Dr. Gabriella Hamilton was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls with a bachelor's degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She received her veterinary degree from Iowa State University. Wanting to experience the "West Coast lifestyle" and expand her knowledge of exotic animal medicine, she moved to California. She began working for an exotics/small animal general practice before later joining a high-volume dog/cat emergency hospital. Missing the challenge and excitement of exotic pet medicine, she transferred to Tucson. While she enjoys all aspects of small animal and exotic pet medicine, she has a special interest in emergency medicine, surgery, conservation medicine, hospice/end-of-life care, low-cost/shelter medicine, and client education. She is a huge believer in quality of life over quantity of life and loves to take the time to discuss how to keep your pet comfortable during their golden years.
She is an accredited USDA Category 2 veterinarian, certified AAFP Cat Friendly veterinarian, trained in rigid and flexible endoscopy, completed the RECOVER initiative CPR course (basic and advanced), and completed Purdue's Wildlife Veterinary Medicine and Conservation Certification course. She is working on her acupuncture certification through Chi University and will be a CVA (Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist) in early 2025, as well as renewing her Fear Free practitioner certification. As a pet owner of numerous species from guinea pigs to chameleons, she has the unique ability to understand both the owner's and doctor's perspectives. This unique perspective allows for her to give advice that just isn't taught in vet school; it's learned through pet ownership and experience.
In the future, she hopes to specialize in avian or reptile medicine and perform advanced surgical techniques such as fracture repair, TPLO, and perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgeries. Her goal is to become the "jack of all trades'' doctor who will always find a way to help your pet while recognizing when to refer to a specialist. In her free time, she likes to keep active by hiking, skiing, visiting new coffee shops, or spending time with her animals: Faline (greyhound), Piper and Noodle (cats), Nancy (Hermann's tortoise), Honey (hedgehog) and Tequila (African grey parrot).
