Lara A. Sypniewski

Dr. Lara A. Sypniewski serves as the Hethorne Clinical Professor of Small Animal Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. She has held this position since January 2010 and is also a Clinical Professor in Small Animal Primary Care at the Boren Veterinary Medical Hospital.

Dr. Sypniewski earned her DVM from Purdue University in 1998. Her professional certifications include:

• Diplomat of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (canine/feline) - certified 2008, re-certified 2017
• Traditional Chinese Veterinary Acupuncture Certification from Chi Institute (2014-present)
• Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification from University of Tennessee (2014-present)
• Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians Certification from Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (2012-present)

Her research focuses on nutritional impacts on health, virtual reality educational platforms, photobiomodulation, and the impact of pain medication and cannabinoids in companion animals. Her work particularly emphasizes rabbit gastrointestinal physiology, canine nutrition comparisons between raw and kibble diets, and photobiomodulation therapy applications. She has published extensively on the effects of various medications on gastrointestinal function in rabbits and comparative studies of raw versus kibble diets in dogs.

Her scholarly work reveals consistent themes in veterinary pharmacology (particularly regarding buprenorphine effects in rabbits), canine nutrition science (comparing raw meat-based diets to commercial kibble), and photobiomodulation therapy applications. Her research often incorporates multi-disciplinary approaches, combining clinical observations with laboratory analyses of microbiota, metabolomics, and inflammatory markers.

Dr. Sypniewski has received recognition through professional certifications and serves as a subject matter expert in her field. She has been consulted by media outlets including Fox 23, KFOR Channel 4, and Insider.com regarding veterinary topics such as CBD safety for dogs and curbside veterinary care during the pandemic.

She is actively involved in teaching veterinary students at Oklahoma State University, specializing in small animal primary care, toxicology, medical diagnoses, and integrative medicine interventions including acupuncture. Dr. Sypniewski has secured multiple research grants, including funding from Instinct Pet Food for oral health evaluation in dogs consuming different diets and from LiteCure LLC for photobiomodulation research.