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The University of Rhode Island’s animal doctor, David Serra, has been named Veterinarian of the Year by the Southern New England chapter of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science.

The URI attending veterinarian works closely with researchers and the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to ensure that all animals are cared for and treated appropriately. He also has his own private practice in Richmond, where he treats local pets. We interviewed Dr. Serra over the phone to learn about his past as a veterinarian and to find out about the future of animal testing.

When did you know you wanted to be a vet?

When I was five years old. I always loved dogs. I loved being around them, and we always had them. The more dogs that were around, the better. One day, my dad read in The Westerly Sun about a firehouse dog that had had a bladder stone removed. He told me about it, and I said, “They can do that?” He said, “Yes, it’s called a veterinarian.” And I said, “That’s what I want to do.” My dad is a dentist, so we have always been a medically-oriented family.

Where did you go to school to become a veterinarian?

I received my Bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Rhode Island. In those days, it was impossible to get into veterinary school as someone from New England. There wasn’t a veterinary school in New England at the time. Most veterinary schools in the country limited applicants to those who were already living in the state. The applicant receipt ratio was thirteen to one. I decided when I graduated from URI, to move to Pennsylvania, and I worked at Hershey Medical Center for two years, and I became a resident of the state. Then I applied to the University of Pennsylvania as a resident. I had to jump through a lot of hoops, but that’s what you did in those days. There are more schools now than there used to be.

What did you do after graduating from UPenn?

I graduated in 1983, and decided to specialize in internal medicine. We have specialties just like in human medicine. I did an internship at Purdue for a year, then earned residency in internal medicine at Tufts. At the time, Tufts was part of Angell Memorial Hospital [now Angell Animal Medical Center] in Boston, which was the second largest animal hospital in the world. You were lucky if you got an internship at Angell, because they had such a huge caseload, and I learned a lot by being there. From there, I worked at a group practice for six years in Derry, N.H., from 1986-1992. My major interest was in gastroenterology. I had a mobile practice doing endoscopy, for which you pass a scope into an animal’s stomach through the intestines to conduct a biopsy non-invasively. I went from practice to practice all over New England doing more than 1,000 endoscopies a year.

What was your most rewarding experience as a vet?

The most exciting case was a gorilla with chronic vomiting at the Stone Zoo. The gorilla was sedated and then I did an endoscopy. We did ultrasounds, x-rays and blood work while the gorilla was under anesthesia. It turned out he had food allergies. They put him on a controlled diet and he got better.

Do you have pets at home?

We have four dogs, a cat and three chickens. Two of the dogs are Chihuahuas, we have another Japanese Chin and our other dog is a Japanese Chin crossed with a Papillion. We also had our share of rodents, rats and mice.

Were the rodents rescued from the URI labs?

[Laughs] No.

Speaking of animal testing, how has it evolved over time?

Researchers are becoming more conscious of it. The Animal Welfare Act was rewritten in the late 1980s. It forced researchers to search the literature in order to have a protocol approved before they use animals for testing, to make sure there’s no computer or tissue culture or fish model that can be used instead, and also to see if there’s anything of lower sentient, that they can gain information from before using animals for testing. Researchers follow the three R’s: They refine techniques before animals can be used, they reuse animals in multiple protocols, and they reduce the overall number of animals used in a protocol by using statistical methods. They are being extremely conscious of that. The other current trend within the framework is to eliminate pain and distress of animals by giving them proper housing, good nutrition and environmental enrichment. Oral medications are given in treat form and they receive proper handling and conditioning. Animal research is going to continue, but we really care about the mice. In fact, lab mice live way longer and have much better lives than any mouse in your house or outside. They eat better; they play better. They don’t have to worry about being eaten by a cat. They live better than any mouse.

What precautions should you take before welcoming a stray animal into your home?

Make sure to vaccinate the animal. Stray cats should be tested for the big four; leukemia, feline AIDS, toxoplasmosis and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Get them tested before you bring them into the house. If you have more than one animal, make sure both have been vaccinated. Also have a fecal specimen examined for intestinal parasites before bringing them into the house.

Rhode Island Monthly's February issue features the best vets in Rhode Island, for which David Serra will be mentioned. His two Chihuahuas will also be pictured in a feature on pet accessories. For more information, pick up the February issue on newsstands at the end of January .