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Our Specialists

Board-certified veterinary surgery with the experience you can trust for your dog or cat.

If your pet is injured or seriously ill and surgery is recommended, you can trust the Boston Veterinary Specialists team: Dr. William Henry, Dr. Catherine Briere, Dr. Abigail Mariano and our highly trained veterinary medicine professionals. Our specialists offer:

  • Decades of experience performing thousands of procedures
  • Board-certification in veterinary surgery
  • State-of-the-art techniques & capabilities

As board-certified veterinary surgical specialists, the doctors have completed advanced residency training beyond veterinary school and passed rigorous examinations by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. In his many years of leadership in veterinary surgery, Dr. Henry has served as President of this certifying body and remains active in the organization.

Whether your pet needs surgery for a common joint problem, or advanced treatment of a complex neurological disorder, Dr. Henry, Dr. Briere, and Dr. Mariano provide the expertise, state-of-the-art techniques and good judgment that inspires confidence. Along with their surgical expertise, both doctors, along with the entire Boston Veterinary Specialists team offer the compassionate, loving care your best friend deserves, in the comfort of our private Boston area surgical hospital.

William B. Henry, DVM, DACVS

Doc

Founder, Boston Veterinary Specialists
Board-Certified: American College of Veterinary Surgeons

With decades of experience in surgical care, teaching, research and leadership, Dr. Henry is one of the country’s most prominent veterinary surgical specialists. He has worked with referring veterinarians and pet owners in New England for over 25 years in his private referral practice.
While skilled and experienced with virtually all aspects of veterinary surgical care, Dr. Henry’s primary interests and areas of expertise include the diagnosis, medical management and surgical treatment of lameness, management of hip dysplasia, spinal disease, ear disease, complicated fracture care and knee joint injuries. See his extensive credentials and background information here.

Veterinary medical care is advancing rapidly. The type of care that was only available in university hospitals, even 10 years ago, is now available in many private specialty veterinary practices like ours.

The United States is far ahead of the rest of the world in this level of veterinary care. Our colleges of specialty training are the models for other countries and aid in their development and resident training programs. That’s why our animals are provided the best specialty veterinary care in the world.

I’m proud that my colleague, Dr. Briere, and I are able to give this level of care to patients in a private practice setting. It allows us to give the highest quality care in an environment that promotes personal service to pet owners and partnership with our referring veterinarians.

View Credentials

Dr. Henry was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon completion of his residency training requirement, he passed his specialty board examination. At the time, he was one of two veterinarians, outside of a university/teaching hospital, to accomplish this goal because of his specialty credentials and expertise in the diagnosis and management of surgical disease.

Dr. Henry devotes a portion of his time to teaching, lecturing students, and publishing scientific papers. He also lectures and teaches general practitioners through national, state and local veterinary organizations.

EDUCATION:
• Ohio State University, Pre-Veterinary Medicine accelerated program, 1955-1957
• Ohio State University, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cum Laude 1957-1961
• Internship, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, 1961-1962
• Surgical Residency, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, 1962-1965
• Director of Surgical Services, South Shore Veterinary Associates, 1965-1995
• Director Veterinary Services, Veterinary Centers of America, 1995-1996
• Associate Orthopedist Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 1975-1994
• Clinical Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1980-1994

BOARD CERTIFIED:
• Board certified in surgery by examination, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1968
• Elected President, American College Veterinary Surgeons, 1981

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
• Lameness: Diagnosis and medical and/or surgical management.
• PENN Hip Evaluation: For juvenile hip dysplasia and mature breeding dogs.
• Surgical Management of Hip Dysplasia: JPS surgery, TPO’s, FHO’s
• Spinal Disease: Intervertebral Disk Disease, Cervical, Thoracolumbar and Lumbo-sacral.
• Chronic Ear Disease: From tumors, chronic infection: Both middle and outer ear (TECA, Bullaosteotomy).
• Management of severe or complicated fractures of limbs, pelvis and spine.
• Correction of Hereditary Limb Abnormalities: Luxating patella and growth plate abnormalities and injuries.
• Knee Joint Injuries: ACL and PCL, meniscal injuries and multiple ligament injuries.
• Joint Cartilage Surface Injuries: Shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and tarsal.
• Head and Neck surgery:Jaw fractures, Mandivulectomy, Maxilectomy, Total ear ablation, Bullae Osteotomy, Stenotic Nares, Soft Palate Resection, Laryngeal Sacculectomy.
• Abdominal Surgery: Gastropexy, Intestinal, Uro-genital, Abdominal mass resection.

Catherine Briere, DVM, MS, DACVS

Briere

Board-Certified: American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr. Briere received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Montreal and then embarked on several years of specialized training in small animal medicine and surgery. While completing her specialty residency in companion animal surgery, Dr. Briere also earned her Master of Science in Veterinary Medical Sciences from Louisiana State University. Dr. Briere’s research findings have been published in both the Canadian Veterinary Journal and the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

Dr. Briere’s areas of expertise include soft tissue surgery, orthopedic procedures and neurosurgery for spinal conditions and other neurological problems.

View Credentials

Dr. Briere was raised in Montreal, Province of Quebec, in Canada. After receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Montreal with honors, finishing 3rd in her class, she completed an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Washington in Pullman, WA, followed by another year of Internship in surgery in a private referral practice in Jacksonville, FL. From 2004 to 2007, she completed a residency in Companion Animal Surgery at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. During that time she was enrolled in the graduate school at Louisiana State University and was awarded the degree of Master of Science in Veterinary Medical Sciences.

