Dermatology / Allergy - Practice Staff

Dr. Messinger has been board certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) since 1993. She is one of approximately 200 board certified dermatologists in North America. One of the major functions of the ACVD is to maintain the highest standards of post-graduate training in veterinary dermatology and allergy. Board certification by the ACVD denotes that the individual is a board certified specialist in veterinary dermatology. Dr. Messinger received both her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degrees from Cornell University. During her undergraduate training, Dr. Messinger was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. After completing veterinary school Dr. Messinger completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine, surgery, dermatology and ophthalmology at the prestigious and world-renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City. Thereafter, she completed a dermatology residency at the University of Florida and then remained on staff there for one year. The University of Florida has one of the largest veterinary dermatology residency programs in the world. While at the University of Florida, Dr. Messinger taught hundreds of veterinary students as well as veterinarians about the specialty of veterinary dermatology. She was in private specialty practice in the Orlando area before moving to Colorado in 1995 to establish the Department of Dermatology at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado (aka Veterinary Skin & Allergy Specialists). Dr. Messinger has delivered lectures on veterinary dermatology to a variety of professional and lay groups, both at the national and local level. In addition, Dr. Messinger has authored many scientific articles, review articles, and book chapters. To advance our understanding of skin diseases in animals (so as to help our patients), Dr. Messinger has be involved in a variety of research projects related to veterinary dermatology. Dr. Messinger is also a consultant in dermatology for a large veterinary corporation. She is a member of the ACVD, American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, American Veterinary Medical Association, Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society, and the Cornell Feline Health Center. Dr. Messinger is currently chairperson of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology Program Committee. She was also recently granted the prestigous honor of training residents in veterinary dermatology and allergy, under the guidelines of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology and in conjunction with North Carolina State University.

Dr. Messinger specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, coat, ear and nail diseases in animals, including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, allergies, immune-mediated skin diseases, endocrine (hormonal) disorders, inherited skin diseases, and certain skin cancers, to name a few. Dr. Messinger is dedicated to working closely with you and your family veterinarian to provide the most progressive and comprehensive services and care for your special family member(s).

Dr. Messinger grew up on Long Island, in South Huntington, New York. The medical field has always fascinated her. Her love for animals and veterinary medicine began at the age of 7 when her family adopted a gray and white kitten and when she visited her grandparent’s farm in Germany. Currently, Dr. Messinger’s pet family includes yellow Labrador Retriever (Jed), a Labrador Retriever mix (Fuzzy), newly aquired mixed breed puppy (Willie) and 6 cats (Mimi, Lily, Daisy, Bella, Morris and Cindy). Bella was found meowing on the side of a country road while on a bike trip in Italy. Willie is the newest addition—he joined the family in Oct, 2010. Fuzzy has atopic dermatitis (allergies to airborne allergens). Dr. Messinger enjoys SpinningTM and aerobics (both of which she has taught), cycling, hiking, gardening and family life. She understands and speaks the German language.

Practice Limited to Veterinary Dermatology/Allergy

Dr. Michael Rossi recently moved to the Denver area to join VRCC’s Department of Dermatology and to complete his residency in veterinary dermatology and allergy. Dr. Rossi received his Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Louisiana University and spent the following year performing scientific research at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Covington, Louisiana. This further increased his interest in animal welfare. He, then, received both his Master of Natural Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Following veterinary school, he completed a one-year small animal rotating internship in the Washington, D.C. area. He then moved to Raleigh, NC and spent the next year in a specialized dermatology internship at the North Carolina State University. During this time, Dr. Rossi lectured to veterinary students while teaching them clinical skills in the field of veterinary dermatology. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Rossi has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, coat, ear and nail diseases in animals, including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, allergies, immune-mediated skin diseases, endocrine (hormonal) disorders, inherited skin diseases, and certain skin cancers, to name a few. He has a special interest in allergic skin diseases, fungal diseases, ectoparasites, and autoimmune diseases. In addition to small animals, Dr. Rossi also enjoys working with horses. Dr. Rossi is devoted to working closely with you and your family veterinarian to provide the most progressive and comprehensive services and care for your special family member(s).

Dr. Rossi was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has had many pets, including dogs, cats, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, iguanas, and several other “pocket pets”, all of which spurred his interest in becoming a veterinarian. He currently is “dad” to a Bullmastiff named Triton and a Border Collie named BrownRound. He is an avid traveler and has been to Europe on several occasions. Dr. Rossi is fluent in the Italian language. His other interests include the culinary arts, camping, and military history.

