Desert Ridge Animal Hospital

Meet Our Doctors

We pride ourselves on building long-lasting relationships with our patients and clients.

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Desert Ridge Team

The doctors at Desert Ridge Animal Hospital were recently voted the best veterinarians in the Valley by Arizona Foothills Magazine! They are supported by a devoted and experienced staff of veterinary professionals and customer care specialists. They are very honored by this award and will work for you to maintain that standard.

Furthermore, all of the doctors at our hospital are “Fear Free” certified – this means they have additional training to make each visit as stress-free as possible for your pet.

Desert Ridge doctors
michael

Michael Berman, DVM

Veterinarian / Owner

Before purchasing Desert Ridge Animal Hospital, Dr. Berman spent five years working in other practices in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ. A born and raised Minnesotan, he graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Dr. Berman enjoys all aspects of veterinary care but has a particular interest in nutrition, dental care, behavior, and feline internal medicine. In 2016, Dr. Berman became the first Fear Free certified veterinarian in the state of Arizona – a philosophy he brings to all aspects of patient care for your pets here in North Scottsdale! In 2017, Dr. Berman joined the Veterinary Dentistry Academy, a select group of doctors who have completed advanced training in all aspects of oral care for dogs and cats.

When Dr. Berman isn’t at the hospital, he can often be found at home with his wife, Dr. Kitchen, and their twin boys. 

katie

Katie Kitchen, DVM

Veterinarian / Owner
Before purchasing Desert Ridge Animal Hospital, Dr. Kitchen worked at Faust Animal Hospital in Phoenix for nearly four years. Born and raised in Arizona, she graduated from Deer Valley High School and Arizona State University West before heading up to Minnesota for vet school. This is where she met her future husband, Dr. Berman. It wasn’t hard to convince him that sunshine was better than snow, and they moved back to Arizona shortly after she graduated. Dr. Kitchen has a particular interest in behavior, nutrition, and canine internal medicine.

When not at the clinic, Dr. Kitchen enjoys spending time with her husband, their twin boys, and the furry members of their family: Mason, an Australian Shepherd, their Siamese cats Melvin and JB, Yoshi and Carrot the guinea pigs, and Tworty the tortoise. If she gets a bit of downtime, Dr. Kitchen loves to read or play silly games on her phone.

Dr. Stacy Duffy

Rishika Virdee, DVM

Veterinarian
Dr. Virdee is an AZ local. She attended BASIS Scottsdale for high school and graduated with a degree in Microbiology from Arizona State’s Barrett Honors College. She was drawn to Veterinary Medicine during her undergraduate years, and took her compassion for animals back to her parents’ home country of India. She volunteered for several weeks with Animal Aid Unlimited and Mission Rabies Goa prior to attending veterinary school at Purdue University.

Outside of work, Dr. Virdee loves to travel and has an affinity for the arts; she could happily spend just as long over-analyzing an inspiring piece of cinema/literature as she would your fur kiddo’s X-rays. She has a family dog (a white Maltipoo named Ollie) and a cat whom she adopted 2nd year of Vet School (a shorthaired grey tabby named Bumi).

Dr. Stacy Duffy

Kendra Thomas, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Thomas is a Phoenix native and has been surrounded by animals from a very young age. Her early passion led her to start working in a veterinary clinic at 15 years old. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Arizona before completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Washington State University. After several years of snowy winters during veterinary school, she was excited to return to sunny Arizona to continue her career close to home.

Since graduating, Dr. Thomas has been practicing in the Scottsdale area, where she enjoys building lasting relationships with pets and their families. Her professional interests include feline medicine, senior pet care, internal medicine, and dentistry.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Thomas shares her home with her small poodle mix, Muffin, and her spirited three-legged cat, Neville. She enjoys staying active through paddle boarding, pilates, barre, and weightlifting, and she also loves spending time reading.