been a big part of her life since childhood, and she still loves to play today. While in veterinary school in St. Kitts, she adopted a cat named Marmalade, who brings her endless joy with her bold personality.

Dr. Truong’s passion for global animal health and outreach deepened while participating in Sanctuary of Hope – a charitable organization that provides veterinary care and promotes animal welfare in underserved communities in Guatemala.

Dr. Francis Volz IV is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. He is particularly interested in oncology, including radiation and chemotherapy.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University, Brookville, NY

In his free time, Dr. Volz enjoys skiing and playing and watching soccer, basketball and football. He has three dogs, three lizards and a snake.

Dr. Lauren Wiley finds it gratifying to treat all forms of cardiomyopathies and to help guide pet owners through the stress of treating congestive heart failure. Her greatest joys are treating feline patients and performing interventional procedures.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Cardiology, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Biochemistry, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Away from the hospital, Dr. Wiley enjoys swimming, yoga and horseback riding with Jordan, her Arabian Morgan mare. She admits to really loving cats, and even crotchets sweaters for her three: Billie Jean and Beanface are both Devon rex, and Oksana Baiul is a Cornish rex. Genny is her Portuguese water dog who goes everywhere with her.

In addition to being an emergency clinician, Dr. David Wohlstadter is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist. This therapy has been shown to improve dogs’ mobility and strength, particularly for geriatric dogs suffering from arthritic conditions and other musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions. Rehab is also particularly helpful after surgery for all ages to help dogs regain muscle mass and coordination.

• Certification in Canine Rehabilitation, Canine Rehabilitation Institute, Wellington, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, St Louis University, MO
• Bachelor of Arts, St Louis University, MO

Dr. Wohlstadter is married to a veterinarian and enjoys spending time with his large family, which includes many people, many dogs and many cats.