Specialist Doctors
Surgeons
Dr. Kenneth Bruecker, DVM, MS,
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons
A San Fernando Valley native, Dr. Bruecker attended Pierce College then received his bachelors degree in Animal Science from the University of California at Davis.
He then entered the University of California at Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1983. After one year of general small animal practice in San Fernando, Dr. Bruecker completed an additional year of clinical internship at the West Los Angeles Veterinary Medical Group. He received his master of science degree at the completion of a three year surgical residency at Colorado State University and moved back to Ventura County in 1988 to establish specialty veterinary care. Dr. Bruecker is the Medical Director and Chief of Surgery at VMSG.
Dr. Bruecker has also been providing regular surgical support for practices in the state of Hawaii since 1996.
A Board Certified Surgeon, Dr. Bruecker's primary clinical interests are spinal surgery, sports medicine/orthopedics (including arthroscopy, TPLO, TTA, cementless total hip replacement and limb deformity correction), minimally invasive surgery (such as laparoscopy) and peri-operative pain management. Wobbler syndrome of Doberman pinschers is his special area of expertise and interest. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters on Wobbler syndrome, treatment of intervertebral disk degeneration and spinal fracture management. He has been an invited speaker throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific on a variety of topics in orthopedics, neurosurgery and pain management. He is an active participate in working groups on elbow dysplasia, shoulder injuries and advanced techniques in small animal arthroscopy. Dr. Bruecker was the first to offer TPLO surgery, TTA surgery, cementless hip replacement, arthroscopy and laparoscopy to owners of pets in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, as well as to the State of Hawaii. He has been an innovator in the development of new surgical techniques and orthopedic implants.
Dr. Bruecker is a past program chair of Neurosurgery for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and a past program chair for the technician program for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He served as the orthopedics program director for 2004 and 2005 for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He was also program director for orthopedics, pain management and anesthesia for the 2006 American Veterinary Medical Association annual symposium. He is an Executive Board Member for Veterinary Orthopedics Society 2004-2007.
Due largely to his commitment to education and training, Dr. Bruecker was selected as the Veterinarian of the Year for the State of California by the California Veterinary Medical Association in 2004.
Dr. Bruecker and his wife are owner/operators of an avocado orchard and farm in Ventura County. They enjoy golf, scuba diving, sea kayaking, mountain biking, snow skiing, snow boarding, tennis and home winemaking. They especially like spending time at home on the farm with their horses, pets, and two sons.
Dr. Mary Dulisch
Dr. Dulisch graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois in 1976. She completed her internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 1977 and her surgical residency training with concurrent masters degree at Michigan State University in 1980.
Dr. Dulisch was an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Michigan State University from 1980 to 1981. She served as staff surgeon at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston from 1981 to 1985. Dr. Dulisch was staff surgeon and Head of Surgery at the West Los Angeles Veterinary Medical Group from 1985 to 1990.
Dr. Dulisch, a Board Certified Surgeon, joined our specialty consulting staff in January of 1991. She has primary interest in general soft tissue surgery, cancer surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery and brain surgery.
In addition to numerous scientific publications, Dr. Dulisch has written many authoritative chapters in Slatter's Textbook of Small Animal Surgery and Bojrab's Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery.
Dr. Dulisch likes scuba diving, drawing and travel. She is an accomplished medical illustrator.
Dr. Ian Holsworth
Originally born in London, Ontario, Dr. Holsworth spent his childhood and twenties in transit with his family between, Canada, Africa, Australia, the US and Japan. A 1991 veterinary school graduate from the University of Melbourne in Australia, Dr. Holsworth spent eight years in general practice in a combination of farm animal, equine racing and pleasure horse practice and small animal general and surgical practice.
Dr. Holsworth became an examined Member of the Surgery College of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 1995. Following a position as Staff Surgeon for an eight-practice small animal veterinary group in Melbourne, Dr. Holsworth relocated to Michigan as a Surgery fellow in the Michigan State Veterinary Teaching Hospital. At the conclusion of the fellowship, Dr. Holsworth commenced a three-year position as a small animal surgical resident at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which he completed in July 2003.
Dr. Holsworth has presented many surgical scientific papers at national meetings in both Australia and the US. Topics covered include shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee disease in dogs with particular focus on advanced imaging and arthroscopic assessment of juvenile orthopedic disease. An active participant in the UC Davis-VMTH renal transplant program, Dr. Holsworth is interested in microvascular surgery, including vascular grafts. Dr. Holsworth is determined to remain involved in continuing education and clinical research while striving to find a balance between work and play.
Having just completed his board exams, Dr. Holsworth is now a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Holsworth is excited about his relocation to beautiful Ventura and the Southern California coast. A father to Grace and Will, he struggles to keep abreast of the latest Disney releases and the onslaught of accompanying toys.
Recreation interests include Australian Rules football, weight training, keeping relatively fit, music and movies.
