If you live long enough, you figure out that not all human doctors are equal. Some are fantastic. Some are meh. And some are downright criminal (hence the growing number of podcasts like  Dr. Death).

Why should animal doctors be any different?

And yet, it seems they just are. In my experience, I’ve rarely found a veterinarian who is not fully invested in giving high quality medical care to our pets. Veterinarians just seem to go the extra mile. Some even go the EXTRA, extra mile.

One such veterinarian is Dr. Keiko Miyata. Inspired by her own pet parent experience, she provides the absolute best medical care to her customers. After working as a veterinarian at various pet hospitals and clinics for several years, she started her own mobile pet clinic in Orange County, Sunny Side Veterinary.

Sunny Side Veterinary RVT Abbie helping with electro acupuncture with patient Archie

Dr. Miyata and her team at Sunny Side Veterinary recently treated my own pets in the comfort of our home because my oldest cat, Maximus Decimus Meridius, gets severely car sick. I had always taken my pets to a clinic so this was an entirely new experience for me. Dr. Miyata and her team spent all the time necessary to examine my fur babies while keeping them calm and relaxed. That made such a difference!  As a business owner, I feel confident that Club Cat’s kitty cat guests will also be in great hands with Dr. Miyata and her team should the situation arise.

Meet mobile veterinarian Dr. Miyata, founder of Sunny Side Veterinary!

CC: When did you initially know that you wanted to be a veterinarian?

KM: I have always loved animals and had a dog and a couple of small furries growing up but did not know I wanted to be a veterinarian until I was in my early 20’s. I was living in Baja, Mexico, in the midst of starting a Bed and Breakfast by the beach in a small town. Encountering many stray dogs there that were wounded and emaciated, I felt that I wanted to do more to help them. At that point, I had never considered becoming a veterinarian but returned home excited to go back to school to become one. After returning, I started a job at a local veterinarian’s office and decided it was definitely the path I wanted to take. I completed my undergraduate and pre-veterinary studies at UCI, then went to Glasgow University in Scotland for my doctorate program in veterinary medicine.

CC: Do you have pets of your own?

KM: Yes, my fiancè and I have two dogs. Cora is a 10-year-old Pit Bull mix, and Millie is a 3-year-old Terrier mix. Cora is gentle and mellow, and Millie is a ball of energy, and also the most affectionate dog I’ve ever had. They were both adopted from the shelter last year, and have made such a big impact on our lives.

Dr. Keiko Miyata performing acupuncture on her own doggy, Cora

CC: What do you love the most about being an animal doctor?

KM: I love being able to be their advocate and their voice. As they can’t speak, it’s our job to see subtle changes in their behavior to determine what is happening to them and how we can treat them. It is incredibly rewarding to hear that a pet is doing well after getting treated.

CC: You are also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Tell us a little about that.

KM: Acupuncture has helped me in the past, and I knew I wanted to incorporate it into my treatment before I started veterinary school. For one of my clinical rotations, I wrote a paper about integrative techniques for treating idiopathic epilepsy in dogs, knowing that integrative and holistic medicine was a passion I wanted to pursue after graduating. During my final year of veterinary school, I attended Chi University in Florida led by Dr. Xie. Dr. Xie brought Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and pet acupuncture to America, and I am grateful to have been able to learn from him and his colleagues. In the first couple of years of practicing as a veterinarian, I finished my acupuncture internship and case study to complete my certification.

CC: Why did you decide to start your own mobile pet clinic, Sunny Side Veterinary?

Dr. Miyata’s beloved late dog, Sunny

KM: Sunny Side Veterinary is named after my beloved golden retriever, Sunny, who passed away rapidly in quite a traumatic way. She needed a lot of hospice care in her last days, which I was able to provide from home. This experience made me appreciate the power of home veterinary care. The pets are more comfortable and relaxed at home and providing care in front of the owners ensures they know that their pets are getting the quality care that they deserve.