VMC Spotlight: Jennifer Kelley
Position
Board-certified veterinary dentist and assistant professor of dentistry and oral surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Joined the VMC
September 2024
Before the VMC
Jen completed her dual-track (equine and small animal) residency in dentistry and oral surgery at Colorado State University.
Why was she interested in working at the VMC?
“I have always been passionate about staying in academia due tot he ability to provide the highest quality patient care, educate the next generation of veterinarians, and have research and career- growth opportunities—all of which I've been able to find here at the VMC!” Jen says. “I have been very impressed by the Clinical Investigation Center and look forward to future opportunities for collaboration with them to help small services like ours do exciting projects. I've also greatly enjoyed the collaborative clinical atmosphere here at the VMC and Piper Equine Hospital.”
Education
Jen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Colorado College and her DVM degree at Colorado State University.
Born and raised
Born in Rochester, New York, Jen lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a few years before landing in Colorado, where she mostly grew up.
Most interesting job (until now)
Working as a carriage driver in downtown Denver during college summer and winter breaks. Her favorite frequently asked question: "Is that a real horse?"
Current home
St Paul
Family
Her parents in Oregon and brother in Colorado
Pets
• Pantouf, a 6-year-old domestic medium-haired kitty with a VSD (ventricular septal defect). Pantouf is doing great!
• Griffin, a 5-year-old domestic longhair kitty “who is just fat”
• Sundance, a 19-year-old Gypsy Cob gelding horse that Jen has had for 16 years
Hobbies and interests
Horseback riding and driving, road biking, yoga, trying new restaurants, and taking pictures of her cats. Jen is looking forward to exploring other hobbies and “actually getting to read for fun now that I'm out of residency and almost finished with all my boards!”
Favorite part of her job
“Getting to diagnose and fix problems and improve my patient's quality of life— and spreading that joy to students and others!”
Which VMC value does she most connect with?
Integrity. “In practice that manifests as communicating as clearly as possiblewith my colleagues and clients, being direct, honest, and accountable.”
Most memorable case
So many, but Bandit the Basset comes to mind. Bandit was a rescue dog who had been crunched near his left TMJ (temporomandibular joint, a joint located on either side of the head that connects the lower jaw to the skull) earlier in life and had severe TMJ pseudoankylosis (limited mouth opening) that only allowed him to open his mouth about a centimeter (less than half an inch). “He managed to eat wet food out of the side of his mouth,” Jen recalls. To treat Bandit, Jen’s team used a 3D printed skull intraoperatively “to help guide us and removed his zygomatic arch and all the abnormal bone that had fused the arch to his coronoid process of his mandible.” Bandit regained the ability to eat normally and bay like a normal Basset. But due to his inability to chew properly for so many years, the dog had developed horrific periodontal disease. So a few months later, Jen extracted all his teeth. “He went on to be a very happy, disease-free, gummy Basset!”
What does she do to stay positive every day?
Yoga!
If she won the lottery. . .
Jen would buy too many horses and open a cat cafe.
Looking forward to
Enjoying the performing arts and restaurant scene in the Twin Cites, getting back to traveling, and spending more time with her horse(s)
Most people don’t know. . .
Jen was a comparative literature major in college, loves studying languages, and considered getting a doctorate in comparative literature. “But my passion for fixing animals fortunately won out,” she says. “I think I have the best job getting to help and fix all critters great and small with teeth!”
Contact Jen
Email [email protected]
