Hilltop Family Vet

10/22/2026

Vet tech week may be close to ending, but our features are still going strong! Our next victim (…I mean completely willing participant) is Tiara! She is one of our senior technicians, always loving on our cat, dog, and bunny patients, as seen here with Mr. Butts 🐰 who came in to get established and receive his RHDV vaccine.

“I’ve been working in veterinary medicine for 7 years and have always had a passion for animals and caring for them. I grew up in West Virginia and have called Florida home for about 9 years. Outside of work, I enjoy playing video games, bored games, and spending time with my partner and our dogs. I’m grateful to have a career that allows me to do what I’ve always loved—working with and helping animals.”

10/21/2026

Time for another vet tech week feature, and this time we’ve got Jasper showing off with Hazel who is here for a day stay! Jasper is the other half of our kennel assistant duo, and he has a particular fondness for exotics. Ensuring top care for your cats and dogs that board with us is his highest priority 🐾 He is also our in-house creativity expert and artist! 🎨

“I moved to Gainesville with the intention of getting an associates degree to become a Zookeeper. After graduating, I found that while I love working with animals, zookeeping wasn’t quite right for me. I changed career paths into Veterinarian assisting, and I fell in love with it instantly! I am so excited to be learning about assisting the vets with cats and dogs, as well as exotics such as birds and reptiles! It’s truly the best outcome of my degree and desire to help animals.
In my downtime, I care for my cat Moo, and my lizard Pancake. I enjoy going on nature walks, to farmers markets, and playing video games. I do many forms of artwork as well such as ceramics, textiles and digital sketches and occasionally when I have time, I sell at art markets.”

10/20/2026

Next up in our Vet Tech Week feature is Amna, one of our wonderful kennel and vet assistants! Amna splits her time between taking care of our superstar boarders (like Gruffy here!) and assisting the technicians with appointments ⭐️ When your pets stay with us, they get great care with Amna around 💕

“I have loved animals since I was a child and grew up with several pets, which inspired my passion for animal care. I am currently an Animal Science major at the University of Florida on the pre-veterinary track, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. I am excited to gain hands-on experience as a veterinary assistant/kennel technician, learn from the veterinary team, and build the skills and knowledge I will need for a future career in veterinary medicine.”

10/19/2026

It’s National Veterinary Technician Week! And boy do we love our techs and assistants 🥰 As the all-in-one animal nurse, there isn’t a vet clinic in existence that could function without them, and this week is dedicated specifically to them. While we always make sure to be thankful every day, it’s the perfect excuse to play games, give gifts, and lather on the love 💕

Starting today, we’ll be featuring each of our techs and assistants, so be sure to share your appreciation! First up is Sarah, shown here with the beautiful Gracie who is visiting us for a spay.

“Hi, I’m Sarah! As a dedicated Veterinary Technician, I love providing compassionate, Fear Free care to every patient that walks through our doors. My top priority is ensuring your furry family members feel safe, calm, and comfortable during their medical visits.
At home, my life is beautifully chaotic with my two dogs, Pj and Westley, and my three cats, Duncan, Misa, and Drako. When I’m not at the clinic, you can usually find me relaxing near our local natural springs or listening to true crime podcasts.”

10/15/2026

Check out this local post featuring our Managing DVM, Dr. Vanderbilt! 🐰

We are so honored to be part of Gainesville Rabbit Rescue’s bunnys’ care 🐇 And as everyone knows, Dr. Vanderbilt is our resident rabbit guru. What an amazing pairing of rescue and veterinarian that we love dearly, and we are so proud of them! 💕

Words to live by:

Ces: “Having what you want is wanting what you’ve got.”

Sara: “Leaving the world a little better than you found it.”

“The rabbit rescue has been around for quite a while – since 1998. We have been helping the ‘buns’ by finding them homes. We partner with a lot of the animal shelters but we also take rabbits in from outside, abandoned, or when owners are no longer able to care for them. So we get them all the medical care they may need, we get them spayed and neutered, vaccinated, give them love, set them up in foster homes, and then get them out to furever families to enrich their lives.”

“Rabbits are fantastic pets! They are wonderful litter box users, they’re nice and quiet, and they have the best little personalities - each one is so different from the next.”

“We have a lot of rabbits set up in our shelter. It’s not open to the public but if anyone ever wants to come out and meet the rabbits, or learn about what we do, we absolutely can arrange by appointment. We are always looking for volunteers. Actually, most of our rabbits are in foster homes which is what we prefer because then we get to find out more about their personalities, their temperament, and how they interact with dogs, cats, and children.”

