Spike Vainshtein Brings 18 Years of Experience in Veterinary Medicine to Dogvocates

Spike Vainshtein is a Registered Veterinary Technician with 18 years of experience in the veterinary medicine field.

Born in Lvov, Ukraine in 1973, Spike and family relocated to Rome, Italy in 1977 and eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1978.

Evidence of Spikes love and adoration for animals started very early in life and ultimately led her into the world of veterinary medicine in September 2000.

After 5 years in general practice, she transferred into a Specialty hospital where she spent 13 years immersed in a dynamic environment and actively worked until September 2018.

During that time, Spike was a Technical Surgery Supervisor working directly with multiple Board Certified Veterinary Surgeons and managing a team of anesthesia technicians. While working as a Surgery Tech Supervisor  transitioned into the Oncology department and worked with the head Oncologist for 9 years. She also was a founding member of a companion animal Bone Marrow Transplant team based out of West Los Angeles. Spikes experience also includes anesthesia, radiation oncology, internal medicine, MRI, CT, radiology and emergency medicine.

When not working in the Veterinary world, Spike is a multimedia artist, lighting designer/ fabricator and most importantly a geriatric chihuahua wrangler.

---

Testimonial

“My family and I met Spike when she was working in the Oncology department, where unfortunately our dog Buddy had a rare type of nasal cancer. She took such amazing care of our Buddy and we always felt comfortable when she was over seeing his care. Meeting Spike proved to be a long-lasting friendship and we have come to her over the years for advice and questions about our other dogs. In fact, when we went to the vet with another dog, Spike came out to talk to us because she saw his chart was in the back. It was extremely sweet and no one has ever done that for us before. Her helpfulness and sincerity has been a gift to our family, especially our dogs.

In more detail, Spike always spent time to calm our dog and talk to us about how a procedure will go. If I had any questions after, I always called Spike and she would consult the vet or impute her knowledge to me. Spike always kept me in the loop, which, for a nervous dog parent, was the best thing I could ask for. It is clear to see Spike is very involved, interested, and supportive of us - she answered every question we had. We are grateful we had Spike on our path. We always, 100% felt comfortable to leave our sweet Buddy with Spike, because we knew she would take care of him like he was her own dog.
”

— Tiffany Gudkova Founder, Buddy's Angels Rescue

---

Do you have a dog or cat recently diagnosed with cancer? Don’t navigate alone, we’re here to help. Click here to email us.

My Path Into Veterinary Oncology

In 1984, the word CANCER was inducted into my vocabulary for the first time and without warning. My dad, who was a beast of a man, a boxer in the former Soviet Union and the epitome of physical fitness, was now diagnosed with leukemia.  The oncologist immediately initiated an aggressive chemotherapy protocol.  Six months after starting treatment, despite losing half his body weight and his coveted semitic afro, my dad was in remission and was kicking cancer’s arse. With help and support from my mom, the traditional Chinese herbalist she found (years before the internet) and chemotherapy, my dad eventually defeated his leukemia. By that point at the age of 11, I had a healthy fear and comprehension of cancer and chemotherapy. I knew without a doubt that, without chemo and the adjunctive Chinese herbs, my dad would have died.  Ultimately he lived for another 12+ years cancer free.

When I began working in the veterinary field in 2002, I knew I found my career path. It wasn’t until 2007 when I transferred into the oncology department of a specialty hospital that I knew I found my “calling.” I had a tendency to gravitate towards the older or more fragile patients who needed more TLC so it was no surprise I ended up in oncology for 9 years. Many clients have asked me, “how can you work in the oncology?” My answer: it’s the hardest job I’ve ever loved and hated. I loved my patients and cherished the bonds we had.  I wanted all my patients to think they were at doggy day care not at the hospital getting treated for cancer. One of my favorite patients was a Boxer named Stella who was diagnosed with lymphoma. On her first visit, Stella was so nervous that she refused to leave the car. Eventually her dad got her out but she was still adamant about not coming into the hospital. When I went into the lobby to introduce myself, I saw a man standing at the reception counter with a full grown boxer dog in his arms and wrapped around his neck like a scarf. Stella’s reluctance was short lived, and every subsequent visit involved Stella running full speed towards the hospital entrance while her dad trailed behind a completely extended leash.

My approach with patients was to treat them as if they were my own while they were at the hospital. Like other pet parents, I want to know that my fur kids are well taken care of while they are not with me. Veterinary hospitals can be extremely scary for our pets and they pick up on things like smells and sounds that may not register to us humans.

The diagnosis of Cancer in our pets is devastating and overwhelming. There are many options available these days, and with the help of a veterinary oncologist, finding the right treatment plan may be easier than expected.

---

Tune in next week as we kick off our new “Pet Mic Monday” series!

"Pet Mic Monday" is a new Dogvocates series based on an "open mic concept" where pet parents take over our blog to raise cancer awareness by discussing their pets diagnosis, treatment, and outcome with a worldwide pet community .

To learn more about how Dogvocates can help you and your fur baby during a cancer diagnosis, tap here. Please follow us on Facebook & Instagram!