Getting to Know Dr. Stefanie Wong - Our Newest DVM by Erin Selby

We have another stellar veterinarian joining our team this month – Dr. Stefanie Wong! Dr. Wong is our first homegrown veterinarian - she grew up in San Ramon and took her pets to Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care when she was young! We interviewed Dr. Wong so you could find out more about her – we hope you will be as excited about her joining our practice as we are.  


Where did you grow up?

I am a San Ramon native. I grew up taking my childhood pets to Bishop Ranch Vet (Dr. Kerr was their primary care doctor) and I am so excited to be coming back to practice here!

Tell us about your educational background and what you have been up to since you left San Ramon.

I went to undergrad at UCLA (graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution); while there I did a field biology quarter in the rainforests of Nicaragua studying the calling of the strawberry poison dart frog - and wrote a paper which subsequently was published! Between undergrad and vet school I spent three months living and working in rural villages around Arusha, Tanzania (Africa) educating and dispelling rumors about HIV/AIDS with a non-profit called Support for International Change. I went to veterinary school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and graduated last year 2012. After 4 years of snowy winters, I happily returned to California for a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at VCA West LA in Los Angeles.

How many pets do you have? What kind of pets are they and what are their names?
I don't have any pets currently, but look forward to adopting one this year now that I'm finally more settled in my life.


What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
In my spare time, I enjoy anything that involves the great outdoors and sunshine - running (marathons, half marathons and relay races!), surfing, snowboarding, hiking and kayaking.


Describe how and why you became interested in becoming a veterinarian. What motivates you to be a veterinarian?
I have always known that I wanted to practice medicine as I like being able to use my knowledge to help others. I like veterinary medicine in particular because animals cannot tell you where it hurts or what is wrong - I like that extra challenge. I would have to say I first became interested in pursuing veterinary medicine as a career when I brought my pets to Bishop Ranch Vet as a client.


What do you look forward to about working at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care?
I am so excited to be returning to the clinic where my childhood pets were treated growing up. Things that I especially like about Bishop Ranch are the collaborative atmosphere, the high level of medicine and the fact that the veterinarians here get to do lots of surgery!


What do you love most about being a veterinarian?

It is such a rewarding profession. One of the things I am looking forward to most with entering primary care practice is building long-lasting relationships with clients and their pets. In terms of special interests within the profession, I really enjoy surgery (soft tissue and orthopedic), emergency medicine and dentistry.

Welcome Dr. Trevor Miller by Erin Selby

We are proud to announce a new addition to our BRVC family - Dr. Trevor Miller has joined our team of highly skilled veterinarians! Dr. Miller embodies our core values, what we refer to as the 4 "C"s: Communication, Client Education, Compassion, and Customer Service. Read our interview to get to know more about Dr. Miller, where he is from, what motivated him to be a veterinarian, and why he is excited to work at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care.

Tell us about your educational background.
I did my undergraduate at UC Berkeley and majored in Environmental science. I also studied abroad in Australia for a semester. I went to Vet School at UC Davis.

Were you involved in other animal related work outside of school?
During vet school I worked extensively with Fix Our Ferals (a feral cat spay/neuter organization in Oakland) and volunteered at a shelter in Modesto. I also was the editor of the vet school newspaper.

After graduating vet school, where did you complete your internship?
I did a 1 year rotating internship at East Bay Veterinary Specialists and Emergency. I rotated primarily through internal medicine and emergency medicine, but also gained a lot of ultrasound and surgical experience.

Where did you grow up?

Placerville, CA. A small town in the foothills between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. I lived out the country and grew up surrounded by a lot of animals.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat and a dog. Gonzo is an orange tabby. Quigley is a Lab mix.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Skiing! (I've been a skier my whole life). I love to travel, I read a lot, and I play racquetball. I'm also a big Cal fan.

Describe how and why you became interested in becoming a veterinarian. Did you have any kind of “a-ha” moment?
I became a vet for lots of reasons. I don't think I had one definitive moment though. It was something I was always interested in and at one point in college I just decided to fully pursue becoming a veterinarian. I grew up with lots of pets and biology was always my favorite subject in school. I also love how much you get to work with your hands in vet med and how much variety there is in day to day practice.

What motivates you to be a veterinarian?
I think my biggest motivator now is the people behind the pets. I love helping support the bond between people and their pets and the relationships that develop between veterinarians and pet owners.   I also love how vast the veterinary profession is and how there is always so much more to learn. I think a lot of areas of veterinary medicine also have a kind of craftsmanship, like surgery and ultrasound for example, and I really enjoy that.

What do you look forward to about working at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care?
I really look forward to working with all the great doctors and staff here. In such a big established practice I think it opens up the doctors to do a lot more for their patients. BRVC has people with expertise in so many different fields; there is always someone to bounce ideas off of. I also look forward to getting to know the BRVC clients and pets. 

Kitty Corner: Kitty Kozies by Erin Selby

We want to help make your kitty’s vet experience as positive and comforting as possible. That is why we came up with the idea of “Kitty Kozies”. 

What exactly is a Kitty Kozy, you ask? Well, essentially it is a large piece of soft fabric that can be draped over your cat’s carrier. The fabric has been sprayed with something called Feliway. Feliway is a synthetic cat pheromone. 

From the Feliway website:

“By mimicking the cat’s natural facial pheromones, Feliway creates a state of familiarity and security in the cat's local environment. As a result, Feliway can be used to help comfort and reassure cats while they cope with a challenging situation and help prevent or reduce the stress caused by a change in their environment.”

The idea is to help envelop your beloved pet in a cocoon of protected warmth and soothing scent. The sheet will help keep potentially stressful things such as dogs and other cats out of sight and out of mind. A Kitty Kozy turns your cat's carrier into an aromatic kitty cave! 

We know a trip to the vet isn't always at the top of your kitty's list of fun things to do. This is just one of the ways we make sure you and your feline friend are well taken care of at our hospital. Ask to try out a Kitty Kozy the next time you visit!

Do have any questions? Would you like to offer a suggestion? Email us at info@webvets.com, subject line: Kitty Corner!