South Carolina Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Care

Emergency Care

Sahara Gonzalez

DVM

Dr. Gonzalez is originally from Oxford, AL. She received a bachelor's degree in biology from Auburn University and a master's degree in biology from Jacksonville State University. She completed her studies and earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Lincoln Memorial University. Beyond veterinary care, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and traveling. A favorite pastime is hiking with her dog, Niña.

Emergency Care

Sarah Hall

DVM

Dr. Sarah Hall is a Midlands native, completing her bachelor’s degree at Columbia College. She went on to complete a master’s degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College in Ontario, Canada. After veterinary school, Dr. Hall completed a Rotating Small Animal internship at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina prior to returning home to Columbia. Dr. Hall joined the team at South Carolina Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Care in 2020.  Her special interests are trauma and critical care. Dr. Hall enjoys spending time with her two rescue pups (Arnie and Penelope) and three cats (Ozzie, Scabs, and Coco). In her spare time, she enjoys live music, sports, and travel.

Emergency Care

Allison Hassinger

DVM, Medical Director

Dr. Allison Hassinger received a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in 2005 and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University in 2009. She spent two years practicing both in general practice and emergency medicine in North Carolina before moving to Columbia, SC. She started with South Carolina Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Care upon arrival to South Carolina in August 2011. Dr. Hassinger has practiced both emergency medicine as well as general practice at multiple practices throughout the greater Columbia area since arriving in South Carolina. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, sailing, baking, and travelling.

Emergency Care

Allison Kelly

DVM

Dr. Allison Kelly moved here from the midwest back in 2012 and she is still trying to get used to the weather. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Animal Sciences and a minor in Chemistry in 2005. Her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine was earned in 2009 from Iowa State University. After graduation, Dr. Kelly completed a year-long small animal rotating medicine and surgery internship at two VCA hospitals in the Chicago area. Dr. Kelly joined the SCVSEC team in 2012.

Emergency Care

Stacy Kolb

DVM

Dr. Stacy Kolb comes to us from the Tampa Bay Area, where she practiced emergency medicine for eight years. She received a BS in Biology from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. She then earned her veterinary degree from St. George University School of Veterinary Medicine, Grenada West Indies. After graduating, she completed a small animal internship at Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her experience and skills are great assets to our 24-7 Emergency Room. Dr. Kolb enjoys spending her spare time sailing, hiking, and traveling. She also enjoys cheering for the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning, two teams that earned her loyalty during her tenure in the Sunshine State.

Internal Medicine

Kasey Mabry

DVM, MS, DACVIM-SA

Dr. Mabrey is a southeastern native, although she spent the majority of her childhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She earned her BS-Animal Science degree from Auburn University, where her and her (now) husband participated in the Auburn University Marching Band. She received her DVM from Tuskegee University in 2017, followed by a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Virginia Tech. She completed her small animal internal medicine residency training at The University of Georgia, at which time she completed a dual Master’s degree in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. There she developed an interest in immune-mediated, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases with a strong research interest in canine acute gastrointestinal injury secondary to critical illness and exercise (canine athletes). One of her more recent projects studied the effects of prolonged, strenuous exercise on the gut within racing Alaskan sled dogs during the 2019 Alaska Copper Basin 300. Kasey lives with her husband, Drew, and two adorable pets, Mackey (basset mix) and Simon (cat). She enjoys the outdoors (hiking, kayaking, boating), wine tasting, gardening, listening to jazz music, and relaxing in the evenings with her family. Her guilty pleasure will always be dark chocolate!

Critical Care

Teresa M. Rieser

VMD, DACVECC

Dr. Rieser was raised in New Jersey. She earned an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and then went to the University of Pennsylvania for her veterinary education and graduated in 1995. She then completed a rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Georgia. In 1996 she returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, where she earned her board certification in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine in 1999. Dr. Rieser stayed at the University of Pennsylvania for one year as a Lecturer in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine but then left to become the Director of Emergency Medicine at the VCA Newark Animal Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Over the next twelve years, Dr. Rieser remained in Newark and oversaw internship and residency programs. Eventually, she became the Medical Director for Specialty Medicine at the VCA Newark Animal Hospital. In 2012 she moved to Los Angeles, California, to become a staff criticalist at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. While there, she supervised the training of over 70 interns and residents in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. In 2018 Dr. Rieser returned to the east coast and joined Veterinary Specialty Care in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Dr. Rieser has spoken on various topics at numerous national veterinary conferences. She has authored scholarly articles and book chapters on different Emergency and Critical Care topics. Dr. Rieser is excited to join the South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care team. She enjoys all aspects of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine but is especially interested in acid-base and electrolyte disturbances and disorders of coagulation.

