Meghan McKee Smith DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Meghan Smith decreed that she was going to be an animal doctor at the ripe old age of 3 when her mother wouldn’t allow her to take home the pony from the pony rides. Thankfully, that all worked out since she didn’t have a back-up plan. She started working at barns for riding lessons in middle school and this led to her interest in sports medicine. She accumulated enough credits in high school to participate in the work exit program her senior year at Sequoyah High School, which allowed her to attend school for half the day followed by working with her horse’s veterinarian, Dr. Laura DuVall Moloney. Dr. Smith knew she needed to have a well-rounded resume so Dr. Moloney introduced her to Dr. Diane Castle at Union Hill Animal Hospital. Volunteering during her senior year led to her a steady summer job during college. After graduating from the University of Georgia with degrees in Animal Science and Dairy Science, Dr. Smith was put on the waiting list for veterinary school at UGA. This drove her to get a job that summer in the small animal ICU at the veterinary school. A few months later, she fell off her horse during a training session, causing her to fracture several vertebrae in her back and needing emergency surgery to keep her from becoming paralyzed. She truly believes that this is why God had her on the waiting list for veterinary school—she was given plenty of time to heal and realize this was a very valuable life lesson. Throughout her veterinary career, the long-term pain that she constantly battles has led her to have a special interest in pain management for her patients. She strives to explore all modalities of pain management and rehabilitation, including acupuncture, stem cell therapies, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, Chinese herbs, and chiropractic care. She applies these modalities to her dog, cat, and horse patients. Her parents and younger sister and brother have always been extremely supportive of Dr. Smith’s dreams and goals. Her mother, Judy, also followed her to Union Hill Animal Hospital not only as a client but also as a receptionist. Dr. Smith maintains her love of Georgia Bulldog football and cheers them on every fall. Her dachshunds, Farley and Ferrell, compete in nose work trials after having retired from competition obedience and agility, respectively; if nothing else, they will always get “cute points.” Dr. Smith’s cat, Charlie Chaplin, enjoys shedding all over the house and chasing the dogs around the living room. She competed her Quarter Horse, Dustin, in three-day eventing until he retired to pleasure dressage following an injury to his knee. He is now fully retired in his 20s and enjoys having a big grass belly. In 2017, Dr. Smith added a Shetland Sheepdog named Sheldon to the mix. He is currently competing in agility and obedience. To say that she is busy is an understatement but she always finds time to care for her wonderful patients at UHAH.