Board-certified Surgeon

Dr. Alex Alvarez

Ldo Vet, MS, Dipl. ACVS-SA

My Commitment To You

To our referring partner veterinarians, my commitment is to work together as members of the same care team. Whenever necessary, I will provide a multi-disciplinary approach through our team of specialists to achieve the common goal of helping our patients and owners.

To pet owners, my commitment is to ensure that you thoroughly understand my recommendations as well as the treatment options available. If indicated, I will provide excellent surgical care to improve your pet's quality of life.

– Dr. Alex Alvarez

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BIO

Dr. Alejandro (Alex) Alvarez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, moved to the United States at the age of four, then moved to Tenerife, Spain, when he was 12. He completed his veterinary degree at the University of Cordoba in southern mainland Spain. After internships in France, Ireland, and Prince Edward Island, he completed a combined surgical residency and Master of Science degree at Oregon State University (OSU). His research focused on sentinel lymph node mapping in dogs with mast cell tumors and laboratory techniques to detect mast cell tumor lymph node metastasis.

Dr. Alvarez enjoys soft tissue surgery, orthopedics, and surgical oncology. He has a special interest in minimally invasive surgeries, like thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, and fracture repairs. He is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and inclusive surgery department and enjoys teaching surgery to veterinary students and surgical trainees.

Following his residency, Dr. Alvarez joined the Boundary Bay family to continue helping animals through surgery. He moved to the lower mainland with his wife, who is also a small animal veterinarian, and their two cats, a tuxedo named Pierre and an orange medium-hair named Charlotte. Shortly after moving, they adopted a mixed-breed dog from the BC-SPCA, named Alonzo. Dr. Alvarez enjoys soccer, overlanding, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and most importantly, fly fishing.

Credentials

Board Certification

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Education

OSU - Master of Science
OSU - Residency in Small Animal Surgery
Atlantic Veterinary College - Small Animal Surgery Internship
University College Dublin, Ireland - Small Animal Rotating Internship
Centre Hospitalier Veterinaire Saint Martin, France - Small Animal Rotating Internship
University of Cordoba - Licenciado en Veterinaria (Ldo Vet)

Awards

OSU - Outstanding House Officer Award
OSU - Outstanding Resident Award
OSU - Graduate Student Research Award
OSU - Graduate Student Research Scholarship
Atlantic Veterinary College - Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Graduate Scholarship

Publications

Bartels C, Alvarez-Sanchez A, Ranganathan B, O'Neill TW, Townsend KL. Ventral cervical subcutaneous Aspergillus species fungal granuloma in a cat. JFMS Open Rep. 2022;8(2):20551169221121916
Alvarez-Sanchez A, Townsend KL, LeBlanc NL, et al. Epicardial pacemaker implantation and outcome in eight pet ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). J Vet Cardiol. 2022;41:44-56.
Alvarez-Sanchez A., Amsellem P., Vezzoni L., Vezzoni A. Zürich cementless total hip arthroplasty as a treatment option for capital physeal fractures in dogs: outcome in 53 cases. Vet Surg 2021 Jul;50(5):1054-1064
Alvarez-Sanchez A., Charnock L., Dundas J., Hanna P. A perineal cystic hamartoma causing constipation in an intact female Irish Water Spaniel. Can Vet J. 2019 Nov;60(11):1166-1170.
Alvarez Sanchez A., Mullins R., Hoey S., Kirby BM. What is your diagnosis? Presumed ventral thoracolumbar intraspinal extradural cyst in a dog. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2017; 251(9):1007-1009
Alvarez Sanchez A., Matres Lorenzo L., Bernard F. What is your diagnosis? Carpal hyperlaxity treatment with a Hobbles bandage in an English Bulldog puppy. PratiqueVet 2017; 52:424-426
Alvarez-Sanchez A, Townsend KL, Newsom L, Milovancev M, Gorman E, Russell DS. Comparison of indirect computed tomographic lymphography and near-infrared fluorescence sentinel lymph node mapping for integumentary canine mast cell tumors. Vet Surg. 2023 Apr;52(3):416-427. doi: 10.1111/vsu.13929. Epub 2022 Dec 27. PMID: 36574349.