Carla Sanchez Lugo, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Carla M. Sánchez Lugo was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Living on an island and considering her love for the ocean and marine life, she pursued her BS in Animal Sciences at the University of Florida with the idea of getting into University of Florida (UF) Vet school, where there is the specialty for Marine Animal Medicine. But life took her on a different path, which has been very enjoyable and full of travels, learning and teaching experiences. She earned her DVM degree from St. George’s University, Grenada in 2010, after completing her clinical year rotation in Australia, where she got to work in zoos, wildlife center and explore the whole country and scuba dive in amazing reefs. During her Vet School years she traveled for symposiums and internships in Malaysia, Turkey, Scotland, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and New Zealand. Still true to her love for marine life she went on to complete Sea Vet 1 and Sea Vet Clinical training programs at UF, and while there, she learned about the Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) program offered in Florida and went on to get certified as a Veterinary acupuncturist (2012), and more recently as an Animal chiropractor (2021). At the moment Dr. Sánchez works mostly at small animal shelters, spay clinics, and volunteers at the Manatee conservation center in Puerto Rico. She also owns her own business offering holistic consults, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, massage, food therapy, herbal remedies and reiki for pets. She has been a salsa dance teacher, summer camp counselor, swimming instructor, anatomy lab assistant, and veterinarian in charge of veterinary students and technicians during spay clinics and at animal shelters. Teaching is something she enjoys very much and from which she learns and grows every day. On her spare time she loves to go to the beach, hike, scuba dive, travel, raise chickens, work on her food and flower gardens, go dancing and spend time with her cats, family and friends.