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Deborah Mitchell, D.V.M., M.S.

Our Medical Director and Practice Manager


Dr. Deborah Mitchell earned her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.  She holds joint Bachelors degrees in veterinary medicine and in biological sciences, as well as a Masters degree in field biology.  In addition to being extremely skilled in small animal medicine, Dr. Mitchell is certified in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic, and Usui Reiki.  She is trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), herbology, Homotoxicology, and Applied Kinesiology.  She is a recognized expert lecturer in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and integrative small animal medicine.  Dr. Mitchell has presented over 420 scientific lectures to veterinary audiences  nationwide, on topics related to integrative medicine,  alternative medicine and veterinary practice management.


Dr. Mitchell's overall medical focus is wellness maintenance.  She practices integrative medicine - not holistic medicine.   This means that as appropriate, she combines  the best that her traditional Western medical training has to offer with the best of the alternative therapies in which she is trained.  This gives your pet more tools for healing - and for wellness maintenance.   For more information on the differences between integrative medicine and holistic medicine, click here.

Because Dr. Mitchell has a full patient and veterinary teaching schedule, she limits the number of new patients she sees to pediatric patients only (puppies and kittens).  Doctor Kismartoni remains available to see new patients of all ages.  Dr. Mitchell is available for integrative medical consultations, upon referral from your primary care (regular) veterinarian.  For referral patients, the integrative therapies she offers can greatly enhance the work that your primary care veterinarian is doing to keep your pet healthy and happy!


In addition to serving as our hospital's Medical Director and Practice Manager, Dr. Mitchell currently sees patients at our hospital on Mondays through Wednesdays beginning at 9:20am.  On Thursdays, she sees integrative consultations and integrative rechecks only.  (Dr. Kismartoni sees patients beginning at 9:20am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; both Doctors are available by appointment only).

Dr. Mitchell is a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Chicago Veterinary Manager's Group (CVMG), the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), and the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association (VBMA).  She is a past member of the Board of Directors of AAVA and a current member of the Board of Directors of the AHVMA.


Dr. Mitchell shares her home with her partner, a medieval philologist and Chair of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the Ohio State University, and with a number of (mostly!) four-legged friends:  Emmett, Cairn Terriers Hebert and Bettina, and Cairn mix, Jack.   Her partner's two Dachshunds, Natascha and Nicholas, occasionally join the Cairn gang, much to Emmett's disgust!  Emmett is a rescued 12 year old Persian who was seized, along with dozens of other cats, as part of an area cruelty investigation in 2005.  Hebert was rescued from a puppy mill in Wisconsin in 2007 at age 6, and Bettina was similarly rescued at age three just this spring.  Jack, a 2 year old Cairn mix, was rescued by Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network after he was found by the side of a St. Louis road in 2009, with a crushed pelvis and injuries that necessitated the loss of one hind leg.   Jack (not the least slowed down by this loss),  Hebert, and Bettina come to work with Dr. Mitchell every day, and would love to meet you!


Here is Dr. Mitchell's lecture and seminar schedule for 2010-2012 (subject to change).  For more information on any of the below seminars or organizations, click on the colored text:

 January 2010: Lectured at The North American Veterinary Conference, the largest conference for veterinarians in the world.  On behalf of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, Dr. Mitchell lectured on small animal acupuncture applications, traditional Chinese veterinary medical (TCVM) diagnostics, TCVM management of pain, TCVM management of seizure disorders, TCVM food therapy, and discussed case reports in emergency medicine, seizure management, and dermatology.  She also lectured on the Practice Management track, where she spoke about starting a successful alternative medicine practice, marketing for alternative medical care, and teaching a veterinary team about alternative medicine. 

February 2010: Lectured for The Ohio State Veterinary Medical Association/Midwestern States Veterinary Conference, on veterinary acupuncture applications, veterinary herbal applications, traditional Chinese herbal management of small animal urinary tract disease, integrative management of small animal emergencies, and traditional Chinese medical food therapy.

February 2010: Lectured at the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention in Minneapolis.  She lectured to veterinarians who were new to integrative medicine on these topics: understanding complementary and alternative medicine (CAVM),  integrating CAVM therapies into daily practice, understanding how CAVM diagnostics and therapeutics work, and how CAVM can be useful to a small animal veterinary practice.

May 2010: Attending the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Practice Management seminar.

September 2010: Attending the CVMA Oncology seminar by Dr. Greg Ogilvie of Colorado State University, the nation's leading researcher on humane and compassionate cancer therapy for dogs and cats.

October 2010: Lecturing at, and attending, the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association's Annual Conference in Covington, Kentucky.  Dr. Mitchell will be lecturing on small animal veterinary acupuncture and veterinary practice management and will also enjoy lectures given by a variety of other veterinary experts in their field.  She will also attend all meetings of the AHVMA Board of Directors.

October 2010: Three days of lectures, for the Wild West Veterinary Conference in Reno, Nevada, on traditional Chinese veterinary medical diagnostics and therapeutics, homotoxicology diagnostics and therapeutics, integrative management of painful musculoskeletal disease, integrative management of urinary tract disease, and integrative practice management.  For veterinary technicians, Dr. Mitchell will present several lectures on introduction to complementary and alternative veterinary practice and technical support for the integrative practice.

November 2010:  Assistant teaching for the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society's acupuncture certification course for veterinarians, in San Antonio, Texas.   The IVAS course will continue with sections in January, February, and April of 2011.  Dr. Mitchell's teaching participation in the IVAS course attendance was made possible through the generosity of a Knollwood client who contributed significant funding for her continuing education in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Fall 2011: Lecturing for the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association's Annual Conference in San Diego.  Dr. Mitchell will be lecturing on traditional Chinese veterinary  medical (TCVM) diagnostics, integrative veterinary medicine, and presenting a series of case reports in which TCVM, chiropractic, and homeopathy were utilized.  She will also attend lectures given by a variety of veterinary experts in their field, as well as all meetings of the AHVMA Board of Directors.

February 2012: Lecturing for The Western States Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas on veterinary acupuncture, TCM herbal applications, and integrative veterinary medicine; and for The Ohio State Veterinary Medical Association/Midwestern States Veterinary Conference on veterinary Reiki  applications.  She will also enjoy lectures given by a variety of other veterinary experts in their field at these prestigious meetings.

February 2013: Lecturing for The Western States Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas on veterinary orthopedic manipulation and acupuncture, TCM herbal applications, and integrative veterinary medicine. She will also enjoy lectures given by a variety of other veterinary experts in their field at this meeting, just named the largest veterinary meeting in the world!

Dr. Mitchell lectured at the 1999 through 2009 American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association annual meetings,  the 2009 American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention, the 2009 35th Annual IVAS Congress on Veterinary Acupuncture ,  the 2004 and 2007 Wild West Veterinary Conference ,  The North American Veterinary Conference in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the 2007 and 2008 Chicago Basic Traditional Chinese Herbal Course for Veterinarians, and innumerable state and regional veterinary meetings and conferences.