Veterinarian
Hello, I am Dr. Tony George!
Walk us through your journey from graduating college to becoming a veterinarian.
I've been at Santa Monica Pet Medical Center for 34 years. So, a long time! I'm actually on to second generations now, treating people's children's animals that I've seen since they were in their 30s. I graduated from UC Davis, Northern California in 1990. I did an internship in Hermosa Beach at a specialty clinic, and I've been here ever since.
What drew you to veterinary medicine?
I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was nine, which now seems kind of odd, but I just always wanted to be a vet. My parents would ask, "What do you want to do?" and I'd say, "I want to be a veterinarian." I made the decision at the age of nine. At 14, I got a work permit and started working at an animal hospital in Pacifica, a small town next to San Francisco. I started cleaning cages, giving flea baths, developing X-rays, and eventually helped in surgery. I also mopped and cleaned the floors. I got everything lined up, went to UC Davis, got a BS in zoology, and went straight into vet school to become a veterinarian. I then moved down to Southern California, did an internship at Coast Pet Clinic in Hermosa Beach, and came up to Santa Monica. I've been here ever since.
What's your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is making animals better. That is hands down the best part—when you're actually able to make a difference, heal something, remove a foreign body, pull a bad tooth, or take a nasty tumor off of them. By helping the animal, you're helping the people. I've been here for so long, I feel like my clients are my friends. I like them, and they like me. It's a nice group effort, and it's nice when people know you're trying to help and appreciate what you're trying to do.
What do you like to do when you're not at the hospital?
When I'm not at the hospital, I love being outdoors. I love hiking, being with friends, going out for good food, gardening, and going on road trips.
Do you have any certifications you'd like to share?
I do a lot of things. I do surgery and endoscopy. We have animals that have foreign bodies, inflammatory bowel disease, or GI cancer; endoscopy helps with that. I specialize in acupuncture, having done it for about 25 years. I'm a member of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture. I've traveled to China, Spain, and Portugal to learn certain aspects of acupuncture, which I really enjoyed. I also love western medicine as well.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (310) 393-8218, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!