Dr. White is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (since 1983). He held faculty positions at the
veterinary schools at Tufts University in New England and at Colorado State
University before joining the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of
California, Davis as a full Professor in 1998. He has also been staff
dermatologist at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston; a sabbatical
professor at the National Veterinary School in Nantes, France; and a Clinical
Teaching Locum at the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island,
Canada. He has published more than 80 articles in refereed journals and has
lectured worldwide on the subject of veterinary dermatology. His areas of
interest include cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease, non-steroidal
therapy of auto-immune disease, and congenital skin disease.  Dr. White
also has a special interest in skin problems of rabbits.  In 2000, Dr. White
was bestowed the prestigious ACVD Award of Excellence.  Dr. White is
dedicated to working closely with you and your family veterinarian to help
manage and treat your special family member(s) skin, ear, coat, nail, anal sac
and/or allergy problems.  He works with us periodically.  Dr. White
is proficient in the French language.

Dr. Valerie Fadok knew she wanted to be a veterinarian at 4 years old. Dr. Fadok attended the preveterinary program at Arizona State University, prior to entering veterinary school at Washington State University, from which she graduated in 1978. An internship at the West Los Angeles Veterinary Medical Group provided her with many unique opportunities to interact with birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, ponies, exotic animals, dogs, cats, and movie stars! Her first clinical paper was published at this time on the surgical treatment of gastrointestinal obstruction in a cougar. During this year, she developed her interest in skin diseases and in 1979 moved to Gainesville, FL, to do a residency in veterinary dermatology, where she developed a love for itchy horses. Following completion of her residency in 1981, she moved to Knoxville, TN to be the staff dermatologist. Dr. Fadok became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) in 1982.

In 1983, Dr. Fadok moved back to Gainesville to join the faculty there and develop the subspecialty of large animal dermatology. There she traveled throughout the Florida to skin test horses and, with her colleague Dr. Ellis Greiner, collect and characterize the flies that cause allergic skin disease in horses and ponies. After 3 more years of treating itchy patients, she felt the need to learn more about the basic mechanisms that cause inflammation. She entered the graduate program at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where she earned a PhD in Experimental Pathology in 1991. A fellowship at National Jewish Medical and Research Center then followed. In 1992 she joined the faculty at Texas A & M as a veterinary dermatologist and to continue research. She developed an interest in melanoma after meeting Dr. Max Amos, who had a herd of pigs with congenital melanoma; they worked together during this time to try to understand how these tumors spontaneously regressed. In 1995, Dr. Fadok moved back to Denver to resume her research at National Jewish on inflammation. During this time, with her colleagues Peter Henson and Donna Bratton, she isolated a novel protein that regulates inflammation on a cellular level. In the future, this protein may serve as a new target for drugs to control inflammation. Dr. Fadok has worked at VRCC, but her husband’s job took them to Texas where she currently works at Gulf Coast Veterinary Dermatology Specialists. Dr. Fadok loves Colorado and periodically comes back to work with Dr. Messinger.

Dr. Fadok specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, ear and nail disease in animals, including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, allergies, immune-mediated skin diseases, endocrine (hormonal) disorders, inherited skin diseases, and certain skin cancers, to name a few. Dr. Fadok is dedicated to working closely with you and your family veterinarian to provide the most progressive and comprehensive services and care for your special family member(s). Although the majority of her patients are dogs and cats, Dr. Fadok has extensive knowledge in veterinary dermatology of all domestic animals including “pocket pets”, avian and zoo animals. In fact, while in Tennessee, Dr. Fadok allergy skin tested several elephants. Dr. Fadok is one of the few world-renowned experts in equine (horse) veterinary dermatology.

The care and welfare of animals, and their special relationships to humans, have been lifelong interests. Dr. Fadok’s hobbies include bonsai, ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), yoga, photography, hiking and reading mystery novels.

Dr. Diane Lewis loves working at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado! She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD), having passed the certification examination in 1992. Dr. Lewis received her Bachelor of Science degree from The Florida State University and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Florida. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Lewis spent three years in general private practice in Kissimmee and Gainesville, Florida, and Sydney, Australia. She then completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery followed by a two-year residency in dermatology at the Louisiana State University. She joined the faculty at the University of Florida in 1993, and has trained veterinary students, residents, and interns the art and science of veterinary dermatology. She also has a referral private specialty practice which treats patients in both Gainesville and Tallahassee, FL. Dr. Lewis has lectured on veterinary dermatology at local, national, and international meetings and conferences. In addition, she has written numerous scientific publications, review articles and book chapters and critiques scientific papers for the Veterinary Dermatology Journal.

