Dr. Barbara Avalos Cavero is particularly interested in treating gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, endocrine disorders, toxicities and feline urinary tract diseases.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Virginia Beach VA
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Bachelor of Science, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan
In her spare time, Dr. Avalos Cavero enjoys exercising at the gym, salsa dancing, painting and traveling. She loves to spoil her dog, Koko Puff.
Dr. Anthony Blanco is a resident in our internal medicine service.
Internship, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Internship, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, CA
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
Dr. Blanco spends time outside kayaking, cycling and playing tennis. He also enjoys horror shows or movies, cooking, and listening to music. Leia is his miniature Australian shepherd who befriends everyone and gets all the attention.
Dr. Helga Bleyaert has extensive experience and specialized training in minimally invasive surgical procedures such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy. She also has completed specialized training in total hip replacement, Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy procedure for anterior cruciate ligament tears, as well as numerous other orthopedic and soft tissue procedures.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Residency, Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Marion DuPont Equine Center, Leesburg VA
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Dr. Bleyaert enjoys horseback riding, boating and woodworking in her garage.
Dr. Maxie Bowen is a resident in our critical care service. Her particular interests include neonatal and pediatric medicine, wound management and trauma.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Georgia, Athens
Bachelor of Arts, International Affairs, University of Georgia, Athens
Some of Dr. Bowen’s favorite pastimes include running, baking and crafting. She has four dogs and three cats.
Dr. Amanda Burke is a resident in our critical care service. Prior to vet school, she was a zookeeper and worked with many different species to include giraffes, ostriches, zebras, gazelles and red river hogs.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Dr. Burke and her girlfriend keep a miniature zoo at home including dogs, cats, fish, snakes and a crested gecko.
Dr. Dana Clark is an emergency clinician. Her interests include zoo, exotic, and wildlife species and nutritional management.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science, Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Dr. Clark and her husband share their home with a pit bull, five cats, a rabbit and a turtle. In her free time, Dr. Clark enjoys opportunities to observe wildlife and spend time outdoors.
Dr. Lauren Cochran’s research experience includes boxer colitis, pancreatitis, and nutritional management (including effects of esophageal feeding tube placement) in cats with chronic kidney disease. Her primary clinical interests include gastroenterology, renal and lower urinary tract disease and immune-mediated disease.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Residency, Internal Medicine, Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, CA
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, Biological Science & Animal Science, University of Georgia, Athens
Dr. Cochran enjoys riding horses, as well as traveling, hiking, biking, kayaking and cheering on Georgia and Auburn. Her mixed breed dog is named Tater.
Dr. Nicole Corrao is passionate about emergency medicine because every day is different. She enjoys treating anaphylaxis, feline lower urinary tract disease and dystocia cases.
Clinical Rotation, Royal Veterinary College, London, England
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, California State University, Chico
Dr. Corrao enjoys spending time with her husband Luke, bipedal dog Benjamen and three cats Peaches, Winston and Myrtle. She loves being by the water and enjoying a relaxing sunset on the beach.
Dr. Coyle manages a large caseload of pets with cancer, with the goal of extending their lives while providing a good quality of life.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
Residency, Oncology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Internship, Oncology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Florida Veterinary Specialists, Tampa
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Auburn University, AL
Dr. Coyle loves her all-orange family: a golden retriever named Murphy and two cats, Aubie and Ellie. She loves college football and is an avid Auburn fan.
Dr. Trysta Dionne is a resident in our internal medicine service. Her clinical interests include endocrine disorders, renal disease and gastrointestinal diseases.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
Dr. Dionne enjoys working out and going to the beach. She has a dog named Benson.
Pedro Dominguez
DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR-RO
Radiation Oncology
Pedro Dominguez
DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR-RO
BluePearl Veterinarian
Board Certified in Veterinary Oncology Board Certified in Veterinary Radiology-Radiation Oncology
Dr. Pedro Dominguez has over 12 years of radiation oncology experience. He has a special interest in treating brain tumors and intracavitary tumors using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT).
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology-Radiation Oncology
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
Residency, Veterinary Radiation Oncology, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Residency, Small Animal Medical Oncology, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Bachelor of Science, Poultry Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison
In his free time, Dr. Dominguez enjoys fishing, CrossFit and spending time with his wife and four dogs.
Dr. Destinee Gardiner is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She has been working in veterinary medicine for over 10 years, and she finds septic patients the most gratifying to treat.
Clinical Rotation, University of Florida, Gainesville
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indie
Bachelor of Science, Pure Mathematics, University of South Florida, Tampa
Dr. Gardiner’s fiancé is an ECC resident, and together they have three dogs and a cat. She enjoys horseback riding, hiking, sewing, dancing, working out and martial arts.
