Kenyon Conklin, VMD Veterinary Expert

Professional Experience

Provide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving all areas of veterinary science and practice including, but not limited to, medical and surgical care of numerous animal species, preventive medicine, abuse/neglect, dog or cat inflicted injuries, working dog selection and conditioning, pharmacologic issues, behavior, safety, and failure analysis of animal medicine and surgery. Areas of expertise include:

Internal Medicine: Diseases and treatment of the endocrine system (diabetes, Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism), urinary tract, gastrointestinal disease, and dermatology

Surgery: Extensive surgery experience including ovariohysterectomies and castrations (“spays” and “neuters”), mass removals and biopsies, tumor resections, abdominal exploratory, gastrointestinal surgery, foreign object removal, trauma repair, wound repair, cystotomy (bladder surgery), splenectomy (spleen removal due to cancer or trauma), gastric dilatation and volvulus (“GDV”) repair, telemetry implants (research devices to track respiration, blood pressure and other parameters), prophylactic gastropexy (canine bloat prevention surgery, stomach “tacking,” “pexy”)

Anesthesia and Pain Management: Current anesthetic techniques for various species, pain control for acute and chronic conditions, animal hospice care, humane euthanasia

Behavior and Training: Normal and abnormal behaviors in diverse species, humane training techniques, group housing dynamics, animal temperament, selection of working canines for tactical use

Equine: Normal and abnormal behaviors, horse and rider safety, training of farm personnel to ensure safe handling and appropriate horse management, biosecurity to minimize risk of spread of diseases of economic significance, use of fencing and enclosures to prevent injury to humans and animals at farms, shows, and research facilities

Abuse and Neglect: Evaluation of potential abuse and neglect issues associated with training processes, feeding programs, failure to provide medical care, confinement issues and deliberate injury

Safety Issues: Animal handler safety, facility risk evaluation, appropriate safety training of staff, adherence to OSHA standards

Facility Design and Animal Confinement: Evaluation of the design and construction of kennels, cages, as well as farm and research enclosures to prevent animal illness and injury, animal transportation

Professional Communications: Veterinary-Client-Patient relationship, informed consent, medical record keeping, community standard of care considerations, veterinary health certificate concerns, animal importation and exportation

Research Considerations: Care of research animals in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act and AAALAC standards, IACUC oversight of research protocols, attending veterinarian oversight of animal care, protocol development

Zoonotic Disease and Public Health: Prevention of food-borne disease transmission, wholesome meat procurement practices, prevention of zoonotic disease transmission, recognition of foreign animal disease introduction

• Provided medical and surgical treatment for numerous animal species (including but not limited to dogs, cats, swine, goats, horses, rodents, fish, etc.), as well as animal husbandry consultation in accordance with institutional IACUC for numerous laboratory animal species
• Participated in pathology support services to researchers including animal tissue perfusion and necropsy
• Served as Group Veterinary Surgeon for 5th Special Forces Group (5SFG), Fort Campbell, KY. Advised 5SFG Command on all tactical veterinary concerns in both domestic and deployed environments including animal disease prevention, foreign animal disease detection, zoonotic disease, bioterrorism, and food safety concerns
• Maintained medical readiness for deployment of military working dog kennel of 10-15 canines, primarily Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds, to include medical, surgical, dental, and behavioral health. Performed regular inspections of kennel and training facilities to ensure human and canine safety and well-being
• Planned and executed over 90 medical training events to prepare Special Operations teams to provide human medical care in combat environments. Instructed techniques included: cricothyrotomy and airway management, chest tube placement, thoracic needle decompression, IV catheter placement and IV medication/fluid administration, control of massive hemorrhage, evisceration, blood collection and transfusion, triage of mass casualty presentations, and austere medical treatment following gunshots, vehicular or aviation accidents, and improvised explosive device detonations
• Educated military personnel on equine care, fencing, containment, medical evaluation, safe handling, and rider safety
• Provided instruction on hygienic and humane animal slaughter and meat preparation for austere environments to Special Forces teams
• Served as Officer in Charge, Echo Team, 463rd Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support for a rapidly deployable team trained to provide veterinary medical, surgical, and food inspection and food safety support in austere environments

• Provided primary medical, surgical, and dental care to canine and feline patients
• Mentored junior veterinarians and educated veterinary technicians

Provided practice leadership at two clinic locations while simultaneously providing primary veterinary care for canine and feline patients.