Oncology

Lauren Ross

DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Ross grew up in a small town in southern Illinois and will always be a Midwesterner at heart. She completed most of her education in Missouri, obtaining a biology degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health from the University of Missouri. She made her first move to the South while completing a Small Animal Rotating Internship and, subsequently, an Oncology Internship at Auburn University. She returned to The University of Missouri, where she completed her residency in Medical Oncology in 2022. Throughout her training, she developed an interest in the treatment of round-cell tumors, particularly mast-cell tumors.

Outside of work, Dr. Ross enjoys spending time with her two dogs Thelma, a longhaired miniature Dachshund, and Myrtle, a Chiweenie. She enjoys being outdoors and staying active, playing volleyball and kickball.

Emergency Care

Jessica Withycombe

DVM

Dr. Withycombe is a South Carolina native who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal and Veterinary Science at Clemson University with a minor in biology. She also spent her four years at Clemson as a Division 1 athlete on the Rowing team. She then earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. Eager to get out of the snow (which she still can’t drive in), she returned to South Carolina to begin her career as an Emergency veterinarian at SCVSEC. During her free time, she enjoys fishing, spending time on the lake, bonfires with friends, and spoiling her cat (Hiccup).

Emergency Care

Amanda Dietrich

DVM

Dr. Amanda Dietrich grew up in Elizabethtown, PA and graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from Delaware Valley University outside of Philadelphia, PA. While there she also played on the women’s lacrosse team for all four years to round out her ten-year career in the sport. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Lincoln Memorial University where she first met the SCVSEC team during a 4-week externship. After graduation, she decided to follow her parents to the warmth of South Carolina and return to SCVSEC to begin her career as an emergency veterinarian. Dr. Dietrich has a strong love for emergency medicine with a special interest in working dogs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, kayaking, tending to her many houseplants, and generally just spending time with her dog Ivy (pictured). Dr. Dietrich is excited to be with SCVSEC and to begin serving the West Columbia/Irmo area. 

Orthopedic Surgery

Amanda Rathgeber

DVM

Dr. Rathgeber has over seven years of surgery experience, with a special interest in orthopedics. She finds fulfillment in treating conditions such as tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomies (TPLO), medial patella luxation (MPL) repair, fracture repairs, hip dysplasia management, and osteoarthritis management. She earned her BS in Biology from Lander University in Greenwood, SC, before obtaining her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University. Dr. Rathgeber then completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Mississippi State University, followed by a specialized small animal surgery internship at VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, CO. She further honed her expertise through a small animal surgery residency at the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Levittown, PA. Beyond veterinary care, Dr. Rathgeber enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and Hagrid, their dog, and two cats, Stitch and Knuckles. A dedicated South Carolina Gamecocks fan, she can be found cheering them on year-round!

Rehabilitation and Pain Management

Ashley Barton

DVM, DACVAA, CVA, CCRP

Dr. Barton specializes in high-risk anesthesia, providing expert care for patients with conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, metabolic and endocrine disorders, or a history of anesthetic complications. Her interests include loco-regional anesthesia, osteoarthritis management, degenerative joint disease, spinal disorders, PRP injections, and therapeutic pain management. She is skilled in advanced modalities like therapeutic epidurals, TENS, NMES, therapeutic ultrasound, low-level laser therapy, aqua therapy, and customized therapeutic exercises. Dr. Barton earned her BS in Animal Science from the University of Maryland and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University. She completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center and a residency in veterinary anesthesia and analgesia at Cornell University. She is a Diplomate of the ACVAA, a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities with her dogs and competing with her horse, Finn.