BluePearl Pet Hospital
Stone Oak
San Antonio, TX
Our Vets

Dr. Jonathan Blakely likes all aspects of surgery. His particular clinical interest is orthopedics, especially treating fractures.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, South Texas Veterinary Specialists, Stone Oak
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Blakely’s favorite pastime is spending time with his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing music, including guitar, banjo and the flute.

Dr. Bradley Book enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine & Feline Practice)
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, South Texas Veterinary Specialists, San Antonio
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Book spends his free time with his two children and their pets, golden retriever Trout, and cat Rover.

Dr. Walter Burghardt has over 35 years of veterinary behavioral medicine experience treating dogs, cats and exotics. His particular clinical interest is treating behavioral problems that strain the bond between pet and owner.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
• Doctor of Philosophy, Biopsychology, University of Maryland, College Park
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Master of Arts, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
• Bachelor of Arts, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

Dr. Burghardt is married with three grown sons. His favorite pastimes include flying, bicycling, traveling and hiking. He loves dogs, cats and tropical fish.

Dr. Oscar Carballo Jr. is a resident in our surgical service. He enjoys all aspects of surgery but has a particular interest in orthopedic and minimally invasive procedures.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, San Antonio, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Coral Springs Animal Hospital, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Florida International University, Miami

Dr. Carballo enjoys mountain bike riding, scuba diving, working out, spending time with family, traveling and fishing. He has a chocolate lab named Shamus.

Dr. Monica Chwala’s clinical interests include the treatment of immune-mediated and infectious diseases, endocrine disorders, liver and kidney/urinary diseases, gastrointestinal disease and respiratory disease. She particularly enjoys the use of minimally invasive procedures to examine and treat many conditions, like urinary incontinence or stones.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Associate of Applied Science, Veterinary Technology, Fox College, Tinley Park IL
• Bachelor of Science, Finance, Economics, University of Illinois, Normal

Dr. Chwala loves new experiences and adventures, meeting people, good food, horseback riding and sports. She has two Weimaraners, Lexy and Addie.

A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Dr. James Giles enjoys arthroscopy and laparoscopy and is particularly interested in orthopedic and neurologic conditions in working dogs, especially surgical management of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis. While serving as a military veterinary surgeon, he became experienced in performing endodontic repairs and advanced dentistry. He also introduced the use of negative pressure wound therapy for use in military working dogs and treated the first dogs in combat with this modality.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Master of Science, Veterinary Biomedical Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Dr. Giles’ wife is also a veterinarian, and they have two children. His favorite pastimes include outdoor activities, endurance fitness events and traveling. The family pets are Lucy, a golden doodle, and Mia, a poodle.

Dr. Geoff Hennig was a production artist with a focus on biological and medical illustration before attending veterinary school. He has served on the surgical faculty at Louisiana State University as a visiting assistant professor. His research interests have been principally in the area of canine orthopedic diseases including the effects of injectable local anesthetics on cartilage health.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Master of Science, Veterinary Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Georgia, Athens
• Clinical Rotation, University of Georgia, Athens
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St Kitts & Nevis, West Indies

Dr. Katelyn Hickman is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She is dedicated to providing excellent medical care for patients in an emergency setting. Her interests include stabilizing and managing trauma patients, as well as ophthalmology and neurology.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Dr. Hickman enjoys kayaking, pyrography and hiking with her dog, Miss Lemon Drop.

Dr. Sarah Israel enjoys all aspects of surgery with a particular interest in joint replacement surgery, minimally invasive orthopedics and arthroscopy. She is an American College of Veterinary Surgeons founding fellow in joint replacement surgery (JRS).

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Israel and the surgeries she performs in San Antonio, TX.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Ericka Jaramillo is an intern in our surgical service. She is most interested in thoracic surgery, wound management and cranial cruciate ligament tears.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, Norwalk, CT
• Clinical Rotation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies

Dr. Jaramillo enjoys the outdoors, rollercoasters and spending time with her spouse, four dogs and two cats.