Dr. Adrienne Bentley, MA, Diplomate ACVS
Dr. Adrienne Bentley, a native of New Jersey, attended the University of Pennsylvania for graduate studies in conservation biology before receiving her veterinary degree from Tufts University. She completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery and a residency in small animal surgery, both at the University of Pennsylvania. Her clinical interests include septic peritonitis, trauma, and surgical training techniques. Her personal interests include training for triathlons, composting, and break-dancing. She is excited about her recent relocation to southern California to join VMSG.
Internal Medicine Specialists
Dr. Theresa M. Ortega, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM
Dr. Ortega received her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis. She completed her small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital in 1993, and then returned to UC Davis for her internal medicine residency training, which she completed in 1995.
After finishing her residency, Dr. Ortega served as a faculty replacement for the UC Davis Small Animal Medicine service (1995-1996), and then served as an internal medicine consultant for Veterinary Centers of America hospitals in the South Bay and northern Orange County. Dr. Ortega, a Board Certified Internist, joined our specialty consulting staff in 1997.
She sees cases involving all aspects of small animal internal medicine, including endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology, nephrology, urology, pulmonology, immune-mediated disease, infectious disease and critical care. Her primary clinical interests are endocrinology, endoscopy and critical care, while her special area of expertise is canine hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease).
Currently, Dr. Ortega is publishing her clinical research on systemic hypertension, proteinuria, hyperlipidemia and hypercoagulopathy in Canine Cushing’s syndrome.
Dr. Ortega enjoys running, cycling, hiking, camping, gardening and music.
Dr. Todd Deppe, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM
Dr. Deppe is originally from Rancho Palos Verdes in the Los Angeles area, and attended UC Davis for both undergraduate and veterinary school training. He followed veterinary school with an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, and then completed a residency in small animal internal medicine at Cornell University.
After his residency, Dr. Deppe stayed on at Cornell for three years as an instructor, working in the small animal clinic and teaching the veterinary curriculum. He spent the past year working in Cornell’s new oncology program. Oncology is thus an area for which Dr. Deppe possesses significant interest and skill.
Since Dr. Deppe joined our specialty staff, he has shown great enthusiasm for participation in VMSG’s continuing education lectures, due to his love of teaching.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Deppe is a birdwatcher, hiker, and singer. He has actually performed in many choirs and musicals. Dr. Deppe is an enthusiast of all kinds of sports and is an avid fan of the Lakers and Dodgers, despite the time he spent living in the east.
Dr. Melanie Thompson
Dr. Melanie Thompson was born in Houston, Texas but was raised in Arizona until she graduated from High School. After a short two years in Georgia, Dr. Thompson headed to Cal State Poly, Pomona to earn her Bachelors of Science degree in Animal Science. From there, she attended UC Davis and graduated in 1998 from the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Thompson made quite an impression at Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group during her 1998-1999 internship. It was a busy year, working with our surgeons and internal medicine specialists along with special trips to visit her favorite mouse, Mickey, in Anaheim. Sadly, we had to bid Dr. Thompson adieu as she headed all the way north to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada for a three-year residency in Internal Medicine.
Upon the completion of her residency in the summer of 2002, she passed the ACVIM certification board examination. VMSG enticed her back as a board certified staff internist. She is interested in all aspects of general internal medicine.
Dr. Thompson now lives in Ventura along with several, special significant others: her greyhound, "Rosy," and her two cats, "Meeko" and "Whiskey." She enjoys a daily walk on the beach and watching movies. Now that she has completed all of her formal training, Melanie is looking forward to more trips to Disneyland, hiking (preferably without breaking any bones), traveling (especially to the wine country), surfing, and perhaps learning to be a gourmet chef!
VMSG is so pleased to have Dr. Thompson back in with us again. Her varied knowledge, expertise, and sense of humor is greatly appreciated.
Radiologists
Dr. Brett Kantrowitz
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Kantrowitz received his undergraduate degree in Biology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He completed his veterinary degree and radiology residency at UC Davis separated by private practice experience in a small and large animal practice in Loomis, California.
He joined the faculty at The Ohio State University in 1986 as an Assistant Professor of Radiology. He was instrumental in integrating the small animal ultrasound program with the surgical and medical clinicians at The Ohio State University. He returned to Southern California to develop a consultation and referral practice in small animal radiology and ultrasound. Dr. Kantrowitz is a Board Certified Radiologist. He evaluates every radiograph, ultrasound, CT image, MRI image produced at VMSG.
He moved to Ojai with his family in 1993. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters devoted to small animal ultrasound and radiology and is a frequent speaker at veterinary conference and national meetings.
His personal interests include spending time with his wife and 3 children, enjoying many outdoor activities including horseback riding, bicycling on both road and mountain bikes, soccer, and the arts.