Dr. Lewis is a member of, and has served on committees for, the American College of Veterinary Dermatology, American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, American Veterinary Medical Association, Florida Veterinary Medical Association, Alachua County Veterinary Medical Association, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

While specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, coat, ear and nail diseases in animals, Dr. Lewis has special interest in diseases of the ear, endocrine and infectious diseases as well as dermatopathology. Dr. Lewis is dedicated to working closely with you, your family veterinarian and the staff at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado to provide the most progressive and comprehensive services and care for your special family member(s).

Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Dr. Lewis spent summers on her grandparents’ farms in central Florida and southern Ohio where she embraced the pursuit of becoming a veterinarian. Currently, Dr. Lewis and her family have a black and tan, long-haired dachshund named Guinness (he’s pint sized!). Dr. Lewis enjoys hiking, yoga, aerobic weight training, reading, and family life.

Dermatology/Allergy Practice Manager

Miriam holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in animal science from Kansas State University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic. Miriam has worked with veterinary dermatologists, including Dr. Messinger, from 1994- 2002 in the Orlando area where she managed the Veterinary Dermatology Center. She left the area to manage a general practice in South Florida. Her last year was dedicated to working with a veterinary ophthalmologist where she has expanded her knowledge immensely. She joined Dr. Messinger and VSAS in 2006.

Miriam takes great pleasure in working with patients and their human family members as well as referring veterinarians. She is dedicated to excellent client communication and service and compasstionate animal care.

Miriam grew up in Puerto Rico. Miriam and her husband are the “parents” of 4 cats. She is also fluent in Spanish. Miriam enjoys sewing cross stitching, scrap booking and family life.

Lead Technician

Bobby was been with VRCC’s Department of Dermatology/Allergy since 2004. He has been a veterinary technician for approximately 20 years. Bobby has 2 cocker spaniels and their names are Buji and Halle.

Katie joined VSAS in 2009. Prior to working with us she worked in a large veterinary dermatology practice in Orange County, CA. She has been in the verterinary field since 2001 and graduated from Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 2006. Katie’s passion is veterinary dermatology and allergy. She first became interested in veterinary dermatology when she saw how well a dog did on allergy injections (allergen-specific immunotherapy)– “It was amazing how much more comfortable this dog was and how much better this dog looked after starting allergy shots. From then on I was hooked; I had to learn more about veterinary dermatology”.

Katie has been working in veterinary dermatology for over 7 years. When not working, she loves to spoil her cats, a Sphynx named Witty and a medium haired kitty named B.K., as well as her cockapoo, Madeline.

Yasmine joined VSAS in 2010. She is a graduate of BelRea Institute of Animal Technology. Yasmine has 2 cats name Gaiya and Simba and a newly adopted hound dog named Doctor. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and the great outdoors.

Debora started with the Dermatology department at VRCC in April of 2006.  She holds a bachelor’s in Business Administration from CSU, an MBA from Regis University, and received her VTA Certification from PIMA.  Her home is shared by Vinson, a 10 year old Malamute, lovingly nicknamed “the Gooch”and a 7 month old Samoyed named Fenway.  Ruling the roost are Indigo a.k.a. “Fuzzbutt” a 14 year old Siamese mix and Chip, who prefers “Sticks”, a 14 year old Seal Point Siamese.  Rounding out the bunch are Reilly, a 13 year old Flame Point Siamese Mix who the family calls “Cutie Putootie” and Snow-ee, a 13 year old Domestic Shorthair who goes by ”Princess”.  Beyond this well loved crew, there are many special friends that now live forever in Deb’s heart.

“Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it.  You remain responsible forever, for what you have tamed.” – Antoine de Saint Exupery

Amelia is a born and raised Coloradoan. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Colorado Denver and she is planning to start a Master’s degree in counseling at Colorado Christian University this fall. Amelia lives in Lakewood with her sister and 2 dogs. Stryker, a German Shepherd mix and Vizzini, a purebred German Shepherd. Amelia has worked for 6 years in the veterinary field and is commited to compassionate customer service. When Amelia isn’t at the VRCC she is either enjoying a good book, running, making jewelry or spending time with the special people in her life.