I grew up in Westchester, New York with 3 German Shorthaired Pointers and 3 human siblings. While I grew up surrounded by dogs and humans who love dogs more than most other humans, I didn’t decide to pursue veterinary medicine until halfway through college. After spending time shadowing several different specialists one summer, I fell in love with internal medicine and my love for the specialty strengthened throughout vet school and my rotating internship. I love the variety of cases we manage, the challenges of puzzling cases and balancing multiple co-morbidities, and long-term client and patient relationships.

I currently live in Bethesda with my husband (who is also a veterinarian), our tripod mutt Snoopy, crazy calico cat Penny, and Senegal parrot Wellington. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, yoga, eating and criticizing the baked goods my husband makes, and spending time with my family.

Clinical areas of Interest

• Endocrinology
• Nephrology
• Immune-mediated diseases
• Infectious diseases

Why do you work at Friendship?

The culture of collaboration as well as the large Internal Medicine service at Friendship were the primary draws for me. I knew several people working at Friendship, and they all loved their jobs and are people that I am excited to work with again. I also enjoy teaching, so having the opportunity to work with rotating interns and specialty interns was another appeal.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (2008-2012) – Columbia University, New York NY
• VMD (2013-2017) – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Small Animal Rotating Internship (2017-2018) – The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency (2018-2021) – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Board Certifications

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SAIM)

Publications and Research

• Cole SD, Harvey BK, Shea EK, Bradley CW. Amycolatopsis spp. infection with correlative histopathology from the paw of a cat. Submitted for publication (Veterinary Dermatology).
• Shea EK, Hess RS. Validation of a flash glucose monitoring system in outpatient diabetic cats. J Vet Intern Med 2021; 35(4): 1703-1712.
• Shea EK, Hess RS. Assessment of post-prandial hyperglycemia and circadian fluctuation of glucose in diabetic dogs using a flash glucose monitoring system. J Vet Intern Med 2021; 35(2): 843-852.
• Shea EK, Berent AC, Weisse C. Vesicovaginal fistula in a dog with urinary incontinence. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2019; 255(4): 466-470.
• Shea EK, Dombrowski SC, Silverstein DC. Survival analysis of hypotensive cats admitted to an intensive care unit with or without hyperlactatemia: 39 cases (2005-2011). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2017; 250(8): 887-893.