EDUCATION:
1998-2002: University of Montreal, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Honors
2004-2007: Louisiana State University, Masters in Science in Veterinary Medical Services

BOARD CERTIFICATION:
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

EMPLOYMENT:
2002-2003: Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
2003-2004: Internship in Small Animal Surgery Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, Jacksonville and Orange Park, FL
2004-2007: Residency in Companion Animal Surgery Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

PUBLICATIONS:
Use of a reverse saphenous skin flap for the excision of a grade II mast cell tumor on the hind limb of a dog, Canadian Veterinary Journal. 2002 August; 43(8): 620:622
Effects of carprofen on the integrity and barrier function of canine colonic mucosa, American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2008 February; 69(2)

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
• Soft Tissue Surgery
• Abdominal surgery
• Thoracic surgery
• Oncologic surgery

Orthopedic Surgery
• Hip dysplasia
• TPLO for CCL rupture
* Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA surgery)
• Triple pelvic osteotomy
• Arthroscopy
• Fracture repair

SPECIAL INTERESTS:
Neurosurgery: Throughout her training, Dr. Briere has developed a strong interest and expertise in the surgical and medical management of neurological conditions including intervertebral disk disease, intracranial tumors and cysts, atlantoaxial instability, lumbosacral disease, spinal fractures, etc.

Pain management: Dr. Briere strongly believes in providing aggressive pain management to her patients during the perioperative period. She has worked closely with veterinary anesthesiologists during her residency to become familiar with multimodal analgesia (pain control through different pathways at the same time) and various pain management techniques such as epidurals and local blocks.

Dr. Abigail Mariano, VMD, DACVS-SA

Mariano Edit

Dr. Mariano received her Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012, graduating magna cum laude. After that, she spent one year at the Animal Medical Center in New York City for an intensive internship in small animal medicine and surgery.  She was then accepted to the competitive surgical residency at Tufts University, where she spent the next three years developing an expertise in soft tissue, neurologic, and orthopedic surgeries.

Dr. Mariano has a strong interest in minimally invasive techniques and has attended several training human and veterinary labs in addition to her experience at Tufts. She also particularly enjoys surgical oncology, exotic pet surgery, and emergency procedures.

She also has several publications in veterinary journals on topics including renal transplantation in cats, bladder healing after stone removal, and TPLO (knee) surgeries in dogs.

Dr. Mariano is a native of Norwell, MA and is thrilled to be back to the area with her husband, young daughter, horse, dog, and three cats.

View Credentials

Education:

  • 2002-2006—Dartmouth College, AB
  • 2006-2008—Tufts University, Post-Baccalaureate
  • 2008-2012—University of Pennsylvania, VMD, Magna Cum Laude

Board Certification:
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Employment:

  • 2012-2013—Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship, Animal Medical Center
  • 2013-2016—Small Animal Surgical Resident, Tufts University

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Minimally invasive Surgery
  • Urogenital Surgery
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Oncologic Surgery
  • Airway Surgery
  • Abdominal Surgery
  • Emergency Surgical Procedures
  • Neurologic Surgery
  • Joint Injections for Arthritis

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Minimally Invasive Surgery:

Dr. Mariano has a strong interest in minimally invasive procedures ranging from joint arthroscopy, thoracoscopy (chest), and laparoscopy (abdomen). She has extensive experience with laparoscopic spays, liver biopsies, gastropexies, and thoracoscopic pericardectomies. Research has shown that recovery from minimally invasive procedures can be faster and more comfortable for your pet.

Surgical Oncology:

Throughout her training, Dr. Mariano has found the surgical treatment of oncological tumors particularly rewarding. She is dedicated to teaming up with your veterinarian and cancer specialists to treat a wide range of cancers through a multimodality approach

PUBLICATIONS

Mariano AD, Kudej RK, Sutherland-Smith J, Penninck D. Ultrasonographic evaluation of canine urinary bladder healing following cystotomy. Prospective study, completed on a grant. Submitted for publication.

Mariano AD, Kowaleski MP, Boudrieau RJ. Novel TPLO Alignment Jig/Saw Guide Reproduces Freehand and Ideal Osteotomy Positions. PLoS One 2016; 11(8): doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161110.

Phillips H, Mariano A, Aronson LR. Preoperative clinical picture of renal transplant cats with a focus on cardiac changes and surgical outcome. Pending imminent submission for publication.

Raske M, Kovak-McClaran J, Mariano A. Short-term Wound Complications and Predictive Variables for Complication After Limb Amputation in Dogs and Cats. J Small Anim Pract, 2015; 56(4): 247-52.

Durham AC, Mariano AD, Holmes ES, Aronson L. Characterization of post transplantation lymphoma in renal transplant recipients. J Comp Pathol 2014; 150(2-3): 162-8.

Wormser C, Mariano A, Holmes ES, Aronson LR, Volk SW. Post-transplant malignant neoplasia associated with cyclosporine-based immunotherapy: prevalence, risk factors and survival in feline renal transplant recipients. Vet Comp Oncol. Accepted Oct 2014, ahead of print, doi: 10.1111/vco.12120.

Raske M, Hulse D. SwiveLock bone anchor stabilization of the cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle in dogs: Clinical outcome. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine 2013; 3(7): 297-301.