Laura Ateca, VMD, DACVECC, Board Certified in Emergency and Critical Care is the Director of Emergency Services and the attending criticalist of Emergency and Critical Care at Guardian Veterinary Specialists. Since joining the practice in 2019, she applies her considerable skill and experience to treat and monitor the hospital’s most seriously ill and injured pet patients.
Dr. Ateca completed her undergraduate and veterinary school education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, as well as a small animal internship at that institution’s Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital. She remained at UPenn for her residency training in the Emergency and Critical Care Department from 2012 to 2015, serving as chief resident during her final year. She received her board certification in emergency and critical care.
Through her extensive training, Dr. Ateca has gained broad and deep experience in treating a range of emergency and critical conditions in pets including multi-organ failure, toxin exposures, heart and lung disease, and sepsis.
To help advance knowledge in this field, she has published several peer-reviewed manuscripts and authored a book chapter.
Recent Publications
Dr. Laura Ateca is a board-certified veterinary emergency and critical care specialist with extensive expertise.
Dr. Ateca attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for both her undergraduate and veterinary school education from 2003 to 2011. She then completed a small animal internship at the University of Pennsylvania Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital from 2011 to 2012. She stayed on at UPenn to complete her residency training in the Emergency and Critical Care Department from 2012 to 2015, serving as Chief Resident from 2014 to 2015.
She has published several peer-reviewed manuscripts and authored a book chapter. Since her residency, Dr. Ateca has continued to work at a high-volume, small animal specialty hospital in the Emergency and Critical Care service.
Here are the peer-reviewed publications she has authored through the years on a broad array of emergency and critical care subjects with links to abstract summaries.
1. Clinicopathologic abnormalities associated with increased animal triage trauma score in cats with bite wound injuries: 43 cases (1998-2009).
Lyons BM, Ateca LB, Otto CM.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2019 May;29(3):296-300. doi: 10.1111/vec.12831. Epub 2019 Apr 22.
- PMID: 31012275
2. Evaluation of the relationship between peripheral pulse palpation and Doppler systolic blood pressure in dogs presenting to an emergency service.
Ateca LB, Reineke EL, Drobatz KJ.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2018 May;28(3):226-231. doi: 10.1111/vec.12718. Epub 2018 Apr 16.
- PMID: 29659117
3. Survival analysis of critically ill dogs with hypotension with or without hyperlactatemia: 67 cases (2006-2011).
Ateca LB, Dombrowski SC, Silverstein DC.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2015 Jan 1;246(1):100-4. doi: 10.2460/javma.246.1.100.
- PMID: 25517331
4. Organ dysfunction and mortality risk factors in severe canine bite wound trauma.
Ateca LB, Drobatz KJ, King LG.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2014 Nov-Dec;24(6):705-14. doi: 10.1111/vec.12256.
- PMID: 25471645
