Dr. Matt Bechtel

Dr. Bechtel

Dr. Matt Bechtel was born in Bethlehem, PA, and moved to St. Louis with his family when he was only five years old. From the time he was very young, he had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. That dream came true in 2002 when he graduated from the University of Missouri – College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Bechtel has worked at multiple high-quality veterinary hospitals in the St. Louis area and brings over 19 years of experience to Tender Care Animal Hospital. His experience is in all aspects of small animal medicine and surgery, with his primary focus being dogs and cats but also has worked with other animals including pocket pets- guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, sugar gliders, hamsters, and gerbils. He also has a special interest in internal medicine and dentistry.

One of his greatest attributes is his desire to spend time building relationships with his clients, answering all of their questions, and following through to make sure his patients receive everything they need. As a result, Matt has a very loyal following of clients during his 19 years of practice. His desire to provide outstanding customer service is a great fit with our philosophy at Tender Care Animal Hospital.

He served on the board of the Greater St. Louis Veterinary Medical Association for 8 years (from 2003-2011) in which he was the president for two of those years. He regularly volunteers for the Rockwood School District as a guest speaker for classes in elementary and high schools.

Dr. Bechtel lives in Wildwood with his wife Jayme, daughter Olivia, son Jason, and their mini-zoo including three dogs: Maui, a Wheaten Terrier; Cannoli and Aurora – Miniature Schnauzer siblings; three rescued cats, Linus, Penelope, and Rolo; a rabbit named Wasabi; and much freshwater fish, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. He and his family also have chickens which he adores. He is a huge sports fan (especially Mizzou football/basketball, the Cardinals, and the Blues). He enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, going to the movies, and sharing his love of animals with his kids.