Smith Veterinary Hospital: The Perfect Vet for Your Pet

The Perfect Vet For Your Pet Photos Kara Duval

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here is something about pets that tugs at our heartstrings.

That’s probably why so many people have furry family members. When those pets are sick or hurt, owners depend on veterinarians to provide high-quality and compassionate care. Fortunately, the veterinarians at Smith Veterinary Hospital are available seven days a week.

Smith Veterinary Hospital is a familyowned veterinary hospital that has been serving Santa Fe’s animal community for nearly seventy years.

Dr. Ed Smith opened the practice in 1946 and was the only veterinarian in the greater Santa Fe area for many years. He treated both large and small animals. In fact, he even treated a little bear cub who had been burned in a forest fire. That bear cub? The original Smokey Bear.

Ed’s son, Dr. Tom Smith, owned and ran the practice from 1964 to 1995. In keeping with tradition, Tom’s daughter, Dr. Kathy (Smith) Dobesh and her husband, Dr. Mike Dobesh, took over the practice in 1995. Kathy is the third generation of the Smith family to own and practice

veterinary medicine at Smith Veterinary Hospital.

Over the years, the practice has grown into a premier pet care center. The practice has been relocated, expanded, and renovated in order to keep up with the number of pets in Santa Fe and now has separate dog and cat reception and treatment areas. It continues to invest in the highest-quality equipment and diagnostic tools in order to provide the best possible care to its patients, large and small.

“We do full service, from preventative care to medicine,” Kathy explains. Though Smith Veterinary Hospital no longer treats bear cubs, they do welcome dogs, cats and pocket pets, like rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. A separate cat clinic provides the ideal environment for a sick kitty; no barking dogs can be found on the quiet cat side of the building. “To have a whole cat hospital is pretty unusual,” adds Mike. “Feline medicine is totally different from canine medicine.”

Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week, and urgent care is available until 10 p.m. on weekdays. The 16 veterinarians – many of whom have been on staff for over a decade – complement each other in their special areas of interest. “If we need a second opinion on a challenging case, we just grab someone, so often we’ll get four to five second opinions,” Kathy describes.

An on-site pharmacy provides any medications a dog or cat might need after diagnosis. “Whatever walks in the door, we take care of,” Mike notes. Should it be something that can’t be treated on site, the animal can quickly be referred to a specialist. An in-house laboratory, ultrasound and x-ray machine allow for testing in minutes.

The family-owned business continues to build on the legacy Dr. Ed Smith and Dr. Tom Smith set in motion many years ago.

“It’s great to have clients who have been coming back over the decades,” says Kathy.

“Taking care of pets never gets old,” reflects Mike. “People love their pets so much, you can’t help but want to help them.”

Smith Veterinary Hospital 600 Alta Vista Street 505.982.4418 smithvethospital.com