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A Warm Welcome to Our Two New Cat Hospital Of Chicago Veterinarians

Cat Hospital of Chicago is pleased to welcome two new veterinarians: Dr. Stephanie Brantley and Dr. Rebecca Lederer.

Dr. Brantley

Prior to joining Cat Hospital, Dr. Brantley completed an internship in small animal medicine, surgery and emergency at Michigan Veterinary Specialists, Southfield. She earned her DVM degree from Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. While in school, the Houston native completed externships at a variety of veterinary hospitals and medical centers, including Memorial Cat Hospital, Houston, and Colorado State University Veterinary Medical Center, Fort Collins.

Dr. Brantley also has a bachelor of arts in English from University of Colorado, Boulder, and prior to attending veterinary school, she studied biology at Arizona State University, Tempe.

While attending Arizona State, Brantley volunteered at Arizona RESCUE, Phoenix, an organization that finds homes for dogs and cats who are scheduled for euthanasia at area county pounds. During her fours years with the organization, she served as feline health coordinator and adoption counselor.

A member of the American Animal Hospital Association, American Association of Feline Practitioners and American Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Brantley shares her home with Chyna, her 11-year-old cat. A travel enthusiast, she lived for a year in Guam after receiving her undergraduate degree. Other exotic destinations she has visited include Bali and Korea.

Dr. Lederer

Dr. Lederer received her DVM from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana-Champaign. She also has a bachelor of arts in anthropology from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.

Dr. Lederer’s animal care experience includes working as an emergency and critical care technician at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital; a veterinary nurse at Banfield, The Pet Hospital, Aurora; and a veterinary technician at Genoa Animal Hospital, Genoa, Ill. She is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association.

While attending the University of Illinois, Dr. Lederer gained valuable hands-on experience in advanced dental techniques through specialty course instruction and a two-week rotation in veterinary dentistry. She also was a columnist for Tenesmus Times, the College of Veterinary Medicine student newspaper, and she volunteered for A Pet’s Place, a school organization that cares for the pets of women who enter domestic violence shelters.

Originally from the Chicago area, Dr. Lederer practices Muay Thai (Thai boxing) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Dr. Lederer shares her home with Pandora, a kitten she recently adopted.

Effective Surgery Using The CO2 Laser

Concerned about the discomfort of surgery? We know how you feel. We have cats too. You're scheduling an elective procedure for your cat, you know the procedure needs to be done, but you're having second thoughts because of the associated pain and discomfort. We understand because we hear those kind of concerns every day from conscientious cat owners like you. Did you know that most surgical procedures can now be performed with a laser? Yes! That same tool that is used in human medicine has been adapted for use on animals. We have always made great efforts to lessen the discomfort to pets undergoing surgery. However, with new technology we can do even better! Laser surgery makes it better for several reasons:

Seals Nerve Endings! Lasers cut tissue with a beam of light, which seals the nerve endings so the cat's post operative pain is potentially greatly reduced. ("I was 'sold' right away on the laser when my own 'Magnolia', my first laser patient, bounced back to normal so quickly-within hours after her mastectomy" - Dr. Currigan) Although we in general try to discourage the routine declawing of cats, we understand that not declawing is not an acceptable choice for some owners who have exhausted all other options. For this particular surgical procedure, use of the laser most definitely reduces post-operative pain (though we still utilize aggressive pre-op and post-op pain management). Additionally, the use of the laser eliminates the need (in most cases) for post-operative paw bandaging which cats so dislike, because there is so little bleeding versus a "non-laser" declaw.
Seals Blood Vessels! Lasers also seal blood vessels as they cut so there is usually no need for bandaging after surgery. (Declaws, etc.)
Seals Lymphatic Vessels! Lasers seal the lymph vessels in the skin, which nearly eliminates any swelling after surgery.
A "No Touch" Delivery System! Lasers cut without touching, which eliminates much of the trauma associated with standard techniques.
More Precise! Lasers allow the surgeon to be able to perform surgery with more precision.
Faster recovery! The usage of the CO2 LASER for surgery will speed up the recovery of almost any surgical procedure. Cats undergoing laser surgery generally recover faster with fewer side effects. Less bleeding, less pain, and less swelling allow for faster recovery. We are attempting to adapt laser technique to as many procedures as possible. We are currently using it regularly for spays, castrations/neuters, declaws, and other major surgeries such as mastectomies.

The Cost For Laser Surgery? Yes, it does cost a little more. However with the improvement in recovery time and the reduction of side effects, the overall expense may not be that much different. The laser option fee varies depending on the surgical procedure, so if you are interested or have any questions, please inquire.

Welcome to Bella, a New Resident Hospital Cat for Cat Hospital Of Chicago

Bella had been living with Veterinary Assistant, Michelle, but was constantly being tormented by other cats in the home, by whom she was easily intimidated. Her stress levels have decreased considerably since becoming a resident at Cat Hospital of Chicago. She has taken over the doctor's office. She loves to sit and look out the window, jump high atop bookcases, etc. She is always willing to provide services, such as pilling demonstrations, insulin injection demonstrations, and kitty inhaler demonstrations, in exchange for room, board and TLC. Bella was more than just a little chubby when she first came to us in August 2007. However, the combination of a healthy diet plan and exercise program has resulted in effective weight loss already. Bella is pictured here in one view exercising with Dr. Lederer, and in the other view being weighed by Veterinary Technician Assistant, Rosalie.

Our Digital Dental Radiology System

See our Services page for more information on our new state-of-the-art digital dental radiology system.