John Gicking
DVM, DACVECC
Critical Care
John Gicking
DVM, DACVECC
BluePearl Veterinarian
Board Certified in Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
Dr. John Gicking enjoys all aspects of critical care medicine and can often be found training others and presenting continuing education to the veterinary community.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa FL
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, University of South Florida, Tampa
Dr. Gicking enjoys K9 sports, including agility and obedience. He also spends time outdoors, scuba diving, and participating in competitive chili cooking.
Dr. Chelsea Gyure enjoys the variety of cases, challenges, and fast-paced, organized chaos that is emergency veterinary medicine. She finds neurologic and toxicity cases to be particularly gratifying.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Coral Springs Animal Hospital, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame IN
Dr. Gyure enjoys all types of outdoor exercise, traveling, singing in the shower, coloring, Netflix, cleaning, shopping and all things Disney. Her Dutch mix rabbit Beatrix is named after Beatrix Potter.
Dr. Kristin Habegger is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She has a background in working with wildlife and in zoological institutions, so she is excited to bring her knowledge of exotic animal medicine into clinical practice at BluePearl. Dr. Habegger finds triaging and managing trauma and metabolic derangement cases the most interesting to address.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN
Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens
Dr. Kristin Habegger lives with her boyfriend and their two Australian shepherds, Khali and Arya. They all enjoy spending time outdoors together or staying in and watching movies.
Bradley Harris
DVM, DACVECC
Critical Care, Cardiology
Bradley Harris
DVM, DACVECC
BluePearl Veterinarian
Board Certified in Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care and Cardiology Resident
As a veterinary critical care specialist and a cardiology resident, Dr. Bradley Harris is particularly interested in congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion, respiratory disorders, sepsis and coagulation disorders. He has pioneered pilot studies using a novel bedside viscoelastic coagulation monitors to better assess patients’ coagulation statuses in real time.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Tulsa, OK
Outside of work, Dr. Harris enjoys spending time with his young child. He likes to participate in outdoor activities like running, hiking, hunting and coaching youth cross country and track. He also watches baseball and cheers on the St. Louis Cardinals.
Dr. Tatiana Henry is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She prides herself on her diversity and inclusion initiatives, and she finds working with wildlife and exotic species the most gratifying.
International Veterinary Medicine Post-Graduate Certificate, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
Dr. Henry enjoys traveling, dancing, reading and hanging out with her dog, Albus.
Dr. Michelle Kenig is a dedicated clinician and is especially interested in surgery and emergency & critical care.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa FL
Clinical Rotation, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
Dr. Kenig likes the outdoors, especially hiking or going to the beach. Other favorite pastimes include cooking, exploring new cities and cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team.
Dr. Kelly Kezer’s clinical interests include lymphoma, osteosarcoma and histiocytic sarcoma, and she is excited about new treatment options, to include targeted and combination therapy and immunotherapy.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
Residency, Medical Oncology, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa, FL
Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Haverford College, PA
Dr. Kezer enjoys traveling, cooking and hiking with her dogs – a golden retriever named Charlie and Eddie, a Labrador.
Dr. Andrew Lacqua is an intern in our surgery service. He has published multiple case reports in small animal and exotics journals and continues exploring the diverse field of veterinary medicine and surgery. Dr. Lacqua finds reconstructive surgery, laparoscopy and surgical oncology the most gratifying to perform.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Boston University, MA
Dr. Lacqua is the president of the Animal Awareness Abroad Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide underserved communities worldwide with low-cost veterinary medical and surgical care. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, rock climbing, paddle-boarding and the great Florida outdoors.
Dr. Danielle Lang is an emergency clinician. In addition to small animals, she is interested in zoo and exotic animals. Her clinical interests include internal medicine, emergency care and integrative medicine.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Arts, Spanish, University of Florida, Gainesville
In her free time, Dr. Lang enjoys being hiking, biking, traveling, and painting.
Dr. Francesca Lerner is a small animal medicine & surgery intern.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
As a Florida native, Dr. Lerner enjoys spending time on the water and soaking up the sunshine with family, friends and her Labrador mix, Charley. She also loves to travel and is always on the lookout for a new adventure.
Dr. Stephanie Lo is an intern in our ophthalmology service. She is most interested in corneal diseases, especially treating corneal ulcers with medical or surgical therapy.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Lo enjoys visiting the beach, going to concerts, traveling, rock climbing, playing tennis, taking her dog to the park and cuddling her cat.
Dr. Rachel Lucia is a resident in our critical care service. She loves building relationships with clients and considers them team players in the effort of determining the best outcome of their pets’ lives.
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Ocean State Veterinary Specialists, East Greenwich, RI
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville
In her spare time, Dr. Rachel Lucia loves reading, kayaking, hiking, visiting the beach, playing board games, and spending time with family. She has two dogs and a cat, Kapu, who enjoys hogging the couch space, asking for food after he has already been fed, purring, bossing around the dogs, and playing with catnip.