As a solo practitioner, provided all primary medical, surgical, and dental care to canine and feline patients, while also managing paraprofessional staff members.

• Provided primary medical, surgical, and dental care for canine and feline patients
• Trained veterinary technicians in dentistry techniques, dental radiographs, and anesthesia

Recruited veterinarians for employment in multi-clinic national veterinary practice

• Provided spay/neuter procedures to shelter animals prior to adoption
• Performed facility inspections, herd health assessments and contagious disease mitigation
• Provided behavioral assessments of animals as needed prior to adoption

Provided after-hours emergency triage and care for a nine-hospital shared veterinary on-call group. Medical and surgical care included treatment of acute illness, ongoing chronic care concerns, trauma from various mechanisms, pain management and humane euthanasia as indicated.

Professional Credentials

Licensed Veterinarian: Pennsylvania, Maryland
USDA Accredited, Category II (All species): Pennsylvania, Maryland
Certified USDA-APHIS Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician

Education

• V.M.D. in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• B.S. in Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, graduated cum laude
• B.A. in English Literature, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, graduated cum laude

Continuing Education

• Forensic Dentistry, Proctor and Gamble, 2023
• VCEHP 108: Vectors in Public Food and Housing
• VCEHP 109: Pest Management Considerations for Schools
• VCEHP 111: Bed Bug Biology
• North Carolina Workshop in Laboratory Animal Medicine, May 20-21, 2021
• Potomac Regional Veterinary Conference, October 26-28, 2018
• Military Veterinary Medicine Officer Leader Course, September 8-October 13, 2016
• VetMedTeam Seminars, May 9, 2015
  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Management of Compassion Fatigue
• Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association Spring Clinic, May 20-21, 2015
• VCA Antech Practice Management and Leadership Seminar, October 13-14, 2015
• USDA Accreditation Modules
  • Preventing Disease Introduction and Spread in Aquaculture (2022)
  • Veterinary Feed Directive (2022)
  • Using Behavior to Assess Animal Welfare (2022)
  • Non-Human Primate Transportation (2019, 2022)
  • Collecting and Shipping Swine Diagnostic Samples (2019)
  • Foreign Animal Disease Detection in Category I Animals (2018)
  • Interstate and International Health Certificates for Category I Animals (2018)
  • International Movement of Horses (2018, 2022)
  • Livestock Fitness to Travel (2018)
  • Slaughter Horse Transport (2016)
  • Animal Disease Traceability (2016, 2022)
  • Vesicular Diseases (2016)
  • Preventing Disease Introduction and Spread (2016)
  • Overview of Foreign Animal, Program, and Reportable Diseases (2016)
  • Animals Fitness to Travel (2016)

Professional Memberships

• United States Eventing Association, Amateur Competing Member
• Area II Adult Riders, Area II Eventing Association
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
• National Association of Federal Veterinarians
• American Veterinary Medical Law Association
• American Association of Equine Practitioners
• American Animal Hospital Association

Speaking Engagements

• Forensic Experts and/or Litigation Update of Veterinarians Concerns, presented at American Veterinary Medical Law Association (AVMLA) 29th Annual Meeting, 2023
• Herpes B Prevention and Post-Exposure Procedures. Continual and ongoing presentation at USAMRICD, 2020-2022.
• Animal Care and Use Briefing. Continual and ongoing presentation at USAMRICD, 2020-2022.
• Canine Tactical Casualty Care. Continual and ongoing presentation at 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, KY, 2018-2020.
• Army Veterinary Corps Opportunities for Recent Graduates. University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 2019.
• Equine Physical Exam and Basic Husbandry. Presentation for military veterinary technicians and military small animal veterinarians. Fort Benning, GA, 2016.

v. 09/25/23