Veterinarians

If you add together an interest in science and a love of animals, Dr. John Silbernagel is the end result. “I grew up on a North Dakota ranch with a lot of animals,” Silbernagel says. “And even though I initially planned to work with large animals, I fell in love with surgery, which guided me to where I am today.”

Dr. Silbernagel graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and completed his residency at the University Of Illinois College Of Veterinary Medicine in small animal surgery. He worked at 24-hour-a-day hospitals and referral centers in Illinois, and Indiana. He later moved to Wisconsin and opened a specialty and emergency care facility several years prior to founding Madison Veterinary Specialists.

Dr. Silbernagel is a board-certified small animal surgeon, and a member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinary Orthopedic Society, American Veterinarian Medical Association, Wisconsin-VMA, and Dane County-VMA. He appreciates the collaboration found at multi-specialty emergency facilities which “offer the highest level of care to clients and their pets by allowing different disciplines to consult with each other on the same case.”

When not working, Dr. Silbernagel can often be found spending time with family — camping, biking, skiing, or enjoying other outdoor activities. He also considers himself a “foodie,” and enjoys cooking up new recipes in the kitchen.

Dr. Joy Delamaide Gasper is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology). She has advanced  training in both medical neurology and neurosurgery of dogs and cats. Dr. Delamaide earned her B.A. at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 2005, and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University in 2009. She completed a rotating internship at the VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center (2009-2010) and a neurology specialty internship at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego (2010-2011).

Dr. Delamaide completed her neurology and neurosurgery residency training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2011-2014. She practiced veterinary neurology at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego for 5 years before this opportunity to return to Madison.

She provides neurological examination of dogs and cats, and uses this information to assess for neurological conditions. She appreciates the importance of considering the pet’s overall health and quality of life, as well as the clients’ need to be able to find a management plan that will optimize outcome.

She has interest in medical and surgical treatment of intervertebral disc herniation. She takes an integrative approach using a variety of types of medications as well as complementary therapies. She is skilled in surgical procedures when they are appropriate and best for the outcome of the patient. She also loves long-term management of seizures and immune- mediated inflammatory diseases in dogs and cats.

Dr. Delamaide Gasper and her husband have two young children and a Chocolate Labrador named Zuma and tabby cat named Manzula complete their family. When she has free time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, and yoga.

Dr. Carrie Calhoun graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and knew that she wanted to be an emergency clinician. She completed a rotating small animal internship in emergency, medicine, and surgery in Seattle, Washington before joining our team at MVS.

Dr. Calhoun lives in Fitchburg with her golden retriever/Great Pyrenees mix named Charlie. In her free time, she enjoys running, paddle boarding, hiking and traveling.

Dr. Michelle Custead attended Virginia-Maryland Regional college of Veterinary Medicine where she obtained her Degree of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Following school, she completed a rotating surgery and medicine internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in New Jersey. She then went on to pursue a specialty internship in medical oncology in Washington D.C. before completing a medical oncology residence at Purdue University in 2015.

Dr. Custead says she chose the specialty of oncology because “cancer can affect all members of our family, even our pets. Getting the news that your pet has cancer is scary but there is hope with many levels of care and new treatments. Knowing that I have helped a family decide what is best for them and their pet while ensuring their pet maintains a good quality of life brings me great satisfaction.”

Dr. Carrie Calhoun graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and knew that she wanted to be an emergency clinician. She completed a rotating small animal internship in emergency, medicine, and surgery in Seattle, Washington before joining our team at MVS.

Dr. Calhoun lives in Fitchburg with her golden retriever/Great Pyrenees mix named Charlie. In her free time, she enjoys running, paddle boarding, hiking and traveling.

Dr. Daggett graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 before going on to complete a rotating internship at WestVet in Boisde, Idaho. She came back to Wisconsin and joined the MVS team in 2021. 

Dr. Daggett resides on a farm in Montello. Her farm includes 6 horses, 10 dairy goats, an assortment of homing pigeon, peacocks and show chickens. In her spare time, she can be found horseback riding, driving her mini horses in carriages, spending time with her pets, woodworking, traveling and baking. 

Dr. Jim Graham is a Wisconsin native; being born in Hudson and growing up in Whitewater. He moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota for high school and spent a year of that in Maceio, Brazil! Dr. Graham attended Carelton College for his undergraduate degree and then the University of Minnesota for veterinary school. He joined the MVS team in 2021.

In his spare time, you can find Dr. Graham spending time with his family and friends and enjoys being outdoors and playing guitar.

Dr. Keith completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin before attending the University of Kentucky where she obtained her Masters in Equine Science. She then graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2016 with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.

When asked why she chose emergency medicine, Dr. Keith says, “Having a furry family member become sick or injured enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room can be an extremely stressful experience for any family.  I understand that making decisions under sometimes dire or emergent circumstances can be overwhelming, and I am passionate about providing the communication, support, and compassion necessary to help families through some of the more difficult moments of their pets’ lives.”

We’ve been lucky enough to have her on the team since January 2019. In her spare time, Dr. Keith enjoys traveling, yoga, gardening and attending sporting events. (Go Pack!) She lives in Madison with her husband Lucas and their Lab mix Ava. They round out their family with an Off the Track Thoroughbred horse named Charley.

