Dr. Matt Toia

Dr. Matt Toia

Dr. Matt Toia is currently semi-retired and living in Florida after thirty years as a veterinary practice owner who treated horses, companion animals and exotics.  He currently works as a relief veterinarian and performs spay/neuter surgeries for humane groups.
 
 Dr. Toia enlisted in the Army after high school and volunteered for Special Forces (Green Berets) which had a profound influence on his future direction.  Through his intensive Special Forces training and active duty experiences, he discovered his love for medicine, surgery and flying.  He ended his military career in the Army Reserves at the rank of Major.

Dr Toia has published several articles in national and state veterinary journals, including a three part series on Professional Burn-Out, and the lack of effective preventive measures available to veterinarians.  He has also published a scientific manual on immobilizing drugs and dosages for wild and domestic animals. 

Dr. Toia has many interests which include building and flying experimental airplanes.  His most recent aircraft is a two person amphibious aircraft capable of landing on water as well as land.  He has a private pilot’s license for land and sea planes, plus multi-engine and instrument ratings.  He is an award winning wildlife photographer and an advanced open water scuba diver and underwater photographer.  He is a volunteer member of the Florida state veterinary emergency disaster response team. Other interests include reading, creating sculptures with sea glass and shells from both ocean and fresh water sources.

Dr. Toia is known as an innovator in veterinary medicine.  He created the first mobile spay/neuter clinic for pets in 1971.  In 1984 he introduced the first Pet HMO for his patients in New England.  When Rabies became widespread in his New England area, he developed a humane euthanasia chamber for rabid animals which allowed for safe handling of rabid animals by animal control personnel.  He also designed and built special devices to safely and humanely restrain feral animals. 

In 2006 Dr. Toia set a new Guinness world record by spaying 25 female cats in one hour and fifty four minutes. All recovered successfully. 

Currently, in addition to working for Spay/Neuter Clinics, Dr. Toia is Chief Veterinary Officer for PetLabsMD.com, a national online pet laboratory where pet owners can place their order on line and have certified veterinary technicians come directly to their homes, at their convenience, and draw blood from their pets for a myriad of wellness profiles and continued health maintenance conditions.  This concierge personalized service is in lieu of taking time from work and physically bringing their pets to their veterinarian’s clinic or hospital. 

You Want Me To Declaw What?

A rampaging bull, an out of control chimpanzee, a goose named Gary . . . Dr. Matt Toia has seen it all in his years practicing veterinary medicine. In You Want Me to Declaw What?! he recounts the events that led to his interest in the field of animal care, his early days in practice, and the many peculiar creatures and situations that he has encountered “all in a day’s work.”

Dr. Toia’s warmth, humor, and true respect for the animals he has tended to shines through every page of this delightful book. You Want Me to Declaw What?! is a treat for both animal lovers and non-animal lovers alike, and proves that the life of a veterinarian is many things, but that it is never boring!

At turns poignant and hilarious, Dr. Toia’s book is one that any reader will delight in.

You Want Me to Declaw What?!