Our Doctors

Dr. Anita Knudson

Owner/Dr.

Dr. Knudson completed her undergraduate work at SUNY at Stonybrook in New York. She received her veterinary degree from Colorado State University Veterinary School in 1993. She has worked in the Boulder-Longmont area since graduation. Dr Knudson opened Coal Ridge Animal Hospital on October 1, 2001. In addition to practicing small animal medicine she enjoys volunteering in the local community. She has set up a program to assist the local municipalities with the feral cat population and provide care for the local police dogs.

Dr. Christy Maddock

DVM

Dr. Christy Maddock grew up in the Midwest. She developed a love for all animals at a very young age. Inspired by the works of Dr. James Harriet, she decided to pursue a career in veterinarian medicine. She received her BS in Biology and Chemistry from Northern Illinois University in 2009 and then received her DVM from Iowa State in 2013. She has spent the past seven years serving as a mixed animal veterinarian in Southeastern Idaho, treating all animals from beloved family pets to prize-winning show animals and livestock. Regardless of the size, or breed, Dr. Maddock provides compassionate care to all her patients by focusing on their comfort, overall wellness, and quality of life. She especially enjoys helping build strong bonds between her patients and their owners. In addition to general practice, Dr. Maddock has special interests in surgery, ultrasonography, ophthalmology, and neurology. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her 6-year-old son, her two rescue Pitbulls (Betsy and Chance), three cats, and two horses (Elsie and Grace). She looks forward to riding, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, fishing, and camping in the mountains of Colorado.

Dr. Alex Reading

DVM

Dr. Reading grew up in New England. She received her BA in Mathematics from Hamilton College in upstate NY in 2016. She then went to earn her degree in veterinary medicine from Tufts University. She moved to Colorado in 2020 and started working at Coal Ridge! In addition to practicing small animal medicine, Dr. Reading enjoys hiking, running, and cooking with her husband and their Golden Retriever, Maple.

Dr. Rylee Rushing

DVM

Dr. Rylee Rushing is originally from Texas. While she likes the Texas two-step and Tex-mex food, she has always loved Colorado. She grew up hiking and skiing with her family and moved up as soon as she had the opportunity. She received her BS in Biomedical Science in 2017 and her DVM in 2020, both from Texas A&M University. In vet school she had a special interest in ultrasound and surgery. She started working at Coal Ridge in 2023. When she is not working, Dr. Rushing enjoys spending time with her husband and their furry family. They have a dog (Kalea) and two cats (Sully and Luna). Her hobbies include hiking, volleyball, tennis and riding.

Dr. Heather Prochnow

DVM

Dr. Heather Prochnow was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs until she went to college. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and graduated from veterinary school at the University of Illinois in 2012. She credits her post-college puppy Jasmine as her inspiration for applying and attending veterinary school. After practicing for a few years in Illinois, she moved to northern Virginia and practiced there until early 2023. Following the pandemic, she and her partner Brian decided to move west for a better quality of life and access to all the outdoor Colorado fun! Her favorite aspect of working in a small animal general practice is forming bonds with owners and working closely with them throughout their pet’s life. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Prochnow enjoys training and competing in long distance triathlon, hiking, and trail running. She’s also a fan of podcasts, true crime, dinosaurs, and spending time with Brian and their two black cats, Monster and Dexter.

Associations

AAHA American Animal Hospital Association
ABKA American Boarding Kennels Association
ARAV Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
AVMA American Veterinary Medical Association
CVMA Colorado Veterinary Medical Association
LPVMA Longs Peak Veterinary Medical Association