Dr. Alaina Andersen
Residency Trained, Limited to the Practice of Surgery
Dr. Alaina Andersen is a residency-trained veterinarian in Vancouver, WA. She is available to provide mobile veterinary surgery services to general practice and emergency animal hospitals throughout the greater Vancouver-Portland metro area including practices in both Washington and Oregon.
Biography
Originally from Minnesota, Dr. Andersen trained in both Theatrical Design and Production and Molecular Biology at Macalester College, earning her BA in Theatre in 2005. After working in the theater for several years, she decided to pursue veterinary medicine as a way to utilize her design and engineering skills in orthopedics, while allowing her to be more actively involved in both local and global communities.
Dr. Andersen received her veterinary degree from the University of Minnesota in 2014. She followed this with a rotating internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, a surgical internship, and then matched into a surgical residency. She completed her 3-year small animal surgical residency in Tacoma, WA in 2019. During her training, her interest in other areas (particularly oncologic, reconstructive and wound management) grew, as well as improving pre-, peri- and postoperative protocols to provide the most comfortable surgical experience for pets.
Following her residency, Dr. Andersen accepted a surgical position at a large specialty referral practice in Hong Kong and gained experience working with an entirely new patient population with their own unique issues. She enjoyed gaining experience with managing fractures and complicated soft-tissue and trauma cases, such as those that happen when pets fall from one of Hong Kong’s numerous sky-scrapers. Despite the amazing people and patients in Hong Kong, the Pacific Northwest continued to call to her and her family and she returned to Washington in 2021, where she worked in a large referral clinic in the Seattle area until transitioning to mobile practice with MOVES. She is excited to provide more of the community engagement she thinks is critical in advancing the health of all species, and also to provide accessible and advanced surgical options to family pets in the comfort of their family clinics.
Dr. Andersen strives to provide the absolute best outcome for each individual patient and family with a solution that fits their situation and her goal with every consultation is to provide information that empowers others to make medical decisions with confidence. She and her team also focus on providing a patient experience that is as comfortable and stress-free as possible every step of the way as a happy patient will always heal faster.
When she is not working, Dr. Andersen enjoys cooking, gardening, being outdoors, and continuing to create art. She and her husband have three pets. Two amazing Border Collies named Stoney Francis and Takuan Logan, and a very sweet little Siamese named Wyatt Earp.
CV
- 2024
Joined MOVES in Vancouver, WA - 2021-23
Private practice in Seattle, WA - 2019-20
Private practice in Hong Kong - 2019
Completed small animal surgical residency at Summit Veterinary Referral Center in Tacoma, WA - 2015
Completed small animal surgical internship at Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego - 2014
Earned DVM degree from University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine - 2005
Graduated from Macalester College with a BA in Theater & Dance and a minor in Biology
Owner administered oral maropitant versus subcutaneous administration on rates of adverse effects of
intravenous hydromorphone
Author (In Revision for submission to CVJ) – A double-blinded placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of PO maropitant given by the owners the evening prior to elective orthopedic procedures compared to SQ in-clinic dosing when hydromorphone IV is used as part of the anesthetic protocol.
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What does Limited to the Practice of Surgery mean?
A veterinarian who has completed residency training, but is not board certified may indicate that his or her practice is “Limited to the Practice of Surgery,” and no connection to the ACVS is implied or intended.
A “Practice Limited” veterinarian has undergone extensive additional training after veterinary school, consisting of a minimum of a 1-year internship followed by a 3-year residency program. During the residency there are specific training and caseload requirements that must be met and anyone who wishes to pursue board certification after residency must also perform research that is published in a scientific journal.
Veterinarians who perform surgery under the “Practice Limited” designation may or may not choose to complete the board certification process. Any “Practice Limited” veterinarians employed by MOVES have a demonstrated track record of successful outcomes and the unreserved recommendation of their peers and mentors.
No connection to the ACVS is implied. Learn more at acvs.org.