Meet the Piedmont Equine Practice Partner Veterinarians, Associates,
Interns and Staff

Dr. Catherine Nunnery joins us as a consulting ophthalmologist on a regular basis. She served as president and ophthalmologist of Equine Veterinary Vision, Inc., an ambulatory large animal ophthalmology practice in Maryland and Virginia. She was also staff ophthalmologist at VCA Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Dr. Nunnery graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. She completed an internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in 2006 and a residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in 2009.

Dr. Amy Polkes is a board certified equine internal medicine specialist. Dr. Polkes received her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and her degree in veterinary medicine from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. She was in private equine practice for several years before continuing her training at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine with a residency in large animal internal medicine. In 2002, after completing her residency program, she established an equine internal medicine mobile consulting practice in Maryland and Virginia. Dr. Polkes has now grown her referral practice, Equine Internal Medicine and Diagnostic Services (Equine Imed – www.equineimed.com), to provide mobile equine internal medicine services in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. Her goal is to provide an alternative to referral institutions, allowing for evaluation at your farm or at your primary care veterinarian’s facility.

Dr. Polkes is also the equine veterinary diagnostic specialist for Antech Diagnostics. She has helped to facilitate the expansion of equine diagnostic testing within Antech to provide more comprehensive and advanced equine diagnostic testing.

Dr. Polkes resides in Maryland with her husband (who specializes in small animal internal medicine), her two teenage children and her three dogs. She enjoys hiking, biking and skiing and spending time with her family at all the various sports activities!

The most common cases that are referred for an internal medicine consultation are:

• Respiratory disease – Including poor performance, chronic cough and difficult respiratory cases.
• Gastrointestinal diseases – Gastroscopy, intestinal biopsy, weight loss, colic, chronic colic, other.
• Neurological disease – Comprehensive neurological evaluations, CSF taps.
• Ophthalmology – Difficult ophthalmology cases.
• Cardiac – Evaluation of murmurs, arrhythmias, PPE including echocardiography, ECG and holter monitor.
• Other complex medical cases.

Email Dr. Polkes

Dr. Claudia True graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in biology in 1981. She received her DVM from the Virginia/Maryland School of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. After graduation she interned in large animal practice at the Texas A&M Veterinary School. In 1987 Dr. True came back to Virginia and was hired by Dr. Milton Kingsbury, the original owner of Woodside Equine. She left Woodside in December 2022 to start her own practice, True Equine Veterinary Dentistry. https://truevetdentistry.com/

Dr. True routinely speaks at professional conferences and veterinary schools. She has a special interest and advanced training in equine dentistry.