Dr. Susan Mende | DVM, DACVPOwner, Breeding Specialist, General MedicineDr. Susan Mende grew up on a 1,000 acre crop and dairy farm in northern Illinois. She attended Illinois State University for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois to complete her bachelors degree in Veterinary Biosciences in 1989. After her undergraduate years she then furthered her education to receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. After graduation and her internship she worked at Southern Illinois Equine Clinic before completing a mixed animal surgery fellowship at Mill Iron Clinic in southeast Ohio.
When Dr. Mende first moved to Maryland she worked in a small animal exclusive practice for a few years while completing her veterinary chiropractic certification through the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. In 1998, Dr. Mende founded Wolf Creek Equine Clinic and the practice began to grow. Originally located in Centreville, MD the practice stayed small while Dr. Mende balanced veterinary medicine with becoming a mother to her son Nicolas in the same year. In 2005, the practice was relocated to Lothian, Maryland where it currently resides and has continued to have slow and steady growth throughout the years. With the support of family, friends, and the horse community; WCEH has grown into a large equine only practice and surgery center featuring many doctors, office staff, and technicians. Many know Dr. Mende for her special interest in equine reproduction as well as rehabilitation, chiropractic care, anesthesia, and business management. Although running a growing practice keeps her busy, she also breeds and raises warmblood sport horses and Labrador retrievers. In her spare time she and her husband Mark enjoy personal fitness, gardening, and caring for the property and animals. |
Dr. CJ Caniglia | DVM, DACVS-LASurgeon, Sports Medicine SpecialistDr. Caniglia grew up in southern Maryland and is excited to be back home after training in many different states throughout his veterinary career. He went to undergraduate at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, VA where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology and rode on the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team. He then went to veterinary school at North Carolina State University. In 2012, he completed a surgical internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital, a busy private practice referral center in Edmond, OK. From there, Dr. Caniglia completed a surgical residency, training at the University of Tennessee, Woodford Equine Hospital, and Palm Beach Equine Clinic. Training at Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, FL gave Dr. Caniglia the opportunity to learn a high level of sports medicine as well as critical care from very experienced clinicians, taking care of some of the top equine athletes in the world. Dr. Caniglia passed his board examinations in 2017 and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons with a Large Animal focus. Dr. Caniglia enjoys performing all types of surgeries, but has particular interest in navicular bursoscopy, sinus surgery, and abdominal exploratory surgery.
In his spare time, Dr. Caniglia enjoys spending time with his family, Dr. Williamson his wife who also works at the practice and their two children Adalie and Parker. Both Dr. Caniglia and his wife enjoy riding and still compete when they have time. Most recently, Dr. Caniglia has been showing his young horse Namesake in the hunter breeding and Young Horse Show Series classes. To learn more about what ACVS diplomates can do for you and your horse please visit acvs.org HERE |
Dr. Brittany Williamson | DVMSports Medicine Specialist, AcupuncturistDr. Brittany Williamson was born in Iowa and completed her veterinary degree at Iowa State University. She then went on to complete a surgery and sports medicine internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital, a large surgical referral clinic in Edmond, Oklahoma. Upon completion of her internship she moved to Wellington, Florida where she would spend the next 6 years devoted exclusively to lameness and sports medicine practice. During this time she spent winters working on hunter, jumper, and dressage horses competing in the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington and summers traveling around the Eastern United States maintaining their care. She also completed her training in equine acupuncture at the Chi Institute in Florida. She joined Wolf Creek Equine Hospital in 2019 and continues her work in lameness, sports medicine, diagnostic imaging, regenerative medicine and acupuncture.
Dr. Williamson and her husband, Dr. CJ Caniglia, have two children that make frequent appearances at the hospital and perpetuate their love of animals. In their free time they enjoy training and showing young hunter and jumper horses and ponies |