Daphne Clendaniel VMD, MS is a Delaware native whose dedication to a career in veterinary medicine began at an early age. She practiced as a veterinary nurse during the completion of her BS and MS in Animal Science at the University of Delaware. Early exposures to specialty practice lead her to develop an interest in small animal surgery. She obtained her Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. Her training included an externship in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She continued her training post graduation by completing a small animal rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital before being accepted into a surgical internship program at the Animal Medical Center in New York. Four months into her surgical internship training, she left to accept and complete an accredited three year residency in small animal surgery at the Veterinary Referral Center in Malvern, PA. Prior to attending veterinary school she received a Bachelor of Science (Pre-veterinary concentration) and Master of Science (Microbiology under the discipline of Immunology of Infectious Diseases) in Animal Science from the University of Delaware.
Dr. Clendaniel was awarded best graduate research paper and presentation at the 73rd North Eastern Conference on Avian Diseases. Her graduate research at the University of Delaware contributed to vaccine development for a common respiratory pathogen in poultry. Upon receiving her veterinary degree, Dr. Clendaniel was awarded the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Student Award of Excellence in Small Animal Surgery. Since then, Dr. Clendaniel has authored and coauthored several scientific studies in multiple peer reviewed journals and continues to participate in ongoing research. She has participated in writing articles for local newsletters and has lectured on topics in veterinary surgery as part of continuing education.
Prior to joining VREC in 2020, Dr. Clendaniel worked in multi-specialty practices in Delaware and Pennsylvania. She will continue to offer her expertise and professional interests in all areas of soft tissue surgery including head and neck, cardiothoracic, abdominal, urogenital, wound care/reconstruction, surgical oncology as well as neurosurgery. Dr. Clendaniel also has training in areas of minimally invasive procedures which include laryngoscopy, tracheoscopy, otoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, vaginoscopy, urethroscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, and laparoscopy, as well as endoscopic retrieval of foreign bodies.
Dr. Clendaniel is an active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA,) Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA,) Society of Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgery (SVSTS,) and International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM.) When not caring for patients, Dr. Clendaniel loves spending time with family and friends, including dogs Maximus, Niles, and Daisy and rabbit Iris. She enjoys cooking, travel, hiking and yoga. Dr. Clendaniel is certified in Reiki (Levels I and II) and is fascinated with alternative/holistic approaches to medicine.