“I came for school and then I never left. I love the Gainesville community! I think it’s a very homey place to be. Everyone is so friendly and kind. Even through all my phases of life: when I was student until now, just being a working adult, I feel like everyone I’ve encountered has been so kind. Just having events like this Vegfest, so many community events, and farmers’ markets, you meet so many fun and interesting people.”

- Sara Vanderbilt holding Adeline, the white bunny, and Ces Swinton, holding Music, the black bunny, volunteering with Gainesville Rabbit Rescue volunteers at the Sept. 13th VegFest. Find out more about adopting, donating, volunteering, etc. at : https://www.gainesvillerabbitrescue.org/

10/13/2026

😁Happy visits!😁
Did you know that we provide happy visits for your dogs that tend to be anxious at the vet? Maybe they need a bit more socialization with friendly strangers? Happy visits are the perfect opportunity to pop in with your dog, and is beneficial for everyone: your pet (positive experiences), you (a free resource), and us (puppy love)!

While Wren is Shelby’s little Iggy and does tend to stay for a whole day, she has only been here a couple of times. Our staff immediately commented on how much more relaxed and social she has become since her first visit. Spending this time giving attention, love, and of course treats does make a big impact over each visit 💕

We also provide day stays for pet parents who might need a short-term babysitter, so we’ve got all sorts of options available. Give us a call to discuss what will work best for you and your paw-fect 🐾 family!

10/09/2026

🎓What a good day for learning!🎓
Yesterday, our team completed training for anesthesia. It was a full day of lecture and hands on experience. We even got to add in a bit of radiographs for some extra techniques 🩻

Everyone left feeling a little heavier with knowledge, and lighter with confidence, and we are so excited to put this training into practice. We love being able to improve and show off our skills for the betterment of our favorite animals!

We apologize for any inconveniences our closure yesterday caused, but we are back up and fully operational. Give us a call for anything we might be able to get scheduled or questions we can answer for you 📞

10/07/2026

Our dental promo of up to $150 off for the month of October is in full swing! If your cat or dog is scheduled for any type of dental this month, you we are discounting the pre-anesthetic bloodwork 🩸 by $50, and the dental 🦷 procedure by $100.

Do you know of gingival hyperplasia? Pictured here is Felicity’s pup Ozzy, whose breed is predisposed to gum overgrowth. We can perform a gingivectomy to help reduce the buildup of gum tissue. This gingival hyperplasia can cause a number of dental health concerns: pockets in the gums that trap food and lead to infection, inflammation and irritation around the teeth, or even fully encase the teeth if left unaddressed.

The difference in the before and after is pretty astounding (the post-procedure picture is black and white due to blood)! We push so heavily for annual appointments so that we can catch dental concerns early to prevent future problems. Ozzy is known to have this reoccurring condition, so Felicity is able to keep a closer eye on him and note any changes before they become a bigger problem.

Also a reminder that we will be CLOSED for appointments tomorrow due to a staff training day! Our doors and phones will also be locked and off after 12pm, so pick up your pets’ medications beforehand. Our texts and emails will still be active and monitored throughout the day.

10/01/2026

📚NO APPOINTMENTS on Thursday, October 8th📚

In our ever-present pursuit to provide our clients and patients with the best possible care, we will be closed for appointments and phone calls on 10/8 for a staff training day! We will still be open for medication pick ups, text messages, and emails.

Procedures that require anesthesia always need more attention and skill to ensure your pet has the smoothest experience. For this training, every member of our staff will be spending the day either learning or refreshing their anesthesia knowledge. We’ll get to test simulations to be ready for any possible scenario, including predicting potential concerns to preemptively address them, and know how to jump into action at the first sign of trouble 💪🏻

Make sure to plan around our upcoming closure, and get those appointments scheduled now. As we will NOT be available to answer phone calls, please defer to text (386-462-3822) or email [email protected]

Thank you all for allowing us to take a day to help our team be more well-rounded, and prepare to give even better care to your pets 💕

09/28/2026

Exciting dental promo announcement! 🎉

For the month of October, we are offering up to $150 OFF a dental procedure! 🪥 Any dental on the schedule between October 1st and 31st will receive $50 off the pre-procedure bloodwork, and $100 off the dental itself. Valid for dogs and cats.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who has been waiting for a discount 💲 We also have a variety of wonderful payment plan services for some extra financial support.

Give us a call for additional information and to get your pet scheduled! We are also happy to discuss in person during an appointment if you’ve already got something on the books 🗓️

📸 Pictured here is Chomper, who is shown getting some incisors removed. He is owned by Tiara, one of our vet techs!