The future to best serving multi-species owners, farms
and producers- Written by (future) Dr. Wilmer Lopez
We all know that veterinarians are different from human doctors. One of the
ways that your animal’s veterinarian is different from your own doctor is that
veterinarians are legally able to provide medical care to almost all animal
species. However, if we look at the veterinary community as a whole, we can
see that not all veterinarians treat every single animal species, and most
veterinarians are actually quite selective of the animal types they see. For
example, some veterinarians focus on pocket pets and exotics, others on
small animals like cats and dogs, others on large animals like cows, some
exclusively on horses, and so on. This distribution within veterinary medicine
is mainly due to an individual doctor’s personal desires, comfort, education,
and also the community that they wish to service.
One of the things that sets Hoof and Horn Veterinary and Acupuncture
Services apart from other mobile veterinary practices in the area is that Dr.Jill Barabas has a desire in providing medical care and treating not just
horses, but also a wide array of different animal species. Dr. Barabas
attributes her wanting, confidence, and comfort in treating multiple species
due to continuous effort in furthering her education since graduating from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Dr. Barabas
does so by taking post-graduate courses, attending lectures and seminars,
interpreting journal articles, reading case reports, and consulting with
specialists within the field. Over the last few years, Dr. Barabas has observed
that many owners, farms, and producers have begun to transition from
having only one type of animal species to having multiple animal species.
With this shift in livestock management and production, Dr. Barabas wanted
to be at the forefront in tailoring her practice strategies to better include and
best service multi-species owners, farms, and producers.
One of the purposes of this post was my wish to raise awareness in the North Central Florida community about the services that Dr. Barabas offers. Her practice, Hoof and Horn, provides medical care to just that: anything with a hoof and horn! This means that Dr. Barabas sees not only horses, however also cows, camelids, goats, sheep, and swine. I needed to make this known since, throughout my time working with Dr. Barabas on my Practice-Based Equine Clerkship with the University of Florida, I saw that many owners and farmers had separate veterinarians for their horses and their other hoofed/horned animals.
I realized that many owners, farmers, and producers had this misconception
that a single veterinarian is unable to provide quality medical care to multiple
animal species. The reality of things is that, through clinical experience and
continuing education, some doctors, like Dr, Barabas, are fully capable in
treating multiple species without having to compromise the quality of their
medicine and service to the community. So, while Dr. Barabas primarily sees
horses, it is nice to know that she offers services to other hoof and horned
species as well. This is something that I know will provide benefits to her
current and future clients.
Some of the services that Dr. Barabas offers include,
but are not limited to:
• Tailored Herd Health Strategies
• Farm/Producer-specific Extension and Education Plans
• Individual animal care
• Preventative Care
• Screening and Diagnostic Testing
• Health Certificates (for individuals or herds)
• Surgical Services
• Internal Medicine Services
• Neonatal Care
Hoof and Horn Veterinary and Acupuncture Services are available
for clients within a select radius in North Central Florida.
For more questions, or inquiries, contact Dr. Jill Barabas and her
team at:
Phone: (352) 474-2820
Email: [email protected]
