“My path forward and career began in a fantastic way,” she shares. “From there, my journey was an internship and residency in neurology at AMC, a clinical instructorship at the University of Missouri CVM, professorship at Iowa State University CVM, and specialty practice as a board-certified neurologist at two VCA hospitals in Seattle and in Portland. Now I am part-time faculty at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine (WSUCVM). The journey has come full circle as my love of teaching has.”

As a specialty that most veterinarians are uncomfortable with, Dr. Kline says this is one of the reasons she chose to focus on neurology. In addition, she also wanted to learn more about how intricate the nervous system is and how her patients manage to survive such incredible injuries and illnesses, and it allows her to perform surgery.

“This specialty is challenging but is also quite rewarding in that I can make paralyzed animals walk again and improve their quality of life,” she adds. “We can localize where the lesion is in our patients just by observation and the neurologic examination.”

A typical day for a veterinary neurologist is unpredictable, as neurologic animals can present as emergencies at any time of day or night. Dr. Kline’s main focus, along with teaching the veterinary students, is to present all available diagnostics and treatment options for her clients when their beloved pets are ill and need help.

“In both of my hospitals, I have in-depth conversations with my clients after a full neurologic and physical examination of their pet and then we discuss options for diagnostics and care,” she explains. “From there we will admit the pet and proceed on with necessary testing and interventions as needed.

“When I am at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and in my private specialty practice job, I teach the students, interns, and house officers various neurologic topics,” Dr. Kline continues “I also perform neurosurgery on animals that have brain and spinal cord disease.”

In an ever-evolving world, the specialty of veterinary neurology is trying to keep pace with new innovations. Over the last 25 years, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) has become the standard of care.

“I do think it is possible that other technologies that are used in human medicine, such as photon emitted tomography (PET scan) and CyberKnife radiation therapy, are in the forefront,” Dr. Kline notes. “With the emergence of AI, it is possible that this technology could augment teaching, patient care, data management and collection, and communication in the future.”

The core of neurology is the ability to localize the lesion in the patient so when the general practice veterinarian discusses the referral with a neurologist, they can describe the lesion and whether it is located in the brain, spinal cord or neuromuscular system. A plan of action can then be formulated and the veterinarian can discuss this with the owner.

“It is vital to know that many neurologic cases need immediate care and treatment (like seizures or paralysis) based upon clinical signs and the breed of the patient (for example, French Bulldogs),” Dr. Kline explains.

Dr. Kline highlights becoming a board-certified veterinarian through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) as one of her biggest accomplishments in her 35 years of practicing. But her envelopment with veterinary organizations doesn’t stop there. She is involved in committee work for ACVIM, is the current president of NAVC, as well as an associate editor for the AVMA journal, has been a Medical Director at two specialty hospitals and is certified in veterinary acupuncture.

In addition, Dr. Kline has had the privilege of being a professor at two colleges of veterinary medicine. “My passion is teaching and I am hoping that I can help to develop a more refined hybrid model (faculty sharing) to benefit both academia and specialty veterinary practice,” she says.

Dr. Kline has been fortunate to travel both domestically and abroad as president of NAVC and as a member of their Board of Directors, but she also enjoys her home life on her five-acre property in Oregon with her husband, a retired large animal veterinarian, and their rescue Pit bull, Voodie.

To conclude, Dr. Kline leaves us with this advice: “The future of veterinary medicine depends on collaboration between colleges of veterinary medicine and specialty veterinary practices. Access to care has been difficult for our veterinary clients and it is our responsibility as clinicians and specialists to make sure that we follow our veterinary oath and provide quality care for all of our clients regardless of financial strata or demographic disparity.”