Dr. Vanessa Dodson, Practice Owner
Dr. Dodson joined our team in 2005, having earned her DVM from UGA in 2002. Prior to that, she studied Animal Science at Cornell University in her hometown of Ithaca, New York.
Her special interests include surgery, dentistry, and feline medicine. She is also Fear-Free certified and works hard to incorporate gentle handling techniques into her daily practice. A life-long learner devoted to continuing education, Dr. Dodson attends in-person continuing education events when possible, stays up to date with the latest medical advancements, reads journals on veterinary medicine, and improves her skills wherever she can. Since purchasing the clinic in 2019, she’s focused extensively on expanding her dental expertise and practice.
Dr. Dodson knew from a very young age that she wanted to spend her life working with animals, helping them and their humans through preventative and sick care, from cradle to grave. Her passion is to treat each patient as if it were her own pet and to help them live long, happy, healthy, and pain-free lives.
She’s owned and cared for a number of pets over the years, including countless dogs, cats, and guinea pigs, as well as a Senegal parrot and an iguana. Her furry family currently consists of a dog – a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bailey – and four adult domestic shorthair cats.
Dr. Dodson shares two daughters with her husband of over 20 years. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, reading, and hiking with her dogs.
Dr. Dodson has successfully completed the Veterinary Dental Practioner program through the International Veterinary Dental Institute (IVDI). This is a one-year training and assessment course to ensure exceptional skills in providing oral care for pets in general practice.
The Veterinary Dental Practitioner program provides additional study, training, and assessment to enhance a GP veterinarian’s knowledge and skills in veterinary dentistry, but upon completion of the program are NOT board-certified specialists. What is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist?