VCA Burbank Animal Hospital

Bios

• Edsel Robertson

  DVM

  Dr. Edsel Robertson graduated from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1967. He worked as a Veterinarian in The Small Animal Hospital at Tuskegee University from 1967-1970. In 1971 he relocated to California and began practicing at Animal Hospital of Burbank which has since become VCA Animal Hospital of Burbank.

• Vanessa Aberman

  DVM

  For Dr. Vanessa Aberman, a love of animals is in the blood. Dr. Aberman's father was a respected veterinarian in the LA area for almost forty years, so it was of little surprise when as a child she proclaimed herself a future veterinarian, just like her dear old dad. After receiving her B.A. in Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and completing her D.V.M. at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Aberman returned home to her native Los Angeles to practice medicine and make good on her childhood proclamation. She lives with her husband (a TV producer), her two sons, and her beloved cat Motown, and desert tortoises Ponch & John. In December 2011, Dr. Aberman was certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Veterinary Practioners (ABVP) specializing in Canine and Feline Practice. She mastered a rigorous and demanding application process and certification examination in order to obtain Diplomate status. To qualify to sit for the extensive, two day examination, a veterinarian must complete either a residency program or six years of clinical practice. In addition, two case reports, references, descriptions of practice procedures, and professional education records must be submitted and pass review. The ABVP is accredited by a special committee of the American Veterinary Medical Association to recognize excellence in clinical practice though certification of species-oriented specialists.

• Nicole Coates

  DVM

  Dr. Nicole Coates graduated from The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. After veterinary school, she completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, shelter medicine, and humane law enforcement at Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in New York, and then worked for one year as a feline-exclusive veterinarian. She joined VCA Animal Hospital of Burbank in August 2011. Dr. Coates is a certified trainer in Small Animal Restraint & Handling and Small Animal CPR, through Basic Animal Rescue Training, a program that teaches firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders how to capture, restrain, assess, and perform first aid on animals they encounter in the course of their duties. She lives with her two cats Wednesday and Miss Ghostie.

• Helen Sindell

  DVM

  Dr. Sindell received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1999 in international affairs and political science. She discovered her passion for veterinary medicine soon after graduation and she continued her education at Western University's College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California where she received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. While attending veterinary school, Dr. Sindell was active with the Student Veterinary Business Management Association and the Student Veterinary Medical Association. Following graduation, Dr. Sindell completed an additional year of postdoctoral specialty training, as a rotating intern at the Animal Specialty and Emergency Center in West Los Angeles. During this internship year, she worked along side board certified criticalists, surgeons, internists, cardiologist, radiologist and oncologist. Upon completion of her internship, Dr. Sindell enjoyed general practice in small animal medicine. Dr. Sindell further pursued acupuncture training from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and has since enjoyed integrating acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in to her daily practice. Dr. Sindell finds profound satisfaction in seeing patient's quality of life improve through a holistic approach integrating Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine for the best possible outcome. In her spare time, Dr. Sindell enjoys hiking in the beautiful outdoors, scuba diving, exploring LA dining, and traveling. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their 3 incredible dogs.