"From fractured jaws to doggie braces, I have seen it all."- Dr. Judy Force, DVM
About Dr. Judy Force
Dr. Force, DVM graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. She worked in a mixed practice in Invercargill, New Zealand for her very first job out of vet school. That was a challenge!; cats & dogs, horses & cattle and the occasional sheep or deer farm. Back in the states she worked in a small animal practice in South Lake Tahoe, California and then Fort Bragg, California before settling down in Watsonville (Santa Cruz county) about 10 years ago.
In the 1980's there was no dentistry department at UC Davis. The second year out of school, though, Dr. Force took the AAHA weekend courses in dentistry and was hooked. It wasn't until she was working at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital, though, that she found they had lots of wonderful dental equipment that was hardly being used that she was able to devote herself to learning as much dentistry as possible.
Her first mentor, Dr. Barry Staley, was a retired human periodontist and came to oversee dental cases that Dr. Force was doing at SCVH. Dr. Michael Floyd was a great mentor until he retired a few years ago and now Dr. Brook Niemiec (in San Diego) is her main mentor. During the last 2 years she has traveled to several veterinary dental practices around the country to work with board certified veterinary dentists and advance her knowledge and skills.
Last fall Dr. Force was honored to have been awarded a Don Low Fellowship in anesthesia. She spent 20 days at UC Davis in the veterinary teaching hospital working in the anesthesia department with Faculty, residents and students and improving her understanding of anesthesia in critical as well as geriatric and special needs patients.
In her free time, Dr. Force enjoys training and competing with her Dalmatians in agility, obedience and an occasional Dalmatian road trial. She enjoys riding her horses on the trail and in dressage competitions. She also likes to play banjo and guitar and spend time with family and friends.
