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Veterinarians

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Jessica H. Waldman, VMD, CVA, CCRT

Dr. Waldman and Dr. Kramer realized that the unique collaboration of a physical therapist and veterinarian would provide optimal pet therapy outcomes. Together they founded and opened California Animal Rehabilitation (CARE) in June of 2007.

Dr. Waldman received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. She continued her education at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine and received her Veterinary Medical Doctorate in 2004. Dr. Waldman achieved the Dean's List each year during veterinary school.

While attending veterinary school, Dr. Waldman was the Alumni Representative for four years and volunteered in a program in the Native American Reservations of the Southwest to spay and neuter pets in need. Dr. Waldman completed two additional externships in small animal surgery with board certified veterinary surgeons in New York City at the Animal Medical Center and in Los Angeles at the Surgical Group for Animals.

Following graduation, Dr. Waldman completed an additional year of specialty training, as an intern at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles. During this internship year, she worked with board certified surgeons, neurologists, internists, cardiologists, and dentists. Dr. Waldman also published a paper on the topic of critical care in Pulse veterinary publication. Upon completion of her internship in July of 2005, Dr. Waldman has enjoyed practicing small animal medicine.

Dr. Waldman completed a certificate program from the Canine Rehabilitation Institute to become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. She is also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through the Chi Institute. Dr. Waldman enjoys integrating acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine into her practice of pet rehabilitation.

Dr. Waldman is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association and she is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the states of New York and California. She is one of the founding members of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians.

Dr. Waldman speaks at veterinary meetings on the subject of Canine Rehabilitation and she has a special interest in neurological rehabilitation and in nutrition for all life stages. Dr. Waldman loves to see her patients’ quality of life improve, and she counsels in nutrition utilizing a combination of Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine for the best possible outcome.
On the personal side, Dr. Waldman enjoys volleyball, hiking, painting, and spending time with her family. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Stuart and with her dog Tate.

Heather Oxford, DVM, MPH, CVA, CCRT

Dr. Heather Oxford received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bowling Green State University in 1998. She continued her education at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and received her Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology in 2000. Her thesis was a risk-factor analysis of Brucellosis infection among veterinarians exposed to the RB51 vaccine used in cattle. This analysis was utilized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, and an adapted version was published in Vaccine journal in 2002.

Upon graduating from Emory, she worked as an epidemiologist in the Foodborne Diseases Branch of the CDC before entering veterinary school in 2001. In the summer of 2002, she joined the Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Branch of the CDC, and was the lead veterinary investigator during an outbreak of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever among humans and canines. She co-authored papers on Rabies surveillance in the United States, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2002; the need for veterinarians in bio-defense and public health, published in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education in 2003; and an evaluation of a newborn screening program for perinatal hepatitis B, published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in 2003.

She continued her education at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), receiving her Doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine in 2005. Dr. Oxford was the vice president of her class, the student representative for the Pfizer Corporation, and the president and founder of the Population and Preventive Medicine Club. Chosen to represent UTCVM at Plum Island Animal Disease Center and the New York animal quarantine center in 2003, she completed a Foreign Animal Disease Training Course coordinated by USDA/APHIS. The course gave her the rare opportunity to examine live animals infected with diseases including Foot & Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza, under the guidance of leading experts from Cornell University.
Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Oxford completed an additional year of specialty training, as an intern at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles. During the internship, she trained under board certified specialists, practicing the optimum standard of care in veterinary medicine. After completing her internship in July of 2006, Dr. Oxford practiced conventional small animal medicine in the West Los Angeles area for 2 years before becoming a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through the Chi Institute, and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.

Dr. Oxford is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the California Veterinary Medical Association, the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians. She is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the states of Georgia and California.

Dr. Oxford enjoys combining Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine with Rehabilitation for optimization of pets’ quality of life. In her free time, she enjoys running, horse-back riding, traveling, and spending time with her family. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Wade, and her German Shepherd, Tess.

