Unnerving Excellence

The neurologists at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists are board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in the subspecialty of neurology. Neurologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Pets are most often referred to the neurology service because of an inability to walk, an abnormal gait, abnormal behaviors, or seizures. If your pet is referred to the neurology service for a consultation, our neurologists will obtain a detailed history and description from you regarding your pet’s symptoms, perform an in-depth neurologic examination of your pet, and then may recommend additional diagnostic testing.
Diagnostics frequently performed by the OSVS neurologists include:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and analysis
  • Muscle and nerve biopsy

LAUREN MARINI

BOARD CERTIFIED—NEUROLOGY

Dr. Marini received her veterinary degree from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She then moved to Washington State University for her internship and on to Phoenix, Arizona, for a neurology residency at the Veterinary Neurological Center. She completed her residency in 2010 and achieved board certification in neurology with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2012. Her special interests within neurology include diagnosing and treating encephalitis, refractory seizure treatment, and the role of physical therapy in recovery from neurological diseases.

Outside of work, Dr. Marini enjoys playing viola in the Narragansett Bay Symphony Orchestra, riding horses, rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles (when they actually win), hiking with her dogs and drinking wine with her sommelier husband. She and Dan have a household of “partially broken” animals including two corgis named Thomas and Wally (a Cardigan and a Pembroke…with a tail) and a small black cat named Leroy.

JAMES CELLINI

Dr. James Cellini is originally from Kennesaw, GA and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) where he received his bachelor’s degree in biology in 2005. He attended The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine for veterinary school and graduated in 2009. Following veterinary school, he completed his small animal rotating internship at Veterinary Specialists of South Florida, followed by a neurology internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX. He worked as an emergency doctor in Albuquerque, NM after the internship. He then completed a neurology and neurosurgery residency in New Mexico and became board certified in 2017. He worked as a staff neurologist at MedVet Chicago from 2016 to 2020. Dr. Cellini is very excited to have recently joined Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in 2021 to continue providing care for pets with neurologic dysfunction.

Dr. Cellini loves all things neurology, although he takes particular interest in spinal surgery and management of meningitis.

In his personal time, Dr. Cellini enjoys the opposing hobbies of cooking (he fancies himself a professional chef in a past life) as well as being active and exercising. Most importantly he enjoys spending time with his wife Liz and daughter Beatrice who he is excited to watch grow up here in beautiful Rhode Island.

The Right Plan

Based on the assessment of your pet, the neurologists will discuss treatment options with you, which might include surgery or medical therapy. Many patients in neurology are experiencing some level of pain associated with their disease process, and the neurologists will often prescribe medications to help manage acute or chronic pain. The neurologists will work closely with your primary veterinarian to ensure that your pet is progressing as expected and to offer additional guidance or follow-up care as needed.

The Right Plan

Based on the assessment of your pet, the neurologists will discuss treatment options with you, which might include surgery or medical therapy. Many patients in neurology are experiencing some level of pain associated with their disease process, and the neurologists will often prescribe medications to help manage acute or chronic pain. The neurologists will work closely with your primary veterinarian to ensure that your pet is progressing as expected and to offer additional guidance or follow-up care as needed.

Neurosurgery

The neurologists often collaborates with our surgeons in the treatment of conditions that are best managed with surgical intervention. Neurologic conditions that are treated surgically at OSVS include (but are not limited to):

  • Intervertebral disc disease
  • Vertebral fractures/luxation
  • Cervical vertebral instability
  • Tumor resection from brain, spinal cord
  • Congenital Spinal Defects

Surgeries are performed by one of our board-certified surgeons, or by James Cellini, who provides both medical and surgical neurology services.

Neurosurgery

The neurologists often collaborates with our surgeons in the treatment of conditions that are best managed with surgical intervention. Neurologic conditions that are treated surgically at OSVS include (but are not limited to):

  • Intervertebral disc disease
  • Vertebral fractures/luxation
  • Cervical vertebral instability
  • Tumor resection from brain, spinal cord
  • Congenital Spinal Defects

Surgeries are performed by one of our board-certified surgeons, or by James Cellini, who provides both medical and surgical neurology services.