Inspired by the adage “if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Dr. Katsur decided to leave her initial profession in private banking at JPMorgan on Wall Street to pursue her true passion of helping animals who cannot advocate for themselves. Dr. Katsur believes animals easily understand the language of true love and care, and she strives to provide that experience to all of her patients daily.
Dr. Katsur received a Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College. Dr. Katsur graduated from the Sound Academy of Ultrasound Soft Tissue Imaging program, providing her the ability to perform abdominal ultrasounds on her patients in addition to her general practice. She has a special interest in preventive care, dermatology, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Katsur also has a soft spot for elderly patients and strives to help them attain and maintain their best quality of life.
Dr. Katsur has been voted one of Northern Virginia’s Best Veterinarians by Northern Virginia Magazine every year from 2020 to 2024.
What inspired you to become a veterinarian?
I actually started way, way back when. I had pictures posted all over my bedroom with "Save the Animals," "Save the Rainforest," and I used to use my allowance to pay for it. Then I kind of got sidetracked from my love of animals. I was good at math, so like any other kid, you don't really know what you want to do.
I ended up in private banking in New York City, and after about 3 and a half years, I realized I really missed my love of animals and decided, on a circuitous path, that I was going to open up a small animal business. During that pathway, it was going to be animal physical therapy, boarding, and grooming.
I took a massage course for animals out in Soma, and they started going over anatomy and diseases and all the things to help them, and it just hit me. I was like, I want to be a vet. I don't want to own a business. I want to be a vet. That's really what drove me, knowing I can help animals and give back to how much they've given to me.
Where did you go to veterinary school?
I went to the University of Pennsylvania and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College. The University of Pennsylvania is an awesome vet school. It was an amazing experience. We had not only a nice small animal experience, but actually a large animal experience. Even though I'm not a large animal vet, it was an amazing facility. Couldn't ask for anything better.
What does fear-free mean to you?
I think it's so important that when a pet comes in here, they love being here. As a veterinarian, you go into it because you love animals. When pets come in here, and they don't want to be near us, and they're scared of us, that defeats the purpose, right?
Our goal is to make sure that these pets feel comfortable, feel happy, everybody's happy in the room—not only me, the owner, and the pet—so that it's a good experience. Because if they're fearful, we don't get the best exam that we would. We don't get the best knowledge that we would gain from watching them walk around the room. So fear-free is making sure we create an environment where every animal feels comfortable.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Skiing—I feel more confident on skis than on my own two feet. Been skiing since I was two. Do a lot of that. Heli-skiing at times. Wildlife photography. I love seeing wildlife in their natural environment. It's amazing, these animals that are out there.
Then I realized other people need to experience this, so I decided to pick up a camera. So that's another interest of mine. And then trail running. My dog is insane and has the energy of like 10 dogs. So I picked up something where we both could enjoy it. A lot of trail running, enjoying the outdoors, as well as getting some energy out.
What is your favorite part of being a veterinarian?
My favorite part is seeing the dogs and the people being happy. That's my goal: happy, healthy, long life. And if I can achieve that, whether it's preventative medicine and finding things before they happen or helping them in crisis, it's the best moment because animals are a part of your family, and you want them to stay here as long as you possibly can and as happy as they possibly can.
If you have any questions about preventative medicine, looking internally, searching for concerns before they happen, or anything for pain-free modifications for older pets, feel free to email me or come see me. I'm here for you.