Dr. Melissa Suarez was born and raised in LaPlace, Louisiana, a small community just outside of New Orleans. She obtained her bachelor's degree in animal science from LSU Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1999 and went on to receive her DVM from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. After graduating, she practiced for three years in northern Las Vegas, Nevada, before moving closer to home with her growing family to Allen, Texas, in 2008. She has been practicing in Texas ever since across multiple hospitals, eventually landing at VCA Preston Park in September 2019.
Dr. Suarez's love of dogs and cats, coupled with the inspiration she received from her childhood family veterinarian, brought her to the world of veterinary medicine. Dr. Suarez holds a keen interest in challenging internal medicine cases, pain management, ultrasonography, and geriatric, endocrine, and preventive medicine. She takes pride in comforting and helping her patients and clients and enjoys working with amazing people from all walks of life. Dr. Suarez believes all our clients should know that we are always trying to find ways to do better. We strive each day to do better for the patient and their family.
At home, Dr. Suarez has three dogs. First, there's Gumbo, her senior Chihuahua mix. He was found by a client in a garbage can when he was only four weeks old. He's spunky and grumpy but very sweet, and he loves attention. Second, there's Beignet, her senior golden retriever. Beignet is the sweetest and most well-mannered dog Dr. Suarez has ever had. She loves to swim and enjoys spending time with the whole family. Third, there's Winky, her young Chihuahua mix. Winky was injured as a puppy and lost one of her eyes, but the moment Dr. Suarez's family adopted her, she fit right in. Her favorite pastimes are playing with her ball and sitting in one of Dr. Suarez's family members' laps.
If Dr. Suarez were an animal, she would want to be a bald eagle. She loves the idea of soaring freely high above beautiful landscapes, living her best life, and having protection from human harm. The best piece of advice she's received? "Don't sweat the small stuff." Additionally, she loves this inspirational quote by Cassandra Clare: "Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read." When she's not working, Dr. Suarez enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, being a mother to her three beautiful children, and spending time with her family and dogs.