Dr. Cassandra Mancari is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She finds helping animals in respiratory distress, treating feline urinary obstructions and repairing lacerations particularly gratifying.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
Dr. Mancari and her fiancé have two cats who they enjoy spoiling to no end. She enjoys being outside (hiking, walking and beach trips), working out (Pilates and Yoga) and lazy mornings playing video games with her cats.
An experienced clinician, Dr. Thao Nguyen finds emergency medicine especially gratifying. Her particular areas of interest are toxicology, wound care and treating trauma cases.
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland
Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville
In her free time, Dr. Nguyen enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors and rock climbing. She has two dogs: Rua (her "Irish souvenir" from living in Dublin) and Archie (a mutt who is half-amazing and half-terrific).
Dr. Nicholas Olson is a resident in our surgical service. He is most interested in fracture repair, minimally invasive techniques, such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy, and cranial cruciate ligament disease.
Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville
Dr. Olson enjoys camping and cheering on the Florida Gators with his wife and two children. Their furry family members include two cats, two dogs and a horse.
Dr. Alejandra Príncipe Martínez is a resident in our internal medicine service. She particularly enjoys treating gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders.
Internship, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa FL
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa FL
Clinical Rotation, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
Bachelor of Science, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
Dr. Príncipe Martínez considers the water her happy place, enjoying the beach, scuba diving and snorkeling. She also likes to hike and play video games. Carmelo is her island cat from Grenada.
Dr. Michael Reems has particular interest in both surgical oncology, including cancer removal and reconstruction, and minimally invasive surgery arthroscopy, laparoscopy, and thoracoscopy. He has performed urinary bladder stone, lung lobe tumor, adrenal gland/mass, cryptorchid retained testicle, and gall bladder removals minimally invasively, in addition to prophylactic gastropexy fixation of stomach for prevention of gastric-dilatation volvulus and laparoscopic liver biopsy. He has also completed specialized training in circular external skeletal fixation fracture repair, and tibial tuberosity advancement TTA and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy TPLO procedures for anterior cruciate ligament tears.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Residency, Surgery, Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Master of Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Davidson College, North Carolina
Dr. Reems volunteers examinations and surgical treatments for service dogs. He enjoys spending time with his wife, a criticalist at BluePearl, cat Fat Bobby, and dogs, Emma and Maggie. His favorite pastimes include saltwater fishing, mountain biking, and fly fishing.
Miryam Reems
DVM, DACVECC
Critical Care
Miryam Reems
DVM, DACVECC
BluePearl Veterinarian
Board Certified in Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
Dr. Riley Shugg is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She finds infectious diseases, toxicities and gastrointestinal diseases the most gratifying to treat.
Master of Science, Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Dr. Shugg enjoys biking, exploring local coffee shops and breweries, and reading. She has a dog named Karoo and two cats named Frodo and D'artagnan.
Dr. Cassidy Soehnlein is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is most interested in cardiology, internal medicine and exotic and zoo animal medicine.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Stetson University, DeLand, FL
Dr. Soehnlein enjoys rock climbing, kayaking and spending time with her dog, cat and two red footed tortoises.
Dr. Hannah Stone is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is passionate about client and patient quality of life and mobility, veterinary research and congestive heart failure.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Dr. Stone enjoys classical music, yoga and snow sports. She has an old, grumpy Shih Tzu, a spunky Maltipoo and a naughty Australian shepherd.
Dr. Eric van Eerde’s particular interests include hand-on modalities such as ultrasound, as well as building relationships with referring veterinarians through telemedicine. He also enjoys working with a variety of animals and feels fortunate to have been able to take images of a number of species at the local zoo during his residency.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
Residency, Diagnostic Imaging, Iowa State University, Ames
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville
Dr. van Eerde enjoys travel, woodworking and Florida Gator sports. He and his wife have two sons, and a number of pets: miniature schnauzer Daisy, Florida brown dog Demodexter, Havanese Boo, and a green-cheeked conure bird named Kiwi.
Dr. Jessica Williams is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is most interested in total hip replacements, soft tissue procedures and orthopedic surgeries, especially complex fracture repairs that require some extra imagination or patience. It is rewarding to her to see all the “pieces of the puzzle” come together.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, AL
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Auburn University, AL
Dr. Williams enjoys painting and relaxing with friends and family. She has a mini-Australian shepherd named Rue.
Melissa cites the wide range – and often unexpected nature – of cases in emergency and critical care as the best part of her work. “I find it extremely exciting, not knowing what is going to walk through the door,” she says.
Karen enjoys interventional procedures to correct defects that cause congenital heart diseases. She also enjoys helping patients with acquired heart disease live longer and more comfortably. Her family includes a pug, Chihuahua and four cats, and she loves traveling and watching her son play baseball.