Dr. Nicole Schiff, DVM, CVA

Dr. Schiff received her Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from UC Davis in 1997, and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis in 2002. From 2002 to 2008 she practiced small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center of Southern California.

When her own dog was diagnosed with epilepsy and benefited immensely from acupuncture treatments she was inspired to pursue an understanding of how acupuncture can complement more traditional western therapies. In 2008 she completed a certification in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture from Colorado State University. She enjoys integrating acupuncture with other treatment modalities, and has lectured at veterinary meetings on the scientific basis of acupuncture.

Dr. Schiff is also dedicated to working with several Los Angeles based non-profit groups that work to alleviate pet overpopulation. She lives in the South Bay with her husband Dan and their beloved dog Barkley.

Physical Therapists

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Amy L. Kramer, PT, DPT, CCRT

Dr. Kramer graduated from Whittier College in 1990. Following graduation, Dr. Kramer continued her education at Cerritos College where she graduated with honors from the Physical Therapist Assistant program in 1993. Dr. Kramer worked in a physical therapist owned orthopedic, private practice for seven years prior to returning to school to pursue a Masters’ Degree. She received her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University Physical Therapy School in 2000.

While attending Loma Linda University Physical Therapy School, Dr. Kramer was honored with the Research Award for her study of “ The Influence of the Protonics Knee Brace on Pelvic Position“. In 2005, Dr. Kramer earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Western University of Health Sciences, where she was honored with the Leadership & Service Award.

In the fall of 2004, Dr. Kramer’s dog had knee surgery and needed post-operative services. This sparked her interest in animal rehabilitation, and thus prompted her to pursue a Certificate in Canine Rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute which she completed in 2005.

Dr. Kramer has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association since 1991 and she has served as both a district representative as well as a member of the House of Delegates. Currently, she holds the position of California liaison for the Animal Special Interest Group of the American Physical Therapy Association which enables her to help integrate the veterinary community with the physical therapy community. She is also on the board of Racing For Recovery.

In her free time Dr. Kramer enjoys triathlons, traveling, scuba diving, skiing and dedicating time to protect the environment. She is an active volunteer and supporter of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Santa Monica Baykeeper, Heal the Bay, REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation), Racing for Recovery and Walk With Sally. Dr. Kramer is also a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as a Certified CPR Instructor through the American Heart Association. Dr. Kramer lives in the South Bay with her dog Karma.

Noriko Yamaguchi, PT, DPT, CCRT

After graduating from Smith College cum laude with a major in Biology in 1996, Dr. Yamaguchi moved to Los Angeles to begin a Ph.D. program in biological oceanography at UCLA. During graduate school she became involved in marine science outreach programs with local elementary and middle schools and decided to finish her graduate studies with a Master’s degree in order to teach. She taught Biology at New Roads High School in Santa Monica for six years before deciding to move on to the next stage of her professional life.

Dr. Yamaguchi graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2008. While in physical therapy school, she continued to pursue her interest in research by becoming involved in studies conducted by the Biomechanics laboratory. She helped with data collection and analysis on an ACL research study and was lead-author on a study that established normative values of functional reach measurements in volleyball players, which she presented at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting in 2008. She also was a student tutor for first-year courses in orthopedics, physiology, and motor control and participated in a merit-based manual therapy group to learn advanced manual therapy techniques.
Dr. Yamaguchi joined the Orthopedics section of the APTA and its Animal Rehabilitation special interest group in 2007. Using resources from USC and the APTA, she began contacting physical therapists who practice on animals to learn about the specialty practice. She met Dr. Kramer at an APTA conference in 2007 and joined the physical therapy team at CARE in June 2008. She completed her continuing education through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) in March 2009.

