VCA Wilshire Animal Hospital

Bios

• Frank Lavac

  DVM

  Our Medical Director is Dr. Frank Lavac. He is board certified in Avian Medicine and Surgery and leads our team of veterinarians and staff. While Dr. Lavac has expertise in birds and exotics, most of his patients are dogs and cats. Dr. Lavac has been in practice since 1980. After receiving his B.S. with Distinction in Microbiology in 1974, and his M.S. in Microbiology in 1976, he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1980. He completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery in West Los Angeles in 1980-81. In 1994 he became certified as a Diplomat, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners-Avian and re-certified in 2004. When not at VCA Wilshire, Dr. Lavac enjoys teaching and education. He is an Associate Professor at Western University School of Veterinary Medicine and he is also a lecturer at UCLA Extension. In addition to sharing his knowledge with students, he works as a Consultant at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the American Teaching Zoo, Moorpark College and the Los Angeles Zoo, California Condor Project. Dr. Lavac also sits on the board of Parrots International, Much Love Animal Rescue. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica. Dr. Lavac lives in Malibu with his wife and daughter and has two rescue cats and a rescue Chihuahua named Little Angel.

  Education:

• James Schulke

  DVM

  Dr. Jim Schulke is board certified in Feline Medicine. He also sees lots of dogs, as well as other species. A native of Oregon, he obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University in 1988. He began practicing at VCA Wilshire Animal Hospital in 2001. Dr. Schulke loves those cats! He is a long standing member of the Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), and he became Board Certified in Feline Practice in 2003. He focuses his continuing education efforts attending feline conferences, in order to stay informed on the the latest information and techniques regarding feline medicine and surgery. He has special interests in Senior feline care, kidney and urinary tract diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Dr. Schulke lives in Santa Monica with his wife and two Siamese cats.

• Pernilla Edstrom

  DVM

  Dr. Pernilla Edstrom was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, and moved to Los Angeles when she was 15 years old. While she always knew she had a passion for animals, growing up she realized that she had a strong desire to help people as well. Combining the two by pursuing veterinary medicine seemed like the perfect career and she began the journey in earnest to fulfill this goal. Dr. Edstrom received her Bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic University of Pomona, and put herself through school by working as a veterinary technician at a hospital in Beverly Hills and waiting tables. She was accepted as part of the first graduating veterinary class at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona. After receiving her veterinary doctorate, she accepted an internship at Animal Surgical and Emergency Center (ASEC) in West Los Angeles. There, she was exposed to a multitude of specialties, such as Emergency and Critical Care, Surgery, Cardiology, Radiology, and Internal Medicine. Currently she has a special interest in avian and small mammal medicine, and hopes to become board certified in that area in the future. In her spare time she enjoys tackling new areas of learning, such as salsa dancing, and martial arts. Language is also a special interest of Dr. Edstrom's. She is fluent in Swedish, English, and proficient in Spanish. She thoroughly enjoys the outdoors, goes river rafting and camping with friends in the summer and loves to play volleyball at the beach whenever she can. She loves to travel and hopes to visit Africa again some time soon. Dr. Edstrom also enjoys reading, movies, entertaining friends and loves to listen to music. She lives with her menagerie of pets and hopes that one day one of them will learn how to use the vacuum!.

• Ashley Mustakas

  DVM, Associate Veterinarian

  Dr. Ashley Mustakas is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. After earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine credentials, she successfully completed a 14 month rotating small animal internship at Hollywood Animal Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. During her rotating internship, additional training in surgery, internal medicine, and emergency medicine was obtained under the auspices of boarding specialists. Dr. Mustakas then worked as an emergency and critical care veterinarian at a referral and specialty hospital in Palm Beach, Florida. Her experience at the referral hospital helped to deepen her understanding of complex critical cases, emergency stabilization and advanced diagnostic and treatment options. Her profile interests now include primarily small animal (dog and cat) general medicine with a focus on wellness, geriatric care, preventative care, soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, pain management and dermatology. Nutrition consulting is also available for healthy pets as well those suffering from illness.

  Education:

• Greg Scott

  DVM, Associate Veterinarian