Dr. Stephanie Kennedy has more than 12 years of experience in veterinary medicine, including work with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corp. She enjoys all aspects of internal medicine but is especially interested in the evaluation of gastrointestinal disease, immune-mediated disease, infectious diseases and endocrine disorders.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Dr. Kennedy’s favorite hobbies include traveling the world, hiking, scuba diving, experiencing new adventures and meeting new people.

Dr. Amanda Marin enjoys all that emergency medicine has to offer with a special interest in wound management and client education.

• Clinical Rotation, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

Away from work, Dr. Marin enjoys weight lifting and outdoor activities such as kayaking and hiking. She has a cat named Norman.

Dr. Alicia Niedzwecki’s clinical interests include treating snakebites, acute kidney injury, Addison’s disease, immune-mediated diseases, coagulopathies and congestive heart failure. Procedures she enjoys include temporary tracheostomies, GI endoscopies and pericardiocenteses.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, South Texas Veterinary Specialists, San Antonio TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, South Texas Veterinary Specialists, San Antonio TX
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Niedzwecki enjoys tennis, gardening and spending time with her family and pets, Xena, a German shepherd, and Zoe, a Siamese cat.

Dr. Nicole Palermo is interested in all emergency conditions and procedures, including lacerations and minor wound care, blunt trauma stabilization, anaphylaxis, effusive conditions (pericardial, pleural, peritoneal), urethral obstructions, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

• Clinical Rotation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

Dr. Palermo is married and has two lovely daughters and two wonderful dogs. She enjoys outings with family, exploring the outdoors, beach vacations, music, movies, soccer, and other sporting events.

Dr. Stephen Spence has a strong interest in a wide range of surgeries, especially neurologic, soft tissue and orthopedic procedures. He’s passionate about treating neurologic conditions like intervertebral disc disease, orthopedic conditions like cranial cruciate ligament rupture, patellar luxation, arthroscopic treatment for elbow/shoulder conditions, fracture management and soft tissue procedures like mass excisions and thoracic/abdominal surgery.

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, San Antonio, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, San Antonio, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Animal Specialty Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland
• Bachelor of Science, Pre-Veterinary Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Dr. Spence enjoys traveling, SCUBA diving, Star Wars and spending time with his wife, three kids and two dogs: a French Bulldog named Padme and a Pitbull/Australian Shepherd mix named Finn.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Catherine Strey enjoys all aspects of critical care medicine.

• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, San Antonio, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, San Antonio, TX
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Montana Western, Dillon

Dr. Whitney Vickery is deeply passionate about her clinical work, particularly nephrology and endourology. She finds great satisfaction in performing minimally invasive procedures to remove stones or treat ectopic ureters. Her interests also extend to endocrinology, feline medicine, critical care, and infectious diseases. Dr. Vickery values the collaborative relationship with pet parents, working together to achieve the best outcomes for their beloved animals.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Master of Science, Veterinary Clinical Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Internship, First Year Graduate Veterinary Education, US Army Veterinary Corps, Fort Carson, CO
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN

Outside of her professional life, Dr. Vickery is a loving wife and mother to three awesome kids. Her family includes two cats, Pippin and Henri, and a military working dog “washout” named Betti. Dr. Vickery’s hobbies include baking, gardening, and reading, with a particular fondness for fantasy and sci-fi, especially the Lord of the Rings series.

Publications and articles

Dr. Katheryn Wolfe continues to be fascinated by the field of Neurology, especially seizure disorders and inflammatory conditions like meningoencephalitis/meningomyelitis. She strives for answers to the tough questions: Why does this occur? What triggers this condition? Do genetic or environmental factors play a role?

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Doctor of Veterinary Science, Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Emergency, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Charlotte, NC
• Internship, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, TX
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
• US Air Force Academy

Dr. Wolfe loves spending time with her two kids and three dogs: Watson, Skye and Roo. Her hobbies include swimming, cycling, running (triathlons) and traveling.