In addition to CARE, Dr. Yamaguchi enjoys working at her “human job” at USC, where she is therapist on a multi-center clinical trial studying recovery of walking after stroke. She also is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and has taken continuing education coursework in Kinesio taping with the Kinesio Taping Association. In her free time, she enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee, hiking with her husband and Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kailey, watching baseball, and spending time with her two cats, Ridley and Mica. She lives in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Diane Kinder, PT, CCRT, CWS

Diane Kinder graduated from Northwestern Medical University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. Following graduation she moved from Ohio to California and began her physical therapy career at Torrance Memorial Medical Center (TMMC) where she worked for 13 years. While at TMMC she went to the Burn Unit for a rotation. Diane became very interested in the specialty of burn and wound management and further developed her knowledge and skill by attending continuing education courses in advanced wound care. Diane helped to develop the TMMC Wound Care Center, still a thriving unit focusing on wound management.

In 1997 Diane was asked to develop a wound care program at Driftwood Health Care Center, a skilled nursing facility, where she stayed for 2 years. In 1999 she went back to acute and hospital based out-patient care at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center where she also developed and managed an advanced wound care program. In May of 2008 Diane took a position as a Clinical Consultant with Kinetic Concepts, Inc., a company that makes a medical device (V.A.C.) to support wound healing until August 2009, at which point she returned to Little Company of Mary where she is currently employed part time as a physical therapist managing wound care patients. Diane has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care since it was conceived in 1995. She is a certified wound care specialist (CWS), awarded from American Academy of Wound Management in 2000.

Diane has been a volunteer at Harbor Animal Care Center, one of six Los Angeles City animal shelters, since 2003. For years she has searched for a way to combine her love for animals and her physical therapy career and has found that in veterinary rehabilitation. Diane joined the therapy team at CARE in September 2009. She is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist (CCRT) having obtained her certification through Canine Rehabilitation Institute.

In her free time Diane enjoys going to the animal shelter where she grooms, socializes, and walks dogs. She enjoys dinner parties with friends from the animal rescue world, and she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Ella & Canelo, and her two cats, Tica & Sammy.

Joshua Arellano PT, DPT

Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, Dr. Arellano graduated from Colorado State University – Pueblo in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. During his senior year he completed an internship at The United States Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs in the Strength and Conditioning Department working with the resident and national team athletes in men’s wrestling, women’s wrestling, and women’s volleyball. Dr. Arellano moved to California in 2004 and studied at Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles pursuing a second Bachelors degree in Human Biology. Dr. Arellano was scheduled to enter the Doctor of Chiropractic program in 2005 but ultimately decided to focus his professional studies on Physical Therapy.

Dr. Arellano graduated from Western University of Health Sciences with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2008. He first became interested in animal rehabilitation while caring for his late dog, Diego who suffered from arthritis and vestibular disease. While in physical therapy school, Dr. Arellano interned alongside Dr. Yamaguchi at a sports performance and physical therapy institute and soon learned of her interest in animal rehabilitation. Sometime after graduating, Dr. Yamaguchi introduced him to Dr. Kramer and he later joined the team at CARE in January 2010. Dr. Arellano plans on continuing his education through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT). Dr. Arellano also practices as an inpatient physical therapist at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, California in the areas of acute care, transitional care, and rehabilitation.

Dr. Arellano has been an American Physical Therapy Association member since 2006. He is also a member of The United States Judo Federation and in his free time studies and competes in Judo, working towards his Shodan black belt in the sport. Dr. Arellano was also a former collegiate powerlifter, winning a Colorado State Championship through The Natural Athlete Strength Association and setting three state bench press records. Dr. Arellano also enjoys fishing, cooking, car racing, and snowboarding. He lives in Monrovia, California with his expecting wife, Michelle and their two cats, Miso and Nori.

The CARE Staff

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We carefully select each member of our caring and experienced team to offer our patients top quality care.

Amanda Warden, CCRA

Amanda Warden has had an infinite love for animals all her life. After working as a
veterinary technician for three years in Orange County, she moved to Los Angeles where
she found her niche working in animal rehabilitation as a physical therapist assistant.

Amanda eventually hopes to work with WWF with whom she is an active advocate and volunteer. Amanda received training through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute earning a certificate as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant in June 2010.