This article provides an overview of food safety, from the ranch to the restaurant, for attorneys who may be involved in food contamination disputes. Topics covered include government regulations and…
Dr. Kenyon Conklin is a licensed veterinarian with over 20 years of experience in the private practice, corporate, military, and research sectors. She provides technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony towards the resolution of litigation involving veterinary standards of care, animal bites and injuries to humans, working dogs, horses, animal abuse and neglect, animal behavior, facility design, and safety issues.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Conklin has practiced in a variety of clinical settings, including small animal general medicine and surgery, and emergency medicine at smaller, independently owned animal hospitals as well as multi-clinic corporate settings. She has deep knowledge and experience in the nuances of veterinary medicine and veterinary hospital operations, from personnel issues and client relations to safety concerns and medical standards of care.
Dr. Conklin also spent six years as a United States Army Veterinary Corps Officer where she utilized her civilian skills in tactical and research settings. She was selected to serve as the Group Veterinary Surgeon for the 5th Special Forces Group, in Fort Campbell, KY. During her tenure supporting the Special Operations community, Dr. Conklin was responsible for the medical and surgical care of explosives detection and patrol (bite) working dogs. Dr. Conklin also served as a research support veterinarian at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, the Army’s premiere center for chemical weapons defense testing. She was also certified in the detection of animal diseases of economic and bioterrorism significance at the USDA-APHIS Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician course.
Dr. Conklin earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 1998, a B.A. in English Literature and a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and earned her V.M.D. in 2002. She is a member of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, the National Association of Federal Veterinarians, and the American Veterinary Medical Law Association.
In addition to her veterinary background, Dr. Conklin also received extensive training and experience during her time in the military in food safety and inspection, including audits against food production and food storage standard operating procedures that involved meeting USDA guidelines.
Associate
2022 to presentProvide 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
U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Officer, Major
2016 to 2022Associate Veterinarian
2014 to 2016Chief of Staff
2013 to 2016Provided practice leadership at two clinic locations while simultaneously providing primary veterinary care for canine and feline patients.
Chief of Staff/Owner
2007 to 2013As a solo practitioner, provided all primary medical, surgical, and dental care to canine and feline patients, while also managing paraprofessional staff members.
Associate Veterinarian
2005 to 2007Professional Relations Director
2005Recruited veterinarians for employment in multi-clinic national veterinary practice
Part-time Shelter Veterinarian
2003 to 2005Associate Veterinarian
2002 to 2005Provided 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.
Licensed Veterinarian: Pennsylvania, Maryland
USDA Accredited, Category II (All species): Pennsylvania, Maryland
Certified USDA-APHIS Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician
v. 09/25/23
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