Yes, he is a board certified surgeon. There are 4 specialists in the practice, 2 are board certified surgeons and 2 are board certified internists. To say they are passionate about what they do is an understatement. The enthusiasm and professionalism they exhibit is inspiring. We are so very lucky to have them here since people drive quite a distance to see them. We have seen 3 of the 4 of them due to Columbo's issues. I am not disputing tears can end up with arthritis (although when we asked if Columbo would experience arthritis anyway after having had the surgery, we were told yes. I assume not to the same extent as without surgery). I said I did not know any details as to why most of the injuries Columbo's surgeon sees do not require surgery, only that he said that. I also asked him how many surgeries like Columbo's he has done and he said "thousands", which I believe since there is frequently a dog with an ACL injury in the waiting room. Obviously, a very common injury with dogs. My point was that Daisy has seen a surgeon (not just a regular vet), has other health issues, her owner trusts her vets and said she would do whatever is needed for Daisy whom she loves like a child and the surgeon still did not advise surgery. I was merely adding support for Daisy's mom to her confidence in that recommendation by repeating what I was told by Columbo's surgeon since others here did not feel it was the correct advice. There are obviously many dogs who don't required surgery based on the severity of the injury and the overall health of the dog. That being said, it doesn't mean they will not injure the leg worse at some point which will then require surgery if their health allows it.
This is Columbo's surgeon:
Kevin Stiffler, DVM, Diplomate ACVS http://vavetspecialists.com/wp-conte...-1-200x300.jpgDr. Kevin Stiffler is a Virginia native, having grown up in Williamsburg. He received both his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from North Carolina State University. Dr. Stiffler then went on to complete a general rotating internship at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Veterinary Medicine. Following his general internship, Dr. Stiffler completed a surgical internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical CEnter in Texas and then returned to the University of Georgia to complete a three year residency in small animal surgery. In 2004, Dr. Stiffler was honored as UGA’s resident of the year. That year he also received the national resident clinical presentation of the year award from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons for his research on urinary tract infections following spinal surgery.
Dr. Stiffler has been practicing in Richmond, Virginia since 2004 and he became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2005. Dr. Stiffler is married to Dr. Katie Stiffler (a graduate of UVA and UGA) who is a small animal veterinarian practicing at Wellesley Animal Hospital in the Short Pump area of Richmond. The Dr.’s Stiffler are the proud and busy parents of twins Charlie and Abby who were born in 2007.
Dr. Stiffler has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery including arthroscopy and laparoscopy. He also has a strong interest in surgical correction of cranial cruciate ligament instability and fracture repair. Having always wanted to live in Charlottesville joined with a desire to work with other dedicated and compassionate specialists, he happily joined VVS in 2011.