Bios + Info

Our Philosophy

As your primary care veterinarians, we provide full-service health care including advanced diagnostics, anesthetic, surgical and dental services. We treat health problems when they arise and perform wellness care with an emphasis on preventive medicine to keep your pet healthy. Our focus on an integrated approach to medicine incorporates western and eastern practices. Conventional medicinal therapy and laboratory diagnostics are incorporated with food therapy, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, behavior and exercise to create a personalized treatment plan for our patients. We also provide in-depth second opinions, hospice care, quality-of-life consultations and in-home euthanasia. For unique or more challenging cases, we can refer you to an appropriate veterinary specialist.

The Founders:

dtlavets are Dr. Eve Flores and Dr. Leia Castañeda. We utilize our common education and varied professional experiences to provide consistency and excellence in care.

Dr. Leia Castañeda

I graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada in 2002. I immediately entered a year-long rotating internship in small animal medicine, surgery, radiology, ophthalmology and oncology at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura, CA. The internship not only gave me a wealth of experience and practice, but it also brought me Dr. Eve Flores, an outstanding veterinarian and wonderful friend. With our internships complete in 2003, we both ventured into separate small animal practices in the Los Angeles area. In 2007 I also began working part-time in emergency medicine and eventually transitioned exclusively to the emergency room setting in 2010. Because of my own experiences as the owner of an arthritic dog who benefited greatly from acupuncture, I decided to pursue this new study. I became licensed in veterinary acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) in 2011, and now offer this service to my patients for a wide scope of health conditions, including behavioral, orthopedic, endocrine, neurologic and many others. Currently I am completing a certification in veterinary food therapy, which uses real foods and supplements as a form of medicine. I am excited about integrating eastern and western philosophies to bring the best veterinary health care to my patients.

Soy bilingue y ofrezco mis servicios a la comunidad de habla Hispana.

Dr. Eve Flores

Graduating from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, was just the beginning of my life as a veterinarian. My career began, much like Dr. Castañeda’s, with an internship at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura, California where I worked with specialists in internal medicine, surgery, radiology and ophthalmology. After an arduous year of learning my good friend and partner, Dr. Castañeda, and I completed our apprenticeship. Excited to use what I had learned, I threw myself head-first into a busy practice in West Los Angeles and adopted a skinny, loving little German Shepherd from a local shelter. After a few years of doggie-parenting, my husband and I expanded our family with the birth of our first son. I returned to medicine as a relief veterinarian in various hospitals and acquired further emergency medicine experience. In the summer of 2006, I created Veterinary Home Hospice after helping my beloved childhood companion, Charlie, through a prolonged illness. Charlie was lovingly euthanized in my home. Although the end seemed too soon, I was comforted that he passed in my arms and in his own bed. Since his passing, it has been my mission to share this gift by providing quality home hospice care and compassionate in-home euthanasia. I have spent the last 5 years working closely with clients and patients in their homes while also providing general health care for patients in the Alhambra and South Pasadena area. After 9 years of being a veterinarian I continue to learn from my patients every day.

Dr. Lauren De Silva

What I love about my profession is its unique blend of animal care, human interaction, and medicine. I am known for my dedication and tenderness, as well as my efforts to educate – to help owners truly understand veterinary care rather than overwhelm with confusing jargon. Of course, my educational foundation is instrumental in my ability to deliver excellent care. A Los Angeles native, I traveled to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania. Here I earned all three of my degrees -- my Bachelors in Biochemistry, Masters in Chemistry, and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Go Quakers! Upon my return home to Southern California I received advanced training at an intensive Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. I joined dtlavets after working in Los Angeles for many years, and here I’ve found colleagues who share my practice philosophy and standard of excellence. My outside interests include great music (browsing for vinyl at The Last Bookstore, concerts at The Regent), great food (farmers markets, crafting complex soups from scratch), and great experiences (exploring our city, the rare but coveted international travel). I am dedicated to providing outstanding, comprehensive, and compassionate veterinary care in this wonderful neighborhood that we call DTLA and I call home.