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Veterinary Careers - Interview with Geoff Tucker DVM Equine Dentist

Learn about life on the road as an equine veterinarian

By , About.com Guide

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This is a six-part interview with veterinarian Geoff Tucker DVM. Dr. Tucker is a mobile veterinarian specializing in equine dentistry. What dental problems do horses have? What is life like as a mobile equine veterinarian? How does Dr. Tucker employ the Internet and social media in his practice? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this interview.

This interview was conducted via email, Twitter conversations and video. I asked the questions and each answer is (loosely) transcribed from Dr. Tucker's video response. At the end of each question, there is a link to see the entire video response.

1. Meet Geoff Tucker DVM - Interview with an Equine Dentist

Geoff Tucker DVM - Equine Dentistry Without Drama© G Tucker DVM
I "met" Dr. Tucker on my Twitter page (@AboutVetMed) and out of curiosity, visited his equine dentistry web site. I read his practice philosophy, summed up nicely here:
    "My approach is calm with a seeking of balance and permission. I often say I have 2 strikes against me when I enter a stall: I am a man and a vet. I am not changing either!

I wanted to learn more about equine dentistry, floating horse teeth and meet the person behind the site, so I contacted Dr. Tucker for this interview. He replied to my email questions with video responses, creating this unique multi-media interview.

2. What is the main problem seen in your equine dentistry practice?

Checking out the teeth by hand © Geoff Tucker DVM © Geoff Tucker DVM

According to Dr. Tucker, it is the same thing over and over again: sharp teeth. His work is focused on "floating" horse teeth; removing those sharp points on the teeth and making the horse's mouth feel comfortable again.

Learn more about this process and Dr. Tucker's practice philosophy working with horses. He must earn the trust necessary to be able to place his arm inside a horse's mouth to get the job done.

3. Do you do any other types of veterinary work besides equine dentistry?

Geoff Tucker DVM - working on a zoo wart hog's teeth© Geoff Tucker DVM
Dr. Tucker's answer to this question is initially a short one, but read on. He talks about his practice history and what he fears most in practice today. He also shares his goals for the future.

4. What is a "typical" day like for an equine dentist vet?

Dr. Tucker answering my interview questions on the road © Geoff Tucker DVM© Geoff Tucker DVM
Lot of of hours are spent in his truck, driving from farm to farm across several states. Dr. Tucker sees several horses a day. Learn about his truck, the mobile office, rigged with tools of the trade and completely Internet-ready for a veterinary practice on the road.

5. What role does social media such as Twitter and Facebook play in your practice?

Floating a horse's teeth © Geoff Tucker DVM© Geoff Tucker DVM
As I mentioned in question one, I "met" Dr. Tucker on Twitter. He very tech-savvy and is also active on Facebook. Learn how the Internet and these social media tools help his practice.

6. What types of pets do you have?

Post dental care quality time © Geoff Tucker DVM© Geoff Tucker DVM
I was surprised to hear Dr. Tucker's answer to this question "I have no pets." What? But read on and you can appreciate Dr. Tucker's sense of humor as he discusses living with pets of all kinds over the years.

7. Horse Dental Care - What Does It Mean to Float Teeth?

Greeting an equine dental patient © Geoff Tucker DVM © Geoff Tucker DVM
Horses have different dental care requirements than dogs and cats. Like dogs and cats though, the health of the teeth affect the health, function and behavior of the entire animal. Learn what makes horses different and why floating the teeth is important.

8. Readers Respond - Do you float your horses teeth regularly?

Floating a horse's teeth © Geoff Tucker DVM© Geoff Tucker DVM
As we learned in this interview with Geoff Tucker DVM, horse teeth need to be floated regularly. Failure to do this routine equine dental care is the number one dental problem in his practice. Do you have your horse's teeth floated regularly? Why or why not? Who floats your horse's teeth?

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