New University of Florida Veterinary Hospital opens at World Equestrian Center in Ocala
A couple hundred human visitors and many of their canine companions, ranging from dachshunds to great Danes, visited the World Equestrian Center on Wednesday to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the 40,000-square-foot University of Florida Veterinary Hospital.
The clinic, which will provide care for horses and small animals, is the latest in a series of investments by the University of Florida in Ocala, as well as the latest development at WEC, which continues adding to its many arenas, expo centers, restaurants, hotel, RV park and extended stay suites off of State Road 40 in west Ocala.
“Nowhere else in the world is there a leading-edge veterinary hospital located in a premiere equine venue with all the services equine competitors need to ensure their horses are kept in optimal health and performance-ready condition,” Dr. Dana Zimmel, dean of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine said.
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“Working across a variety of disciplines, our hospital will offer a broad spectrum of expertise, diagnostic and patient care, not just to elite athletes but to companion animals as well,” she continued.
Advancing horse and small animal health
Equine services at the facility include sports medicine, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation. Small animals, such as cats and dogs, can receive urgent and primary care. UF Health, which also operates veterinary and human hospitals in Gainesville, hopes to expand further into specialty services at the clinic as well.
“Although the hospital’s primary focus is patient care, our academic mission of teaching and research will also benefit from a unique alliance,” Zimmel said. “We will gain knowledge as we share to advance horse and small animal health nationwide.”
Community members and future clients toured the new clinic on Wednesday, including Karen Hickman of Ocala and her goldendoodle Lily.
“I think this is going to be a great facility,” Hickman said. “I’m going to sign her up as a client just for coming in here and having her routine work or anything she needs.”
Hickman also has horses that she may bring to the clinic for some of the special equipment, such as the MRI machine.
“My other horse had to have surgery and I had to take them up all the way to Gainesville, so it would be so convenient to have something closer,” she said.
In addition to locals, the clinic will benefit WEC visitors, who often bring their dogs along with their horses to shows or even canine competitions.
For horses, there is a procedure suite, a TheraPlate for vibration therapy, a MaXuSS PRO solarium for infrared light therapy, a dry salt therapy room, two water treadmills, a Qalibra CT system, a LONGMILE Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner and a Hallmarq standing MRI machine.
For small animals, there are eight exam rooms, a surgical suite and dentistry suite. Grooming and boarding will also be available soon.
A growing relationship between UF and Ocala
The new clinic will help satisfy growing animal care needs in the growing community and will complement the UF Pet Emergency Treatment Services clinic for small animals, which opened in 2012 in southwest Ocala.
UF also has an equine presence in Marion County with two 4-H equine programs and its Equine Science Center focused on nutrition and reproduction.
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the only veterinary college in Florida, is ranked ninth in the country among veterinary colleges.
“Gainesville and University of Florida is all-in on this community,” David Nelson, UF Health president and UF senior vice president for health affairs, said. “This is a critical community to North Central Florida, and we’re just delighted to have the honor to be here to help provide services.”
Nelson noted UF Health’s plans to build a hospital, surgery center and medical plaza in west Ocala just east of Interstate 75. UF Health also purchased nearly 27 acres in Summerfield last year.
“We’re looking forward to what this is going to mean to the community, not only this but our relationship with the University of Florida,” Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn said. “The relationship between the University of Florida and Ocala is only going to grow.”
Making WEC "bigger and better"
Mary Roberts, who owns WEC with her husband Larry, said all of the horses and dogs will have a great time at the facility, and they “look forward to the next time we can build on and make it bigger and better.”
She noted a 120,000-square-foot shopping center in the works, and renderings of an equine sports performance complex were displayed at the event. WEC is also constructing a second hotel that will be pet friendly and have 400 rooms. In Reddick in north Marion County, WEC is currently planning the WEC Jockey Club.
“We thank all of the whole of Ocala,” Roberts said. “You’ve been so great to us in the past, and we hope we can live up to what you expect of us in the future.”
The clinic officially opens on Thursday, May 26 at 1156 NW 81st Terrace Road in the World Equestrian Center. Call 352-414-3858 or visit vethospitals.ufl.edu/wec to make an appointment or find more information.
Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: University of Florida vet clinic opens at World Equestrian Center
