Dr. Scott Rizzo was born and raised in Louisville, KY.  He enrolled at Transylvania University for two years majoring in Accounting before transferring to the University of Kentucky.  Graduating with a degree in Accounting from UK in 1998, and after a brief stint in the banking industry, he soon realized that accounting was not the career path for him.  He returned to his true passions in life, animals and science, and went back to college.  

Along the way, Dr. Rizzo met and married his wife, Danielle and moved to her home state of Colorado.  In 1999 he enrolled at Colorado State University as a second bachelors candidate in Animal Science.  In 2001 he transferred into a Masters program and completed a Masters of Anatomy in 2002.  Later that same year, he was admitted to Colorado State University’s Veterinary program. While in veterinary school, Dr. Rizzo served as his class President and helped raise over $40,000 to endow a recurring academic scholarship for veterinary students in need.  In the spring of 2005 he graduated from CSU and moved to Knoxville, TN to begin a small animal medicine and surgery internship.  One week prior to that move he and Danielle welcomed their first child, Mason!  That fall, Dr. Rizzo was accepted outside the match to begin a 3 year Internal Medicine residency with the University of Tennessee.  He completed his residency in June of 2009 and passed his specialty examination in August of 2009 receiving his ACVIM Diplomate certificate.
 

In 2007 he met Dr. Tom Day and created a partnership to expand LVSES into a new facility and add additional services.  In June 2009, Dr. Rizzo joined LVSES as a co-owner and Medical Director for the new hospital.  

His personal interests include University of Louisville sports, bowling, racquetball, and golf. The Rizzo family currently has 2 pets which includes a border collie named “Lady” and Beta fish named, ”Fish Stick Senior”.

Dr. Rizzo’s professional interests include pancreatitis, novel cancer therapies, Cushings and non-invasive diagnostic methods.  

Dr. Rizzo’s Publications:

Cranial mediastinal carcinomas in nine dogs.

Liptak JM, Kamstock DA, Dernell WS, Ehrhart EJ, Rizzo SA, Withrow SJ.

Vet Comp Oncol. 2008 Mar;6(1):19-30.

Oncologic outcome after curative-intent treatment in 39 dogs with primary chest wall tumors (1992-2005).

Liptak JM, Kamstock DA, Dernell WS, Monteith GJ, Rizzo SA, Withrow SJ.

Vet Surg. 2008 Jul;37(5):488-96.

Reconstruction of chest wall defects after rib tumor resection: a comparison of autogenous, prosthetic, and composite techniques in 44 dogs.

Liptak JM, Dernell WS, Rizzo SA, Monteith GJ, Kamstock DA, Withrow SJ.

Vet Surg. 2008 Jul;37(5):479-87.\

Malignant mediastinal extra-adrenal paraganglioma with spinal cord invasion in a dog.

Rizzo SA, Newman SJ, Hecht S, Thomas WB.

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2008 May;20(3):372-5.

Primary renal neoplasia of dogs.

Bryan JN, Henry CJ, Turnquist SE, Tyler JW, Liptak JM, Rizzo SA, Sfiligoi G, Steinberg SJ, Smith AN, Jackson T.

J Vet Intern Med. 2006 Sep-Oct;20(5):1155-60.

Partial foot amputation in 11 dogs.

Liptak JM, Dernell WS, Rizzo SA, Withrow SJ.

J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2005 Jan-Feb;41(1):47-55.

PMID: 15634866 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Proximal radial and distal humeral osteosarcoma in 12 dogs.

Liptak JM, Dernell WS, Straw RC, Rizzo SA, Lafferty MH, Withrow SJ.

J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2004 Nov-Dec;40(6):461-7. Erratum in: J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2005 Mar-Apr;41(2):144.

Pneumonectomy: four case studies and a comparative review.

Liptak JM, Monnet E, Dernell WS, Rizzo SA, Withrow SJ.

J Small Anim Pract. 2004 Sep;45(9):441-7. Review.

Intercalary bone grafts for joint and limb preservation in 17 dogs with high-grade malignant tumors of the diaphysis.

Liptak JM, Dernell WS, Straw RC, Jameson VJ, Lafferty MH, Rizzo SA, Withrow SJ.

Vet Surg. 2004 Sep-Oct;33(5):457-67.

Retroperitoneal sarcomas in dogs: 14 cases (1992-2002).

Liptak JM, Dernell WS, Ehrhart EJ, Rizzo SA, Rooney MB, Withrow SJ.

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004 May 1;224(9):1471-7.