Meet the NorthStar VETS Team: Melanie Puchot, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Melanie Puchot, DVM, DACVIM is a member of the Internal Medicine team at NorthStar VETS. In this blog post and video below, she talks about how she got into veterinary medicine, the types of cases she sees, and her Texas roots.

How Dr. Puchot got into Veterinary Medicine
We caught up with Dr. Puchot, who was checking out a patient. She has dreamt of treating animals since she was a child. “In the beginning, I just loved animals like every little kid does, and then it matured into loving the science that went behind it and figuring out that I’m really good at science, so that helped, too. I pursued that dream and started working at veterinary clinics and made sure that I always continued to enjoy it and found a passion in it. I was fortunate that my dream turned into a reality and I got to go to veterinary school and pursue it.”

Dr. Puchot’s Texas Roots
Dr. Puchot grew up in Texas, and she studied medicine at Texas A&M before moving to the Robbinsville area. “I’m a Texas Aggie through and through. I went to Texas A&M University for my undergrad and stayed with them for veterinary school. After that, I ran away to the Northeast to Cornell University for a one-year internship, then came back for my Internal Medicine residency at Texas A&M.”


“My journey to NorthStar VETS was a bit of a happy accident. One of our associate deans had some connections up here in New Jersey. I’m not very familiar with New Jersey, but he said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s worth it.’ He sent me up here for my interview and I’m really glad he did because it’s the best place that I could imagine working.”

The Types of Cases Dr. Puchot Sees
Dr. Puchot is an Internal Medicine specialist, and she sees a wide variety of different cases. “I’m really lucky that I’m in a profession that allows me to see dogs and cats all day, which is of course what I and many in my profession love. I get to see what going on with them, what’s ailing them, and try to figure out the puzzle of it. Being able to see that difference in a sick dog one week to a recheck the next is really inspiring.”

Dr. Puchot and the team at NorthStar VETS are looking forward to helping you and your pets. “I’m an Internal Medicine specialist, also called an Internist, and we are the specialty that deals with nitty-gritty of the internal organs. We treat gastrointestinal disease, kidney disease, liver disease, endocrine issues, and everything between the nose and tail…that’s not the skin. It’s nice because it gives us a nice variety of conditions we deal with and allows us to provide a bunch of different treatments.”

Learn more about the Internal Medicine service at NorthStar VETS

Melanie Puchot, DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Melanie Puchot is a Texas native who received her veterinary degree from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. After graduation, she completed a small animal rotating internship at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She then returned to Texas A&M University and completed a 3-year residency in small animal internal medicine in 2017. She has a special interest in endocrinology, nephrology and interventional endoscopy / radiology. Dr. Puchot is excited to join the team at Northstar VETS.