After obtaining his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 2010, Dr. Matt Keller worked in small animal emergency private practice for 12 years. He has a special interest in trauma, surgery, and wound management.  He pursued additional surgical training through a small animal surgical internship in Phoenix from 2019-2020.  Dr. Keller joined the MVS team in 2021 and provides both emergency surgery and clinical care services.  

When he’s not at work, Dr. Keller spends much of his time enjoying the outdoors and can be found hiking with his cat, Stella, or working on his farm in Iowa.  

Dr. Akshaya Maller came to the United States from India in 2007 to pursue her Bachelors of Science in Biology at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. She then went on to veterinary school at Iowa State and soon after completed a small animal rotating internship at North Carolina State University. Before joining us at MVS, Dr. Maller worked at a non-profit general practice clinic in Madison.

In her spare time, Dr. Maller enjoys running, kayaking and paddle boarding. She lives in Madison with her kitty named Fox. We’re so glad to have her on the MVS team!

Dr. Tiffany Patton attended Washington State University for both her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in music and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. She then completed a rotating internship at WestVet Specialty and Emergency center in Boise, ID before working in Washington, Iowa and Wisconsin as an emergency veterinarian. She enjoys working in emergency medicine because she “feels privileged to be able to help pets when they need her most.” Dr. Patton is particularly interested in toxicology, clinical pathology, transfusion medicine, would care management and ultrasound.

In her free time, Dr. Patton enjoys mountain biking, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming and traveling.  She shares her home with her 10 year old border collie mix, Moxie.

Dr. Mitchell Thomas grew up in New Berlin, Wisconsin and always had a passion for pets and wildlife. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. During veterinary school, he spent several summers volunteering with primates and manatees at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Belize. After completing a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., he then spent a year as an emergency clinician in Milwaukee.

Dr. Thomas and his husband live in Verona with their cockapoo, River. In his free time, Dr. Thomas enjoys spending time outside with his dog, working out, camping, and birdwatching.

Dr. McCaughey graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 and began his emergency internship with MVS soon after. He enjoys emergency and critical care because it gives him an opportunity to make a positive impact on many different animals and their families every day.

Dr. McCaughey lives on Lake Monona in Downtown Madison and enjoys playing live music, playing hockey, skiing and many other outdoor activities. While he doesn’t currently have any pets of his own, Dr. McCaughey is known to steal a friend’s pet for a photo from time to time.

Kristen McDaniel received her doctorate from Iowa State University in 2016, and continued her training in Iowa with a one year internship in small animal medicine and surgery. Kristen completed her residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Missouri in 2020. Her current areas of interest include gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary disease, and respiratory diseases.

During her spare time, Kristen enjoys spending time with her dogs and wife Kaylyn, travel, watch movies, and outdoor activities.

Dr. Pauli graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003 and subsequently completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed a residency in comparative ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked as a staff ophthalmologist at a specialty care facility for five years prior to founding Madison Veterinary Specialists.

Dr. Pauli is a member of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Her professional interests include disease and surgery of the cornea, along with cataract surgery.

When away from the hospital she can be found spending time with her husband, Mark, two children, Gabriel and Cecelia, and her three pugs Agnes, Mona and Star. She enjoys running as well as racing in triathlons, and is a 2017 finisher of Ironman Wisconsin.

If you add together an interest in science and a love of animals, Dr. John Silbernagel is the end result. “I grew up on a North Dakota ranch with a lot of animals,” Silbernagel says. “And even though I initially planned to work with large animals, I fell in love with surgery, which guided me to where I am today.”

Dr. Silbernagel graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and completed his residency at the University Of Illinois College Of Veterinary Medicine in small animal surgery. He worked at 24-hour-a-day hospitals and referral centers in Illinois, and Indiana. He later moved to Wisconsin and opened a specialty and emergency care facility several years prior to founding Madison Veterinary Specialists.

Dr. Silbernagel is a board-certified small animal surgeon, and a member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinary Orthopedic Society, American Veterinarian Medical Association, Wisconsin-VMA, and Dane County-VMA. He appreciates the collaboration found at multi-specialty emergency facilities which “offer the highest level of care to clients and their pets by allowing different disciplines to consult with each other on the same case.”

When not working, Dr. Silbernagel can often be found spending time with family — camping, biking, skiing, or enjoying other outdoor activities. He also considers himself a “foodie,” and enjoys cooking up new recipes in the kitchen.

Dr. Tuttle completed his undergraduate at Iowa State University receiving a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science in 1997 and a Bachelors of Science in Zoology in 2001.  He obtained is Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine with honors from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.  Following graduation from Veterinary School he completed a one year rotating Medicine and Surgical Internship at Michigan State University.  Beginning in 2006 he began and completed a three year Surgical Residency at The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

During his residency he not only had intense training in Veterinary Surgery but also received advanced training in Anesthesia, Radiology, Clinical pathology, and Internal Medicine and Critical Care.  He also was responsible for the teaching and training of veterinary students during this time.  In 2010 he received his Board Certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

In 2009 he began a position at The Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center located in Overland Park, KS where he worked as a Veterinary Surgeon as part of a busy specialty hospital until taking a position with the Animal Emergency and Specialty Center in 2014 where he continued to perform duties as a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon. He joined us here at MVS in August, 2017 and is happy to be back in Madison! Dr. Tuttle performs Orthopedic, Soft Tissue, and Neurologic surgery with special interest in Oncologic Surgery and Soft Tissue Reconstruction.