From the moment you walk through the doors of the East Greenbush Animal Hospital, you and your pet will be made to feel comfortable by our professional, knowledgeable and courteous staff.
Dr. Debbie Chew
Dr. Debbie Chew grew up in Los Angeles, California and graduated from the University of California at Davis College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She then completed an internship in Small Animal Surgery and Emergency Medicine at the California Animal Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Afterward, Dr. Chew moved to a small town in Northern California where she managed the Corning Veterinary Hospital for 6 years.
In the year 2000, she made a new start in upstate New York, practicing originally at the Animal Health Center in Clifton Park and later opening East Greenbush Animal Hospital with her husband, Dr. Rocchio.
Dr. Chew loves her work. In addition to general small animal medicine, her interests include surgery and rabbit medicine.
Dr. Chris Rocchio
Dr. Chris Rocchio (pronounced “Rocky-O”) grew up in Bay Shore, New York and graduated from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993.
After graduation, he moved cross-country to Los Angeles, California to complete an internship in Small Animal Surgery and Emergency Medicine at the California Animal Hospital. Dr. Rocchio then moved to northern California, where he managed the Anderson Veterinary Hospital for 6 years.
In the year 2000, he returned to New York and has practiced at the Parkside Veterinary Hospital in Albany and the Animal Health Center in Clifton Park.
Dr. Rocchio and Dr. Debbie Chew started the East Greenbush Animal Hospital in 2003 which is presently a five doctor practice. Dr. Rocchio’s interests include general medicine, canine reproduction and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery.
Dr. Alex Spock
Dr. Alex Spock grew up in Durham, North Carolina and received his B.S. in Biology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He then went on to obtain his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University in 2004.
After graduating, he accepted a small animal internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in New Jersey. There, he had an opportunity to gain advanced experience in multiple specialty fields including Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Neurology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology and Surgery. His main interests include ophthalmology and cardiology.
Dr. Spock practiced in a small animal hospital in Maryland for 3 years before deciding to explore new places. He joined the East Greenbush Animal Hospital staff in November 2008 and has been a great addition to the team. In his spare time, Dr. Spock enjoys traveling, tennis, running, and chess, as well as spending time hiking with his wife, daughter and dogs. He has 4 dogs (Shadoh, Blue, Sally, Ester), 3 cats (Chasi, Fire, KitKat), and one chinchilla named Edgar.
Dr. Kristin St. Denis
Dr. Kristin St. Denis is a native of the area, raised in Clifton Park, NY. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Wagner College in 2005 then continued her studies at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she was awarded a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. Through high school, she worked as a technician assistant at a small animal practice in Latham, NY. After graduating, Dr. St. Denis returned to that practice caring for patients for four years. She joined East Greenbush Animal Hospital in the fall of 2013. She has a special interest in Cardiology and Ultrasound.
Dr. St. Denis, her husband and son share their home with the family pets: Optimus Prime and Jazz(dogs) and Bumblebee (cat). When she is not caring for patients, she may be found at one of her son’s sporting events, running, or enjoying a good book.
Dr. Susanne Patashnick
Dr. Susanne Patashnick grew up in the Capital Region and still has family ties to this area. She received her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior from Vassar College. After a brief hiatus from school during which time she worked at a veterinary clinic in West Virginia and then traveled to Utah for a zoo keeping internship at an aviary, she came back to New York for veterinary school. She graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. After several visits as a relief veterinarian, the East Greenbush Animal Hospital was excited to hire her full time in October 2015. Professionally, Susanne particularly enjoys ophthalmology and wildlife medicine. She is also passionate about client education. She is an avid gardener, hiker, tick identifier, birdwatcher, and of course loves spending time with her pets and family.
Dr. Rebecca Barclay
Dr. Barclay has always shown interest in animals from an early age. She began horseback riding when she was young and even persuaded her parents to adopt a family dog. Rebecca combined her love of animals and inclination towards science when she pursued her animal science degree. While in school she gained experience by working at a local veterinary clinic and enjoyed her time there so much she made the decision to apply to veterinary school.
She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst for her undergraduate studies where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Pre-Veterinary Sciences. After finishing up her studies in Massachusetts she then moved to Minnesota and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Barclay loves being able to improve the quality of life for pets and their owners. She has a passion for helping as many families as possible and a special interest in preventative medicine. When she has some downtime, Dr. Barclay loves spending time with her cats Archer & Ivy, reading a good book with a nice glass of wine, or participating in a 5k/10k. She has been enjoying everything the Capital District has to offer since moving back to the east coast in 2017. In her spare time during the winter months you will find Dr. Barclay at any of the nearby mountains enjoying some downhill skiing.