Veterinarian/Owner
Dr. Kristen Szydlowski, the Director and Owner of SAVA, received her undergraduate degrees from John Hopkins University in behavioral biology and from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in French Horn performance in 1998. After graduation, she moved to Philadelphia and worked in a research laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania studying neural tube development. She continued at the University of Pennsylvania in their veterinary medicine program, and graduated in 2003. She worked in practices in Princeton and Collingswood, NJ, until moving to the Jersey Shore in 2009 where she began work as a relief veterinarian. In 2023, after working at SAVA for 13 years, she purchased the practice from Dr. O'Rourke.
In 2013, she developed a shoulder injury. She was initially treated with steroid injections, physical therapy and medications, but it was only after she was treated with acupuncture did she realize the power of integrative medicine. She was eager to learn how to help companion animals with acupuncture, so in 2015, she completed the Basic Acupuncture course at the Chi Institute in Reddick, Florida. In 2023, she received her certification in TCVM palliative and end-of-life care.
She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) and the World Association of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (WATCVM). She is also certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family. She also lives with 3 crazy cats, 7 chickens and her snake Houdini. She is an avid CrossFitter and loves to travel.