Our Specialties

When your pet needs advanced diagnostics or procedures, your family veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary specialty hospital. At the Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (SAVS), we continually strive for the seamless continuity of care from your family veterinarian to any veterinary specialists involved in the care of your pet. Through communication, a commitment to the advancement of veterinary medicine, and of course with compassion, we are able to extend the services offered by your family veterinarian without interruption to the relationship you have with him or her.

The American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) currently recognizes 20 specialties whose regulatory bodies are called “colleges.” Examples include the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and the American College of Veterinary Radiology. A board-certified veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who is certified by one of the recognized specialty colleges. The title “Diplomate” refers to a veterinarian who is board certified in his or her veterinary specialty. Board certified specialists commonly have four to eight years of additional training after veterinary school, including a two to three year residency in his or her specialty. Residencies provide specific specialized training not available as part of a typical veterinary education. Once the program has been completed, the resident must sit for and pass rigorous examinations given by the specialty college. Only then does the veterinarian earn the title of Diplomate and can be considered a specialist in veterinary medicine.