Dr. Olivia Viney

Veterinarian

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

My name is Dr. Olivia Viney. I graduated from Michigan State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2023 and started here at DePorre Veterinary Hospital in June of 2024.

Why did you choose to become a veterinarian?

I chose to become a veterinarian really because of my first dog that I adopted. I always had animals growing up and always loved them, but I had never considered being a veterinarian. Honestly, I didn't want to do all of the schooling it entailed. When I went to undergrad, I started volunteering at a shelter where I met my dog, whom I eventually adopted as my first dog. That really inspired me to become a veterinarian, and I just had to do the school anyway. It was worth it.

What is your favorite area of veterinary medicine?

My favorite area of veterinary medicine is probably surgery. I really enjoy all aspects of veterinary medicine, and that's why I wanted to do general practice. You get to wear all different kinds of hats; you do dentistry, dermatology, ophthalmology, and I think it's really cool to learn all those aspects and do all those things. But surgery is what I get most excited about.

Dr. Viney's veterinary interests include: 

Why did you choose to work at DePorre Veterinary Hospital?

I chose DePorre Veterinary Hospital because it has such a collaborative environment. The doctors really all work together, our nurses are highly knowledgeable and helpful, and they practice a gold standard of medicine. It was the best place for me when I was looking for where I wanted to practice medicine.

What do you enjoy about your work environment at DePorre Veterinary Hospital?

I enjoy my patients at DePorre Veterinary Hospital, and I enjoy the clientele we interact with and meet all new people. We're a very busy hospital, so I get to meet new people every day. I enjoy everyone I work with; we have a fun, inviting staff here that makes my job a lot easier.

Can you describe the 'Fear-Free' approach at DePorre Veterinary Hospital?

With fear-free at DePorre Veterinary Hospital, I do see differences. We put the patient first. If a dog or cat comes to us stressed or already showing signs of not being happy at the vet clinic, we don't blame them. They don't know what's going on or why I want to listen to their heart or look at their teeth. We put them first, and if that means coming back on some anti-anxiety medications, we can do that. We don't ever push a patient past what they'll allow us to do. We really put them first and make them our priority because we're their biggest advocate.

*Dr. Viney is certified as a Fear Free and a Cat Friendly Practitioner. 

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work, I spend time with my husband. We have three dogs of our own, and I play soccer in some adult co-ed leagues a couple of times a week. I also spend time with family and my three-year-old nephew.

How did you become interested in acupuncture?

I became interested in acupuncture when I was in veterinary school at Michigan State. Michigan State works with a company called CuraCore, based in Colorado, and they come to Michigan State every other year to get students certified in acupuncture and do the hands-on portion of the certification. That was offered when I was doing my clinical rotations.

Why do you think acupuncture is important in veterinary medicine?

I think it's a neat skill to have to be able to look at patients more holistically and offer other treatments than just pain medications and chronic medications. I believe acupuncture can be an important part of a multimodal approach to patients' comfort. It's a nice service to offer my patients, and it's more up-and-coming in veterinary medicine. More people are recognizing it as something beneficial and a very safe way to bring patients comfort.