Our Specialties

When your pet needs advanced diagnostics or procedures, your family veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary specialist. A veterinary specialist is a doctor with 3-5 years additional education in a specific area of medicine. Our veterinary specialists at SAVS are board-certified and maintain the highest quality of care for their patients. Continuity of care between your specialty veterinarian and your family veterinarian ensures your pet receives complete care from beginning to end. Your emergency or specialty veterinarian will communicate the diagnostics and services received at SAVS to prevent interruptions in care.

Veterinary specialties offered at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center include:

The American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) currently recognizes 20 specialties whose regulatory bodies are called “colleges,” for example 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 board-certified specialist in veterinary medicine.