UC Davis Welcomes Dr. Sandra Valdez as New Equine Surgeon
The Equine Surgical Emergency and Critical Care Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital recently welcomed Dr. Sandra Valdez as a Clinical Professor. Dr. Valdez brings a wealth of experience from around the world as an equine veterinarian and surgeon for the past 30 years.
Dr. Valdez received her DVM from the University of Baja California, Mexico in 1995. She then participated in two internships in equine medicine and surgery at Chino Valley Equine Hospital and the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, both in California. Dr. Valdez completed an equine surgery residency at UC Davis in 2005 and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2006. She is also board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
Prior to joining UC Davis, Dr. Valdez was an associate veterinary surgeon at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital from 2005-2013, a locum veterinary surgeon in California, Ohio, Virginia, and Dubai from 2013-2016, and an associate veterinary surgeon at the Dubai Equine Hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2016.
While most of the caseload at the Dubai Equine Hospital comprised of endurance Arabians, Dr. Valdez also treated racing Thoroughbreds, Warmblood sport horses, and pleasure-riding horses.
“The cases were challenging but educationally rewarding,” Dr. Valdez said. “Because many of our patients belonged to the royal family, we were able to perform procedures and provide treatments that would be prohibitively expensive for most people and therefore were able to save many horses that might otherwise have a very poor prognosis.”
“The Emirati people are very warm and welcoming, and I will miss their generous hospitality, but coming back to UC Davis feels like coming home,” Dr. Valdez said about her decision to return to where she completed her residency. “The years I spent at UC Davis were the best of my life, and I’m thrilled to return to such an incredible team.”
Dr. Valdez credits her experience as a surgeon at busy private referral hospitals and handling a wide variety of equine emergencies for preparing her for the large and varied caseload at UC Davis. She is excited about collaborating with other specialty services to provide the best possible care for patients, the most enriching environment for students and residents, and the best service for clients.
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