We are here for your pets Oncology needs at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital. The Oncology service is offered at both of our locations.

Check In Forms

Click here for new patient paperwork, please email back to [email protected] OR [email protected]

Getting Treatment

To make an appointment or receive treatment from our board-certified specialists, you’ll first need a referral from your veterinarian.

Click here  for referral paperwork to Highland Heights

Click here for referral paperwork to Akron

Special Considerations:

In anticipation of the possibility of diagnostic testing, please withhold food 12 hours prior to your appointment. If your pet is diabetic, please check with our receptionist for specific instructions with feeding and medications

Recheck appointments:

When calling to make a recheck appointment with one of our doctors, it is very important to schedule your appointment about two to three weeks in advance. This allows us to accommodate your schedule as best as possible. Also, please request to schedule your recheck appointment with the doctor that originally treated your pet.

Practice Hours:

Oncology Department is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  On weekends, the on-call doctor monitors in-hospital patients.

Prescription Refills:

We are happy to refill your pet’s prescriptions during office hours. We request a 48-hour notice on all refills. If you run out of your medication, we cannot guarantee that they will be filled before your next dose is due.

Services

We provide the latest diagnostic and treatment regimens, including:

Appointments:

For your first visit, allow yourself at least one hour for the consultation.  Please arrive a few minutes before your appointment to allow time to complete some paperwork.  A technician will guide you to an exam room.  A specialist will complete a thorough exam on your pet, review records from your referring veterinarian and discuss treatment options with you. If we can begin diagnostic testing that day, you may need to leave your pet with us for the afternoon.  During the consultation, the doctor will be able to provide you with an estimate for any additional testing or treatment.

Meet our Doctors

Dr. Rance M. Gamblin (Akron)

• Diplomate: ACVIM (Oncology), 1997
• Residency: The Ohio State University, 1997 (Oncology/Hematology)
• Internship: Colorado State University, 1993
• DVM: Mississippi State University, 1992
• BS in Biology: Mississippi State University, 1988
• Areas of Special Interest: Lymphoma, Mast Cell Tumors, Hemangiosarcoma, and Osteosarcoma

Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Gamblin has been a medical oncologist in Northeast Ohio since 1997 and specifically at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital since 2000. He enjoys the multi-modality approach to cancer treatment, frequently collaborating with surgeons and radiation oncologists. In his time away from the hospital, Dr. Gamblin spends time with his family and furry friends, Pepper (domestic short hair) Roux and Caje, (both chocolate Labradors). He is also an avid outdoorsman and volunteers for several wildlife conservation groups, including Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl.

Dr. Amanda Elpiner (Akron)

• Diplomate: ACVIM (Oncology), 2011
• Residency: Veterinary Cancer Center (Oncology), 2010 
• Internship: Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, 2006
• DVM: The Ohio State University, 2005
• BS in Molecular Genetics: The Ohio State University, 2001
• Areas of Special Interest: Lymphoma, Mast Cell Tumors, Hemangiosarcoma, and Osteosarcoma

Dr. Elpiner grew up in Northeast Ohio.  She has been practicing veterinary oncology in the area since 2010, joining Akron Veterinary Internal Medicine and Oncology Practice in 2021.  Dr. Elpiner’s area of interest and undergraduate degree was in Molecular Genetics. She has always been fascinated by how the body works on a cellular level and intended to go into research. During school, she worked in several laboratories and missed the client/patient interaction. Oncology was the perfect fit to marry both her passion for research, while still developing relationships with families and their pets. Oncology is constantly changing as new drugs and new pathways emerge.  Dr. Elpiner loves staying current with research and seeing the benefits of that research truly come to life in her patients.  In her free time, Dr. Elpiner enjoys spending time with her family, her dogs Leo (Rhodesian Ridgeback), Della (mixed breed), Lucy (lab mix), and cats Chester and Jack (both domestic short hair).  She also enjoys time outdoors running, hiking and biking.

Dr. Megan Brown (Cleveland East)

• Diplomate: ACVIM (Oncology), 2015
• Residency:  The Ohio State University, 2015 (Oncology)
• MS:  The Ohio State University, 2015
• Internship: The Ohio State University, 2012
• DVM: Cornell University, 2011
• BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology:  Princeton University, 2006
• Areas of Special Interest: Integrated approach to cancer treatment, mast cell tumors, osteosarcoma, feline oncology cases

Dr. Brown chose a career in veterinary oncology for several reasons.  Veterinary oncology allows her to develop a strong and trusting relationship with both pets and their owners.  In addition, much of what we learn in treating dog and cat cancer can also advance human oncology, with an ultimate goal of curing or preventing cancer in all species.  Finally, oncology allows Dr. Brown to be a constant diagnostician, integrating other specialties such as diagnostic imaging and clinical pathology.

Dr. Brown has two cats, Kitty and Shortie, and previously shared her home with a Boston Terrier mix, Sweetie.

Dr. Matthew Cook (Cleveland East)

• Diplomate: ACVIM (Oncology), 2021
• Residency:  The Ohio State University, 2021 (Oncology)
• MS:  The Ohio State University, 2021
• Internship: Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, 2017
• VMD: University of Pennsylvania, 2016
• BS in Biology and Sociology:  Loyola University Maryland, 2012
• Areas of Special Interest: Osteosarcoma, lymphoma, uncommon and rare types of canine and feline cancer

Dr. Cook grew up in central New Jersey. After completing veterinary school, he moved to Columbus Ohio to start his training in veterinary oncology. At Ohio State, he became very interested in clinical research and won the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2021 Early Career Clinical Oncology Research Award. After completing his residency in 2021, he moved to Nashville where he practiced veterinary oncology for one year prior to moving back to the Buckeye state.

In his free time, Dr. Cook enjoys spending time with his wife, Madison, and his dogs Rosie (Saint Bernard) and Laila (lab mix). He also enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, and watching sports (Ohio State, New York Yankees, and New York Giants).