Dr. Jason Francis
Dr. Jason Francis was raised in Sierra Madre, a small town in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. He obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at the University of California, Davis in 1999. He then attending the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. From there, Dr. Francis began an internship at California Animal Hospital (currently the Animal Surgical and Emergency Center) in Los Angeles, taking every opportunity possible to travel to VMSG to attend Radiology rounds with his mentor and friend Brett Kantrowitz. Completing his internship in July of 2004, Dr. Francis began a 3 year residency program in Diagnostic Imaging at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas. After completion of his residency program in the summer of 2007, he returned to his Southern California roots to join Dr. Kantrowitz as the second member of the Diagnostic Imaging team at VMSG.
Dr. Francis currently lives in Ventura with his wife Christine and their two dogs: "Mugsy" their lumbering English Bulldog, and "Capone" their vertically challenged Boston Terrier. When not evaluating images, he enjoys playing the saxophone or pampering his other pets in one of his many salt water aquariums and is an avid Lakers and Raiders fan.
Emergency and Critical Care Specialists
Dr. Nancy Scott
Dr. Scott is originally from the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Santa Clara University, her Master’s Degree in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Minnesota, and returned to UC Davis where she completed a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care in July 2005.
Dr. Scott’s make up and nature make her perfect for her specialty. Her particular professional passions include critical patient anesthesia and post-operative patient management, poly-trauma, sepsis, ventilation, and management of severe electrolyte disturbances. Dr. Scott’s artistic outlet is photography. She loves the ocean and the mountains, and has an affinity for anything that takes her outdoors.
Dr. Rosalind Chow
Dr. Rosalind Chow was raised in southern Ontario, Canada. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology at the University of Toronto, and completed her veterinary studies in 2002 at the University of Pennsylvania. During her time there, she was awarded a NIH summer research grant in emergency medicine, which served as a catalyst for her interest in the field. Further training included a small animal internship at the University of Georgia, and a residency in Emergency and Intensive Care at the University of California – Davis, which she completed in 2006.
Dr. Chow recently became board certified, and she is one of two criticalists overseeing the Emergency and Critical Care Service at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group, in Ventura. She is enthusiastic about her specialty, and has given presentations at several veterinary meetings, including the recent International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium held in San Antonio, Texas.
Dr. Kathleen Ayl
My name is Dr. Kathleen Ayl. After receiving my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, I became certified as a Grief Recovery Specialist. I have dedicated my practice to Grief Recovery, with a special emphasis on Pet Loss Support. I have clients in and around the Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and Conejo Valley areas. I have facilitated Pet Loss Support Groups since 1997 and am consequently only too aware of the fact that those who grieve the loss of their beloved animals often do not receive the support they expect or deserve from their friends and family.
My husband, Dr. Rodney Ayl, is a Board Certified Veterinary Medical and Radiation Oncologist with offices in Los Angeles and Culver City. Along with the frequent intermingling of our practices, together we share our lives with six kids and five dogs. While Pet Loss remains my primary focus I have worked extensively with Grief in a variety of forms. From the adoption triad to special needs parenting, to the families of suicide victims, I continued to find myself working in areas that possessed different names but where the underlying issues surrounded grief. Grief is all around us and unfortunately, often goes unrecognized as such. My goal is to continue to teach others how to recognize grief, be sensitive to it, and thereby help others through a very painful and difficult time in their lives.
Dr. Rodney Ayl, BSc, BVSC, MRCVS,
Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology), Diplomate ACVR (Radiation Oncology)
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Dr. Ayl graduated in 1985 from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa.
After graduation he practiced large animal work in Zimbabwe for a short time before his arrival in the United States. Dr. Ayl worked in a mixed animal practice in upstate New York, before going to the Animal Medical Center in New York City, where he completed an internship in Small Animal medicine and surgery. After the internship, Dr. Ayl moved to Columbus, Ohio where he began his medical oncology residency program at the Ohio State University. In 1994, Dr Ayl passed the board certification examination of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the Specialty of Oncology. In 2000, Dr. Ayl was certified by the American College of Radiology, in the Specialty of Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Ayl has provided medical and radiation oncology services in the Southern California area since 1991, and has lectured internationally as well as locally in various topics on cancer treatment in domestic animals. He has sat on the Medical Advisory Board of the LA Zoo, and has provided consultation services to veterinarians through regional reference laboratories. He has and does presently participate in clinical trials for the development of new treatments for people and their pets. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles on oncologic topics in peer reviewed journals and reference books.
Dr. Ayl's main area of interest is the utilization of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immuno-therapy and gene therapy in the development of muliti-modality therapy protocols to optimize the treatment options and outcomes for people and their pets, respectively. He works with his wife, Dr. Kathleen Ayl, a Grief Recover Specialist, to make sure that all aspects of a client’s concerns and experiences, associated with their pet’s cancer diagnosis, are addressed. Dr. Ayl has served on the Public Relations Committees of both the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in order to help make Veterinarians, and their clients, aware of what specialty veterinary services has to offer them. Dr. Ayl is presently the co-chair of the Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, which is dedicated to the principle of cooperative clinical trials and other studies to improve the survival of animals with cancer.
Dr. Ayl enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife, their six children, and a wide variety of four legged family members, on their small ranch property in the Conejo Valley.
